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Renaissance of the 12th Century
One of the most talked about books of the 19th century, "The Renaissance combines scholarship and philosophy in an innovative work of cultural criticism. Published in 1837, Walter Pater's graceful essays discuss the achievements of Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and other artists. Pater concluded his book with an uncompromising advocacy of hedonism, urging readers to experience life as fully as possible. His cry of "art for art's sake" became the manifesto of the Aesthetic Movement, and his assessments of Renaissance art have influenced generations of readers. Unabridged republication of the classic 1873 edition.
437 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1927
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About the author
Charles Homer Haskins
72 books11 followersCharles Homer Haskins (December 21, 1870 – May 14, 1937) was a history professor at Harvard University. He was an American historian of the Middle Ages, and advisor to U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. He is widely recognized as the first academic medieval historian in the United States.
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November 19, 2025Published as it was nearly a century ago, the style of The Renaissance of the Twelfth Century may strike modern readers as more than a bit stodgy. It was also written in an era when any high school graduate would still be assumed to be acquainted with Latin and French. No benefit of translations for the uninitiated here! I wouldn't be quick to recommend this book to even most readers with a particular interest in the cultural developments of twelfth century Europe. At the very least, it wouldn't be the first book on the subject I'd suggest picking up. There are many more recent titles covering similar ground that, in addition to benefiting from more up-to-date scholarship, most readers will now find more engaging and accessible.
That said, Haskins provides an excellent overview of the social, intellectual, and artistic achievements of the high middle ages here. Highlights include the European absorption of Greco-Arabic philosophy and science, the rediscovery of Latin classics, scholasticism and the rise of the first European Universities, the marvel of Gothic cathedrals, and the networks of Mediterranean and North Sea trade that would, in time, propel western Europe from the periphery to the epicenter of Eurasian civilization.
In my view, the great virtue of The Twelfth Century Renaissance lies its role in historiography. This book was among the first to deal a strong and long overdue blow against a powerful myth. To wit, that Medieval Europe can be dismissed as a long, static "dark age" of superstition, ignorance, and social and technological regression. It isn't true. Yes, there were grim times in Europe following the fall of Rome. But even those centuries are, in my view, more appropriately admired than derided. The worst periods of that much-maligned millennium are more accurately seen as phases of resilience and growth. Western Europe endured plagues, economic collapse, environmental disasters, and wave after wave of barbarian invaders--and yet for all of it only emerged stronger and more cohesive than before.
"The" Renaissance--that is, the Italian Renaissance of the fifteenth century--was in truth but the last and greatest of a long series of "Renaissances" that punctuated the Medieval millennium. Far from something unprecedented and unique, the Italian Renaissance was an iteration of a pattern that had occurred and reoccurred for centuries. They myth of "the Dark Ages" was invented in the eighteenth century by Enlightenment philosophers to score propaganda points against Christianity. (I say this as an agnostic who regards the Enlightenment, on the balance, as a positive development.)
Yet while the commendable efforts of scholars like Charles Homer Haskins may have wounded the myth of the Dark Ages, they haven't come close to killing it. Like another myth, the Hydra, the Dark Ages seem to grow two new heads for each one that's cut off. It just seems to serve too many political agendas to die off anytime soon. I don't expect to live long enough to see the end of it.
The best demolition of "the dark ages" I've read is The Medieval Machine: The Industrial Revolution of the Middle Ages by Jean Gimpel. It's very accessible. I wish everyone would read it.
That said, Haskins provides an excellent overview of the social, intellectual, and artistic achievements of the high middle ages here. Highlights include the European absorption of Greco-Arabic philosophy and science, the rediscovery of Latin classics, scholasticism and the rise of the first European Universities, the marvel of Gothic cathedrals, and the networks of Mediterranean and North Sea trade that would, in time, propel western Europe from the periphery to the epicenter of Eurasian civilization.
In my view, the great virtue of The Twelfth Century Renaissance lies its role in historiography. This book was among the first to deal a strong and long overdue blow against a powerful myth. To wit, that Medieval Europe can be dismissed as a long, static "dark age" of superstition, ignorance, and social and technological regression. It isn't true. Yes, there were grim times in Europe following the fall of Rome. But even those centuries are, in my view, more appropriately admired than derided. The worst periods of that much-maligned millennium are more accurately seen as phases of resilience and growth. Western Europe endured plagues, economic collapse, environmental disasters, and wave after wave of barbarian invaders--and yet for all of it only emerged stronger and more cohesive than before.
"The" Renaissance--that is, the Italian Renaissance of the fifteenth century--was in truth but the last and greatest of a long series of "Renaissances" that punctuated the Medieval millennium. Far from something unprecedented and unique, the Italian Renaissance was an iteration of a pattern that had occurred and reoccurred for centuries. They myth of "the Dark Ages" was invented in the eighteenth century by Enlightenment philosophers to score propaganda points against Christianity. (I say this as an agnostic who regards the Enlightenment, on the balance, as a positive development.)
