I'm an american, we don't have many cathedrals, as such they naturally fascinate me. You Euro SYG boardies should have more to say then me..
As I have become a more devout Christian I am especially attracted to them, but as a
historian I am beyond impressed with their significant impact on the development of the Western world..
(by the way, this is
NOT A CUT AND PASTE THREAD, these are
original responses)
for example:
Romanesque Era: 900-1100
-Cathedrals were initially built to support the large pilgrimage networks that criss-crossed Europe before the period of proto-urbanization (i.e, enormous public works projects)
-Pilgrimage networks interconnected the politics, cultures and economies of Europe spurring development, it was the tourism of the middle ages and like tourism today, was a particularly large source of income and commerce. The Crusades were not holy wars, they were commercial wars to control the pilgrimage sites of the 'holy lands' and also topple Byzantine superiority which is why during the 4th crusade they scrapped a plan for Jerusalem and instead pillaged and destroyed Constantinople, the major European rival to the West.
-Monasteries were also the major sources of patronage for this period of massive Cathedral building, as monasteries were the source of intellectual pursuits, economic development, and preservation of culture. Monasteries became the first Universities of Europe
-The work required to build these projects directly brought about proto-urbanization in Europe, as all workers and funding poured into the developing cities along the pilgrimage routes
Gothic Age: 1100-1400
-As the small towns became small cities, Cathedrals became civic centers of commerce, public festivities, politics and culture. The Cathedral was where children were baptized, holidays on the calendar were celebrated, the young were married, and the dead commemorated. From the cradle to the grave, the cathedral was the center of life in Europe. Further, its massive size and scale meant it was literally the physical center of the town and was a constantly visible symbol.
-Cathedrals were very democratic in the sense that they provided the common, poor and everyday people direct access to regal, elegant and truly beautiful public spaces previously reserved for the wealthy and elite. They were the museums of the middle ages.
-As public works projects, these contributed to urbanization, centralization and development of Europe as people mutually contributed labor, capital and resources to build and maintain Cathedrals.
-Cathedrals led to advancement in architecture which directly became the 'sky-scapers' and other large urban public buildings of the 16th and 17th centuries.
Discuss/Contribute:
Gothic Architecture
Romanesque Architecture
Chartes (France)
Leon (Spain)
Salisbury (England)
Cologne (Germany)