Gothic style embraces different types art - painting, fresco, sculpture, stained glass. But it is the medieval cathedrals, temples and monasteries of Europe, including Germany, that fully reveal the richness, grandeur and monumentality of the Gothic style in architecture. It is characterized by the presence of narrow high towers, arches with pointed tops, multi-colored stained glass windows, and a lavishly decorated facade.
All this, together with the gloomy stone figures of mythical creatures on the walls of the buildings, creates an inimitable architectural ensemble. In northern Germany, due to shortages natural stone A special style was formed - brick Gothic, which significantly spread to the Baltic countries.
Cathedrals and monasteries of Germany in the Gothic style
Cologne Cathedral
One of the main masterpieces of Gothic architecture, whose towers rise 157 m high, amazes with its monumentality and at the same time with the lightness and grace of its openwork forms. Having overcome 509 steps of the staircase, you can get to the bell tower, from where you can see the entire city and its surroundings. The cathedral houses valuable collections of paintings, jewelry, and sculptures collected over the centuries. Among them are benches in the choir, frescoes, the main altar, stained glass windows, crosses, monstrances, etc.
Ulm Cathedral
The construction of the second largest cathedral in Germany, still in operation today, lasted 5 centuries. They began to build it in the 14th century, at the expense of the townspeople. And the western tower, 161 m high, was completed only at the end of the 19th century. There is an observation deck on it; to get to it you have to climb 768 steps. On the roof of the cathedral there is a sculpture of a sparrow - a symbol of the city of Ulm, with which a local legend is associated.
Frauenkirche (Munich)
The tallest cathedral in Munich was built in the 15th-16th centuries. Its original towers with onion domes are 99 m high. Since the 16th century, representatives of ruling dynasty Bavaria. Despite the fact that during the war most interior decoration The temple was destroyed, but the tomb of the Roman Emperor Ludwig IV made of black marble, a magnificent medieval altar, and choir benches dating back to 1502 were preserved.
Freiburg Cathedral
The cathedral in Freiburg was built in the XII-XVI centuries. made of red sandstone. A distinctive feature of its 116-meter tower is its openwork, transparent, lace-like spire. There are 16 bells in the tower, the oldest one is 750 years old. There is also an observation deck located here at a level of 70 m. The main decoration of the temple is the altar, painted with biblical scenes from the life of the Mother of God. The cathedral organ is one of the largest in the world.
Liebfrauenkirche (Trier)
One of the oldest Gothic churches in the world began to be built in 1230 on the site of the palace of the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great. With the help of a covered gallery, the church is connected to the Trier Cathedral. The windows of the church are decorated with skillful stained glass windows; its vaults are supported by 12 columns with images of the 12 apostles. For a long time, the church was a burial place, but only a few tombstones and epitaphs have survived to this day.
Lübeck Cathedral
The majestic two-spire building of the cathedral has a record length for red-brick churches - 130 m. At the beginning of the 13th century, the cathedral was built in the Romanesque style, and from 1266 it began to be rebuilt according to the laws of Gothic architecture. The pearl of the temple is the 17 m high Triumphal Cross and the pulpit with an astronomical clock, installed in 1477. Also attracting the attention of tourists is a number of stone sarcophagi in the funeral cathedral chapel.
Church of the Holy Spirit in Heidelberg
Construction of the largest temple in Heidelberg began in 1398 and lasted more than a hundred years. Here is the burial place of Elector Ruprecht III (founder of the church and city university) and his wife. Until 1623, several thousand unique books and manuscripts were kept within the walls of the church - the first copies of the Palatine Library, which were subsequently taken to the Vatican. Nowadays the church is operational; services and organ music concerts are held there.
