Gothic Architecture

1) Introduction
Gothic architecture began in the 12th to 15th century mainly in France, where architects were
inspired by Romanesque architecture and the pointed arches of Spanish Moorish architecture.
It’s easy to recognize Gothic buildings because of their arches, ribbed vaulting, flying
buttresses, elaborate sculptures (like gargoyles) and stained glass windows. Gothic
architecture was originally known as “French Style”. During the period of Renaissance, it fell
out of fashion and it was not respected by many artists. They marked it as “Gothic “to suggest
it was the crude work of German barbarians (Goths).

Examples of Gothic Architecture:

1. Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

2. St. Patrick Cathedral in Dublin
● Meaning of Gothic
- “Dark Age”
- Goths were invading barbarians from the north who ruined
ancient art and replaced it with their own culture
- These Goths took Rome in 410 A.D. They caused little damage
but became known as the first tribe of barbarians to do so and
thus the name “Gothic””.
● Characteristics of Gothic Architecture
▪ Structural
- Skeletal stone structure
- Focus on verticality. It brought innovative new construction techniques
that allowed churches and other buildings reach great heights
▪ Visual
- Visual arts were important including the role of light in structures
- Large windows allow light into large open spaces to create a heavenly
environment

▪ Symbolic
- Scholasticism – translations of real events into stone and glass
- Cathedrals served as an image of heaven
- is one important innovation wherein Gothic era builders
discovered that pointed arches would give structures amazing
strength and stability. Builders turned away from the semi-
circular, unbroken arch of the same span.

- Solves geometric difficulty inherent in ribbed vaults wherein it’s

impossible to arrange all arches and ribs to a common level using
semicircular ribs. With a pointed arch, ribs could be made level.
▪ Rib Vaults
- Gothic builders introduced the dramatic technique of ribbed vaulting.
- It is an organic metaphor alluding to the role of ribs in anatomy as the body’s skeletal
structure supporting tissues.
- Consists of arches usually three (3) pairs per rectangular bay running diagonally
- Cross ribs act together with the outer frame to create a complete armature of arches
along the edges and main folds of the vault.
- Earlier Romanesque churched relied on barrel vaulting which carried weight on
continuous solid walls. Ribbed vaulting used the columns to support the weight.
- The ribs also delineated the vaults and gave a sense of unity to the structure.
▪ The Flying Buttress
- In order to prevent the outward collapse of the arches, Gothic architects began a
revolutionary “flying buttress” system
- They are freestanding brick or stone supports that were attached to the exterior walls
by an arch or a half arch.
- Effected by powerful external arches swung above the side aisles and the ambulatory
- Arches rise from colossal freestanding piers that
a. absorb and channel disruptive forces such as wind and weight safely to the ground
b. enables erection of towering piers without much affecting the nave or choir interior.
▪ Stained Glass Windows
- Since the walls themselves were no longer the primary supports, Gothic
buildings could include large areas of glass.
- These were huge stained glass windows and a profusion of smaller
windows that created the effect of lightness and space.
▪ Gargoyles
- Cathedral in the High Gothic style became increasingly elaborate.
- Over several centuries, builders added towers, pinnacles, and hundreds of sculptures.
- In addition to religious figures, many Gothic cathedrals are heavily ornamented with
strange, leering creatures.
- These gargoyles are not merely decorative. Originally the sculptures were waterspouts to
protect the foundation from rain.
- Since most people in the medieval days could not read, the carvings took on the
important role of illustrating lessons from the scriptures.
● Plans
- Gothic buildings were based on the traditional plan used by basilicas.
However, single units were integrated into a unified spatial scheme.
- Most Gothic churches, unless they are entitled chapels are of the Latin
cross (or cruciform) plan, with a long nave making the body of the church,
a transverse arm called the Transept and, beyond it, an extension which
may be called the called the choir or chancel. There are several variations
on this plan.

- The nave is generally flanked on either sides, usually singly, but

sometimes doubly

- The nave is considerably taller than the aisles, having clerestory windows
which light the central space.
FAQs
- Medieval man considered himself and imperfect reflection of the
divine light of God, and Gothic architecture was the ideal expression
of this view.

- New techniques of construction permitted buildings to soar to

amazing new heights, dwarfing anyone who stepped inside.

