The Gothic style in architecture, or simply Gothic, originated at the turn of the 11th-12th centuries in France, and replaced the Romanesque architectural style. Today in Europe there are many beautiful buildings of the Middle Ages, built in the Gothic style, which are considered to be masterpieces of world architectural art. We set off on a journey through the cities of Europe to get acquainted with the most beautiful buildings of the Gothic style, which is characterized as “eerily majestic”, and its symbolism is rich and varied.
St. Stephen's Cathedral. Vein. Austria
The rating, which includes famous Gothic cathedrals, opens with St. Stephen's Cathedral, founded in the XII century in the heart of the Austrian capital.
The symbol of freedom and independence of Austria was built in Vienna on the site of two previously destroyed churches, and its active construction ended already at the beginning of the 16th century.
One of the unique and striking design features of the Gothic cathedral is a roof made of tiles, which depicts the coat of arms of Vienna, adorning the Vienna Cathedral since 1952.
Burgos Cathedral. Burgos. Spain
Laid in 1221 in the city of Burgos as the main cathedral of the kingdom of Castile, the temple became a vivid example of Spanish Gothic.
The decree on its construction was personally issued by King Ferdinand III, and the altar was solemnly consecrated in 1260. After this event, construction work was suspended for almost two hundred years, and only in 1567 the work ended with the construction of the main spire.
Since 2007, the legendary sword of the national hero Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, known around the world as the sword of Tyson, has been kept in its walls. The beauty and grandeur of the cathedral contributed to the fact that in 2012 its image was minted on a coin with a face value of 2 euros.
Reims Cathedral. Reims France
Notre-Dame de Reims was built over a hundred years, from 1211 to 1311, and only the western facade of the magnificent Gothic building was built a little later.
Built on the site of an ancient Romanesque church, the cathedral became a model of French Gothic, the so-called "lanceolate style." It is distinguished by tall, 80 meters each towers, the original decoration of the external facades, which makes it the most harmonious among similar structures of medieval France.
It is famous for the fact that Charles VII was crowned here on the initiative of the French heroine Joan of Arc, which was a turning point in the war with England, which went down in history under the name "Hundred Years War".
Kršivoklat Castle. Czech Republic
The time has come to introduce the majestic Gothic castles of Europe, among which a special place on tourist maps is occupied by the Kršivoklat castle, not far from Prague.
The towers and walls of the castle are located in the beautiful valley of the Berounka River, immersed in a dense forest. For the construction of the castle, which approximately began in 1230, a massive triangular cape was chosen, which flowed around streams. The construction was completed already under King Wenceslas II at the very beginning of the XIV century.
In 1989, it was inscribed on the national heritage list, and today it is one of the most visited historical sites in the Czech Republic.
Karlstejn Castle. Czech Republic
The magnificent Gothic-style castle was laid by Charles IV, 28 kilometers from Prague in 1328, and already in 1365, after setting up Gothic stained-glass windows and decorating the Cross chapel with precious jasper, the construction was completed.
It was its walls during the time of multiple wars that saved the main regalia of not only the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, but also the Czech kings.
In addition to the towers themselves, the castle complex includes architectural masterpieces of the 14th century, the Gothic Church of St. Mary with unique murals, as well as the Catherine Chapel.
St. Vitus Cathedral. Prague. Czech Republic
We will move from Czech majestic and monumental castles to the Prague Cathedral in honor of St. Vitus, which was built for almost 7 centuries.
The first stone in the temple of Gothic architecture was laid back in 1344, and construction was completed only in 1929. Many famous European architects had a hand in the construction, which is why the cathedral has an unusual beautiful appearance.
Its main design features are wonderful stained glass windows, drains - witch gargoyles. The most beautiful Gothic cathedral in the Czech Republic became the tomb of many rulers of the Holy Roman Empire.
Mir Castle. World. Belarus
Gothic castles of the Middle Ages are amazing, and, as you can see, are not subject to time. All this fully applies to Mir Castle, the first mention of which dates back to 1395.
He received the name of the town of Mir, and for a long time remained the residence of the richest kind of Lithuania Radziwill. The majestic defensive structure has witnessed and participated in many wars, and today it is one of the main attractions of the republic.
Tourists are attracted not only by the graceful Gothic architecture of the castle, but also by the many legends associated with this medieval building.
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Moscow. Russia
If we consider the Catholic places in Moscow, the most beautiful is the Gothic church, built at the very beginning of the twentieth century.
The site was chosen for a long time, and stopped on Malaya Gruzinskaya Street, where at that time the largest number of Catholics lived. But the funds for the grandiose construction were raised by the Polish community of the Orthodox capital.
The temple is a vivid example of brick Gothic architecture, and today it is an active church, although during the years of Soviet rule it remained closed for a long time.
Chartres Cathedral. Chartres. France
One of the masterpieces of medieval Gothic architecture is located in the French town of Tent, which is 90 kilometers southwest of the French capital.
The construction plan was adopted in 1145, but the foundation stone was laid only after 50 years, in 1195. 51 years after the start of construction, the temple opened its doors to believers.
The three-nave building in plan is a classic Latin cross, and its eastern part is crowned with a semicircle of small chapels. Over the many years of the building’s existence, painted stained glass has been well preserved, as well as the famous rose window.
Lincoln Cathedral. Lincoln. England
After the bishop moved to Lincoln in 1072, the hasty construction of a cathedral church began in the city. But the earthquake of 1085 destroyed an unfinished building.
The new cathedral began to be erected in 1185, and by 1290 all work on the construction of the majestic temple in the Gothic architectural style was completed. It became a real decoration of the medieval city, which remains to this day.
The library of the cathedral in Lincoln contains rare manuscripts and books that sanctify the early stages of the history of England, and the cathedral itself has become the world treasury of classical English Gothic architecture.
Milan Cathedral. Milan. Italy
The world famous Gothic church has long been the hallmark of the Italian city. It was founded in 1386, and the author of the project was the famous Italian architect Simone de Orsenigo.
Throughout the entire construction process, and it lasted until 1880, French architects were replaced by German architects as the chief architects of the cathedral, and then Italians came in their place. The cathedral in Milan is famous for its unique stained-glass windows through which light enters.
In the photo: On the roof of the cathedral
Respect is caused by sculptures and statues that adorn the facade of the church. But the most famous shrine is the nail from the cross of Jesus, which is located under the sparkling gold altar.
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