1. The Eyes of Dante (Gli Occhi di Dante)
He is considered the greatest European poet of the Middle Ages and his work unfolds the whole panopticon of occidental education – theology, philosophy, sciences, politics and literature. But who has really read it, the “Divine Comedy”? Who knows more of its creator Dante Alighieri than that he had an eagle-like profile and was in love with a woman named Beatrice? 700 years after Dante’s death, the filmmaker Adolfo Conti travels through Italy with Dante’s words in mind and eyes to see the world as Dante did. As the film encounters the beauty of arts and the Tuscan landscape, the forces of nature, a dramatic life story is unfolded.
It has an average vote of 7.2 on TMDB.
2. The Voynich Code: The World's Most Mysterious Manuscript (Das Voynich-Manuskript - Die geheimnisvollste Handschrift der Welt)
It is the world’s most mysterious manuscript. A book, written by an unknown author, illustrated with pictures that are as bizarre as they are puzzling — and written in a language that even the best cryptographers have been unable to decode. No wonder that this script even has a part in Dan Brown’s latest bestseller “The Lost Symbol”.
It has an average vote of 6 on TMDB.
3. The Builders of the Alhambra (Los constructores de la Alhambra)
Kingdom of Granada, al-Andalus, 14th century. After recognizing that his land, always under siege, is hopelessly doomed to be conquered, Sultan Yusuf I undertakes the construction of a magnificent fortress with the purpose of turning it into the landmark of his civilization and his history, a glorious monument that will survive the oblivion of the coming centuries: the Alhambra.
It has an average vote of 7 on TMDB.
4. Reformation: Europe's Holy War
Historian David Starkey tells the story of the Protestant Reformation and how it transformed the face of modern Europe, unleashing fundamentalism, terror and religious violence.
It has an average vote of 8 on TMDB.
5. The Time Factory (La Fabrique du temps)
Who invented time, who invented the clock? Why 1 hour, why 60 minutes, why 60 seconds? Since prehistoric times, man has sought to measure time, to organize social and religious life, to plan food supply... Today we can surf the Internet, geolocate, pay by credit card… All our daily lives depend on time and the synchronization of clocks. The history of the invention of time and of the ways and instruments to measure it is a long story…
It has an average vote of 8.2 on TMDB.
6. Václav II. – cesta ze stínu (Václav II. – cesta ze stínu)
(Václav II. – cesta ze stínu)
7. Häxan (Häxan)
Grave robbing, torture, possessed nuns, and a satanic Sabbath: Benjamin Christensen's legendary film uses a series of dramatic vignettes to explore the scientific hypothesis that the witches of the Middle Ages suffered the same hysteria as turn-of-the-century psychiatric patients. But the film itself is far from serious-- instead it's a witches' brew of the scary, gross, and darkly humorous.
It has an average vote of 7.6 on TMDB.
8. The Plague
It began much like the common cold. Yet within a day fever took over black swellings the size of baseballs appeared on the neck and finally a highly contagious bloody cough quickly sealed the victim's fate. During the worst biological disaster in the history of mankind the so-called black death released an indiscriminate fury which shook the very foundations of human order. Religious hysteria began to break out and in desperation frenzied masses scrambled to find a scapegoat. When all was said and done nearly one-third of Europe's population had been completely wiped out and devastated survivors were left to contend with a world forever changed both socially and economically. In this feature-length special THE HISTORY CHANNEL-® investigates the origins of this devastating moment in human history and explores the many questions surrounding the terrifying possibility of a modern-day biological threat.
It has an average vote of 8 on TMDB.
9. Illuminated Lives: A Brief History of Women's Work in the Middle Ages
This animated short challenges enduring myths, spawned by fairy tales and romances, about women in medieval society. It explores the differences and similarities between that distant period and our own, and shows what medieval women’s lives were really like.
10. William the Conqueror (Guillaume le Conquérant)
England, 11th century. William the Conqueror wins the Battle of Hastings , changing the shape of medieval Europe and the course of English history. An account of the life of the extraordinary Norman warrior who became king.
It has an average vote of 5.5 on TMDB.
11. David Macaulay: Cathedral
Author David Macaulay hosts CATHEDRAL, based on his award-winning book. Using a combination of spectacular location sequences and cinema-quality animation, the program surveys France's most famous churches. Travel back to 1214 to explore the design of Notre Dame de Beaulieu, a representative Gothic cathedral. The program tells period tales revealing fascinating stories of life and death, faith and despair, prosperity, and intrigue.
12. Medieval Society: The Villagers
Depicts life in the Middle Ages, showing medieval villagers, including a reeve and a serf, explaining something of their life and work.
13. Andrei Rublev (Андрей Рублёв)
An expansive Russian drama, this film focuses on the life of revered religious icon painter Andrei Rublev. Drifting from place to place in a tumultuous era, the peace-seeking monk eventually gains a reputation for his art. But after Rublev witnesses a brutal battle and unintentionally becomes involved, he takes a vow of silence and spends time away from his work. As he begins to ease his troubled soul, he takes steps towards becoming a painter once again.
It has an average vote of 8.01 on TMDB.
14. Army of Darkness
Ash, a handsome, shotgun-toting, chainsaw-armed department store clerk, is time warped backwards into England's Dark Ages, where he romances a beauty and faces legions of the undead.
It has an average vote of 7.256 on TMDB.
15. The Seventh Seal (Det sjunde inseglet)
When disillusioned Swedish knight Antonius Block returns home from the Crusades to find his country in the grips of the Black Death, he challenges Death to a chess match for his life. Tormented by the belief that God does not exist, Block sets off on a journey, meeting up with traveling players Jof and his wife, Mia, and becoming determined to evade Death long enough to commit one redemptive act while he still lives.
It has an average vote of 8.197 on TMDB.
16. Tristan & Isolde
An affair between the second in line to Britain's throne and the princess of the feuding Irish spells doom for the young lovers.
It has an average vote of 6.7 on TMDB.
17. Snow White: A Tale of Terror
When young Lili's mother dies in childbirth, her father remarries Lady Claudia, a woman ruled by an evil mirror with the power to make her queen of all living things. After escaping an attempt on her life, Lili finds herself lost in a dark forest, where living happily ever after seems unlikely.
It has an average vote of 6.035 on TMDB.
18. The Charlemagne Code (Die Jagd nach dem Schatz der Nibelungen)
An action-packed race to find the legendary treasure of the Nibelungen hidden by Charlemagne and thought to be the biggest lost treasure in the world.
It has an average vote of 5.7 on TMDB.
19. Knights of the Round Table
In Camelot, kingdom of Arthur and Merlin, Lancelot is well known for his courage and honor. But one day he must quit Camelot and the Queen Guinevere's love, leaving the Round Table without protection.
It has an average vote of 5.9 on TMDB.
20. Season of the Witch
A 14th century Crusader returns with his comrade to a homeland devastated by the Black Plague. The Church commands the two knights to transport a witch to a remote abbey, where monks will perform a ritual in hopes of ending the pestilence.
It has an average vote of 5.457 on TMDB.
