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The Medieval Catholic Church
 Missionaries – spread Christianity;
religious travelers
Converting Germanic tribes
Monasteries – religious communities
Monks – gave up possesions and
devoted their life to serving god
Nuns – same as above,lived in
convents
The Power of the Medieval Church
 Benedict – wrote a book describing a set
of rules for monasteries
Scholastic – headed the convent and
adapted same rules for women
A Medieval Monk’s Day
Monasteries
• Became Europe’s best-educated
communities
• Opened schools, copied books,
maintained libraries
• Illuminated manuscripts
A Medieval Monastery: The Scriptorium
Illuminated Manuscripts
Pope Gregory I
• Under his authority the
papacy (Pope’s office)
became a secular
(worldly) power
• Used church $ to raise
armies, repair roads,
and help the poor
Power of the Church
POPE
ALL CLERGY – church officials
Bishops
Priests (people went to)
Unifying Force
• Feudalism divided people
• The shared beliefs in the church
united them together
• Stable force that provided security
Church terms:
• Sacraments –
important religious
ceremonies
– Baptism
• Canon law – church
law
– Matters of marriage
and religious
practices.
Struggle for Power
Church
Pope
VS.
State
Kings/Emperors
Holy Roman Empire
• First ruled by Otto I
• Worked very closely with the church
Lay Investiture – King appoints church
officials
- church did not like this
Henry IV vs. Pope Gregory VII
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1075 Pope banned lay investitures
Henry IV orders Pope to step down
Pope excommunicates Henry IV
People sided with the Pope
Henry begged for forgiveness
Concordat of Worms
• 1122 church alone appoints bishops
• Emperor has the right to veto
Advancements in Agriculture
• Warmer climate
• Switch to horse power
– Better harness
• Three-Field System
– Farm 2/3 of land, leave 1/3
Food Production Increased
Population Grew
Commercial Revolution
• Expansion of trade and business
• Fair Days
– Trade goods
– Cloth most common item
• Trade routes spread
• Need arose for credit
– Banking became an important business
Urban Life
• More trade = bigger towns
• People were no longer content with
their feudal existence on manors
• Serfs could get freedom if they lived
in a town for one year
• Created a new social class
Merchant Class
Revival of Learning
•
•
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Crusaders brought back new technology
Universities – group of scholars
People began writing in the vernacular
Thomas Aquinas – the most basic
religious truths could be proved by logical
argument
– Wrote a book
– Combined ancient Greek thought with
Christian thought
Romanesque Architectural Style
 Rounded Arches.
 Barrel vaults.
 Thick walls.
 Darker, simplistic interiors.
 Small windows, usually at the top of the wall.
Chivalry: A Code of Honor and Behavior
The Medieval Manor
Life on the Medieval Manor
Serfs at work
William the Conqueror:
Battle of Hastings, 1066
(Bayeaux Tapestry)
Evolution of England’s Political System
 Henry I:
 William’s son.
 set up a court system.
 Exchequer  dept. of royal finances.
 Henry II:
 established the principle of common law
throughout the kingdom.
 grand jury.
 trial by jury.
Evolution of England’s Political System
 Henry I:
 William’s son.
 set up a court system.
 Exchequer  dept. of royal finances.
 Henry II:
 established the principle of common law
throughout the kingdom.
 grand jury.
 trial by jury.
Magna Carta, 1215
 King John I
 Runnymeade
 “Great Charter”
 monarchs were not
above the law.
 kings had to
consult a council of
advisors.
 kings could not tax
arbitrarily.
The Beginnings of the British Parliament
 Great Council:
 middle class merchants, townspeople
[burgesses in Eng., bourgeoisie in Fr.,
burghers in Ger.] were added at the
end of the 13c.
 eventually called Parliament.
 by 1400, two chambers evolved:
o House of Lords  nobles & clergy.
o House of Commons  knights and
burgesses.
The Rise of European Monarchies:
France
Gothic Architectural Style
 Pointed arches.
 High, narrow
vaults.
 Thinner walls.
 Flying buttresses.
 Elaborate, ornate,
airier interiors.
 Stained-glass windows.
“Flying” Buttresses
Pope Urban II: Preaching a Crusade
Setting Out on Crusade
Christian Crusades: East and West
Medieval Universities
Oxford University
Late Medieval Town Dwellings
Medieval Trade
Medieval Guilds
Guild Hall
 Commercial Monopoly:
 Controlled membership
apprentice  journeyman  master craftsman
 Controlled quality of the product [masterpiece].
 Controlled prices
Medieval Guilds: A Goldsmith’s Shop
Crest of a Cooper’s Guild