Before I started research about this topic, I knew very little about this style of architecture. Architecture has always been an interest of mine but the only thing I knew about Gothic Architecture was that it looked remarkable and incredibly difficult to create during this time period with the technology available.
I've been able to research and observe gothic architecture over a total of 63 hours. There has been a variety of different cathedrals and churches that have not been included in my blog, but has been part of my experience. This blog doesn't go into too much depth or nor does it cover every piece of research I came across.
Enjoy!
Gothic Architecture (ca. 1140-1400)
Gothic Architecture came from Romanesque tradition in the 12th century through the 15th century. This form of architecture had the ribbed vaults, clustered columns, wheel windows, spires, carved doors, and flying buttresses. The first change was the pointed arch instead of a rounded arch like the Romanesque buildings had. Later, the changes developed even further and light began to seep through small openings. Other varieties of adornment arose as well such as, flowered rose windows/carvings, and gargoyles.
During this area, most construction was made to represent sacred things. So in Western Europe most gothic buildings were cathedrals and churches. There were some castles, royal buildings, and homes built with gothic architectural features, but most of the time spent on the development of this type of architecture came through the construction of cathedrals. There are many mentionable parts of gothic cathedrals that set them apart from other styles. There are the ribbed vault, flying buttress, the Latin Cross floor plan, the pointed arch instead of the rounded arch, spires, the crocket, rose window, finials, pinnacles, and triangular panels.
With all of these particular parts to the new and improved cathedral the style was supposed to appeal to the emotions better than the Romanesque style before. These buildings were supposed to project an idea of majesty, light, and elevation to the heavens. Height was an important feature to these buildings. In order to achieve the height desired, changes had to be made in the construction. Primarily they used stone networks of arches, piers, and buttresses to create a more distributed weight to make lighter and more slender buildings. These architects figured out the secret to constructing the tallest buildings the world had ever seen during that period.
The pointed arch was so important because it redirected weight allowing the support underneath to be thinner, and its dimensions were more flexible. Since the pointed arch had a keystone point the dimensions could be more adjusted without compromise.
The flying buttress:
This is a rib vault:
This is a groin vault:
Here's a standard floor plan of a Gothic Cathedral, which is the Latin Cross:
The use of art was an important feature of Gothic cathedrals because they were supposed to tell stories to those who couldn't read from the Bible. Cathedrals had stained glass, frescos, statues, paintings, textiles, and other various forms to not only tell stories but to also beautify. These art pieces took time and dedication. Some of the most famous artists either started or ended their work in a cathedral or worked for the church. As well as beautify and tell stories, gargoyles were used to ward off evil at the cathedrals. These gargoyles and paintings of demons and frightening images are used often to either warn believers or ward off evil.
Example of stained glass in the St. Chapelle Cathedral:
I've been able to research and observe gothic architecture over a total of 63 hours. There has been a variety of different cathedrals and churches that have not been included in my blog, but has been part of my experience. This blog doesn't go into too much depth or nor does it cover every piece of research I came across.
Enjoy!
Gothic Architecture (ca. 1140-1400)
Gothic Architecture came from Romanesque tradition in the 12th century through the 15th century. This form of architecture had the ribbed vaults, clustered columns, wheel windows, spires, carved doors, and flying buttresses. The first change was the pointed arch instead of a rounded arch like the Romanesque buildings had. Later, the changes developed even further and light began to seep through small openings. Other varieties of adornment arose as well such as, flowered rose windows/carvings, and gargoyles.
During this area, most construction was made to represent sacred things. So in Western Europe most gothic buildings were cathedrals and churches. There were some castles, royal buildings, and homes built with gothic architectural features, but most of the time spent on the development of this type of architecture came through the construction of cathedrals. There are many mentionable parts of gothic cathedrals that set them apart from other styles. There are the ribbed vault, flying buttress, the Latin Cross floor plan, the pointed arch instead of the rounded arch, spires, the crocket, rose window, finials, pinnacles, and triangular panels.
With all of these particular parts to the new and improved cathedral the style was supposed to appeal to the emotions better than the Romanesque style before. These buildings were supposed to project an idea of majesty, light, and elevation to the heavens. Height was an important feature to these buildings. In order to achieve the height desired, changes had to be made in the construction. Primarily they used stone networks of arches, piers, and buttresses to create a more distributed weight to make lighter and more slender buildings. These architects figured out the secret to constructing the tallest buildings the world had ever seen during that period.
The pointed arch was so important because it redirected weight allowing the support underneath to be thinner, and its dimensions were more flexible. Since the pointed arch had a keystone point the dimensions could be more adjusted without compromise.
