Academia.eduAcademia.edu

Outline

Title
Abstract
FAQs
Figures
References
All Topics
Art
Architecture

The Geometry of Llandaff Cathedral

Profile image of Gervais Olof FrykmanGervais Olof Frykman

The Geometry of Llandaff Cathedral

Abstract

All great churches in the mediaeval period were designed on a geometrical framework which is unique to each building. The study of the geometry of great churches therefore gives an insight into the creative process. It also reveals beauties which could otherwise be appreciated only unconsciously. The study of lines, figures and proportions is not a substitute for a response such as this written by George Pace after his first visit to Llandaff: "I was overwhelmed with the scale and majesty of the Nave arcades. No illustration I had seen had done the arcade even faint justice".1 The concise treatment of the Lady Chapel in this paper in no way replaces appreciation of its special beauty. Geometrical study is complementary to aesthetic enjoyment, and can only enhance our understanding of these buildings. It can also be of considerable archaeological significance. Architectural Geometry transcended its function in laying out buildings. It became a sophisticated art form, and its finest practitioners could produce geometry of staggering complexity, as in the west front of Llandaff Cathedral. This art is at least as old as the Great Pyramid, with astronomical references which transcended the laying out of fields after the Nile floods.

FAQs

sparkles

AI

What architectural geometrical frameworks were used in Llandaff Cathedral?add

The geometrical framework features a unique 37 foot module found in Bishop Urban's design, dated to 1121. This modular system guided the proportions and spatial layout of the cathedral's nave and transepts.

How does the geometric study of Llandaff Cathedral enhance aesthetic appreciation?add

The paper illustrates that geometrical constructs reveal beauty that may remain unconscious during casual observation. Such studies complement aesthetic enjoyment by uncovering the deep intent behind the designs created by Master Masons.

What significant architectural ratios are present in Llandaff Cathedral's design?add

The internal proportions of the presbytery are characterized by a 1:√2 ratio, commonly used by Norman masons. Additionally, relationships such as 3:2 between key structural elements demonstrate recurring geometric patterns.

How did the geometry of Llandaff Cathedral reflect broader medieval architectural practices?add

The presence of shared geometrical constructions across various widely dispersed cathedrals illustrates a common tradition and exchange among medieval masons lasting for centuries. Structures like the spiral stair turret show adherence to established geometric norms.

What impact did 18th-century storms have on Llandaff Cathedral's structure?add

Severe storms between 1720 and 1723 caused significant damage, collapsing parts of the roof and towers. This led to the relocation of services and a substantial restoration effort initiated by architect John Pritchard in the mid-19th century.

