Author Question: Explain the function and style of the abbey church and the pilgrimage church. What will be an ... (Read 102 times)

jhjkgdfhk

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 569
Explain the function and style of the abbey church and the pilgrimage church.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Explain the importance of the flying buttress in architecture.
 
  What will be an ideal response?



wilsonbho

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 322
Answer to Question 1

The era of grand church design began with the Benedictine abbey of Cluny in southeastern France, which launched a movement for monastic revitalization that witnessedwithin a period of 150 yearsthe construction of more than 1,000 monasteries and abbey churches throughout Western Europe. These churches employed round arches and a uniform system of stone vaults in the upper zones of the nave and side aisles and often preserved the Latin cross floor plans. The outstanding stonemasonry of the Normans created massive buildings with towers that could be seen for miles.
During medieval times, when economic revitalization allowed for freer travel, religious pilgrims traveled across Europe to visit the newly designed churches and the holy relics they housed. Since pilgrims, like modern tourists, constituted a major source of revenue for European towns and churches, parishes competed for them by enlarging church interiors and by increasing the number of reliquary chapels. These pilgrimage churches featured architectural innovations and space for medieval sculpture to flourish as well.

Answer to Question 2

As the Gothic cathedral became the focal point for an entire town, its architecture represented a clear break with the Classical past. Unlike the Classical temple, which seemed to hug the earth, the Gothic cathedral soared heavenward. It rejected the static, rationalized purity of the Classical canon in favor of a dynamic system of thrusts and counter-thrusts; and it infused form with symbolic meaning. The soaring, vaulted ceiling were made possible by the flying buttress.
Rather than rounded arches, Gothic cathedrals used an ingenious combination of rib vault and pointed arches. Whereas the rounded vaults of the Romanesque church demanded extensive lateral buttressing, the steeply pointed arches of the Gothic period, which directed weight downward, required only the combination of slender vertical piers and thin lateral (flying) buttresses. Instead of the heavy stone masonry, these cathedrals could feature areas of beautiful stained glass windows on the walls, adding to the lighter and airy interior space.



Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question
 

Did you know?

Recent studies have shown that the number of medication errors increases in relation to the number of orders that are verified per pharmacist, per work shift.

Did you know?

Patients who have been on total parenteral nutrition for more than a few days may need to have foods gradually reintroduced to give the digestive tract time to start working again.

Did you know?

Symptoms of kidney problems include a loss of appetite, back pain (which may be sudden and intense), chills, abdominal pain, fluid retention, nausea, the urge to urinate, vomiting, and fever.

Did you know?

Certain topical medications such as clotrimazole and betamethasone are not approved for use in children younger than 12 years of age. They must be used very cautiously, as directed by a doctor, to treat any child. Children have a much greater response to topical steroid medications.

Did you know?

A cataract is a clouding of the eyes' natural lens. As we age, some clouding of the lens may occur. The first sign of a cataract is usually blurry vision. Although glasses and other visual aids may at first help a person with cataracts, surgery may become inevitable. Cataract surgery is very successful in restoring vision, and it is the most frequently performed surgery in the United States.

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library