The flying buttress:
This is a rib vault:
This is a groin vault:
Here's a standard floor plan of a Gothic Cathedral, which is the Latin Cross:
The use of art was an important feature of Gothic cathedrals because they were supposed to tell stories to those who couldn't read from the Bible. Cathedrals had stained glass, frescos, statues, paintings, textiles, and other various forms to not only tell stories but to also beautify. These art pieces took time and dedication. Some of the most famous artists either started or ended their work in a cathedral or worked for the church. As well as beautify and tell stories, gargoyles were used to ward off evil at the cathedrals. These gargoyles and paintings of demons and frightening images are used often to either warn believers or ward off evil.
Example of stained glass in the St. Chapelle Cathedral:
France- French Gothic cathedrals are consistent and unified in their features more so than any other region. On their west fronts there are three portals with a rose window and two large towers. There are times where there are also additional towers on the ends. The east end is polygonal and often has a chevette of radiating chapels, which looks like the picture below on Notre Dame.
Most of these cathedrals appear very tall and skinny in comparison to other regions. The reason why is they had more emphasis on the height of the buildings than others. The compact shape sometimes made certain cathedrals and churches too narrow for aisles or transepts. An example of this is drawn in the picture below.
No building in France is exactly the same. Gothic architecture spread throughout France and created a variety of differences between church buildings.
Basic Background
Notre Dame Cathedral
The grounds for Notre Dame in Paris, France broke in 1163. It took until 1345 to complete this massive Catholic Cathedral. This was built on top of a Roman temple to Jupiter. Before Notre Dame was constructed this was a site of Paris' first Christian church, Saint Etienne basilica. It is important today not only for the example of French Gothic Architecture, natural stone sculpture, and stained glass, but it's the official chair of the archbishop of Paris. It also holds the a few of the most important relics like the Crown of Thorns, a fragment of the True Cross, and one of the Holy Nails.
It was one of the first cathedrals to use the flying buttress in it's new form from the Romanesque style. This created the thinner walls and ceiling to create more light. Along with those structural differences on this buildings are the famous gargoyles and chimeras, which were designed to run-off water. These statues were once colored and painted, but only appear in stone color now. The stained glass windows were constructed in the 13th century. These are important to note (even if they are not as impressive as St. Chapelle's stained glass) because this is a major part of Gothic art. There are three rose windows in the cathedral. There is the North Rose, South Rose, and the West Rose.
The West Rose is covered by much of the organ today, but is depicting human life with scenes of Zodiacs and Labors of the Months. The North Rose has scenes from the Old Testament and in the center medallion is the Virgin Mary and Child. Lastly, the South Rose was dedicated to King St. Louis around 1260. The themes include the New Testament, the Triumph of Christ, and the symbolic number four. This is the most interesting Rose out of all three because the central medallion has been lost and replaced with the coat of arms of Cardinal de Noailles, the Archbishop of Paris.
The Portals are important to mention as well. There are three west portals to see and they are of the Virgin Mary, the Last Judgment, and scenes from the life of Mary's Mother, St. Anne. The Virgin Mary portal is usually the exit door for visitors. It consists of Mary on her death bed surrounded by Christ and the twelve apostles. There are two angels and then three Old Testament Prophets and three Old Testament Kings. The Last Judgment portal is the last sculpted showing Christ emphasized as the suffering savior of humanity, rather than a judge. The St. Anne portal is showing the Virgin and Child on a throne with two angels, a bishop and his assistant, and a king. It shows the story of Anne and Joachim, and Mary and Joseph. Also, there is a South and North Transept Portal. The South is dedicated to St. Steven and the North is of the Virgin Mary that managed to survive the Revolution, without much damage. It shows scenes related to the birth of Christ, Nativity presentation, and the Massacre of the Innocents.
This is the West side of Notre Dame:
Massacre of the Innocents at Notre Dame:
It was one of the first cathedrals to use the flying buttress in it's new form from the Romanesque style. This created the thinner walls and ceiling to create more light. Along with those structural differences on this buildings are the famous gargoyles and chimeras, which were designed to run-off water. These statues were once colored and painted, but only appear in stone color now. The stained glass windows were constructed in the 13th century. These are important to note (even if they are not as impressive as St. Chapelle's stained glass) because this is a major part of Gothic art. There are three rose windows in the cathedral. There is the North Rose, South Rose, and the West Rose.
The West Rose is covered by much of the organ today, but is depicting human life with scenes of Zodiacs and Labors of the Months. The North Rose has scenes from the Old Testament and in the center medallion is the Virgin Mary and Child. Lastly, the South Rose was dedicated to King St. Louis around 1260. The themes include the New Testament, the Triumph of Christ, and the symbolic number four. This is the most interesting Rose out of all three because the central medallion has been lost and replaced with the coat of arms of Cardinal de Noailles, the Archbishop of Paris.
