Anna Tomlinson

12-2-15
HIST 442
Research Paper

Cathedrals: Building a Church Through Structure and Community

Cathedrals became an intricate part of society in the middle ages. Not only were
they a place to attend mass, but also they became one of the largest attractions a city
could have. With the focus of these structures being on the ability to channel the presence
of God, large amounts of natural light filtered through stained glass windows depicting
biblical imagery and reaching heavenly height only added to their beauty. Of course,
with the introduction to thinner loadbearing walls and the desire for mass amounts of
windows, architects had to be innovative and adapt the architectural style of the Goths to
preexisting Romanesque structures; thus, Gothic Cathedrals.
The building of cathedrals was meticulous, as one of the main goals was height.
In medieval times, however, the only really feasible way to create tall structures was with
really thick walls. This was because building materials were limited to what was
available, such as stone and wood. In order to ensure that the walls wouldnt topple
down, they had to be reinforced repeatedly, leading to dark confined space.
The external appearance of an old cathedral cannot be but displeasing to
the eye of every man who has any idea of propriety and proportion, even
though he may be ignorant of architecture as a science; the long slender
spire puts one in mind of a criminal impaled, with a sharp stake rising up
through his shoulder. These towers or steeples may be of use for making

observations and signals; but I would vote for their being quite distinct
from the body of the church, because they serve only to make the pile
more barbarous or Saracenical.1
- Tobias Smollett in Humphrey Clinker (1770)
With gothic style design, named after the Goths, architects began utilizing large glass
windows to provide support to walls while allowing them to be thinner and taller. This
also brought in natural light, which by the use of stained panels within the windowpanes
allowed the intricate detailing of images known as stained glass to fill the interior, much
like the panels in the temple of Solomon.2 St. Denis in northern Paris is considered to be
the first Gothic style church, with the creative vision from Abbot Suger.3
One of the major differences between Romanesque and Gothic style architecture
is that the openings of Romanesque windows and doorways are in rounded curves at the
top with narrow openings in order to support the walls of the building, where as Gothic
style openings are pointed at the top, almost like a slightly curved arrow. A stress line is
the point at which gravity is giving the most force. For the round Roman style arches,
gravity is trying to push the two sides of the arch away from each other because the force
on the stress line is going side ways. The stress line in the Gothic arches push downward,
back into the ground, instead of sideways, allowing for taller, wider arches. But even
these arches have limitations, as the point where either side of the columns meets the
beginning of the arch can still buckle if weight isnt properly distributed.
1

Taylor, Alec. "The Master-works of English Architecture." The Cathedrals of England.

Rev. ed. New York, N.Y.: Thames and Hudson, 1989. 9. Print.
2

Simson, Otto Georg Von. "The New Church." The Gothic Cathedral; Origins of Gothic
Architecture and the Medieval Concept of Order. [2d ed. New York: Pantheon, 1962. 134.
Print.
3

Building The Great Cathedrals. Dir. Scott Tiffany. 2010. Film.

In order to prevent any future shifting of the stones in the arches, another gothic
technique comes into play, supporting the areas where the force of gravity is pushing
outward by performing a counteraction, or propping of the arch. This arm like structure is
called a flying buttress.4 Flying buttresses became a critical part of gothic architecture,
allowing the window walls and large open spaces within the cathedrals a reality. The
arches and flying buttresses are the two most important parts of the cathedral. Even the
ceiling is designed with the use of arches. The stone ceiling is called a ribbed vault and
each section is made up of two arches perpendicular to each other to form the shape of an
X. The force of the ceiling is placed on the columns that are placed in specific locations
to enable them to support the weight without putting it on the walls. This opens the
interior sections of the ribs to be made up of windows.5 Mixing different metals into the
liquefied glass bubble creates the vibrant colors within the window portraits of biblical
stories and characters.
Considering that cathedrals were built to serve the community in which they were
placed, many times to a scale that would fit the entire population of a city and those
surrounding it, it is not surprising that spiritual significance takes precedence in even the
dimensions. Notre Dame has the same measurements as the temple of Solomon, referred
to as Gods house on Earth: 30 Royal feet from the ground to the top of the first level,
and 60 Royal feet from the ground to the second.6 Chartres Cathedral also contains
4

Briggs, Martin. A Pictorial Guide to Cathedral Architecture. 21. Print.

