his201 - Architecture

The changes coming out of the investiture, that were part of the controversy, the changes in lay attitudes towards faith, demanded, required some changes to the physical structures which held up this institution. So it's from this that we get more Churches being built in the 11th century and especially the 12th century and what is noticeable about the Churches from this era is that they changed from a Romanesque style to a Gothic style.

Abbey of St. Denis, housing one of the larger monastic schools of the 12th century, needed to be re-modelled. The person to do the job was Abbot Suger (1080-1140) First half of the 12th century, he was the main to do it because he held quite a bit of political clout. He is a career churchmen.

There's a greater inclusion of lay-worshippers, you don't need to close the Church off from lay worshippers, in fact they are beating the door down to get in. Especially during this period we see the development of Churches housing relics, which were especially kept in altars. Monkish architects developed new styles, new complex beaming to hold up the larger places, new elaborates facades, bigger so that more people can come in and communicate with God. Having sufficient emanating light.

Ribbed vaults reinforced the roof and the walls through a multiplicity of arches. Artists are looking for ways to add perspective to their works. After all you produce a piece of religious artwork it's meant to go inside a Church, so it's around this time in which artists started developing the technique of perspective so their artwork would add to the surrounding spaces in the Church. And this is how we see art and architecture combine.

How was the construction of new churches funded?

Donors: Aristocracy and Crown (egs. Louis VI and VII)

Indulgences from 'bourgeoisie'



WHERE DID THE EXPERTISE COME FROM?

Who were the architects?

Ancient texts,

"Whatever you do in miniature you can replicate in larger sizes as long as you use the same ratios"

The impetus for gothic architecture was not lets do it different because we can, instead it's lets try and direct parishners even more to the point of coming to church. so the greatness of god has to be represented inside the space of the buildings and in the art inside the buildings, discussed by Erwin pinovsky. It's an important facet of medieval culture.

We can see the intellectual, social, everything currents changing it.