Magdeburg Cathedral
One of the largest cathedrals in Germany was built over three centuries, starting in 1209. Its appearance combines Gothic and Romanesque features. The length of the building is 120 m, the height of the two towers is 99 and 104 m. The famous treasures of the temple are sculptures of maidens from the mid-13th century, ancient Roman granite and marble columns, carved figures on the theme of the life of Christ. Also on the territory of the cathedral there are numerous historical burial places.
Church of St. Elisabeth in Marburg
The church is named after the wife of the Landgrave of Thuringia, who founded a shelter for the poor in Marburg, cared for the sick and was canonized after her death. Her ashes are kept in the church in a golden sarcophagus. The magnificent stained glass windows, frescoes, and the altar of St. Elizabeth, wooden main altar from 1290, objects of applied art of the 13th-14th centuries. The church is crowned by two 80-meter towers with bells from the 13th century.
Regensburg Cathedral
Construction of the cathedral began in the 13th century and continued for 6 centuries. Its treasury contains many Christian relics. Among them are the relics of John Chrysostom, the martyr Sebastian of Milan and St. Lawrence, a bronze cross with rock crystal from the 12th century, a gold cross with precious stones XIII century, etc. The inside of the temple is decorated with frescoes and stained glass windows of the XIV century. The bell tower contains 8 bells, the oldest one is 400 years old.
Church of St. Nicholas in Stralsund
A pearl of brick Gothic. The church is dedicated to Nicholas of Myra, the famous patron of sailors; it was built from 1270 to 1360. The main decorations of the temple are a 12-meter carved altar, decorated with more than a hundred figures, a 2.5-meter-high sculpture of St. Anne. Of particular value are the giant astronomical clock, dated 1394, one of the oldest in the world. Of no less interest are wall paintings and magnificent relief images.
Meissen Cathedral
The construction of the cathedral was carried out gradually and took a total of six and a half centuries. The cathedral is located on the territory of Albrechtsburg Castle; three openwork towers, which are visible from almost anywhere in the old city, give it special sophistication. A true work of art is the main bell of the temple, cast in 1928. On its four sides there are scenes from the apocalypse, and on the top there is a crown with 4 Evangelists.
Aachen Cathedral
One of the most ancient temples in Europe, combining fragments of classical, Byzantine and Gothic styles, was founded by Charlemagne in 796. For 6 centuries, German monarchs were crowned here. In the center of the cathedral is an octagonal chapel where the throne of Charlemagne is kept, and his remains rest in a golden sarcophagus. Among the Christian relics are the veil from the execution of John the Baptist, the loincloth of Christ, the veil of the Virgin Mary.
Frankfurt Cathedral
The history of the temple dates back to the times of the Roman Empire, but its current appearance with Gothic features and a 100-meter red spire began to take shape in the 13th century. The cathedral is named after St. Bartholomew, whose skull is the main shrine of the temple. Interior decorated with works of art, including the sculpture of the Crucifixion of Christ from 1509, Van Dyck’s painting “The Descent from the Cross” from 1627, frescoes on the life of the Apostle Bartholomew from 1407.
Doberan Monastery Church
A striking example of brick Gothic. At the beginning of the 12th century, the Doberan Monastery was built in Mecklenburg by the efforts of Cistercian monks and laymen. However, over the next two centuries, wars and fires destroyed the building. Only in 1368 the work on its restoration was completed, and the monastery church was consecrated, which became the main tomb of the rulers of Mecklenburg. The monastery existed until the 16th century. Its building was restored several times, in last time- in 1962.
Market Church in Hannover
The main Hanoverian red brick church was built in the 14th century, the height of its tower and spire is 98 m. Valuable rarities are medieval stained glass windows from 1370, the main altar from linden from 1480, and a bronze font from 1500. There are many church burials here, mainly from the 16th-17th centuries. Another pride of the church is the bell tower of 11 bells. During the war, the church building was seriously damaged; reconstruction ended in 1952.
