Notre-Dame de Reims, Reims, France With more than a million visitors each year, Reims Cathedral is indeed a popular destination. One of the most embellished structures in the Gothic style, the cathedral features over 2,300 statues in addition to beautiful buttresses, arches, decorative figures and tabernacles.

Common examples are found in Christian ecclesiastical architecture, and Gothic cathedrals and churches, as well as abbeys, and parish churches. It is also the architecture of many castles, palaces, town halls, guildhalls, universities and, less prominently today, private dwellings.

The Abbey Church of Saint Denis

Gothic architecture was notable for large, ornate stone structures with many elements and imposing figures. All of these are best seen in the many Gothic cathedrals that allowed architects and designers their most control over the shape of buildings.

The Gothic style has influenced architecture for over 700 years. With its trademark pointed arches it continues to influence modern architecture. Stained glass windows; high, arched ceilings; and gargoyles are used in a variety of ways today. Some things never go out of style.

Its complexity makes it one of the most sought after methods for high-end buildings. The features that define this architectural style are the rib vault and flying buttress. These allowed the weight of the roof to counterbalance outside the building, making them magnificently high and spacious.

The architecture that informed the Gothic period drew upon a number of influences, including Romanesque, Byzantine, and Middle Eastern.

Gothic architecture was at first called “the French Style” (Opus Francigenum). An Italian writer named Giorgio Vasari used the word “Gothic” in the 1530s, because he thought buildings from the Middle Ages were not carefully planned and measured like Renaissance buildings or the buildings of ancient Rome.

Answer: Gothic Function: Gothic sculpture was closely tied to architecture, since it was used primarily to decorate the exteriors of cathedrals and other religious buildings.

The Gothic style of architecture and art originated in the Middle Ages and was prevalent in Europe between the mid-12th century and the 16th century. The Gothic style was an evolution from Romanesque, which was marked by its many arches, vaulted ceilings and smaller stained glass windows.

Goth is a subculture that began in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s. It was developed by fans of gothic rock, an offshoot of the post-punk music genre. The name goth was derived directly from the genre.

In the late 4th century, the lands of the Goths were invaded from the east by the Huns. Remnants of Gothic communities in the Crimea, known as the Crimean Goths, lingered on for several centuries, although Goths would eventually cease to exist as a distinct people.