Yet while the commendable efforts of scholars like Charles Homer Haskins may have wounded the myth of the Dark Ages, they haven't come close to killing it. Like another myth, the Hydra, the Dark Ages seem to grow two new heads for each one that's cut off. It just seems to serve too many political agendas to die off anytime soon. I don't expect to live long enough to see the end of it.
The best demolition of "the dark ages" I've read is The Medieval Machine: The Industrial Revolution of the Middle Ages by Jean Gimpel. It's very accessible. I wish everyone would read it.
July 31, 2022
Reading old books is a delight. Even more so when they are of some historical significance, as the other reviews of this book make clear. "The Renaissance of the 12 Century", published in 1927, apparently introduced the idea that there was a Renaissance in the 1100s that was worth paying attention to. The scholars of Italy in the 1300s and 1400s were famously quite full of themselves. They saw themselves, and copiously described themselves, as a breaking point from the grim "Middle" or "Dark" ages that preceded them. These Italians and later Northern European humanists believed that they were the first intellectuals for centuries who saw the true value of ancient life and literature, and were bringing it back. Charles Homer Haskins, a Johns Hopkins and later Harvard professor, pointed out with this book that things were a lot more complicated than that.
The ancient books did survive after all. A millennia of scholars, in monasteries, in the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, and in the Arab world saw the value of these writings and preserved them. It's undeniable that their value was less appreciated in European life more generally. The value of classical thought and poetry was undermined by early Christian thinkers who saw such things as heretical. The calamitous fall of living standards and complexity in European society, whether you think it was fast or gradual, also left ancient learning neglected. But the case that Haskins persuasively makes, is that the Italian Renaissance we all know and love was not the beginning of the process of rediscovery, but a culmination of forces that had been gathering long before, in the High Middle Ages, specifically the 1100s, and a half century or so on either side of them.
As a history nerd of today, I've long been familiar with this period. In the two centuries before the Black Death, starting in 1346, Europe finally attained a level of prosperity that allowed more complex governing and intellectual institutions to be rebuilt. Apparently Haskins, and this book specifically, were important sign posts in the recognition of this period that I just consider a part of the historical furniture. Classical learning was at the heart of these rebuilt institutions. The first European universities were founded in and around the 12th century. Ancient Roman, and especially Greek sources of learning were rediscovered across the period Haskins points to. In fact, the glories of the Italian Renaissance probably would not have been possible without the foundation that the 12th century Renaissance provided.
This book is a great intellectual journey, but I wouldn't call it fun. Haskins painstakingly documents the elements of the Renaissance he describes. He is a scholar of Latin Literature, and that's where he's focused, though he certainly mentions the Gothic architecture and music of the period that he humbly refuses to analyze, because he doesn't feel he has the necessary expertise. The book is made up of a series of chapters tracking the mostly forgotten scholars and authors of this period, broken up along the topics they focused on, Poetry, History, Science and others. He's making an academic case, not crafting a page-turner. I enjoyed the book immensely, but I wouldn't recommend it to everyone. If you don't find joy in learning precisely when which set of scholars began to appreciate what work of ancient learning, then this book may not be for you.
I also found the book to be a bit melancholy. Haskins, who lived from 1870 to 1937, was among the last generation of educated people who considered knowledge of the Latin language to be a standard thing. The book contains many passages of untranslated Latin. Interestingly, Haskins himself mentions the fall of Latin within his own narrative. The emergence of literature in European national languages, through figures like Dante and Chaucer, is a justly celebrated aspect of the 14th and 15th century Renaissance. But Haskins points out that in the 12th century anybody in Europe who felt like writing for a literate audience did so in Latin. It wasn't just Church and ancient writing that used Latin, it was everything of contemporary relevance too. Haskins makes the valid point that something was lost in the glories of separate European languages and Literatures. Even in Haskins own time, though, a literate person would still be assumed to have some idea of what Latin words and sentences meant. That time has passed too.
The ancient books did survive after all. A millennia of scholars, in monasteries, in the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, and in the Arab world saw the value of these writings and preserved them. It's undeniable that their value was less appreciated in European life more generally. The value of classical thought and poetry was undermined by early Christian thinkers who saw such things as heretical. The calamitous fall of living standards and complexity in European society, whether you think it was fast or gradual, also left ancient learning neglected. But the case that Haskins persuasively makes, is that the Italian Renaissance we all know and love was not the beginning of the process of rediscovery, but a culmination of forces that had been gathering long before, in the High Middle Ages, specifically the 1100s, and a half century or so on either side of them.
As a history nerd of today, I've long been familiar with this period. In the two centuries before the Black Death, starting in 1346, Europe finally attained a level of prosperity that allowed more complex governing and intellectual institutions to be rebuilt. Apparently Haskins, and this book specifically, were important sign posts in the recognition of this period that I just consider a part of the historical furniture. Classical learning was at the heart of these rebuilt institutions. The first European universities were founded in and around the 12th century. Ancient Roman, and especially Greek sources of learning were rediscovered across the period Haskins points to. In fact, the glories of the Italian Renaissance probably would not have been possible without the foundation that the 12th century Renaissance provided.
