fresco A form of painting using pigments on wet plaster, frequently employed on the
walls of churches.
gentry By the end of the Middle Ages, English landlords consisted of two groups,
lords and gentry. The gentry were below the lords; knights, squires, and
gentlemen were all considered gentry. Even though the term comes from the Late
Middle Ages, it is often used by historians as a rough and ready category for the
lesser English nobility from the twelfth century onward.
grisaille Painting in monochrome grays highlighted with color tints.
Guelfs and Ghibellines Guelf was the Italian for Welf (the dynasty that competed for the
German throne against the Staufen), while Ghibelline referred to Waiblingen (the
name of an important Staufen castle). In the various conflicts between the popes
and the Staufen emperors, the “Guelfs” were the factions within the Italian city-
states that supported the papacy, while the “Ghibellines” supported the emperor.
More generally, however, the names became epithets for various inter- and intra-
city political factions that had little or no connection to papal/imperial issues.
illumination The term used for paintings in medieval manuscripts. These might range
from simple decorations of capital letters to full-page compositions. An
“illuminated” manuscript is one containing illuminations.
layman/laywoman/laity Men and women not in church orders, not ordained. In the early
Middle Ages it was possible to be a monk and a layperson at the same time. But
by the Carolingian period, most monks were priests, and although nuns were not,
they were not considered part of the laity because they had taken vows to the
church.
Levant The lands that border the eastern shore of the Mediterranean; the Holy Land.
liturgy The formal worship of the church, which included prayers, readings, and
significant gestures at fixed times appropriate to the season. While often referring
to the Mass (see below), it may equally be used to describe the Offices (see
below).
The Madonna See Virgin Mary (below).
Maghreb A region of northwest Africa embracing the Atlas Mountains and the
