General Timeline:

•509 BC -- Traditional date of founding of Roman Republic•460 - 429 BC -- Periclean Age in Athens •356-323 BC -- Life of Alexander the Great•246-221 BC -- Rome beats Carthage in the First Punic War•201 -- Rome acquires Spain•2nd Century BC -- Rome dominates Asia Minor and Egypt•50 BC -- Julius Caesar establishes Roman oppidum near Amiens -- Samarobriva•49-44 BC -- Julius Caesar dictator of Rome•27 BC - 14 AD -- Emperor Augustus•Ca. 30 AD -- Crucifixion of Jesus•1st century AD -- Spread of Christianity in Greece and Asia Minor•250-302 AD -- Persecution of the Christians in Roman Empire•313 AD -- Edict of Milan by Constantine legalizes Christian practice•Ca. 350 AD -- St. Firmin of Spain converts Amiens, later killed by Viking raiders•410 AD -- Rome sacked by Visigoths•455 AD - Rome sacked by Vandals•476 AD -- Western Roman Empire ends•742 or 747 AD - 814 -- Rule of Charlemagne -- first Roman Emperorto rule in Western Europe since Romans; protector of church•Ca. 1000 AD -- Viking raids cease when they become Christians – hence, beginnings of large building programs -- “birth of the Gothic.”

Vs. Arch

Post and Lintel…

Arch of Titus, ca. 81 AD

Santa Sabina, Rome422-32Basilica planArches on free-standingcolumns (arcade)

Arcade: A series of arches supported by columns, piers, or pillars, either freestanding or attached to a wall to form a gallery.

Sant’Apollinare - Ravenna, ItalyConsecrated 549

Aachen, Palace chapel of CharlemagneCompleted 805

Durham Cathedral, Durham, England(Romanesque style)

Cruciform planAmiens Cathedral, as seen from the air

Batalha Monastery, Portugal

Notre Dame cathedralParis

Wells Cathedral,England

Amiens cathedralAmiens,France

France, Important Gothic Sites, ca. 1130’s-1230’s

Amiens, Cathedral of Notre-Dame, begun ca. 1220, architects: Robert De Luzarches, Thomas De Cormont, Renaud De Cormont

Bird’s eye view of the cathedral in the city; view from the Somme River

What does a Gothic cathedral need to do? --Serve as an administrative center --A space for the liturgy and performance of Catholic offices--Place to put relics and a path to structure the viewing for pilgrims--A way to channel the movement of congregation and processions--Palace of the Queen of Heaven (the Virgin Mary)

Cathedra – literal seat of the Bishop, but also signifies the Cathedral is the Bishop’s church

Pilgrimage site:Head of John the Baptist, brought back by crusaders from Constantinople, 1206

What is “Gothic”?

Elevation of a Gothic church or cathedral

What is “Gothic”?

•Pointed arches (why important?) •Flying buttresses – mean thinner walls •Rib vaults – high ceilings and use of a module plan •Elaborate decoration

Apse /

1 2

3

4

Why Gothic?

View looking across to south flank of nave

How to build the Gothic?

Interior of Henry VII chapel,Westminster AbbeyCa. 1500Fan vaults

50 local feet

30 feet

Height of nave to capitals of vaulting shafts: 110 local feet. Total height of nave: 144 feet.