The background And History Of Gothic Architecture.

Gothic art is characterized by verticality and light, which is the reflection of divinity. Its most typical expression is the cathedral, an urban building, in which we find all the elements of Gothic art.

In these constructions, Latin cross floor plans predominate, distinguishing: the head, the transept and the naves, from three to five. The chancel has an ambulatory and radial chapels and the central nave and transept are wider and higher than the lateral ones.

The chapels, apses and ambulatories cease to be semicircular and become polygonal.

Ribbed:

The most important construction changes are seen in the ribbed vault and the flying buttress. The ribbed vault, derived from the groin vault, manages to locate its thrusts on four starting points, which allows it to cover all types of spaces. The flying buttress, for its part, is a type of bridge that transmits the pressures from the base of the high vaults to the light buttresses on the outside, thus allowing larger openings to be opened in the fabric of the building.

It also uses a new type of pointed arch. Thanks to its verticality, it allows the height of the building to be raised. With these three elements, Gothic architects revolutionized construction. They achieved diaphanous walls that are covered with stained glass. The rose windows are the privileged frame of the stained glass windows. The stained glass windows are organized in traceries. Each stained glass window has an iron frame and leaded. As there is more space free of stone, the windows acquire great importance and inside the openings you can see openwork traceries that are filled with polychrome stained glass.

The fasciculated pillar appears, which has the shaft formed by several thin columns, also called baquetones.

The cover is revalued.

The towers and doors are placed there. The typical façade is H-shaped. It is made up of two square towers, topped with a pyramidal element. They have three levels: the entrance door, the windows and the rose window. The access doors to the temple are usually placed on the arms and feet of the cross, continuing with the Romanesque flare, only now the arches are pointed. The tympanum continues to be decorated but now the figures are distributed in horizontal areas while the figures of the archivolts are arranged in the direction of the curve.

The pointed shape of the cover is usually completed with the gable or angular molding that crowns it. Above the cover we find the rose window that provides lighting and color to the interior of the temple.

In the elevation of the cathedral there are three parts: the arches, the triforium and the clerestory or windows.

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In addition to cathedrals, other constructions that gain importance are civil buildings. Town halls and markets were built, while castles and military fortifications continued to be built.

Gothic Architecture in Europe:

France is the birthplace of Gothic. In the proto-Gothic phase we find Cistercian buildings such as the Abbey of Saint Denis, and Notre-Dame de Paris. Already in the classical period, the royal cathedrals, Reims, Amiens and Chartres, stand out. And in the Mannerist period, the Holy Chapel of Paris and the Rouen Cathedral stand out.

In England, Gothic has three stages: the primitive style, with Canterbury Cathedral, the decorative style, with York Cathedral, and the perpendicular style, with Westminster Cathedral.

In Italy the characteristic was the civil architecture. Highlights include the Perugia Town Hall, the Pavia Charterhouse and the Casa del Oro Doge’s Palace in Venice.

In Spain, Gothic has two fundamental areas, the Camino de Santiago and the commercial cities of the Crown of Aragon.

The cathedrals of Zamora, Salamanca, Tarragona and Lérida begin to be built.

In its second stage, in the 12th century, the most important cathedrals are those of León, Burgos and Toledo. It is the stage of full Gothic.

The third stage, in the 14th century.

The cathedrals of Palma de Mallorca, Santa María del Mar (Barcelona) and Gerona are finished. They are more austere temples, the central nave is wider and the side naves are higher.

In the 15th century, flamboyant Gothic appeared, which in Castile is called Isabelline. Two schools appear in Castilla: that of Toledo and that of Burgos. At this time the decoration overflows, the plants tend to be square with a single nave and the supports are thinner. The chorus moves to the feet and up. We highlight the Fish Markets of Palma de Mallorca and Valencia.

In Portugal the Gothic arrives through Spain: Batalha convent and the Alcobaça monastery. In the 15th and 16th centuries the original Manueline style was developed with the monastery of Belem.