The largest medieval cathedral. Gothic European cathedrals

Interestingly, the architecture called Gothic has nothing to do with the Goth tribes that once inhabited Europe. The Gothic style grew out of the Romanesque in the 12th century and was called " french style". Since that time, Gothic architecture began to gain popularity in Western Europe. And until the 16th century, churches and palaces, decorated in the Gothic tradition, grew like mushrooms after rain.

The Gothic style has distinctive features: the use of a frame system, high vertical windows with stained-glass windows, lancet arches with pillars that are supports, flying buttresses, cross vaults, openwork towers and much more. Here are the 10 most famous Gothic cathedrals in Europe:

St. Stephen's Cathedral - Vienna, Austria

This wonderful temple is located in the heart of cozy Vienna, which has survived many military conflicts. The cathedral on Stephansplatz rising up with its spiers is a symbol of the city and all of Austria. It stands on the ruins of two 12th-century temples. Under the temple there are catacombs, which were once an underground cemetery, and inside is the tomb of the Habsburg dynasty.

Cathedral in Burgos, Spain

A small medieval town in the modern north contains one of the masterpieces gothic architecture — Cathedral of the Virgin Mary. It is famous for its unique shape and large sizes. Its construction began in 1221 and lasted almost 2 centuries! In 1919, Spanish national heroes Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar (El Cid) and his wife found their last refuge here. The temple is one of the objects world heritage UNESCO.

Reims Cathedral - Reims, France

reims cathedral for a long time it was the place of coronation of all French monarchs. It was founded on the site of an ancient basilica where St. Remigius, Bishop of the city, baptized Clovis I. Construction was completed by the end of the 13th century. The cathedral was badly damaged during military clashes.

Milan Cathedral - Milan, Italy

Amazing gothic temple main square Milan - business card cities. Moreover, Duomo di Milano is one of the most famous and photographed buildings in all of Europe. It is also one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world. Its construction began in 1386. The architect Antonio da Saluzzo was inspired by late French Gothic. Construction was completed only after almost 5 centuries!

Seville Cathedral - Seville, Spain

York Minster - York, England

One of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Northern Europe, Cathedral York argues for this title with the Cologne Cathedral. The current building was built between 1230 and 1472. The cathedral is famous for its huge stained glass windows. Due to the threat of collapse, the temple is often reconstructed.

Notre Dame de Paris - Paris, France

The beautiful Catholic cathedral in the fourth district of Paris is perhaps the most famous Gothic cathedral in the world, due to the fact that its name has firmly entered the golden fund of world literature. Its construction began in 1163 and lasted until about 1345. This a prime example French Gothic architecture, including unique stained glass windows and sculptures. During the French Revolution, some of the sculptures were damaged. And it was in this cathedral that Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned on December 2, 1804.

Two main architectural styles are associated with the Western European Middle Ages: Romanesque and Gothic. Moreover, Romanesque arose and became widespread about a century earlier. Despite the fact that buildings in the Romanesque style continued to be erected long after the rise of the Gothic, it can, however, be said that in general this style is inherent in the early stage of the development of feudal society, when the main form of people's existence was a rural settlement with a castle - a fortress that dominated above it, and the role of the city in public life was very insignificant. Travelers moved along the roads of Europe from castle to castle and felt safe only behind strong stone walls. Such a way of life, of course, had its influence on the aesthetic views of the people of the Middle Ages. Therefore, they even wanted to see churches similar to impregnable fortresses, with blank massive walls and narrow windows resembling loopholes.

The second stage in the development of feudalism, which began around the end of the 11th - beginning of the 12th centuries, is associated with a new birth and intensive development European city as a center of trade and crafts. This development was naturally accompanied by many interesting cultural phenomena. One of these phenomena was the formation of a new architectural style, completely different, at least outwardly, from the previous one. A few centuries after its inception, this style was called Gothic.

The rise of Gothic architecture in France

It is often possible to meet with the statement that the first building that can be called Gothic was erected near Paris in the abbey of Saint-Denis, which, starting from the 10th century. and until the French Revolution served as the burial place of the French kings. At the turn of the XI and XII centuries. its rector, abbot Suger, decided to rebuild the abbey. Under the leadership of Suger, a building was erected that was strikingly different from architectural structures Romanesque style. Instead of rounded arches, pointed, lancet ones appeared. The four towers characteristic of the Romanesque style, arranged in pairs, were replaced by two very large ones, which bounded the plane of the front facade on both sides. In general, the building seems to be elongated, impetuous and fragile compared to the squat Romanesque structures. Thanks to this building, Saint-Denis was known as the birthplace of the Gothic. True, one can try to refute this glory, since some elements of the new style appear simultaneously in many places. But, of course, the construction of the abbey of Saint-Denis contributed to the spread of Gothic, because it was a role model.