This book is a great intellectual journey, but I wouldn't call it fun. Haskins painstakingly documents the elements of the Renaissance he describes. He is a scholar of Latin Literature, and that's where he's focused, though he certainly mentions the Gothic architecture and music of the period that he humbly refuses to analyze, because he doesn't feel he has the necessary expertise. The book is made up of a series of chapters tracking the mostly forgotten scholars and authors of this period, broken up along the topics they focused on, Poetry, History, Science and others. He's making an academic case, not crafting a page-turner. I enjoyed the book immensely, but I wouldn't recommend it to everyone. If you don't find joy in learning precisely when which set of scholars began to appreciate what work of ancient learning, then this book may not be for you.
I also found the book to be a bit melancholy. Haskins, who lived from 1870 to 1937, was among the last generation of educated people who considered knowledge of the Latin language to be a standard thing. The book contains many passages of untranslated Latin. Interestingly, Haskins himself mentions the fall of Latin within his own narrative. The emergence of literature in European national languages, through figures like Dante and Chaucer, is a justly celebrated aspect of the 14th and 15th century Renaissance. But Haskins points out that in the 12th century anybody in Europe who felt like writing for a literate audience did so in Latin. It wasn't just Church and ancient writing that used Latin, it was everything of contemporary relevance too. Haskins makes the valid point that something was lost in the glories of separate European languages and Literatures. Even in Haskins own time, though, a literate person would still be assumed to have some idea of what Latin words and sentences meant. That time has passed too.
December 30, 2013
Publicado en http://lecturaylocura.com/el-renacimi...
La de veces que he dicho que no me gusta la novela histórica, disfruto mucho más de la ficción, es un hecho; sin embargo, ¿cómo es posible que me atraiga a priori un ensayo histórico como es el caso que me ocupa en esta ocasión?; es buen momento para discutir sobre ello, la recomendación ha venido a través de mi librero (como de costumbre) y, cómo no, una de esas editoriales que miman sus ediciones y que demuestran un buen gusto innato.
Llevaba tiempo la editorial Ático de los libros “amenazando” con empezar una colección de novela histórica que se presentaba, a primera vista, más que interesante. Por fin en este año vemos que ha fructificado y han salido dos títulos: el primero, será un regalo de Reyes y hablaré de él más adelante. El segundo título es este “El renacimiento del siglo XII” del historiador estadounidense Charles Homer Haskins (1870-1937) en el que voy a centrarme a continuación y que supone, sin dudarlo, una joya a descubrir.
En el prólogo a esta edición española realizado por la traductora/editora Claudia Casanova se cumple con creces el objetivo de despertar (aún más) el interés de una obra que vas a leer, gracias su propia experiencia personal que relata con verdadera pasión:
“La lectura de El renacimiento del siglo XII, como el lector avezado ya adivina, fue un punto de inflexión para mí: uno de esos instantes en los que se descubre o mejor dicho, se confirma, una pasión. ¿Por qué la Edad Media? Lo sé y no lo sé. Sic et non, como diría Abelardo. En todo caso la lectura del volumen que el lector tiene en sus manos me permitió empujar las puertas de esa antesala y sumergirme de lleno en una época llena de contrastes y pasiones.
De la mano de la prosa limpia y erudita del profesor Haskins, conocí la labor que durante los años, estos sí oscuros, que transcurren entre la caída del imperio romano y las dinastías de los reyes francos, desarrollaron los monasterios y sus abades, copiando manuscritos incansablemente para consérvalos, conscientes de que allí residía la sabiduría clásica.”
A partir de ahí, ella misma resume a la perfección el valor de la obra de Haskins, conseguir dar luz a un período ciertamente oscuro y darle valor al Renacimiento medieval incluso por encima del Renacimiento que todos conocemos:
“Sí debemos reconocer que el gran Renacimiento no fue tan único ni tan decisivo como se ha supuesto hasta ahora. El contraste cultural no fue tan agudo como creyeron los humanistas ni sus seguidores modernos y durante la Edad Media se produjeron resurgimientos intelectuales cuya influencia dejó huella en los años posteriores y que poseían el mismo espíritu que el movimiento, más conocido y popular, que tuvo lugar en el siglo XV. Así pues, este volumen se centrará en uno de esos resurgimientos, el Renacimiento del siglo XII, también conocido como Renacimiento Medieval.”
