Between the 1100s and 1300s, the Church dominated every aspect of human life in Europe. In medieval European culture, the major influence of the Church impacted on the areas of art, architecture, music, literature, philosophy, and intellectual life, among others.
The most advanced techniques in art and architecture were completely at the service of the Church since this institution used to hire the most prominent artisans and artist to create artworks devoted to religious themes. Sacred Christian architecture could be seen in the big churches and cathedrals that dominated the largest European cities, as a hallmark of the Church's dominion in the urban centers. At this particular period, the architectonic styles that excel are late Romanesque and, overall, Gothic, the latter being born in the 12th century and covering to the 15th century.
The music as well was greatly influenced by liturgical music and religious themes. The greatest production in literature and philosophy were, mostly, confined to the work of the monasteries, which were centers not only of praying but also of learning, studying and preserving knowledge. Other learning institutions that counted with the favor of the Church were universities, where students and professors held the legal status of clerics. and therefore a very high status in European medieval society. Poetry and literature at this time mixed Christian topics with courtier stories, like "Perceval, The story of the Grail" by Chretien de Troyes.
In Philosophy, the rediscovery and study of Aristotle's works took place and, thanks to this, the intellectual school of scholasticism took strength and was widespread. This method encourages rationalism, investigation, and empiricism and many monasteries and universities held monks and intellectuals of this school. It paved the way for what centuries later would be the Renaissance.
A Great part of the European culture of this time was enriched by the contact with Arabs, Muslims and Middle Eastern cultures in general due to the Crusades (1095-1291), encouraged by the Church to take the Holy Land. This permitted not only to rediscover Aristotle in Arab works but also to discover new spices, scientific knowledge, and useful technological inventions.
However, the Church also had a strong control of European culture during this time, many works and thoughts that were not aligned with the Chuch's ideology were considered heretic and strongly condemned.
