Essay On Medieval Cathedrals
Civilizations have evolved and prospered throughout history, producing unique buildings and architectural styles along the way. The buildings are expressed as society’s values and unique characteristics that are simply astonishing. Medieval cathedrals were the product of more than a 1000 years of both religion and architectural evolution. Medieval cathedrals played a major role in Christian heritage, the gothic and architecture. The medieval period, with its boundless faith and energetic spirit, found an ultimate expression in the cathedral
Christianity plays a massive role in medieval cathedrals. Building the cathedrals requires hard work and motivation. The builders believed that cutting timber and hauling stone was an expression of Christian …show more content…
It all started with one person, Abbot Suger of Saint-Denis. Historians, consider the time period between 1000-1300 in Western Europe a peaceful time. Though wars were fought here and there throughout the other parts of Europe, it was peaceful compared to the destruction that happened in the Dark Ages that came before them. This peaceful period was a period of prosperity. The Medieval cathedrals that were built were not just built as a place where people held church services or a place to worship. Instead, “They were intended to be reflections of humanity’s understanding of God” (Lace, 2001, p.32). The Europeans of the 12th century believed that God had specific order such as symmetry to His creation. Perfect squares were selected over unequal shapes, and the equilateral triangle remained superior over other triangles. Light also played a big role in the architecture, perhaps even a bigger role than the geometry of the building. Suger Abbot of Saint-Denis put an emphasis on light. He wanted the church to be surrounded not with walls, but with light. Suger wrote that,” The entire sanctuary is thus pervaded by a wonderful and continuous light entering through the most sacred windows” (Lace, 2001, pgs.37-38). The architectural designs of the Gothic view were reflections of the Europeans understanding of who God was, believing that they could get a person closer to God if they captured the image of who God was through the place they worshipped
Christianity plays a massive role in medieval cathedrals. Building the cathedrals requires hard work and motivation. The builders believed that cutting timber and hauling stone was an expression of Christian …show more content…
It all started with one person, Abbot Suger of Saint-Denis. Historians, consider the time period between 1000-1300 in Western Europe a peaceful time. Though wars were fought here and there throughout the other parts of Europe, it was peaceful compared to the destruction that happened in the Dark Ages that came before them. This peaceful period was a period of prosperity. The Medieval cathedrals that were built were not just built as a place where people held church services or a place to worship. Instead, “They were intended to be reflections of humanity’s understanding of God” (Lace, 2001, p.32). The Europeans of the 12th century believed that God had specific order such as symmetry to His creation. Perfect squares were selected over unequal shapes, and the equilateral triangle remained superior over other triangles. Light also played a big role in the architecture, perhaps even a bigger role than the geometry of the building. Suger Abbot of Saint-Denis put an emphasis on light. He wanted the church to be surrounded not with walls, but with light. Suger wrote that,” The entire sanctuary is thus pervaded by a wonderful and continuous light entering through the most sacred windows” (Lace, 2001, pgs.37-38). The architectural designs of the Gothic view were reflections of the Europeans understanding of who God was, believing that they could get a person closer to God if they captured the image of who God was through the place they worshipped