What is a monastery? Why were they responsible for preserving numerous artifacts?
What is a Monastery?
Monasteries were dedicated to the preservation of spiritual life. They were inhabited by male monks who wished to isolate themselves from the outside world. Many pilgrims traveled to monasteries in order to see famous relics and icons on display. Women, however, were not allowed inside.
One of the most important monasteries, St. Catherine’s at Mt. Sinai, was built was Emperor Justinian in 565 A.D. The body of St. Catherine herself is buried within the complex, which was protected by walls and almost hidden within a vast landscape. Another important monastery, St. Symeon’s, contained a basilica built in the form of a cross. The monastery itself is named after St. Symeon - a hermit - who was known for sitting on top of a column in meditation. This column, which rests in the center of the complex, is now considered a relic.
Art found in Monasteries
Many works of art were held inside of monasteries, due to their spiritual importance. Also, since monasteries were usually isolated from the rest of the world (such as St. Catherine’s), they were entrusted with protecting various artifacts. These items included:
- Reliquaries - which usually contained the bones of saints.
- Icons - anything from a single panel encaustic (paint with wax on a wooden panel), to a three-panel triptych. Popular images included Christ, saints, angels and Mary. Other times, ivory was also used to create diptychs and triptychs. Ivory was a rare material, and was only available to those from a wealthy family.
- Illustrated biblical manuscripts - the process of creating an illustrated bible was complicated. Only a small elite class would have been able to acquire one, due to the amount of labor and expense. Therefore, they were highly sought after. The Quedlinberg Itala is the earliest example of an illustrated manuscript.
Other than portable objects, the monasteries themselves were filled with decorative mosaics. Some of the earliest mosaics are found within the walls of these complexes. Mosaics, at this time, were usually made of small pieces of glass and stone (such as this apse mosaic from St. Catherine’s).
The inner sanctuary of a monastery resembled a roman atrium. Atriums consist of a small colonnaded garden and an open ceiling, allowing light to enter through. The columns (and capitals of the columns) were decorated with sculptural relief. Here, the atrium was used as religious architecture, rather than secular.
Related Articles
Angels, Icons and Religious Imagery
What are Illuminated Manuscripts?