Figures (49)
PleEeure 2 The absence of a third presbytery window to the west of the two that are known (Figures 11 and 22) indicates the former existence of a south transept apse or chapel. Evidence for the equivalent structure leading off the north transept is provided by the measure indicate in yellow in Figure 2, between the line of the north face of the north presbytery arch pier and the north internal face of the chapter house vestibule. This measure is % x 37V2’, the external east west width of the transept. The north face of the north presbytery arch pier i positioned within the area occupied by the east wall of the north transept, and could be th jamb of an opening in that wall. The organ currently prevents examination of the masonry of this face, but the stones in the immediately adjacent east face are coursed with the respond of the Decorated presbytery arcade, and the corner stones are common to both faces, so that the proposed jamb was refaced. The south transept apse was also rebuilt, bt for the Norman measure to be present, both faces must be in their original positions. Apar
PleEeure 2 The absence of a third presbytery window to the west of the two that are known (Figures 11 and 22) indicates the former existence of a south transept apse or chapel. Evidence for the equivalent structure leading off the north transept is provided by the measure indicate in yellow in Figure 2, between the line of the north face of the north presbytery arch pier and the north internal face of the chapter house vestibule. This measure is % x 37V2’, the external east west width of the transept. The north face of the north presbytery arch pier i positioned within the area occupied by the east wall of the north transept, and could be th jamb of an opening in that wall. The organ currently prevents examination of the masonry of this face, but the stones in the immediately adjacent east face are coursed with the respond of the Decorated presbytery arcade, and the corner stones are common to both faces, so that the proposed jamb was refaced. The south transept apse was also rebuilt, bt for the Norman measure to be present, both faces must be in their original positions. Apar
Starting some time about 1180 the south nave aisle wall was built following the line of the Norman transepts and thus clear of the Norman nave. The south door is the principal evidence for this (Figure 3, right). The pattern of separated chevrons on the innermost order is also found on the crossing arches at Hereford and some of the presbytery arcade arches at St David’s. The structure of patterned planes intersecting at right angles in a cylinder of stone is also found in the presbytery of St David’s. The more unusual design of the outer order is found at Hereford on the font, and at St David’s in the decorative band under the eastern lancets and in the nave clerestory. St David’s was started in 1181. The south door is constructed of stone from Dundry near Bristol, as are the existing nave arcades, west front etc. The geometry of the opening of this door is that of a square surmounted by a semicircle. These simple shapes can also be seen as elemental, and give the door much of its power. The equivalent rectangle in the north door has sides in the ratio of 6:5 (Figure 3, left). The north door also displays the structure of patterned planes intersecting at right angles, and two pairs intersect in a cylinder of stone. Lovegrove considered that the north door may have been reset, also the outer moulding of dog tooth is characteristic of Early English rather than Norman style. It is constructed of Sutton stone,
Starting some time about 1180 the south nave aisle wall was built following the line of the Norman transepts and thus clear of the Norman nave. The south door is the principal evidence for this (Figure 3, right). The pattern of separated chevrons on the innermost order is also found on the crossing arches at Hereford and some of the presbytery arcade arches at St David’s. The structure of patterned planes intersecting at right angles in a cylinder of stone is also found in the presbytery of St David’s. The more unusual design of the outer order is found at Hereford on the font, and at St David’s in the decorative band under the eastern lancets and in the nave clerestory. St David’s was started in 1181. The south door is constructed of stone from Dundry near Bristol, as are the existing nave arcades, west front etc. The geometry of the opening of this door is that of a square surmounted by a semicircle. These simple shapes can also be seen as elemental, and give the door much of its power. The equivalent rectangle in the north door has sides in the ratio of 6:5 (Figure 3, left). The north door also displays the structure of patterned planes intersecting at right angles, and two pairs intersect in a cylinder of stone. Lovegrove considered that the north door may have been reset, also the outer moulding of dog tooth is characteristic of Early English rather than Norman style. It is constructed of Sutton stone,
The red square in Figure 4 has diagonal of 26’, twice the width of the chapel. The west face s aligned with the centre of the entrance arch. The east face gives the position of the west ‘ace of the east wall. The diagonal of 26’ gives the overall length of the chapel, including the 2ast and west walls. The south face of the south wall of the chapel is aligned on a 37’ line, and is not located by the square. Clearly the square could not have been constructed in situ due to existing masonry, so numerical methods were used, or it was enlarged from a drawing using large dividers. the building of the chapter house the south window of the chapel was blocked, but its ape can still be seen. When the south presbytery aisle was built, an arch was cut into the east wall of the chapel, converting it into the chapter house vestibule. The apex of the east window of the chapel can still be seen above the arch. Externally the corner of the chapel | clearly visible between the chapter house and the presbytery aisle. A buttress was insertec into the corner of the chapel when the chapter house was built. This would have made good visual and structural sense at that time. It took on its present crowded appearance when the aisle was built.
The red square in Figure 4 has diagonal of 26’, twice the width of the chapel. The west face s aligned with the centre of the entrance arch. The east face gives the position of the west ‘ace of the east wall. The diagonal of 26’ gives the overall length of the chapel, including the 2ast and west walls. The south face of the south wall of the chapel is aligned on a 37’ line, and is not located by the square. Clearly the square could not have been constructed in situ due to existing masonry, so numerical methods were used, or it was enlarged from a drawing using large dividers. the building of the chapter house the south window of the chapel was blocked, but its ape can still be seen. When the south presbytery aisle was built, an arch was cut into the east wall of the chapel, converting it into the chapter house vestibule. The apex of the east window of the chapel can still be seen above the arch. Externally the corner of the chapel | clearly visible between the chapter house and the presbytery aisle. A buttress was insertec into the corner of the chapel when the chapter house was built. This would have made good visual and structural sense at that time. It took on its present crowded appearance when the aisle was built.
As we have seen, the Early English masons were presented with a south aisle wall with its outer face aligned on a 37' module line. The north aisle wall with its reset Norman door was positioned by the measure d. It bends towards the north in its progress eastward, so that its outer face becomes aligned with a 37’ line. The north arcade is similarly bent. The western half participates in the pentagonal geometry and is parallel with the south arcade. The two eastern piers conform to a 37' module line. The fifth pier from the west is intermediate between the two lines. Its position is justified by an equilateral triangle as shown in yellow (Figure 5). This loosening of the geometry extends to the elevation (page 26).
As we have seen, the Early English masons were presented with a south aisle wall with its outer face aligned on a 37' module line. The north aisle wall with its reset Norman door was positioned by the measure d. It bends towards the north in its progress eastward, so that its outer face becomes aligned with a 37’ line. The north arcade is similarly bent. The western half participates in the pentagonal geometry and is parallel with the south arcade. The two eastern piers conform to a 37' module line. The fifth pier from the west is intermediate between the two lines. Its position is justified by an equilateral triangle as shown in yellow (Figure 5). This loosening of the geometry extends to the elevation (page 26).

