Gothic architecture
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Gothic architecture was originally the design style of the Goths, which spread through Western Europe from A.D. 1200 to 1500. Its characteristics include:
- pointed arches
- flying buttresses
- ribbed vaulting
Initially Italians of the Renaissance used the term “Gothic architecture” in a pejorative sense, expressing contempt for such barbarism. But as the Franks, Anglo-Saxons, Normans and Teutonic peoples converted from paganism to Christianity, they adopted this style of architecture with great success. Gothic architecture is considered by some Christian communities as a form of satanic worship, closely linked with the goth lifestyle.
Gothic architecture is often called the “Catholic style.”