Gothic Architecture

 Gothic Architecture

Salisbury Cathedral built in the 13th century in the UK

 With regards to the Carolingian Renaissance that fostered architectural and artistic innovations under the reign of Charlemagne, people have a misconception that a lingering silence prevailed thereafter until the ignition of the Renaissance as such. This belief is so ingrained that almost every one of us has an at least slightly negative impression of the Medieval Ages.  Nevertheless, nothing could be further from the truth, because the Medieval Ages were not as dark as depicted by Romantic artists of the 19th century, but hectic and dynamic both in art and science. Petty and sporadic scientific innovations and artistic currents probably paved the way for the advent of the Renaissance proper. These impulsions for authentic manifestations of aesthetic novelty did not certainly exclude architecture as it goes without saying. In particular, there was an architectural style that emanated from Romanesque Architecture in the mid-12th century and became the rule until the Renaissance period and its architectural revolutions: Gothic Architecture.

The Church of Saint-Jean de Montmartre

 First appearing as a ground-breaking style that split off from the Romanesque style in France, the Gothic style promptly won recognition amongst contemporaneous folks and became the primary preference of many architects of its time. In fact, Gothic Architecture was a distinctive contrast between the old Roman architecture, which had been revived for a brief period in the form of Romanesque—because it entails some Christian modifications—from the 11th until the appearance of Gothic Architecture in the mid-12th century, and the new European society, quarrelsome brethren in Christ of one another. It was a deviation from the mundane perspective and an orientation towards a divine one. As of the rise of this architecture, the joy of the Second Coming would be, according to certain historians, partly replaced by the commemoration of Jesus' crucifixion accordingly with the Catholic mentality, competently depicted with darker colours and gloomier structures. Gothic Architecture primarily concentrated its focus on one aspect of the religion: spirituality. This focus can easily be observed in Gothic churches; they tend to have towering and pointed spires, representing an effort to reach out to God. This predilection for tall and pointed structures is associated with the narrative of the Tower of Babel by some, though not unanimously acknowledged. Besides, this architecture obviously differs from others in the ambiance it tries to create: sizeable stained glasses and rosettes with vibrant colours that diffract the light beams into the main nave of the church, producing a spiritual atmosphere. When combined with large interior spaces with vertically expanding frescoes, the church becomes a divine sanctuary for the peasants who live in a shanty hut with little to no light. As a matter of fact, Gothic Architecture was a revolution for its time. For instance, the upper part of the main nave of Gothic churches, right above the pointed arches between nave columns, is bestowed with meticulous sculptures, generally in the form of trefoils or quatrefoils, that draw people's look upwards, which indicates the celestiality of God the father. 'A bridge between the worldly and heavenly Jerusalem,' say some authors. Despite all, this style did not contrive to resist the wear and tear of time, slowly losing popularity over the course of several decades prior to the Renaissance, at the end of which it was already considered unaffordable, overly ornate, and, therefore, unfashionable.

Western Façade of Saint-Denis

 With a view to better scrutinise features of Gothic Architecture, I reckon that we should analyse a distinctive church such as the very first example of the Gothic style: the Basilica of Saint-Denis. the Basilica of Saint-Denis was an esteemed place of worship even before the construction of the Basilica as is because Saint Denis had worked there the miracle of cephalophor—that's to say that he had picked up his decapitated head between his arms after his 'execution' and walked around 4 miles (6 kilometres) while preaching before succumbing to his haemorrhagia—As a tribute, the old church was demolished by order of Abbot Suger, advisor of French King Louis VI at the same time, with the aim of erecting a new and more glorious one. Its completion dates to 1144 AD, although the church has undergone a myriad of calamities throughout history such as disasters and popular vandalisations, which led to numerous restorations. The new building was so impressive for the French gentry of the time that the number of French nobles and monarchs who wanted to be interred there rose disproportionately and its graveyard literally became a royal cemetery. Some of these monarchs had been buried before the new Gothic basilica was built; Dagobert I, known for his monetary reform through which he standardised the coins and put his portrait on them, or Hugues Capet, known for using French for the first time as the official language as of 987 AD, are one of them. Some of the most popular monarchs that were buried after are Louis XIV, the icon of absolutism, and Louis XVI, the last monarch before the French Revolution of 1789. However, most of their tombs were ruthlessly desecrated during the reign of Terror in France between 1793-1794, an obscure period marked by its animosity towards all Christian values and symbolism. 

