Introduction to Gothic Cathedrals

Here's a sketch of a medieval cathedral's foundation, sunk deep into the ground.

Today we began our study of Gothic cathedrals.

We are studying the cathedrals in anticipation of our trip to Washington, DC, where we will visit the majestic and beautiful Washington National Cathedral.

We started by learning that architecture is both the art and the science of designing and constructing buildings.

We learned that a footprint is the outline of a building at the point where the walls meet the ground. The footprint of all Gothic cathedrals (including the National Cathedral) is the shape of a cross.

This is an aerial view of a Gothic cathedral in France.

And here's one located in England ...

This is a diagram showing the floorplan of a typical cathedral, in greater detail.

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