Gothic
The reasons behind the development of the Gothic style lie in the pursuit of sensations of the sublime; to achieve great height without apparent great weight would seem to imitate religious ambition. Its development in the north is partly due to the availability of good building stone and soft stone for carving, but perhaps more to the growth of royal aspiration and power based in the Ile de France, which, allied with the papacy, stimulated the building of the great cathedrals of Paris, Bourges, Chartres, Laon, Le Mans, Reims and Amiens in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The Gothic phase began with the building of the choir of the abbey of St-Denis near Paris in 1140, and ran through to the end of the fifteenth century. Architecturally, it encompasses the development of wider, traceried windows of coloured glass, filling the wall spaces liberated by the refinement of vertical structure; the "rose" or wheel is an early and especially French feature in window tracery. The glass at Chartres shows better than anywhere the concerted architectural effect of these developments. Another distinctive element is the flying buttress outside the walls to resist the outward push of the vaulting. In the south, as at Albi and Angers, the great churches are generally broader and simpler in plan and external appearance, with aisles often almost as high as the nave. Many secular buildings survive - some of the most notable in their present form being the work of Viollet-le-Duc, the pre-eminent nineteenth-century restorer - and even whole towns, for example Carcassonne and Aigues Mortes; Avignon has the bridge and the papal palace. Castles, of necessity, lent themselves less to the disappearing walls of the Gothic style. The Chateau de Pierrefonds , as restored by Viollet, may be taken as typical. The walls of many others disappeared by force, not whim, as gunpowder made them obsolete and a more settled and subjugated order led to the development of chateau-palaces, such as Chateaudun (1441) and Blois . The Chateau de Josselin in Brittany is a marvellous example of the smaller fortresses that became common towards the end of the Gothic period. In addition, a series of colonial settlements, the bastides , or fortified towns, of the English occupation, remain in the Dordogne region and are a refreshing antidote to triumphal French bombast.
Tour France On Line (Video + Stills)David Mundstock says "My recent film “Napoleon Slept Here” takes you all around France, beginning and ending in Paris, with Notre Dame Cathedral, the Pompidou Center, Eiffel Tower, Napoleon’s Tomb, Sainte-Chapelle’s stained glass & the City of Lights at night; plus Nimes with its Roman Arena and Temple, the walled city of Carcassonne, Lourdes, the Palace of Chenonceau, a peek at the Bayeux Tapestry, and much more.
This is a free, non-commercial, streaming video on the Windows Media Player. No ads and no strings attached. I sell absolutely nothing. All you need is a high speed internet connection.
The gallery of French still pictures can be viewed with any modem.
There are over 30 of my other amateur travel videos on-line. Visit Italy, England, Antarctica, Bali, Australia, China, Russia, Florida, Mayan Pyramids, Kenya, Hawaii, Greece, American National Parks, or Turkey; see elephants, whales, penguins, or polar bears.
The planet is yours, including my Home Page giant galaxy of still pictures.
To access both the videos and stills, please ask a search engine for:
Intrepid Berkeley Explorer" AnnaaNNa says "Joverh stinks. you stink. Texas is better!" to riangage says "u r so meen i hate u!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!booooooo hoooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1" blahblah says "blah blah chill out on the hateing give sumone a hug"
Your Tip for France
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to France - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to France - visit the main France forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the France webguide section below! Thanks.
|
