The sacred space of the Cathedral of Chartres in France and the Parthenon will be discussed in comparison with each other. This cathedral was built during the Medieval Period for the worshipers of God. To this day pilgrims come to see the pure, Gothic cathedral. The massive cathedral seems to loom overhead as if a symbol of God watching over the worshippers that visit. The earlier church burned in 1194, it was rebuilt and has gained a much more appreciated and admirable character distinction, statuary, and stained glass. The distinct character of the thirteenth century was captured, through the “Age of Faith” period. The architecture is Gothic which was very popular in the 1200s. Gothic architects created a frame of support with columns and arches so that the walls no longer need to support the ceilings, but are freed up to hold windows. The Gothic structure allows for plenty of windows. Chartres has a significant collection of medieval stained glass, with over 150 early thirteenth century windows. The windows allowed sunlight to enter the dark, Gothic cathedral in order to highlight the story of Christ through the stained glass windows told throughout history to pilgrims alike. These windows create a spiritual and promising place for thought and prayer. Stained glass was used to help teach the stories of Christ to people that were illiterate during the medieval times. While most worshippers of that day were illiterate, comprehending the symbolism of the story of Christ in each of the windows was vital and gave meaning towards adversity during the medieval ages, as they struggled through their dark and dreary lives, which were filled with hopefulness, while viewing the story through the stained glass windows. The windows are also... ... middle of paper ... ...though, today a current restoration project has been continuing in order to reconstruct the Parthenon and is almost finished. One similarity between the Parthenon and the cathedral in France is the size, which are both large and metaphorically symbolize the people’s devotion and dedication to their God. One similarity, is today both the Cathedral of Chartres and the Parthenon of Acropolis Greece both serve as temples and popular tourist sites today. The two styles also differ quite dramatically which can be seen in the cathedral which is a Gothic style and the Parthenon which is a Doric and Ionic style. The cathedral differs from the Parthenon because the Cathedral has maintained most of their authentic parts, mostly involving the stained glass windows. While, the Parthenon has been burnt down and reconstructed, both still partake a significant marker in art history.
The original Chartres Cathedral was designed by Fulbert and lasted until 1194, when a fire destroyed almost the entire church. The townspeople pulled together to make a large contribution to the reconstruction of the cathedral (Miller, Malcolm, Chartres Cathedral, Riverside Book Company, 1980, p.5). The present Chartres Cathedral is largely the work of the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. However, there are substantial remains of older monuments, notably in the crypt and on the wes...
It’s the tenth of June in the year 1194. In a few hours’ time, the people of Chartres, France will awaken to the sound of crackling flames and the smell of thick, black smoke. This is the night that much of Chartres will burn to the ground, but the devastation will also include the destruction of the Notre-Dame de Chartres church. While some parts of the church have survived even to the present day, much of the original structure was consumed or severely damaged (Harriss). In this paper, I will be showing the key differences between the Romanesque and Gothic styles respectively, and how the existing Romanesque churches were converted to the new style.
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Chartres Cathedral (cathedral, Chartres, France)."Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2014. .
The Basilica of St. Denis was originally built in 500-599 AD, but was later reconstructed by Abbot Suger in c.1135-1144. Although its original architect is unknown, it is most famous for its reconstruction that was overseen by Abbot Suger (Panofsky). This basilica is also well known for its representation of Europe’s architectural shift from the Romanesque style to Gothic. The Gothic style brought new designs and was dubbed the “transformat...
The Parthenon is an amazing Greek temple that was built 2,500 years ago. Even the architects of today have numerous questions about how it was constructed and how it has held up through its eventful past. The Parthenon's detailed appearance is not its only meaningful quality. The Parthenon was constructed as a temple to the goddess, Athena, and as an icon of the Greek people themselves. The Parthenon represents the Greek ideals of humanism, idealism, and rationalism.
... made such a great impression that it has carried through to our present day buildings such as the White House. The Athena Parthenos has been recreated by the Romans and then most recently by recreated by Alan LeQuire which is in Nashville. (See Fig 2.) We can get a glimpse with LeQuire’s recreation of how that statue may have been in ancient Greece standing in the Parthenon with such majestic greatness.
