Despite widespread fears, the world didn’t end in the year 1000. Instead, the new millennium sparked a remarkable revival of artistic expression, particularly in 11th- and 12th-century France. From that renewal emerged the Romanesque style—bold, inventive, and deeply rooted in faith—reshaping the spiritual and cultural landscape of medieval Europe.
The Distinguished Professor of Art History at Pace University, New York, Janetta Rebold Benton, explores this vibrant period through its cathedrals, churches, cloisters, and monasteries—beautiful spaces created to instruct and inspire. Through the lenses of architecture, sculpture, painting, and the decorative arts, Benton reveals how Romanesque art defined an age of cultural awakening and communal devotion, stretching from mountain monasteries in France to pilgrimage centers from Italy to Spain and beyond. Benton is the author of Art of the Middle Ages.
NOVEMBER 1
1–2 p.m. Life in a Medieval Monastery
Explore daily life and artistic traditions in sacred spaces in Canigou, Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, and Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire. Then follow the pilgrim’s path—rich in both pleasure and peril—through Tournus, Toulouse, and Conques.
2:15–3:30 p.m. Splendid Sites, Structures, and Sculptures
Marvel at the extraordinary architectural and sculptural achievements in the towns of Le Puy, Vézelay, and Autun. Visit the world of William the Conqueror and Queen Matilda, including the celebrated Bayeux Tapestry and the monumental abbeys of Caen.
NOVEMBER 8
1–2 p.m. Monastic Masterpieces
Contrast the austere simplicity of Cistercian Fontenay with the grandeur of worldly Cluny and the island marvel of Mont-Saint-Michel. Examine the hall church and Romanesque painting at Poitiers and S-Savin-sur-Gartempe.
2:15–3:30 p.m. The Romanesque Finds Favor Throughout Western Europe
Discover the innovative interpretations of the Romanesque style in Italy, Germany, Belgium, England, Norway, and Spain, culminating at the pilgrims’ goal—Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain.
2 sessions
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