St. Lawrence Church in Nuremberg
One of the first churches in Germany, which adopted the Lutheran faith at the beginning of the 16th century. Its main highlight is the magnificent openwork rosette window with a diameter of 10 m between the two towers. The interior is decorated with works by famous Nuremberg artists. Of great value are the gilded candelabra, tabernacle, stained glass and sculptures. During the war, the church building was damaged; restoration work continued until the early 60s. The temple is operational.
St. Sebald's Church in Nuremberg
The most old church Nuremberg is named after the missionary and patron of the city, whose relics are kept inside the temple. Construction of the church began in 1225 and lasted a century and a half. It preserves luxurious sculptures, bas-reliefs, and a Gothic medieval altar. The pride of the church was the organ from the mid-15th century - one of the oldest operating organs in the world. Unfortunately, it was destroyed during the war and later replaced by a new instrument.
St. Mary's Church in Lübeck
The prototype of the brick Gothic style for dozens of churches in the Baltic region. Construction of the main parish church in the city began in 1251 and lasted 100 years. The height of its two towers with weather vanes is 125 m. The church has 9 large and 10 small funeral chapels. Among the surviving relics are a bronze font from 1337, an altar from 1518, and a relief with scenes of the passion of Christ from 1515. In 1942, the church was severely damaged. The fallen and broken bells are still kept in one of the chapels in memory of the bloody war.
Church of the Virgin Mary in Nuremberg
In 1358, the church was erected on the site of the demolished synagogue. Every day at noon, under the ancient 500-year-old clock located on the facade of the building, a real performance begins with the participation of moving wooden figures - the emperor, electors, musicians. The most valuable thing inside the temple is an ancient altar by an unknown author, dating back to the 15th century. After significant destruction during the war, the church was restored several times.
Augsburg Cathedral
The majestic building of the cathedral in Bavaria organically combines fragments of the Romanesque and later Gothic styles. The oldest stained glass windows in the world, depicting prophets and kings from the Old Testament, are of great value. The period of their creation is the 11th century. Wall frescoes from 1491, paintings and reliefs on the theme of the life of the Virgin Mary from 1493, and the largest collection of tombstones with epitaphs in Germany have been perfectly preserved to this day.
Church of St. Lambert in Münster
The building of the temple in Münster was founded in 1375. Its 90-meter tower is the tallest in the city. According to a long-standing tradition, every evening the caretaker rises to it and blows a horn, thereby announcing that everything is calm in the area. The church is famous for the fact that after the collapse of the Munster Commune in the 16th century, the bodies of three executed leaders of the uprising were displayed here in iron cages. The cages are still suspended from the church tower.
Naumburg Cathedral
The original cathedral with four towers was built in 1029 in the Romanesque style. And subsequently, over the course of several centuries, it expanded and was completed in the Gothic style. The western choir of the cathedral is famous for its expressive and realistic stone figures by an unknown 13th-century artist. They are made in human height and depict 12 representatives high nobility, on whose generous donations the temple was built.
St. Martin's Church in Landshut
The red brick Gothic temple in Landshut was built from 1389 to 1507 at the expense of wealthy citizens. The height of its tower is 130 m; for four centuries it was the tallest brick building in the world. To enjoy the panorama of the city, you need to climb 495 steps spiral staircase, leading to the bell tower with 8 bells. Inside the temple there is a six-meter-tall carved crucifix of Christ, made in 1495, and an 18th-century organ.
Schwerin Cathedral
One of the most tall buildings in northern Germany in the brick Gothic style, the green spire of which is visible from afar. The first mentions of the cathedral date back to the beginning of the 12th century. In the 13th century, priceless relics appeared here - a drop of Christ’s blood in a stone and a thorn from Christ’s crown of thorns. And in the next century, this collection was replenished with a fragment of the crucifixion of Jesus. Special attention The triumphal cross, the medieval altar, the bronze font, and the ancient organ are worthy.
Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Greifswald
Brick Gothic. The hundred-meter octagonal tower of the cathedral is the symbol of the university city of Greifswald. It has an observation deck, to which 264 stones and about 100 more lead wooden steps. There are also 6 massive medieval bells on the tower. Construction of the cathedral began in the middle of the 13th century and continued until the beginning of the 15th century. Caspar David Friedrich, one of the famous German artists, was baptized in this temple in 1774.
Erfurt Cathedral
The Romanesque church, built in 1253, acquired Gothic features in the mid-14th century. Its choir is decorated with 18-meter stained glass windows from the 15th century, which have no analogues in Germany. Many works are stored inside the building medieval art, among them is a human-height bronze Wolfram candlestick from 1160. The temple’s special pride is the world’s largest automatic bell, Gloriosa. It appeared on the tower in 1497 and is famous for its clear sound.
Bremen Cathedral
The foundation of the cathedral was laid in 1042, it acquired its final form with Gothic features in the 13th century and since then has been reconstructed only twice - in the 19th century and after the Second World War. The cathedral is decorated with two 100-meter openwork towers with a bell tower and an observation deck. The temple's attractions include a Lead cellar with mummies, a carved pulpit - a gift from the Swedish queen, and a Biblical garden with plants mentioned in the Holy Scriptures.
Korinsky Monastery
The now dilapidated red brick monastery is located on the shore of a lake a few kilometers from the town of Eberswald. It was built by monks of the Cistercian order in the 13th century. In the 16th century the abbey was dissolved. Currently, it is an architectural monument of the brick Gothic style, actively visited by tourists; various cultural events are held within its preserved walls. In particular, the annual Korinsky Summer Music Festival.
Lenin Monastery
The abbey at Kloster-Lenin near Potsdam was founded by Cistercian monks in 1180. It was located surrounded by forests and ponds, not far from Monastic Lake. Its distinctive feature was the spare architectural style of brick Romanesque and Gothic, without frills, and a special technique for applying floral ornaments to stained glass windows. One of the most prosperous monasteries existed until 1542, and then was dissolved. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the building has belonged to the monastery of Louise Henrietta.
Cologne Cathedral. Germany.
The Gothic style, sometimes called the artistic style, is the final stage in the development of medieval art in the countries of Central, Western and partly of Eastern Europe. The term "Gothic" was introduced during the Renaissance as a derogatory designation for all architectural art of the Middle Ages, which was considered truly "barbaric".
Cathedral of Las Lajas. Colombia.
The Gothic style is characterized by the features of a symbolic-allegorical type of thinking and conventions artistic language. The primacy of architecture and traditional types Gothic structures inherited from the Romanesque style. The cathedral occupied a special place in Gothic art, being the highest example of architectural synthesis with painting and sculptural trends. The space of such a cathedral was incommensurate with man - the verticals of its vaults and towers, the subordination of sculptures to the dynamism of architectural rhythms and the multi-colored radiance of stained glass windows had a captivating effect on believers.
The development of Gothic art also reflected key changes in the construction of medieval society - the beginning of the formation of centralized powers, the growth and strengthening of megacities, the advancement of the forces of the nobility, as well as court and knightly circles. Civil architecture and urban planning receive intensive development here. The architectural ensembles of cities included secular and religious buildings, bridges, fortifications and wells. Often the main square of the city was built with houses with arcades, where the lower floors were occupied by trade and warehouses. And it was from the square that all the main streets with narrow facades of two or three-story houses, decorated with high pediments, diverged. The cities were surrounded by powerful walls with travel towers. Feudal and royal castles gradually transformed into complex complexes of palaces, fortresses and places of worship. In the center of the city, as a rule, there was a cathedral or castle, which became the heart of city life.
Milan Cathedral.
The complex but bold frame structure of the Gothic cathedral, which embodied the triumph of the daring thought of the architect, made it possible to surpass the massiveness of Romanesque structures, lightening the vaults and walls and creating a dynamic integrity internal space. By using a frame, the walls ceased to be load-bearing elements of buildings. It seemed as if there were no walls at all. Lancet vaults were superior to semicircular vaults due to their variability, being structurally superior in many respects.
