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The most magnificent Gothic cathedrals in France
Chartres Cathedral
The Cathedral in Chartres (XII-XIV centuries) is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe. Chartres, where the precious relics of our lady, enjoyed the special protection of king Louis IX, who gave the Cathedral a large window-rose. Stained glass Windows donated to the Cathedral, the artisans of the city.
In the construction of the Cathedral was attended by many people: for example, in 40-ies of the XII century Norman thousands of pilgrims came to Chartres and a few months to destroy stone blocks in the walls of the Cathedral reach two to three meters long and one meter in height. The Western facade is the only thing that survived from an earlier building. Its creation dates to 1170. The façade is adorned with three richly decorated with magnificent stone carvings of the portal belonging to the XII century. From the North and South facades of the building you can see is very typical of French Gothic, a huge, round lace box, in which the openings in lead casements inserted stained glass. The diameter of the Windows of the transept is 13 meters. A screen similar to this entered art history under the name “rose”. It first appeared in the Chartres Cathedral, Continue reading
Gothic rebus
One of the most beautiful buildings of Paris, praised by Victor Hugo, the legends and myths. A mystical image of Notre-Dame-de-Paris became an international symbol of the middle Ages, where magic is intertwined with faith and the deeper meaning of the true doctrine eternally encoded in the unique sculptures and stained glass Windows.
Notre Dame Cathedral, a magnificent structure, is able to simultaneously accommodate up to nine thousand members, is built on the Western edge of the île de La Cité in the XII century.
1. On the site of a pagan temple
For a thousand years before Christ there lived a small Gallic tribe. 400 years later the Romans came here, for which island surrounded by the waters of the Seine, was a natural fortress. On the spot where now stands the Cathedral, they erected the temple of Jupiter. Continue reading
Early megalithic structures of Asia Minor
Large ceremonial structures IX Millennium BC have been discovered in Asia Minor. They belong to the era of the emergence of agriculture and animal husbandry in the society, under the influence of or directly from it happened later middle Eastern and European Neolithic. Structures are a large circle patterns, based on megalithic columns (3 m or more) of solid hewn stone. The most ancient of nowadays known are the temples of Göbekli Tepe and Nevali-Chori. In the Göbekli Tepe thus far excavated only four churches out of about two dozen. The diameter reaches some 30 m. On the columns there are bas-relief images of animals (foxes, boars, lions, birds, snakes and Scorpions) [6]. Although these temples are the oldest megalithic structures on Earth, it is unknown how they are related to European megaliths [7] .
European megaliths
Megaliths are prevalent worldwide mainly in coastal areas. In Europe they mostly date back to the Eneolithic and bronze age (3rd — 2nd mill B. C.), with the exception of the British Isles. Continue reading
