The Cathedral Church of Saint Nicholas is the heart of the Anglican Dioceses of Newcastle stretching from the Tyne to Berwick. However, it contrasts with other cathedrals in the north such as Durham as it was a simple parish church until 25, July, 1882. A Norman church existed on this site for 900 years prior to 1882 when the rapid increase of Newcastle’s industrial population called for a diocese separate from that of Durham’s causing the formation of the Diocese of Newcastle. With multiple renovations over the years most of the cathedral’s features date from the 14th century to the 15thcentury. This essay will offer an in-depth analysis of the architecture and interior features of the Cathedral Church of Saint Nicholas regarding the significance …show more content…
It was rebuilt in stone in the 12th century. Having been damaged by fire twice in the early 13th century, the church was repaired and extended in the years to follow. Nearing the end of the 14th century, the walls inside the church were heightened and a clerestory was inserted to allow more light to enter. By the end of the 15th century, stone crown and tower were added to the cathedral creating the form we still see today. The Cathedral Church comprises of features typical of Gothic architecture which were developed from the Romanesque style. Gothic cathedrals prior to the 20th century were landmarks by definition and were thought of as sky scrapers of their time. These cathedrals generate a new building style using a distinctive arrangement of prevailing technologies. Technologies such as the pointed arch, the ribbed vault and the buttress. When applied to an ecclesiastical building, the Gothic style lays emphasis on verticality and …show more content…
It exhibits an originality, boldness, and magnificence, which render it an architectural prodigy. Viewed at a distance, the whole combines to produce one grand effect; and examined closely and in detail, the happy application of the principles of arcuation of thurst, and of pressure, to every part, excites the greatest surprise and delight. The ornaments also, though simple, are appropriate and significative. All, indeed, must concur in admiring the refined taste and consummate judgment of the architect, who, without any servility of imitation, has produced this triumph in English art, which rivals in execution, and surpasses in ingenuity, the proudest edifices of the ancient Greeks and Romans.” (Mackenzie & Dent,
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.
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
The other important characteristics of the Gothic cathedrals were the large stained windows, Rosetta windows, spires, and gargoyles (Sancho-Velasquez 2014). Suger's defensive argument on the elaborate characteristics of Gothic cathedrals was, "Everything that is most precious should be used above...
Over the last millennium, a striking Cathedral devoted to St. Paul has been a precious jewel for the city of London. It sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London. The present St Paul 's Cathedral, London, is an Anglican cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of London and the mother church of the Diocese of London. Regularly as the Cathedral is at the centre of many nation-wide events, innovations have been examined, and drastic new thoughts have found expression under the iconic dome. Bearing in mind all those occasions, it is certain that they would have left behind some physical evidence as well as reverberations in the imperceptible retention of the Cathedral itself.
The principle behind the Gothic style was to reach greater interior heights. However, “medieval churches had solid stone vaults (the structure that supports the ceiling or roof). These were extremely heavy structures and tended to push the walls outward, which could lead to the collapse of the building. In turn, walls had to be heavy and thick enough to bear the weight of the stone vaults,” (“Gothic Art and Architecture”). Thus, the taller buildings such a churches would be more expensive to build and look bulky and ungainly, which doesn’t quite fit the style the clergy were aiming for. In response to this problem, master masons of the medieval period developed the iconic ribbed vault. This newly developed ribbed vault had several interesting characteristics. A ribbed vault was the conjunction of two or more barrel vaults. The vault itself was a collection of stone ribs traversing the vaulted ceiling and transporting the weight onto the ribs themselves. Also, instead of the traditional round arches, pointed arches were used. This gave the ceiling of Gothic buildings a light and more versatile look (Martindale). Not only did these ribbed vaults bring a (somewhat) unique look to cathedrals, they also served an incredibly vital part in the architectural design of Gothic structures. The Gothic structures’ “new arrangement significantly reduced the weight (and thus the outward thrust) of the ceiling vault,” which reduced the constant danger of collapse and cracking for the thick Romanesque walls when they tried to reach taller heights (“Gothic Architecture”). The ribs also “transmitted [weight] along a distinct stone rib, rather than along a continuous wall edge, and could be channeled from the rib to other supports, such as vertical piers or flying buttresses, which eliminated the need for solid, thick walls,” (“Gothic
It was a don of a new age, belief, conviction, and devotion were felt throughout the period, and it was the time of the Romanesque churches. This was the time to view these boundless, monastic complexes, majestic cathedrals, and painted artifacts; the churches were beaming with activity and life. With the assembly of nuns, monks, and local town folks, these structures offered safety, a simpler way of life thru thought, simplicity, and reflection, which than sparked an overall energy and spirit throughout the air, it was the age of faith. In this period of time a massive building project had begun, within a short time span of 150 years, the construction of more than 1000 monasteries, and abbeys were built throughout Western Europe. Some of the main architecturally features and designs were the massive towers pointed heavenward and seemed as if they were touching the sky, it made the church visible from great distances and became the center point of the towns where they were built. The stone portals separated the nonspiritual, from the divine realm and dramatized the entrance door, as the gateway to salvation. The Gothic style of architecture, or Gothic cathedral began in the seventeenth century and was born in France, Over 580 Gothic & cathedrals class churches were built and constructed between 1170 to 1270; they were often large enough to house the entire population of the town. Two dominant architectural designs and styles emerged Romanesque and Gothic; there were differences and some similarities between the two. If the Romanesque church constituted a rural retreat for monastics and pilgrims, the Gothic cathedral served as the focal point for the urban community physically dominated the town, the design of the to...
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...
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.”
Several elements from Gothic architecture were borrowed from the Lombards and the Franks. They took the compound pier and archivolt, the alternate system, and the ribbed and domed vault. It can be seen that the main dispositions of the Gothic plan are derived from Carolingian developments of the early Christian basilica. The most fundamental element of Gothic architecture is the pointed arch, whi...
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.
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.
Another difference separating the two were that Romanesque style buildings had limited light whereas Gothic cathedrals were flooded with natural light. The architectural reason for this was due to the walls being made primarily out of stained glass. This was now achievable with the Gothic design because of the flying buttresses that supported the walls from the outside of the building. Thus making the three most defining characteristics of the Gothic style, that differ it from Romanesque to be the ribbed vault, the flying buttress and the pointed arch.
Failure is an important part of our development as people. It teaches us lessons that we would not learn otherwise. These lessons can form a bases for future success. Throughout my life I have experienced failure on many occasions. In these instances I try to not get discourage, but instead use it to teach me a valuable lesson.