- Moreover, the concept of divine light was suggested by the airy quality
of Gothic buildings, which were much lighter than churches in the earlier
Romanesque style.
Research and draw on a sketchpad the following elements of Gothic
architecture. Identify and enumerate the distinct characteristics of each.

a. Flying buttress
b. Gothic Vault
c. Pointed Arch
Gothic Architecture in France
1) Introduction
The first coherent example of Gothic Architecture appeared in Gothic 12th
century Paris. Cut stone masonry was employed into vaulting, rather than
rubble masonry of the Normans. Arches and ribs were designed with
independent curvatures.

Gothic came to be associated with urban settings and the extension of

the French King’s political influence. Abbot Suger was one of the first
proponents of the Gothic style. He is best known for the work he did at the
Saint-Denis abbey. Saint-Denis is a commune located on the outskirts of
Paris, and served as an important religious and trading center. Because
monks allowed trading in Saint- Denis, travelers from all over Europe
came to do business and worship there. This made the location one of
the most influential in France at the time. While Suger was at the abbey,
he befriended King Louis VII. Suger was in charge of major renovations
at the abbey around 1140. Suger's renovations included classic Gothic
elements, including pointed arches, flying buttresses, clustered columns,
and most importantly, space for stained glass windows.
Two important French Gothic structures preceding Suger.
a. Cathedral of Notre-Dame at Laon
b. Cathedral of Notre-Dame at Paris
 Gothic Architecture in France
Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris
- Features: Medieval stained glass, Romanesque sculpture
- Bishop of Paris began construction in 1163
- It is a very tall church, reaching some 108 feet from the floor to the
crown of the vaults.
- The clerestories were enlarged around 1225 to bring additional light.
 Chartres Cathedral
- Is one of the most famous cathedrals in France, and is widely praised for its
sculpture, stained-glass windows and high Gothic styles.
- also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres
- Mostly constructed between 1194 and 1220, it stands at the site of at least
five cathedrals that have occupied the site since the Diocese of Chartres was
formed as an episcopal see in the 4th century.
- Length: 130 meters (430 ft)
- Width: 32 meters (105 ft) / 46 meters (151 ft)
- Nave: height 37 meters (121 ft); width 16.4 meters (54 ft)
- Ground area: 10,875 square meters (117,060 sq ft)
- Height of south-west tower: 105 meters (344 ft)
- Height of north-west tower: 113 meters (371 ft)
- 176 stained-glass windows
- Choir enclosure: 200 statues in 41 scenes
 Abbey Church of St. Denis
- Definitive turning point in early French Gothic architecture
- Space, light, line, and geometry create transcendent modernist
architectural vision
Research and draw on a sketchpad the following Gothic building.
Identify and enumerate the distinct characteristics of each.

a. Reims Cathedral, France

b. Chartres Cathedral, Chartres, France
FAQs
- French Gothic architecture was the result of the emergence in the 12th
century of powerful French state centered in the Île-de-France. During the
reign of Louis VI of France (1081–1137), Paris was the principal
residence of the Kings of France, Reims the place of coronation, and the
Abbey of Saint-Denis became their ceremonial burial place. The Abbot
of Saint-Denis, Suger, was a counselor of Louis VI and Louis VII, as well as
a historian. He oversaw the reconstruction of the ambulatory of Saint-
Denis, making it the first and most influential example of Gothic architecture
in France. The first complete Gothic cathedral, Sens Cathedral, was
finished shortly afterwards.
English Gothic Architecture
1) Introduction

English Gothic is an architectural style which flourished in England in

the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern Period. The style was most
prominently used in the construction of churches and cathedrals. Gothic's
defining features are pointed arches, rib vaults, buttresses, and extensive
use of stained glass. Combined, these features allowed the creation of
buildings of unprecedented height and grandeur, filled with light from large
stained glass windows. Important examples include Westminster
Abbey, Canterbury Cathedral and Salisbury Cathedral. The Gothic
style endured in England until the early 16th century – much longer than
in Continental Europe.
The Gothic style was introduced from France, where the various elements
had first been used together within a single building at the choir of the Abbey
of Saint-Denis north of Paris, completed in 1094.

The earliest large-scale applications of Gothic architecture in England

were Canterbury Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. Many features of
Gothic architecture had evolved naturally from Romanesque architecture
(often known in England as Norman architecture).