Stained glasses from inside the basilica

 Though the basilica wasn't the most illustrious work of the Gothic period, it is of utmost importance since its architecture determined the features of its nascent architectural style. First of all, the use of pointed arches was a revolutionary idea, albeit apparently insignificant, because the round arches of conventional styles did not propagate the stress well, so the walls shoring them up had to be thicker and the columns closer one to another in order to hold the weight. On the other hand, pointed arches directly pressed the columns instead of the arch itself, allowing an aggrandisement of the interval between columns, as well as the building of higher ceilings, leaving subsequently more space for decoration. The excess pressure was also taken away by external flying buttresses, which I am going to broach in depth down below in my review of Cologne Cathedral. Besides, this better relief of pressure made it possible for architects to install larger glasses on the walls for a better ambiance since the walls did not have to be as sturdy as before. Undoubtedly, those glasses were painted, so they were technically stained glasses, in a way to illustrate the significant accounts from the Bible or to depict eminent personages of Christendom as observable in the image on the left. More interestingly, the overwhelming majority of these adornments were situated above the ogival, a terminological synonym of pointed, arches with the intention of drawing attention upwards as a reference to the association of the divinity with the sky. Speaking of arches, it would be convenient to talk about their cousins at the ceiling: the vaults. By definition, a vault is a type of arch that supports the roof or ceiling of a building; as such, vaults are built in almost all churches. Nonetheless, Gothic vaults could be likened, in form, to the intersection of multiple spheres with a pointed peak contrarily to Romanesque, the previous predominant architectural style, vaults that were built as if the outlines of a colossal hemisphere were followed as a guideline. Even if forms differ, the characteristic pointedness of Gothic Architecture always stands out. At the back of the basilica, the apse is also subtly different, being rounder than usual apses, but this is not as important as the aspect that I am going to touch upon now: verticality.

All the abovementioned aspects are clearly visible in this photo of the Basilica of Saint-Denis.

Ulm Cathedral

 Though claimed by some other architectural currents such as Modernism, Art Deco, Deconstructivism, etc., verticality occupied an indispensable place in Gothic architecture. As a general rule, the façades of Gothic churches had tapering protrusions projecting into the sky. Other than that, steeples could also be built taller thanks to the architectural innovation of ogival arches. The cathedrals of Cologne and Ulm in German exemplify this tendency to the fullest extent of the word. There are some hypotheses that this aspect was in fact a reference to the account of the Tower of Babel, but they are not widely accepted. In any case, there is one thing we are sure of, and that is the divine intent behind this verticality. As with prominent decorations near the vaults or the pointed arches on both sides of the main nave, verticality was an unmistakable symbolism of a bridge between what is mundane and celestial. Unlike the previous Romanesque style whose primary goal was to flaunt influence, the Gothic style was all about ostentatious spirituality. In parallel to this, the divine sensation of towering spires was supplemented by the fear induced by statues of appalling creatures such as gargoyles and chimeras that would often be placed on top of the roof to awaken fear and represent the threat of hell in case of disobedience towards the authoritative corpus of the clergy. The presence of such fearsome creatures in church architecture is irrefutable proof of the fact that religion was once used as a tool of oppression. Either you pay the tithe, the tax levied on produce by the Church in the Medieval Ages, or you will be tormented by these creatures in Hell, vainly wailing in anguish forever! In spite of the exaggeration, my previous fictional citation is, I reckon, highly illustrative of the religious bigotry of that time.

A gargoyle statue on top of Notre-Dame de Paris

the Shrine of the Three Wise Men in Cologne Cathedral

 Despite its appearance in France, Gothic Architecture contrived to spread to other countries in a contagious manner to speak in a figurative way. Besides well-known French churches built in the Gothic style, German Gothic Architecture also produced bewildering churches. For instance, Cologne Cathedral has almost risen to a landmark status for Germany. Considering its complexity, it is no wonder that its construction lasted over 600 years, from 1248 to 1880. Historically, the Archbishop of Cologne, Rainald of Dassel, acquired the relics of the Three Wise Men who, coming from the East, had visited the newborn Jesus and offered him gifts. Upon this acquisition, there was no doubt that Cologne had to become a place of worship worthy of these relics, so a new sketch was conceived to replace the old church that had stood on the banks of the Rhine for a long time. In the most literal sense of the word, this new plan was the pure definition of Gothic Architecture. In contrast to Gothic churches built in Spain, which were subject to Arabic or Maghrebine influences because of their geographical proximity and historical background, German Gothic Architecture remained purer. However, Cologne Cathedral is another dimension of Gothic purity, although it was initially based on the Cathedral of Amiens in France.