It is in Gothic that the complication and enrichment of the consonance of the arts comes, the expansion of the plot system, which reflected the medieval worldview. Interest arises in the real forms of nature, in the feelings and physical beauty of man, and the theme of motherhood, martyrdom, moral suffering and sacrificial resilience of man receives a new interpretation. The Gothic style of architecture organically intertwines tragic emotions with lyricism, social satire with spiritual sublimity, folklore with fantastic grotesquery and acute life observations.
The Gothic style originated in Northern France in the middle of the 12th century and reached its peak by the first half of the 19th century. Gothic stone cathedrals in France received their own classic shape. Such a structure usually consisted of three to five nave basilicas with transverse naves - transepts and an ambulatory, to which radial chapels were adjacent. The impression of indomitable movement towards the altar and upward is created by the slender pillars, the great rise of pointed arches and the rapid pulse of the triforium. Due to the contrast of the main high nave, as well as the side semi-dark naves, a rich painting of aspects and a boundless sense of space appear.
Types of arches.
Gothic ornament.
Gothic capitals.
The Gothic frame system originated in the abbey church of Saint-Denis (1137-1144). The cathedrals in Paris, Laon and Chartres can also be classified as Young Gothic. The richness of rhythm, the perfection of compositional architecture and the impeccability of decorative sculptology - this is what distinguishes the stunning cathedrals and temples of mature Gothic in Amiens and Reims. The Parisian chapel of Sainte-Chapelle (1243-1248) with many stained glass windows also belongs to the Gothic cathedrals of the mid-12th century. The Crusaders brought the principles of Gothic architecture to Rhodes, Syria and Cyprus.
Late Gothic in interiors already spreads sculptural altars that combine painted and gilded wooden sculptures with temperamental paintings on wooden boards. Here a new emphatic structure of images is already taking shape, distinguished by intense (often exalted) expression, which is especially evident in the scenes of the suffering of Christ and other saints, conveyed with unapologetic truthfulness.
As a result, we can conclude that by solving just one architectural problem, not even related to construction, a whole movement in art was born, and, one might say, by accident, a mysterious and amazing style was created - Gothic.
Notre Dame Cathedral. (Notre Dame de Paris)
Notre Dame Cathedral (Notre Dame de Paris.)
Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral is the heart of Paris. The lower part of the facade has three portals: the portal of the Virgin Mary on the left, the portal of St. Anne on the right and between them there is a portal Last Judgment. Above them rises an arcade of twenty-eight statues of the kings of Judah. The center of the facade is decorated with a large rose-shaped window, decorated with stone patterns and stained glass. The bronze bell, donated to the Cathedral in 1400, weighing six tons, is located in the right tower of the Cathedral. Subsequently, the bell was melted down again, and the residents of Paris threw jewelry into the molten bronze, from which the ringing of the bell, according to stories, acquired a clear and sonorous timbre.
The cathedral, as a model of the divine universe, looks upward, towards the sky. There are no sharp spiers on top of the towers, contrary to the design. This decision was made so that the harmony of the entire structure would not be disturbed. And from the inside the temple amazes with the volume and breadth of space. Neither the massive pillars nor the bare walls remind of the massiveness of the Cathedral. There is a beautiful tradition associated with the Cathedral. Every year, on the first of May of each year, artists donate paintings, sculptures and other creations. They decorate the chapels on the right side of Notre Dame Cathedral. It also contains two statues: the Virgin Mary, in whose honor the Cathedral is named, and a statue of Saint Dionysia. In memory of the reign of Louis XIII and Louis XIV in the central part of Notre Dame Cathedral there are their sculptural images. Bas-reliefs on the theme of the New Testament decorate outer part choirs In 1886, the rite of acceptance of the Catholic faith of the writer Paul Claudel took place in the Cathedral, as evidenced by a bronze plate with an inscription mounted in the floor of the transept. Notre Dame Cathedral itself is immortalized in the work of the same name by Victor Hugo.
