A Look Inside

There has been so much written about the characteristics of a Gothic cathedral, the building of the cathedral, the architectural achievements and on and on. But, as I look for inspiration on what to write about next, I've noticed there's really not a lot of information about what is what INSIDE the cathedral! So, I decided to dive in and tackle this topic. The image at the left illustrates the basic layout of any Gothic cathedral. Let's take a look at each one, separately.

We start at the bottom with the Arcade. And no, it's not a place to go to play video games! If you've ever walked along an open hall lined with arches, then you have seen what an arcade is. But let's look at a definition of it, from the Architectural Dictionary app (look for it in Google Play. It's free!):

Nave arcade Noyon Cathedral

Arcade, in architecture, is a line of arches along one or both sides, supported by pillars or columns, either freestanding or attached to a building; a line of counter thrusting arches raised on columns or piers, which are rectangular vertical supports.  Ok, so take a moment to digest all that while I explain.

Arcades were used to separate the nave from the aisles, usually located inside of the cathedral, in the lowest part of the wall of the nave (if you haven't been following along on my little journey, a nave is the central part of the church). It supports the triforium and the clerestory (which I will get to in just a moment...so keep reading.....).

To be classified as an arcade, a structure has to include arches. If it has a series of columns or piers attached to a horizontal support and does not include arches, it's called a colonnade (which are the pillars that support the roof. But, if you really want to impress your friends, you can define it as such: a number of columns arranged in order, at intervals called intercolumniation, supporting an entablature and usually on one side of a roof... wow! That was a mouthful! Sounds impressive!)

Roman Colosseum

Arcades aren't new. They are elements that date back thousands of years. An example of a massive arcade can be seen here, in the ancient Roman architecture of the Colosseum. The Colosseum is an immense stone amphitheater built in Rome around 70 AD.

Moving up to the next part, we see the Triforium. Going to Encyclopedia.com, I've found a simple explanation: The triforium is located below the clerestory windows and above the side-aisle vaults and corresponded on the exterior to the lean-to roof over the aisle. What that it means is, in essence, the triforium was a narrow passageway that would provide a second-story circulation around the church. Since a lot of the Gothic cathedrals were pilgrimage sites, architects needed to devise a way in which visitors could traverse the cathedral without disturbing those attending Mass or who were in prayerful meditation. It was the same idea as the ambulatory, only on a second story.

clerestory at Cattedrale di Monreale, Italy

And lastly, we have the Clerestory (I really like that word..don't know why!). So, once again opening the handy-dandy Architectural Dictionary app, it states that the clerestory is an upper story or row of windows rising above the adjoining parts of the building, designed as a means of increased light into the inner space of the building. So, basically, it was a way to get fresh air and more light into the upper recesses of the cathedral. If you look at the multitude of windows in the cathedral, you will see that none of them open! Can you imagine sitting in church when it's 90 degrees out and have no means of circulating any air?! Yeah, me neither....

Ok, that's it for now friends. Come back to visit again! And bring your Architectural Dictionary app with you so I don't need to keep explaining! 😌😀