Gothic architectural style originated in the mid-12th century in northern France. Contributed to the efforts of Abbot Sutherius. This style reached its peak in the first half of the 13th century, spreading to the territories of modern Spain and the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany, as well as Great Britain.
You can also meet Gothic architecture in Italy. However, this style leaked to this country a bit later, having undergone a powerful transformation. By the end of the 14th century international gothic spread throughout Europe. In countries located in the east of this continent, this style appeared much later and lasted until the 16th century. Gothic gave the world not only peculiar forms. This style has created a completely new understanding of volumetric composition and organization of space.
Gothic development stages
There is a certain periodization of the development of this amazing architectural style. So, distinguish Gothic:
- early (12 century);
- the heyday of style (13th c.);
- flaming (14-15 centuries);
- international.
Somewhat later, only elements of this extraordinary style began to be used in architectural designs of buildings. The term "neo-Gothic" is applied to such structures.
Architectural features
The Gothic style is characterized by the verticality of the composition, the complex frame of the support system, the ribbed vault, as well as the lancet arch. These design features made it possible to erect structures with large arches (due to the presence of stiffeners) and with walls of smaller thickness (due to the repayment of loads on them by a buttress system). The architects as much as possible reduced the massiveness of the buildings being built. This was made possible by the introduction of frames. As a result, the walls ceased to serve as load-bearing elements.
Features
The styles of architectural structures that exist at a certain historical stage undergo certain changes over time. So the Romanesque style gradually began to be transformed into the Gothic.
What are its main features? There are seven hallmarks of the Gothic style:
1. Fashionable and prevailing colors - blue, red and yellow.
2. Dashed lines forming a set of two intersecting arcs.
3. The rectangular shape of the building in plan, turning into pillars lancet arches.
4. Fan arch, built on supports. Instead, a coffered ceiling is sometimes found . The halls in such buildings are long and narrow. Or wide, with center-mounted supports. The ceilings in these rooms are necessarily high.
5. Lancet, frame, openwork, stone, elongated upward arches, as well as the underlined skeleton of the entire frame.
6. Multi-colored stained-glass windows. Their shape can be round or elongated up.
7. Paneled oak doors and ribbed lancet arches of doorways.
An integral feature of this art is also the presence of sculptures. Mythical creatures and gloomy figures most often adorned the walls of monasteries, temples and cathedrals.
Many medieval castles in Europe are built in the Gothic style. This is a true example of the synthesis of many arts, such as:
- architecture;
- sculpture;
- monumental painting;
- arts and crafts.
Gothic cathedrals were built on the central city squares, dominating the surrounding two or three-story houses. This arrangement is especially characteristic of Eastern Europe and Italy.
The first building of the Gothic style
According to the design of the abbot Suger, the church of Saint-Denis was built. It was the first building built in the Gothic style. During the construction of this cathedral, a large number of internal partitions and supports were removed. As a result, the building took on a graceful appearance, not going to any comparison with the Romanesque fortresses.
The Gothic cathedral, built by the royal adviser and rector of the monastery Sugerii, carried a certain semantic load. He gave greatness to the monastery, which was the ancient tomb of the French kings. According to contemporaries, the temple erected by Sugeriy became a continuous and amazing light that saturated the interior with beauty. The ruling in those days, Louis IX ordered the re-updated tombstones of sixteen French monarchs. All this was supposed to strengthen royal prestige.
St. Stephen's Cathedral
Many Gothic castles are national symbols of the countries on whose territory they are built. This also applies to the Catholic Cathedral of St. Stephen, located in Vienna. He is considered the national symbol of Austria.
This magnificent building, which has been under construction for almost two centuries, was erected in the very center of the Austrian capital. Like many Gothic castles of the Middle Ages, it stands on the square. To this day, worship is held in this cathedral every day.
For the first time, this Catholic church is mentioned in manuscripts dating to 1137. In the 12th century St. Stephen's Cathedral had a pronounced imprint of the Romanesque style. However, in the 14-16 centuries. the building was radically rebuilt and became completely Gothic. Already in the 17th century. the interior of the cathedral has slightly changed. It included notes of the popular baroque style.
There are two towers in St. Stephen's Cathedral. One of them, unfinished, is North. Its height is 68 m. The second tower is South. It rises above the ground by 136 m and has an observation deck with a stunning view of not only Vienna, but also its surroundings. On the North Tower is the largest bell in the country. Its weight is 21 tons and its diameter is three meters. The bell rings only on great holidays, no more than 11 times a year.
Chartres Cathedral
Gothic castles leave a deep impression in the soul of every person. Their height and beauty are striking in the many towers and pointed arches stretching towards the sky. In addition, Gothic castles are extremely long. So, the Chartres Cathedral, located in France, has a length equal to 130 m. From each new chosen point of view, the castle looks different. And all this thanks to the amazing facade design.
Unlike the Romanesque churches, which have simple and clear foreseeable forms, when viewing the Chartres Cathedral, the impression is the absence of walls. Galleries, arches, towers, huge windows, numerous areas with arcades are an endless game of openwork forms. Like all Gothic castles, Chartres Cathedral is literally inhabited by a mass of various sculptures. Some statues in the temple, there are about ten thousand. These figures are not only in portals and galleries. They can be seen on the eaves and the roof, on spiral staircases and downpipes, on consoles and under the arches of the chapels. In other words, Gothic castles for visitors represent an uncharted and wonderful world.
Notre Dame Cathedral
The Gothic style of medieval castles was also used in a huge church, the construction of which began in 1163. The foundation stone of the Notre Dame Cathedral was laid by Louis VII and Pope Alexander III. Construction lasted more than a century. At the same time, it went gradually from the eastern part of the structure to the western. According to the original plan, the cathedral was supposed to accommodate the entire population of Paris, which amounted to 10,000 inhabitants at the beginning of construction. However, after the construction of the temple, the city grew many times, which did not allow to carry out the plan.
The interior of the temple is a real kingdom of slender stone pillars of the frame, which are interconnected by lancet arches. The interior is a real kingdom of vertical lines directed upward towards the sky itself. Stained glass inserted into the stained glass frames scatter the sunlight that pours onto the numerous statues of warriors and bishops, children and women, men and kings. There are no walls in this temple at all. Instead, they built a frame consisting of pillars connected by arches. Lapel windows that resemble huge paintings of dozens of figures fill this design. The light of the sun makes multi-colored stained-glass windows look like huge gems. There is a certain mystical connotation in this that sets a person to a pious religious mood.
Cologne Cathedral
The construction of this grandiose building of the Gothic style was begun in 1248. The cathedral is distinguished by light towers of the western facade with gabled roofs, as well as an elegant solution to all the details of the structure and the unusual height of the middle nave.
This temple is the most - recognizable and most famous on our planet. All tourists visiting Germany seek to look at the amazing monument of Gothic architecture, which is in third place among all the cathedrals of the world in its height.
Doge's Palace
This cathedral is a striking example of Venetian Gothic, which took not design features, but the decorativeness of this amazing style. The facade of the temple is very unusual in its composition. A series of white marble columns encircles the lower tier of the castle. The monumental building visually presses these columns into the ground. The second floor is formed by a continuous open loggia. It connects with keeled arches and numerous thin columns. This tier is distinguished by elegance and lightness. Then the third floor rises, the pink wall of which has rarely located windows. This part of the facade is decorated with a geometric ornament in white. The whole palace pleases the eye with the sonority of its decorative solution. It combines the splendor of Byzantium with secular cheerfulness.