And the Gothic architectural style is a movement born in France in the 12th century from the Romanesque style, for a long time known as " french style" or " modern style" More detailed history The origins and development of Gothic architecture can be found on thematic resources. For example, the website about architecture tartle.net with projects of houses made in a variety of architectural styles. Gothic architecture from France spread throughout Western Europe and continued to develop until the beginning of the 16th century, when a new movement in art and architecture emerged - the Renaissance. Thus, the Gothic style was the dominant structural and aesthetic movement in Europe for almost 400 years. In the 19th century, the Gothic style became popular again, especially for the construction of churches and universities. This style was called neo-Gothic architecture.
Basics of Gothic Architecture
- Pointed arch. The pointed arch effectively distributed the force of heavy ceilings and bulky structures, and could support much more weight than previous, simple pillars. Such pointed arches have become one of the most recognizable symbols of Gothic architecture.
- Ribbed vault.
- Flying prop. In addition to its practical meaning, it distributed the load and had a great decorative role.
- Height. All buildings of this era literally reach out to the sky.
- Vaulted ceiling.
- Light and airy interior. It may not seem so to us now, but compared to Romanesque architecture, it really is so.
- Gargoyles. Decorative, monstrous little creatures located on the roofs of Gothic buildings and castles. Gargoyles have a practical purpose: they are spouts for draining rainwater. They struck terror into the hearts of poorly educated medieval peasants. Many gargoyles included elements of the grotesque and presented pompous or threatening poses.
These seven elements changed the world, giving it something completely new, refined and sublime. The Gothic style emphasizes verticality and light. This was achieved by creating new architectural features that can be called the frame system of Gothic architecture. It includes such basic elements as: buttresses, flying buttresses and ribs. Sculptures and stained glass windows can be considered an important component of Gothic architecture, without which not a single building of this era can exist. It is worth noting that at the time of its appearance and heyday, not everyone had a positive attitude towards this direction; many criticized it, since it was very different from Romanesque architecture. But even in its decline, this style was criticized. It was then that they began to call him Gothic, meaning that he was as barbaric as the behavior of the Gothic tribes.
Literally every European state can boast of its impressive and mesmerizing cathedrals, basilicas, castles, town halls, universities and other buildings built in the Gothic style. However, as one would expect from the Middle Ages, it is cathedrals and temples that embody all the power, triumph and beauty of Gothic architecture. There are dozens of examples of classical Gothic architecture throughout Europe, as well as England and Scandinavia. Among them it is very difficult to single out a few of the best or most significant, since each such structure is unique, inimitable and always has its own distinctive features. In Spain alone you can count more than ten very majestic Gothic cathedrals, which you can talk about for hours and never cease to admire. For example, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia in Barcelona; Cathedral of Saint Mary of Segovia; Avila Cathedral; Catholic Cathedral in Toledo and many others. There are many beautiful Gothic cathedrals in the United Kingdom. One of them, Gloucester Cathedral, even became the location for filming the Harry Potter films.
The most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in Europe:
(Germany). O d but one of the most frequently visited places in Germany, it attracts about 8 million tourists every year. The cathedral is included in the list of objects World Heritage UNESCO. The height of the cathedral is 157.25 meters. It is considered the third largest cathedral in the world, built in the Gothic style. The start of construction dates back to 1248, but everything was built rather slowly. there was a choir consecrated in 1322. The first bell was installed on one of the towers in 1410. Construction stopped around 1510. For almost 300 years, Cologne Cathedral stood unfinished. It was completed in 1880.
