Gothic Architecture and Effect on Seminar Paper

However, there is also a more prosaic explanation of the contrasting styles manifest in Gothic cathedrals: because they took so long to complete, the construction of the cathedrals was often interrupted by warfare, and thus they were constructed during different social periods and exhibited the influence of different builders, rulers, and forms of construction ("Medieval gothic principles," Medieval Spell, 2009). Furthermore, even when there is symmetry and surface order in Gothic cathedrals, there is always a sense of disorder lurking beneath the veneer: traces of individuality and the grotesque seep forth in the form of gargoyles.

The layout of the cathedrals was supposed to mirror the worshipper's spiritual path. "Entering the cathedral from the West, you are surrounded by symbols. First, is the pattern of the labyrinth in the floor stone," to represent the maze of human life ("Medieval gothic cathedrals," Medieval Spell, 2009). The light coming from the glass windows of the nave lead to the main center of prayer and medication, and the windows would display either scenes or designs intended to provoke a spiritual feeling in the viewer.The structure of the cathedrals also made them easier to defend, given that the most vital parts of human and spiritual life were not located in the exterior rooms.

In many cities with Gothic cathedrals there was no city hall: the cathedrals were the places that individuals socialized. Everyone congregated to worship and engage in social activities at the cathedral. Although aristocratic wealth and a hierarchical church fueled their construction, cathedrals were also a source of visual and social pleasure, even for the lowest classes of society.

Works Cited

"Gothic architecture." Think Quest. 2000. March 24, 2010.

http://library.thinkquest.org/C005594/Medieval/gothic.htm

Liukkonen, Petri & Ari Pesonen. "Erwin Panofsky." Kuusankosken kaupunginkirjasto 2008.

March 24, 2010. http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/panof.htm

"Medieval gothic cathedrals." Medieval Spell. 2009. March 24, 2010.

http://www.medieval-spell.com/Medieval-Gothic-Cathedrals.html

"Medieval gothic principles." Medieval Spell. 2009. March 24, 2010.

http://www.medieval-spell.com/Medieval-Gothic.html.....