Cathedral

By Rebecca4.17
 * Cathedrals in Medieval Times **

== During the times of the Middle Ages, cathedrals came in many different shapes and sizes. This report includes the definition of cathedral and the construction of one. It also includes the different styles one could build a cathedral in.Finally, information about the famous cathedral named Notre Dames located in Chartres, France will be included. ==

Definition of cathedral
== A Cathedral can be described as a Christian church holding the seat of a Bishop officially associated with the church.(google). Cathedrals can be found within the Catholic and Anglican Denominations. Cathedrals have been one of the largest and most visited churches in the world, like Notre Dame. The word cathedral comes from the Latin root Cathedra meaning chair of the Bishop. A while back, people saw it as a symbol of teacher and a magistrate. Cathedrals that no longer have a Bishop (now just churchescan be called proto-cathedrals. When a church temporarily serves as a cathedral, it can be called a pro-cathedral.(wisegeek) ==

Constructing One
== Building a cathedral back then had not been the easiest thing there had been to do. A person working on the construction of the church did not expect to see it when it had been completed. Building one could take up to decades, and sometimes even centuries. Bishop’s that wanted to build a cathedral had to ask wealthy kings, princes, and nobles for the money because they did not have enough money to pay for the entire church. The community helped build the cathedral because they believed that their sins would be forgiven, much like going on a crusade.(thefinertimes) There had been different jobs to be done on the construction of a cathedral. For example: the quarry, foundations, stone tracery, and the craftspeople. The different parts the people had to build had been the aisle, arcade (rows of arches), Buttress (they stop the wall from falling), bell tower, clerestory (lots of windows giving extra light), choir, flying buttress (an arch on the ceiling), and the foundation. Other parts had been the nave (where people stood and knelt during services), porch, rose windows (stained glass), spire, transept (extension to building), and the vault (arches under the roof) (8-9). Limestone had been the most popular material to use to build cathedrals(12). Paintings, statues, and carvings expressed the image of Heaven throughout the church. ==

== Different Style There had been different ways or styles to build a Cathedral. The first way to build a cathedral, the Roman Hall, happened during the 2nd century, and had been very simple and plain. The next way, the Early Oratory, had been built with wood with simple doors and windows in 627. Then, stone cathedrals with arched doorways developed during the 7th century. Larger stone cathedrals developed in 780(7). Two other styles people used to build cathedrals had been Gothic and Romanesque. Romanesque came first during the 9th and 12th centuries and had been influenced by Roman styles. The Romanesque cathedrals had thick walls, rounded arches on windows and doors, barrel vaults and internal spaces. The Gothic style came after Romanesque in the mid-12th century. Gothic cathedrals had big stained glass windows which let more light in.( thedifferencebetween)  ==

[|Notre Dame] is a beautiful cathedral located in Chartres, France. Before it had been built, a pagan temple stood there to
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Summary
== Overall, Cathedrals from the Middle Ages went through a lot of changes and developments. Romanesque and Gothic styled cathedrals can still be found here today. All Cathedrals can be called different, but can still be called the same. ==

Work Cited 1. Difference Between Gothic and Romnesue Architecture." differecebeteen.net. Prabhat, 24 Apr 2011. Web. 10 Jan 2014. [] 2. Foster, Niki. "What is a Cathedral." WiseGeek.com. Conjetrue Corporiztion, 8 Jan 2014. Web. 9 Jan 2014. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-cathedral.htm.>. 3. [|https://www.google.com/#q=cathedral] 4. [|https://www.google.com/#q=what+is+a+cathedral] 5. MacDonald, Fiona. A Medieval Cathedral. 1st American edition. New York, NY: Peter Bedrick Books, 1991. Print. 6. Newman, Simon. "Cathedrals in the Middle Ages." The Finer Times. The Finer Times. Web. 10 Jan 2014. []. 7. []