WEBVTT

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-Hi. I'm Rick Steves, back
with more of the best of Europe.

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This time, rather than
a particular place,

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we're going thematic

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and traveling anywhere
that theme takes us.

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In this episode, we travel back
to the High Middle Ages,

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the era of soaring cathedrals,
imposing castles,

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inspiring stained glass,
and even a unicorn or two.

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Thanks for joining us.

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♪

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♪

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♪

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The Middle Ages spanned
1,000 years,

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from 500 to 1500.

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The first half was a time
of relative poverty

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and economic stagnation.

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But then around the year 1000,
Europe rebounded,

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fueled by strong
religious faith.

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That story,
its turmoil and triumphs,

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is reflected in the
awe-inspiring art of the age.

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The last half of the Middle Ages

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left us plenty to both see
and celebrate.

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With the Gothic Age,
radiant cathedrals

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were towering ever higher
and decorated ever richer.

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Their art inspired
the faithful,

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from lovingly carved stonework
to stunning stained glass.

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We'll explore stony castles
and fortified palaces,

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warmed by tapestries
and ornamented with art

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that celebrated secular life.

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And we'll see how paintings
ever more realistically

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tell the stories of
the so-called Age of Faith

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as Europeans approached
the dawn of a new age.

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♪

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By the year 1000,
Europe was on the rise.

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Entering a period called
the High Middle Ages,

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it was a time of growing
innovation, trade, and travel.

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Christianity was dominant, and
people celebrated their faith

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by building great structures.

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The imposing Romanesque style
was eventually eclipsed

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by an even grander style --
Gothic.

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Gothic was an architectural
leap forward,

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with taller and taller churches
reaching for the heavens

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and filled
with more and more light.

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Fueled by their faith,

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Europeans built towering
cathedrals to the glory of God.

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Each community tried
to outdo the other,

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with churches
featuring soaring naves.

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Supported by elaborate
pointed arches

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and flooded with light,

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Gothic seemed to be emblematic

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of a Europe moving
upward and onward.

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The Gothic style was born
in France in the 12th century.

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The cathedral in Chartres,
one of the first, greatest,

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and most influential
Gothic churches,

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captures the spirit
of this Age of Faith,

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as the Middle Ages
were nicknamed.

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Magnificent structures were
built by the sweat of peasants,

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construction projects

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that dominated entire
communities for generations,

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all for the glory of God.

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Towering churches like this
became sites

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which, for centuries,
broke distant horizons,

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heartening the weary spirits
of approaching pilgrims.

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Gothic churches were taller

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and brighter
than the earlier Romanesque.

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They were made with
a skeleton of support.

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The key to Gothic
is the pointed arch.

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A Romanesque church is built
with round arches.

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With a round arch,
the weight pushes down,

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but with a pointed arch,
the weight pushes not down,

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but out.

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As a tour guide,
it's fun to demonstrate this

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by building a Gothic cathedral
out of tourists.

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You start with six columns.

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These will support
the roof with ribs --

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ignore the elbows -- coming
together with pointed arches.

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The key to Gothic
is the pointed arch.

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A Romanesque church is built
with round arches.

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With a round arch, the weight
sits squarely on the wall,

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and it needs to be
thick and strong.

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If a round arch collapses,
it falls down.

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But if you point the arches,

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suddenly the weight of the roof
pushes not down, but out.

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So rather than thick walls,
you need to buttress

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the building
by adding support pushing in.

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So you need six more tourists
to be buttresses.

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With buttresses rather than

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thick walls
supporting the church,

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the walls are freed
to become window holders,

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letting in more light.

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To free up
even more wall space,

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you can make the buttresses
flying buttresses,

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with their support flying in
with more arches.

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Are you guys ready for a spire?
-Yes, we are.

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-Okay.

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Now when the spire is raised,
because of the pointed arches,

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the weight goes out
rather than down.

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And with buttresses in place,
everything is solid.

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Windows can fill the spaces
between the columns.

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And you've built a Gothic church
out of tourists.

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All right, thank you.
-Yep.

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-That was good.
[ Applause ]

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-One more time, one more time,
one more time.

