Great castles give us an invaluable window into the medieval world. In this compelling course, you’ll track British castle-building from the Norman invasion to the English civil wars and beyond, visit classic castles of Spain and Italy, explore the crusader castles of the Holy Land, travel to the monastic castles of Eastern Europe, discover France’s astonishing Renaissance châteaus, and much more.
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Set out on a magnificent journey with this two-course set. See some of the most spectacular architecture in the world in Great Castles of Europe. Then, explore the beauty of the United Kingdom with The Great Tours: England, Scotland, and Wales.
The Middle Ages was a time that tested human perseverance, imagination, and spirit. People rose to the challenges of disease, war, and other crises and changed how they viewed themselves, how they worshiped, and how they related to land and country. This exciting course transports you to 14th-century Europe and guides you through 200 years of stunning transformations.
Travel back in time and explore the story of early medieval Europe—and the man who helped build it. Start with Charlemagne: Father of Europe, in which you’ll examine the life and times of Charlemagne and consider how history has shaped his story to serve various causes and agendas. Then, in Early Middle Ages, new light across those once "dark" ages and their fascinating personalities and events, and discover why the histories of the later Roman Empire and the Early Middle Ages should command our attention.
In the 24 lectures of The Great Tours: Germany and Austria, you’ll delve deeply into two unforgettable countries, their extraordinary historic and contemporary cultures, and their legacy as fountainheads of European civilization. You’ll visit extraordinary sites from Roman fortresses, majestic cathedrals, and medieval cityscapes with castles and palaces to modern wonders of industry and futuristic urban planning, as well as some of the world’s most beloved cities, which brim with local traditions, iconic beers and foods, and the unique culture of the German-speaking world.
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