Gothic style in France. Masterpieces of French Gothic

At the end of the 12th century, the Romanesque architectural style was replaced by a more refined and refined Gothic style, the birthplace of which is considered to be the central part of France. It was the architects of France who were the first to use architectural elements, which would later be called "Gothic". The Gothic style was harmoniously replaced by a luxurious Renaissance at the very end of the 16th century, but elements of a luxurious architectural style are still used in the modern world.

Gothic architecture in France has become an integral part of religious architecture and urban planning. And you can also see the rating on our website website

Let's start with the monument, which was destroyed in 1789, and remained only in old drawings and images. Paris was built as a Gothic city, and therefore its main fortress, built in 1370, was naturally built in the Gothic style.

The name comes from the French "bastide" - a small stone fortification, and over time it became a gloomy symbol of Absolutism. The prison, which contained state criminals, has always caused fear among the French.

When the fire of the revolution flared up in France, the Bastille became the first building that the people destroyed. And the day of destruction, July 14, became a national holiday.

Basilica of Saint-Nicolas-de-Port

The Gothic-style church appeared in Saint-Nicolas-de-Port thanks to the Duke of Lorraine René II. The ruler thus decided to commemorate his victory at the Battle of Nancy in 1477 over the troops of Charles, nicknamed "The Bold".

Construction began in 1481, and the religious building and the altar were consecrated in 1545. In 1860, the basilica was included in the list of architectural monuments of France.

During the bombing of 1940, the temple was badly damaged and full restoration was completed only in the early 80s, and the money for the restoration was left by the American Camilla Friedman, a native of the town of Saint-Nicolas-de-Port.

The iconic building in French Beauvais is a record holder in several categories. Firstly, it is the tallest Gothic cathedral in the country, and, secondly, it is a long-term construction that has not yet been completed.

The choirs in the temple are also the highest, and their height is 48.5 m. The church was laid in 1225, and the main architectural structures were completed by 1578. However, the temple was rebuilt several times, and now work is underway to avoid the collapse of the transept.

French architects erected temporary fortifications, and the city authorities announced a competition for the best project to restore the masterpiece of the Middle Ages.

Church of St. Pierre

Saint Peter, a particularly revered saint in the Catholic Church, and therefore in France there are many places of worship consecrated in honor of the apostle.

One of them was built in the city of Avignon on the site of an old ruined church in the first half of the 14th century. The façade of the church impresses with many decorative decorations typical of late Gothic.

Specialists and tourists call the church the most beautiful of all the buildings of Avignon, and the favorite place for tourists is the observation deck of the bell tower, which offers picturesque views of the French city.

The beautiful church of Caen rises above the square of William the Conqueror and stands opposite the majestic castle, creating a unique architectural complex.

Tourists visiting the city rush here to see the magnificent 13th-century Gothic building. Particularly impressive is the carved decoration of the facade, on which stone gargoyles and sculptures of Christian saints are placed.

During the revolution, the Catholic shrine became the temple of a new cult, and after the restoration of the monarchy, the church was returned to believers. Today the square, and the shrine standing on it, is one of the most visited sights by guests of the city.

The cathedral, built in the Gothic style, is the main and most popular attraction of the city of Tours.

The cathedral was laid in honor of the patron saint of urban residents Gatian of Tours in 1170, but the construction was completed almost 400 years later, in 1547. From the western facade, two high towers, 69 and 68 meters high, adjoin it.

The main style of the building is Gothic, but Gothic absorbed some Romanesque structures, and during the reconstructions in later periods, Renaissance elements were woven into the building.

The church in the city of Lan, built on the site of an ancient temple, was dedicated to Christ and the Virgin Mary. It is noteworthy that the first church on this site was consecrated by Charlemagne.

The old temple could no longer accommodate the entire flock, and in 1155 Bishop Gauthier de Mortagne founded a new majestic temple, built in the Gothic tradition. As always, the altar part was originally built, over which the choirs were erected.

Local white stones were used for the construction, and the funds for the construction were allocated by the urban community of the town of Lan. Now the church is one of the main city attractions, in which unique medieval stained-glass windows have been preserved.

The Bourges Cathedral was consecrated in May 1324 in honor of St. Stephen, but construction continued until the middle of the 16th century.

One amazing moment from the history of France is that the start dates for the construction of the cathedrals in Chartres and Bourges almost coincide, and both temples have become real masterpieces, which tens of thousands of tourists come to see.

The church houses the episcopate of the city, and the unique architecture, colorful stained-glass windows and sculptures became the rationale for including the Cathedral in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The stone handsome man in the city of Chartres began to be erected in 1194 on the site of old Christian churches of the 6th-7th centuries. One of the main Christian relics, the shroud of the Virgin Mary was solemnly brought into the cathedral during its consecration in 1260.

During construction, the work of architects was almost completely destroyed by fires several times, and therefore, during construction, the original plan was slightly changed. The architecture clearly shows a three-aisled building based on a Latin cross.

Particularly impressive are the royal portal with statues of monarchs, as well as the stained-glass rose window located on the north transept.

The Gothic art of France cannot but delight, and the cathedral in Reims also has great historical significance, because French monarchs were crowned among the majestic walls of the cathedral.

It was erected by medieval standards rather quickly. Construction began in 1211, and finished 100 years later, in 1311. The last person to be crowned in Reims was Charles X, and Joan of Arc led the Dauphin Charles VII to Reims for a coronation through all of France, occupied by the British.

The cathedral dedicated to the Virgin Mary is a vivid example of the so-called lancet style in the Gothic of France, but the western facade, erected a little later, became a vivid example of mature Gothic.

The Gothic chapel was erected on the site of the former Royal residence on the beautiful Parisian island of Cite in the heart of the French capital.

King Louis the Saint ordered the construction of a chapel, the construction of which took place from 1242 to 1248. The monarch erected a church to store relics brought by the crusaders from the holy land.

Now it is a magnificent monument of architecture of the Gothic style of small size with unique stained-glass windows and luxurious elements of interior decoration.

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Amiens, along with other religious buildings, is also known as a striking example of Gothic architecture, and is rightfully included in the list, which includes the most famous Gothic temples.

The cathedral in Amiens is the largest of all the Gothic buildings in France, and it was built in the 13th century. The work was first led by Robert de Luzarches, and then, after his death, by successors Thomas de Cormont with his son Renault.

The main relic of the temple is the front part of the head of John the Baptist, which the Crusaders brought to Amiens from Constantinople sacked in 1205.

Cathedral of Notre Dame

In the architecture of medieval France, Notre Dame de Paris became a prime example of the Gothic style and one of the most recognizable symbols of the French capital.

The initiator of the construction of the luxurious cathedral was Bishop Maurice de Sully, and the construction of the temple, which began in 1163, was completed in 1345. The altar was consecrated in 1182, and during the construction the original plan was changed several times.

The cathedral in Paris was the first major Gothic cathedral with a six-part nevure vault, but, interestingly, it retained transitional elements from Romanesque to Classical Gothic.

A powerful castle in the northern part of the country was erected in the middle of the 13th century, and the main tower of the fortress had a base of 35 m, and towered above the valley to a height of 55 m.

Four towers and defensive walls up to 7 m thick were built around the giant tower. For a long time, the castle served as an important strategic object, and in 1862 the country's authorities included it in the list of architectural monuments.