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-As the Gothic style
spread outward from France,

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Europe was soon dotted
with magnificent cathedrals.

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While each had
its own personality,

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all were fundamentally Gothic,

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with pointed arches...

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lots of stained glass,

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and stately statues.

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Grand entrances came
with a heavenly host

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offering a stony welcome.

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And multitasking gargoyles
served as fancy rain spouts

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while busy scaring away
evil spirits.

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The style evolved.

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Over time, churches grew taller
and more elaborate.

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In England,
the final flowering of Gothic

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is called perpendicular,

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with an emphasis
on vertical lines.

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The original simplicity
of ribbed vaults

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was replaced
by elaborate fan vaulting.

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♪

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And this cathedral in Milan

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illustrates the final stage
of Gothic,

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called "flamboyant"
for its flame-like spires

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and over-the-top features.

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Bathed in the light
of a Gothic interior,

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we appreciate how this style,
with its huge windows

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filling the sacred space
with light,

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is such an improvement over
the darker Romanesque style.

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Most medieval churches are built

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to look like a Latin cross,

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with columns defining

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a long, central nave

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and short arms called transepts.

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As the church generally
faced east,

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the entry is the west portal.

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There's a north transept

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and a south transept,

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and the altar is in the East,

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symbolically facing Jerusalem.

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Religious pilgrimages were
a big deal in medieval Europe,

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and the greatest churches were
designed to handle large crowds

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during holy days and festivals.

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This space was the ambulatory,
and it was designed for pilgrims

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who may have walked for weeks
to get here

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to amble through the church.

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They'd circulate behind
the high altar,

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around the semicircular
far end, or apse,

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worshiping at the various side
chapels that fit their needs.

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♪

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Many Gothic churches have an
enclosed space called the choir,

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often elaborately carved,

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where monks or VIPs could gather

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for more intimate services

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in an otherwise vast space.

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In a time when daily life
was pretty bleak,

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attending mass provided
a needed escape,

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a peek at the promised glories
that awaited the faithful.

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[ Choir singing ]

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Even today, attending a service,
especially in the choir,

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can spark a church to life

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by filling it
with both worship and music.

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[ Singing continues ]

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[ Organ playing ]

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♪

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♪

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These huge caverns of stone
needed to be decorated,

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and they were filled
with the most glorious art

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of the Gothic world --

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towering altarpieces,
inspiring statues,

08:39.933 --> 08:43.866 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
and, the triumph of Gothic,
exquisite stained glass.

08:43.933 --> 08:48.033 align:start position:20% line:10% size:60%
Sainte-Chapelle in Paris
is a fine example.

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In typical Gothic style,

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the church is a skeleton
of support,

08:52.466 --> 08:54.966 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
with buttressed columns,
ribs, and pointed arches

08:55.033 --> 08:57.666 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
supporting the stone roof
and freeing the walls

08:57.733 --> 09:00.766 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
to be window frames,
in this case,

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to hold Europe's best
original 13th-century glass.

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In the Bible, it's clear:

09:08.200 --> 09:09.933 align:start position:30% line:84.66% size:40%
light is divine.

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And with Gothic, light pours
through stained glass,

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turning dark stone buildings
into colorful lanterns of light.

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♪

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Chartres Cathedral is beloved

09:28.033 --> 09:30.566 align:start position:17.5% line:10% size:65%
for both its stained glass
and statues,

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which, together, weave
a unified Christian story.

09:35.466 --> 09:38.433 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
In "The Book of Chartres,"
as some nicknamed the church,

09:38.500 --> 09:41.133 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
the text is the sculpture
and windows,

09:41.200 --> 09:44.166 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
and its binding
is the architecture.

09:46.466 --> 09:48.666 align:start position:27.5% line:84.66% size:42.5%
The nave is vast,

09:48.733 --> 09:53.633 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
lit by magnificent
800-year-old stained-glass.

09:53.700 --> 09:56.133 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
The light pouring
through these windows

09:56.200 --> 10:01.266 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
was mystical and encouraged
meditation and prayer.

