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Gothic Cathedral construction

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Gothic Cathedral construction refers to the architectural and engineering practices employed in the design and building of cathedrals during the Gothic period (12th to 16th centuries), characterized by features such as pointed arches, ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, and intricate stained glass, aimed at creating verticality and light within sacred spaces.
lightbulbAbout this topic
Gothic Cathedral construction refers to the architectural and engineering practices employed in the design and building of cathedrals during the Gothic period (12th to 16th centuries), characterized by features such as pointed arches, ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, and intricate stained glass, aimed at creating verticality and light within sacred spaces.

Key research themes

1. How do structural assessment and seismic strengthening methods enhance the preservation of Gothic and medieval masonry cathedrals?

This research area centers on diagnosing structural vulnerabilities in historic masonry cathedrals, particularly their susceptibility to seismic events due to architectural and material properties, and developing reinforcement strategies that preserve their architectural integrity while improving seismic resilience. The focus is on combining traditional masonry understanding with contemporary engineering solutions and evaluating their effectiveness through case-specific studies.

Key finding: Structural diagnosis of the Tazlău Monastery (Romania) revealed degradation from multiple strong earthquakes, threatening structural and artistic elements. A combined strengthening approach using grouting and steel rod... Read more
Key finding: Through kinematic limit analyses, the Basilica del Salvador's structural elements were found highly vulnerable to seismic activity, mainly due to slender masonry components and lack of a box-behaviour system ensuring lateral... Read more
Key finding: Medieval masonry construction relied on non-hydraulic lime mortar with long setting times, significantly impacting structural settlement and construction pace. Understanding these material limitations informs the assessment... Read more

2. What are the geometric and proportioning principles underlying Gothic cathedral design, and how do digital techniques refine our understanding of their architectural deformations?

This theme investigates the underlying geometric rules and proportional systems that guided the design of Gothic cathedrals, often based on medieval theories, and explores how modern digital surveying and modeling tools (e.g., 3D laser scanning) can verify, quantify, and sometimes challenge historical hypotheses about cathedral proportions and deformations. Through precise spatial data, researchers reveal the intentionality, variability, and structural impacts embedded in the original and altered cathedral geometries.

Key finding: This study utilized 3D laser scanning to create a precise digital model of the Cordoba Mosque-Cathedral’s central nave arcades and compared this model with historical proportion theories. The digital analysis quantified... Read more
Key finding: Through accurate digital surveying and geometric analysis, the corner tower’s vault surface was found to approximate the intersection of two cylinders, a sophisticated stereotomic form ensuring structural equilibrium enabled... Read more
Key finding: Reexamination of late 14th-century documentation revealed that Milan Cathedral’s elevation design involved equilateral triangles combined with rectangles to achieve proportional harmony. Contrary to prior interpretations,... Read more

3. How do material characteristics and regional adaptations influence the construction and restoration strategies of Gothic cathedrals in diverse climatic and geological contexts?

This research theme explores the interplay between local material availability, such as stone types and lime sources, and regional environmental factors, including climate and seismic activity, in shaping Gothic cathedral construction methods and restoration approaches. It includes the study of material provenance, masonry techniques adapted to thermal and moisture conditions, and ethical conservation practices respecting historical authenticity while ensuring durability.

Key finding: The study identified local basalt rubble masonry and imported softer basalts and soapstone (possibly from Shetland rather than Norway) used in the Faroese Gothic Cathedral, revealing material procurement linked to regional... Read more
Key finding: Investigation into the timber roof structures emphasized the necessity of comprehensive geometric surveys, material condition assessments, and recognition of historic construction techniques for effective conservation. The... Read more
Key finding: Historical research at Nidaros Cathedral reveals extensive early use and subsequent detrimental effects of Portland cement in restoration works, including induced salt crystallization and material incompatibility, prompting a... Read more
Key finding: The adaptation of Western Gothic architectural elements to tropical climates requires modifying traditional design features—such as roof slope, ventilation, and material selection—to address high humidity, rainfall, and... Read more

