Cathedral Analysis Paper: Milan Cathedral -- Architecture Churches

All over the world, people still come to admire the beauty of European cathedrals. Many of the cathedrals are fragile due to age, neglect, pollution, and insufficient funds available to restore these historical and magnificent buildings. Nevertheless, visitors to these architectural masterpieces are fascinated by the design and structure of these churches. The cathedral builders using their own ingenuity, expertise, and limited resources were able to defy the laws of gravity and time. (Icher 30) There were two main types of architecture during the middle ages, the Romanesque style and the Gothic style. The Romanesque period took place approximately between 1096 and 1270 (the eleventh and twelfth centuries) and the Gothic period took place approximately between 1150 and 1450 (the thirteenth through the fifteenth centuries) (Bersson 383). Evidence of both styles of architecture emerged throughout Europe. The political landscape had changed and the Christian church provided a measure of unity throughout the centuries of this medieval era (Stalley 13). The Romanesque period was a time when the interest in religion intensified. The church was a place that all people could belong to regardless of their status. It was during these times that big churches called cathedrals began to emerge. The age of the Crusades took place emphasizing the need for places of worship and a place for the community to gather together. People sought the churches not only to see the relics housed in the church brought back from the Holy Lands by the Crusades, but also to seek redemption as well. This influx of seekers brought in money to help the community pay for the churches. This allowed for the emergence of new towns in addition to increased exchange ... ...brams, 1998. Print. "Italian Gothic." Encyclopedia Britannica. 2010. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . Keyes, Zachariah. Personal Interview. Denise Keyes. 21 Nov. 2010. "Middle Ages." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. . Stalley, Roger. Early Medieval Architecture. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. Print. Tyler, Ellen. "Milan Cathedral - Symbolizing the Gothic Structure." 14 May 2010. Ezine Articles. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . Wilson, Christopher. The Gothic Cathedral: The Architecture of the Great Church. New York: Thames & Hudson, 1990. Print.