Medieval Architecture in Europe

The monuments selected belong to a period that starts when architecture moved away from Roman antique models and ends just before the re-adoption of Classical standards and forms in the Renaissance. In this course the originality of medieval architecture, its relationship with earlier and later monuments, and the dramatic effort involved in building before the introduction of power tools will be discussed. In the first weeks, important concepts of medieval society and its architecture will be presented in combination with a number of new technologies recently adopted in the field. These introductory classes will offer the foundations needed to understand artistic and architectural developments in the Middle Ages. During the course of the semester, the latest methods of research will be introduced, including new digital technologies. These technologies have created new approaches and are steadily transforming the field.