Three of the flying buttresses of the cathedral

 As for its external appearance, there is the most distinguishable aspect of Gothic churches: flying buttresses. As promised above, I have to explain them too. Since the Gothic style did not employ thick and sturdy walls to shore up heavy roofs, architects resorted to an innovative solution, which was the installation of tower-like poles on the outside, which would be connected to the stress points of the main building by means of arched bridges called flying buttresses. Flying buttresses are a typical component of Gothic Architecture. Grandiosely built with regular intervals in between, flying buttresses do not only buttress the building for structural support but also produce a stunning effect thanks to their complexity. Today, visitors can even walk through them! Though Gothic Architecture has plenty of authentic aspects, the use of flying buttresses is the most credible clue to identify them since no other architectural style has used it yet. Moreover, these flying buttresses were also ornamented with various sculptures and paintings in many buildings. As seen in the image, the flying buttresses of Cologne Cathedral are also decoratively sculpted and feature regular holes in them with crooked protrusions thereon. In order to prevent any confusion, it should be said that the structural supports are buttresses and flying buttresses are those decorated arched bridges connecting them with the main building in order to transmit the pressure. In the absence of modern building materials such as concrete, most of those supports were either masonry or wooden structures. Though of frivolous appearance, flying buttresses also feature a great variety. For instance, flying buttresses with only one arch, as those of Cologne Cathedral, are simple flying buttresses; however, their compound versions, which have multiple arches stacked together, exist. Apart from buttresses and arches, Cologne Cathedral is a praiseworthy example of minuteness with every square inch of its façades. Made of Köln sandstone, which was commonplace in many buildings of the cathedral's whereabouts because of its excellent workability and durability, every nook and cranny of its façades is a masterpiece of masonry. The four evangelists and some other bishops are sculpted above the portal giving in to the vestibule. Other than important figures, the building teems with the aforementioned gargoyles and chimeras too. The contrast of gargoyles on the outside and saints on the inside was an attempt to emphasise the Catholic dogma that there isn't salvation outside the Church. In addition, numerous scenes from the Old and New Testaments are depicted on its outer façades. In general, those sculptures and ornaments are covered with a roof-like arch that is pointed, which is another aspect of Gothic Architecture. Having two pointed spires, the cathedral doesn't skimp on verticality either. Taking into account its towering spires which are one of the tallest with 515 feet (157 metres), the reason of its interminable construction explains itself by a simple glance.

Cologne Cathedral

inside Cologne Cathedral

 Not surprisingly, Cologne Cathedral features a similar beauty, though less complex, on the inside, causing many viewers to lapse into stupefaction. First of all, the cathedral has one of the highest ceilings in the world with 141 feet (43 metres) and it has high balconies and galleries for visitors to take a gander from above. The interior arches demarcating the main nave are also ogival as the ones that adorn the exterior façades and the ceiling adheres to the typical groin vaults of this architectural style. Inside, it has diverse statues of Jesus or saints for believers to venerate as recommended by the Cathecism; differently from the Basilica of Saint-Denis, it doesn't house remains of nobles or monarchs apart from defunct bishops and archbishops. In compliance with its style, it is also equipped with tapering stained glasses portraiting in some parts remarkable personages of Christendom even if the majority has flower paintings. Though not easily visible in broad daylight, they put on a bedazzling beauty at sunsets and after. In the aftermath of a six years' time of sustaining considerable damage in the course of the Second World War, interrupting the Mass as well, new restoration efforts were initiated in the 50s. Today, it receives around 20,000 visitors per day. 

