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Stave Churches: Norway’s National Treasures
Stave churches are the most famous medieval buildings in Norway and are admired for their unique architecture and beautiful decorations. They are named after the staves or masts that hold up the main structure of the church. Only 28 stave...
Definition
Donation of Constantine
The Donation of Constantine (Donatio Constantini or the Donatio) is a medieval forgery dated to the 8th century purporting to be an original 4th-century document in which the Roman emperor Constantine the Great (r. 306-337) granted supreme...
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Red Cross with Triptych Egg by Fabergé
The 1915 Red Cross with Triptych Egg by Peter Carl Fabergé (1846-1920). The egg was given by Tsar Nicholas II (r. 1894-1917) to his wife Alexandra Feodorovna. The egg commemorates the founding of the Russian Red Cross by the empress. It is...
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Medea on Her Chariot
Medea flying on her chariot, red-figure calyx-krater (mixing vessel), South Italian, Lucanian, c. 400 BCE.
Cleveland Museum of Art.
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Mughal Princess Reclining on a Terrace with Attendants
A princess reclining on a terrace with attendants, gum tempera and gold on paper, Mughal Empire, India, c. 1730-1740. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift in honor of Madeline Neves Clapp; Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon by exchange; Bequest...
Definition
The Medieval Church
Religious practice in medieval Europe (c. 476-1500) was dominated and informed by the Catholic Church. The majority of the population was Christian, and "Christian" at this time meant "Catholic" as there was initially no other form of that...
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Triad of Deities, Cleveland Walk Plaque
A plaque discovered on the Cleveland Walk, Bath, perhaps showing a trio of goddesses. Perhaps Celtic, although made during the Roman period. (Roman Baths Museum, Bath)
Definition
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation (1517-1648) refers to the widespread religious, cultural, and social upheaval of 16th-century Europe that broke the hold of the medieval Church, allowing for the development of personal interpretations of the Christian...
Definition
Bohemian Reformation
The Bohemian Reformation (c. 1380 to c. 1436) was the first concerted effort by Catholic clergy to reform the abuses and corruption of the medieval Church. Bohemian clerics and theologians called for reform and, like later advocates, initially...
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Unam Sanctam: Spiritual Authority & the Medieval Church
The Unam Sanctam (1302) was a papal bull issued by Pope Boniface VIII (served 1294-1303) requiring the complete submission of all people, including kings, to the authority and dictates of the pope. As the Church was understood as holding...