In 1793, the National Convention of France ordered the destruction of the ancient royal tombs at St-Denis as a punishment for the vanity of the deposed "tyrants" and to erase their memory. The Bourbon kings were buried in a vault in the crypt, called the Bourbon vault, in...
Abbot Hilduin was a Catholic medieval scholar and churchman who lived in the 9th century. He served as the abbot of the Abbey of Saint-Denis in France from 814 to 840 AD (where he had the crypt walls built) and is known for his contributions to the study of theology...
The Carolingian Crypt is a historical site located beneath the Abbey of Saint-Denis in France. It was built in the 9th century during the reign of Charlemagne, who was a devout Catholic and one of the most important rulers of the early medieval period. The crypt served as a burial...
Dagobert I ruled the Frankish kingdom from 629 to 634 AD, and during his reign, he actively supported the Catholic Church. He founded several monasteries and churches and is said to have been a generous patron of the clergy. Dagobert I also played a role in the spread of Christianity...
The Basilica of Saint-Denis is a large Catholic church located in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is considered to be the first example of Gothic architecture and is known for being the final resting place of many French kings and queens. The basilica was built in the 12th...
Abelard and Héloïse were two individuals who lived in the 12th century and are known for their tragic love story. Abelard was a Catholic philosopher and theologian, while Héloïse was his student and later became his lover. Their relationship was scandalous at the time, as Abelard was a respected scholar...
This is an image from the manuscript of a medieval French poem called "Roman de la Rose." The poem was written in the 13th century and is considered a masterpiece of medieval literature. Abelard and Héloïse were two individuals who lived in the 12th century and are known...
Abelard and Heloise's story is significant in Catholic history because they were both devout Christians. Abelard was a theologian and philosopher who challenged traditional Catholic teachings, while Heloise was famous as the most well-educated and intelligent woman in Paris. They became lovers against her uncle's (Fulbert)...
The late 13th-century portal of Strasbourg Cathedral was inspired by the writings of medieval philosopher and theologian Albertus Magnus. The portal depicts scenes from the life of Christ, and the archivolts depict figures from the Bible. Albertus Magnus wrote extensively on theology, philosophy, natural science, and music, and his ideas...
This is a French trading card for Véritable Extrait de viande Liebig (Real Liebig Meat Extract) that depicts Albertus Magnus, an alchemist of the 13th century. The image shows one main figure in a laboratory, the central figure is depicted on one knee in front of a vessel releasing steam,...
Details: This seated Virgin and Child was carved in the middle of the 13th century, a time when private devotional practices became increasingly popular. In bedchambers or in small oratories, private domestic spaces set aside for prayer, images like this would have served as focal points for prayer and meditation....
Details: The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is a group of churches, religious buildings, and places of worship on the site where the Lourdes apparitions occurred in 1858, in the town of Lourdes, in France. The area is owned and administered by the Roman Catholic Church and is a...
Details: Sacred Heart is a Catholic devotion that views the heart of Jesus as a symbol of God's boundless and passionate love for mankind[1]. Romain Cazes was a French historical painter born in St. Béat (Haute-Garonne) in 1810[1]. His work has been offered at auction multiple...
Details: The phrase "the Good Shepherd" is used to refer to Jesus Christ and His inherent goodness, righteousness, and sacrificial love[1][2][3][4]. This image is found in the pericope of John 10:1–21, where Jesus is depicted as laying down His life for His...
Details: This painted enamel plaque, based on a print by Albrecht Dürer, shows the Resurrection of Christ, two days after his death on the Cross. Christ stands triumphantly, right arm outstretched, on the displaced lid of the sarcophagus from which he has just emerged. The two soldiers in the foreground...
Details: This manuscript leaf comes from a Book of Hours illuminated by the French court painter Jean Bourdichon. It depicts the Presentation of Christ in the Temple of Jerusalem, an event celebrated in the liturgical calendar as Candlemas. Forty days after Jesus's birth, the Virgin Mary kneels before...
Details: The Virgin Mary holds the Christ Child on her right hip and stands upon a crescent moon, an allusion to the passage in Revelation 12 that describes Mary as "a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet." Christ grasps her exposed nipple as...
Details: Depictions of the Virgin and Child have been popular in art since the High Renaissance period (1480-1530)[1]. These works often portray Mary as a young mother, wearing the turban favored by peasant women[2], and often combine iconographic themes of joyous motherhood and sorrowful premonition of Christ'...
