How did architectural engineering impact the interior of Gothic cathedrals?
This engineering advancement enabled artistic statements to be displayed in the wall areas of glass. The huge stained glass windows and a profusion of smaller windows throughout Gothic buildings created the effect of interior lightness and space and exterior color and grandeur.
Which element of Gothic architecture allows for the extreme height of the buildings?
flying buttress
Why are they called flying buttresses?
They extended (“flew”) from the upper part of exterior walls to piers that would support the weight of the roof. Rather than being stuck to the side of the building, flying buttresses formed beautiful arches leading away from the building.
Why are there gargoyles on Notre Dame?
The gargoyles’ main purpose is very practical. As rain water runs down the roofs of Notre-Dame de Paris, it needs to drain off without dripping down the walls and potentially damaging them. By evacuating rain water, the gargoyles protect the cathedral and protect the stone from damage caused by excessive runoff.
What is a flying buttress in Gothic architecture?
Flying buttress, masonry structure typically consisting of an inclined bar carried on a half arch that extends (“flies”) from the upper part of a wall to a pier some distance away and carries the thrust of a roof or vault. The flying buttress evolved in the Gothic era from earlier simpler, hidden supports.
Why is Notre Dame Gothic?
Its cruciform plan, elevated nave, transept and tower were borrowed from 11th-century Romanesque architecture, but its pointed arches and rib vaulting were strictly Gothic. Indeed, it was one of the first Gothic cathedrals to have arched exterior supports known as “flying buttresses”.
Is Hunchback of Notre Dame real?
Quasimodo (from Quasimodo Sunday) is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) by Victor Hugo. The role of Quasimodo has been played by many actors in film and stage adaptations, including Lon Chaney, Sr.
Why did Notre Dame burn?
“The heart of Notre Dame had been saved.” On 15 April 2019, an electrical short was the likely spark for a blaze that threatened to burn the 850-year-old cathedral to the ground. Following a protocol developed for just such a disaster, firefighters knew which works of art to rescue and in which order.
Are gargoyles good or bad?
When not constructed as a waterspout and only serving an ornamental or artistic function, the correct term for such a sculpture is a grotesque, chimera, or boss. Just as with bosses and chimeras, gargoyles are said to protect what they guard, such as a church, from any evil or harmful spirits.