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The church's role in medieval times
Christian church in the middle ages
Church in the middle ages
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TheMedievalProject: Cathedrals Essay By Austin all rights reserved 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... ... middle of paper ... ...ir work was complete. Lastly, a Gargoyle is a bizarre statue used to get water away from a building, when it rains. These figures spew out the collected water. Most Gargoyles were made a long time ago. A long time ago people believed that they scared away evil spirits. Many cathedrals have gargoyles. There are not very many Gargoyles made today. Now, most houses can use gutters to move water. There are not a lot of gargoyles in America, as most of them are in Europe. Now today, there are still over 900 Cathedrals standing today in our world thanks to our OLD generation masons! Today you wouldn’t find people building cathedrals anymore. You would find some being repaired but never built. Well technically, a tiny church can become a cathedral if a bishop uses it as his official church but other than that none are being built today that my research knows of.
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...
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.
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...
To the right and left, in the middle of each wall, a tall and narrow Gothic window looked out upon a closed corridor which pursued the windings of the suite. These windows were of stained glass whose colour varied in accordance with the prevailing hue of the decorations of the chamber into which it opened. That at the eastern extremity was hung, for example, in blue—and vividly blue were its windows. The second chamber was purple in its ornaments and tapestries, and here the panes were purple. The third was green throughout, and so were the casements.
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...
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.
Papanicolaou, Linda Morey. “Stained Glass from the Cathedral of Tours: The Impact of the Sainte-Chapelle in the 1240’s.” Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 15, (1980): pp. 53-66.
Brew, Charl Anne. “The language of Stained-Glass Windows.” Arts & Activities 148.2 (2010): 30. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.
The origins of Gothic Architecture are credited to Abbot Suger and the renovation of The Cathedral Basilica of Saint-Denis. The “Church” was largely defined by the Gothic Style during the Middle Ages. This style was an amalgamation of earlier styles, and prior to being recognized as “Gothic”, was not necessarily popular nor was it not part of the original program of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint-Denis. This soon changed and it became commonplace for cathedrals to utilize pointed arches, rose windows, and flying buttresses during their conception- all of which were incredibly distinctive to and indicative of the Gothic style of architecture. The renovation of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint-Denis was Suger’s physical expression of his devotion to God. Suger had adamantly felt it necessary to have an elaborately designed cathedral to demonstrate this. However, the resulting design led not only to praise but also controversy; specifically, the blatant repudiation of traditional Cistercian ideology and methodology as well as a disregard for the humble monastic lifestyle. The contentious dialogue of Saint-Denis’ motif in many ways made sense, because the fancifulness and the aristocratic imposition of Saint-Denis contradicted the very definition of monasticism and what it meant to live a monastic lifestyle. A contextual focus between Abbot Suger’s design choices and the Church’s liturgy is needed to properly analyze these contradictions and determine exactly why these choices were made and what implications they had on the church.
Time has taught humanity many things. From stone walls to wooden tree houses to glass homes. As far as creation is concerned, glass was and is necessary. Though some cities differ in the use of glass materials they are alike with some architectural aspects. From manufacturing companies for cars to your grandmother’s fine china; we’re talking about glass use of interior design. Some materials of glass are more expensive than others due to the use and weight of glass. With glass windows to windows to cars, glass has become a major factor in society without a doubt. Time has given us many things; stained glass for instance was even use as a symbol for religious purposes. Today we will discover three topics on how of an importance glass is in interior
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.
The Romanesque period began around the 1000s at a time when the Holy Roman Empire was beginning to take control over Europe. During these times the Church and the Byzantine empire fought to “liberate” the holy lands, Jerusalem, from the Turks. The art of the period was mostly architecture, and it was heavily influenced by Christianity. Most of the Architecture in this period had many similarities with roman architecture, like arches, columns, and slightly slanted roofs; but much of these attributes aren’t only aesthetic. For example Arches, and columns provide support for the building’s large concrete domes, and the domes and slanted rooftops prevents water from stagnating. The Romanesque style ,unlike the older Roman architecture, is more complex, and decorated. The buildings of this time have a few sculptures, carvings and engravings which decorate the buildings' exterior and interior. In summary the buildings of this time resembled the roman architecture, but added Christian culture to the mix creating a hybrid of the two.
The windows were of stained glass showing bible stories and saints lives in them, And the design structure enabled cathedrals to rise higher than ever. It even became a contest for architects – who could build a cathedral as tall as possible. A cross shape was used for windows allowing crossbowmen to shoot attackers from the inside, and a cross plan was also used for the shape of a cathedral as seen from a bird’s eye view.
The Earth as a whole is not comprised of individual civilizations cut off from one another. This being said, influence can be seen all over the world, through many different cultures. As trade and natural movement of people brought artistic or architectural influences to other places, one can recognize an evolution of ideas and adaptation to the tools available in the area. Architectural styles and remnants of these can be seen trickling down from the more modern era of Gothic work all the way back to the Egyptian halls dating back as far as the 1400s BCE.
When I was a child I used to be frightened of entering such a place for it seemed so imposing and somewhat dangerous, especially when music was being played. One day, in order to keep a promise I had made, I saw myself forced to enter. It took me quite a while to get the courage to pass through the old oak door, but the moment I stepped in, I realized just how enchanting and breathtaking this building could be. Its fantastic architecture and exquisite frescoes reflect perfectly the unity between this earth and the unseen kingdom of angels in such a manner that one cannot say where one ends and the other begins. The way in which the church was built is also the vivid testimony of a medieval period. Although it is a place that can sometimes be cold and ask for respect it is where prayers are answered and magic is done. An overwhelming feeling of inner harmony takes over you once you enter and God seems much closer. Darkness and light are welded perfectly together creating Redemption’s house. The tower allows you to see the entire town from the smallest river to the biggest building site, offering you its mightiness.