LATE

MEDIEVAL
PERIOD
 SCHOLASTICISM

Scholasticism is a method of critical thought which dominated teaching by

the academics of medieval universities in Europe from about 1100–1500, and
a program of employing that method in articulating and defending orthodoxy
in an increasingly pluralistic context.
Christianity was preached in all schools as a part of the curriculum.
Not so much a philosophy or a theology as a method of learning,
scholasticism places a strong emphasis on dialectical reasoning to extend
knowledge by inference, and to resolve contradictions
 Because of its emphasis on rigorous dialectical method, scholasticism was
eventually applied to many other fields of study.
Scholastic thought is also known for rigorous conceptual analysis and the
careful drawing of distinctions
 Scholasticism began as an attempt at harmonization on the part of medieval
Christians thinkers: to harmonize the various authorities of their own tradition
and to reconcile Christian theology with classical and late antiquity philosophy,
especially that of Aristotle but also of Neo-Platonism.
The main figures of scholasticism historically are Anselm of Canterbury, Peter
Abelard, Albert us Magnus, Duns Scouts’, William of Ockham,
Bonaventure and Thomas Aquinas.
The Crusades
The Crusades were a series of Holy Wars launched by the Christian
states of Europe against the Saracens.
The term 'Saracen' was the word used to describe a Moslem during the
time of the Crusades.
The Crusades   started in 1095 when Pope Claremont preached the First
Crusade at the Council of Claremont.
The Pope's preaching led to thousands immediately affixing the cross to
their garments - the name Crusade given to the Holy Wars came from old
French word 'crois' meaning 'cross'.
The Crusades were great military expeditions undertaken by the
Christian nations of Europe for the purpose of rescuing the holy places of
Palestine from the hands of the Mohammedans.
They were eight in number, the first four being sometimes called the
Principal Crusades, and the remaining four the Minor Crusades.
The reason for the crusades was a war between Christians and Moslems
which centered around the city of Jerusalem.
The City of Jerusalem held a Holy significance to the Christian religion.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem commemorated the hill of
crucifixion and the tomb of Christ's burial and was visited by Pilgrims.
In 1065 Jerusalem was taken by the Turks and 3000 Christians were
massacred starting a chain of events which contributed to the cause of the
crusades.
The Objectives of  the crusades was at first to release the Holy Land, in
particular Jerusalem, from the Saracens, but in time was extended to
seizing Spain from the Moors, the Slavs and Pagans from eastern Europe,
and the islands of the Mediterranean.
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the
high and late medieval period.
It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by
Renaissance architecture.
Gothic architecture was known during the period as "the French Style,"
(Opus Francigenum).
A great number of ecclesiastical buildings remain from this period, of
which even the smallest are often structures of architectural distinction
while many of the larger churches are considered priceless works of art and
are listed with UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.

Opus Francigenum
Materials
In France, limestone was readily available in several grades, the very
fine white limestone of Caen being favoured for sculptural decoration.
England had coarse limestone and red sandstone as well as dark green
Purbeck marble which were often used for architectural features.
In Northern Germany local building stone was unavailable but there
was a strong tradition of building in brick. The resultant style, Brick
Gothic, is called "Backsteingotik" in Germany and Scandinavia.
 Style
Most Gothic churches, unless they are entitled chapels, are of the Latin
cross (or "cruciform") plan, with a long nave making the body of the church,
a transverse arm called the transept and, beyond it, an extension which may
be called the choir, chancel or presbytery.
The nave is generally flanked on either side by aisles, usually single, but
sometimes doubles.
 The nave is generally considerably taller than the aisles, having clerestory
windows which light the central space.
 Gothic churches of the Germanic tradition, like St. Stephen of Vienna,
often have nave and aisles of similar height and are called Hallenkirche.
In the South of France there is often a single wide nave and no aisles, as at
Sainte-Marie in Saint-Bertrand-de-Comingles.
In some churches with double aisles, like Notre Dame, Paris, the transept
does not project beyond the aisles.
 Characteristic

In Gothic architecture, a unique combination of existing

technologies established the emergence of a new building style. Those
technologies were the ogival or pointed arch, the ribbed vault, and
the flying buttress.
The Gothic style, when applied to an ecclesiastical building,
emphasizes verticality and light. This appearance was achieved by
the development of certain architectural features, which together
provided an engineering solution. The structural parts of the
building ceased to be its solid walls, and became a stone skeleton
comprising clustered columns, pointed ribbed vaults and flying
buttresses.
 A Gothic cathedral or abbey was, prior to the 20th century, generally the
landmark building in its town, raising high above all the domestic structures and
often surmounted by one or more towers and pinnacles and perhaps tall spires.
 These cathedrals were the skyscrapers of that day and would have, by far, been
the largest buildings that Europeans would have ever seen.
 A characteristic of Gothic church architecture is its height, both absolute and in
proportion to its width.
 A section of the main body of a Gothic church usually shows the nave as
considerably taller than it is wide.
 In England the proportion is sometimes greater than 2:1, while the greatest
proportional difference achieved is at Cologne Cathedral with a ratio of 3.6:1.
The highest internal vault is at Beauvais Cathedral at 48 meters (157 ft).
Plan
Most Gothic churches, unless they are entitled chapels, are of the Latin cross (or
"cruciform") plan, with a long nave making the body of the church, a transverse arm
called the transept and, beyond it, an extension which may be called the choir, chancel or
presbytery. There are several regional variations on this plan.
FRENCH GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE
French Gothic architecture is a style of architecture prevalent in France from
1140 until about 1500.
SEQUENCE OF GOTHIC STYLES IN FRANCE:
The designations of styles in French Gothic architecture are as follows:
Early Gothic
High Gothic
Rayonnant
Late Gothic or Flamboyant style
 These divisions are effective, but still set grounds for debate. Because the
lengthy construction of Gothic cathedrals could span multiple architectural
periods, and builders in each period did not always follow wishes of previous
periods, dominant architectural style often changes throughout a particular
building. Consequently, it is often difficult to declare one building as a
member of a certain era of Gothic architecture. It is more useful to use the
terms to describe specific elements within a structure, rather than applying
them to the building as a whole.
Early Gothic