How did Jacob Burckhardt recognize the achievements of the Middle Ages?

Although the Swiss historian Jacob Burckhardt is often associated with establishing a sharp contrast between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, he did not underrate medieval achievements.12

Burckhardt’s historical philosophy rejected the notion that any specific period, including the Renaissance, represented a general progression over the preceding epoch. Regarding the Middle Ages specifically, he acknowledged that the rise of Christianity was an inevitable development and recognized it as a necessary foundation for the emergence of an original culture during that era.2

While his personal sympathies often leaned toward the ancient world, his work avoided the dismissive characterizations common among some of his contemporaries. Instead, he viewed history as a series of distinct periods, each defined by its own unique cultural character, rather than a linear narrative of improvement.12