(France). World Heritage Site, very popular tourist place(more than a million visitors per year). is the seat of the Archbishop of Reims, where almost all the kings of France were crowned. Years of construction: 1211 - 1275. The upper parts of the facade were completed in the 14th century.
Seville Cathedral(Spain). It is on the list of World Heritage Sites. Built in 1401-1507 on the site of a former mosque. Refers to late Gothic. Here the remains restChristopher Columbus. The cathedral is considered one of the main pearls in the treasury of Spanish heritage.
- Milan Cathedral(Italy). Milan's business card. The cathedral amazes with its sculptural wealth - there are about 3,400 statues. One of the most recognizable places in the world. The cathedral is built of white marble. This is a long-term construction cathedral: started in 1386 and completed in 1965. The most high point cathedral - 108 meters.
Two main architectural styles are associated with the Western European Middle Ages: Romanesque and Gothic. Moreover, the Romanesque arose and became widespread about a century earlier. Despite the fact that buildings in the Romanesque style continued to be erected long after the emergence of Gothic, it can, however, be said that in general this style is inherent in the early stage of the development of feudal society, when the main form of existence of people was rural settlement with a castle - a fortress that dominated it, and the role of the city in public life was very insignificant. Travelers moved along the roads of Europe from castle to castle and felt safe only behind strong stone walls. This way of life certainly had its influence on the aesthetic views of people of the Middle Ages. Therefore, they even wanted to see churches looking like impregnable fortresses, with blank massive walls and narrow windows that resembled loopholes.
The second stage of the development of feudalism, which began around the end of the 11th - beginning of the 12th century, is associated with a new birth and intensive development European city as a center of trade and crafts. This development was naturally accompanied by many interesting cultural phenomena. One of these phenomena was the formation of a new architectural style, completely different, at least externally, from the previous one. Several centuries after its origin, this style was called Gothic.
The emergence of Gothic architecture in France
One can often come across the statement that the first building that can be called Gothic was erected near Paris in the Abbey of Saint-Denis, which, starting from the 10th century. and before the Great French Revolution it served as a burial place for French kings. At the turn of the XI and XII centuries. its abbot, Abbot Suger, decided to rebuild the abbey. Under the leadership of Suger, a building was erected that was strikingly different from the architectural structures of the Romanesque style. Instead of rounded arches, pointed, pointed ones appeared. The four towers, located in pairs, characteristic of the Romanesque style, were replaced by two, very large ones, limiting the plane of the front facade on both sides. Overall, the building seems elongated, swift and fragile compared to squat Romanesque structures. Thanks to this building, Saint-Denis became known as the birthplace of Gothic architecture. True, one can try to refute this fame, since some elements of the new style appear simultaneously in many places. But, of course, the construction of the Abbey of Saint-Denis contributed to the spread of Gothic style, because it was a role model.
Portal of the Church of Saint-Denis. Around 1140 The architectural tastes of Abbot Suger pleased his contemporaries. Soon they begin to imitate them in the construction of city cathedrals. In medieval Western Europe The cathedral is the main building of the city; all the streets converge on it.
Gothic style cathedrals
Happening near the cathedral major events. The beauty and size of the cathedral testify to the significance of the city and the wealth of its inhabitants. They tried to calculate the dimensions so that, if necessary, the building could accommodate the entire adult population of the city. Sometimes they made even more than was necessary. There are known cases when relatively small towns that already had cathedrals, which in size fully satisfied the real needs of the population, built new ones, much larger ones, so that their neighbors would respect them more. But the large cathedral was a great luxury, not only because it took a lot of material and many people worked on its construction, but also because it took up a lot of space.
Famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris
In a cramped medieval walled city, this was a very significant circumstance. Gothic architecture, in contrast to Romanesque, made it possible to stretch the building to hitherto unheard of heights. So, the cathedral can be made grandiose in size, and at the same time it will occupy a relatively small area. The main features of the structure of the Saint-Denis Abbey were repeated by the one built in the 12th century. the famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, or Notre Dame Cathedral. The pointed arches are very similar, there are two high steep towers on the sides of the facade, and instead of a central dome there is a thin spire. But both of these monuments are still far from truly developed Gothic. They are only a transitional link between Romanesque and Gothic architecture.
