Download One of the most salient features of Medieval European cities is a

Mrs. Daar
Block ½
February 10, 2007
Flying Buttresses
One of the most salient features of Medieval European cities is a grand, stone cathedral. Things
didn’t use to be this way, though. Because of engineering limitations, they were shorter with thick, heavy
walls and small windows. But, things changed with the development of the flying buttress.
These flying buttresses are a unique and useful engineering advance in cathedral architecture.
These structural elements were both useful and elegant. Made of stone or brick, these arches were
used to support the walls of a cathedral (A). These arches would be supporting walls that often reached as
high as 160 feet (E). Churches often utilized multiple levels of flying buttresses to transfer weight from
different levels of the structure, such as one set for the roof and one for the walls (I). These supports were
part of an overall change in the style of church design. By adding extra strength to the walls, the
cathedrals could be higher, wider, and have large stained-glass windows (B). This made the churches
brighter and more beautiful. The buttress’s construction was complex, involving the use of wooden
frames between the main wall and the external columns to support the arches until the mortar dried
between the stone or bricks (B). By using the flying buttresses to redirect pressures to outside columns,
cathedrals could become the grand structures that still exist throughout Europe today.
During this time in history, the church was gaining more power—financial and political—and
these enormous cathedrals were a constant reminder of that power. By 1050, the Catholic Church was the
largest landholder in Europe (H). As well, the church collected a tax called a tithe in the amount of 1/10
of a person’s income (H). Later, along with increasing the church’s treasury, Pope Gregory, in 1073,
expanded the political power of the church by banning kings from appointing church officials such as
bishops and priests (H). Churches, by being the main sources of higher learning, also controlled the
intellectual environment (H). These factors gave the Catholic Church the power and resources to
construct these immense places of worship. Gothic architecture, of which flying buttresses were one
element, got its start in the 1100s, with the completion of the French Abbey of St. Denis—burial place of
French kings—in 1144 (D). A well-known example of a Gothic-style church is the Notre Dame in Paris,
which was also the first to use flying buttresses; it was completed in 1175 (I, D). Buttresses had been in
use since the time of the Roman Empire, but they were hidden within the structure of the building and not
as visibly apparent as the flying buttresses (B). These supports solved the problems of church designers
who wanted wider cathedrals and bigger windows. Because heavy, thick walls which only allowed for
small windows were no longer needed, Bible stories could be depicted in these new, larger stained-glass
windows.
While stained glass is still common in many Christian churches today, their appearance is very
different. Flying buttresses are no longer a prominent design feature, but the idea of building bigger and
taller buildings is still present. Stylistically, flying buttresses were phased out as Roman-inspired
Renaissance cathedrals were built, featuring domes and rows of columns for support (G). But, just as the
Gothic cathedrals used specialized support structures to increase their size, modern-day skyscrapers use a
skeleton of steel to allow them to have hundreds of stories and large windows since, as with these Gothic
cathedrals, the external walls no longer have to carry the majority of the weight of the building.
Flying buttresses and the other improvements that were introduced with Gothic architecture led to
significant advancements in the scope of Catholic cathedrals. Their ability to take some of the pressures
from the roof and walls by redirecting it to external supports allowed the churches to become wider and
taller. They could now include huge stained-glass windows that let people learn about the Bible and the
saints. These grand cathedrals also became a visual reminder of the Church’s increasing influence in
people’s lives. While no longer used today, they are a part of a continuing quest to build things ever
larger and taller. Though they were built centuries ago, the Gothic cathedrals with their flying buttress
supports are still standing as a testament to the grace, style, and strength of this engineering advancement.