Related papers

The Geometry of Bourges Cathedral
Robert Bork

This article presents a geometrical analysis of Bourges Cathedral, based on the application of computer-aided design (CAD) techniques to the results of a recent and highly precise laser survey. This analysis reveals that the cathedral's original designer developed a tightly interlocking and strikingly unified design, in which the five-fold subdivision of the chevet ground plan set proportions that would be vertically extruded into an elevation that can be inscribed both within a square and within a series of progessively smaller equilaterial triangles. These results contribute to an ongoing debate about the use of ‘ad quadratum’ and ‘ad triangulum’ geometries in Gothic architecture, and they provide new evidence for the geometrical coherence of Gothic cathedral design. In methodological terms, meanwhile, this discussion demonstrates the potential of CAD-based geometrical analysis for the study of precisely surveyed medieval buildings.

View PDFchevron_right
A DISCUSSION ON THE CHANGING APPROACHES TO THE ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF ECCLESIASTICAL ARCHITECTURE
Charlotte Adcock

Essay written for University of York MA in Conservation Studies (Historic Buildings), 2017. In this essay, I will explore the changing approaches to the analysis and interpretation of ecclesiastical architecture, focusing on the new body of scholarship put forward by Giles and Graves that discusses how we interpret historical ideas of viewing space. I will argue that this approach goes further than traditional scholarship to facilitate an understanding of the function of ecclesiastical structures through those who used it. Furthermore, I will discuss how digital reconstruction can be used to advance these interpretations by providing a historical context in which scholars can experiment with ongoing theories. I will begin my essay with a short chronological overview of the historiography of ecclesiastical architecture before developing my argument for these modern methods through the examination of two in-depth case studies. Throughout this essay I will argue that the modern scholarship put forward by Giles and Graves can show us how the laity interacted with elements of the church and moves us forward in our understanding of the function of these ecclesiastical structures.

View PDFchevron_right
Medieval geometry and the Gothic style at the Cathedral of Tortosa
Iñigo Ugalde Blázquez

History of Construction Cultures, 2021

The construction of Gothic cathedrals is among the great achievements of medieval science as it is defined in terms of theorica and practica. This study introduces the original sources of the Codex of the Cathedral of Tortosa (Catalonia, Spain). A documental survey of masonry books (11.o. ACTo), the Guarc parchment (ca.1345-1380) and the geometric layout of Tortosa Cathedral carried out over the last decade provide some details that afford an understanding of some of the conditions of execution and construction of what has become known as geometria fabrorum. Two main sources allow a bijective assessment of the built masonry: the ACTo chapter archive and the parchment known as la traça de Guarc (ca.1345-1380). These sources show a heptagonal apse with an arithmetical and geometric dimension based on a metrological and tonal musical proportion of 9/8, which is perfectly compatible with the bases of the quadrivium. The lateral and radial chapel, as the basic unit and feature element in 14th-century Gothic cathedral design, can be used as a pattern and its measurement established as the basic unit for the overall proportions of the cathedral.