All papers in Gothic Cathedral construction

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Discussion 12 H 30 Déjeuner (Lunch) Pause Discussion 17 H 10 Conclusion 16 H 00 Panel VI -S'inscrire dans la tradition (Embracing Tradition) 14 H 30 Panel V -Goût et esthétiques du passé (Taste and Aestetics of the Past) Mardi 25 novembre... more
The introduction of stone building in medieval Norway caused a demand for building stone. Building lodges were situated at cathedrals and towns, diocese centres of trade and technology. Itinerant skilled workers and building in regions... more
De geboortedatum van Hadewijch van Antwerpen kan worden afgeleid uit haar visioenenboek.
Le porche de la cathédrale de Tui près de Compostelle présente de troublantes similitudes avec le portail sud de la cathédrale de Lausanne
De Halse O.L.V.-kerk, een zonnetempel? De gotische kerk in mijn geboortestad Halle is uniek om vele redenen. De reden dat ik vandaag dit artikel post op Academia.edu is de relatie tussen deze kerk en de zomerse zonnewende, die de volgende... more
Les rapprochements stylistiques entre la façade occidentale e la cathédrale de Chartres et les nefs du mans et d'Angers montrent que Chartres doit davnatage au monde Plantagenêt qu'à l'Ile de France. Ce rapprochement n'est pas sans... more
Entre 1822 et 1972, cinq cathédrales françaises, dont trois majeures, ont subi un incendie dévastateur de leur couverture. Cet article propose une révision de ces incendies et de leurs conséquences et une analyse des restaurations qui ont... more
Recente analyses en interdisciplinair bewijs suggereren dat de grafische weergave van de sinus- en cosinusfuncties — algemeen beschouwd als een ontwikkeling uit de islamitische gouden eeuw of de Europese Verlichting — mogelijk al eeuwen... more
de cuya interpretación se derivan novedades que afectan a la historia de la «magna hispalensis» y aportan luz a un episodio oscuro del desarrollo del dibujo arquitectónico al tratarse de uno de los escasísimos dibujos de arquitectura... more
Six ans après l’incendie du 15 avril 2019, la cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris renaît peu à peu de ses cendres. Cet article propose une lecture approfondie du chantier hors norme engagé pour la reconstruction à l’identique de la flèche et... more
La forme hémicirculaire du premier chevet gothique de la cathé- drale de Laon, remplacé vers 1200 par l’actuel chevet plat au prix d’une opération spectaculaire, a été mise en évidence par Émile Bœswillwald en mars 1857, à l’occasion de... more
The construction from 1386 of Milan Cathedral, the largest Gothic church ever constructed in Italy, was one of the most important episodes in the history of Italian and European architecture. The documentation of the lateTrecentoand... more
Après le déplacement et la restauration du tombeau de Bérengère en 2020, depuis la salle capitulaire vers l'église de l'abbaye royale de l'Epau, ces journées d'études sont l'occasion de revenir sur plusieurs problématiques qui ont... more
La reproducció total o parcial d'aquesta obra per qualsevol procediment, compresos la reprografia, el tractament informàtic i la distribució d'exemplars mitjançant lloguer, és rigorosament prohibida sense l'autorització escrita dels... more
The pillars of the Seville Cathedral were designed by the master Carlín de Rouen in 1435. Our work explores and systematizes the elements that compose them, the relationships established between them, and the qualitative participation of... more
Al monestir de Sant Daniel de Girona es conserva un braç reliquiari d’argent. Un document de 1350 permet proposar-ne la datació en aquest horitzó cronològic, vincular-lo a la monja sagristana Ermessenda de Vilamarí ‒la mateixa que... more
Following the Council of Trent, in reply to the reforms proposed, a relocation of European cathedrals choirs’ position was promoted from apse to the transept in order to make more accessible the cult. This work shows the acoustic and... more
Building fund for construction of the new temple was established (1341) four years before laying of the foundation stone of the cathedral. The income flowed from silver mines, public collections, donations and fines. At least in the case... more
Huelva). En esta excavación se documentaron seis fases, desde el bronce finalorientalizante hasta la edad moderna, que evidencia una ocupación ininterrumpida de la ciudad desde el comienzo del primer milenio hasta la actualidad.
Cinc capelles de la banda nord de la catedral gòtica de Girona contenen nou tombes episcopals, sis amb jacent i quatre amb epitafi. Dins el claustre romànic es conserven les làpides epigrafiades dels sepulcres d’altres quatre bisbes, i... more
