. The term “Gothic,” first derisively applied by Italian Renaissance writers, is still the accepted designation for the last phase of medieval art and architecture, lasting from ca. 1140 to ca. 1525. The period is usually divided into four...

Visual Arts and the Gothic INTRODUCTION REPRESENTATIVE WORKS PRIMARY SOURCES OVERVIEWS ARCHITECTURE ART FURTHER READING Introduction The dominant style of architecture in Europe from the twelfth century to the sixteenth century was first classified as...

The Gothic cathedral was one of the most aweinspiring achievements of medieval technology. Architects and engineers built churches from skeletal stone ribs composed of pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses to create soaring vertical...

Gothic architecture is a style of architecture which flourished in Europe during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture. Originating in 12th century France and lasting...

After a Paris breakfast of cafe and croissant, how about lunch and a glass of bubbly in France's Champagne region?Thanks to a new high-speed train line, Reims, the ancient heart of Champagne country, is now just 45 minutes from Paris — less time than it...

After a Paris breakfast of cafe and croissant, how about lunch and a glass of bubbly in France's Champagne region?Thanks to a new high-speed train line, Reims, the ancient heart of Champagne country, is now just 45 minutes from Paris — less time than it...

The 12th Century saw the move away from the Romanesque architecture which had typified the preceding centuries to the era of the great gothic cathedrals which were to become the architectural symbol of the middle ages. Numbers and geometry had acquired a metaphysical significance and were believed to have occult symbolism and power. The introduction of sacred geometry into all aspects of the design of places of worship was therefore inevitable.

Gothic cathedrals, grand religious structures erected in the Middle Ages, shared the essential characteristics of beauty, functionality, and religion. Certain aspects make up and define these cathedrals as magnificent works of art -- from the materials used, such as wood, stone, gold, stained glass, and external details like gargoyles; to the advanced architectural techinques of the day, including the ribbed vault, the spire, and the flying buttress.

Compares Gothic architecture in Italy, Germany and France. Explores the history of the Gothic Style and explains its original purpose.