In 1917, retreating German troops blew up the castle, and today its cleared ruins serve as a "monument to vandalism". The French received money for clearing the ruins from the Germans as reparations.

Complex "Miracle" of the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel

A small rocky island off the northwestern coast of France is famous for being turned into a walled city, and in the 7th century the first church was built here, which laid the foundation for the abbey.

In the 13th century, the French monarch, who also became the suzerain of Normandy, allocated funds for the construction of a complex of buildings in the northern part of the island in the traditional Gothic style.

In 1228, the work was completed, and a beautiful architectural complex appeared to the world, called La Merveille, which is translated from French as a miracle. Victor Hugo, sailing up to the island, called this masterpiece the most beautiful wall in Europe.

Saint Jacques Tower

A vivid example of the flaming Gothic rises above the 4th arrondissement of Paris, the Saint-Jacques tower attracts the eyes of tourists with its monumentality and grandeur.

Its construction was completed in 1523, and the top of the tower is crowned with a statue of St. James. Surrounding the statue are mythical winged figures symbolizing the four symbols and the virtue of the evangelists.

In the early 2000s. The municipality of Paris has carried out a large-scale reconstruction, and today it is an important cultural site of the capital. Because of the narrow staircase leading to the top of the building, tourists are allowed inside in small groups, 17 people per hour.

We will complete our acquaintance with the secular Gothic of France at the Palace of Justice in the city of Rouen, which is rightfully considered a model of the late Gothic architecture of a European state.

The courtyard of the building was originally closed, and the whole complex consists of three consecutively built parts. The western part was erected with an ogival vault, known as the Prosecutor's House. The northern and western parts completed the complex.

The palace was bombed, and during the restoration of the damaged facade, the builders left part of the damage as a reminder of the horrors of the war.

Summarize

So we presented the masterpieces of French Gothic, which have long been included in the treasury of world architecture. As you can see, the Gothic style was used not only in the construction of temples, but also in civil architecture, as well as in decorating the interior of churches. For example, the 20 euro banknote is dedicated to the Gothic style.

Note that in its development the Gothic style went through three stages, and architectural historians distinguish early, high and late Gothic.

A French witty lover once said that "architecture is the art of writing lines into the sky." This paradox reflects the completely correct observation that the architectural contours and silhouettes of buildings enrich our artistic perception of the sky and airspace. Architecture changes the appearance of the sky and the surrounding outdoor space, just as the architectural design of the walls and furnishings change or, rather, create the artistic appearance of the interior space of the interior. This or that pasting of the walls and the furnishings of the room make the room cramped and so on. Architecture is, as it were, the setting of the space of nature. The style of architecture changes the appearance of cities, the worldview of the people who inhabit them.

The Gothic style is beautiful and original, it literally changed medieval architecture. The purpose of my work is to reflect the development of the Gothic style in Western Europe since its inception in France in the middle of the 12th century. In my research, I focus on French Gothic. The most striking example of which is Notre Dame Cathedral. In this article, I spend a full disclosure of the features of the Gothic style, as well as consider the characteristic features of Gothic, embodied in the main cathedral of France - Notre Dame de Paris.

Download:

Preview:

INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………..3

CHAPTER 1. GOTHIC AS A STYLE OF MEDIEVAL ARCHITECTURE…………………………………………………………………………4

1. The emergence of the Gothic style………………………………………..4
2. Distinctive features of the Gothic style……………………...6
3. Gothic Art in France……………………………………11

CHAPTER 2. NOTRE DAME DE PARIS CATHEDRAL…………………………………….15

CHAPTER 3. GOTHIC STYLE IN OTHER COUNTRIES OF WESTERN EUROPE…………………………………………………………………………….22

CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………….29

LIST OF USED LITERATURE……………………………..31

CHAPTER 1. GOTHIC AS A STYLE OF MEDIEVAL ARCHITECTURE

1. The emergence of the Gothic style

The name "Gothic art" comes from the Italian gotico - "Gothic", after the name of the Germanic tribe of the Goths, who came to Italy from the north and captured it in the 4th - 5th centuries. The Italians used the term "Gothic" to describe their ecclesiastical architecture, which was characterized by very tall and ornate buildings. This concept arose during the Renaissance. "Gothic" in those days meant "barbaric". In contrast to the "Roman", Gothic was called art that did not follow ancient traditions, which means that it was not of interest to contemporaries. Such ideas changed only in the 19th century, when the Middle Ages were no longer considered "dark ages" in the history of mankind. However, the name "Gothic" was preserved for European art of the late Middle Ages.

In different European countries, Gothic had its own characteristics and chronological framework, but it flourished in the 13th-14th centuries.

In the history of art, it is customary to distinguish three types of Gothic:

• early
• mature (high)
• late ("flaming")

During this historical period, the role of cities increases, and in art, along with knightly elements, features of a new culture of the urban bourgeoisie, the burghers, begin to appear. The bulk of the population of medieval cities represented the most rebellious, the freest sections of society. Craftsmen united in independent unions, workshops. Universities sprang up in many cities.

Cathedrals and town halls were erected by order of city communes, but they were built and completed for a very long time - for decades, and even centuries. In Gothic art, in comparison with Romanesque, realistic tendencies are more pronounced, and rationalistic motives are much more noticeable. At this time, the monasteries ceased to play a fundamental role in creative activity, this role passes into the hands of urban craftsmen. These factors became important prerequisites for the emergence of a new style.

The Gothic style in art developed primarily in those countries where the Catholic Church dominated, so the influence of religious motives is very noticeable in the ideology and culture of that era. Gothic art remained largely cult in purpose and religious in theme: it was correlated with eternity, with "higher" irrational forces.

Gothic gradually emerged from Romanesque art. The basis of the Romanesque temple building was thick stone walls, which created a heavy dense volume. This mass was supported by thick, blank walls and balanced by spring arches, pillars and strong architectural details that performed supporting functions. For greater stability of the building, the Romanesque architect increased the thickness and strength of the wall, on which, mainly, his attention was focused. It was the improvement of the support system that was destined to produce a true revolution in the then architecture.

1. Distinctive features of the Gothic style

If we compare typical buildings of the Romanesque style and gothic, then there is a feeling that they are completely opposed to each other. Romanesque buildings are solid and massive, Gothic ones are light and transparent. But if we take the buildings of the transitional period, it is clear that the Gothic originates from Romanesque roots. The search for architects led to the idea to expand and lighten the system of vaults. Solid vaults are replaced by rib ceilings - a system of load-bearing arches. All the airiness, fabulousness of the Gothic structure has a rational basis: it follows from the frame system of construction. This is how through galleries, arcades, huge windows appear.

Having lost its Romanesque thickness as unnecessary, fearlessly cut through by huge windows in bright multi-colored stained-glass windows and disappearing into the lace of carved stone, the wall has lost its defining character in the overall structure of the building. The Gothic building was reduced to an island - a frame that miraculously grew upwards, overcoming earthly gravity and becoming the basis of all Gothic architecture.

When comparing the results of measurements of Gothic and Romanesque buildings, it turned out that for the middle nave Romanesque temple height of 18-20 meters was the limit, and in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-Paris, the earliest in Gothic architecture, the height of the nave reached 32 meters, and in Reims - 38 meters, and finally, in Amiens - 42 meters.

Thus, the Gothic vertical triumphed over the Romanesque horizontal. Gothic cathedrals were not only tall, but also very long: for example, Chartres Cathedral has a length of 130 meters, and the length of the transept is 64 meters long, it takes at least half a kilometer to walk around it, and from every point the cathedral looks different.

Unlike the Romanesque church with its clear, easily visible forms, the Gothic cathedral is boundless, often asymmetrical and even heterogeneous in its parts: each of its facades with its own portal is individual. The walls are not felt, as if they do not exist. Arches, galleries, towers, platforms with arcades, huge windows, and there is an infinitely complex play of openwork forms. And all this space is inhabited - the cathedral is inhabited both inside and outside by a mass of sculptures. So, for example, there are about 10,000 statues in Chartres Cathedral. They occupy not only portals and galleries, but they can also be found on the roof, cornices, under the arches of chapels, on spiral staircases, appear on drainpipes, on consoles. In a word, a Gothic cathedral is a whole world. It really absorbed the world of a medieval city. Many city cathedrals were so large that the entire population of the city could not fill it. Near the cathedral, as a rule, there were shopping arcades. The needs of urban life prompted the architects to transform the closed, thick-walled Romanesque cathedral resembling a fortress into a more spacious one, open to the outside. But for this it was necessary to change the entire structure of the building. And after the change in design, there was also a change in the architectural style.

The turn to Gothic began with architecture, and later spread to sculpture and painting. Architecture has always remained the basis of the medieval synthesis of the arts.

Medieval artists passionately loved pure, bright, sonorous colors. This was reflected in stained-glass windows, and in miniatures, and in the coloring of sculptures. Sculpture in the middle of the century was inseparable from church building. She has great expressiveness. The ultimate tension of spiritual forces is reflected not in faces but in figures, elongated and broken, which creates the impression of a desire to free oneself from the flesh, to reach the secrets of being. Human suffering, purification and exaltation through them into the hidden nerve of Gothic art. There is no peace and tranquility in it, it is permeated with confusion, a high spiritual impulse.

Artists achieve tragic intensity in depicting the suffering of the crucified Christ, God, crushed by his creation and grieving for him. In sculpture, facial features and hands are worked out very subtly. According to the clergy, art should serve as a "bible for the illiterate." The walls of the temples were painted with paintings, from which the stern faces of the saints and God himself looked at the worshipers. Images of the terrible torments of sinners in hell should have led believers to tremble. The high vaults of cathedrals, colored stained-glass windows through which rays of light poured, the solemn sounds of the organ - all this struck the imagination of people, inspired them with the idea of ​​the sanctity of divine power, and turned them to religion.

Often, statues and picturesque images were excessively elongated or greatly shortened. At that time, the laws of perspective were not yet known to artists, so the figures in the paintings seem flat. Medieval masters often gave the figures unnatural poses in order to more strongly convey such religious feelings as faith in God or remorse for sins.

Paintings have been preserved - icons painted on wooden boards using the tempera technique , they are distinguished by bright colors and an abundance of gold. Usually the main character of the picture is in the center, and is larger than the figures standing nearby.

But Gothic masters were able to create quite realistic images that captured a warm human feeling. Softness and lyricism distinguish the figures of Mary Elizabeth, sculpted on the portal of the magnificent Reims Cathedral (Appendix No. 1). The sculptures of the Naumburg Cathedral (Appendix No. 2) in Germany are full of characteristic features, the statue of Margravine Uta is full of lively charms.

In many cases, unique examples of Gothic style art were created by medieval masters whose names have not come down to us. The church-religious nature of the culture of medieval society was reflected in the style and purpose of things.

Gold and silver craftsmen make unique church utensils, decorated with filigree, semi-precious stones, and enamels. Used carvings on ivory. All these different techniques are used to make altar plates, book covers, hand-washing bowls, candlesticks, precessional crosses, chests, and so on.

Changes also affected clothing. In the 12th century, primarily in France, the Romanesque dress, reminiscent of monastic vestments, is gradually replaced by clothes that are close to the figure and more graceful. Rough, uncut in parts clothing of the previous era is replaced by a variety of robes made according to all the laws of tailoring. Gothic fashion, with its close-fitting dress, characteristic posing of the body and way of wearing clothes, can be observed by looking at the monumental figures of saints and kings on the facades and portals of cathedrals, as well as looking at the artistic miniatures of medieval artists.

1.3 Gothic art of France

Gothic, as an architectural style, is characteristic of a certain era throughout Western Europe, but the leading role in its creation, development and implementation belongs to France.

French Gothic, due to special historical conditions, was an expression of the high rise of medieval culture as a whole. Based on the ancient heritage, she developed her own expressive means in architecture, sculpture and stained glass windows. French Gothic reflected the highest ideals, aspirations and disappointments of the most diverse layers of medieval France. Harmony and clarity are characteristic of French Gothic, which made researchers talk about its “Attic” character, but this does not exclude internal pathos, the excitement of feeling penetrating the architectural image. It is so rich that its creators managed to simultaneously use the impact of architectural space, line, plasticity and pure play of color. Thanks to these qualities, French Gothic, despite the stratification of centuries, retains a kind of unity, and the monuments that have come down to us do not seem disharmonious.

The Gothic style originated in the middle of the 12th century in the northern part of France, primarily in the Ile-de-France region, the center of which is Paris, and reached its peak in the first half of the 13th century. Stone Gothic cathedrals received their classical form in France. As a rule, these are 3- and 5-aisled basilicas. with a transverse nave - a transept and a semicircular bypass of the choir, which is adjoined by radial chapels ("crown of chapels"). Their high and spacious interior is illuminated by the colored flickering of stained-glass windows.

The impression of an unstoppable movement up and towards the altar is created by rows of slender pillars, the powerful rise of pointed pointed arches, and the accelerated rhythm of the arcades of the upper gallery. Thanks to the contrast of the high main and semi-dark side aisles, a picturesque richness of aspects arises, a feeling of the infinity of space. On the facades of the cathedrals, lancet arches and rich architectural and plastic decorations vary, the details are patterned wimpers, violets , crabs and so on. Statues on consoles in front of the columns of portals and in their upper arched gallery, reliefs on plinths and in tympanums portals, as well as on capitals columns form an integral symbolic plot system, which includes characters and episodes of Scripture, allegorical images. The best works of Gothic plastic art are the facade statues in the Tent, Reims, Amiens, Strasbourg, they are imbued with spiritualized beauty, sincerity and nobility.

On the main square of the cities, town halls were built with rich decoration, often with a tower, such as the town hall in Saint-Quentin, built in 1351-1509.

Castles turned into majestic palaces with rich interior decoration, like the Papal Palace in Avignon. Mansions of wealthy citizens were built in cities.

In Paris, which in the late Middle Ages became not only the de facto capital of the state, but also the universally recognized center of its cultural life, there were about a hundred guild organizations of artisans, among which masons and sculptors occupied not the last place, and the number of inhabitants by the end of the 12th century reached almost one hundred thousand. which was unimaginable then.

Founded in 1215, the University of Paris became the center of medieval scholarship. It was not for nothing that one of the writers of that time called Paris, where scientists, artists and all those who were thirsty for enlightenment gathered from other countries, "a source that irrigates the circle of the earth." Apart from Paris, Chartres, and the Île-de-France region, the most advanced were the northern provinces; Picardy, Champagne and Normandy - with such flourishing cities as Amiens, Reims and Rouen - true treasures of Gothic art.

