The Notre Dame Cathedral also known as “Our Lady- Virgin mary” is a renown gothic cathedral in France. Bishop Maurice de Sully proposed the idea of a cathedral dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The plan was to construct it on the ruins of two former cathedrals to convert them into one grand cathedral. This location is on the small island, Ile de la Cite, the heart of the city. Its distinguished architecture and location make it an prominent landmark in Paris.
Construction began in 1163 when the cornerstone for the Notre Dame was laid by Pope Alexander III after the demolition of the old Saint-Étienne basilica. A majority of the cathedral was completed by the time of Bishop Maurice de Sully’s death in 1196 which included the apse, choir, high
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The center portal of the west facade is of the “last judgment” which depicts Christ taking on the holy throne. Christ is accompanied by four angles in this image, one holds the cross as another holds a spear and nails of the cross; John and Mary are seen praying at the sides of the angels. The archivolts is a magnificent sight as it arches over the entrance of the cathedral. It is a high relief sculpture of various saints and portrays hell at the v bottom of each arch. The portal as a whole shows the path of the dead being lifted as Michael “weighs” their souls. Those who have lived righteously are led to the left side, heaven, and those who did not go to the right side representative of hell. The left portal was built in 1210-1220 and it is the portal of the virgin. This portal shows the death of Mary and her ascension to heaven to her coronation. The door jamb of this portal also features statues of Emperor Constantine, an angel, Saint Denis, and another angel. These statues, like many others, were damaged during the French Revolution but later restored. Lastly, the right side is the portal of Saint Anne. This portal shows a scene of Mary seated on a throne holding a child and she is surrounded by angels. The scene below this illustrates the marriage of Mary and Joseph as well as Joachim and …show more content…
In the bottom center of the rose window there is a statue of the Virgin with Child, the window appears to be a halo behind the piece. The statue is a copy of the original Virgin with Child, the statue was ordered by Viollet-le-Duc. The west facade rose window is the oldest in the cathedral however cannot be seen from the inside to the massive organ.
Next is the colonnade, located above the Virgin’s Balcony, which merely acts as a link between the two gothic towers. The Galerie des Chimeres also connects the two towers. The addition of the chimeras was made during the renovation program by Viollet-le-Duc. Chimeras are described as fire breathing monsters with a lion’s head, goat’s body, and serpent’s tail, these creatures did not exist in the middle ages, so they are one of the more modern touches on the cathedral.
Lastly, the towers of Notre Dame are the top piece of the west facade. The south tower was finished in 1250 and is open to the public. The tower also holds the bell “Emmanuel”. The north tower was completed in 1240 however is not open to the
Taller than the ancient pyramids in Egypt, large enough to hold the statue of liberty. 100 pounds of weightless stones, heavy enough to hold the Empire state building are the Great Cathedrals (PBS, 2011). Intrigued by the beauty in structure but puzzled by the very construction, without technology for building purposes has researchers mind wondering. In reference to the NOVA program, building of Gothic cathedral begin as a race of height, which over time this plan backfired because of the recent architectural discoveries in the foundation. The NOVA program pointed out that in this race of constructing the tallest building wasn’t the only concern between two rivalry cities in Europe; it purpose was recognized as a scared space for spiritual reasoning to bring ordinary someone closer to God (PBS, 2011).
The cathedral of Notre-Dame at Chartres must be one of the most beautiful and famous architectural specimens in the world today. The cathedral owns an exquisite silhouette against the sky of La Beauce. Two towers rise uncontested, to take watch over miles and miles of French countryside. Up close, the two towers, along with their spires, seem mismatched or unrelated. Yet, the two together provide for one of the most interesting juxtapositions in architecture. €Chartres cathedral has had a tumultuous history with both tragedies and triumphs. Charpentier notes that the site of the cathedral has also served various other purposes. The Romans had used the higher ground for a military camp, part of which still exists on the eastern side of the cathedral by the transition of apse to choir. In addition to the camp site, there was also the existance of a Gallo-Roman temple on the same site as Chartres cathedral. This temple is believed to have the same orientation as the cathedral and the cathedral's round apse uses the foundation of a Gallo-Roman defensive tower. This use of the Gallo-Roman defensive tower is also present at Bourges cathedral. The lower parts of the defensive tower formed a crypt which was incorporated into the ninth century Church of Gislebert, also known as Saint Lubin's chapel. On the night of September seventh 1020, the Church was completely razed by fire. €After the destruction of the church in Chartres, the bishop of Chartres, Saint Fulbert, spearheaded the campaign to build a church in Chartres. Only the crypt remained from the earlier Caroligian church and Fulbert built his Romanesque church around the enduring crypt. Fulbert's church lasted 200 years, but in 1134 the front faœade was damaged by another fire. It was at this time that a effort to update and restore the church was put into motion. The religious powers, along with the Crusaders longed for a greater monument. Thus, Chartres decided to begin a separate tower.€This adding on to Romanesque churches was not unusual for the day. The abbey-church at Cluny, outside Italy, was given a new magnificent five-bay narthex and two bell-towers. A similar renovation was attempted at La CharitŒ, but funds ran short and the upgrades could not be completed. €Hence, in 1134 the tower forming the north-west corner of the present-day cathedral, (the left tower of the west faœade elevation), underwent construction.
