You've probably heard from time to time the Middle Ages being referred to as the Dark Ages. This is a biased misnomer that arises in the Romantic period, which favoured ancient Rome and Greece over the contributions of the Medieval Period. In fact, there was nothing "dark" about the Middle Ages at all; it was incredibly vibrant, colourful, and rich in a variety of cultures that produced some of the most magnificent pieces of architecture in human history! Check out this reconstruction of the front portal of Amiens Gothic cathedral in France, showing the original colours you would have seen in the 13th-14th centuries:
