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The Gothic style first appeared in France in the mid-12th century in an Abbey, St Denis Basilica, built by Abbot Suger (1081–1151). The old Basilica was the traditional burial place of Saint Denis, and of the Kings of France, and was also a very popular pilgrimage destination, so much so that pilgrims were sometimes crushed by the crowds.
This is a list of gothic cathedrals in Europe that are active Christian cathedrals (the seats of bishops), but also includes former cathedrals and churches built in the style of cathedrals, that are significant for their Gothic style of architecture. [1] [2] As such, some of the buildings listed here are parish churches or have other uses.
If Chartres wrote the Gothic rulebook, Amiens took it to new heights—literally. One of France's largest churches, this 13th-century marvel is where Gothic architecture really spreads its wings.
A cathedral might be as small as the historic Newport Cathedral, a late medieval parish church declared a cathedral in 1949. That said, size, height, capacity, and architectural prominence are all categories in which most cathedrals excel (at least comparatively within the municipal context of each building).
French Gothic architecture was the result of the emergence in the 12th century of a powerful French state centered in the Île-de-France.During the reign of Louis VI of France (1081–1137), Paris was the principal residence of the Kings of France, Reims the place of coronation, and the Abbey of Saint-Denis became their ceremonial burial place.
The construction of Gothic cathedrals was an ambitious, expensive, and technically demanding aspect of life in the Late Middle Ages. From the late 11th century until the Renaissance , largely in Western Europe , Gothic cathedral construction required substantial funding, highly skilled workers, and engineering solutions for complex technical ...
In Classic cathedrals the nave walls were usually divided into three levels, with the arcade on the ground floor, the triforium or passageway above it, and the clerestory with large windows at the top. They had higher and thinner walls than Early Gothic churches, made possible largely by the support outside the walls provided by the flying ...
Rose windows were a prominent feature of many Gothic churches and cathedrals. The rose was a symbol of the Virgin Mary, and they were particularly used in churches dedicated to her. The French Gothic cathedrals of Chartres, [121] Notre Dame de Paris, Reims, and Laon have them in the west façade, and in the transepts as well. [122]