A partir de ahí, el norteamericano divide cada uno de los capítulos en diferentes epígrafes, que ayudan a comprender la verdadera importancia de este renacimiento y por qué cree él que de verdad se trata de un renacimiento y de su valor en todos los ámbitos; es imposible no rendirse ante su prosa erudita y ante los hechos que despliega a caballo entre nuestra curiosidad y desconocimiento; en el capítulo segundo, hablando sobre los centros intelectuales de la época, por ejemplo, refiriéndose a la corte:
“En cuanto a la corte, feudal o real, como centro intelectual, también hay diferencias. Alrededor de 1155, un poeta de Samarcanda llamado Nizami declaró que una corte debía poseer cuatro clases de hombres sabios: secretarios de estado, poetas, astrólogos y médicos, pues “los asuntos reales no pueden llevarse a buen puerto sin secretarios competentes; sus triunfos y victorias no serán inmortalizados si no cuenta con poetas; sus empresas no tendrán éxito, a menos que se inicien en la estación adecuada, designada por astrólogos juiciosos; y la salud, la base de toda felicidad y actividad, solamente se puede procurar mediante los servicios de un médico capaz y de confianza.”
Es imposible no sentirse maravillado ante lo que nos cuenta y la forma en la que lo hace, con una prosa clara y detallista que no olvida la reflexión intrahistórica más allá de la época, como cuando habla sobre el resurgimiento de los clásicos latinos en el capítulo cuarto:
“Desde la caída del Imperio romano hasta bien entrados los tiempos modernos, los clásicos latinos han sido el mejor barómetro de la cultura de cada período de la Europa occidental. Nunca se ha perdido su estudio por completo, pero la intensidad y el tiempo dedicados al mismo suben y bajan en estrecha relación con el nivel general de educación y la actividad intelectual.”
Lo cual le lleva inevitablemente en su siguiente apartado sobre la lengua latina:
“El latín sigue siendo el medio natural de expresión de la mayoría de los poetas; la poesía latina gusta a un público más grande, y refleja todos los aspectos de la vida contemporánea. No solamente es una imitación lograda y extendida de los modelos clásicos, sino que también surgen poemas de nuevo tipo, con una gran riqueza de formas métricas nuevas, especialmente presentes en la lírica libre de los goliardos y el nuevo drama litúrgico, ambos más deudores de la tradición clásica.”
El completo texto no olvida ningún detalle, ni siquiera los detalles relativos a la jurisprudencia y el nacimiento, aunque parezca mentira, en esa época de los grandes “administradores” de dicha burocracia:
“Con el crecimiento de la burocracia, hasta la Iglesia empezó a depender más de sus abogados y juristas y, en consecuencia, fue un proceso natural que los reyes también contaran con juristas laicos o legistas. Para bien o para mal, el experto en leyes pasó a convertirse en un elemento activo del gobierno mundial: los abogados habían llegado para quedarse.”
Y en adelante tampoco falta un ensayo profundo sobre historiografía o sobre el resurgir de la ciencia; resaltando por primera vez, la necesidad de discutir sobre los clásicos, de no dar nada por sentado e incluso olvidar esa percepción establecida que consideraba que, lo clásico, por ser clásico, es inmutable:
“No hubo una comprobación sistemática de lo que decían los clásicos, ni verificación ni pruebas empíricas que lo sostuvieran. Pedir esto, claro está, es mucho pedir de cualquier era, demasiado; anti-históricamente excesivo, para el siglo que nos ocupa. Pedir algo así no equivale, sin embargo, a violar el espíritu histórico, pues ya el siglo XIII se atreve a sugerir que las afirmaciones de Aristóteles quizá pudieran estar equivocadas.”
En resumidas cuentas, estamos ante una obra capital para entender una época difícil sobre la que no hay tanto escrito y que, sin embargo, estoy convencido de que fue muy importante por los motivos que indica Haskins.
Se me antoja necesario leer esta obra, una de las mejores del año y de la que me consta que Ático de los libros va a seguir apostando por ella. Una total delicatessen para los paladares más selectos.
“La libertad es un término relativo: si los hombres no se consideran prisioneros, a todos los efectos son libres”
Los textos provienen de la traducción del inglés de Claudia Casanova en esta excelente y cuidada edición de “El renacimiento del siglo XII” de Charles Homer Haskins en Ático de los libros.
La de veces que he dicho que no me gusta la novela histórica, disfruto mucho más de la ficción, es un hecho; sin embargo, ¿cómo es posible que me atraiga a priori un ensayo histórico como es el caso que me ocupa en esta ocasión?; es buen momento para discutir sobre ello, la recomendación ha venido a través de mi librero (como de costumbre) y, cómo no, una de esas editoriales que miman sus ediciones y que demuestran un buen gusto innato.
Llevaba tiempo la editorial Ático de los libros “amenazando” con empezar una colección de novela histórica que se presentaba, a primera vista, más que interesante. Por fin en este año vemos que ha fructificado y han salido dos títulos: el primero, será un regalo de Reyes y hablaré de él más adelante. El segundo título es este “El renacimiento del siglo XII” del historiador estadounidense Charles Homer Haskins (1870-1937) en el que voy a centrarme a continuación y que supone, sin dudarlo, una joya a descubrir.