View PDFchevron_right
Rules, Measurements, Geometries, and Underlying Compositions: Graphical/Interpretational Hypotheses Regarding the Holy House of Loreto
Alessandra Meschini

diségno, 2020

This article presents the results of some studies of the Renaissance architectural/sculptural construction constituting the marble surface of the Holy House of Loreto. Detailed representations obtained from a survey using modern digital technologies served as the basis for specific in-depth graphical/analytical investigations of the monument. In particular, this article investigates the following aspects: the proportions of the Corinthian order, an architectural element on which the compositional design of the elevations is based; the proportional relationships among the parts of the capitals of the order compared to two studio drawings for the larger order of Saint Peter’s in Rome deemed to be the work of Bramante; the copresence and correlation in the double rhythm that defines the architectural composition of the faces, echoing the motif of the triumphal arch and the consequent use of an alternating rhythm of two different inter-column spaces, considering as well the relationship with the module identified for the proportions of the order; correspondences with ancient systems of linear measurement in Roman ‘great spans’ and ancient Roman feet presumably adopted to design the marble surface; and the presence of underlying regulating traces, using the golden ratio to arrange the sculpted panels depicting the story of Mary, with particular attention to the low relief of the Annunciation made by Sansovino.

View PDFchevron_right
The Imperfect Geometries of the Basilica S. Peter and Paul in Casalvecchio, Messina
marinella arena

Nexus Network Journal

The theme of this article is twofold: an instrumental survey, which increases the documentation of the Basilica Saints Peter and Paul in Casalvecchio, is accompanied by a reflection on the underlying geometries. The latter allowed some analysis on the distance between its theoretical form and realization, but also on the way of designing, tracing and constructing the church itself. The study, therefore, outlines a protocol for the morphological analysis of the Arab-Norman architecture built in north-eastern Sicily, and identifies the Basilica Saints Peter and Paul as a case study. The results of this research increase the available documentation of the building and support future enhancement and conservation actions. The protocol provides for: brief historical contextualization; instrumental survey; geometric and morphological analysis aimed at identifying: geometric patterns, units of measurement and proportional modules.

View PDFchevron_right
Ovals for Any Given Proportion in Architecture: A Layout Possibly Known in the Sixteenth Century
Ana López Mozo

Nexus Network Journal, 2011

Oval forms have been used in architecture since antiquity as arch elevations, cross and horizontal sections of vaults, profiles of arches and building plan layouts. The present paper aims to approach the knowledge and application of oval layouts for any given proportion, that is, those which fit a particular place, either as the span and height of an arch or vault, or as the length and width of a plan, by comparing written sources and built heritage. This is, on one hand, research on architectural treatises since the sixteenth century in order to find where the geometrical construction for this kind of layouts appears for the first time; and on the other, a study of the application of ovals in the vaults of the Escorial (1563-1584). Although 1712 could be considered the date of the first published geometrical construction for an oval to fit a given place, this work hypothesizes the possible application of a layout of this type in the construction of the Escorial.

View PDFchevron_right
'Iconic Architecture and the Medieval Reformation: Ambrose of Milan, Peter Damian, Stephen Harding and the Aisleless Cruciform Church'
Jill A Franklin PhD

Romanesque and the Past:Retrospection in the Art and Architecture of Romanesque Europe, BAA, ed John McNeill and Richard Plant., 2013

In some circles, iconic architecture is a term of abuse, applied to contemporary buildings that are dramatic and instantly recognizable but largely meaningless. 1 The architectural icons discussed here, cruciform churches without aisles, combined recognizability with meaning in medieval Europe, despite their formal simplicity. This paper aims to demonstrate that the aisleless cruciform plan type was selected for its iconographic signifi cance, rather than for reasons of economy, as its simple form might suggest, or local tradition. Fourth-century in origin, the plan is acknowledged to have been adopted for its symbolic properties in northern Italy in the following century. But, as this paper attempts to show, tacit awareness of its symbolism persisted throughout the middle ages across much of western Christendom, where it appears it was used exclusively for churches served by communities of priests until the end of the 11th century. At that point, the meanings that attached to the plan came to the fore and were given renewed currency by the innovative religious congregations that developed in response to the ecclesiastical reform movement of the second half of the 11th century. Its simplicity, antiquity and authenticity offered an authoritative model to those seeking affi rmation of their attempts to redefi ne the religious life. In this respect, the plan may have been a propaganda tool for a time, consciously deployed in the religious landscape as a distinguishing marker, overriding the aesthetic and practical considerations that more usually inform architectural design. It ceased to be used systematically from the middle of the 12th century, probably because by then its historical value no longer outweighed its liturgical and practical limitations.