10:01.333 --> 10:04.366 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
The stained glass was used
to help teach Bible stories

10:04.433 --> 10:05.800 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
to the illiterate faithful,

10:05.866 --> 10:10.433 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
and it gave worshipers images
to focus on as they prayed.

10:10.500 --> 10:13.300 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
Windows can be read
from bottom to top,

10:13.366 --> 10:16.333 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
as if from Earth to Heaven.

10:16.400 --> 10:19.300 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
The brilliant color is from
minerals mixed into the glass

10:19.366 --> 10:24.566 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
as it's made, such as cobalt
for the dazzling blue.

10:24.633 --> 10:26.933 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
The windows lead the reader

10:27.000 --> 10:30.400 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
through a series
of dramatic scenes.

10:30.466 --> 10:32.933 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:72.5%
For example, the Last Supper,

10:33.000 --> 10:36.033 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
Jesus washing
his disciples' feet,

10:36.100 --> 10:39.233 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
his betrayal,
with the kiss of Judas,

10:39.300 --> 10:42.433 align:start position:25% line:84.66% size:50%
and the Crucifixion.

10:42.500 --> 10:45.700 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
The amazing thing
in the 21st century,

10:45.766 --> 10:47.900 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:70%
Chartres is perfectly intact

10:47.966 --> 10:50.133 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
and can be read
like a book today,

10:50.200 --> 10:53.866 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
as it was eight centuries ago.

10:53.933 --> 10:57.966 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:2.5%
♪

10:58.033 --> 11:00.466 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
As the church was the leading
patron of the arts

11:00.533 --> 11:01.800 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
throughout the Middle Ages,

11:01.866 --> 11:04.300 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
it owned the greatest
artistic treasures,

11:04.366 --> 11:06.866 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
and many of those treasures
remain in situ,

11:06.933 --> 11:09.066 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
not in the museums,
but in the churches

11:09.133 --> 11:11.900 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
where they were
originally designed to be seen.

11:11.966 --> 11:14.900 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
The centerpiece of each church
throughout the ages

11:14.966 --> 11:16.333 align:start position:32.5% line:84.66% size:35%
was the altar,

11:16.400 --> 11:19.100 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
generally with an elaborate
single piece of art,

11:19.166 --> 11:22.100 align:start position:37.5% line:84.66% size:25%
painted...

11:22.166 --> 11:25.766 align:start position:35% line:84.66% size:30%
or carved...

11:25.833 --> 11:28.800 align:start position:25% line:84.66% size:47.5%
featuring Christ...

11:28.866 --> 11:31.100 align:start position:30% line:84.66% size:40%
the Virgin Mary,

11:31.166 --> 11:33.133 align:start position:30% line:84.66% size:37.5%
a patron saint,

11:33.200 --> 11:35.800 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:70%
or a particular Bible scene.

11:35.866 --> 11:39.633 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
Some of the altarpieces
were huge and overwhelming,

11:39.700 --> 11:42.233 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
telling the story of Christ
scene by scene,

11:42.300 --> 11:44.900 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:70%
from manger to resurrection.

11:44.966 --> 11:47.666 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:2.5%
♪

11:47.733 --> 11:51.600 align:start position:20% line:10% size:57.5%
This opulent altarpiece
also tells the story of Jesus,

11:51.666 --> 11:54.033 align:start position:17.5% line:10% size:65%
like pages of a comic book
ripped out

11:54.100 --> 11:56.033 align:start position:22.5% line:10% size:55%
and laid side by side.

11:56.100 --> 11:59.766 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
It wasn't terribly realistic
by modern standards.

11:59.833 --> 12:01.766 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:72.5%
Mary's throne looks cockeyed,

12:01.833 --> 12:04.700 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
and the food could slide
right off this table.

12:04.766 --> 12:07.633 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
But the art brought
sacred stories to life,

12:07.700 --> 12:10.000 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:57.5%
inspiring the faithful.

12:12.300 --> 12:15.266 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
Imagine the power of Gothic art
emotionally,

12:15.333 --> 12:17.433 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:72.5%
religiously, and politically.

