CultureEurope
Gothic cathedrals
Stone pushed to its limit to let in light
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Builders competed on height until it went wrong — the vault at Beauvais collapsed in 1284 and was never completed. The cathedrals were also economic engines, drawing pilgrims, markets and crafts. The stained glass served as a picture bible for a population that could not read.
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With pointed arches, ribbed vaults and buttresses outside, the walls could be thin and the windows enormous. The cathedrals became towering rooms filled with coloured light. Many took over a century to build.
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Part of Terra Saga — the story of Earth on a timeline. terrasaga.org