The Origin Of Gothic Cathedrals

The word “cathedral” comes from Latin origin where cathedra means chair. A cathedral is a Christian church in which a bishop has an official seat (The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, 2014). Cathedrals are much larger than castles and are very symbolic in the Christian religion and a channel for creative energy. In modern times, cathedrals are viewed as the mother church of all churches and are often used for celebrations. Much like a regular church a cathedrals door never close and are frequently visited by schools or simply for use for a person to come worship. Cathedrals are the main sustainers of the English Choral tradition, running choirs involving adults and children, both boys and girls. The English Choral tradition is a unique part of English culture but one which has suffered decline in recent years as choirs in parish churches have become less common. Cathedrals maintain the tradition and produce music of very high standard week in, week out. For

The origin of Gothic cathedrals and architecture was started by the abby church of Saint Denis, which was a vision of Abbot Suger. Suger wanted to create a physical representation of the Heavenly Jerusalem, a building with a high degree of linearity that was filled with beautiful light and color (Gregory, 2014). The most recognizable trademark for cathedrals is the beautifully large stained glass windows on almost every wall of the building. The stained glass windows are meant to depict scripture and daily life. Other infamous and recognizable characteristics of Gothic cathedrals are the stone exterior of the entire building. Another exclusive feature is the cathedrals pointed archways which are utilized in every point where an arch was called for. Such arches allowed for the intricate stained glass windows to be displayed. Arches were very innovative for the time period such large cathedrals were being