The Gothic style originated in France; the Ile de France and Picardy are dotted with fine cathedrals.These ten cathedrals represent the heights of the Gothic style. But warning; if you get addicted, you’re going to want to search out the others too – Sens and Senlis, Soissons, Noyon, Mantes… you might never stop!
1. Laon is one of the earliest Gothic cathedrals, but its architect created marvellous effects of transparence and depth in the façade and the famous towers. At the top of the towers are the famous bulls of Laon, said to be statues of the oxen which dragged the stone from the quarries up the hill to the cathedral. The church is filled with light, and the pristine simplicity of the architecture makes this little visited cathedral an obligatory stop for any traveller who wants to understand the aspirations of the early Gothic.
2. Chartres cathedral rises on a hill above the river Eure and the cornfields of Beauce. This is Gothic style at its most classic and powerful. The west front and transept porches are finely carved with figures of prophets and saints, and much of the original stained glass survives. The little figures of the donors at the bottoms of the windows, all exercising their trades – furriers, carpenters, bakers – are worth seeking out for an unusually realistic view of medieval life.
3. Notre Dame, Paris is perhaps not the finest of the Gothic cathedrals, and lost most of its furnishings in the French Revolution. But the façade, an almost square, monumental form, shows perfectly how the Gothic style uses geometrical proportions to create strongly articulated architecture.
4. Bourges is the most visionary of French cathedrals – a single, huge, open space without transept or narthex to break the pattern. Its double aisles are arranged so that the central aisle is a miniature copy of the nave of the church, with its own triforium and clerestory – as if the cathedral had been sliced in two and a new one inserted into the middle. As at Chartres, the stained glass is original – and since much of it is in the side chapels, close-up viewing is possible.
5. Amiens cathedral is massive – the biggest Gothic cathedral in France. And it’s a very pure Gothic style – simple, light, serene. The west front is full of carved detail, including symbols of the labours of the months and the virtues and vices as well as Biblical personages and local saints.
6. Reims cathedral was where the French kings were crowned; royal patronage made it a wealthy and strikingly beautiful building. The statues of the west façade – particularly the ‘smiling angel’ – have a grace and plasticity that make them the summit of the Gothic style in sculpture. Inside, the sheer height of the church is amazing.
7. Strasbourg cathedral’s lace like façade is a marvel, particularly when the setting sun brings out the redness of the sandstone. Inside, the famous astronomical clock provides a kitsch counterpoint to the glories of the Gothic nave.
8. Beauvais was the most ambitious of the Gothic cathedrals. Pride becomes before a fall, though, and after two separate vault collapses, the masons just gave up – the building was never finished. Even the stub of the church, though, is impressive – the highest and lightest work that the Gothic ever produced.
9. Albi cathedral is very different from any of the northern cathedrals. Its southern Gothic style is massive and ponderous, not light and transparent, and as if to stress the difference, it’s built in brick, not stone. But though the exterior looks like a fortress, inside it’s a treasure house of art, including fine frescoes, a painted vault, and a rood screen covered in painted statues.
10. The little-known Saint-Bertrand de Comminges isn’t one of the architectural masterpieces of France. But with its mixture of Romanesque narthex and Gothic nave, and its fine stained glass and Renaissance choir stalls, it’s one of those delightful places where every age has left its impression and every glance discovers new beauties. And how could you miss out a cathedral with its own stuffed crocodile?

The earliest art from the Middle Ages was created under the rule of the emperor Charlemagne. In 768, Charlemagne became king of the Franks, the Germanic tribe that occupied modern day France. He was crowned emperor by Pope Leo III in 800. His contributions to the Catholic Church made it the cultural force it eventually became.
Charlemagne made tithing compulsory, generating power and wealth in the church, and creating a powerful relationship that existed until the Renaissance era. It was Charlemagne’s encouragement and investment in the church that allowed the architecturally magnificent cathedrals to be built.
Romanesque Architecture

Romanesque architecture appeared in the eleventh century. It looked back to the Roman style, but certainly had its own touch. The essential distinguishing marks of Romanesque architecture include the rounded arch, thick walls and dim interiors. Their naves now had vaults instead of wooden roofs. Their interiors were decorated with not just sculpture but also architectural ornament. The different elements of the structure are enhance by different roof levels and set off the nave and transept against the inner and outer aisles.
Romanesque architecture is seen largely in the building of the great cathedrals. San Vitale, in Ravenna was built in the 6th century, and St. Paul’s in Rome in the 4th. However, the majority of architectural growth in Romanesque cathedrals occurred between 1050-1200. Great achievements in architecture at the time included the cathedrals in Vezelay, France and Fontrevault which took creative liberties with the Romanesque archetype.
The Chapel of St. John in the Tower of London, was another Romanesque church built in 1080. Durham Cathedral in London was built in 1093, was among the largest medieval cathedrals in Europe. According to H.W. Janson, it was a breakthrough in architectural engineering, with its three story nave, and strong transverse arches.
A myriad of other cathedrals were built all over Europe using this Romanesque style. Some included the Pisa Cathedral in Tuscany, the Speyer Cathedral in Germany, and the Autun Cathedral in western France. In The History of Art, H.W. Janson writes that Europe was virtually drowning in architectural creativity. He theorizes it was because of a need to worship God and a renewed religious enthusiasm, partly due to the Crusades.
Gothic Architecture
The church in the Middle Ages also invented the Gothic style of architecture. The first example was in the Abbey Church in St. Denis built just outside of Paris in 1140. Abbot Suger wanted to make the church here the country’s spiritual and political center. He took creative liberties with the Romanesque cathedral structure and produced a design that is graceful, almost weightless. The windows appear to be almost translucent walls, creating a thin airy interior.
The Architecture of Notre Dame Cathedral
In the book, Notre Dame de Paris, art historian Alain-Erlande Brandenburg offers an in-depth analysis of the historical cathedral. The three story cathedral of Notre Dame is synonymous with Parisian art and architecture as the Eiffel Tower. This is all attributed to the Catholic Church. Artistically, the cathedral stands as a testament to Christ. Over the main doorway, in the relief, The Last Judgment, legions of angels surround Christ, while Mary and St. John kneel at his side. The rose portals are actually stained glass windows etched with an iconographic series spanning all the major Biblical figures.
In the north screen, the life of Christ unfolds. The scenes range from The Visitation, Annunciation to the Shepherds, the Nativity, Adoration of the Magi, Massacre of the Innocents, Flight into Egypt, tPresentation in the Temple, Christ in the Temple, The Baptism, Entry into Jerusalem, The Last Supper, and Washing of the Feet. The southern cycle is themed after Christ’s resurrection and includes artistic renderings all of Christ’s appearances after his resurrection.
In the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church encouraged impressive art and architecture. Aside from the notable ones mentioned here, it is also responsible for the funding and architectural engineering of numerous other massive cathedrals throughout Europe. The church also encouraged the intricate and complex art inside these cathedrals. However, the impending Protestant Reformation would change all of this.