Architecture of Gothic Medieval Cathedrals

Through its architecture and ornamentation, medieval Gothic cathedrals were purposefully designed to deliver a Christian theological message about the glory of God. Probably most closely associated with Gothic cathedrals today, stained glass windows served to not only let in filtered colored light, but were also filled with biblical images and stories. These windows and other decorations, such as murals and sculptures, are referred to as the “Poor Man’s Bible,” since the average medieval person could not read, but could look at the images in the windows and other ornamentation to recount biblical stories. Exteriors of cathedrals boosted highly decorative stone statues and sculptures, such as gargoyles, while the interior of the church was often colored with bright paint on the walls and columns. A rose window may also be present, which is a large, round window separated divided into segments with stone mullions and often filled with stained glass.

Pictured above: Stained glass windows at Saint Chapelle, Paris, France