View PDFchevron_right
Compass and Rule: Architecture as Mathematical Practice in England, 1500-1750
Lorenzo Vigotti

Early Science and Medicine, 2011

View PDFchevron_right
Late Medieval Architectural and Micro-Architectural Drawings: A Hidden Order?
Banu Pekol

It has been known for some time that geometry and proportions were standard tools in the design and construction of medieval cathedrals. Studies on the buildings themselves are plentiful, but studies of Gothic architectural drawings have been surprisingly neglected in this respect, and few scholars have analysed drawings for the presence of the same design methods as used in the built edifices themselves. Given the nearly endless possibilities of design, still within the rules of proportion, it is natural to think that Gothic masons extended their creativity into the realm of church furnishings. The fact that Gothic design has a solid mathematical foundation which is mainly geometrical but which on occasion uses numerical ratios can be extended to both architectural and micro-architectural designs on parchment. This research, using a specifically written computer program which analyses architectural drawings, proves that Late Gothic architectural and micro-architectural drawings in Europe used the same proportions as those in contemporary buildings.

View PDFchevron_right
Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture (Volume 1, Issue 3)
Rita W Tekippe

2017

We outline the methods that we used to create a GIS-based map of Barking Abbey, a British nunnery founded c. 666 and razed in 1539. This article includes images of a GIS map based on Sir Alfred Clapham’s 1911 groundplan of the abbey (and the map layers) as well as a link to a WebMap. We hope the map and methods discussion will be useful to humanists who are relatively new to the value of GIS (and the use of Google Earth in georectification) for studying devotional practice, liturgical performance, and the conceptualization of physical space in religious life. We also suggest how this map may be used for further research on Barking Abbey and the implications of mapping for other sites with scant physical remains for which a full archeological survey may not be feasible.

View PDFchevron_right

References (40)

