The Normans crossed the channel and invaded England in 1066. The works that followed testify to the power of art and architecture as a tool for colonization.
c. 1000–1200 C.E.
videos + essays
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Peterborough Cathedral
With both Romanesque and Gothic design, the Peterborough Cathedral has a long architectural history.
Manuscript production in the abbeys of Normandy
Through the evidence of manuscript production we can trace the history of Normandy and the region’s close ties with England before and after the Norman Conquest of 1066.
Durham Cathedral
Spiral columns, carved zig-zags, round arches—at Durham, the rhythmic Anglo-Norman Romanesque pulses with life.
Motte and Bailey Castles and the Norman Conquest | Windsor Castle Case Study
How did motte and bailey castles helped William I consolidate his conquest of England?
The Second Norman Conquest | Lanfranc’s Reforms
In this video we explore the second Norman conquest, the takeover of the English Church, and its architect Lanfranc.
The English castle: dominating the landscape
A castle visit can be a haunting experience; the crumbling walls evoking thoughts of medieval warfare. But for historians who can read their messages, castles provide valuable evidence of life in the Middle Ages.
The Morgan Leaf from The Winchester Bible
The Winchester Bible is among the most magnificent illuminated manuscripts made in England in the twelfth century.
Four styles of English medieval architecture at Ely Cathedral
An Anglo-Saxon princess founded a nunnery in the eel-filled marshy waters of East Anglia; see how it developed during the Middle Ages.
The Art of Conquest in England and Normandy
1066—William the Conqueror crossed the sea, invaded England, and became king. Language and art changed forever.
The Animated Bayeux Tapestry
If cloth could talk…in a vivid animation of William’s conquest, armies clash and comets fly while a harp plays on.
The Bayeux Tapestry, from BBC
A video camera captures all 70 meters of “tapestry.” Follow the embroidered narrative as it unfolds.
The Bayeux Tapestry
This monumental 11th-century needlework presents an action-packed illustration of Anglo-Norman history.