Reims Cathedral, where the French kings were crowned, and into which Joan of Arc victoriously brought her banner, together with the equally famous Chartres Cathedral, is the pinnacle of French mature Gothic. As in the Paris Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-Paris, the main facade is three-tiered, with an openwork rose in the middle and two powerful towers.

But here the vertical easily and at the same time solemnly dominates the horizontal, the tiers almost fade away, and the wall unconditionally capitulates before the grandiose frame of the finest, filigree architecture, which rushes up harmoniously, clearly, without any tension. A light openwork mass is a synthesis of architecture and sculpture, a festive symphony of lancet arches, columns and flourishing, fabulous sculptural decoration.

The abbey of Mont Saint-Michel (Appendix No. 3) in Normandy rises on a rock, which, at high tide, surrounds the sea on all sides.

This is a kind of preserve of Gothic art. From afar, against the backdrop of the expanses of the sea and close, when you look at its walls rushing to the sky, Mont Saint-Michel gives the impression of a truly wonderful creation of human rivers. It is also called "La Mervey", which means miracle or wonder. cloister Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel is one of the pinnacles of Gothic art.

From the architects of the late French Gothic one could hear the following judgment: “Who wants to build the most perfect cathedral, he must take from Chartres (Appendix No. 4) - a tower, from Paris - a facade, from Amiens (Appendix No. 5) - a longitudinal ship, from Reims - sculpture.

But even in these statements, not all the wonderful cathedrals erected in the Gothic era in France are named.

CHAPTER 2. NOTRE DAME DE PARIS CATHEDRAL AS A SAMPLE OF FRENCH GOTHIC

Undoubtedly, the most impressive and most remarkable monument of the early Gothic, which opens a new era in the history of Western European architecture, is the famous Notre Dame Cathedral or Notre Dame de Paris (Appendix No. 6).

Almost six centuries have passed since it was erected, and Paris has been transformed thanks to its slender bulk that reigned over the city. Over the years, the capital of France has grown many times over, adorned with many other monuments famous throughout the world, but Notre Dame de Paris still dominates it, still serves as its symbol. The center of the city has long moved from here, the cathedral has long been no longer the center of its social and political life, and we forget that it was once called upon to personify the idea of ​​a monarchy that triumphed under the patronage of the church.

The first stone of the cathedral was laid in 1163 by the French king and the pope who specially arrived in Paris, and many centuries later, also in the presence of the pope, Napoleon was crowned in Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral. Like the pyramids of Egypt, the Parthenon in Athens or Sophia of Constantinople, Notre Dame de Paris, not only for centuries, but also for millennia, will testify to the ideals and high artistic culture of the people who created it.

Notre Dame de Paris (Appendix No. 7) towered majestically over Paris on the banks of the Seine, not far from the Louvre. The huge square in front of the cathedral is always filled with tourists. Particularly impressive is the queue consisting of tourists seeking to get to the observation deck located on the upper tier of the main facade.

The cathedral impresses with its size - at the same time it can accommodate 9,000 people. The building is 35 meters high, 130 meters long and 108 meters wide. The height of the bell towers is 69 meters. The Emmanuel bell, which is located in the eastern tower, weighs 13 tons, and its tongue is 500 kg. This cathedral has also become not only the soul of the capital, but also the scene of famous events in French history. The square in front of the cathedral is the geographical center of France, and on road signs the distance to any point in France is calculated from the slab near Notre Dame Cathedral. According to the definition of the great writer Victor Hugo, the Paris Cathedral is “a huge stone symphony, a colossal creation of both man and people ... A wonderful result of the combination of all the forces of an entire era, where every stone splashes the fantasy of a worker, taking hundreds of forms, guided by the genius of the artist ... ". The cathedral, the creation of human hands, Hugo likens “the creation of God, from whom it seemed to borrow its dual character: diversity and eternity.

In the 4th century, at approximately the same place where Notre Dame Cathedral is now located, there was a beautiful church of St. Stephen. Fragments of thirty of its marble columns are kept in the Cluny Museum. Two centuries later, another church was erected near this place, dedicating it to the Mother of God. But this temple was destroyed by the Normans who invaded France. Soon a second church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin was erected on the same spot.

In the XII century, both ancient churches - both St. Stephen's and Our Lady - fell into decay. Seeing the deplorable condition of the two main churches on the Ile de la Cité, in the center of the city, the Bishop of Paris, Maurice de Sully, decided to erect one large church instead. According to the plan of the bishop, the future cathedral was to surpass in splendor everything that had been built before, and to be worthy of its high purpose - to become the main cathedral dedicated to the Mother of God.

The first stone was laid in 1163 by Pope Alexander III. Construction was completed only in 1330. The consecration of the main altar took place in 1182, and three years later the Jerusalem Patriarch Heracles celebrated the first Mass there.

Notre Dame Cathedral was built over the course of almost two centuries, during the transitional era, when the Romanesque style was gradually replaced by the Gothic style. This is no longer a Romanesque, somewhat squat church, but it is also not a gothic temple directed upwards. Both styles here are combined in harmonious balance.

History has preserved the names of several architects who completed the construction of the temple. In 1257-1270, Jean de Chelle and Pierre de Montreil worked here. In the years 1280-1330, the construction was led by Pierre de Chelles and Jean Ravi. Funds for the construction of the main cathedral of Paris were generously donated by the king, bishops and ordinary citizens.

Powerful and majestic, in perfect harmony of style and form, the facade of the cathedral is divided vertically by pilasters. into three parts, and horizontally - by galleries into three tiers, of which the lower one has three deep portals. Above them is an arcade called the Gallery of the Kings, with 28 statues representing the kings of Israel and Judah.

In the central tier there is a rose window with a diameter of about 10 meters. On both sides of it are two huge arched windows.

The sculptural decoration of the central tier is formed by the statues of the Madonna and Child surrounded by angels - in the center, Adam and Eve - at the edges.

Above is a gallery of narrow arcades intertwining at the top. , which unites two side towers that were never completed, but even without spiers, they fascinate viewers with their lancet twin windows.

Notre Dame de Paris is a basilica with galleries and double side naves. Previously, this design was used very rarely - only in the most important examples of temple architecture, such as the abbey church of Cluny and St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. This alone is enough to set Notre Dame apart, especially when you consider that even later Gothic cathedrals with double side naves were built only in exceptional cases. Divided in half by longitudinal rows of gigantic columns, these double naves in the apse move to a double outpatient clinic. Radius ambulatory at its eastern point it was forced to be wider than at the points of contact with the side aisles, and this problem was solved by doubling the number of columns and placing triangular vaults close to each other. As a result, the tour of the choirs - the ambulatory of the Notre Dame Cathedral can rightly be proud of its correct form.

A single rhythm throughout the entire space of the interior and the harmony between the straight and rounded lines of the choir are also preserved due to the fact that the arcades of the central nave are equipped with uniform columns.

This is all the more striking because six-blade vaults were used in the central nave of Notre Dame - in all other cathedrals, to support such vaults, alternation of massive supports with thinner ones was used in accordance with how many ribs converged on a point.

Above the main columns of the central nave of Notre Dame rise equally uniform bunches of thin pilasters. There are three pilasters in each beam, regardless of the profile of the vault at the point of its intersection with the supports. This is undoubtedly masked by the fact that there are two girth ribs per bundle of pilasters, and so on. Only in this way could a series of absolutely uniform arches, galleries and windows be built and achieve the highest elegance of arches, galleries and windows and achieve the highest elegance in proportions.