En el prólogo a esta edición española realizado por la traductora/editora Claudia Casanova se cumple con creces el objetivo de despertar (aún más) el interés de una obra que vas a leer, gracias su propia experiencia personal que relata con verdadera pasión:
“La lectura de El renacimiento del siglo XII, como el lector avezado ya adivina, fue un punto de inflexión para mí: uno de esos instantes en los que se descubre o mejor dicho, se confirma, una pasión. ¿Por qué la Edad Media? Lo sé y no lo sé. Sic et non, como diría Abelardo. En todo caso la lectura del volumen que el lector tiene en sus manos me permitió empujar las puertas de esa antesala y sumergirme de lleno en una época llena de contrastes y pasiones.
De la mano de la prosa limpia y erudita del profesor Haskins, conocí la labor que durante los años, estos sí oscuros, que transcurren entre la caída del imperio romano y las dinastías de los reyes francos, desarrollaron los monasterios y sus abades, copiando manuscritos incansablemente para consérvalos, conscientes de que allí residía la sabiduría clásica.”
A partir de ahí, ella misma resume a la perfección el valor de la obra de Haskins, conseguir dar luz a un período ciertamente oscuro y darle valor al Renacimiento medieval incluso por encima del Renacimiento que todos conocemos:
“Sí debemos reconocer que el gran Renacimiento no fue tan único ni tan decisivo como se ha supuesto hasta ahora. El contraste cultural no fue tan agudo como creyeron los humanistas ni sus seguidores modernos y durante la Edad Media se produjeron resurgimientos intelectuales cuya influencia dejó huella en los años posteriores y que poseían el mismo espíritu que el movimiento, más conocido y popular, que tuvo lugar en el siglo XV. Así pues, este volumen se centrará en uno de esos resurgimientos, el Renacimiento del siglo XII, también conocido como Renacimiento Medieval.”
A partir de ahí, el norteamericano divide cada uno de los capítulos en diferentes epígrafes, que ayudan a comprender la verdadera importancia de este renacimiento y por qué cree él que de verdad se trata de un renacimiento y de su valor en todos los ámbitos; es imposible no rendirse ante su prosa erudita y ante los hechos que despliega a caballo entre nuestra curiosidad y desconocimiento; en el capítulo segundo, hablando sobre los centros intelectuales de la época, por ejemplo, refiriéndose a la corte:
“En cuanto a la corte, feudal o real, como centro intelectual, también hay diferencias. Alrededor de 1155, un poeta de Samarcanda llamado Nizami declaró que una corte debía poseer cuatro clases de hombres sabios: secretarios de estado, poetas, astrólogos y médicos, pues “los asuntos reales no pueden llevarse a buen puerto sin secretarios competentes; sus triunfos y victorias no serán inmortalizados si no cuenta con poetas; sus empresas no tendrán éxito, a menos que se inicien en la estación adecuada, designada por astrólogos juiciosos; y la salud, la base de toda felicidad y actividad, solamente se puede procurar mediante los servicios de un médico capaz y de confianza.”
Es imposible no sentirse maravillado ante lo que nos cuenta y la forma en la que lo hace, con una prosa clara y detallista que no olvida la reflexión intrahistórica más allá de la época, como cuando habla sobre el resurgimiento de los clásicos latinos en el capítulo cuarto:
“Desde la caída del Imperio romano hasta bien entrados los tiempos modernos, los clásicos latinos han sido el mejor barómetro de la cultura de cada período de la Europa occidental. Nunca se ha perdido su estudio por completo, pero la intensidad y el tiempo dedicados al mismo suben y bajan en estrecha relación con el nivel general de educación y la actividad intelectual.”
Lo cual le lleva inevitablemente en su siguiente apartado sobre la lengua latina:
“El latín sigue siendo el medio natural de expresión de la mayoría de los poetas; la poesía latina gusta a un público más grande, y refleja todos los aspectos de la vida contemporánea. No solamente es una imitación lograda y extendida de los modelos clásicos, sino que también surgen poemas de nuevo tipo, con una gran riqueza de formas métricas nuevas, especialmente presentes en la lírica libre de los goliardos y el nuevo drama litúrgico, ambos más deudores de la tradición clásica.”
El completo texto no olvida ningún detalle, ni siquiera los detalles relativos a la jurisprudencia y el nacimiento, aunque parezca mentira, en esa época de los grandes “administradores” de dicha burocracia:
“Con el crecimiento de la burocracia, hasta la Iglesia empezó a depender más de sus abogados y juristas y, en consecuencia, fue un proceso natural que los reyes también contaran con juristas laicos o legistas. Para bien o para mal, el experto en leyes pasó a convertirse en un elemento activo del gobierno mundial: los abogados habían llegado para quedarse.”
Y en adelante tampoco falta un ensayo profundo sobre historiografía o sobre el resurgir de la ciencia; resaltando por primera vez, la necesidad de discutir sobre los clásicos, de no dar nada por sentado e incluso olvidar esa percepción establecida que consideraba que, lo clásico, por ser clásico, es inmutable:
“No hubo una comprobación sistemática de lo que decían los clásicos, ni verificación ni pruebas empíricas que lo sostuvieran. Pedir esto, claro está, es mucho pedir de cualquier era, demasiado; anti-históricamente excesivo, para el siglo que nos ocupa. Pedir algo así no equivale, sin embargo, a violar el espíritu histórico, pues ya el siglo XIII se atreve a sugerir que las afirmaciones de Aristóteles quizá pudieran estar equivocadas.”