This study aims to present a complete vision of the career of Guillem Solivella, sculptor and mestre d’obra of the cathedral of Lleida active between the end of the 14th century and the beginning of the 15th century. He is an artist whose... more
[EN] To mark the restoration of Notre-Dame following the fire on 15 April 2019, the CNRS and the French Ministry of Culture have joined forces to launch an initiative that is unprecedented in its scope and ambitions: a Scientific... more
For understanding a trade network of Asian wide area in the historical period, grazed ceramic shards found in archaeological sites can clearly explain its detail condition. Among the trade ceramics from every site, kind of container is... more
Master Carlín and the pillars of the cathedral in Seville: towards a grammar of the late gothic space The pillars of the Seville Cathedral were designed by the master Carlín de Rouen in 1435. Our work explores and systematizes the... more
Los promotores de las catedrales idealizaban en los fundamentos del quadrivium el orden gótico. El Capítulo catedral tenía un conocimiento de la ciencia  matemática especulativo, derivado de las fuentes patrísticas y los enciclopedistas... more
Around 1330, in la Seu d’Urgell cathedral a volume was copied, containing a series of constitutions and statutes promulgated by the bishop and the canons during the previous decades, together with other normative texts. These capitular... more
FUNDACIÓN SANTA MARÍA LA REAL. V Coloquio Ars Mediaevalis. 25, 26 y 27 de septiembre
[FR] Dans le cadre de cette session qui interroge les relations entre les cathédrales de Paris et Bourges, la question des voûtes est l’un des plus importantes : non seulement parce que la cathédrale de Bourges, avec ses voûtains... more
Gilbert R Lavoye, M.D., heeft zijn onderzoek naar de Lijkwade van Turijn geïllustreerd in zijn boek met vele foto's. Zo is het net alsof je over zijn schouder mee kijkt terwijl het onderzoek gedaan wordt. Een boeiend boekwerk dat veel... more
Las maravillas en sus geografías sagradas: efectos de realidad y efectos de presencia, entre saber y visión, en pinturas catalanas del fin del medioevo * Resumen: Los santos, por su experiencia mística de la luz y vida divina, definen... more
The now ruined Faroese Gothic cathedral was built around 1300. We introduce the volcanic geology of the Faroes and show how local basalt at the Kirkjubøur cathedral site was procured for building the sturdy rubble masonry. The local... more
Seit mehreren Jahrzehnten wird in der Bau- und Kunstgeschichte davon ausgegangen, dass die Mehrzahl der Werkrisse der romanischen und gotischen Kirchen ‚verschollen‘ sei. Auch wenn etliche Pläne erhalten sind, so häuft sich ihre Anzahl... more
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... more
De herontdekking van een verloren gewaand schilderij van de Franse grootmeester was belangrijk genoeg om de restauratiewerken te laten omkaderen door een internationale adviescommissie. Voorzitter Carl van de Velde stelt de groep van... more
Religieuze kunstwerken worden dikwijls vergeleken met stripverhalen. Maar ze zijn veel meer dan dat. Zonder voorkennis zijn religieuze werken meestal niet te begrijpen. Ook kunstwerken die de indruk wekken een 'snapshot' te zijn van een... more
Because there were technical differences between medieval practice and modern none of our assumptions of the past are meaningful. The built no more than8 to 12 courses per season, and on large jobs less. They measured nothing and... more
Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine, Paris LISTE DES SESSIONS • SESSION 1 : Un chantier hors-normes, interdisciplinaire et interinstitutionnel • SESSION 2 : Une chronologie revisitée Animée par Alexa Dufraisse et Yves Gallet • SESSION... more
The cathedral of Seville is one of the most emblematic heritage buildings of the city, world heritage and the largest gothic cathedral in the world. It is divided into 5 naves; the central nave contains the choir and the main chapel, and... more
El edificio gótico de la catedral de Sevilla se inició hacia 1433, concluyéndose -en lo fundamental- en 1506, cuando se cerró el cimborrio que lo presidía. El derrumbamiento de esta gran estructura, a finales de 1511, prolongó los... more
De herontdekking van een verloren gewaand schilderij van de Franse grootmeester was belangrijk genoeg om de restauratiewerken te laten omkaderen door een internationale adviescommissie. Voorzitter Carl van de Velde stelt de groep van... more
[EN] This article introduces the actions carried out by the members of the working group on the stone structures of Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris, as part of the Scientific Project initiated by the CNRS and French Ministry of Culture after... more
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