The High Middle Ages also gave birth to an intellectual and
artistic revival. The intellectualrevivalledtoarediscoveryof
important aspects of the classical heritage, including the
works of Aristotle, who came to be viewed as the “master of
those who know.” New centers of learning emerged in the
universities, wherereason was used to systematize the study
of theology and law. In addition to Latin literature, a vernac-
ular literature emerged that appealed both to knights and to
townspeople.
An artistic revival was especially evident in architecture, where
Romanesque cathedrals, with their barrel vaults and massive
pillars and walls with little space
for windows, gave way in the
twelfth century to Gothic cathe-
drals. Ribbed vaults and pointed
arches made it possible to build
higher cathedrals, and flying but-
tresses, by redistributing the
weight, allowed them to have
thinner walls and stained-glass windows. Construction of a ca-
thedral took decades, but it was a community’s act of faith in an
age when a spiritual ideal still underlay most of existence.
CHAPTER TIMELINE
CHAPTER REVIEW
Upon Reflection
Q How did the revival of trade and cities affect the
economy and society of Europe in the High Middle
Ages?
Q What were the causes and the consequences of the
development of the medieval universities?
Q In what ways did the artistic and literary culture of
the High Middle Ages reflect the religious
preoccupations and problems of medieval society?
Key Terms
aristocracy(p. 202)
chivalry(p. 203)
commercial capitalism(p. 207)
bourgeoisie(p. 207)
guilds(p. 211)
scholasticism(p. 214)
chanson de geste(p. 216)
Romanesque(p. 216)
Gothic(p. 217)
900 1000 1100 1200 1300
The rise of universities
Age of Gothic cathedrals
Emergence of new towns Work of Thomas Aquinas
Growth of guilds
The Song
of Roland
Beginning of fairs in Champagne
Chapter Summary • 219
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