The huge lobes of the six-chamber vaults - much larger than the too closely adjacent sections of the four-chamber vault - are in harmony with the vast planes of the walls. In other words, the creators of Notre Dame did not try to completely open the surface of the wall, but sought to effectively contrast between the visibly thin and flat wall, on the one hand, and the elegant pilasters and ribs of the vaults, on the other. Initially, this technique made an even stronger impression, since the plane of the walls above the galleries was wider, and it was interrupted only by rose windows with rather modest openings. However, this design did not survive, because the cathedral was too dark. Already in the 13th century, he made a redevelopment of the windows adjacent to the crossroads.

During one of the reconstructions, some changes were made to the contrasting system of walls and supports of the central nave of Notre Dame.

Now the spans of the gallery are divided into three parts, and the side walls of the galleries are supported not by round columns, but by flat pilasters. These piers contrast with the pilasters of the central nave (thinner than even the pilasters of the choir) - high monolithic pillars, no longer merging with the wall, as originally.

The theme of the flat surface of the wall is repeated on the western façade of Notre Dame. Since the towers here are crowned with double side naves, they are wider and more stable. Thanks to this, buttresses do not protrude too much forward; moreover, at the level of the first floor, they almost “sink” into the wall, which, on the contrary, protrudes so far forward that the portals go deep into the facade, and do not protrude outward. When looking at this facade, it seems as if we are facing a triumphal arch with a royal gallery: statues of all French kings lined up above the portals along the wall, symbolizing the continuity of the dynasty and the strength of the monarchy.

No other example of medieval architecture has such an imposing royal gallery, displaying the succession of monarchs so spectacularly.

Inside the cathedral, an amazing ensemble of stained glass windows is striking. The images on the stained-glass windows are made in accordance with medieval canons. Scenes from the earthly life of the Savior are depicted on the windows of the choir, and fragments from the lives of saints are on the stained-glass windows of the side walls. The stained-glass windows of the high windows of the central nave depict patriarchs, biblical kings, and apostles.

Scenes from the earthly life of the Virgin Mary are placed in the windows of the side chapels. And the stained-glass windows of a huge, 13 meters in diameter window - roses (Appendix No. 8) include about 80 scenes from the Old Testament.

Unfortunately, there are very few genuine ones among the stained-glass windows of the cathedral. Almost all of them are later works, replacing those that were broken and damaged over many centuries. Only the rose window has survived intact to this day. But not only the stained-glass windows, but the cathedral itself could not reach our days: the leaders of the French revolution and the crowd led by them, the temple of Our Lady caused particular malice, and Notre Dame suffered much more than other churches in France.

Heavily damaged during the years of the revolution, the ancient building fell into decay from the end of the 18th century, and in those years when Victor Hugo wrote his famous novel Notre Dame Cathedral, the temple was threatened with complete destruction. In 1841-1864, a complete restoration of the cathedral was carried out. At the same time, the buildings adjacent to the cathedral were broken, and the square that exists today appeared in front of its facade.

One of the most important elements of the cathedral are chimeras. The architect Viollet-le-Duc gave free rein to his imagination and created an surreal world of chimeras - demons looking ironically and thoughtfully at the city spread far below, fantastic and monstrous birds, grotesque figures of evil monsters, peeking out from the most unexpected points.

Perched on a Gothic pinnacle, hiding behind a spire or hanging over a wall ledge, these stone chimeras seem to exist here for centuries - motionless, immersed in thoughts about the fate of humanity swarming down there. Chimeras of the cathedral have an amazing property - you can’t draw, write or photograph near them - next to them people seem to be dead, inexpressive stone sculptures.

CHAPTER 3. GOTHIC STYLE IN OTHER COUNTRIES OF WESTERN EUROPE

Gothic art in different countries had its own characteristics. The greatest flourishing of the Gothic was in France and Germany, but in Italy and England there are temples and secular buildings that amaze with splendor and perfection. In Germany, the Gothic style developed later than in France. In northeastern Germany, poor in stone suitable for the construction of large buildings, a special brick Gothic arose, sometimes somewhat ponderous, but sometimes very impressive, with remarkable decorative effects.

Without denying the priority of the French, the Germans argue that only in their architecture is the essence of the Gothic style fully revealed and all its possibilities are used, only in their Gothic a breakthrough is really unstoppable, raising the entire mass of the building to the sky, it creates both in its external appearance and under its vaults the impression of something inexplicable and incomprehensible. No wonder the German architects replaced the French rose with an lancet window above the main entrance and violated the side horizontals with buttresses. In French Gothic, though very harmonious, the general measured rhythm restrains the impulse, introduces some kind of framework of reason, logic, and this is to the detriment of the element that is inherent in Gothic architecture.

But the French will say in response that in their Gothic temples the impulse is not restrained, but ordered, which gives the buildings greater clarity and completeness, and at the same time great elegance.

There are two views here, as if incompatible, but those Germans who truly love art admire Reims Cathedral, just like the French who love art just as much - Cologne Cathedral (Appendix No. 9).

"... Cologne smoky bulks" - Alexander Blok wrote. Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol considered this cathedral to be the crowning achievement of Gothic art. The pride of Germany - the Cologne Cathedral was completed only at the end of the last century according to the discovered original plans and working drawings. The pride of France - Amiens Cathedral served as a prototype for Cologne. However, the truly dizzying vertical rush of a grandiose stone mass in Cologne Cathedral gives inspiration to the skill of German architects.

The impulse is just as powerful, but at the same time more concentrated, and therefore more subduing - in the Freiburg Cathedral (Appendix No. 10), an incomparable masterpiece of Germanic Gothic.

Its only tower, as it were, encloses the entire cathedral, its base merges with its facade, from which it draws great strength, which breathes in the openwork tent, victoriously rushing to the sky. No wonder it is believed that this tower is "the highest and clearest revelation of Gothic thought."

French and German cultural traditions have long been intertwined in Alsace. Strasbourg Cathedral, to this day not finished, and, unlike the Freiburg Cathedral, only because it has one tower, reflects the mutual influence of two cultures.

Other traditions developed in England. The conditions that determined the historical development of the English state also determined the nature of English Gothic. Like the countries of mainland Europe, England experienced at the same time an economic boom. However, unlike these countries, the development of the trade industry in England was determined primarily not by the city, but by the countryside, where raw materials intended for export were produced and processed. Not the burghers, but the nobility played the main role in the English economy, which means that urban interests were not of decisive importance in the country. That is why temple construction remained predominantly monastic there, as in Roman times.

The cathedral was erected not in the center of the city, as a symbol of its wealth and glory, but outside the city, where the monastery was located. In France or Germany, the cathedral dominated with all its bulk over the low dwellings of the townspeople. In England, the cathedral harmoniously fit into the landscape, which served as its picturesque frame, and therefore grew, first of all, not in height, but in length, freely located in the bosom of nature. And yet the Gothic style required aspiration to the sky. English architects tried to reveal this aspiration in their own way. Erecting cathedrals more and more elongated in length, they supplied them with lancet arches, repeated many times in the windows, and with the same abundance of vertical wall sashes, with the addition of a third tower, no longer a front one, but located above the crossroads. The stretching of the temple building, its legitimized place among an even picturesque landscape with an emphasis on the verticality of not the architectural whole, but the architectural and decorative details of the facade and interior - these are the distinctive features of English Gothic architecture. This is confirmed by the facades of the cathedrals in Salisbury (Appendix No. 11) or in Lincoln (Appendix No. 12), completely dressed in an uncountable number of vertical details, skillfully combined into a single whole.