The first cathedral to be both planned and built entirely in the Gothic
style was Wells Cathedral, begun in 1175. Other features were imported
from the Ile-de-France, where the first French Gothic cathedral, Sens
Cathedral, had been built (1135– 64). After a fire destroyed the choir of
Canterbury Cathedral in 1174, the French architect William of Sens rebuilt the
choir in the new Gothic style between 1175 and 1180. The transition can also
be seen at Durham Cathedral, a Norman building which was remodeled with
the earliest rib vault known. Besides cathedrals, monasteries, and parish
churches, the style was used for many secular buildings, including university
buildings, palaces, great houses, and almshouses and guildhalls.
Stylistic periodization are:
Early English or First Pointed (late 12th–late 13th centuries)
Decorated Gothic or Second Pointed (late 13th–late 14th
centuries)
Perpendicular Gothic or Third Pointed (14th–17th centuries).
The architect and art historian Thomas Rickman's Attempt to Discriminate the Style of
Architecture in England, first published in 1812, divided Gothic architecture in the British
Isles into three stylistic periods. Rickman identified the period of architecture

from William the Conqueror (r. 1066–87) to Henry II (r. 1154–89) as Norman;

from Richard the Lionheart (r. 1189–99) to Edward I (r. 1272–1307) as Early English;

the reigns of Edward II (r. 1307–27) and Edward III (r. 1327–77) as Decorated, and

from Richard II (r. 1377–99) to Henry VIII (r. 1509–47) as Perpendicular.

From the 15th century, under the House of Tudor, the prevailing Gothic style is commonly
known as Tudor architecture, being ultimately succeeded by Elizabethan architecture
and Renaissance architecture under Elizabeth I (r. 1558–1603). Rickman excluded from
his scheme most new buildings after Henry VIII's reign, calling the style of "additions and
rebuilding" in the later 16th and earlier 17th centuries "often much debased".
Architect and art historian Edmund Sharpe published in 1851 The Seven Periods of
English Architecture, in which he identified a pre-Gothic Transitional Period (1145–
90) after the Norman period, in which pointed arches and round arches were
employed together.[8]

Focusing on the windows, Sharpe dubbed Rickman's first Gothic style the Lancet
Period (1190–1245);

divided the second into first the Geometrical (1245–1315)

and then the Curvilinear (1315–1360); and named the
third style Rectilinear (1360–1550).
The various styles are seen at their most fully developed in the cathedrals,
monasteries, and collegiate churches. With the exception of Salisbury
Cathedral, English cathedrals show great stylistic diversity and have building
dates that typically range over 400 years.
Early English Gothic Architecture
(late 12th–late 13th centuries)
Early English Gothic Architecture (late 12th–late 13th centuries)

Early English Gothic predominated from the late 12th century until midway to late in
the 13th century. It succeeded Norman Architecture, which had introduced early
great cathedrals, built of stone instead of timber, and saw the construction of
remarkable abbeys throughout England. The Normans had introduced the three
classical orders of architecture, and created massive walls for their buildings, with
thin pilaster-like buttresses. The transition from Norman to Gothic lasted from about
1145 until 1190. in the reigns of King Stephen and Richard I. The style changed from
the more massive severe Norman style to the more delicate and refined Gothic.
 Characteristics:
- The vertical plan of early Gothic Cathedrals had three levels, each of about equal
height; the clerestory, with arched windows which admitted light on top, under the
roof vaults; the triforium a wider covered arcade, in the middle; and, on the ground
floor, on either side of the nave, wide arcades of columns and pillars, which
supported the weight of the ceiling vaults through the ribs.
The most distinctive element of this period was the pointed arch, (also known as the
lancet arch, which was the key feature of the Gothic rib vault. The original purpose of rib
vault was to allow a heavier stone ceiling, to replace the wooden roofs of the earlier
Norman churches, which frequently caught fire. They also had the benefit of
allowing the construction of higher and thinner walls. They appeared first in an early
form in Durham Cathedral.

Gradually, pointed arches were used not only for rib vaults, but also for all of the arcades
and for lancet windows, giving the nave its unified appearance. The first structure in
England to be built entirely with the pointed arch was Wells Cathedral (1175-1260),
but they were soon used in all Cathedrals.
The Early English rib vaults were usually quadripartite, each having four
compartments divided by ribs, with each covering one bay of the ceiling. The
horizontal ridge ribs intersected the summits of the cross ribs and diagonal ribs,
and carried the weight outwards and downwards to pillars or columns of the
triforium and arcades, and, in later cathedrals, outside the walls to the
buttresses.
lancet window, narrow and tall with a point at the top, became
a common feature of English architecture. For this reason, Early
English Gothic is sometimes known as the Lancet style. The
Lancet openings of windows and decorative arcading are often
grouped in twos or threes.