I chose two cathedrals for my post, the Durham Cathedral and the Chartres Cathedral. The Durham Cathedral, my example of Romanesque architecture, was built from local sandstone in 1087-1133 CE (the east wing was replaced in 1242) and is currently located in Nothern England. The Gothic style structure, the Chartres Cathedral (also known as the Cathedral of Notre-Dame), was mostly constructed between 1194 and 1220 CE due to a fire causing it to be rebuilt. Assembled utilizing limestone, this colossal structure is currently located in France and is known for it’s strikingly beautiful stained-glass windows. These structures share a few similarities, like their ribbed groin vaults (the crossing segments on the ceiling of the hallways), the high-placed windows as well as their huge circular window that were added to provide light and a
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.
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...
This book gave me the insight where this beautiful Gothic cathedral was located at and how it is associate with the Virgin Mary.
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...
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 church in the Middle Ages was a place that all people, regardless of class, could belong to. As a source of unity, its influence on art and architecture was great during this time. As society drew away from the feudal system of the Romanesque period, a new spirit of human individualism began to take hold; alas, the birth of Gothic. Here, the Church became a place where humanity became more acceptable, alas becoming the ideal place to visual such new ideals. The beauty and elegance of Gothic architecture is depicted most in the great cathedrals of the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries—St. Denis, Notre Dame, Chartres, Salisbury, Durham, Amiens, and more. The experience of looking at one of the great gothic cathedrals is to look up towards God. Indeed, most Gothic structures emphasize the vertical, drawing one’s eyes upwards toward the heavens with the awesomeness of God. These cathedrals were built with towering spires, pointed arches and flying buttresses giving impressions of harmony and luminosity. One of the major accomplishments of the 12th and 13th centuries was to develop the engineering mastery of the ribbed vault, pointed arch and flying buttress to create a great cathedral that is at once taller, lighter, wider, and more elegant than the ones before. Even though the pointed arch could support more weight than its predecessors, there was still the problem of finding a way to support the heavy masonry ceiling vaults over wide spans. In order to support the outward thrust of barrel vaults, vertical support walls have to be very thick and heavy. What makes possible the extensive use of ribbed vaulting and pointed arches to “open” and “lighten” the walls and space of the cathedral is the flying buttress—“an arched bridge above the aisle roof that extends from the upper nave wall, where the lateral thrust of the main vault is greatest, down to a solid pier.”
The original basilica, built by Emperor Constantine in the fourth century, is the foundation to this building. To those of the Christian faith, this building is the epitome of belief. St Peter’s Basilica is where the Catholic faith starts.
Gothic architecture, though also used in secular buildings, is most associated with the great cathedrals of Europe. The Basilica of Saint Denis is a large medieval abbey church on the outskirts of Paris, France. The building is of significant importance historically and architecturally because it is considered to be the first Gothic church ever built. The building of gothic cathedrals grew as design techniques progressed. Over time, as new techniques combined with new materials, cathedral architecture increased in complexity and sophistication into a recognizable gothic style.
There are many different (diferente) cathedrals in the country of Spain. The one I found the most interesting (interesante) was one in Zaragoza, Spain. It is known as the Cathedral of the Savior (Catedral del Salvador). The magnificent (magnífico) cathedral is placed in the Plaza de la Seo. It is normally called La Seo, so that people can know the difference (diferencia) between it and the other cathedral in the plaza known as El Pilar.
All over the world people still come to admire the beauty of European cathedrals. Many of the cathedrals are fragile due to age, neglect, pollution, and insufficient funds available to restore these historical and beautiful buildings. Nevertheless, visitors to these architectural masterpieces are fascinated by the design and structure of these churches. The cathedral builders using their own ingenuity, expertise, and limited resources were able to defy the laws of gravity and time. (Icher 30)
The Notre-Dame is a historic Catholic Cathedral. The first stone was laid in 1163 in the presence of Pope Alexander III. The cathedral is often considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture although the naturalism of its sculptures, gargoyles, and stained glass are in contrast with earlier Romanesque architecture. Many small individually crafted statues were placed around the outside to serve as column supports and water spouts. Among these are the famous gargoyles, designed for water run-off, and chimeras.
We Shall Remain: America through Native Eyes-After the Mayflower Reflection Having had the opportunity to watch the video “After the Mayflower” and reflecting on its message, I feel that Massasoit of the Wampanoag Confederacy embraced the European Colonists out of kindness and fear. However, it seemed that the Colonists befriended the Native Americans merely as a desperate act for survival. At first, the Peace Treaty signed in March 1621 created a more secure and positive environment for all parties involved by providing safety and security from the surrounding hostile Native American tribes. This allowed higher sustainability for all involved by being able to share each other’s resources. I believe that once the Colonists began to physically