12:17.500 --> 12:21.233 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
In the Middle Ages, art was
the advertising of the day,

12:21.300 --> 12:23.200 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
a perspective-shaping tool.

12:23.266 --> 12:26.200 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
Artists were hired
by the powerful to inspire

12:26.266 --> 12:28.766 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
and also to promote conformity.

12:28.833 --> 12:32.033 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
Church art has always
had an agenda --

12:32.100 --> 12:35.533 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
to teach by telling stories
and through symbolism.

12:35.600 --> 12:37.900 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
Martyrs were known
by how they died.

12:37.966 --> 12:41.333 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
Riddled with arrows?
Saint Sebastian.

12:41.400 --> 12:44.700 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:30%
Decapitated?
Saint Denis.

12:44.766 --> 12:48.500 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
Death by grilling?
It's got to be Saint Lawrence.

12:48.566 --> 12:51.966 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
Gospel writers are shown
holding a book.

12:52.033 --> 12:54.033 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
If a man has a cross
in his halo,

12:54.100 --> 12:56.333 align:start position:22.5% line:84.66% size:52.5%
it can only be Jesus.

12:56.400 --> 13:00.333 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
And some regular person suddenly
in the company of saints?

13:00.400 --> 13:03.900 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
Likely an important financial
supporter of the church,

13:03.966 --> 13:07.266 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
a reminder of how people
believed such patronage

13:07.333 --> 13:09.566 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:72.5%
could help get you to Heaven.

13:09.633 --> 13:12.733 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
Accurate realism
was not a concern.

13:12.800 --> 13:14.900 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
Paintings came with
no natural setting,

13:14.966 --> 13:18.766 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
just an ethereal
gold background.

13:18.833 --> 13:20.800 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
Buildings may have had
four walls

13:20.866 --> 13:23.266 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
but little sense
of actual depth.

13:25.366 --> 13:28.900 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
Bodies were flat,
and expressions said little.

13:28.966 --> 13:32.666 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
The main thing --
tell the story.

13:32.733 --> 13:35.166 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
And if the message
wasn't clear enough,

13:35.233 --> 13:37.600 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
the artist could literally
spell it out.

13:37.666 --> 13:41.600 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:2.5%
♪

13:41.666 --> 13:45.700 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
A hellish hot tub taught
that people from all walks --

13:45.766 --> 13:49.966 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
nobles, kings, even bishops --
can end up in Hell.

13:50.033 --> 13:52.500 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
You were reminded
that one day your sins

13:52.566 --> 13:57.133 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
would be accounted for,
as if written on a ledger.

13:57.200 --> 13:59.066 align:start position:32.5% line:84.66% size:35%
[ Bell rings ]

13:59.133 --> 14:01.766 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
But it wasn't all
fire and brimstone.

14:01.833 --> 14:04.400 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
While artists generally
worked anonymously,

14:04.466 --> 14:08.833 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
they sometimes injected a little
playfulness and personality.

14:08.900 --> 14:11.033 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:62.5%
This man has a toothache.

14:11.100 --> 14:13.766 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
Another pulls a thorn
from his foot.

14:13.833 --> 14:17.266 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
And here, a farmer clobbers
a thief so hard,

14:17.333 --> 14:20.000 align:start position:27.5% line:84.66% size:45%
his hat falls off.

14:20.066 --> 14:23.266 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:2.5%
♪

14:23.333 --> 14:26.000 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
Medieval pulpits
from where the priest preached

14:26.066 --> 14:28.500 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
were often masterpieces
in themselves,

14:28.566 --> 14:30.433 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:80%
with finely-carved Bible stories

14:30.500 --> 14:34.066 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
and symbols that reinforced
the gospel message.

14:34.133 --> 14:37.033 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
Readings were figuratively
and literally supported

14:37.100 --> 14:40.966 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
by venerable leaders
of the faith.

14:41.033 --> 14:43.400 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
Church treasuries
are like museums,

14:43.466 --> 14:47.100 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
safely protecting
jewel-encrusted gold and silver

14:47.166 --> 14:49.366 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
featuring dazzling workmanship,

14:49.433 --> 14:52.166 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
war trophies,
and priceless gifts

14:52.233 --> 14:56.666 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
like this gold-encrusted
"unicorn tusk."

