Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Gothicarchitecture 180503113425
Gothicarchitecture 180503113425
4.Religious:
2.Geological: ■ The immense power of popes in the thirteenth
century can be judged from the way they made and
■ There were different styles of architecture unmade the emperors and kings and disposed off their
according to different countries. dominions.
■ There were periodical pilgrimages to the shrines
3.Climatic : between 1170 to 1270.
■ Climatic influences vary from north to ■ About 80 cathedrals and 500 great churches were
south and from east to west. built in France.
■ Climate has effected the rise of arcades and ■ Areas around France and the land along the River
the size of door and window openings. Loire was under the strict hold of king. So, lot of
■ Heavy snowfalls necessitated steep gothic experimentations in construction were made.
roofs in the north. ■ This great wave of construction of churches lasted for
three long centuries in Europe.
ENGLAND
Historical:
FRANCE
■ A group of people which are Vikings and called
■ In France, the English lost their positions and the themselves as Normans took the architecture form Italy
disintegration of Germany into a number of and France to England and applied it there. This laid the
foundation for the English Gothic architecture in England.
independence states and the contests between ■ In the 11th to 13th century Christianity had spread
Muslim Moor and Christians in Spain, transferred throughout Europe. There were three major factors
which lead towards the religious activities.
the commerce of the east to the cities of Italy.
■ Churches
■ In France there is an area known as Normandy and ■ Guilds (associations)
St. Etienne is cathedral which expresses a high ■ City States
gothic architecture in its buildings. It is such a
beautiful and perfect building that it serves as a
prototype for Gothic architecture in France.
■ Social:
■ In the same time the Europeans started The rapid growth of towns and the development of
crusades (religious wars) in Palestine, so commercial activity, with the consequent increase of
wealth, inspired a rivalry between neighboring cities which
Christianity was at its peak. was expressed in the creation of magnificent buildings.
■ In these crusades, Europeans got in contact
■ They had a lot of wealth, laborers (skilled), and
with Muslims in the east and they got associations. So all these factors lead in building castles,
inspirations and learnt a lot about pointed churches, hospitals, city halls and guild halls.
arches. ■ Out of all these, churches were reflection of superb,
marvelous architecture.
■ Since they were advancing, defeating and ■ In this race, they also did some experimentations in
learning new things from other civilizations, so construction techniques and it also polished up the Gothic
architecture
that was the period of flourishment in Europe. ■ All these factors contributed to enormous constructions
◻ Houses
◻ Castles (Doge’s Palace in Venice)
◻ Cities
Early Gothic ST. Denis near
Paris
■ Gothic was a result of technical
development in vaulting.
■ In about 1100, builders of Durham
Cathedral invented a new method.
■ Then, originated the gothic style, from
northern France.
Notre Dame
■ Many of the great cathedrals were
dedicated to Virgin Mary (as a mother who
had suffered great sorrow).
■ She is Notre Dame in French language.
■ Our lady in English.
■ She was often shown in sculptures and
Cathedral of Laon Cathedral of Chartres featured in stained glass.
Laon, (Aisne), Cathedral of Notre
Dame, c. 1220
■ Two early cathedrals in northern France
were
■ Notre Dame at Laon
■ Notre Dame at Paris
■ The Charters
Notre Dame Amiens
Cathedral
■ The
Charters
Cathedral
Windows
■ Windows became larger and larger.
■ They were filled with screens of glass.
■ Usually a single figure stood against a
plain background surrounded by a border.
Pointed arches