But, perhaps, the grandiose interiors of English Gothic temples are even more bizarre - star-shaped, mesh, fan-shaped. Fantastically overgrown bunches of columns, the thinnest ribs, hanging openwork funnels, vertically alternating lattice bindings - such a general take-off and such a lacy symphony that, really, the impression of complete weightlessness of the vaulted ceiling is born. Here, the majestic spirituality of Gothic architecture, as it were, recedes under the most unrestrained, truly inexhaustible decorative effect. And how not to dizzy in Gloucester Cathedral or under the arches of the chapel of King's College in Cambridge,

where everywhere above them arise the most bizarre architectural patterns, reminiscent of the ornamental marvels of ancient Northmbrian miniatures.

The Gothic art of Italy has its own distinctive features. Beautiful churches, magnificent palaces, palazzos, open galleries - loggias with arcades and capitals and picturesque fountains, in which elements of the Gothic style can be recognized, adorned the cities of Italy. Designed for 40,000 worshipers, Milan Cathedral, whose construction began at the end of the 16th century and ended in the 19th century, is the largest of all Gothic cathedrals.

The proximity of France and Germany affected the Milan Cathedral: it was built by French, German, and Italian masters. As a result, excessive splendor prevails in his decorative decoration, especially in the sculptural attire. Be that as it may, a specifically Italian variant of Gothic architecture was not revealed in the grandiose Milanese temple building.

Borrowing some elements of the Gothic style that reigned in neighboring countries, the Italian masters remained alien to its very foundation. The frame system, in which the wall seemed to disappear, would not be to their liking, and the wall retained its specific meaning for them: clearly dissected, not tearing upwards, voluminous, by no means openwork, beautiful in its harmony and balance. It was not the vertical, but the regularity that fascinated Italian architects, even when they built buildings with pointed towers, lancet windows and window frames. Gables, horizontal stripes of multi-colored marble, rich inlays give the Italian facades of that time an iridescent elegance. And in the temple interior, despite the lancet vaults and ribs, as, for example, in the famous Florentine church of Santa Maria Novella (XIII-XIV centuries),

so liked by Michelangelo that he called her his “bride”, one can feel, first of all, a clear balance of architectural forms. Even such masterpieces of the late Middle Ages as the Doge's Palace (Appendix No. 13) the usual architectural principles are decisively violated. A massive block of a huge wall rests on arcades and loggias, wonderful in their slender lightness. But this does not seem unnatural, because the horizontal mass of the wall, as it were, loses its weight under multi-colored marble facing from diagonally placed square slabs.

On the Scandinavian peninsula, the harsh climate has always influenced architecture. Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland were adorned with imposing Gothic cathedrals and castles. But, perhaps, Norwegian wooden architecture is the most original Scandinavian contribution to medieval art, both Romanesque and Gothic. The wooded mountains of the country supplied in abundance the material from which the intricate, slender churches with steep gable roofs and a turret in two or three tiers were created, which all of Norway was proud of. About 30 Norwegian wooden churches, built at the end of the 11th century, have come down to us.

Vertical poles and beams determine the construction of the walls of Norwegian wooden temples. The general movement upwards, emphasized on the roofs by different skates in the form of dragons, gives a unique originality to the silhouette of such buildings. And the wonderful carving of portals with intertwining fantastic monsters clearly testifies to the continuity from those not far off times when the formidable Vikings plowed the seas on their dracars. .

Eastern Europe has its own remarkable monuments of Gothic art. Polish Gothic is peculiar with its strong, laconic construction, picturesque church facades made of red brick, market squares, where everything around is town halls. , pointed residential buildings, was created as part of a single architectural ensemble.

Krakow, the village of the magnificent capital of the Kingdom of Poland, with its numerous monuments of Gothic art, occupies a place of honor among the cities famous for their artistic treasures of the late Middle Ages.

In the eastern regions of Europe, Gothic buildings are often characterized by fortress features, laconicism, and even the severity of forms. Wars with the Teutonic Order stimulated the development of fortress architecture, and the rise of cities led to the flourishing of secular architecture, which is exemplified by the town halls in the Polish cities of Gdansk and Torun. Churches were built mainly of brick (the Church of the Virgin Mary in Krakow) and often decorated with frescoes.

In the XIII-XV centuries, Gothic spread in Hungary (St. Michael's Church in Sopron), the Czech Republic (St. Vitus Cathedral, Charles Bridge, the Old Town Hall and the royal castle of Karlstejn), Slovakia (Cathedral in Kosice), Slovenia (church in Ptuj), Transylvania ( black church in Bashov). In Latvia, the transition to Gothic falls on the XIII-XIV centuries, (Dome Cathedral in Riga). The Gothic appearance of Tillin is determined with the construction of a fortified center - Vyshgorod, and the burgher part of the city with the town hall and the church of Oleviste.

In some European countries, Gothic combined the features of its inherent artistic system with traditions and features born of local historical conditions.

This combination gave rise to a peculiar style in medieval Spain. Almost all of Spain was conquered by the Muslim Moors. The Moors had their own artistic system, very high and refined. After the era of the Reconquista, traces of Arab culture practically permeate Spanish culture. The Moorish openwork eight-pointed star reigns on the vaults of Christian cathedrals over the Gothic ribs. The frame does not always triumph over the wall. The facades of the famous 13th-century cathedrals in Burgos and Toledo are luxurious.

The grandiose five-nave Seville Cathedral, erected at the beginning of the 16th century on the site of an Arab mosque, with a bell tower rebuilt from a minaret, which has grown more in width than in height, itself very much resembles a mosque. A special style "Mudehar" is born, which combines both Gothic and the art of the Arab East.

In the Netherlands, where, thanks to its favorable geographical position, urban trade flourished already in the Roman era. The growth of the burghers caused a rapid secular construction. In the last period of the Middle Ages, it was in the Netherlands that the construction of public buildings - town halls, shopping arcades and warehouses, houses of guild organizations - gained the greatest scope.

The majestic city belfries - veche towers (befroy ), which played an important role in the uprisings of the urban population and served, along with the cathedral, as a symbol of the power and wealth of the city, is a remarkable achievement of Dutch architecture (a tower, like a pillar, towering over the shopping malls in Bruges, towers in Ypres, Ghent.

CONCLUSION

The Gothic style gradually developed a kind of absolutely logical system of structures and decor, which was most fully revealed in the architecture of the large urban cathedrals of France. This is clearly seen in the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris. The transition from Romanesque architecture to Gothic architecture made it possible to build buildings whose stability and dimensions depended not on the massiveness of the walls, but on the correct distribution of the center of gravity and the expansion of the vault. This innovation led to the development and improvement of construction equipment, significantly enriched the architecture. Gothic architecture changed the appearance of medieval cities, which were surrounded by battlements with triple gates and towers.

The creation of a unified system of decorative decoration has also transformed everyday culture. The fortifications of castles were improved, and at the same time, living quarters began to be furnished with ever-growing luxury, especially in the late Gothic period, which manifested itself in lush decorativeness, tall lancet windows with bizarre bindings, full-wall triple fireplaces, and so on.

