After the fall of the Roman Empire the political atmosphere was transformed in Western Europe. As the West witnessed a change, brought about by the constant invasion of barbarians, the Eastern Roman Empire remained intact and grew incredibly prosperous. The Eastern Empire had much closer ties between the state and the Christian Church. These ties lead to many elaborate Byzantine churches being built in Constantinople, emphasizing the importance of the Eastern Church in everyday life.
The Byzantine architecture maintains a sense of well-balanced proportions and favors a more simple approach to the building’s exterior. The Byzantines established an architectural style, different from the Romans generally by plans that were well thought out and intricate ("Western Architecture" p.138-139). One of the most important works of Byzantine architecture is the Hagia Sophia. The Hagia Sophia, which took less than six years to build, was one of the largest Christian churches in the world. In order to build the dome that crowns the magnificent structure, builders needed to use pendentive construction, a technique that the Byzantines invented which involves mounting a dome over a square chamber. Once inside the Hagia Sophia the amount of elaborate detail in the mosaics, impressive columns, and awe inspiring half domes it is easy to see the importance the people placed on religion.
Examples of Byzantine architectural inspiration can also be found in Italy. The city of Ravenna, which lays on the East coast of northern Italy, was subject to Byzantine influence. Ravenna has the most well-kept Byzantine style art. The Church of San Vitale, built during the reign of Justinian, is octagonal and features a central-plan of its walls and dome b...
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Gothic architecture thrived in Western Europe, predominantly in the north. Gothic churches are distinguished from the Romanesque style in their more elaborate appearance. Sculpture on Gothic churches is found on the surface, including ornaments, figures, and narrative scenes.
The cathedral at Chartres is considered to be the first work of High Gothic architecture (Coldstream p.140). The church’s vertical design has a three-part division, the nave arcade, the triforium, and the clerestory windows. The rose window, which was to represent the Virgin Mary, was framed in tracery and filled with different colored glass.
Sacred Medieval architecture went through many changes throughout its period. From Byzantine to Gothic the architecture of sacred buildings continued show the importance that was placed on religion and the power religion had on its people.
St Peter’s basilica which is built based on rational form of architecture is a Late Renaissance church located within Vatican City, designed by Donato Bramante. Its significant history is that according to the Catholic tradition this was the place that Saint Peter was buried. Not so far away...
The Hagia Sophia is a stunning, spherical-shaped building made of marble and gold (Doc. 4). Justinian built the Hagia Sophia, which means “Holy Wisdom” in Greek, after a church of the same name was destroyed in riots in Constantinople (outside information). Procopius, Justinian’s court historian, described the church as “suspended from heaven by the fabled golden chain” (Doc. 4). Undoubtedly, visitors to the Hagia Sophia are left breathless by its beauty (outside information). Other churches that Justinian built include the Church of St. Salvator in Chora and the Church of the Apostles (Doc. 5). Justinian’s churches were beautiful; however, they were created to be more than just a display. The churches caused people to feel a connection with God, which helped unify the empire under a single faith. The bonding of the Romans under one faith helped strengthen the entire empire. Moreover, the abundance of churches in Constantinople helped make the city the center of religious power (Doc. 5). Evidence of Justinian’s legacy can be found when one realizes that the Byzantine Empire’s revived culture influenced Orthodox Christianity, a major branch of modern
Aside from the obvious differences in the amount of stained glass between the two buildings, the Chartres Cathedral displays pointed archways along its hallways (a typical Gothic structural device), whereas the Durham Cathedrals are rounded. Also, the Durham Cathedral displays columnar piers that are carved with chevrons and the Chartres’ columns are much smaller and smooth, lacking any noteworthy carvings or ornaments. Externally, the cathedrals closely resemble their respective architectural styles. The Chartres Cathedral presents a distinguished and majestic appearance with strikingly large windows and severe lancets, plate tracery (holes being cut into the wall and filled with stained glass) was utilized in order to its luminousness. Contrarily, the Durham Cathedral displays a sturdy and rugged appearance, even though it possesses some Gothic aspects that were added to it (the window lighting). Although it has been altered many times, the nave of the building retains its Norman character and its robust columns are daringly
The sacred space of the Cathedral of Chartres in France and the Parthenon will be discussed in comparison with each other.
...ral (138 ½ feet), Michelangelo’s St. Peter’s (137 ½) and Wren’s St. Paul’s (109 feet). Until steel and concrete technology advanced in the 19th century, no single spaces were larger than these. Bibliography Dirimtekin, Feridun. [1964]. Saint Sophia Museum. Istanbul: Touring and Automobile Club of Turkey. Fossati, Gaspare. 1852. Aya Sofia, Constantinople : as recently restored by order of H. M. the sultan Abdul-Medjid. London: R. & C. Colnagni & Co. James Stevens Curl. Classical Architecture: an introduction to its vocabulary and essentials, with a select glossary of terms. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1992. ISBN 0-442-30896-5. NA260.C87. interior photo of circular space (photo of the prostyle octstyle portico of the Pantheon) William L. MacDonald. The Architecture of the Roman Empire I. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1982. ISBN 0-300-02818-0. LC 81-16513
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...
Architecture is one important aspect of Byzantine culture. One of the most famous Byzantine architectural achievements is the Hagia Sophia, which is located in modern-day Istanbul. The basic design of the cathedral has a dome over a square base, which required a new innovation. At the time, it was kn...
The Gothic style evolved from that of Romanesque, building on concepts and ideas that led to the creation of larger and grander structures. Today, mankind looks in awe at the structures that were built hundreds of years ago without the assistance of modern technology and equipment. These architectural styles are indisputably different, but equally profound. They made use of differing techniques to become tangible structures that can still be seen
Wilson, Christopher. "Thirteenth-Century Gothic." The Gothic Cathedral: the Architecture of the Great Church 1130-1530. Reprinted ed. London: Thames & Hudson, 2008. 91-120. Print.
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.
Although the Pantheon and the Cathedral of Chartres are both some of the greatest architectural advances in history they are very different. We can compare the time that each of the buildings was built, where and for who they were built for, and why they were built. Another thing we can compare is the structure of the buildings and the type of material they are built from.
Cathedrals had a floor plan shaped like a cross. The head of the church pointed east towards the holy city of Jerusalem. The transept, running north and south, represented the cross-bar of the cross. The foot of the cross, at the west end, provided the entrance to the church and personal salvation. The interior of a gothic cathedral gave the worshipper the impression of light and height, with slender columns framing large tall windows and reaching up to support a ribbed stone roof. The exterior was encrusted with statues, bobbly pinnacles, and the open fretwork (interlaced decorative design carved in low relief on a solid background) of flying buttresses. As the worshipper entered the portal, which was the
Both Byzantine and Roman mosaics developed at a similar time which led to the influenced upon one another. They possessed distinct techniques, materials, styles and subject matter. Byzantine structures emphasized on decorative touches while Roman mosaics were greatly functional. Both styles were enhanced in order to honour religious figures and domestic life (Ovadiah, 1987).
The influence of Romanesque architecture towards Gothic is very prevalent when studying the two side-by-side. For example,
Architecture made a great deal of changes and developments during the Middle Ages. This involved the types of architecture, the styles and the people who influenced or improved the constructions. It also affected and influenced medieval society and the modern world too.