The largest Gothic cathedral in France. Amiens. XIII - XV centuries. 
Soon, builders will create tall, steep, lightweight structures that burst into the sky. It was said above that the area occupied gothic cathedrals, was relatively small. But this is only in comparison with the grandiose height of their slender towers. In absolute terms, the area of the temples intended to accommodate the entire city population was by no means small. On the contrary, Gothic vault designs made it possible to significantly increase the spans. For example, the cathedral in Amiens occupies an area of 7,700 square meters. m. But its vault rises to such a height that it seems narrow.
The towers of the main facade rise even higher.
With the development of Gothic, lancet windows became larger and the spaces between them became narrower. Finally side walls almost completely disappear. There is actually only one frame left, consisting of thin supports. The space between them is occupied by huge windows, which end in sweeping pointed arches.
Spade-shaped Romanesque buttresses are replaced by the so-called flying buttresses - fragile semi-arches, which rest on a thin column with one side and support the frame with the other. The flying buttresses surrounding the building give the impression of a capricious stone lace, and they also made it possible to erect towers of unprecedented height.
Since Gothic churches have almost no walls, but only a frame, there are no wall mosaics or frescoes inside them. they are replaced by stained glass windows - paintings made of multi-colored glass. Stained glass windows occupy the huge window openings of the temple. The sun shines through the glass and paints the interior in fantastic colors. The palette of stained glass artists was very rich; various shades of red and bright blue were favorites. Therefore, the overall color scheme usually turned out to be red and violet.
Only the main façade has preserved the massive wall in the Gothic cathedral. This usually contains a single stained glass window. In Gothic buildings in France this window round shape and has the poetic name rose. In Germany, the window on the front facade of the cathedral is often lancet. Another feature of German Gothic is not two, as in France, but one or three towers on the facade.
The facades and portals of temples were usually decorated with sculptural images of saints and kings or images of allegorical content. For example, the portal of the Cathedral in Strasbourg is decorated with magnificent sculptures depicting two women. One of them - young, proud and cheerful at the same time - symbolizes Christian Church. The second, standing bowed, blindfolded and holding a broken spear in her hands, is a Jewish synagogue. Similar figures can be seen in other cathedrals. Each of them is unique and reveals traditional images in its own way. Great importance There is also a smaller sculpture. Gutters and others technical details often look like fantastic animals. At the end of the Middle Ages, a plastic ornament appeared, which with its curves resembles a flame. The building was covered with this ornament from top to bottom. This style received the expressive name “fiery Gothic”.
Gothic cathedrals often took a very long time to build, over the course of more than one generation. It happened that construction was interrupted for a long time as a result of wars or lack of money. But the architects, replacing each other, diligently adhered to stylistic unity with their predecessors. Thus, the cathedral in Reims, where, according to tradition, the solemn coronation took place French king, took 100 years to build, the cathedrals in Cologne and Milan even longer.
Gothic style in the architecture of Germany, Italy and Spain
As already noted, the “most gothic” country is France. Germany ranks second. This style is found in Italy, but it has never been truly popular here. True, it is in Italy that we can see one of the most remarkable examples of Gothic architecture - the grandiose Milan Cathedral.
In Spain, which for a long time was under the rule of Muslim Arabs and became the birthplace of a very special architectural style, Gothic buildings began to be erected only at the end of the Middle Ages. But here too there are examples of this style. The most famous example is the cathedral in Barcelona, a city that was under Muslim rule for only a short time.
In England, this style also gained great popularity. Its example is the most iconic building in the country - Westminster Abbey in London. In more recent times, English architects willingly turned to the Gothic heritage.
