Why were gothic cathedrals not built until the late middle ages?
While it is true that the architecture wasn’t developed up until the middle ages, the Gothic cathedral was an improvement of the Romanesque style church. Yes, flying buttresses, stained glass windows, lintels, and vaults are all part of the Gothic styling but the use of Gothic arches are arguably the best feature used to identify Gothic architecture. The Middle Age was an era of prosperity of both royalty and clergy. The purpose of building these Gothic monoliths was to invoke a unearthly “holy” feel in the presence of it’s visitors. Agreeing once again with Lady Alathia, natural light was a huge factor in contributing to the “holy” effect. Of course, the stained glass windows also portrayed key religious and royal figures which “illuminated” in the light. The term Gothic, as we know it, does seem to give the impression of darkness and depression. However the term “Gothic”, as it was used in The Middle Age, was the equivalent of the word “rude”. Once again, refining the term “rude” to
