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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,

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and, the triumph of Gothic, 
exquisite stained glass.

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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,

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with buttressed columns, 
ribs, and pointed arches

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supporting the stone roof 
and freeing the walls

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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:

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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

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for both its stained glass 
and statues,

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which, together, weave 
a unified Christian story.

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In "The Book of Chartres," 
as some nicknamed the church,

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the text is the sculpture 
and windows,

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and its binding 
is the architecture.

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The nave is vast,

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lit by magnificent 
800-year-old stained-glass.

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The light pouring 
through these windows

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was mystical and encouraged 
meditation and prayer.

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The stained glass was used 
to help teach Bible stories

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to the illiterate faithful,

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and it gave worshipers images 
to focus on as they prayed.

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Windows can be read 
from bottom to top,

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as if from Earth to Heaven.

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The brilliant color is from 
minerals mixed into the glass

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as it's made, such as cobalt 
for the dazzling blue.

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The windows lead the reader

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through a series 
of dramatic scenes.

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For example, the Last Supper,

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Jesus washing 
his disciples' feet,

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his betrayal, 
with the kiss of Judas,

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and the Crucifixion.

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The amazing thing 
in the 21st century,

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Chartres is perfectly intact

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and can be read 
like a book today,

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as it was eight centuries ago.

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♪

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As the church was the leading 
patron of the arts

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throughout the Middle Ages,

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it owned the greatest 
artistic treasures,

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and many of those treasures 
remain in situ,

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not in the museums, 
but in the churches

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where they were 
originally designed to be seen.

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The centerpiece of each church 
throughout the ages

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was the altar,

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generally with an elaborate 
single piece of art,

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painted...

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or carved...

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featuring Christ...

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the Virgin Mary,

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a patron saint,

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or a particular Bible scene.

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Some of the altarpieces 
were huge and overwhelming,

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telling the story of Christ 
scene by scene,

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from manger to resurrection.

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♪

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This opulent altarpiece 
also tells the story of Jesus,

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like pages of a comic book 
ripped out

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and laid side by side.

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It wasn't terribly realistic 
by modern standards.

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Mary's throne looks cockeyed,

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and the food could slide 
right off this table.

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But the art brought 
sacred stories to life,

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inspiring the faithful.

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Imagine the power of Gothic art 
emotionally,

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religiously, and politically.

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In the Middle Ages, art was 
the advertising of the day,

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a perspective-shaping tool.

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Artists were hired 
by the powerful to inspire

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and also to promote conformity.

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Church art has always 
had an agenda --

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to teach by telling stories 
and through symbolism.

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Martyrs were known 
by how they died.

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Riddled with arrows? 
Saint Sebastian.

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Decapitated? 
Saint Denis.

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Death by grilling? 
It's got to be Saint Lawrence.

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Gospel writers are shown 
holding a book.

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If a man has a cross 
in his halo,

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it can only be Jesus.

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And some regular person suddenly 
in the company of saints?

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Likely an important financial 
supporter of the church,

256
00:13:03,966 --> 00:13:07,266
a reminder of how people 
believed such patronage

257
00:13:07,333 --> 00:13:09,566
could help get you to Heaven.

258
00:13:09,633 --> 00:13:12,733
Accurate realism 
was not a concern.

259
00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:14,900
Paintings came with 
no natural setting,

260
00:13:14,966 --> 00:13:18,766
just an ethereal 
gold background.

261
00:13:18,833 --> 00:13:20,800
Buildings may have had 
four walls

262
00:13:20,866 --> 00:13:23,266
but little sense 
of actual depth.

263
00:13:25,366 --> 00:13:28,900
Bodies were flat, 
and expressions said little.

264
00:13:28,966 --> 00:13:32,666
The main thing -- 
tell the story.

265
00:13:32,733 --> 00:13:35,166
And if the message 
wasn't clear enough,

266
00:13:35,233 --> 00:13:37,600
the artist could literally 
spell it out.

267
00:13:37,666 --> 00:13:41,600
♪

268
00:13:41,666 --> 00:13:45,700
A hellish hot tub taught 
that people from all walks --

269
00:13:45,766 --> 00:13:49,966
nobles, kings, even bishops -- 
can end up in Hell.

270
00:13:50,033 --> 00:13:52,500
You were reminded 
that one day your sins

271
00:13:52,566 --> 00:13:57,133
would be accounted for, 
as if written on a ledger.