The dwellings of ordinary townspeople - tightly pressed to each other Gothic houses with pointed gable roofs, narrow windows, lancet doorways, arcades, corner turrets created a special, unique flavor. Temple buildings acquired a Gothic vertical. The bulk of the cathedral got rid of its heaviness, and all of it was filled with air and sparkled. The rooms began to seem brighter and more spacious, the walls became less visible. Cathedrals ceased to suppress people, they appeared rather as the embodiment of the active life of the medieval city, which was in full swing around them.

The widespread use of decorative sculpture in the decoration of cathedrals and public buildings contributed to the development of sculpture, and the art of stained glass helped the development of painting. General trends in the development of culture and society have led to the fact that there has been a shift towards more realistic art. Gradually, it moves away from the conventionality of forms, the ascetic severity of the early Gothic, is filled with vital content, and in many countries is coming close to a new stage - the Renaissance.

I would like to finish this term paper on the Gothic style with the lines of N.V. Gogol: “There was an unusual architecture ... - we left it, forgot it, as if it were someone else's, neglected it as clumsy and barbaric. Is it not surprising that three centuries have passed, and Europe, which greedily rushed at everything, greedily adopted everything alien, marveled at ancient miracles, Roman and Byzantine, or dressed them according to its own forms - Europe did not know that among it were miracles ... what in in its depths are the Milan and Cologne cathedrals, and even to this day “the bricks of the unfinished tower of the Strasbourg Münster are flying. Gothic architecture, that Gothic architecture that was formed before the end of the Middle Ages, is a phenomenon such as has never been tormented by the taste and imagination of man.

LIST OF LITERATURE USED

1. Vorontsov A.I. "Excursion of world sights". - Moscow, 1983.
2. Gurevich A.Ya. "Categories of Medieval Culture". - Moscow, 1972.
3. Kryzhanovskaya M.Ya. "The Art of the Western Middle Ages". - Moscow, 1963.
4. Lyaskovskaya O.A. "French Gothic of the 12th–14th Centuries". - Moscow, 1973.
5. Soviet encyclopedia. - Moscow, 1986.
6. Soviet encyclopedic dictionary. - Moscow, 1988.

The Gothic cathedral in Rouen reflects the theological concept of the Catholic Church of that period: aspiration upward.

The main idea of ​​Gothic in architecture is not to express the strength, fundamentality, stability of the building, as in the Romanesque style, but the Christian idea of ​​​​aspiration upwards, to the Higher Forces and the Divine Light. Originating in France, Gothic quickly spread its influence to the countries of Europe, where Catholicism ruled.

France

Gothic architecture appeared in Northern France in the middle of the 12th century and reached its peak in the first half of the 13th century. Gothic architecture is based on a new (relatively Romanesque) constructive basis - a frame of pillars (in mature Gothic, instead of pillars - a bunch of columns) and lancet arches. As a result of the use of the frame system, the walls no longer bear the load from the roof vaults, due to which they become thinner, huge windows began to be arranged in them. Due to the weakening of the pressure of the vault on the walls, the architects had the opportunity to create a feeling of lightness and airiness of buildings. The facades were decorated with lancet arches, a large number of sculptural compositions with plots on religious, everyday and satirical themes, and relief ornaments. The buildings were decorated with colorful stained-glass windows. For the first time, the Gothic frame system, which determined the general appearance of majestic buildings, appeared in the abbey church of Saint-Denis (1137-1144). Vivid examples of the initial stage of the Gothic: the cathedrals in Chartres, Lana, Paris.

Cathedral in Lana - an example of early Gothic architecture in France

By the middle of the 13th century, Gothic acquires new features, it is called "high", "mature". At this time, cathedrals were being built in Germany (Cologne), the Netherlands (Utrecht), Spain (Burgos), Great Britain (Westminster Abbey), Sweden (Uppsala), Czech Republic (St. Vitus Cathedral). Thanks to the Crusaders, Gothic came to the islands of Greece, Rhodes, Cyprus, Syria.

Mature Gothic in architecture. Chapel Sainte-Chapelle in Paris (1243-1248)

At the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th centuries. Gothic architecture in France underwent some changes: more decor appeared, the statues decorating the facades had characteristic features: an S-shaped bend, courtesy in poses.

Courtesy is the manner of behavior at court, courtesy, gallantry.

Since the 14th century, city and monastery churches and chapels have been built in the Gothic style in France. Late Gothic is called "flaming" because of the characteristic pattern of window openings, reminiscent of flames, as, for example, in the church of Saint-Maclou in Rouen. At that time, town halls with elements of Gothic architecture and a lot of decoration were erected on the main squares of cities, for example, the town hall in Saint-Quentin (1351-1509). Castles began to look like majestic palaces (the complex of the papal palace in Avignon).

Church of Saint-Maclou in Rouen (St. Maclou - Church of Saint-Maclou) (1434-1470), architect Pierre Robin.

England

Crossroads - the space obtained by the intersection of the longitudinal naves with the transverse transept. The nave is the longitudinal part of the temple, separated from the neighboring volumes by a column, an arcade. Usually the temple is divided into the main nave and side naves. Transept - a transverse nave or several naves.

In Great Britain, the development of Gothic in architecture was slowed down due to internal strife, wars, and church conflicts. The heyday of English Gothic art begins in the 14th century and continues until the early 16th century: English Gothic architecture developed under the influence of the conquests of the Norman and Angevin territories. The influence of Norman architecture affected the clear methods of constructing buildings: until the end of the 16th century, Norman window frames of a pointed shape with rosettes or in the form of a lattice were used. English architects kept the Norman version of the thick walls. Such walls were pierced by galleries and corridors. They built stone vaults with low flying buttresses or no flying buttresses and buttresses at all. English Gothic in architecture lost in height, but at the same time it differed in length (the old St. Paul's Cathedral in London had a length of 179 meters). The Gothic buildings in England include: churches in Salisbury, Winchester, Oxford, Gloucester, Lichfield, Cambridge, Ely, Peterborough, Lincoln, York. Canterbury Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Exeter and Gloucester Cathedrals.

Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Westminster (Westminster Abbey) is a Gothic church in Westminster, London, west of the Palace of Westminster. 1245-1740 (Architect Hr. Vrin completed the construction of church towers). Length - 156 m; the height of the temple is 31 m, the height of the towers is 69 m.

There are three main trends in English Gothic architecture.

Early English Gothic

Early English Gothic (1170-1300). Lanceolate style. For this period, architecture is characterized by aspiration upwards, as a symbol of aspiration to heaven. A characteristic element of the style is the diverging bundles of ribs of the vaults, resembling a lancet. The architecture is dominated by lanceolate outlines of arches and openings. The windows are elongated in height, narrow, a double window appears - biforia. The sculptural decor becomes more convex.

The main nave of the cathedral in Lincoln (12th century - 1311) is made in the lanceolate style

"Decorated style" (1272-1349)

During this period, the characteristic features of English cathedrals were formed, with a central tower above the crossroads, two small turrets framing the facade according to the Norman tradition. Instead of a large rose of the western facade (as in French Gothic) there is a rectangular window. The arches were made lanceolate. An example of a style direction is Salisbury Cathedral (1220-1284), built under the direction of Bishop Richard Poore. The tower above the crossroads was built in 1313-1320 (height - 123 m). It is the highest medieval tower in England. The temple is 140 meters long.

