Blog Template Theology of the Body: Paris Notes

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Paris Notes







I spent most of my time in Paris at the Musee' National du Moyen Age, which houses one of the world's finest collections of medieval art and artifacts. The best thing is that the museum is housed in the ruins of one of the world's first monestaries, the famed Abbey of Cluny. It's a truly integrated experience to enjoy the gorgeous medieval objects and tapestries in the same place where the same objects were used as aids to worship and constant prayer.

The museum lies in the same neighborhood as the Sorbonne, the center where Thomas Aquinas and the great Parisian scholastics of the Medieval period carefully synthesized the riches of Christian doctrine from the Scriptures and the early Church fathers.

From the Top:

1, 2) Paris couture and a visit to La Duree' are also pretty important...

3) A 12th century set of pens and an inkwell on display at Cluny; perhaps these were used in St. Thomas Aquinas' dictation of the Summa?

4) The interior of the National Musee', built over the ancient courtyard of the Cluny community.

5) The facade of the 11th century Church of St. Severin, where some of the great medieval schoolmen might have worshipped. Link