Books in medieval Europe

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More books survive from the Middle Ages than any other artistic medium.

Early Christian

c. 200 - 500 C.E.

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Christianity in its first three centuries was one of a large number of mystery religions that flourished in the Roman world.

Byzantine

c. 330 - 1453 C.E.

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The Roman Emperor Constantine adopted Christianity and founded Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). This city was previously known as Byzantium, hence the term "Byzantine."

Early Medieval

c. 500 - 800 C.E.

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Christianity flourished in the early middle ages and this dramatically affected art that was created across Europe.

Carolingian

780 - 900 C.E.

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​Charlemagne, King of the Franks and later Holy Roman Emperor, instigated a cultural revival known as the Carolingian Renaissance.

Ottonian

c. 936 - 1015

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The Ottonian kings defined themselves as a Roman Emperors in the style of Constantine and Charlemagne, and left an extensive artistic legacy.

Romanesque

c. 1000 - 1200 C.E.

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Pilgrimages, crusades and the first international style of art since antiquity: the Romanesque.

Gothic

c. 1200 - 1400

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Forget the association of the word "Gothic" to dark, haunted houses. The Gothic style brought both divine light and soaring height to medieval churches.

The Crusades

c. 1095 – 1291

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Crusading took many forms, and attempting to precisely define crusading has engaged historians in intense debates for more than 150 years.

Viking Age

7th–13th century

The Viking Age is more complex than we realize.