Gothic Architecture Characteristics That Define the Gothic Style
Spain's Seville Cathedral is not only the largest Gothic church in the world, but the largest cathedral in the world. Completed in the early 16th century, it's known for its immense size, ornate tracery stonework, and the use of a former mosque minaret as a bell tower. Vertical buttresses divided up the façade, while large window arches allowed for ornate sculptural decoration. This was a huge departure from Romanesque façades and is the reason why Saint-Denis is known as the first Gothic building. A final feature found in Gothic architecture is the presence of ornate decorative elements.
St. Stephen's Cathedral
The spire was added to the cathedral in 1320 and since 1561 it has been rated as the tallest in the United Kingdom. To help prevent further damage and to protect the area, the cathedral was fortified just before the Ottoman Invasion in the 15th century. Many years later it would once again be damaged due to the Zagreb Earthquake of 1880. When it was once again restored it was reconstructed in the Neo-Gothic style by Hermann Bollé. Lincoln Cathedral is regarded as one of the high points of English Gothic architecture.
St. Brendan Catholic Church
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By delving into the depths of this style, we aim to inspire and ignite a passion for Gothic design in our readers. Due to the span of time it took to build the cathedral, the facade contains elements of various architectural styles from the 14th all the way to the 20th century. The cathedral displays a few features of the Rayonnant style of the later period with its use of high windows in the choir, which were added in the 1250s.
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Although buttresses had been around since the 3rd century, they became more sophisticated under Gothic architects. New arches carried the thrust of the weight entirely outside the walls, where it was met by the counter-thrust of stone columns, with pinnacles placed on top for decoration and additional weight. Gothic architecture has been influenced by several artistic and architectural movements throughout history. The original Gothic style emerged in 12th-century France, evolving out of Romanesque architecture and exaggerating elements like tall spires, pointed arches, and ornate decoration. Gothic then spread across Europe, evolving into regional variants like English Perpendicular Gothic or Spanish Gothic.
Rayonnant Style (1240-
It followed the Romanesque period of Medieval Europe and was followed by the Renaissance period. Early Gothic architecture first originated in northern France in the region known as Île-de-France and evolved out of the local Norman architecture. Abbot Suger (about 1081 – 1151) is widely credited with popularising Gothic architecture. In 1140 – 44 Suger renovated the eastern end of his church, the abbey of Saint-Denis in Paris, using innovative architectural features, which had evolved or been introduced previously in Romanesque architecture (6th – 11th century). These features enabled Suger to increase the height and the volume of the abbey and to suffuse it with light.
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The Gargoyles of Gothic Architecture/ Ornate Decorations
This design idea was particularly impressive in the tall choir of Beauvais and the small private chapel of the king called the Sainte-Chapelle, another achievement of Gothic architecture. The walls were entirely of stained glass and the stone vaults were painted deep blue with gold fleur-de-lis stars, the royal emblem appearing in the vault of heaven. Gothic Architecture evolved from Romanesque architecture and was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th century to the 16th century. Its architectural style is largely recognized through its impressive details and expression of carved stonework. Rather than traditional vaulted ceiling beams, Gothic architects used ribbed vaults instead to make the buildings more structurally sound. However, Gothic-style buildings have been built ever since, and they can house Episcopalian, Anglican, Lutheran, and more denominations of worshippers as well as serve nonreligious purposes.
Buildings such as the Lessay Abbey in Normandy and the Durham Cathedral display similar elements to Gothic architecture such as Rib-vaults. In early French Gothic architecture, the capitals of the columns were modeled after Roman columns of the Corinthian order, with finely-sculpted leaves. According to its builder, the Abbot Suger, they were inspired by the columns he had seen in the ancient baths in Rome.[30] They were used later at Sens, at Notre-Dame de Paris and at Canterbury in England. The appeal of gothic gardening lies in its capacity to create a landscape that feels both historical and otherworldly, making it a particularly immersive and chilling garden style.
Where to Find Gothic Architecture
The most noticeable design features of Gothic structures are the pointed or ogival arches. Flying buttresses are another design element and also the main engineering innovation of the style. Pointed arches allowed for the development of new structural elements such as pointed vaults and the flying buttress, and the incorporation of elaborate stone tracery and stained glass windows.
Periods
Ahead, we break down the key features of Gothic architecture, including the identifiable characteristics and most famous examples like London's Westminster Abbey, seen below. Other examples of ornate decorations included statues of saints and historical figures, embellished colonnades and colonettes, pinnacles and spires, and sculptural moldings. As one of the most notable characteristics of gothic architecture and ornate decorations, Gargoyles were decorative monstrous little creatures that sat along the roof and battlements of gothic castles and buildings. Gargoyles have two purposes, and one was to drain off rainwater off the roof, gushing through their mouth then plummeting to the ground.
The royal charter of rights known as the Magna Carta originally was made into four copies, one of which now resides at Salisbury Cathedral. It is regarded as the most important building in Vienna centered around religion and has witnessed many historical events over the years since its construction. They were also used in structures that were built after the Abbey such as those in Canterbury in England, and at the Notre Dame in Paris.
In 1230, Ferdinand III of Castile claimed the throne of León for himself and it was absorbed into the Kingdom of Castile. After 1230 the Castilians continued building the church, and construction was mostly completed by the start of the 14th century. It has a much more simplified form and isn’t completely covered with detailed stonework and statues, like many other late Gothic Churches. Chartres Cathedral is located 50 miles (80 km) from Paris and is one of Europe’s greatest Gothic Cathedrals.
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