Cathedrals and Chapels, Essay Example

The la Sainte-Chapelle (http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/La_Sainte-Chapelle.html) is located in Paris, France.  This unique chapel was built between the years 1238-1244 and was meant to honor King Louis who was later sainted under the catholic religion.  The great architectural structure is in the urban context in the heart of Paris just west of the Notre Dame Cathedral.  It is fashioned after the French Court Gothic styling.  Inside, the chapel is filled with a “gilded, gem-studded interior with great vaults reduced to tracery.”  The building is located in a temperate climate that can change from extreme warm weather to freezing temperatures with snowfall.  Finally, the chapel was constructed using cut stone masonry which can be seen in the pictures on the above web link at the top and base of the pillars as well as the large main sanctuary and especially the nave.

Next, we can look at a similar architectural cathedral in the Seville Cathedral (http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Seville_Cathedral-test.html), which is located in Seville, Spain.  This cathedral was also constructed using cut stone masonry techniques which are evident in the detailed piers of the cathedrals towers.  The piers are built to a surprisingly 132-feet height, which is the largest Gothic cathedral.  It was later surpassed by the St. Peter’s chapel, but still remains one of the world’s largest cathedrals based on this particular type of architecture.  The building is located in the Mediterranean climate of Seville, Spain, and was fashioned after the refined Gothic style.  The cathedral was built between the years 1402-1520 and was utilized mainly for religious events and worship.

Finally, the Cologne Cathedral (http://www.german-architecture.info/GERMANY/GER-008.htm) is perhaps one of the most-detailed and historically important of the three European religious constructs.  This cathedral was originally built in 1248, but it was left unfinished for over 400 years until it was finally completed in 1880.  From the years 1880-1890, the Cologne Cathedral was the tallest building in the world that has the spire and height antennas standing at a total of 516 feet tall.  This building, similar to the previous two examples, was fashioned in a Gothic style located in Köln, Germany.  Probably the greatest artifacts that are world-renowned inside the cathedral are the Shrine of the Three Kings and the Crucifix of Bishop Gero.  Furthermore, in the bell tower of the Cologne Cathedral is located the St. Petersglocke which is a 24-ton bell that was cast in 1922 and is the largest free-swinging bell in the world.  The nave of the cathedral is filled with beautiful pained-glass windows of religious figures.