The Portals are important to mention as well. There are three west portals to see and they are of the Virgin Mary, the Last Judgment, and scenes from the life of Mary's Mother, St. Anne. The Virgin Mary portal is usually the exit door for visitors. It consists of Mary on her death bed surrounded by Christ and the twelve apostles. There are two angels and then three Old Testament Prophets and three Old Testament Kings. The Last Judgment portal is the last sculpted showing Christ emphasized as the suffering savior of humanity, rather than a judge. The St. Anne portal is showing the Virgin and Child on a throne with two angels, a bishop and his assistant, and a king. It shows the story of Anne and Joachim, and Mary and Joseph. Also, there is a South and North Transept Portal. The South is dedicated to St. Steven and the North is of the Virgin Mary that managed to survive the Revolution, without much damage. It shows scenes related to the birth of Christ, Nativity presentation, and the Massacre of the Innocents.
This is the West side of Notre Dame:
Massacre of the Innocents at Notre Dame:
England- English cathedrals emphasize on variety of styles all together in one building. For example a building may have parts built in a different style or century with no intention of making it fit together nicely. These buildings are extremely lengthy, horizontal, spread out on the site, and have double transepts. The west front is like the French style with two towers or no towers at all. The east end is usually square but can also have an entirely different style.
Westminster Abbey
Being able to walk inside Westminster Abbey was a humbling experience. After some of my research I was able to connect the hard work and dedication it took to complete such a marvelous building. On the outside some of the very prominent Gothic features that stuck out to me were the flying buttresses, pinnacles, and use of gargoyles, sculpture, rose windows, and crockets. Everything about this cathedral screamed tall. The pointed arched doorways and ribbed vaults make it possible for the aisles to be tall and lengthy.
This is a picture of the inside of Westminster Abbey:
The Rose window, pinnacles, and crockets on Westminster Abbey:
Italy- Italian Gothic architecture's big distinction is the altering of colored marble or brick. This is widely recognized in Italy. The colors are green, black, white, or red interspaced between each other. These cathedrals are very symmetrical and covered in mosaics and frescos, creating a unique impression of gothic architecture. Facades have open porches, ocular or wheeled windows, instead of a rose window, and do not have a tower. Since they do not have towers they will usually have a dome. Which is why at the Cathedral in Florence they call it The Dome. Now, the windows do not normally have as much stained glass emphasis because the fresco is the focal point, but they do still have stained glass.
The Florence Cathedral and Dome
When I was in Florence, I got to climb the stairs to the top of the Dome. The inside of Filippo Brunelleschi's Dome had parts of the earlier wooden beams uncovered. When the Florentines were building this amazing cathedral they wanted a dome, but wasn't able to figure out how they would construct such thing based on the knowledge they had at the time. They designed it with faith that God would send someone to build a dome they left room for. Now, over 600 years ago it is still the tallest building in the city. The effort was costly and presented a lot of difficulties but had succeeded.
Here is what the Dome looks like:
The Cathedral of Florence is spectacular as well. The outside presented the Italian Gothic style with the alternating stone colors by row and pattern around windows or archways and the use of red brick. Indoors are examples of the ribbed vaults, mosaics and frescos, stained glass, and groin vaults. The flooring was beautifully inlayed with all different colors of marble.
The inside of The Florence Cathedral:
Here is the West side of the cathedral:
Works Cited
"Difference Between Gothic and Romanesque Architecture | Difference Between | Gothic vs Romanesque Architecture." Difference Between Gothic and Romanesque Architecture | Difference Between | Gothic vs Romanesque Architecture. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/culture-miscellaneous/difference-between-gothic-and-romanesque-architecture/
"Gothic architecture." Princeton University. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2014. https://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Gothic_architecture.html.
"Gothic Architecture." - Smarthistory. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2014. http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/english-gothic-architecture.html.
"Medieval Architecture." Essential Humanities. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 June 2014. http://www.essential-humanities.net/western-art/architecture/medieval/#rise-of-the-gothic-style
"The Seven Key Characteristics of Gothic Architecture: From the Gargoyle to the Flying Buttress." The Seven Key Characteristics of Gothic Architecture: From the Gargoyle to the Flying Buttress. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. http://www.exploring-castles.com/characteristics_of_gothic_architecture.html#.U1iMoSjwH91.
"Westminster Abbey." , London. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 June 2014. http://www.britainexpress.com/articles/London/London.htm
"." . N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2014. http://www.cbcurtis.net/benedict/Humanities%20Site/med_gothic_architec.html
Information was found either onsite or during my research online or in the library on campus.
I didn't put together a well developed works cited for the books I read or browsed through. So if you need any of the books I used please email me and I can gather that up.
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