The architectural tastes of Abbot Sugery were liked by his contemporaries. Soon they begin to imitate in the construction of city cathedrals. In medieval Western Europe, the cathedral is the main building of the city, all the streets converge to it.

Gothic style cathedrals

Important events take place near the cathedral. The beauty and size of the cathedral testify to the significance of the city, the wealth of its inhabitants. They tried to calculate the dimensions so that, if necessary, the building could accommodate the entire adult population of the city. Sometimes they did even more than was necessary. Cases are known when small towns, who already had cathedrals that, in size, fully satisfied the real needs of the population, built new ones, much larger, in order to be more respected by their neighbors. But great cathedral was a great luxury, not only because it took a lot of material and many people worked on its construction, but also because it took up a lot of space.

The famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

Close medieval city, surrounded by a wall, this was a very significant circumstance. Gothic architecture, unlike Romanesque, made it possible to stretch the building to hitherto unheard of heights. So, the cathedral can be made grandiose in size, and at the same time it will occupy a relatively small area. The main features of the structure of the abbey of Saint - Denis repeated erected in the XII century. the famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, or Notre Dame Cathedral. The lancet arches are very similar, there are two high sheer towers on the sides of the facade, instead of a central dome there is a thin spire. But both of these monuments are still far from the real developed Gothic. They are only a transitional link between Romanesque and Gothic architecture.

Soon, builders will create tall, steep and light structures that are simply torn into the sky. It was said above that the area occupied by gothic cathedrals, was relatively small. But this is only in comparison with the grandiose height of their slender towers. In absolute terms, the area of ​​temples designed to accommodate all urban population was by no means small. On the contrary, the Gothic structures of the vaults made it possible to significantly increase the spans. For example, the cathedral in Amiens occupies a plot of 7700 sq. m. But its vault rises to such a height that it seems narrow.

The towers of the main facade rise even higher.

With the development of Gothic, the lancet windows become larger, the gaps between them narrower. Finally, the side walls almost completely disappear. There is actually one frame, consisting of thin supports. The space between them is occupied by huge windows, which end with swift pointed arches.

Spade-shaped Romanesque buttresses replace the so-called flying buttresses - fragile semi-arches, which rest on a thin column on one side, and support the frame on the other. The flying buttresses surrounding the building give the impression of capricious stone lace, and they also made it possible to build towers of unprecedented height.

Since Gothic temples have almost no walls, but only a frame, there are no wall mosaics or frescoes inside them. they are replaced by stained-glass windows - pictures made up of multi-colored glass. Stained glass windows occupy the huge window openings of the temple. The sun shines through the glass and paints the interior in fantastic colors. The palette of stained-glass masters was very rich, various shades of red and bright blue were favorites. Therefore, the overall gamut usually came out red-violet.

The massive wall in the Gothic cathedral was preserved only by the main facade. It usually contains a single stained glass window. In the Gothic buildings of France, this window is round in shape and has the poetic name rose. In Germany, the window on the front facade of the cathedral is more often lancet. Another feature of German Gothic is not two, as in France, but one or three towers on the facade.

Facades and portals of temples were usually decorated with sculptures of saints and kings or images of allegorical content. For example, the portal of the cathedral in Strasbourg is decorated with magnificent sculptures depicting two women. One of them - young, proud and at the same time cheerful - symbolizes the Christian church. The second, bending over blindfolded and holding a broken spear in her hands, is the Jewish synagogue. Similar figures can be seen in other cathedrals. Each of them is unique and reveals traditional images in its own way. Great importance also has a smaller sculpture. Gutters and other technical details often look like fantastic animals. At the end of the Middle Ages, a plastic ornament appeared, which, with its curves, resembles a flame. The building was covered with this ornament from top to bottom. This style has received the expressive name "flaming Gothic".

