The Gothic Age :: essays research papers fc

The Gothic yearsIntroductionThe Gothic durationAs the third year that followed the year on thousand grew near, on that pointwas to be seen over almost totally the earth, but especially in Italy and in Gaul, agreat renewal of church buildings each Christian community was driven by aspirit of rivalry to book a more glorious church than the others. It was as ifthe world had shaken itself, and casting off its old garments, had dresseditself again in both part in a w happen upone robe of churches.Raoul Glaber, Historia, c.1003The Gothic Age (c. AD 1130-1530) marked the end to an age of chaos,primarily caused by the sac and pillaging of the Vikings. After the greatminds of Western Europe were freed from using their massive knowledge to defendagainst invaders or plagues, they now had the clipping and the resources needed to design any and everything in this era from bridges to city walls and castles tocathedrals. This was also a very religious age, with plenty of money beingpumpe d into the Church, nigh from the crusades, with all of its includedlooting, and a lot more from all of the tithes all of the people who were bornin the race explosion gave faithfully. Another flush bigger source ofincome for the Church came to it in the shape of part and prestige, when thepower of the church peaked in AD 1277.Not only was this a beloved time for the Church, but this was also a verygood time for all of humanity. The standard of living dramatically rose, andalong with it, the population of Western Europe shot up. In 1346, the estimatedpopulation of Europe was cardinal point four meg just before the plaguehit and wiped out more than a third of the population.1 2 This was more than in two ways the population of Europeans in the year 950 when it was 22,600,0003 .While the population was exploding thither were so many new cathedralsbuilt that in the relatively short time period of two hundred and fifty years,there was more stone quarried to be used in cathedrals ( several million tons)than was quarried during the age of the pyramids in Egypt, where there arepyramids that are over two hundred and fifty million cubic meters big.4The Gothic age survived many crusades, a plague that didnt leave Europeuntil the late 18th century, and many other grievous atrocities. Following thisgreat age, there was a period without the great accomplishments as in this age,since everyone was just happy using what their forefathers had done.