  1. Peter Pace: The Architecture of George Pace: B A Batsford Ltd 1990
  2. Frederick Stallard MA and Paul Bush: The Geometric Skeleton of Peterborough Cathedral: Paul Bush 1994
  3. Peter Kidson in Salisbury Cathedral -Perspectives on the Architectural History: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England: The Stationery Office 1993, 1996. A 20'6" measure is also important at Salisbury.
  4. John H James: A History and Survey of the Cathedral Church, Llandaff: W M Lewis 1929. Lovegrove (Note 9) gives 14 th April 1120
  5. Illustrations are from John H James op cit, except for the prints which are individually ascribed.
  6. Jerry Sampson: Wells Cathedral West Front: Sutton Publishing 1998.
  7. C A R Radford in BAA Conference Transactions 1978.
  8. F J North: The Stones of Llandaff Cathedral: University of Wales Press 1957. My observation.
  9. E W Lovegrove: The Cathedral Church of Llandaff: Western Mail; 1944, also JBAA, 2 nd ser., xxxv (1929). The description of the Norman Cathedral and the building sequence are based on this source, also the illustrations of the seal impressions.
  10. For its widespread use at Norwich see Eric Fernie: An Architectural History of Norwich Cathedral: Clarendon Press 1993. For its use in Peterborough, see note 2, and for Salisbury and Old Sarum, see note 3.
  11. The Hereford Chapter Seal of c 1190 gave an image almost identical to this (Ed Aylmer and Tiller: Hereford Cathedral, A History: Hambledon Press 2000, p32) but this does not necessarily mean that the representations were purely abstract. It could underline the essential similarity between the designs of the two cathedrals.
  12. E W Lovegrove op. cit.
  13. E W Lovegrove op. cit.
  14. George Marshall: The Evolution of the Cathedral Church of Hereford: Littlebury & Co: 1950.
  15. F J North op. cit.
  16. F J North op. cit.
  17. The term Nave is used here to refer to the architectural unity of eight bays.
  18. Ed L S Colchester: Wells Cathedral -A History: Open Books Publishing Ltd, 1982, 1996.
  19. Jerry Sampson Op Cit. The bases of the triangles at Wells and Southwell are measured between the centre lines of the walls in each case.
  20. Jerry Sampson op. cit.
  21. Measured floor to capitals = 15'9½", floor to clerestory base is 31'6½", measured clerestory to the top of the pentagon is 45'11". The top course adds a further 12". The theoretical length of the bays working backwards from the height of the arcades is 18'2½". Provisional lengths of the bays numbered from the west are as follows. Measurements for the first bay exclude the 2" for the transition to the West Front. North Arcade South Arcade above measurements, for 18'2½" x √3 = 31'6.45".
  22. Geometry from a reconstruction of the original form of the quire by Bilson given in Wells Cathedral -A history (Note 18)
  23. Measured to nave capitals x 3 = 47'4½": Measured to top of clerestory including the top course = 46'11".See note 21
  24. Abbott David of Bristol wrote to the Dean of Wells between 1218 and 1220, asking him to lend his stone-carver "your servant L, to hew out the seven pillars of wisdom's house, meaning, of course, our chapel of the Blessed Virgin." (Bristol Cathedral History and Architecture: Ed Rogan: Tempus Books 2000)
  25. Freeman's "Llandaff Cathedral": W Pickering 1850.
  26. "It is by no means impossible but that aisles were added to the presbytery … but at present without disturbing the original Romanesque walls. The evidence on which this supposition rests is the fact that the eastern arch of the vaulted bay is clearly part of the Early English work, and as it must have opened into something, some building must have been added to its eastern face …" (Freeman, op.cit.) The arch may be Decorated, but there could well have been a smaller arch leading into the proposed Lady Chapel passage.
  27. The windows were altered in the 18 th century, but "even where the windows have given way to Mr Wood's insertions, enough remained to replace the jambs with perfect accuracy; the tracery alone required to be entirely new." (Freeman op.cit.)
  28. Freeman op. cit.
  29. J H James op. cit.
  30. Strictly speaking, the foliated caps in the south arch are Early English, or rather Geometrical Decorated, contemporary with the Lady Chapel. The western capital in the north arch, with its naturalistic leaf, is high Decorated, and its eastern fellow may well
  31. There may have been an element of rivalry with St David's, for Bishop Gower had the aisle windows replaced with Decorated ones.
  32. Freeman op. cit. The tracery in the south window is now 19 th century Geometrical Decorated.
  33. Cole MS. xxix, fol. 14 b, from J H James, op. cit.
  34. Pevsner and Metcalf: The Cathedrals of England: Viking 1985.
  35. Peter Kidson op. cit.
  36. John James: The Master Masons of Chartres: West Grinstead Publishing 1990, formerly Chartres, the Masons who Built a Legend: Routledge & Kegan Paul 1982. Pentagonal geometry is also to be found at Chartres.
  37. Friends of St Davids. The print is from Browne Willis: Survey of Llandaff: 1718
  38. George Lesser: Gothic Cathedrals and Sacred Geometry: Alec Tiranti 1957
  39. Colin Dudley: Canterbury Cathedral: Aspects of its Sacramental Geometry
  40. Dan Pedoe: Geometry and the Liberal Arts: Penguin Books 1976.

Related papers

Proportion and Disproportion in the Late Gothic Layout of the Charterhouse of Jerez (Cádiz, Spain)
Francisco Pinto Puerto

Nexus Network Journal

The construction of a large and complex monastery such as the Charterhouse of Jerez required a precise geometric plan, the layout, which once deployed on the ground becomes the shape control system of the construction process. The basic geometric figure that supports the layout is the square and the variations derived from the ratio between its side and its diagonal. This paper presents the graphic definition of this geometric layout and analyses its persistence over more than three centuries of architectural evolution (fifteenth through eighteenth centuries). During this lengthy process, it has been possible to characterise how the rigour of geometric abstraction, the natural conditions of the ground on which the monastery was founded, and the functional and symbolic demands of the Carthusian order have been balanced. Likewise, there has been an analysis of the situations in which disproportion is imposed: the alteration or abandonment of the geometric plan. These undesirable situa...

View PDFchevron_right
GEOMETRY IN PLACES OF WORSHIP IN URBAN LANDSCAPE -A STUDY ON ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL
Dr. Amalesh Kanrar

Journal of Commerce, Arts & Science, 2022

In this Archaeological anthropological study sacred geometry and its relevance in St. Paul's Cathedral was studied. Sacred geometry as a part of geometric symbols denoting sacred grounds and events is used all over the world. This study focuses on identifying the symbols found in cathedral's structure and interior decorations with relevance of this particular religion and culture.