272
00:13:57,200 --> 00:13:59,066
[ Bell rings ]

273
00:13:59,133 --> 00:14:01,766
But it wasn't all 
fire and brimstone.

274
00:14:01,833 --> 00:14:04,400
While artists generally 
worked anonymously,

275
00:14:04,466 --> 00:14:08,833
they sometimes injected a little 
playfulness and personality.

276
00:14:08,900 --> 00:14:11,033
This man has a toothache.

277
00:14:11,100 --> 00:14:13,766
Another pulls a thorn 
from his foot.

278
00:14:13,833 --> 00:14:17,266
And here, a farmer clobbers 
a thief so hard,

279
00:14:17,333 --> 00:14:20,000
his hat falls off.

280
00:14:20,066 --> 00:14:23,266
♪

281
00:14:23,333 --> 00:14:26,000
Medieval pulpits 
from where the priest preached

282
00:14:26,066 --> 00:14:28,500
were often masterpieces 
in themselves,

283
00:14:28,566 --> 00:14:30,433
with finely-carved Bible stories

284
00:14:30,500 --> 00:14:34,066
and symbols that reinforced 
the gospel message.

285
00:14:34,133 --> 00:14:37,033
Readings were figuratively 
and literally supported

286
00:14:37,100 --> 00:14:40,966
by venerable leaders 
of the faith.

287
00:14:41,033 --> 00:14:43,400
Church treasuries 
are like museums,

288
00:14:43,466 --> 00:14:47,100
safely protecting 
jewel-encrusted gold and silver

289
00:14:47,166 --> 00:14:49,366
featuring dazzling workmanship,

290
00:14:49,433 --> 00:14:52,166
war trophies, 
and priceless gifts

291
00:14:52,233 --> 00:14:56,666
like this gold-encrusted 
"unicorn tusk."

292
00:14:56,733 --> 00:14:59,166
Dazzling jeweled vessels 
called reliquaries

293
00:14:59,233 --> 00:15:03,400
were often masterpieces of art 
designed to protect relics.

294
00:15:03,466 --> 00:15:07,200
A relic is some physical 
reminder of Christ or a saint,

295
00:15:07,266 --> 00:15:09,600
like their bones 
or possessions --

296
00:15:09,666 --> 00:15:13,233
the finger of Saint Teresa,

297
00:15:13,300 --> 00:15:15,700
the jaw of Saint Anthony,

298
00:15:15,766 --> 00:15:19,766
perhaps a skull of a saint, 
complete with jewels and silver,

299
00:15:19,833 --> 00:15:25,466
or better yet, 
a full regally-dressed skeleton.

300
00:15:25,533 --> 00:15:29,266
Holy relics were the ruby 
slippers of medieval Europe.

301
00:15:29,333 --> 00:15:31,800
To the faithful, 
relics had power.

302
00:15:31,866 --> 00:15:34,300
They helped answer prayers, 
win wars,

303
00:15:34,366 --> 00:15:37,233
and, ultimately, 
they helped you get to Heaven.

304
00:15:37,300 --> 00:15:39,900
All of these elements,

305
00:15:39,966 --> 00:15:43,333
from relics to statues,

306
00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:47,933
from soaring arches to sun 
pouring through stained glass,

307
00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,366
were part of a unified 
ensemble of art,

308
00:15:50,433 --> 00:15:53,000
bringing the stone shell 
of a cathedral to life

309
00:15:53,066 --> 00:15:57,000
and designed to keep the church 
central to people's lives.

310
00:15:57,066 --> 00:15:59,300
Mix in a little music, 
and Gothic churches

311
00:15:59,366 --> 00:16:01,533
created a powerful experience,

312
00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:05,800
inspiring Europeans 
during this Age of Faith.

313
00:16:07,700 --> 00:16:11,300
Religion served art 
and art served religion

314
00:16:11,366 --> 00:16:12,733
throughout the Middle Ages.

315
00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:15,700
But in the later centuries, 
with rising prosperity,

316
00:16:15,766 --> 00:16:18,833
secular art, art which had 
nothing to do with God,

317
00:16:18,900 --> 00:16:21,133
was becoming 
increasingly common.

318
00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:23,433
It was art that served 
not the church,

319
00:16:23,500 --> 00:16:25,733
but Europe's rich and powerful.

320
00:16:27,333 --> 00:16:29,766
And this included architecture

321
00:16:29,833 --> 00:16:32,400
in an increasingly 
secular society.

