Weekly #8 Rough Draft

Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals each had their own meaning of depicting theology in religious terms. Romanesque cathedrals focused more on protection from incoming attacks. Romanesque cathedrals were the main spot for safety for the people of a village because of their thick and supportive walls. However, Gothic cathedrals focused on implanting the light of God in the cathedral itself. This was done with huge stain-glassed windows that allowed for the the light of God to be on the inside for everyone to see. There was a big difference in the theology behind these two styles of architecture. The theology of Romanesque cathedrals was expressed by Judgment Day and by protection and defense whereas Gothic cathedrals had large windows that allowed the light of God to shine among all of the people on the inside of the church. The architecture of Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals did not express anything about theology.

The structures of Romanesque cathedral differed from the structure of Gothic cathedrals. Romanesque cathedrals were very tall with thick walls that supported the building as a whole (Figure 1). They almost looked like castles in the medieval times. This shows that protection was extremely important during the ninth, tenth, and eleventh centuries that people needed a place for safety. This also shows that there were continuous attacks, so people of a village needed this big structure to protect them from harsh attackers.  Gothic cathedrals focused more on religious theology. The walls on these cathedrals were less thick and the columns were much thinner too (Figure 2). The walls of Gothic cathedrals has to be light and thin enough to let the light of God shine directly into the interior for people to feel. Protection was not very important with Gothic cathedrals as letting the light of God in really explained the structure of these cathedrals.

Another big difference between Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals is the windows. The Romanesque cathedral has many windows all around the exterior, but they are very small (Figure 3). The windows are small on Romanesque cathedrals for a reason. Since these cathedrals were used for protection for incoming attacks, the windows had to be small so attackers would not be able to break in to the cathedral through the windows. This forced enemies to try to break through the cathedral, which often failed because of the thick walls. In Gothic cathedrals, windows played an important role in expressing theology.  The big stained-glass window towards the top is there to let the light of God in (Figure 4). Then, the people on the inside can be shined with the light of God. The big stained-glass window in Gothic cathedrals formed the basis of religious theology through the light of God.

Also, the art of Romanesque and Gothic Cathedrals differed on the inside of these two types of cathedrals. In Romanesque cathedrals, there were big murals about Judgment Day with a huge painting of Christ on a throne ready to judge on one of the walls. Romanesque cathedrals also contained beautiful paintings that depicted religious scenes from the Gospel (Figure 5). Also, many of the columns and domes were lined with religious sculpture figures. But in Gothic Cathedrals, the big stained-glass window, or the rose window, was the focus on the whole cathedral. Many religious images would be stained on to these glass windows, providing a great dimension of light and color in to the cathedral (Figure 6). The interior of these cathedrals were often spaced out to allow the light to shine throughout the inside to show the presence of God. Mosaics are often popular on the inside of Gothic Cathedrals, making for a fantastic sight.

As a whole, Romanesque and Gothic churches both explain religious theology in their own unique ways. Romanesque cathedrals were all about protection and the Judgment Day. Thick walls and small windows helped influence this protection for people when they were attacked. Gothic cathedrals though were about letting the light of God shine through the interior from large, colorful stained-glass windows. These stained-glass windows allowed for the presence of God to be felt. Overall, art, structure, and windows greatly influenced the basis for each of these types of cathedrals. But most importantly, Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals express important ideas about religious theology.

Appendix

Figure 1

Dom St. Peter Cathedral, exterior, 10^th century, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Dom_St._Peter%2C_Trier.jpg, photograph taken in 2001

Figure 2

Our Lady of Sablon Church, façade, 13^th century, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Bruxelles_Notre-Dame_du_Sablon.jpg., photograph taken in 2009

Figure 3

Mainzer Dom Cathedral, exterior, 9^th century, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Mainzer_Dom_von_Nordosten.jpg, photograph taken in 2007

Figure 4

Notre Dame de Reims Cathedral, interior, 14^th century, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Reims_Cathedrale_Notre_Dame_interior_002.JPG, photograph taken in 2008

Figure 5

Canterbury Cathedral, wall painting, 12^th century, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Canterbury_Fresko.jpg, photograph taken in 2008

Figure 6

Bourges cathedral, stained-glass window, 13^th century, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Bourges-cathedrale-vitrail-femme.jpg, photograph taken in 2010