Medieval History: Art and Architecture

Starting roughly from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE, the Middle Ages lasted until roughly 1500. The course shows you how the periods of the Middle Ages are defined and lays out its subdivisions: Dark Ages, High Middle Ages and the Late Middle Ages leading up to the dawn of the Renaissance. Europe went through a tremendous political, social and religious transformation during the early Middle Ages. We study the fall of Rome, the survival of Byzantium, the establishment of England and the spread of Christianity and Islam throughout Europe and the Middle East. We show you how various schisms divided religions into distinct groups with different beliefs and practices and explain the political impact of such conflicts. We focus on the power struggle between Muslims and Christians and the Muslim conquests of Byzantine territory.

Any study of medieval history is incomplete without exploring ordinary people's everyday lives and means of living. We take you through various aspects of medieval life, including fashion and entertainment, food and health, courts and laws. The medieval classification of men and women differed sharply from today’s as society considered women to be the property of their closest male family members and their roles and responsibilities were mostly limited to their households. We explore the role of marriage, motherhood and widowhood in the lives of medieval women and some famous queens. The course aims to delight you by examining medieval art and architecture and its various forms, including Catholic, Byzantine, Islamic, Nomadic and Gothic styles. The Middle Ages was a fascinating time when ideas about magic and science co-existed and we delve into their interaction to explain the genesis of the Renaissance.

This course is designed for those intrigued by the history of language, culture, science and art of Europe and the Middle East. We present an overview of the Middle Ages and you require no prior knowledge of the period to get the most out of the classes. Human history is a fascinating field for scholars because it sheds light on how we survived and thrived through difficult times and explains how past cultures and civilizations influenced the modern world. This course covers notable characteristics and components of the Middle Ages to give you an idea of the profound impact of its social, political and religious developments on today’s world. We will analyze momentous medieval events in chronological order to help you understand the cause and effect of those events and help you see the ‘big picture’ of history. We also provide a pictorial representation of medieval art, architecture and lifestyles to make the course fun and engaging. Sign up to gain a nuanced insight into the rich and sometimes bloody history of the Middle Ages.