322
00:16:32,466 --> 00:16:36,666
From Brussels to Siena, 
it was the Gothic city hall,

323
00:16:36,733 --> 00:16:40,266
not the church, that towered 
over the main square.

324
00:16:42,533 --> 00:16:44,633
And the elites of 
the High Middle Ages

325
00:16:44,700 --> 00:16:48,233
built Europe's magnificent 
castles and fortresses

326
00:16:48,300 --> 00:16:49,900
not for their salvation,

327
00:16:49,966 --> 00:16:54,933
but for both their protection 
and their pleasure.

328
00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:57,433
From Switzerland

329
00:16:57,500 --> 00:17:00,333
to the Rhineland

330
00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:03,233
and from distant Scotland

331
00:17:03,300 --> 00:17:06,833
to the south of France,

332
00:17:06,900 --> 00:17:09,800
castles and palaces 
provided a stage

333
00:17:09,866 --> 00:17:13,766
for the festivities 
of the medieval world,

334
00:17:13,833 --> 00:17:17,333
of chivalrous knights 
in shining armor,

335
00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:21,400
dazzling heraldry, and 
tournaments with flags flying.

336
00:17:21,466 --> 00:17:23,900
[ Trumpets, drums playing ]

337
00:17:23,966 --> 00:17:29,900
♪

338
00:17:29,966 --> 00:17:32,433
And with Europe's 
newfound wealth,

339
00:17:32,500 --> 00:17:34,700
these fortified palaces 
were decorated

340
00:17:34,766 --> 00:17:37,533
with increasingly secular art.

341
00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:39,966
Rather than saints 
and Bible lessons,

342
00:17:40,033 --> 00:17:43,866
this noble family wanted 
voluptuous swoops and curls,

343
00:17:43,933 --> 00:17:49,566
a fantasy of elves, 
jesters, archers,

344
00:17:49,633 --> 00:17:54,333
and fruity symbols of fertility.

345
00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:57,866
Tapestries on the wall 
both warmed the stone rooms

346
00:17:57,933 --> 00:18:01,300
and brightened the atmosphere 
with colorful scenes

347
00:18:01,366 --> 00:18:05,500
that shared the feudal lords' 
perspective on current events,

348
00:18:05,566 --> 00:18:09,533
taught morals, 
and told folktales.

349
00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:13,033
This series of tapestries 
from a slightly later age

350
00:18:13,100 --> 00:18:15,033
gives us a peek 
into the everyday lives

351
00:18:15,100 --> 00:18:16,800
of ordinary people.

352
00:18:16,866 --> 00:18:18,666
With captions in Old French,

353
00:18:18,733 --> 00:18:22,100
it cleverly spins a story 
of youthful lustiness

354
00:18:22,166 --> 00:18:26,000
that shatters stereotypes 
of medieval piety.

355
00:18:26,066 --> 00:18:29,200
A shepherd girl cradles 
a bowl of soup in her lap.

356
00:18:29,266 --> 00:18:31,866
The flirtatious shepherd 
cuts a slice of bread

357
00:18:31,933 --> 00:18:33,766
and, as the text reads,

358
00:18:33,833 --> 00:18:38,666
saucily asks if he can dip 
into the goodies in her lap.

359
00:18:38,733 --> 00:18:41,966
Another woman brazenly 
strips off her socks

360
00:18:42,033 --> 00:18:45,133
to dangle her feet in the water.

361
00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:47,666
Couples freely dance together

362
00:18:47,733 --> 00:18:49,700
under the apple tree 
of temptation

363
00:18:49,766 --> 00:18:55,200
and around a bagpipe, 
symbolic back then of hedonism.

364
00:18:55,266 --> 00:18:57,600
Where does all this 
wantonness lead?

365
00:18:57,666 --> 00:18:58,633
Marriage.

366
00:18:58,700 --> 00:19:00,966
Music plays, the table's set,

367
00:19:01,033 --> 00:19:02,933
and the meat's on the barbecue

368
00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:07,200
as the bride enters 
with her groom.

369
00:19:07,266 --> 00:19:11,566
The bride smiles bravely, 
closely escorted by two men,

370
00:19:11,633 --> 00:19:16,433
while the scared groom 
gulps nervously.

371
00:19:16,500 --> 00:19:19,833
Tapestries were designed 
by Europe's best artists

372
00:19:19,900 --> 00:19:22,033
and woven from the finest thread

373
00:19:22,100 --> 00:19:24,466
in high-tech-for-the-day 
factories.

