Gothic cathedrals
style of architecture / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gothic cathedrals are important examples of gothic architecture. Gothic architecture was a way of planning and designing buildings that began in Western Europe in the Late Middle Ages. Gothic architecture grew out of Romanesque architecture, in France in the 12th century. The architecture spread across Europe and lasted until the 16th century when Renaissance architecture became popular in the Renaissance Period. The Renaissance Period took place in the 13th century to the 17th century. Before that, the majority of people built cathedrals in the Gothic style.
The single most notable characteristic feature of Gothic architecture is the pointed arch. The image on the right shows this feature from the inside of a late medieval Gothic cathedral. This is the main difference from Romanesque architecture which has rounded arches. Romanesque Architecture took place before the Gothic. It was very popular, and many varieties of Catholic people used it, so it quickly evolved. Other important features are the ribbed vault, flying buttress, and windows with patterns of stone lace called tracery.
Many of the great cathedrals, abbeys and churches of Europe are Gothic architecture. It is also the architecture of many castles and palaces. It is also found in some town halls, universities, and some houses. Most remains of this particular era contain lots of Gothic styles.
Many church buildings still remain from this time. Even some of the smallest Gothic churches are often beautiful, while many of the larger Gothic churches and cathedrals are thought to be priceless works of art. Many are listed in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as World Heritage Sites.
In the 19th century, the Gothic style became popular again, particularly for building churches and universities. This style is called Gothic Revival architecture, because the Gothic architectual style rose to popularity again, and 'revived'.