Gothic cathedrals were often built for a very long time, during the life of more than one generation. It happened that construction was interrupted for a long time as a result of wars or lack of money. But the architects, replacing each other, diligently adhered to the stylistic unity with their predecessors. So, the cathedral in Reims, in which the solemn coronation of the French king traditionally took place, was built for 100 years, the cathedrals in Cologne and Milan even longer.

Gothic style in the architecture of Germany, Italy and Spain

As already noted, the "most gothic" country is France. Germany is in second place. This style is found in Italy, but it has never been really popular here. True, it is in Italy that we can see one of the most remarkable examples of Gothic architecture - a grandiose Milan Cathedral.

In Spain, which had long been under the rule of Muslim Arabs and became the birthplace of a very special architectural style, Gothic buildings began to be erected only at the end of the Middle Ages. But even here there are examples of this style. The most famous example is the cathedral in Barcelona, ​​a city that was under Muslim rule for a very short time.

In England, this style also gained great popularity. Its model is the most iconic building in the country - Westminster Abbey in London. In times closer to us, English architects willingly turned to the Gothic heritage.

St. Stephen's Cathedral, located in the heart of Vienna, has survived many wars and is now a symbol of the city's freedom. The Gothic cathedral stands on the ruins of two previous churches. Its construction began in the 14th century. And the most recognizable characteristic of the cathedral - a tiled roof depicting the national coat of arms and the coat of arms of the city of Vienna, was added only in 1952.

2. Burgos Cathedral. Burgos, Spain.

Burgos Cathedral is a medieval cathedral in the city of the same name, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is famous for its huge size and unique gothic architecture. The construction of the cathedral began in 1221, and after a long break of almost two centuries, it was completed in 1567. In 1919, the cathedral became the burial place of the Spanish national hero Rodrigo Diaz de Vivara (El Cid Campeador) and his wife Jimena Diaz.

3. Reims Cathedral. Reims, France.

Reims Cathedral is the place where numerous French monarchs were officially crowned. It was built on the site of the basilica, where once (about 496) Clovis I, one of the greatest politicians of his time, was baptized by Saint Remy. The construction of the cathedral was completed by the end of the 13th century.

4. Milan Cathedral. Milan, Italy.

The exceptionally large and complex Gothic cathedral in Milan's main square is one of the most famous buildings in Europe. This is one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world. Construction began in 1386 and was completed only five centuries later.

5. Seville Cathedral. Seville, Spain.

Situated on the site of the majestic Almohada Mosque, the medieval cathedral was built to showcase the power and wealth of Seville after the long process of the Reconquista. When completed in the 16th century, it superseded Hagia Sophia as the largest in the world. The builders used some of the columns and elements of the former mosque. The most famous Giralda is a tower with rich patterns and ornaments, formerly a minaret, and transformed into a bell tower.

6. York Minster York, England.

One of the two largest Gothic cathedrals in Northern Europe(along with the Cologne Cathedral in Germany). York Minster rises above the skyline in the eponymous ancient city and includes all stages of Gothic architectural development in England. The construction of the present building was begun around 1230 and completed in 1472. The cathedral is famous for its largest medieval stained-glass windows.

7. Notre Dame Cathedral. Paris, France.

Notre Dame de Paris is a beautiful Catholic cathedral in the fourth arrondissement of Paris. Construction, begun in 1163, was completed only in 1345. During the French Revolution in 1790 most of sculptures and treasures was destroyed and looted. It was here that Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned emperor on December 2, 1804.

8. Cologne Cathedral. Cologne, Germany.

Cologne Cathedral has been the most famous symbol of the city for many centuries. Its height is 157.4 meters. The famous cathedral stands on the site where a Roman temple was located back in the 4th century. Construction of the Gothic cathedral began in 1248 and continued intermittently for more than 600 years. The cathedral is dedicated to Saints Peter and Mary and is the main temple of the Cologne Archdiocese.

9. Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Florence, Italy.

Construction began in 1296 in gothic style was completed in 1436. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is the symbol of the city and one of beautiful buildings Florence. Notable are the outer walls of the basilica, lined with beautiful marble panels of various shades: green, white, pink. And the huge brick dome is also impressive.

10. Chartres Cathedral. Chartres, France.

Chartres Cathedral is located in the city of the same name near Paris. Its merit, besides being one of the finest examples of French High Gothic, is that it has been almost perfectly preserved. Most of the cathedral's original stained glass windows have remained intact, while the architecture has seen only minor changes since the early 13th century.

