2. Medieval Art
Circa CE

3. DARK AGES Also called the Dark Ages or Middle Ages
Nearly all art was religious and was used to instruct the people who were mostly illiterate.
The churches and monasteries in Europe were the centers of learning and controlled all knowledge.

4. Illuminated Manuscripts
Monks spent
their lives copying
manuscripts
and books.
These manuscripts
preserved much
ancient knowledge
for the future.

5. The Book of Kells
A famous 9th C. manuscript in Ireland

6. Cathedrals It was the Age of theCathedral in Europe
Many castles and cathedrals were built out of stone.
They were decorated with stained glass windows, stone carvings and gargoyles.

7. Notre-Dame, Paris France
This famous
cathedral took
2 centuries to be
built

8. Gargoyles Gargoyles were fantasy creatures carved out of stone
and attached to the roofs of churches.
They were usually ugly and frightening
to scare away evil spirits.

9. Some were part animal and part human or a combination of animals

10. Gargoyles also had a practical function.
They worked as gutters and directed the rain water away from the sides of the buildings.
In fact, gargoyle comes from the French word for “throat”, like the English “gargle”.