Prache, Anne. "The First Gothic Cathedrals." Cathedrals of Europe. Ithaca, N.Y.:
Cornell UP, 2000. 152. Print.
6

Simson, Otto Georg Von. "The New Church." The Gothic Cathedral; Origins of Gothic
Architecture and the Medieval Concept of Order. [2d ed. New York: Pantheon, 1962. 3738. Print.

biblical numeric mystery. The traditional shape of a cathedral is to be that of a cross. In

Chartres, the square in the middle of the two perpendicular lines forming the cross has a
very special measurement. It is 50 Roman feet on each side, or 50 cubits; the width of the
Ark that Noah was instructed by God to build.7 Other cathedrals, Amiens and Beauvais,
have measured ceiling heights at 144 feet, which the bible says is the height of heaven.
The only difference between the two, Amiens architects used to Roman foot as a form of
measurement, while those of Beauvais used the longer, Royal foot, creating the worlds
tallest cathedral, though not the most stable.
Architects building cathedrals required teams of workers to make their visions
into reality.8 Young men spent a number of years apprenticing under a master carpenter,
mason, sculptor, architect, etc., until they had the skills necessary to go out on their own.
As these projects took sometimes generations to finish, this allowed the original vision to
be carried out, as the apprentice could step into the place of the master once he had
passed or was no longer able to work.
Biblical references are plenty within cathedrals, as they were meant to represent
and look like holy temples. The temple of Solomon in particular was very popular. Within
the temples were gold plated decorations and murals made of gems and precious metals.
Stained Glass became the cathedrals version of these treasures. Not only were they meant
to signify the royal wealth of Gods kingdom, but also the pictures within the glass told
stories and allowed the townspeople the opportunity to bring them to life, as a majority

Ibid. 228

Ibid. 147

were illiterate.9 The abundance of light that the massive windows let in was also designed
to bring visitors the feeling as though they were getting closer to God, and the building
was being filled with the Holy Spirit.
The open, almost cavernous interior of cathedrals allows acoustics to bounce off
of and play with the angles. Just as when a new emperor was crowned and the loud,
cheering in unison symbolized the divine acceptance of the new leader; the echoes
throughout the structure could signify Gods pleasure in the sharing of his teachings.
Mass in itself then becomes a performance, the sights and smells now experiences. The
purpose was to allow ordinary people the feeling of getting closer to God, an almost
heaven on Earth.10
Not only did the addition of Gothic style architecture allow the structures to take
on a new image, but it allowed those attending mass to feel a connection to the heavens,
both through the hidden religious messages within the architecture symbolizing Gods
earthly home and the images that appeared when the large amounts of natural light shone
through the stained glass windows, but it allowed the cathedrals themselves to share the
story of their journey and time as the Gothic and Romanesque styles worked together in
some places, and stood on their own in others.

Works Cited
Briggs, Martin. A Pictorial Guide to Cathedral Architecture. 21. Print.
9

Prache, Anne. "The First Gothic Cathedrals." Cathedrals of Europe. Ithaca, N.Y.:
Cornell UP, 2000. 158. Print.
10

Simson, Otto Georg Von. "The New Church." The Gothic Cathedral; Origins of Gothic
Architecture and the Medieval Concept of Order. [2d ed. New York: Pantheon, 1962. 37.
Print.

Prache, Anne. "The First Gothic Cathedrals." Cathedrals of Europe. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell
UP, 2000. 152. Print.
Simson, Otto Georg Von. "The New Church." The Gothic Cathedral; Origins of Gothic
Architecture and the Medieval Concept of Order. [2d ed. New York: Pantheon,
1962. 37, 38, 134, 147, 228. Print.
Taylor, Alec. "The Master-works of English Architecture." The Cathedrals of England.
Rev. ed. New York, N.Y.: Thames and Hudson, 1989. 9. Print.
Building The Great Cathedrals. Dir. Scott Tiffany. 2010. Film.