Gothic For more than a century following the Battle of Hastings, all significant stone buildings in England were erected in the Romanesque style, known as the Norman in the British Isles. It was supplanted in the late 12th century by a new style known as Gothic. The word "gothic" comes from the French language and means "Scottish" or "Scandinavian". The Gothic style of architecture was pioneered by the Scots and Scandinavians, who were often hired by the English to build their castles and cathedrals, respectively.
The basic difference between the Romanesque and the Gothic styles is that the former has flat ceilings while the latter has vaulted (i.e., domed) ones. This change was necessitated by the use of wooden beams instead of stone for the construction of buildings. The Gothic style was also characterized by its lacy, pointed arching, which allowed for more light and air into buildings than the heavy, thick-walled Romanesque style.
Gothic architecture was established in Britain during the reign of King Henry II (1154-1189). His chief architect was an Englishman named William Fitzwilliam who designed many churches as well as King's College at Cambridge. During this time period, there were also several French and German architects employed by the English court who introduced the use of ribbed vaults into Gothic design.
The many Gothic building styles represented in Medieval Castle Architecture are classified into three phases: Early English Medieval Gothic Castle (1200-1300) *The Normans employed large blocks of stone, which were replaced with shaped stone. The stone of Gothic castles was precisely carved. Wood was widely used instead. In the Late English Medieval Gothic Castle (1300-1400) more heavy timber was needed so that more castles started to be built with brick or masonry.
Gothic castle architecture was originally designed to protect its noble owners inside their walls at the top of large hills or on islands. It was not intended for defense against enemy armies. But as wars became more organized and military technology advanced, the need for defenses against attacks by soldiers with armor plating, guns, and bombs grew. So the castles began to be built closer to home, which required them to be larger and more complex.
In order to protect themselves from attack, medieval castle builders placed their castles on high ground. If a castle was on an island, they would build their walls around the perimeter of the area where the land met water. If there was no water, they would build their walls around an inner core of strong buildings such as churches or fortified manors.
Once the location was decided, the castle's owner would send out architects and engineers to design the castle's main structure, the living quarters.
The primary developments of Gothic architecture occurred inside this confined area, in the succession of cathedrals erected between the 12th and 13th centuries. 2. The supernatural nature of medieval ecclesiastical architecture was given a unique expression in the Gothic church. Religious art became more important than ever before, and churches were built with this purpose in mind. Cathedrals were the main buildings used to house this art, since monasteries lacked the space for such large-scale projects.
During the 12th century, Europe's monarchs began to demand that their local bishops build them grand castles for use as personal residences. The bishops generally complied with these requests because it was easier to obtain permission to build within existing walls than it was to have new land allocated for this purpose. However, many of them also wanted larger churches closer to cities so that people could travel here from far away neighborhoods to be baptized, married, or buried. This led to a rapid expansion of urban Gothic architecture during this time period.
The first cathedral was probably built around 590 on the site where St. Martin's Church stands today in Marseille, France. It was called Mediolanum or Milan and it was dedicated to Saint Martin. Other early French cathedrals include those at Angers, Le Mans, Orleans, and Reims.
The Gothic style, which originated in northern France about 1140, created some of Europe's most magnificent (and brilliantly engineered) buildings. The pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses that distinguish Gothic cathedrals and churches. Were developed by architects to support larger-than-life statues and stained glass windows.
Gothic architecture was invented by French architects for French churches. But it spread quickly through Europe, becoming the most popular style for more than a century.
Its popularity can be explained by its dramatic appearance: tall spires, slender pillars, and large open spaces with high ceilings. Although Gothic architecture is known for its massive size, this style of building is actually quite light weight and uses little mortar because much of the stone is left exposed outside of the walls. This made Gothic buildings easy to move or destroy and they often were. By the late 15th century, almost all of France's great medieval cities were destroyed by wars or disasters like the Black Plague.
But the style survived and many towns built their churches in the Gothic style after that. Even today, you'll find small patches of Gothic architecture in countries like England, Germany, and North America.
Most cathedrals were constructed in a similar manner. They were typically arranged in the shape of a cross. They had very high walls and ceilings. Cathedrals began to be created in a new architectural style known as Gothic architecture from the 12th century. Before this time, buildings were constructed with thick walls and small windows. The Gothic style has clear Italian origins and it can be seen in many cities across Italy.
During the Middle Ages, churches were the main type of building used in Europe. There were no laws against worshipping other gods in medieval times, so priests often had large collections of religious art that they could choose from when planning a church. They would usually choose what was popular at the time among their congregation. Paintings portraits of saints and biblical figures are examples of religious art used by priests during this period.
Cathedrals were built with great expense by the clergy. They were considered sacred places of worship and therefore had to be grand, impressive structures. The kings and queens who ruled each country had much influence over where sites would be chosen for new churches. Sometimes existing ancient monuments such as castles or temples would be reused for this purpose.
In conclusion, medieval churches were large, grand buildings that displayed wealth and power of various nations. They also served as shelters of faith for hundreds of people.
Copyright © 2020 - 2023 BindleyHardware & Co Inc.