En resumidas cuentas, estamos ante una obra capital para entender una época difícil sobre la que no hay tanto escrito y que, sin embargo, estoy convencido de que fue muy importante por los motivos que indica Haskins.
Se me antoja necesario leer esta obra, una de las mejores del año y de la que me consta que Ático de los libros va a seguir apostando por ella. Una total delicatessen para los paladares más selectos.
“La libertad es un término relativo: si los hombres no se consideran prisioneros, a todos los efectos son libres”
Los textos provienen de la traducción del inglés de Claudia Casanova en esta excelente y cuidada edición de “El renacimiento del siglo XII” de Charles Homer Haskins en Ático de los libros.
December 2, 2022
«A resultas de la conquista sarracena, la Península se convierte, durante buena parte de la Edad Media, en un pedazo más del Oriente islámico, heredero de su sabiduría y de su ciencia, de su magia y de su astrología, y el acceso principal por el que se reintroduce en la Europa occidental. Cuando en el siglo XII el mundo latino empezó a absorber el saber oriental, los pioneros se dirigieron sobre todo a España, donde uno tras otro emprendía la búsqueda del conocimiento en matemáticas, astronomía, astrología, medicina y filosofía. Después, hasta el siglo XIII incluso, España siguió siendo la tierra de misterio, de lo desconocido pero aprehendible, para las mentes inquisitivas más allá de los Pirineos. La gran aventura del erudito europeo estaba en la Península».
July 2, 2015
A seminal book from 1927 that cogently argues that the 'real' Renaissance happened earlier, and the one we know of is simply the next step. Haskins was the scholar who coined the term 'Twelfth Century Renaissance', and thus, opening new field of inquiry.
Haskins had a gift with prose and organization, and it helped hammering his points home. Somehow several centuries of intellectual activities just pan out naturally... despite utter difference between the beginning (5th century AD) and the end (12th century AD).
The book essentially charts the up-and-down of European intellectual life after fall of Rome. In what may be termed 'rag to riches story', they started with no school system at all, yet end up begetting universities all over the place, including that one in Oxford.
If you're big into history of science, you may like this. At least it's a classic of the field. Just note that -- like any classic book -- there will be outdated information. (It's really 88 years old!)
Haskins had a gift with prose and organization, and it helped hammering his points home. Somehow several centuries of intellectual activities just pan out naturally... despite utter difference between the beginning (5th century AD) and the end (12th century AD).
The book essentially charts the up-and-down of European intellectual life after fall of Rome. In what may be termed 'rag to riches story', they started with no school system at all, yet end up begetting universities all over the place, including that one in Oxford.
If you're big into history of science, you may like this. At least it's a classic of the field. Just note that -- like any classic book -- there will be outdated information. (It's really 88 years old!)
April 14, 2015
Interesting enough but be warned--there are tons of quotes in Latin with no translation and later some French. In the middle of the book, strangely, he starts giving translations and then towards the end sometimes does and sometimes doesn't. Odd. Haskins makes a decent case for a renaissance in the 12th century. There were cultural exchanges as well as translations from other languages. It was not an age of darkness.
July 24, 2017
This book was a big disappointment. Basically, it serves as an excuse for the author to nerd out over the achievements of various 12th century people. There is very little attempt to create an overall holistic picture of what intellectual life looked like in the 12th century or why a "renaissance" occurred in this time period (versus say the 11th or 13th centuries).
October 25, 2013
Very dry and scholarly. Didn't finish.
September 11, 2023
An old classic, which makes it a bit of an awkward read. I mean, I already knew and accepted his argument and the basic facts, in part because this book has been so influential in the field of medieval history. Still, it was a nice refresher, and it's always good to read the original ideas that we take for granted.
One of the main takeaways of the book is that this 'renaissance' starts out as a literary movement, not unlike its more famous fourteenth-century successor, but pretty quickly transformed into a philosophical/scientific movement with the rediscovery of Aristotle and the development of universities. Still, we do see the beginnings of a real vernacular literature along with the strong presence of and recovery of Latin culture.
One of the main takeaways of the book is that this 'renaissance' starts out as a literary movement, not unlike its more famous fourteenth-century successor, but pretty quickly transformed into a philosophical/scientific movement with the rediscovery of Aristotle and the development of universities. Still, we do see the beginnings of a real vernacular literature along with the strong presence of and recovery of Latin culture.
June 19, 2021
This is considered by many a seminal work in the reassessment of the Middle Ages. It surely is, as it depicts a century central to the development of the Western culture. It does feel a bit boring when listing all historians and poets of remote areas of Europe, but I guess this is what I signed in for when I started it.