Gothic cathedrals are not places of worship the ancient Goths, and the temples built in the Gothic style of architecture. This architectural style appeared in France in the 12th century, it replaced the Romanesque style.

Gothic architecture spread throughout Western Europe and continued to develop until the 16th century. With the advent of the Renaissance, Gothic began to lose its significance. Best of all, the Gothic style manifested itself in the architecture of cathedrals, temples and monasteries. Gothic is characterized by narrow and tall towers, pointed arches, columns, multicolored stained glass windows and an ornate façade. An integral part of Gothic art is sculpture. The gloomy figures of gargoyles and mythical creatures served as a particularly frequent decoration on the walls. The combination of stained-glass windows shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow, magnificent patterns and stone statues figures create an inimitable ensemble.

Gothic covers various works of art: painting, fresco, stained glass, sculpture, book miniature and many others. But as already mentioned, it is the medieval cathedrals of Europe that fully demonstrate all the beauty and grandeur of the Gothic style. about them and will be discussed below.

10 gothic cathedrals photo.

1. St. Stephen's Cathedral. Vienna, Austria

St Stephen's Cathedral, located in the heart of Vienna, has survived many wars and is now a symbol of the freedom of the city. The Gothic cathedral stands on the ruins of two previous churches. Its construction was largely initiated in the 14th century by Duke Rudolf IV of Austria. And the most recognizable characteristic of the cathedral, the tiled roof with the national coat of arms and the coat of arms of the city of Vienna, was added only in 1952.

2. Burgos Cathedral. Burgos, Spain

Burgos Cathedral is a medieval cathedral in the city of the same name, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is famous for its huge size and unique gothic architecture. The construction of the cathedral began in 1221, and after a long break of almost two centuries, it was completed in 1567. In 1919, the cathedral became the burial place of the Spanish national hero Rodrigo Diaz de Vivara (El Cid Campeador) and his wife Jimena Diaz.

3. Reims Cathedral. Reims, France

Reims Cathedral is the place where numerous French monarchs were officially crowned. It was built on the site of the basilica, where once (about 496) Clovis I, one of the greatest politicians of his time, was baptized by Saint Remy. The construction of the cathedral was completed by the end of the 13th century.

4. Milan Cathedral. Milan, Italy

The exceptionally large and elaborate Gothic cathedral in Milan's main square is one of the most famous buildings in Europe. This is one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world. Construction began in 1386 under the auspices of Archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo in a late Gothic style more typical of France than Italy. It took five centuries before the building was completed.

5. Seville Cathedral. Seville, Spain

Situated on the site of the majestic Almohada Mosque, the medieval cathedral was built to showcase the power and wealth of Seville after the long process of the Reconquista. When completed in the 16th century, it superseded Hagia Sophia as the largest in the world. The builders used some of the columns and elements of the former mosque. The most famous Giralda is a tower with rich patterns and ornaments, formerly a minaret, and transformed into a bell tower.

6. York Minster York, England

One of the two largest Gothic cathedrals in Northern Europe (along with Cologne Cathedral in Germany). Rising above the skyline in the historic city of York of the same name, York Minster encompasses all stages of Gothic architectural development in England. The construction of the present building was begun around 1230 and completed in 1472. The cathedral is famous for its largest medieval stained-glass windows.

7. Notre Dame Cathedral. Paris, France

Notre Dame Cathedral (Notre Dame de Paris) is a beautiful Catholic cathedral in the fourth arrondissement of Paris. Construction, begun in 1163, was not completed until 1345. One of the most famous French Gothic cathedrals, Notre Dame de Paris is an excellent example of French Gothic architecture, sculpture and stained glass. During the French Revolution in 1790, most of the sculptures and treasures were destroyed and looted. And yet, on December 2, 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned emperor here.

8. Cologne Cathedral. Cologne, Germany

Cologne Cathedral has been the most famous symbol of the city for many centuries. Its height is 157.4 meters. The famous cathedral stands on the site where a Roman temple was located back in the 4th century. Construction of the Gothic cathedral began in 1248 and continued intermittently for more than 600 years. The cathedral is dedicated to Saints Peter and Mary and is the main temple of the Cologne Archdiocese.

9. Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Florence, Italy

The Gothic-style construction that began in 1296 was completed in 1436. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is the symbol of the city and one of the most beautiful buildings in Florence. Notable are the outer walls of the basilica, lined with beautiful marble panels of various shades: green, white, pink. And the huge brick dome is also impressive.