This characteristic is seen throughout Salisbury Cathedral,

where groups of two lancet windows line the nave and groups of
three line the clerestory.

At York Minster the north transept has a cluster of five lancet

windows known as the Five Sisters; each is 50 feet tall and still
retains its original glass.
- Stained glass windows began to be widely used in the windows of the
clerestory, transept and especially west facade. Many were elaborately
decorated with tracery; that is, thin mullions or ribs of stone which
divided the windows into elaborate geometric patterns. as at Lincoln
Cathedral (1220).
Rose Windows were relatively rare in England, but Lincoln
Cathedral has two notable examples from this period. The oldest is
the Dean's Window in the north transept, which dates to 1220–1235.
It is an example of an Early English plate-tracery rose window. The
geometric design, with concentric tiers of circular window lights,
predates the geometric tracery of the later decorated style of Gothic
architecture.

The principal theme of the window is the second coming of Christ

and the last judgement. Some scenes are associated with death and
resurrection, such as the funeral of Saint Hugh, the founder of the
cathedral, and the death of the Virgin.
Sculptural decoration. Unlike the more somber and heavy
Norman churches, the Gothic churches began to have elaborate
sculptural decoration. The arches of the arcades and triforium were
sometimes decorated with dog tooth patterns, cusps, carved circles,
and with trefoils, quatrefoils, as well as floral and vegetal designs.
Simple floral motifs also often appeared on the capitals, the
spandrels, the roof boss that joined the ribs of the vaults.
The clustered column. Instead of being massive, solid pillars,
early Gothic columns were often composed of clusters of
slender, detached shafts, which descended the vaults above.

These were often made of dark, polished Purbeck "marble",

surrounding a central pillar, or pier, to which they are attached
by circular molded shaft-rings.

One characteristic of Early Gothic in England is the great depth

given to the hollows of the moldings with alternating fillets and
rolls, and by the decoration of the hollows with the dog-tooth
ornament and by the circular abacus or tops of the capitals of
the columns.
 Early Gothic Structures
- Lincoln Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral (1220–1258)
Decorated Gothic
(late 13th–late 14th centuries)
Decorated Gothic (late 13th–late 14th centuries)
The second style of English Gothic architecture is generally termed Decorated
Gothic, because the amount of ornament and decoration increased
dramatically.

It corresponded roughly with the Rayonnant period in France, which

influenced it. It was a period of growing prosperity in England, and this was
expressed in the decoration of Gothic buildings.

Almost every feature of the interiors and facades was decorated.

 Characteristics:
- Lierne vaulting. Vaulting became much more elaborate in this
period. The rib vault of earlier Early Gothic usually
had just four compartments, with a minimum number of ribs
which were all connected to the columns below, and
all played a role in distributing the weight and outwards and
downwards. In the Decorated architecture period,
additional ribs were added to the vaulted ceilings which were
purely decorative. They created very elaborate star
patterns and other geometric designs. Gloucester Cathedral and
Ely Cathedral have notable lierne vaults from this
period.
Fan vaulting. An even more elaborate form,
appeared late in the Decorative.

Unlike the lierne vault, the fan vault had no

functional ribs; the visible "ribs" are moldings on
the masonry imitating ribs. The structure is
composed of slabs of stone joined together into
half-cones, whose vertices are the springers of the
vault.

The earliest example, from 1373, is found in the

cloisters of Gloucester Cathedral. It made a
notable backdrop in some of the Harry Potter films.
- Tracery. Decorated architecture is particularly characterized by the
elaborate tracery within the stained glass windows. The elaborate
windows are subdivided by closely spaced parallel mullions (vertical bars
of stone), usually up to the level at which the arched top of the window
begins.

The mullions then branch out and cross, intersecting to fill the top part of
the window with a mesh of elaborate patterns called tracery, typically
including trefoils and quatrefoils. The style was geometrical at first and
curvilinear, or curving and serpentine, in the later period. This curvilinear
element was introduced in the first quarter of the 14th century and lasted
about fifty years.

