Gothi Gothic Cathedrals

Architecture was the first movement to emerge from the Gothic era. The very first building to display Gothic features was Saint Denis in Paris renovated by Abbot Suger. He wanted his church to be a physical representation of Jerusalem filled with light and colour, and so, in 1140, Suger started to renovate his church. He started by enlarging the ambulatory, which is a walkway behind the altar, and replaced the rounded arches from the Romanesque style with pointed, angular arches. However, the first truly gothic construction was the choir of the church, built in 1144. Suger wanted it to be immersed in light, and so he first made thin columns and clustered them together to support the ribs. He then added large colourful stained-glass windows, whose angular designs created an eerie look. The renovations were finally completed on June 11th 1144.

The tall spires suggest the people’s ambitions to rise above the natural world and touch the supernatural realm. There were also vaulting windows which were decorated with stained glass and included images of the interaction between the supernatural and human worlds. These Cathedrals were also covered in carvings that told Biblical stories and often included humanity in conflict with the supernatural. These often included demons, angels, and monsters.

Limestone was commonly used for building Gothic structures however, Northern and Eastern Germany, and Southern France made their Cathedrals out of brick and used mortar to stick them together. They also used wood to hold up the roofs and