August 31, 2022
Bastante específico, mas dá uma visão completa do período em que trata. Pontos que me interessaram:
- Surgimento das universidades a partir das guildas e vida dos estudantes.
- Importância do comércio e das Cruzadas para o desenvolvimento da cultura.
- Método experimental e influência árabe nas ciências.
- Surgimento das universidades a partir das guildas e vida dos estudantes.
- Importância do comércio e das Cruzadas para o desenvolvimento da cultura.
- Método experimental e influência árabe nas ciências.
May 20, 2025
Imperfect but important.
This book is a century old now and can be pretty dry reading in places as well, but it's still a much needed reminder that there really never was such a thing as the "Dark Ages." And it helps that the author can make the occasional humorous connection like the (deservedly reviled) English King John and Augustine's "City of God."
3.5 stars.
This book is a century old now and can be pretty dry reading in places as well, but it's still a much needed reminder that there really never was such a thing as the "Dark Ages." And it helps that the author can make the occasional humorous connection like the (deservedly reviled) English King John and Augustine's "City of God."
3.5 stars.
May 10, 2018
Este ensayo es altamente recomendable para cualquiera que quiera meterse a investigar el mundo medieval y el inicio del renacimiento. La lectura es muy amena y no hace falta ser un conocido del tema para leerlo. Muy recomendable
November 28, 2022
Claro, conciso, y lo más importante, desmiente el mito moderno de que sólo ha habido 1 momento histórico de iluminación y recuperación clásica que merezca llamarse Renacimiento, rescatando a la época medieval de la oscuridad en la cual la opinión popular insiste en recluir.
June 3, 2017
Old-fashioned and dated, but interesting account of the culture of twelfth-century Europe. Focuses completely on Latin culture so the vernacular gets short shrift.
October 28, 2018
Es un libro ya superado pero sigue siendo un clásico de la historiografía y el estilo que tiene te transporta al ámbito intelectual del siglo XII. Muy, muy bueno.
April 5, 2022
Eye-opening as we're not usually accustomed to thinking of the Renaissance as beginning with the Norman invasion of Europe (think Romanesque churches), which makes this an essential historical text.
May 28, 2023
现在再读这本书的意义可能就在于理解欧洲历史发展不是断裂性的，并不是一般以为的至暗的中世纪突然转向了15世纪的欧洲文艺复兴，而是中世纪后期12世纪的文艺复兴带来的文化之光使得后续的文艺复兴成为可能。此书原出版于 1972，读到的22年再版的书籍，其历史编纂言之有据可做文献参考。
August 14, 2025
DNF summer 25
He had me in the first half but the name soup and the focus on the latin literature over the vernacular became too much
He had me in the first half but the name soup and the focus on the latin literature over the vernacular became too much
August 29, 2013
«El medievalista norteamericano Charles H. Haskins destaca ante todo los signos de una renovación de los saberes intelectuales en esta época: progreso de los estudios del clero, aumento de las bibliotecas y del conocimiento de la literatura latina, desarrollo de la teología, la historiografía, el derecho y las ciencias, y aparición de las primeras universidades (...) Se habla del “renacimiento del siglo XII” desde la publicación de este libro.»
CARLOS GARCÍA GUAL, catedrático de Filología Griega, escritor y especialista en literatura latina y medieval
«El exquisito y elegante libro del profesor Haskins es sólido y profundo.»
YALE REVIEW
«Escrito para que lo pueda leer un lego y a la vez lo bastante ambicioso para satisfacer al especialista.»
AMERICAN HISTORIAL REVIEW
«Un libro lúcido y equilibrado.»
THE SPECTATOR
«La “tesis Haskins” se formula como reacción al excesivo uso del término “renacimiento” por parte de Jakob Burckhardt para designar un fenómeno moderno y primordialmente italiano. Pronto, los medievalistas aceptaron como hecho que el siglo XII también experimentó un renacimiento de ese tipo, y la tesis de Haskins se convirtió en un concepto hoy plenamente aceptado en la historiografía medieval.»
DICCIONARIO OXFORD DE LA EDAD MEDIA
CARLOS GARCÍA GUAL, catedrático de Filología Griega, escritor y especialista en literatura latina y medieval
«El exquisito y elegante libro del profesor Haskins es sólido y profundo.»
YALE REVIEW
«Escrito para que lo pueda leer un lego y a la vez lo bastante ambicioso para satisfacer al especialista.»
AMERICAN HISTORIAL REVIEW
«Un libro lúcido y equilibrado.»
THE SPECTATOR
«La “tesis Haskins” se formula como reacción al excesivo uso del término “renacimiento” por parte de Jakob Burckhardt para designar un fenómeno moderno y primordialmente italiano. Pronto, los medievalistas aceptaron como hecho que el siglo XII también experimentó un renacimiento de ese tipo, y la tesis de Haskins se convirtió en un concepto hoy plenamente aceptado en la historiografía medieval.»
DICCIONARIO OXFORD DE LA EDAD MEDIA
August 8, 2013
ES.O.TER.IC! (I got the book from my former mentor and French professor for whom the book was part of her Ph.D. studies.)
