An introduction to some of the most astonishing architectural monuments the world has ever known—Gothic cathedrals. We shall study the art, literature, intellectual life, economics, and new social arrangements that arose in the shadow of the cathedrals and that were such an important part of the revival of cities in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The goal of the course is a better appreciation of the High Middle Ages, a world that is still recognizably our own.
Age of Cathedrals
Offered By
Yale University
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
1Introduction & Saint-Denis I
An introduction to the history of Paris in the centuries of chaos following the death of Charlemagne in 814 and the building of the first Gothic cathedral at Saint-Denis, just north of Paris. The old abbey church, where the kings of France were buried, was inadequate, and so a new building project was undertaken by Abbot Suger, who financed the new building through efficient land management and the commercial Fair of Lendit along a trade route between northern and southern Europe.
7 videos (Total 36 min), 1 reading
7 videos
1.2 Paris4m
1.3 Notre Dame de Paris and the Wave of Cathedral Building7m
1.4 What We'll Study5m
2.1 The Old Church6m
2.2 Royalty Reposed5m
2.3 The Fair of Lendit4m
1 reading
Pre-Course Survey10m
Week
2Saint-Denis
Here we encounter the portrait of Abbot Suger via his account of how and why he built Saint-Denis, what is portrayed on the West façade of the cathedral, and how the doctrine of God as light, encountered in a book which had come from Byzantium to the abbey centuries earlier, was translated into architectural form. We see some of the objects that are part of the treasury of Saint-Denis and discuss the Abbot’s notion of “anagogical uplift” as a way of moving—via stained glass—between the Old and New Testaments and from the material to the spiritual plane.
8 videos (Total 57 min), 3 readings, 2 quizzes
8 videos
3.2 Reasons, Spiritual and Worldly8m
4.1 The Central Portal, Saint-Denis9m
4.2 The North and South Portals, Saint-Denis5m
5.1 God is Light7m
5.2 Saint-Denis, a Storehouse of Treasure7m
5.3 The Uplifting Church4m
5.4 The Anagogical and Moses Windows5m
3 readings
On What was Done in his Administration by Abbot Suger30m
Life of Saint Denis by James of Voragine10m
The Celestial Hierarchy by The Pseudo-Dionysius10m
1 practice exercise
Saint-Denis24m
Week
3Architectural Innovation
Filling in the background of Romanesque churches that preceded Gothic buildings, we discuss the origins and engineering innovations of the new style of religious architecture. These include ribbed vaults, reinforced pillars, pointed arches, flying buttresses, and a modular system of bay construction; all of which permits the construction of higher and lighter, thinner walls filled with stained glass.
4 videos (Total 32 min), 1 quiz
Week
4Notre Dame de Paris
Moving to the heart of Paris, we explore the initial construction of Notre-Dame and the innovations that were undertaken almost as soon as the building began. We discuss the sculptural programs of Notre-Dame’s West façade, including the portal which depicts the life of Saint Anne, Christ’s grandmother, and Mary, his mother and the central portal of the Last Judgment. Along the south side, we discover the story of the stoning of Saint Stephen; and, along the North, the miracle of Theophilus and the Virgin. Moving inside the cathedral, we encounter the stunning rose windows of Notre-Dame.
10 videos (Total 67 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz
10 videos
8.2 Renovations7m
9.1 Influences and Innovations4m
9.2 St. Anne’s Portal11m
9.3 Coronation Portal7m
10.1 Central Portal: The Last Judgment6m
10.2 Notre Dame’s Roses7m
11.1 St. Stephen’s Portal4m
11.2 Theophilus and the Virgin3m
11.3 Truth Set in Stone8m
3 readings
The Nativity of Mary by James of Voragine30m
The Assumption of Mary by James of Voragine30m
The Miracle of Theophilus by Rutebeuf30m
1 practice exercise
Notre Dame de Paris10m
4.6
38 Reviews20%
started a new career after completing these courses
17%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
Top Reviews
By CL•Jan 8th 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed this course. I learned so much about cathedrals and their history. The professor was engaging, the forums were lively, and the imagery and music was beautiful and inspirational.
By AK•Jan 25th 2018
Very interesting and well worth my time taking this course. I helped me appreciate not only the significance of the cathedrals, but the thinking and motivation of the medieval people.
Instructor
Howard Bloch
Sterling Professor of FrenchFrench
About Yale University
For more than 300 years, Yale University has inspired the minds that inspire the world. Based in New Haven, Connecticut, Yale brings people and ideas together for positive impact around the globe. A research university that focuses on students and encourages learning as an essential way of life, Yale is a place for connection, creativity, and innovation among cultures and across disciplines.
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