The biggest number of monasteries were homes to the monks of the Benedictine Order. Monks belonged to different "orders" which had different rules. A group of holy men lived and worked and prayed there. In the early Middle Ages, many monasteries were built all over Europe. Cathedrals were usually the biggest and most beautiful churches. A church which has a Bishop's throne is called a "cathedral". Each Bishop had a throne where he could sit when priests and people came to him. The churches of each area had a local bishop who came under the Pope. During the Middle Ages, one language was used in churches all across Europe - Ecclesiastical Latin, sometimes called Church Latin, which had developed from ancient Latin. The Roman Catholic Church has one head - the Pope. In Western Europe, in the Middle Ages, almost everyone belonged to the Roman Catholic Church. Cities often had high walls and many of the houses built at this time were tall, high towers. Italy was mostly split up into small city states which often fought each other. The house of the lord was called a manor house. In England and France, most people did not live in towns. Because of the peace and wealth of these towns, they showed their pride by building huge town halls, often with very tall towers. Germany, Holland and Belgium had many big towns that grew peacefully, often trading with each other. Trade between towns and states began to make the towns grow larger. Norway was influenced by England, while the other Scandinavian countries and Poland were influenced by German states. England was ruled by a king whose family also had a lot of land in France. The modern countries of France and Spain were each divided into different kingdoms. Emperor Charlemagne began the Holy Roman Empire in 800 AD. The Holy Roman Empire ruled a big part of Europe including the modern countries of Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, eastern France and much of northern Italy, apart from Venice. Many of these were beginning to become the countries that exist today. Background Towns, states and countriesĪt the end of the 12th century, Western Europe was divided into different states. After Vasari, many other people used the word "Gothic" to describe architecture with pointed arches. He said that, as the barbaric Goths had destroyed the classical world, so this "modern art" had destroyed the architecture of the twelfth century. The word " Gothic" was used later during the Renaissance as an insult, relating to the uncivilized ancient Goths, Germanic-people documented living near lower Vistula river.Īn Italian writer named Giorgio Vasari used the word "Gothic" in the 1530s, because he thought buildings from the Middle Ages were not carefully planned and measured like Renaissance buildings or the buildings of ancient Rome. Gothic architecture was at first called "the French Style" ( Opus Francigenum). 4.7.1 Vaulted roofs with pointed arches.4 Architectural features of Gothic churches.3 Abbot Suger and the first Gothic building.This style is called Gothic Revival architecture.
In the 19th century, the Gothic style became popular again, particularly for building churches and universities. Many are listed with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as World Heritage Sites. Even the smallest Gothic churches are often very beautiful, while many of the larger Gothic churches and cathedrals are thought to be priceless works of art. Many church buildings still remain from this period. It is also the architecture of many castles, palaces, town halls, universities, and also some houses.
Many of the great cathedrals, abbeys and churches of Europe are Gothic architecture.
Other important features are the ribbed vault, flying buttress, and windows with patterns of stone lace called tracery. The important single feature of Gothic architecture is the pointed arch, which is the main difference from Romanesque architecture which had rounded arches. Gothic architecture spread across Europe and lasted until the 16th century when Renaissance architecture became popular. Gothic architecture grew out of Romanesque architecture, in France in the 12th century. Gothic architecture is a way of planning and designing buildings that developed in Western Europe in the Late Middle Ages. Cologne Cathedral is one of the largest Cathedrals built in Gothic style in the world.