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Questions and Answers
What is the primary innovation that allowed Gothic architects to build larger and brighter churches?
What is the primary innovation that allowed Gothic architects to build larger and brighter churches?
What was the symbolic significance of light in Gothic churches?
What was the symbolic significance of light in Gothic churches?
What was the primary purpose of the flying buttress in Gothic architecture?
What was the primary purpose of the flying buttress in Gothic architecture?
What is the name of the horizontal division of the church that contains the windows?
What is the name of the horizontal division of the church that contains the windows?
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What is the term for the layering of arches and columns that creates a sense of depth in the wall?
What is the term for the layering of arches and columns that creates a sense of depth in the wall?
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What is the purpose of the piers in Gothic architecture?
What is the purpose of the piers in Gothic architecture?
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Why did Gothic architects use the pointed arch instead of the round arch?
Why did Gothic architects use the pointed arch instead of the round arch?
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What is the term for the arches that separate the columns in the triforium?
What is the term for the arches that separate the columns in the triforium?
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What was the significance of Gothic churches in the 13th century?
What was the significance of Gothic churches in the 13th century?
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What is the term for the vertical division of the church that includes the nave arcade, triforium, and clerestory?
What is the term for the vertical division of the church that includes the nave arcade, triforium, and clerestory?
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Study Notes
Gothic Church Architecture
- The pointed arch is a key element of Gothic architecture, allowing architects to build larger and brighter churches.
- The use of pointed arches redirects the weight of the vaulted ceiling more directly downward, enabling the use of thinner and more delicate supports.
- This innovation allowed for less wall and more window, creating a sense of openness and brightness in the church.
Vaults and Supports
- The weight of the vaulted ceiling did not need to come down onto continuous walls, but instead onto four columns, opening up the space of the church.
- Piers, often ornamented with delicate colonnets, are major structural elements that support the stone vaulting above.
- The flying buttress is a bracing system between the windows on the outside of the church, containing the lateral thrust of the vaulting and allowing light to enter the windows.
Church Design
- The Gothic church is designed to create a sense of the Heavenly on Earth, with a focus on light and upward movement.
- The layering of arches, including the knave arcade, triforium, and clear story, creates a sense of depth and emphasizes the Heavenly.
- The use of trefoil-shaped arches, quattrofoil, and short pointed arches separated by columns adds to the layering and sense of depth.
Historical Context
- Gothic churches were a significant improvement over the dark and windowless Romanesque churches that came before them.
- The construction of Gothic churches required decades of labor, enormous costs, and great workmanship.
- The experience of entering a Gothic church would have been truly miraculous for people in the 13th century, and still has a profound impact on people today.
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Description
Explore the innovative features of Gothic architecture, including the use of pointed arches and vaulted ceilings, which enabled the creation of larger and brighter churches.
