The Construction of Gothic Cathedrals: A Study of Medieval Vault Erection

Fitchen, John

ISBN 10: 0226252035 / ISBN 13: 9780226252032

Published by University of Chicago Press, 1997

About this Item

Seller Inventory # 1922bb

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Construction of Gothic Cathedrals: A Study of Medieval Vault Erection
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Publication Date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0226252035
• ISBN 13: 9780226252032
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

A classic account of the design and building of the great cathedrals of the Gothic era

In The Construction of Gothic Cathedrals, John Fitchen systematically walks readers through the process of erecting the great edifices of the Gothic era. He explains the building equipment and falsework needed, the actual operations undertaken, and the sequence of these operations as specifically as they can be deduced today. In the absence of contemporary accounts of the techniques used by medieval builders, Fitchen's study brilliantly pieces together clues from manuscript illuminations, pictorial representations, and the fabrics of the building themselves. The result is the clearest picture available of the innovations and techniques that enabled these buildings, which still generate awe today, to rise majestically above the low buildings of their surrounding towns. It's a book that will enthrall readers of history, and one that, as Progressive Architecture noted, "no student of architecture should miss."

About the Author

John Fitchen, a registered architect, is Professor of Fine Arts, Emeritus, at Colgate University and the author of "The Construction of Gothic Cathedrals" and "The New World Dutch Barn".