Gothic Cathedrals
By: Ella U.
Gothic Cathedrals were a symbol of god and it showed that they cared and cherished him. These cathedrals were built a very long time ago and sadly many of them have rotted or fallen down. There however are still a few cathedrals standing and are all pieces of art.
Building materials
The huge building took a lot of material. They were mostly made of stone, but mainly limestone. These materials were very heavy and in order for the builders to lift rocks up very high they had to build a stone quarry. There was material in between the stone which held it together it was called martyr. The material was the cement but it was around before cement was. There was also wood in these cathedrals. The wood holds up the ceiling and gives shape to many of the arches, flying buttresses and even the doors.
Size
At this time the size of the cathedral depended on how much money the bishop and the town had. A lot of the Cathedrals in Europe were very large because the bishops had tons of money, some of the cathedrals were even a little bit too large. Also the people donated a lot of money to the building of the church.
Gothic vaults
All of the gothic cathedrals had vaults in them. These pieces of art took a lot of work because they had to get every piece of stone in the perfect spot otherwise it would fall down. The stones used were usually very heavy and hard to work with because there was no technology to put them up besides people strength.
The cathedrals had some many of these vaulted roofs because the builders thought it lower the risk of fire. This was a good idea to take into consideration because fires spread quickly in this time period because so many of the building were built of wood. There were also no firefighter to put the fires out. Another reason the cathedrals had vaulted ceilings is because it made the inside of the cathedral look completed and finished.
Flying Buttresses
These buildings had flying buttresses in them. These helped hold the ceiling up from the outside. If the gothic cathedrals didn’t have flying buttresses then the the walls would lean outwards and eventually the cathedral would collapse.
Overall the gothic cathedrals were very important to the life of a person living in this time period. The people looked up to this and cherished them very much.
Building materials
The huge building took a lot of material. They were mostly made of stone, but mainly limestone. These materials were very heavy and in order for the builders to lift rocks up very high they had to build a stone quarry. There was material in between the stone which held it together it was called martyr. The material was the cement but it was around before cement was. There was also wood in these cathedrals. The wood holds up the ceiling and gives shape to many of the arches, flying buttresses and even the doors.
Size
At this time the size of the cathedral depended on how much money the bishop and the town had. A lot of the Cathedrals in Europe were very large because the bishops had tons of money, some of the cathedrals were even a little bit too large. Also the people donated a lot of money to the building of the church.
Gothic vaults
All of the gothic cathedrals had vaults in them. These pieces of art took a lot of work because they had to get every piece of stone in the perfect spot otherwise it would fall down. The stones used were usually very heavy and hard to work with because there was no technology to put them up besides people strength.
The cathedrals had some many of these vaulted roofs because the builders thought it lower the risk of fire. This was a good idea to take into consideration because fires spread quickly in this time period because so many of the building were built of wood. There were also no firefighter to put the fires out. Another reason the cathedrals had vaulted ceilings is because it made the inside of the cathedral look completed and finished.
Flying Buttresses
These buildings had flying buttresses in them. These helped hold the ceiling up from the outside. If the gothic cathedrals didn’t have flying buttresses then the the walls would lean outwards and eventually the cathedral would collapse.
Overall the gothic cathedrals were very important to the life of a person living in this time period. The people looked up to this and cherished them very much.