You may think today “Hey, I totally wonder sometimes what the Middle Ages Churches and Gothic Medieval Cathedrals where like. What were they important for? Were they Churches like the ones today? How long did it take to build? “ Well that may be SOME of the questions you may have but you may have more. In this essay you're about to find out why the Medieval Gothic Cathedrals were so important for, and how much rule and and wide range of power they had over the people in the Middle Ages, and last but NOT least, the creative sublime (I’ll delete this comment later on if you see this but “sublime” is my own words not internet word) of the Gothic style windows of the Cathedral. First, the one I like most, the Gothic stain glass windows of the Gothic Cathedral. Stained glass is argued to an opinion or belief, one of the most important aspects of Gothic cathedrals. As its popularity rose, mainly during the mid 12th century, the increased existence of stained glass presented large changes to the way the general residents were learning about the religion. The windows became illuminated optic (“Optic” is my own wording) talk of biblical stories, which may have had an even greater impact than the spoken word of the priest. In this research paper, I will be primarily focusing on the stained glass windows and architectural styles employed in five Gothic buildings in France, each having their own unique and worthy attention and characteristics to the development of stained glass windows. By looking at the architectural improvements shown in these structures built during the Gothic time frame, we are able to see the impact all over the place to itch for increase...
The Pantheon and the Parthenon are two of the most influential building in history. They share some basic styles, pillars, pediment and frieze, even though they share these elements they are vastly different on each building. The Pantheon shows how with the advancement in technology bigger, stronger thing can be built. The Greeks however show great craftsmanship in the Parthenon, with its carvings and reliefs. The fact that these building are standing today is a testament to genius of both the Romans and the Greeks
The Parthenon was built to honor the goddess of wisdom, Athena. When structures are built using straight lines they tend to look slightly distorted due to the science of optics. The architects Iktos and Kallikretes were skilled architects of their time and they used illusory tactics to create an ideal aesthetic for The Parthenon. The architects compensated for these visual illusions by counteracting them in their design. The end result is a structure that is not composed of straight lines, but when viewed by the human eye, looks perfectly straight. Plato would have mentioned one of his famous dictums, ?That which changes least is most real.? He would have viewed Iktos and Kallikretes designs as less real than other designs that do not u...
After walking inside and trying to first experience, the church, and all its beauty and ornateness, I began examining the floor plan and elevations of the cathedral. Grace Cathedral was build in a gothic style, which it represents in its architecture inside and out. There were three huge rose windows. One at the very top of the main entrance and one on either end of the transept. There wer...
The Medieval period, which occurred in the years 401 until 1500, is a time in European history that fostered the development and widespread use of various architectural styles. Many structures built during this time still survive to this day, including St. Michael’s Church in Germany and Chartres Cathedral in France. Two of the most common and famous types of architecture during this period were the Romanesque and Gothic styles. Romanesque architecture borrows many of the same innovative engineering techniques the Romans used to build the structures of their vast and powerful empire, such as the rounded arch. Jackson writes, “In the eyes and judgment of the great masters of the Renaissance in the 15th and 16th centuries Roman architecture was
The Parthenon was built during the Golden age in Athens, Greece. The Parthenon is made of mainly columns; there is a 9:4 ratio. It was almost destroyed in war; the ruins that remained were dedicated to Athena. The purpose of the Parthenon was to house the statue of Athena, made of ivory and gold, and also Athena’s treasure. The ratios and the equations used to make the Parthenon were used as a sign of the harmony in the natural world around us. The mathematical harmony in the world shows how we can work with the world rather than destroy to make it what we want. The Parthenon also has no straight lines. The columns of the Parthenon are angled going up getting smaller the higher they get. This was done so that you could get the best lighting
Thesis: Both St. John the Baptist Cathedral and Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Chartres are constructed in French Gothic style which means that architecturally they have many similarities. However, the 700 year gap between their construction offers St. John the Baptist more flexibility in design and style. Still, their likeness and variations extend far beyond the realm of their design.
Cathedral of Chartres Cathedral of Chartres also named Notre Deme of Paris meaning the lady of Paris is located in France, has survived almost 1000 years of time, war, and turmoil and has more visitors yearly compared to the Eiffel tower with the number of 13 million. The church is magnificent and it took a lot of money and sacrifices to make this fine piece of art. It is important to know that the church is about 800 years old and during that time was a lot going on. The same way how the Roman made their buildings by looking at Greeks, Chartres used some of the Christian prayers as their ways of praying. Cathedral of charters is the finest Example of French gothic architecture.
Because from age to age, Christians have built these spaces to help those find God and know themselves to be in God by being in these places. It serves as a luminous link to our past this building of breadth and breath, joining bonds between men and women. It is more than an extravagant building, it is a living liturgical space for all of God’s people, in all their diversity to gather and worship God. A goal of Moneo’s that is shown in the Cathedral is to embody the architecture with the power to be a new vessel for a sacred experience. The display of power in an institution such as Saint Peter’s in Rome, Gothic cathedrals that offer God with complex construction, post-Tridentine architecture in Italy that aspire to serve as liturgy, and very much as Romanesque architecture for how the symbolism of light becomes an ampoule of a spiritual experience, the light that is reflected off the chapel roofs spills throughout the ambulatories toward the