What type of architecture are cathedrals?

What type of architecture are cathedrals?

Cathedrals have been built in almost every architectural style. But most of the famous European cathedrals were Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic or Renaissance. The greatest era of building happened in Europe between 1000 and 1500 A.D.

What are the defining features of the architecture of cathedrals in the medieval period?

Famous Medieval Cathedrals Both structures sported pointy pinnacles, Gothic arches and flying buttresses. Though the interiors were somewhat Romanesque, the high towers, the vaulting ribs, the large circular rose windows and the stone pillars (piers) made the Gothic features stand out.

What were the cathedrals used for?

Cathedrals and churches were often used for meeting places when a large location was needed. Catholic Bishops often sat on the king’s council. Churches provided education and looked after the poor and the sick.

What did Gothic architecture allow for in cathedrals?

To construct taller, more delicate buildings with thinner walls, Gothic architects employed flying buttresses for support. These stone structures allowed architects to create sky-high cathedrals and churches that evoked ethereality and reached toward the heavens.

How were Gothic cathedrals constructed?

The walls and pillars, timber scaffolding and roof were built first. Once the roof was in place, and the walls were reinforced with buttresses, the construction of the vaults could begin. One of the most complex steps was the construction of the rib vaults, which covered the nave and choir.

How were the cathedrals built?

While foundations were being laid, skilled craftsmen worked in quarries and produced blocks of stone that would be used in the building process. It would not be unusual for as many as fifty advanced skilled apprentices to work in a quarry along with 250 labourers. They would be supervised by a master quarryman.