This course will examine the development of architecture in Europe and the Mediterranean from about 300 to 1500 CE, with a focus on the medieval reception and transformation of design elements inherited from the ancient world. It will focus primarily upon buildings designed for Christian rituals, especially churches, cathedrals, and monasteries, but there will also be some attention given to Jewish and Islamic structures, as well as the surviving evidence for secular buildings such as castles and town halls; at the end of the semester we will also devote some time to thinking about the reception of medieval architecture in famous Pittsburgh buildings such as Allegheny Courthouse, Heinz Chapel, and the Cathedral of Learning. Lectures will focus on the social and political background of these structures as well as their ritual and aesthetic purposes; we will also delve into questions about the contemporary care and upkeep of medieval buildings, particularly regarding the ethical management of places that serve as “museums” in some sense and are also active sites of worship.