A notable example of the curvilinear style is the East window of

Carlisle Cathedral, (about 1350). Another notable example of
decorated curvilinear is the west window of York Minster (1338–39).
Sculpture also became more ornate and decorative.
The ball flower and a four leaved flower motif took the
place of the earlier dog-tooth. The foliage in the
capitals was less conventional than in Early English
and more flowing.

Another decorative feature of the period was diapering,

or creating multi-color geometric patterns on walls or
panels made with different colors of stone or brick.
Examples:

- Exeter Cathedral
The west facade of York Minster (1338)
Perpendicular Gothic
(late 13th to mid-16th century)
Perpendicular Gothic (late 13th to mid-16th century)

The Perpendicular Gothic (or simply Perpendicular) is the third and final style of
medieval Gothic architecture in England.

It is characterized by an emphasis on vertical lines, and is sometimes called

rectilinear. The Perpendicular style began to emerge in about 1330. The earliest
example is the chapter house of Old St Paul's Cathedral, built by the royal
architect William de Ramsey in 1332. The early style was also practiced by
another royal architect, John Sponlee, and fully developed in the works of Henry
Yevele and William Wynford.
 Characteristics:

- Towers were an important feature of the perpendicular style; though fewer spires
were built than in earlier periods. Important towers were built at Gloucester
Cathedral, York Minster, Worcester Cathedral, and on many smaller churches.
Decorative Battlements were a popular decoration of towers in smaller churches.

- Windows became very large, sometimes of immense size, with slimmer stone mullions
than in earlier periods, allowing greater scope for stained glass craftsmen. The mullions
of the windows are carried vertically up into the arch molding of the windows, and the
upper portion is subdivided by additional mullions (super mullions) and transoms,
forming rectangular compartments, known as panel tracery. The Tudor Arch window was
a particular feature of English Gothic.
- Buttresses and wall surfaces were divided into vertical panels.

- Doorways were frequently enclosed within a square head over the

arch moldings, the spandrels being filled with quatrefoils or tracery.
Pointed arches were still used throughout the period, but ogee and four-
centred Tudor arches were also introduced.

Inside the church the triforium disappeared, or its place was

filled with paneling, and greater importance was
given to the clerestory windows, which often were the finest
features in the churches of this period. The moldings were
flatter than those of the earlier periods, and one of the chief
characteristics is the introduction of large elliptical hollows.
 Examples:

King's College Chapel, Cambridge (1446–1515)

Great East Window of York Minster (1408)
Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey (completed 1519)
Research and draw on a sketchpad the following English Gothic
buildings. Identify the distinct characteristics of each.

a. Façade of the Salisbury Cathedral

b. West Façade of the York Minster
c. King’s College Chapel
FAQs
The Gothic style originated in France with the choir of the Basilique Saint-Denis, built
by Abbot Suger and dedicated in June 1144.

The lancet, a pointed arch, was the most crucial development of the Early Gothic
period (c. 1180–1250), resulting in graceful buildings with thinner walls and more light.

While French Gothic Cathedrals were built to be increasingly tall, English Gothic
Cathedrals tended to emphasize the length of the building rather than the height.

The Decorated Gothic Period (c. 1250–1350) is subdivided into the earlier Geometric
Period and later Curvilinear Period, differentiated by styles of window tracery.

Known for emphasizing vertical lines, the austerity of the Perpendicular Gothic Period
was a response to the pandemic Black Death, which emerged in England in 1348.
Italian Gothic Architecture
1) Introduction
Gothic architecture appeared in the prosperous independent city-states of Italy
in the 12th century, later than in Northern Europe. Each city developed its own
particular variations of the style.

Italian architects preferred to keep the traditional construction methods

established in the previous centuries; architectural solutions and technical
innovations of French Gothic were seldom used.

Soaring height was less important than in Northern Europe. Brick rather than
stone was the most common building material, and marble was widely used for
decoration. In the 15th century, when the Gothic style dominated northern
Europe and Italy, the north of the Italian Peninsula became the birthplace of
Renaissance architecture.
Gothic architecture in Italy are divided into three timelines
namely:
● Early Gothic (c. 1228–1290)
● Mature Gothic (1290–1385)
● Late Gothic (from 1385 to the 16th century)
Early Italian Gothic (1228 - 1290)

The Gothic style was first introduced into Italy in the 12th century by monks of the
Cistercian and Franciscan Orders. The Cistercian order was founded in France in
1098 as a breakaway from the Dominican Order, which the Cistercians considered
too lax.