374
00:19:24,533 --> 00:19:27,866
They became a distinctly 
medieval art form.

375
00:19:29,466 --> 00:19:33,066
This exquisite series captures 
Europe's blossoming appreciation

376
00:19:33,133 --> 00:19:36,633
for sheer beauty 
at the end of the Middle Ages.

377
00:19:36,700 --> 00:19:40,700
It's a celebration 
of all the senses.

378
00:19:40,766 --> 00:19:42,966
There's taste --

379
00:19:43,033 --> 00:19:45,100
A woman takes candy 
from a servant's dish

380
00:19:45,166 --> 00:19:47,066
to feed to her parakeet

381
00:19:47,133 --> 00:19:50,666
while the little dog licks 
his lovingly woven chops.

382
00:19:52,833 --> 00:19:56,733
Hearing -- The elegant woman 
plays sweetly on an organ,

383
00:19:56,800 --> 00:20:00,433
calming an audience 
of wild beasts.

384
00:20:00,500 --> 00:20:03,766
In this fanciful world, humans 
and their fellow creatures

385
00:20:03,833 --> 00:20:08,166
live in harmony 
in an enchanted garden.

386
00:20:08,233 --> 00:20:10,900
Sight -- 
A unicorn cuddles up

387
00:20:10,966 --> 00:20:13,766
and looks at himself 
in the lady's mirror,

388
00:20:13,833 --> 00:20:16,933
pleased with what he sees.

389
00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:21,133
The lion turns away 
and snickers.

390
00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:25,933
Touch -- That's the most basic 
and dangerous of the senses.

391
00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:31,633
Here, the lady strokes 
the unicorn's horn.

392
00:20:31,700 --> 00:20:33,433
And the lion looks out at us

393
00:20:33,500 --> 00:20:36,000
to be sure we get 
the double entendre.

394
00:20:38,166 --> 00:20:41,366
Medieval Europeans 
were enjoying the wonders

395
00:20:41,433 --> 00:20:45,400
and physical pleasures of life.

396
00:20:45,466 --> 00:20:50,533
The words on our lady's tent 
read, "To my sole desire."

397
00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:53,800
What is her only desire?

398
00:20:53,866 --> 00:20:55,800
Is it jewelry?

399
00:20:55,866 --> 00:20:58,033
Or is she putting 
the necklace away

400
00:20:58,100 --> 00:21:00,633
and renouncing material things?

401
00:21:00,700 --> 00:21:03,333
Is it God? Love?

402
00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:06,366
The unicorn and lion 
open the tent.

403
00:21:06,433 --> 00:21:09,633
Is she going in to meet 
the object of her desire

404
00:21:09,700 --> 00:21:13,900
or just stepping out 
to embrace the world?

405
00:21:13,966 --> 00:21:22,300
♪

406
00:21:22,366 --> 00:21:24,466
Toward the end 
of the Middle Ages,

407
00:21:24,533 --> 00:21:26,566
a new spirit was blossoming.

408
00:21:26,633 --> 00:21:28,900
People were stepping out 
of medieval darkness,

409
00:21:28,966 --> 00:21:31,933
and art was changing 
with the changing times.

410
00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:34,366
Artists now celebrated 
not just God,

411
00:21:34,433 --> 00:21:36,566
but the beauty 
of the created world,

412
00:21:36,633 --> 00:21:40,233
done in a style that was 
more realistic than ever.

413
00:21:40,300 --> 00:21:44,900
Nowhere was that new spirit 
stronger than in Italy.

414
00:21:44,966 --> 00:21:47,200
With its close connection 
to ancient Rome

415
00:21:47,266 --> 00:21:49,766
and as the center 
of the Christian faith,

416
00:21:49,833 --> 00:21:53,766
Italy was home to both scholars 
and pilgrims.

417
00:21:53,833 --> 00:21:56,066
Cities buzzed with free trade,

418
00:21:56,133 --> 00:21:59,300
strong civic pride, 
and budding democracy

419
00:21:59,366 --> 00:22:04,566
as they broke free 
from centuries of feudal rule.

420
00:22:04,633 --> 00:22:07,800
As this allegory 
from the 1300s illustrates,

421
00:22:07,866 --> 00:22:10,933
once run-down towns 
with chaos in the streets

422
00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:14,766
were becoming places 
where the shopping was brisk,

423
00:22:14,833 --> 00:22:18,700
construction's booming, 
students are attentive,

424
00:22:18,766 --> 00:22:22,066
and women dance freely 
in the streets.

