The Best Gothic Cathedrals in World

A Look at Three Including the Santiago de Compostela

Gothic architecture first developed in Northern France in the 12th century and soon spread throughout the western world. The style was popular for centuries, but faded out while the Renaissance period became popular in the late 14th- to early 15th centuries. However, there was a Gothic Revival in the 18th and 19th centuries, largely rooted in nostalgia and romanticism (Art cyclopedia, 2006). The gothic style was not only applied to cathedrals of the time but other architectural buildings, paintings, sculptures, and other art works as well; it was the gothic era. Even though, the gothic style was incorporated in other pieces of art at the time, “it was in the service of the church that the gothic style attained it’s most meaningful expression, for the church it was the most prolific builders of the middle ages, providing the widest scope for the development of architectural ideas and calling forth the best talents (Branner, 1961).

The three gothic style cathedrals of interest are: The Salisbury Cathedral of England, the Chartres Cathedral of France, and the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela of Spain. Although, all three cathedrals are Gothic, beautifully crafted, and are representational artworks, they all posses their own individual mark on the period in which they gleamed and hold historical and spiritual value. In addition, they have some structural similarities and serve the same ultimate purpose for which they were created. “They were attended to transmit legacies of spiritual knowledge forward through centuries. This is a feat which is deserving of our respect, considering the turmoil of the past six hundred years” (Earthlore, 2005).