Gothic Cathedrals Essay
Gothic Cathedrals Basilica Church of Saint-Denis, built by Abbot Suger and completed in 1144, is often cited as the first truly Gothic building. Gothic Cathedrals represented a new style of architecture, and reflected the social change going on in the medieval times. The elaborate walls and colorful glass show the change beginning to occur. Before we got to the wonderful cathedrals we see now, everything was described as “Romanesque” type of architecture. Then once we get to 1144 Abbot Suger is the catalyst of the change in architecture. Romanesque architecture combined features of ancient Roman and Byzantine buildings. This form of architecture consisted of thick walls, round arches, sturdy pillars, groin vaults, large towers and decorative arcading. Several of the medieval castles that you may see in movies try to show this type of architecture. While Romanesque was also beautiful it was no match for the beauty of the new Gothic Cathedrals.
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Gothic architecture is most familiar as the architecture of many of the great cathedrals, abbeys and churches of Europe.
You can find them throughout France, Germany, London, and Italy. They are distinguished by three things the pointed arch, flying buttress, and ribbed vault. The pointed arch, also known as the ogival arch is intersecting transverse ribs of arches that establish the surface of a Gothic vault that in most ceilings of gothic cathedrals. The flying buttress is a specific form of buttress composed of an arched form that extends from the upper part of a wall to a good base to support the weight of the walls. The flying buttress were important because it helped support the sometimes unstable high levels of these cathedrals. Ribbed vaults evolved from the old joint vaulting of Romanesque architecture. Ribbed vaulting is the intersection of 2 or 3 vaults to connect, this allowed for the massive cathedrals to go even
higher. The Cathedrals were not only used for church but they were used as centers of towns. Basically like a capital such as Richmond to Virginia. These gigantic and beautiful churches were able to attract all types of people. In this time the church dominated everybody’s. People would barter or trades the goods that they had to sell. While before this time most people would simply work their own land. Unlike the strict feudalism prior to this time, there was a small ability to move up in the social class. If you were a surf you were able to go into a town and make a living then eventually move up that rigid social ladder. It was small, but a gradual change into the establishment of a middle class. Gothic cathedrals represented the new type of architecture, instead of the Romanesque architecture, and they reflected the social change in Europe that was occurring. There was an obvious change that was about to happen, and the cathedrals played a big part in that change. Without the revolution that came along with these churches, we might still have a feudalized government that had no wiggle room for advancement.
Gothic architecture is most familiar as the architecture of many of the great cathedrals, abbeys and churches of Europe.
You can find them throughout France, Germany, London, and Italy. They are distinguished by three things the pointed arch, flying buttress, and ribbed vault. The pointed arch, also known as the ogival arch is intersecting transverse ribs of arches that establish the surface of a Gothic vault that in most ceilings of gothic cathedrals. The flying buttress is a specific form of buttress composed of an arched form that extends from the upper part of a wall to a good base to support the weight of the walls. The flying buttress were important because it helped support the sometimes unstable high levels of these cathedrals. Ribbed vaults evolved from the old joint vaulting of Romanesque architecture. Ribbed vaulting is the intersection of 2 or 3 vaults to connect, this allowed for the massive cathedrals to go even
higher. The Cathedrals were not only used for church but they were used as centers of towns. Basically like a capital such as Richmond to Virginia. These gigantic and beautiful churches were able to attract all types of people. In this time the church dominated everybody’s. People would barter or trades the goods that they had to sell. While before this time most people would simply work their own land. Unlike the strict feudalism prior to this time, there was a small ability to move up in the social class. If you were a surf you were able to go into a town and make a living then eventually move up that rigid social ladder. It was small, but a gradual change into the establishment of a middle class. Gothic cathedrals represented the new type of architecture, instead of the Romanesque architecture, and they reflected the social change in Europe that was occurring. There was an obvious change that was about to happen, and the cathedrals played a big part in that change. Without the revolution that came along with these churches, we might still have a feudalized government that had no wiggle room for advancement.