10. Chartres Cathedral. Chartres, France

Chartres Cathedral is located in the city of the same name near Paris. Its merit, besides being one of the finest examples of French High Gothic, is that it has been almost perfectly preserved. Most of the cathedral's original stained glass windows have remained intact, while the architecture has seen only minor changes since the early 13th century.

Find out which temples are admired by travelers

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• The most beautiful Gothic cathedrals - Imperial Cathedral of St. Bartholomew, Frankfurt

The largest cathedral in Frankfurt for several centuries of the Middle Ages served as the coronation site of German emperors and kings. The Gothic cathedral began to be built in the middle of the 13th century. The stunning beauty and grandeur of the building that we can see today is the result of two major reconstructions. The first was held after a fire in 1867, the second - after the devastating bomb attacks during World War II. The most valuable relic of the cathedral is the upper part of the skull of the Apostle Bartholomew, who since 1239 has been considered the patron saint of the cathedral.

• The Most Beautiful Gothic Cathedrals - Reims Cathedral, Reims

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Late french gothic became a favorite place of coronation french kings. Construction began in 1211 and continued until 1481. The gigantic temple, 150 meters long, with two 80-meter towers, soars rapidly into the sky. The building, as it were, grows out of the ground, rising, tier by tier, splitting up in many lancet arches, steep triangular pediments, pyramidal sharp spiers. The Cathedral of Reims is the tallest cathedral in France. Reims Cathedral is richly decorated with sculpture. No wonder it is called the "kingdom of sculpture." Reliefs carved from stone almost completely cover its main facade. At the main entrance, the visitor is greeted by a statue of Our Lady, to whom the temple is dedicated.

• The Most Beautiful Gothic Cathedrals - Ulm Cathedral, Ulm

Religious buildings are often decorated with images of birds. Usually in the Christian tradition, these are either eagles, as a sign of the Lord, or doves, symbolizing the Holy Spirit. Only in the city of Ulm, Germany, you can see the Gothic cathedral, decorated with statues of sparrows. These harmless birds have replaced predators on the roof of the cathedral not for some theological reason - it's just a kind of symbol of the city. Ulm Cathedral is the highest in Europe. The construction of the cathedral began in 1377 and was financed by the inhabitants of the city. As with many other large-scale construction projects, the process dragged on for a long time, and after another long stagnation, in 1543 the church became Lutheran, construction resumed, and in 1890 the spire was completed. The large Gothic spiers of the cathedral rise to a height of 161 meters. In addition to the tall spire, the cathedral is worth considering elegant carved oak choir stalls.

• The Most Beautiful Gothic Cathedrals - Chartres Cathedral, Chartres

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Chartres Cathedral is truly one of the masterpieces of Gothic architecture. In 1979, the cathedral was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Chartres Cathedral is the first cathedral in French history dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Notre Dame de Chartres has survived to this day almost in its original form. The length of Chartres Cathedral is about 130 m, the height of the main arch of the nave from the floor is 36 m, the central and side naves together have a width of 32 meters with a transept of 45 meters wide. On the floor of the cathedral, a mysterious labyrinth dating back to 1205 is laid out in mosaic, which symbolizes the path of the believer to God.

• The Most Beautiful Gothic Cathedrals - Seville Cathedral, Seville

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Seville Cathedral or the Cathedral of Maria de la Sede (Catedral de Santa María de la Sede) is a cathedral in the city of Seville (Spain), the largest Gothic cathedral in Europe. Built in 1401-1519 on the site of a former mosque left after the Reconquista. It has a length of about 116 meters and a width of 76 meters. The cathedral consists of five side aisles, a large main chapel. total area- 11,520 square meters. Main entrance the cathedral is located from south side The tomb of Christopher Columbus is also located there. The remains of Columbus were repeatedly moved, because some suggest that due to the mistake of the carriers, the remains of not Christopher, but his son Diego, are in the Seville Cathedral. The cathedral houses many relics and treasures, including paintings by Murillo, Velasquez, de Zurbaran and Goya. Seville Cathedral is the third largest church in the world.
The Cathedral of Seville is also famous for its gilded iconostasis. It is believed to be one of the largest iconostases in the world, covering an area of ​​220 square meters and containing over 1,000 gilded figures. It is said that it took more than 30 tons of gold to build it! The iconostasis contains 45 scenes, or paintings, from the life of Christ and the Mother of God.