Cathedrals


Cathedrals

 

 

     Cathedrals dominated the medieval skyline. They were symbols of their huge importance to medieval society where religion dominated the lives of all people. Cathedrals were an obvious sign of wealth. Huge cathedrals were found mainly at Canterbury and York, and in cities such as Lincoln, Worcester, and Chichester. The cost of these buildings was huge. The money was gained by people who gave 1/10 of their pay to the church. Medieval workers worked with the most basic of tools and in conditions that today's laws would forbid. But the most driving force was to build a magnificent building for the greater glory of God.

 

        The most obvious starting point to build a cathedral would be to find a skilled architect. The architect would then have to find highly skilled men in sculpting, masonry, blacksmithing, glass making, stone cutting, mortar making, carpentry, and roofing. Each man had his own work shop to work in. It took about 250 years to build a cathedral. Some of the great art of the middle ages was portrayed in cathedrals on stained glass windows, sculptures, architecture, and painted murals. Most cathedrals were built in a similar fashion, they were layed out in the shape of a cross. 

 

                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                     -this is the layout of a

                                                                                                                                                                                                         cathedral looking down                                                    

                  New St. Paul's Cathedral

              Image result for st paul's cathedral                                Outline of a cathedral that looks like a cross

                     Old St. Paul's Cathedral     

 

                 

                                 

 

        St. Paul's Cathedral was built in 1087. It started on fire twice while it was under construction. It was first delayed by a fire in 1087. Work on St. Paul's was yet again delayed in 1135 by a second fire. The cathedral was finally finished in 1240. The construction took over 200 years. The St. Paul's cathedral was one of the few buildings to survive the London Blitz in  World War II.

                                                                                               The Rose Window

 

         The rose window was located in the front wall of most cathedrals. The Rose window was round and colorful. The idea for the Rose window most likely originated from the Roman oculus. An oculus was a large circular opening that let in both air and light. 

 

 

                    Nortre Dame Cathedral 

              Nortre Dame Cathedral's construction began in 1160 and ended in 1345. Nortre Dame de Paris, Nortre Dame's full name, means "Our Lady of Paris". Nortre Dame was consecrated to the Virgin Mary. Some things that make Nortre Dame stand out is that it has one of the world's largest organ's and its huge bells. While undergoing renovation and restoration, the roof of Nortre Dame caught fire on the evening of April 15, 2019. Burning for around 15 hours, the cathedral sustained serious damage, including most of the lead-covered wooden roof above the stone vaulted ceiling. Following the fire many proposals were made for modernizing the cathedrals designs. However on July 16, 2019 the French Parliament passed a law requiring Nortre Dame to be rebuilt the exactly as it appeared before the fire. The government of France hopes to have the reconstruction can be completed by Spring of 2024, in time for the opening of the 2024 Summer Olympics.