14:56.733 --> 14:59.166 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
Dazzling jeweled vessels
called reliquaries

14:59.233 --> 15:03.400 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
were often masterpieces of art
designed to protect relics.

15:03.466 --> 15:07.200 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
A relic is some physical
reminder of Christ or a saint,

15:07.266 --> 15:09.600 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
like their bones
or possessions --

15:09.666 --> 15:13.233 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
the finger of Saint Teresa,

15:13.300 --> 15:15.700 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:62.5%
the jaw of Saint Anthony,

15:15.766 --> 15:19.766 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
perhaps a skull of a saint,
complete with jewels and silver,

15:19.833 --> 15:25.466 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:35%
or better yet,
a full regally-dressed skeleton.

15:25.533 --> 15:29.266 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
Holy relics were the ruby
slippers of medieval Europe.

15:29.333 --> 15:31.800 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
To the faithful,
relics had power.

15:31.866 --> 15:34.300 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
They helped answer prayers,
win wars,

15:34.366 --> 15:37.233 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
and, ultimately,
they helped you get to Heaven.

15:37.300 --> 15:39.900 align:start position:22.5% line:84.66% size:55%
All of these elements,

15:39.966 --> 15:43.333 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:57.5%
from relics to statues,

15:43.400 --> 15:47.933 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
from soaring arches to sun
pouring through stained glass,

15:48.000 --> 15:50.366 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
were part of a unified
ensemble of art,

15:50.433 --> 15:53.000 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
bringing the stone shell
of a cathedral to life

15:53.066 --> 15:57.000 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
and designed to keep the church
central to people's lives.

15:57.066 --> 15:59.300 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
Mix in a little music,
and Gothic churches

15:59.366 --> 16:01.533 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
created a powerful experience,

16:01.600 --> 16:05.800 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
inspiring Europeans
during this Age of Faith.

16:07.700 --> 16:11.300 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
Religion served art
and art served religion

16:11.366 --> 16:12.733 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
throughout the Middle Ages.

16:12.800 --> 16:15.700 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
But in the later centuries,
with rising prosperity,

16:15.766 --> 16:18.833 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
secular art, art which had
nothing to do with God,

16:18.900 --> 16:21.133 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:30%
was becoming
increasingly common.

16:21.200 --> 16:23.433 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
It was art that served
not the church,

16:23.500 --> 16:25.733 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
but Europe's rich and powerful.

16:27.333 --> 16:29.766 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
And this included architecture

16:29.833 --> 16:32.400 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
in an increasingly
secular society.

16:32.466 --> 16:36.666 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
From Brussels to Siena,
it was the Gothic city hall,

16:36.733 --> 16:40.266 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
not the church, that towered
over the main square.

16:42.533 --> 16:44.633 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
And the elites of
the High Middle Ages

16:44.700 --> 16:48.233 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
built Europe's magnificent
castles and fortresses

16:48.300 --> 16:49.900 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:60%
not for their salvation,

16:49.966 --> 16:54.933 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
but for both their protection
and their pleasure.

16:55.000 --> 16:57.433 align:start position:30% line:84.66% size:40%
From Switzerland

16:57.500 --> 17:00.333 align:start position:30% line:84.66% size:40%
to the Rhineland

17:00.400 --> 17:03.233 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:62.5%
and from distant Scotland

17:03.300 --> 17:06.833 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:57.5%
to the south of France,

17:06.900 --> 17:09.800 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
castles and palaces
provided a stage

17:09.866 --> 17:13.766 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
for the festivities
of the medieval world,

17:13.833 --> 17:17.333 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
of chivalrous knights
in shining armor,

17:17.400 --> 17:21.400 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
dazzling heraldry, and
tournaments with flags flying.

17:21.466 --> 17:23.900 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
[ Trumpets, drums playing ]

17:23.966 --> 17:29.900 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:2.5%
♪

17:29.966 --> 17:32.433 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
And with Europe's
newfound wealth,

17:32.500 --> 17:34.700 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
these fortified palaces
were decorated

17:34.766 --> 17:37.533 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
with increasingly secular art.

