Editing Internet Texts/Gothic Architecture in France, England, and Italy/Characteristics of Gothic Architectural Style

Plan

One of the main characteristics of Gothic architecture is the height of the cathedrals.

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The main entrance is situated in the western end of a cathedral, as the apse, which contains the high altar, always faces the east - direction of Jerusalem. Most of Gothic cathedrals are of a Latin cross plan, with the long nave, the transverse arm called the transept and the extension called the choir. Sometimes the choir is surrounded by an aisle called the ambulatory. There are also regional variations to this plan (double or lack of aisles, transept protruding boldly from the aisles or not projecting at all etc.).

In general, the nave is taller than the aisles and is pierced through with clerestory windows, though cathedrals following the German tradition often have aisles and the nave of the same height. This type of a cathedral is called a hall church.

• Examples of Gothic cathedral plans
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  Chartres Cathedral
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  Salisbury Cathedral
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  Cologne Cathedral
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  Reims Cathedral

Pointed arches

Semicircular arches, most often used in Romanesque architecture, did not offer much support. Introduction of pointed arches redirected the pressure from horizontal to vertical, allowing the architects to design thinner and taller walls.

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  Equilateral arch
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  Lancet arch
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  Equilateral arch in the Chapter House at York Minster

• Compare with other arches.

Vaults

Vault	Description	Plan	Example
quadripartite	two ribs divide the vault into two sections	|| Tours Cathedral
sexpartite	three ribs divide the vault into three sections	|| Laon Cathedral
lierne or stellar	a rib spreads out from two other ribs rather than a springer	|| Lady Chapel of Wells Cathedral
fan	ribs spread out from each springer resembling a fan	|| King's College

Compare with:

• Barrel vault,
• Groin vault, extensively used in Romanesque architecture

Flying buttresses

As the Gothic cathedrals grew in height, the normal buttresses no longer offered enough support. A flying buttresses, an arched structure extending from the top part of the wall to a pier, discharged the pressure (thrust) of the vaults and the roofing. In effect, the walls of a Gothic cathedral could be built higher and thinner. The use of flying buttresses also allowed the architects to design larger windows thus letting more daylight into a cathedral, which would have otherwise weakened the stability of the walls further.

• Flying buttresses
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  Cathedral of Amiens
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  Cathedral of Amiens
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  Cathedral of Amiens

Tracery

Tracery is a stonework element usually incorporated in a Gothic window. It was first used in Reims Cathedral in 1211 . There are two main types of traceries: plate and bar traceries. Plate traceries are dominated by stone rather than glass and are characteristic of Early Gothic Architecture. Bar traceries are composed of thinner stone elements, which gives them more delicate look.

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  Plate tracery, Chartres Cathedral
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  Plate tracery, West facade of Chartres Cathredral
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  Bar tracery, Reims Cathedral
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  Bar tracery, Strasbourg Cathedral

Traceries come in different patterns. The earlier forms were simple, made up of geometrical figures, later developed into more complex designs. Among the main patterns, we distinguish:

• foil (based on the number of leaves, further divided into: trefoil, quatrefoil, cinquefoil and multifoil),
• fish bladder (fischblase) - characterised by a rounded or pointed head and a curved, pointed tail. Its shape resembles a tadpole.

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  Trefoil
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  Quatrefoil
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  Cinquefoil
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  Fish bladder tracery
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  Trefoil
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  Quatrefoil and cinquefoil
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  Fish bladder

Traceries were also incorporated into rose windows and gables. They were also used to decorate the walls or panels (blind traceries).

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  Piscina in St John the Baptist's Church, Westbourne, West Sussex
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  Blind traceries and tympanum over the southwest door of St Matthew's parish church, Ashford, Surrey
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  Traceries and blind traceries of Gloucester Cathedral

Other elements

Lancet window

Lancet window is a tall, narrow window capped by a lancet arch. Since such windows provide very little light, they usually come in the group of two or more. The group may be surmounted by a single moulding with each window separated with a mullion.

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  Two lancet windows separated with a mullion and paired under a single moulding
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  Beverley Minster

Rose window

Rose window is a circular window with mullions and traceries incorporated into it, often glazed with stained glass. It was mainly used at the west end of the nave and at the end of a transept.

• Rose windows
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  South rose window of Notre-Dame de Paris
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  Église Notre-Dame (Joinville, Haute-Marne)
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  Notre-Dame de Paris
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  St Matthias Church, Richmond

Pinnacle

A pinnacle is an ornament of a pyramidal or conical shape, used to terminate buttresses, spires, parapets and other architectural structures. On a smaller scale, it was used in Romanesque architecture and later developed into more prominent decoration. Crowning buttresses with pinnacles also enhanced their stability.

• Pinnacles
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  Nantes Cathedral
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  Milan Cathedral
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  King's College, Cambridge

Crockets

Crockets are regularly spaced, decorative elements in the form of curled leaves, buds or flowers, used to adorn the edges of spires, pinnacles and gables.

• Crockets
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  Illustration of the crockets, Beauvais Cathedral
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  Pinnacle adorned with crockets, Saint-Étienne Cathedral
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  Reims Cathedral

Gargoyle

A gargoyle is a waterspout projecting out from a wall. Its main purpose is to convey the water away from the wall. Rainwater flows through a system of channels and then exits though the pipe projecting from the gargoyle's mouth.

In Gothic architecture, they were most frequently carved into distorted, grotesque human forms or fantastic beasts. They were meant to portray the evil and were used as a means of presenting Biblical themes to the illiterate masses.

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  Gargoyles of Notre Dame
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  Gargoyle of Notre Dame
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  Gargoyles of Amiens Cathedral
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  Gargoyle of the Florence Cathedral
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  Gargoyles of Milan Cathedral

Fleuron

A fleuron is a flower-shaped ornament, which was often used as a finial of the pinnacles, spires or gables.

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