The Cistercians were determined to follow more strictly the rules of Saint Benedict.
They built austere churches, first in the Romanesque style and then with Gothic
features, but with a complete absence of decoration. The Cistercians banned any
form of art, sculpture, or stained glass. Bell towers were absent or very simple.
Nothing was permitted that did not have an essential practical purpose. These
churches were usually far from the center of cities.

The first Gothic structures in Italy were the Cistercian churches of Fossanova
Abbey and Casamari Abbey, built on the model of the Cistercian churches in
Burgundy, particularly the original Cistercian church, Citeaux Abbey. Casamari was
originally built as a Benedictine church, but was rebuilt entirely to meet the
standards of simplicity and austerity of the Cistercians. The Cistercians built
churches throughout Italy, mostly in the countryside. They went as far as Sicily,
where they constructed the unfinished basilica of Morpurgo near Lentini in the
Province of Syracuse, begun in 1225.
Mature Italian Gothic (1290 - 1385)

A number of major Italian Gothic buildings were begun in the late 13th century
and completed in the 14th.

Florence Cathedral, designed by Arnolfo di Cambio, was begun in 1296. It is

not exceptionally high, but the interior has a sense of spaciousness created by
the merger of the nave and the aisles. The work proceeded very slowly. The
campanile, designed by Giotto, was begun in 1334. Work continued after
Giotto's death in 1337, first under Andrea Pisani and then, in the 1350s, by
Francesco Talenti. The campanile is square and decorated in marble with
rectilinear panelling, and follows the Italian Romanesque tradition. It was
largely modelled after the older baptistery (1060-1150).
The Cathedral plans were modified between 1357 and 1360 by
several committees of painters, sculptors and artists, giving priority to
the decoration. The City of Florence took it very seriously as a civic
monument, financing it with a tax upon all the male inhabitants of the
city, and even lowering the level of the streets around it so it would be
more visible. A modified new plan adopted in 1366 called for a
massive dome, as wide as the combined nave and aisles, on an
octagonal base with three apses.

The technical problems of building such a large dome were not

solved until the 15th century with a new plan by Brunelleschi. The
rather plain original facade was demolished to construct the dome;
the present facade was not built until the 19th century. The east
end of the cathedral largely retains its original Gothic architecture.
Model of the original façade of the
Florence Cathedral
The Construction of Orvieto Cathedral occupied three centuries, from
1290 to 1591, nearly the entire span of the Gothic period. It was begun
by Pope Urban IV as a pilgrimage church to display the relic of a
proclaimed miracle, the Corporal of Bolsena. The architecture of the
facade is in the basic Romanesque style.
Late Gothic (from 1385 to the 16th century)

Milan Cathedral, also called the Duomo, was begun the late
fourteenth century. It was one of the most ambitious Italian Gothic
cathedrals, and one of the few that adapted many of the structural
features of French Gothic, including the flying buttress and the
arched rib vault.

Work began in 1387, based generally on the plans of two French

Cathedrals, Bourges Cathedral and Le Mans Cathedral with
the plan of a high central nave descending in steps downward
over the aisles. At the same time, it followed the Italian preference
for great interior space.

The planning and early work involved an extraordinary number of

prominent master masons from across Europe, including Jean
Mignot and Nicolas de Bonaventure from Paris, Hans Parler from
Germany, and a renowned Italian mathematician, Gabriele
Stornaloco.
 Construction continued, with many interruptions, over the centuries; it
was not finally completed until 1965. Its remarkable features include its
gigantic columns, whose ornate capitals midway up the columns contain
statues; the pale pink marble that faces the interior and exterior; and the
forest of stone pinnacles that decorates the upper portions. While the
interior is thoroughly Italianate in style, the exterior is covered with
decorative tracery, similar to the Rayonnant style in Northern Europe.

Gothic roofline of the south facade,

St Mark's Basilica
Research and draw on a sketchpad the following English
Gothic buildings. Identify the distinct
characteristics of each.
a. Façade of Sienna Cathedral
b. Facade of Orvieto Cathedral
c. Façade of Milan Cathedral