la Giralda

 Contrarily to Cologne Cathedral, we have compound architectures on the opposite end of the spectrum. Generally, these mixed buildings are from Spain and Portugal where the Islamic influence has left also an indelible mark on architecture. For instance, Sevilla Cathedral manifests strong Islamic influence despite having typical Gothic flying buttresses and pointed arches. It has a yellowish colour that can be likened to adobe, but the structure is built in fact of stone and brick. Historically, the original building was a mosque whose construction was ordered by Caliph Abu Yaqub Yusuf of the Almohad dynasty. Therefore, the original building was architecturally based on the conventional Maghrebine style. After the Reconquista, that's to say, the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula by Christian forces, the mosque was Christianised. Its famous bell tower, La Giralda, was also the minaret of this former mosque, and its construction was inspired by the minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque in today's Morocco. A long process of conversion was undertaken after the reconquest of Sevilla during the reign of Ferdinand III the Saint, who would later be interred there. Likewise, many other monarchs like Alfonso X the Wise followed King Ferdinand's example and were buried there both before and after the construction of the new cathedral,which is not difficult to understand considering its historical symbolism. However, the old converted church would be demolished to build the Gothic building we know today on the grounds that it was in a ruinous state, which was in fact a reflection of the animosity nourished by the Christian Castilians against the Muslim Berbers. Looking on the bright side, Sevilla Cathedral had surpassed the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul in size to become the largest cathedral in the world until the completion of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican "outstripped" it. On the other hand, the minaret didn't undergo this kind of a 'destroy-and-rebuild' procedure, but its conversion wasn't thoroughly uniform because the construction was already initiated in the Renaissance period, so a Renaissance touch in the upper part of La Giralda was given by Hernán Ruiz, a famous architect active mostly in Andalusia, Spain, while he was enlargening its interior. Such compound works exist in almost every corner of historically disputed regions. Territorial handovers over the course of centuries bring about drastic architectural conversions as is the exact opposite case with the Hagia Sophia of Istanbul, which was converted into a mosque after the conquest of Constantinople by Mehmed II of the Ottomans in the year 1453. 

The portal of the Cathedral of Sevilla in Spain

The Cathedral of Sevilla seen from afar with its Gothic buttresses

Rouen Cathedral

 Apart from religious conversions that necessitate architectural changes, many other churches in relatively more peaceful or culturally more homogeneous regions of Europe pertain to two or more different styles. One of the principal reasons to enumerate is long-winded constructions that span decades or even sometimes centuries. When a church cannot be completed within a short period of time, later emerging architectural styles also influence the continuation of the construction in their way. Another reason is restorations that take place in times when other architectural structures are more appreciated than the one a church was built with. For instance, Rouen Cathedral in France is a prime example of this kind of situation. Though built initially as a Gothic church in the 12th century, one of its spires collapsed as a result of a devastating fire in 1514, so it was replaced by a wooden spire in the Renaissance style by Robert Becquet in 1557. Yet, this spire didn't reach us either because it was struck by lightning on the 15th of September, 1822. It was consequently replaced by another one which was this time made of cast iron in the Neo-Gothic style. The last probable explanation of such architectural mixtures is architectural transition periods. Just like a gradient colour, it is impossible to tell where an architectural style definitively started or definitively died. They overlap each other at some points of history, giving rise to ambiguous periods in terms of architecture. A good example of this is the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, which is a combination of the decadent Gothic and nascent Renaissance styles. Famous for having the largest masonry dome in the world, the grandiose cathedral is still the first building to greet those who approach the city of Florence. Despite being mainly a Renaissance structure, the presence of ribbed vaults, pointed arches, and intricate sculptures suggests it as a fair mixture of both.

The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy

The Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul

 With the rise of the Renaissance, Gothic Architecture started to slowly lose its esteem amongst artists and architects of the epoch, marking its decline. On top of this, the Lutheran Reforms profoundly upset the religious uniformity across Europe, plunging it into religious turmoil. Although, the Gothic style had not died for good since it would be later revitalised in the 18th and 19th centuries. During this period, called the Gothic Revival, the Gothic buildings of the olden days were brought back. Minor changes would be brought such as the use of modern building materials like concrete, yet the general aspect of the Gothic style remained intact. Though not many new churches were built because of the dwindling interest of society in religion, the Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul in Prague is a noteworthy example of these few churches, many administrative and educative buildings were erected following this style. However, incomplete Gothic churches, whose groundbreaking dates back to between the 12th and 14th centuries, were mostly completed during this revivalist movement. Cologne Cathedral I mentioned above is a good example. In any case, our whimsical and capricious attitude soon shifted its focus and consigned Gothic Architecture to the dusty pages of history, this time for good.

 Thank you for reading,

Athel.