17:37.600 --> 17:39.966 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
Rather than saints
and Bible lessons,

17:40.033 --> 17:43.866 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
this noble family wanted
voluptuous swoops and curls,

17:43.933 --> 17:49.566 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
a fantasy of elves,
jesters, archers,

17:49.633 --> 17:54.333 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:80%
and fruity symbols of fertility.

17:54.400 --> 17:57.866 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
Tapestries on the wall
both warmed the stone rooms

17:57.933 --> 18:01.300 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
and brightened the atmosphere
with colorful scenes

18:01.366 --> 18:05.500 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
that shared the feudal lords'
perspective on current events,

18:05.566 --> 18:09.533 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:35%
taught morals,
and told folktales.

18:09.600 --> 18:13.033 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
This series of tapestries
from a slightly later age

18:13.100 --> 18:15.033 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
gives us a peek
into the everyday lives

18:15.100 --> 18:16.800 align:start position:25% line:84.66% size:47.5%
of ordinary people.

18:16.866 --> 18:18.666 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:70%
With captions in Old French,

18:18.733 --> 18:22.100 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
it cleverly spins a story
of youthful lustiness

18:22.166 --> 18:26.000 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
that shatters stereotypes
of medieval piety.

18:26.066 --> 18:29.200 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
A shepherd girl cradles
a bowl of soup in her lap.

18:29.266 --> 18:31.866 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
The flirtatious shepherd
cuts a slice of bread

18:31.933 --> 18:33.766 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:57.5%
and, as the text reads,

18:33.833 --> 18:38.666 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
saucily asks if he can dip
into the goodies in her lap.

18:38.733 --> 18:41.966 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
Another woman brazenly
strips off her socks

18:42.033 --> 18:45.133 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:80%
to dangle her feet in the water.

18:45.200 --> 18:47.666 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:72.5%
Couples freely dance together

18:47.733 --> 18:49.700 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
under the apple tree
of temptation

18:49.766 --> 18:55.200 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
and around a bagpipe,
symbolic back then of hedonism.

18:55.266 --> 18:57.600 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
Where does all this
wantonness lead?

18:57.666 --> 18:58.633 align:start position:37.5% line:84.66% size:22.5%
Marriage.

18:58.700 --> 19:00.966 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:72.5%
Music plays, the table's set,

19:01.033 --> 19:02.933 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
and the meat's on the barbecue

19:03.000 --> 19:07.200 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
as the bride enters
with her groom.

19:07.266 --> 19:11.566 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
The bride smiles bravely,
closely escorted by two men,

19:11.633 --> 19:16.433 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
while the scared groom
gulps nervously.

19:16.500 --> 19:19.833 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
Tapestries were designed
by Europe's best artists

19:19.900 --> 19:22.033 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:80%
and woven from the finest thread

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in high-tech-for-the-day
factories.

19:24.533 --> 19:27.866 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
They became a distinctly
medieval art form.

19:29.466 --> 19:33.066 align:start position:12.5% line:10% size:75%
This exquisite series captures
Europe's blossoming appreciation

19:33.133 --> 19:36.633 align:start position:30% line:10% size:40%
for sheer beauty
at the end of the Middle Ages.

19:36.700 --> 19:40.700 align:start position:27.5% line:10% size:45%
It's a celebration
of all the senses.

19:40.766 --> 19:42.966 align:start position:30% line:84.66% size:40%
There's taste --

19:43.033 --> 19:45.100 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
A woman takes candy
from a servant's dish

19:45.166 --> 19:47.066 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:57.5%
to feed to her parakeet

19:47.133 --> 19:50.666 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
while the little dog licks
his lovingly woven chops.

19:52.833 --> 19:56.733 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
Hearing -- The elegant woman
plays sweetly on an organ,

19:56.800 --> 20:00.433 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
calming an audience
of wild beasts.

20:00.500 --> 20:03.766 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
In this fanciful world, humans
and their fellow creatures

20:03.833 --> 20:08.166 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
live in harmony
in an enchanted garden.

