This is my essay for this week for my course on The Age of Cathedrals. Here is the prompt: Gothic cathedrals are urban phenomena. Discuss three ways in which we
see the connection between cathedrals and the life of the city.
The Gothic cathedral as an urban phenomena can be seen as such because the cathedral would come to serve many functions besides being the seats of local bishops and archbishops. The cathedrals had become an urban oasis and a focal point of the community.
The physical church itself served as a hub for feeding the poor, a quiet space for contemplation, to worship God as well as to bask in the beauty and lightness of the cathedral as a means of escaping their dull world. Rather than a cathedral being built around the existing city, the cities of this time period grew around the cathedral. With more and more people populating the cities, and with Catholicism being the “official” religion, the cathedrals became an important part of life.
From a financial standpoint, the cathedral was often the hub of the city’s commerce. With the return of commercial activity, money began to come into the cities. This was, in part, due to the rise of trade routes, markets and fairs. An example of this is the Fair of Lendit, near the Cathedral of St. Denis. In addition, cathedrals often held religious relics, which brought people from all over seeking out these relics on pilgrimage trails. These travelers brought a much needed boost to the economy through patronizing the many vendors who would fill the cathedral square; it was there that the weary travelers would spend their money.
Education was another key element of the urban cathedral. Cathedrals such as Notre Dame de Paris and Chartres became true centers of learning. The Schools of Chartres was very famous during this era because it attracted a great many scholars of that time. It also gave rise to the Scholastic philosophy that we see with Peter Abelard. There was a shift in thinking from the theological to the philosophical, as well as tempering spiritual belief with logic and reasoning. People believed that in seeking knowledge it would bring them closer to understanding God and His divinity. And it was through this, that the university would come to be an important factor in the developing culture of the city as well as becoming the foundation for modern day universities and colleges.
The Gothic cathedral as an urban phenomena can be seen as such because the cathedral would come to serve many functions besides being the seats of local bishops and archbishops. The cathedrals had become an urban oasis and a focal point of the community.
The physical church itself served as a hub for feeding the poor, a quiet space for contemplation, to worship God as well as to bask in the beauty and lightness of the cathedral as a means of escaping their dull world. Rather than a cathedral being built around the existing city, the cities of this time period grew around the cathedral. With more and more people populating the cities, and with Catholicism being the “official” religion, the cathedrals became an important part of life.
From a financial standpoint, the cathedral was often the hub of the city’s commerce. With the return of commercial activity, money began to come into the cities. This was, in part, due to the rise of trade routes, markets and fairs. An example of this is the Fair of Lendit, near the Cathedral of St. Denis. In addition, cathedrals often held religious relics, which brought people from all over seeking out these relics on pilgrimage trails. These travelers brought a much needed boost to the economy through patronizing the many vendors who would fill the cathedral square; it was there that the weary travelers would spend their money.
Education was another key element of the urban cathedral. Cathedrals such as Notre Dame de Paris and Chartres became true centers of learning. The Schools of Chartres was very famous during this era because it attracted a great many scholars of that time. It also gave rise to the Scholastic philosophy that we see with Peter Abelard. There was a shift in thinking from the theological to the philosophical, as well as tempering spiritual belief with logic and reasoning. People believed that in seeking knowledge it would bring them closer to understanding God and His divinity. And it was through this, that the university would come to be an important factor in the developing culture of the city as well as becoming the foundation for modern day universities and colleges.
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