The Chartres Cathedral is located in Chartres, France about fifty miles from Paris. It was built by the Bishop of Chartres who was a friend of Abbot Sugar, the designer of the abbey church of Saint-Denis (Davies 395). The Chartres Cathedral is not only one of the greatest achievements in the history of architecture; it is preserved according to its original design (Chartres Cathedral). It’s preserved portal sculptures and stained glass windows convey an “almost perfect image” of its original design (Chartres Cathedral). The cathedral originally was built to honor Notre Dame or Our Lady but was destroyed by fire fifty years after it was built. The west façade survived the fire and the rest of the Cathedral was rebuilt. The west facade is very …show more content…
This shows a change from the “fantastic and demoniacal aspects of Romanesque art” seen in other cathedrals of the time (Davies 396). The jamb statues link three portals that represent the kings, prophets and other important people in the Hebrew Bible whose purpose is to acclaim the ruler of France as their descendants. (Davies 396). Additionally, above the main doorway there are symbols of the four evangelists which flank the sculpture of Christ. The effect at Chartres is calm and comforting which differs from that at Saint-Pierre (Davies …show more content…
The high nave is supported by double flying buttresses which were anchored with columns and abutments (Chartres Cathedral). The size of the building including the windows and nave necessitated the use of buttresses. The rebuilt nave is “the first fully developed example of the mature, of High, Gothic” (Davies 410). The interior space appears to have no boundaries because there are not many walls. Chartres Cathedral has been able to retain most of its stained glass windows which emit minimal light. The light that is emitted however, is “miraculous” in that it creates an intense mystical spirituality related to the Gothic experience Davies 403). Tis effect is related to the design at the abbey of Saint-Pierre. The high Gothic cathedrals of France express the merging of religious and patriotic fervor, associated with Abbott Suger (Davies 412). The cost of building these structures however created much civil unrest among the people at the
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...
In conclusion, I admire the work ethic of the individuals who built this cathedral because it shows work ethic, precise with mathematics, and a strong religious faith. During this Gothic time frame in history majority of their art resembled images that the Holy Bible describes. Religion during this time period was represented very well even experts are still amazed as to how this cathedral were built so tall and high. Even though this cathedral has been exposed to stress, with the assistant with the flying buttress, ribbed ceiling, and metal this cathedral will be an ongoing restorative process so that it will be around for generation here to come to admire its beauty.
The churches are built almost entirely of stone. Built on a symmetrical concept, they both have three portals as an entrance to the nave. Symmetrical towers rise several stories above the left and right portals. It is important for one to recognize that the stone ribbed vaulted ceilings were added on after the
Imagine a Christian cathedral. The image conjured up by the phrase “cathedral” is probably a massive stone building with soaring towers and spires, intricate ornamentations covering the building, and beautiful stained glass windows. If one imagined such a building in response to being asked to imagine a cathedral, one would be accurate. Why exactly are these attributes associated with cathedrals? Well, many cathedrals such as these were built during the Gothic period in medieval Europe. The Gothic style of architecture is an easily recognizable one with its unprecedentedly tall towers and wide windows. Before the Gothic style was the Romanesque style, which is represented in the traditional castle in Europe: wide, short, with thick walls and
The Pantheon and the Cathedral of Chartres differ in structure and design. The Pantheon consists of two different parts the first is a porch surrounded by classic Greek architecture columns made of marble. The second part of the building is a circular Roman style made entirely of brick and concrete with dome as a roof. The only sources of lighting in the Pantheon are the two large bronze doors and the oculus at the top of the dome. Where the Cathedral of Chartres resembles French gothic style architecture made completely out of stone. The Cathedral of Chartres is built in the shape of a cross like most of the Cathedrals in the gothic period. It contains pointed arches, chapels, and sculptures. Unlike the Pantheons two sources of light the Cathedral of Chartres contains 176 stain glass windows along the exterior walls (Encyclopedia Britannica).
Ziggy Marley once said, “God is like the sun. When the sun shines, it shines for everyone. God is for everyone.” In the same way, Abbot Suger built the Basilica of St. Denis so that sunlight would flood throughout the building and symbolize the power of God inviting visitors into the cathedral. The Basilica of St. Denis was an artistic response to the rise of the Catholic Church’s power for it was modeled to be a physical representation of heaven, which the church heavily preached upon. (Thesis) As the basilica represented the shift from Romanesque architecture to Gothic, Abbot Suger introduced new techniques that transformed cathedrals to look more spacious and “heavenly”. (Map Statement #1-Art History) By allowing sunlight to come through the large windows, Abbot Suger instilled the Neo-Platonic idea that the sun was the physical representation of God. (Map Statement #2 –Philosophy) Also, at that time, the church was rising in power, so the new structural style of the basilica brought more converts and eventually more power to the church. (Map Statement #3 –Social Institutions) [Insert Literature Map Statement] The Basilica of St. Denis was built so that worshippers would be in awe of the “heaven-like” setting, which would cause more people to declare their faith to God and to the church.
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...
In the beginning of the story, the narrator feels very uncomfortable knowing that he will
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 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.
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
Because these huge giant structures were so awe inspiring, people would travel from all around the region to visit them. This helped encourage trade, which would economically benefit any town fortunate enough to be able to erect a gothic style structure. The more commerce, the larger the town would get as well. This helped transform Europe from what was, just a bunch of small cities and town in to much larger metropolitan areas, like it is today. This also helped lay the ground work for some stronger political systems. The Catholic Church took advantage of this gaining political ground using wealth and religious influence to gain power over the commo...
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...
In the story, “cathedral” Raymond Carver, is a story about bringing people together. This story has three main characters. However, the story mostly focuses on the blind man and the narrator. The narrator was a very narrow-minded and didn’t want to get involved or have any relationship with anyone else. However, through the course of the story, the narrator was able to make a friendship with his wife’s friend the blind man by using a cathedral, which brought them together. Carver uses exposition to develop his plot and characters. Exposition is used to introduce background information to the story’s audience. The tone of this story will lead into major character developments. The exposition will help the audience understand where each character