20:08.233 --> 20:10.900 align:start position:40% line:79.33% size:20%
Sight --
A unicorn cuddles up

20:10.966 --> 20:13.766 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
and looks at himself
in the lady's mirror,

20:13.833 --> 20:16.933 align:start position:17.5% line:84.66% size:65%
pleased with what he sees.

20:17.000 --> 20:21.133 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
The lion turns away
and snickers.

20:21.200 --> 20:25.933 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
Touch -- That's the most basic
and dangerous of the senses.

20:26.000 --> 20:31.633 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
Here, the lady strokes
the unicorn's horn.

20:31.700 --> 20:33.433 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:70%
And the lion looks out at us

20:33.500 --> 20:36.000 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
to be sure we get
the double entendre.

20:38.166 --> 20:41.366 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
Medieval Europeans
were enjoying the wonders

20:41.433 --> 20:45.400 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
and physical pleasures of life.

20:45.466 --> 20:50.533 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:70%
The words on our lady's tent
read, "To my sole desire."

20:50.600 --> 20:53.800 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:60%
What is her only desire?

20:53.866 --> 20:55.800 align:start position:32.5% line:84.66% size:35%
Is it jewelry?

20:55.866 --> 20:58.033 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
Or is she putting
the necklace away

20:58.100 --> 21:00.633 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
and renouncing material things?

21:00.700 --> 21:03.333 align:start position:30% line:84.66% size:40%
Is it God? Love?

21:03.400 --> 21:06.366 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
The unicorn and lion
open the tent.

21:06.433 --> 21:09.633 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
Is she going in to meet
the object of her desire

21:09.700 --> 21:13.900 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
or just stepping out
to embrace the world?

21:13.966 --> 21:22.300 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:2.5%
♪

21:22.366 --> 21:24.466 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:35%
Toward the end
of the Middle Ages,

21:24.533 --> 21:26.566 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:70%
a new spirit was blossoming.

21:26.633 --> 21:28.900 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
People were stepping out
of medieval darkness,

21:28.966 --> 21:31.933 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
and art was changing
with the changing times.

21:32.000 --> 21:34.366 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
Artists now celebrated
not just God,

21:34.433 --> 21:36.566 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:35%
but the beauty
of the created world,

21:36.633 --> 21:40.233 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
done in a style that was
more realistic than ever.

21:40.300 --> 21:44.900 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
Nowhere was that new spirit
stronger than in Italy.

21:44.966 --> 21:47.200 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
With its close connection
to ancient Rome

21:47.266 --> 21:49.766 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
and as the center
of the Christian faith,

21:49.833 --> 21:53.766 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
Italy was home to both scholars
and pilgrims.

21:53.833 --> 21:56.066 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
Cities buzzed with free trade,

21:56.133 --> 21:59.300 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
strong civic pride,
and budding democracy

21:59.366 --> 22:04.566 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
as they broke free
from centuries of feudal rule.

22:04.633 --> 22:07.800 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
As this allegory
from the 1300s illustrates,

22:07.866 --> 22:10.933 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
once run-down towns
with chaos in the streets

22:11.000 --> 22:14.766 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
were becoming places
where the shopping was brisk,

22:14.833 --> 22:18.700 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
construction's booming,
students are attentive,

22:18.766 --> 22:22.066 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
and women dance freely
in the streets.

22:22.133 --> 22:28.233 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:2.5%
♪

22:30.266 --> 22:32.233 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
This later period
of the Middle Ages

22:32.300 --> 22:35.266 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
saw the rise of groundbreaking
artists like Giotto,

22:35.333 --> 22:39.100 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
who incorporated unprecedented
realism and emotion

22:39.166 --> 22:44.000 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
into religious paintings
for a church in need of reform.

22:44.066 --> 22:45.733 align:start position:22.5% line:10% size:55%
Near Venice, in Padua,

22:45.800 --> 22:47.933 align:start position:32.5% line:10% size:35%
Giotto covered
this glorious chapel

22:48.000 --> 22:49.966 align:start position:32.5% line:10% size:32.5%
with frescoes
telling Bible stories

22:50.033 --> 22:53.633 align:start position:20% line:10% size:57.5%
with a realism that was
astonishing for its day.