425
00:22:22,133 --> 00:22:28,233
♪

426
00:22:30,266 --> 00:22:32,233
This later period 
of the Middle Ages

427
00:22:32,300 --> 00:22:35,266
saw the rise of groundbreaking 
artists like Giotto,

428
00:22:35,333 --> 00:22:39,100
who incorporated unprecedented 
realism and emotion

429
00:22:39,166 --> 00:22:44,000
into religious paintings 
for a church in need of reform.

430
00:22:44,066 --> 00:22:45,733
Near Venice, in Padua,

431
00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:47,933
Giotto covered 
this glorious chapel

432
00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:49,966
with frescoes 
telling Bible stories

433
00:22:50,033 --> 00:22:53,633
with a realism that was 
astonishing for its day.

434
00:22:53,700 --> 00:22:56,566
Moving beyond the medieval norm,

435
00:22:56,633 --> 00:22:59,066
with the standard 
gold-leaf background,

436
00:22:59,133 --> 00:23:01,866
Giotto sets his scenes 
in the real world --

437
00:23:01,933 --> 00:23:05,500
rocks, trees, animals.

438
00:23:05,566 --> 00:23:08,233
His people, 
with their voluminous robes,

439
00:23:08,300 --> 00:23:12,066
are as sturdy and massive 
as Greek statues.

440
00:23:14,733 --> 00:23:18,100
Their gestures are simple 
but expressive.

441
00:23:18,166 --> 00:23:20,500
Arm raised shows anger.

442
00:23:20,566 --> 00:23:23,833
Head tilted down says dejection.

443
00:23:23,900 --> 00:23:28,100
And a tender kiss, caring love.

444
00:23:28,166 --> 00:23:32,200
He captures the dramatic moment 
when Jesus is arrested.

445
00:23:32,266 --> 00:23:35,466
Amid the chaos, Giotto 
skillfully throws the focus

446
00:23:35,533 --> 00:23:37,600
on the central action.

447
00:23:37,666 --> 00:23:40,100
Judas looks Jesus 
straight in the eyes

448
00:23:40,166 --> 00:23:44,066
and betrays him 
with that infamous kiss.

449
00:23:44,133 --> 00:23:45,933
After his execution,

450
00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:48,700
Jesus is taken down 
off the cross,

451
00:23:48,766 --> 00:23:52,133
and his followers 
weep over his lifeless body.

452
00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:55,566
♪

453
00:23:55,633 --> 00:23:58,400
John spreads his arms and wails,

454
00:23:58,466 --> 00:24:02,366
his cries echoed 
by anguished angels above.

455
00:24:02,433 --> 00:24:05,200
Each face is a study in grief,

456
00:24:05,266 --> 00:24:08,100
of the vulnerability 
and strong emotions

457
00:24:08,166 --> 00:24:11,266
of these 
almost believable angels.

458
00:24:11,333 --> 00:24:14,166
Giotto, considered 
the first modern painter,

459
00:24:14,233 --> 00:24:16,466
created scenes 
that were beyond anything

460
00:24:16,533 --> 00:24:20,100
that had been done 
in the entire Middle Ages.

461
00:24:20,166 --> 00:24:23,266
By painting biblical themes 
with a new realism,

462
00:24:23,333 --> 00:24:26,733
Giotto was embracing centuries 
of medieval tradition

463
00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:29,300
while pointing the way 
to an exciting,

464
00:24:29,366 --> 00:24:31,566
more modern future to come.

465
00:24:31,633 --> 00:24:39,066
♪

466
00:24:39,133 --> 00:24:42,033
Europe offers a lifetime 
of artistic treasures,

467
00:24:42,100 --> 00:24:43,933
and the more you understand 
its art,

468
00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:46,733
the more you'll appreciate 
the society that created it.

469
00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:48,466
I hope you've enjoyed our sweep

470
00:24:48,533 --> 00:24:51,633
through the highlights of the 
second half of the Middle Ages.

471
00:24:51,700 --> 00:24:53,066
I'm Rick Steves.

472
00:24:53,133 --> 00:24:55,666
Until next time, 
keep on travelin'.

473
00:24:57,533 --> 00:25:05,000
♪

474
00:25:05,066 --> 00:25:12,500
♪

475
00:25:12,566 --> 00:25:20,033
♪

476
00:25:20,100 --> 00:25:27,633
♪

477
00:25:33,933 --> 00:25:36,266
♪