o Romanesque churches are characterized by the barrel vault.
They have great strength and stability but are limited by the
need to thicken their walls in order to gain height, which
decreases interior light. Thus, some examples convey a sense
of heaviness.• The Gothic style, in contrast, represents a genuine architectural
breakthrough: Its use of the flying buttress as a structural support
enabled great height without widening the walls, thus allowing for
the inclusion of more delicate features, such as the pointed arch and
the rose window.
o In England, there were some 16 Gothic cathedrals completed
before the Reformation, including such splendid examples as
Lincoln (1074), Ely (1090), and Durham (1093).o France has some of the most spectacular Gothic cathedrals,
including St. Denis (1140) and Notre Dame (1163) in Paris and
Chartres (1145) in a small town outside Paris.Chartres Cathedral, located in a town outside of Paris, is among France’s most
spectacular Gothic cathedrals and is known for its rose windows.
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