22:53.700 --> 22:56.566 align:start position:10% line:10% size:80%
Moving beyond the medieval norm,

22:56.633 --> 22:59.066 align:start position:27.5% line:10% size:42.5%
with the standard
gold-leaf background,

22:59.133 --> 23:01.866 align:start position:22.5% line:10% size:55%
Giotto sets his scenes
in the real world --

23:01.933 --> 23:05.500 align:start position:22.5% line:10% size:55%
rocks, trees, animals.

23:05.566 --> 23:08.233 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:27.5%
His people,
with their voluminous robes,

23:08.300 --> 23:12.066 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
are as sturdy and massive
as Greek statues.

23:14.733 --> 23:18.100 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
Their gestures are simple
but expressive.

23:18.166 --> 23:20.500 align:start position:20% line:84.66% size:57.5%
Arm raised shows anger.

23:20.566 --> 23:23.833 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:80%
Head tilted down says dejection.

23:23.900 --> 23:28.100 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
And a tender kiss, caring love.

23:28.166 --> 23:32.200 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
He captures the dramatic moment
when Jesus is arrested.

23:32.266 --> 23:35.466 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
Amid the chaos, Giotto
skillfully throws the focus

23:35.533 --> 23:37.600 align:start position:22.5% line:84.66% size:55%
on the central action.

23:37.666 --> 23:40.100 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
Judas looks Jesus
straight in the eyes

23:40.166 --> 23:44.066 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
and betrays him
with that infamous kiss.

23:44.133 --> 23:45.933 align:start position:25% line:84.66% size:50%
After his execution,

23:46.000 --> 23:48.700 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
Jesus is taken down
off the cross,

23:48.766 --> 23:52.133 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
and his followers
weep over his lifeless body.

23:52.200 --> 23:55.566 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:2.5%
♪

23:55.633 --> 23:58.400 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:80%
John spreads his arms and wails,

23:58.466 --> 24:02.366 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
his cries echoed
by anguished angels above.

24:02.433 --> 24:05.200 align:start position:12.5% line:84.66% size:75%
Each face is a study in grief,

24:05.266 --> 24:08.100 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:50%
of the vulnerability
and strong emotions

24:08.166 --> 24:11.266 align:start position:40% line:79.33% size:20%
of these
almost believable angels.

24:11.333 --> 24:14.166 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
Giotto, considered
the first modern painter,

24:14.233 --> 24:16.466 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:35%
created scenes
that were beyond anything

24:16.533 --> 24:20.100 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:45%
that had been done
in the entire Middle Ages.

24:20.166 --> 24:23.266 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
By painting biblical themes
with a new realism,

24:23.333 --> 24:26.733 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:75%
Giotto was embracing centuries
of medieval tradition

24:26.800 --> 24:29.300 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:55%
while pointing the way
to an exciting,

24:29.366 --> 24:31.566 align:start position:15% line:84.66% size:67.5%
more modern future to come.

24:31.633 --> 24:39.066 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:2.5%
♪

24:39.133 --> 24:42.033 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:60%
Europe offers a lifetime
of artistic treasures,

24:42.100 --> 24:43.933 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
and the more you understand
its art,

24:44.000 --> 24:46.733 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:65%
the more you'll appreciate
the society that created it.

24:46.800 --> 24:48.466 align:start position:10% line:84.66% size:77.5%
I hope you've enjoyed our sweep

24:48.533 --> 24:51.633 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
through the highlights of the
second half of the Middle Ages.

24:51.700 --> 24:53.066 align:start position:30% line:84.66% size:40%
I'm Rick Steves.

24:53.133 --> 24:55.666 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:40%
Until next time,
keep on travelin'.

24:57.533 --> 25:05.000 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:2.5%
♪

25:05.066 --> 25:12.500 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:2.5%
♪

25:12.566 --> 25:20.033 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:2.5%
♪

25:20.100 --> 25:27.633 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:2.5%
♪

25:33.933 --> 25:36.266 align:start position:47.5% line:10% size:2.5%
♪