Megan's Blog: Gothic

Gothic society was very different than how we see society today. First off, Paris was the center of the Gothic world and churches were the center of city life.There was a lot of rivalry between cities, states and nations and competition in the construction of cathedrals. I thought it was interesting to see that they had knights back then and how much society has changed. The black plague was the most devastating occurrence during this time that resulted in the death of 75 million people. That's crazy to think about how many lives were lost and how things could have been different if that happened now with all of the technology we have.

Popes had a lot of power during the Gothic period. Since there were so many people churches required large worship spaces. Cathedrals had appearances of weightlessness. They had tall, stained glass windows and many of them.

Here is a diagram of all of the areas within a Gothic cathedral. They had nave roofs and mostly always had pinnacles on the exterior as well as gargoyles and flying buttresses. The exterior as well as the interior of these cathedrals is breathtaking and the detailing is incredible.

Another important characteristic of a Gothic cathedral is the rose window. It is stained glass with a mix of different bright colors to reflect the light.

Here are some interior photos of the St. Denis Cathedral in France. As you can see it has the Gothic pointed arches and rose windows surrounding the whole interior. It is cool to see how the light shines through the stained glass.

Gothic cathedral in Germany.

This is a Gothic cathedral in Spain. They have wider and more complex designs.

It is cool to see all the different Gothic cathedrals around the world and how they vary in architecture. I personally love the look of the one in Barcelona because of the tall arch in front and just the whole look in general is amazing and would be even better to see in person!

These are some modern examples of Gothic style being applied today.