Salisbury Cathedral (1220-1266), architect Elias Derhem.

The "perpendicular style" of late English Gothic (1350-1539) - this direction of Gothic became an independent English style. The style first appeared in the Gothic architecture of the abbey church in Gloucester in the 30s of the 14th century. The main motif of the perpendicular style decor is an elongated, narrow rectangle crowned with an arch with a pointed top. Such rectangles cover all surfaces, forming a geometrically regular lattice. Perpendicular Gothic in the architecture of England made it possible to increase the windows, almost completely replacing the walls with them. The embodiment of the perpendicular style is the Chapel of the King's College, founded in Cambridge under Henry VI in 1441. Construction was carried out until 1515.

King's College Chapel (1441 - 1515) Leading Craftsman: John Weistel.

Gothic architecture in France is an architectural style that was widespread in the territory of modern France from the 40s of the XII century until the beginning of the XVI century, when it was replaced by the Renaissance. Originating in the center of the country, the Gothic style quickly spread throughout France and beyond. The skill of architects reached its peak in the middle of the 13th century, after which development proceeded through the use of applied crafts, in particular, stone processing.

CATHEDRAL OF NOTRE DAME OF PARIS - NOTRE DAME de PARIS.

CHARTRES CATHEDRAL

AMIENS CATHEDRAL.

ROUEN CATHEDRAL

And finally, the well-known Rheims Cathedral

Reims Cathedral or Notre Dame Cathedral is one of the most famous examples of Gothic art in France due to its architecture and sculptural compositions. This is a classic example of High Gothic architecture at its peak.

Many people took part in the construction of the cathedral: for example, in the 40s. In the 12th century, thousands of Norman pilgrims came to Chartres and for several months rolled in stone blocks in the walls of the cathedral, reaching two or three meters in length and one meter in height. The western façade is the only thing left of the previous building. Its creation dates back to 1170. The façade is adorned with three portals lavishly decorated with magnificent stone bas-reliefs dating back to the 12th century. From the north and from the south, on the facades of the building, one can see a huge round lace window, very characteristic of French Gothic, into the openings of which colored stained-glass windows are inserted in lead bindings. The transept windows are 13 meters in diameter. A similar window entered the history of art under the name "rose". It first appeared in Chartres Cathedral, allegedly commissioned by King Louis IX Saint and his wife Queen Blanca of Castile. On the stained-glass windows of the "rose" you can see the coats of arms of France and Castile, scenes from the earthly life of the Mother of God and scenes of the Last Judgment. The cathedral in Chartres is better illuminated than the Parisian one, thanks to the high windows of the nave, the openwork chapels of the vast five-nave choir and the light, bluish-lilac color of the stained-glass windows, it is distinguished by a cross-shaped space, restrained nobility of the interior, covered by four private vaults, organic structure. The "Royal Portal" (1145-1155) of Chartres Cathedral is a striking example of Gothic sculpture. The cathedral in Chartres was also famous for its stained-glass windows, which occupied an area of ​​more than two and a half thousand square meters. In 1194, the cathedral in Chartres almost completely burned down, only the “royal portal” and the foundations of the towers were preserved. The building was later rebuilt. The construction of the cathedral was considered a righteous deed, for which believers would be forgiven their sins, and salvation would be provided in heaven.

The cathedral in Angers, belonging to the Gothic structures, has retained all the features of the western regions of France. The author of the project did not thicken the walls.
He sought to balance the distribution of gravity by increasing the vertical load. The vault of the temple is strongly convex. Its powerful ribs are one of the decorations of the building, since the flat band passing between the two rollers is covered with carvings; between them, as it were, a garland of flowers is stretched. The cathedral has preserved stained-glass windows dating from different periods.

The characteristic features of the early Gothic were embodied in the main cathedral of the capital of France - Notre Dame de Paris (Notre Dame). The majestic Notre-Dame de Paris was founded in 11b3, but its construction continued for several centuries - until the 14th century. The Cathedral is a basilica one hundred and twenty-nine meters long, consisting of five longitudinal naves and one transverse - a transept .. This is a grandiose (length 130 m, height of vaults 32.5 At) a five-nave temple, divided in the middle of the length by a short transept and completed with a choir with a double bypass (1182), so that the whole plan fits into a rectangle. With six-part vaults and identical round pillars of the main arcade crowned with large capitals, the wall placed on them is still massive; it received large upper windows necessary to illuminate the nave of the Choir of the Cathedral, as well as the facade with its clear horizontal and vertical articulations, as if with difficulty cut into a dense wall with portals, a magnificent rose and monumental towers that seem to have grown out of the body of the structure - a perfect work of a completely established style.
Three entrance-portals lead to the temple, framed by arches extending into the depths; above them are niches with statues - the so-called "royal gallery", images of biblical kings and French kings, who were identified with the characters of the Old Testament. The center of the western facade is decorated with a rose window, and above the side portals, windows under lancet arches stretched upwards. On the towers of the cathedral there are sculptures of fantastic monsters - chimeras. Notre Dame de Paris combined features of the Romanesque and Gothic styles. The massive towers of the façade are characteristic of Romanesque architecture, while the cross vault supported by arches, the use of flying buttresses and buttresses, lancet arches and many windows are features characteristic of Gothic art. Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris responded to the city's increased political importance
as the capital of the state and completed the first stage in the development of the Gothic style.

The architecture of the Reims Cathedral (1211-1331), with the severity of tectonic construction, is characterized by emphasized verticalism, the elongation of all elements and figures, an abundance of sculpture and decorative details, which, like lush growth, make their way up, crossing horizontal articulations. Even the lancet frames of the portals are so elevated that another rose cuts through the central tympanum. The entire outline of the facade is lightened, noticeably tapering upwards. The main façade of Reims Cathedral differs significantly from the classical façade. The protruding portals, the deep-lying rose framed by a high lancet arch and the high second floor create a new type of Gothic façade: vertical lines decisively predominate in it. the very alternation of vertical and horizontal lines. This impression of monotony is enhanced by the similar design of the side aisles.

Conclusion

In the XIII-XV centuries. Gothic architecture spread to different countries of Europe, acquiring certain features, and gradually grew out of the Romanesque style, transforming it with almost imperceptible innovations. In the 13th century, the connection between the two kingdoms of Spain and France strengthened. French architects work in Spain. Traces of their activities can be traced in the cathedrals of Leon, Burgos and Toledo. Spanish architecture of the 13th century seems to be a branch of the French. Almost always hostile, but always close relations with England could not but affect the architecture of both kingdoms. For example, the French architect Guillaume of Sens built the Cathedral in Kentbury in 1175. Being closer than any other English temples to the French plan, the cathedral of Westminster Abbey has remained a monument of close relations between the kingdoms. Its choir is surrounded by a crown of chapels, the central nave is higher than was customary in
English temples. The influence of the English Gothic on the French, which fell on the 15th century, did not affect the main structure of the buildings, but mainly their "flaming decor" The remarkable Gothic architecture of the Czech Republic of the 14th century is also associated with
named after the French architect Mathieu of Arras, who began the construction of the Cathedral of St. Witt in Prague Castle.
Information has been preserved that in 1287 Etienne de Bonneil sailed with an assistant to Sweden to build a cathedral in Uppsala. H

Gothic, as an architectural style, is characteristic of a certain era throughout Western Europe, but the leading role in its creation, development and implementation belonged to France.