View PDFchevron_right
The Timaeus and Durham Cathedral
John Hendrix, Edmund Thomas

The Legacy of Plato's Timaeus: Cosmology, Music, Medicine, and Architecture from Antiquity to the Seventeenth Century , 2024

This chapter considers the architecture of Durham Cathedral, begun at the end of the eleventh century, and of Lincoln Cathedral, designed in the thirteenth century, in relation to the geometrical cosmological substructure of Plato’s Timaeus and in the light of its subsequent interpretations. In the twelfth century, classical philosophical concepts coalesced with Christian theology in the same way that in architecture classical concepts intermingled with Christian traditions. According to Rudolf Wittkower, architecture in the Middle Ages belonged to an “unbroken tradition coming down from antiquity according to which arithmetic, the study of numbers, geometry, the study of spatial relationships, astronomy, the study of motion of celestial bodies, and music formed the Quadrivium of the mathematical ‘arts’” in the scholastic system. (1) As we have seen earlier in this volume, the cohesion of this body of mathematical sciences emerged through the Middle Platonist exegesis of Plato’s Timaeus. (2) For Wittkower, the “belief in the correspondence of microcosm and macrocosm, in the harmonic structure of the universe, in the comprehension of God through the mathematical symbols of centre, circle and sphere”, and the other mathematical symbols in the Timaeus, “had their roots in antiquity and belonged to the undisputed tenets of medieval philosophy and theology”. (3) According to Anna Somfai, the diagrams preserved in manuscripts containing the first part of Calcidius’ commentary relate to the four disciplines of the quadrivium, the study of which “serves, in a Platonic fashion, as a path for the mind to ascend from sense perception to abstract concepts”. (4) This chapter argues that the architecture of Durham Cathedral can be understood in a similarly metaphorical sense as having the same purpose. It will illustrate how by pervading a general visual and spatial culture philosophical concepts can reach a broader audience. It will elucidate the purpose of the ribs on the vaults of these two cathedral churches, which was not explained in medieval treatises and has not been fully expounded in modern scholarship. The clarification of these connections between the geometries of the philosophical treatises and those in the architecture is based on both contemporary written sources and visual observations. 1 Rudolf Wittkower, Architectural Principles in the Age of Humanism [1949] (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1971; reprint of 3rd rev. edn., London: Alec Tiranti, 1962), 117. 2 See Petrucci, above, Chapter 3. 3 Wittkower, Architectural Principles, 29. 4 Anna Somfai, “The Eleventh-Century Shift in the Reception of Plato’s Timaeus and Calcidius’s Commentary”, Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes 65 (2002), 1–21, at 5.

View PDFchevron_right
St. Francis Basilica at Assisi (Italy) and the Detection of Medieval Geometric Design, Ratios and Modulation
andre de naeyer

International Journal of Architectural Heritage, 2019

Using digital measurement on the thirteenth century double church of St. Francis in Assisi (Italy) revealed a modulated design canon involving symbolic geometries and proportional arithmetic. The author identifies the simulacrum of the biblical temple of King Solomon and the integration of an exclusive sepulchral sphere geometry with several design components copied from both Christian mother churches: the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the Old St. Peter's in Rome. St. Francis Church is the result of a double mission, translated in two different architectural languages: an Umbrian Romanesque Lower Church for devotion of the Saint's tomb, and an Early Gothic, French inspired, Upper Church for use by the Roman Pope and the Convent. The geometry and design canon are both instruments for communication and education addressed to the medieval community. This analysis aims to contribute to architectural design, construction history and digital measurement applications.

View PDFchevron_right
Geometric Proportional Model of the Church of the Ljubostinja Monastery
jelena bogdanovic

SmartArt – Art and Science Applied. From Inspiration to Interaction, 2020

This paper presents geometric proportional schemas of the Serbian medieval church of the monastery Ljubostinja (built around 1387), the representative of so-called Morava architectural style. “Geometric Proportional Model of the Church of the Ljubostinja Monastery” Magdalena S. Dragović, Aleksandar A. Čučaković, Jelena Bogdanović, Svetlana Čičević, and Aleksandar Trifunović, SmartArt – Art and Science Applied. From Inspiration to Interaction. (Belgrade: Faculty of Applied Arts: 2020): 423-434. https://2019.smartart-conference.rs/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/4.06.pdf

View PDFchevron_right

Related topics

  • Architecture
  • Geometry
  • Gothic Cathedral construction
    • 580 California St., Suite 400
    San Francisco, CA, 94104
    © 2025 Academia. All rights reserved