The size of a cathedral was determined by the wealth of the church and town, with the immense size of the structures built in Cologne, Paris, Wells and Orvieto indicative of the excessive wealth of the church during this era. The massive structures were predominantly built in stone, particularly limestone, and bound together with mortar. Various types of wood were used inside the structures to support roofs and flying buttresses as well as to make doors and vaults.
The pointed arch, or ogival, is a feature used throughout Gothic cathedrals in locations where a domed shape was previously used -- such as windows, passages, doorways and galleries. The pointed arch was also used decoratively, including for windows and art pieces housing religious iconography, such as a triptych. Prior to this time, the ogival was characteristic of Near Eastern architecture.
A departure from the semi-circular shaped vaults used in Romanesque and Roman architecture, Gothic-era ribbed vaults were used to roof large rectangular and irregularly-shaped areas. Structurally, ribbed vaults also had the advantage of raising the roofs higher than previously achieved by channeling the weight along the pointed arches to bearing columns or piers. As such, Gothic structures have a vertical emphasis, giving the visual effect of reaching to the heavens.
The flying buttresses were utilized for dispersing the lateral forces of cathedral walls in order to prevent them from collapsing outwards under the weight of the structure and its vaults. The buttress consists of a vertical block on the outside of the cathedral and a segmental arch between the wall and buttress.
Animal, human and gargoyle sculptures adorned the outside of Gothic cathedrals while iconoclastic art decorated the inside. Most cathedrals built in this style also contained stained glass windows, which progressively became more intricate and detailed in design throughout the era. Some of the finest examples of stained glass windows are those in Sainte-Chapelle, Chartres Cathedral, York Minster and Canterbury Cathedral.