But fascinating. And the language of it is delightful (written in the 1920s). Lots of "thrice"s and "thence"s and other interesting words I had to look up (which doesn't happen much to me anymore, with English anyway).
But fascinating. And the language of it is delightful (written in the 1920s). Lots of "thrice"s and "thence"s and other interesting words I had to look up (which doesn't happen much to me anymore, with English anyway).
May 17, 2011
A survey of the cultural renaissance before the Renaissance, this entertaining history explores the incredible complexity of 12th century European culture and the intellectual figures who revived the study of Roman and Greek classics, which paved the way for the new forms of art and commerce that followed. Written in a spry, deft style, with many amusing off-handed asides.
February 15, 2016
Today exactly 1 year ago I finished this book for my course, and a year later I finish it again for the same course.
It's an interesting book on the 12th century and the development of universities.
It's an interesting book on the 12th century and the development of universities.
November 1, 2016
Older, so it is well written and the bibliographies not cluttered with junk nobody wants to read who doesn't have to for some academic tyrant. A mostly engaging book.
December 15, 2017
Foundational.
First published in 1957, this book marks a foundational shift in Medieval Studies. Much if not most Medieval history in the English speaking world was dominated by whig historians such as H.C. Lea and G.G. Coulton, or Renaissance historians like Jacob Burckhardt. All noted for their bias against Medieval culture and the Medieval Church.
Haskins' title was chosen to be deliberately provocative and it succeeded. He makes a strong case that the 12th century constitutes a legitimate renaissance and additionally, that the proceeding Italian Renaissance is the natural flowering of the previous one.
Chapters include:
1. The Historical Background
2. Intellectual Centres
3. Books and Libraries
4. The Revival of the Latin Classics
5. The Latin Language
6. Latin Poetry
7. The Revival of Jurisprudence
8. Historical Writings
9. The Translators from Greek and Arabic
10. The Revival of Science
11. The Revival of Philosophy
12. The Beginnings of Universities.
The only problem with the book is that modern scholarship goes much further than Haskins could with his limited resources dominated by centuries of neglect. In his bibliography he notes H.C. Lea's book on the Inquisition (4 vol) is the best introduction to the subject, mostly because it was the only scholarly writing at the time but suffered from many serious defects, as Henry Kamen noted:
Though Lea had strong prejudices that he expressed uncompromisingly, his work once and for all rescued the Tribunal from the make-believe world of invented history...He retained, nevertheless, a deep pessimism about the political and moral future of the country he believed to have been paralyzed by the Inquisition. (The Spanish Inquisition: A Historical Revision, p. 284)
Albert Shannon has an entire index dedicated to H.C. Lea and an exchange between G.G. Coulton and Herbert Thurston in his book 'The Medieval Inquisition' which puts much of Lea to rest.
Perhaps Haskins should be excused for not foreseeing the futur, and the book was revolutionary, but like many revolutionary things and most things academic, TROTTC no longer makes great claims or ascertions because the great claims have not only been proven, but even found to be too moderate.
First published in 1957, this book marks a foundational shift in Medieval Studies. Much if not most Medieval history in the English speaking world was dominated by whig historians such as H.C. Lea and G.G. Coulton, or Renaissance historians like Jacob Burckhardt. All noted for their bias against Medieval culture and the Medieval Church.
Haskins' title was chosen to be deliberately provocative and it succeeded. He makes a strong case that the 12th century constitutes a legitimate renaissance and additionally, that the proceeding Italian Renaissance is the natural flowering of the previous one.
Chapters include:
1. The Historical Background
2. Intellectual Centres
3. Books and Libraries
4. The Revival of the Latin Classics
5. The Latin Language
6. Latin Poetry
7. The Revival of Jurisprudence
8. Historical Writings
9. The Translators from Greek and Arabic
10. The Revival of Science
11. The Revival of Philosophy
12. The Beginnings of Universities.
The only problem with the book is that modern scholarship goes much further than Haskins could with his limited resources dominated by centuries of neglect. In his bibliography he notes H.C. Lea's book on the Inquisition (4 vol) is the best introduction to the subject, mostly because it was the only scholarly writing at the time but suffered from many serious defects, as Henry Kamen noted:
Though Lea had strong prejudices that he expressed uncompromisingly, his work once and for all rescued the Tribunal from the make-believe world of invented history...He retained, nevertheless, a deep pessimism about the political and moral future of the country he believed to have been paralyzed by the Inquisition. (The Spanish Inquisition: A Historical Revision, p. 284)
Albert Shannon has an entire index dedicated to H.C. Lea and an exchange between G.G. Coulton and Herbert Thurston in his book 'The Medieval Inquisition' which puts much of Lea to rest.
Perhaps Haskins should be excused for not foreseeing the futur, and the book was revolutionary, but like many revolutionary things and most things academic, TROTTC no longer makes great claims or ascertions because the great claims have not only been proven, but even found to be too moderate.
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