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133-550: High Gothic was a period, rather than a specific style; during the High Gothic period, the Rayonnant style was predominant. Notable High Gothic cathedrals in the Rayonnant style included Reims Cathedral , Amiens Cathedral , Bourges Cathedral , Chartres Cathedral , and Beauvais Cathedral . The Innovations during the High Gothic period included the reduction of the levels of the nave interior from four to three by merging

266-567: A Lydian word for "double-bladed axe". Arthur Evans , who excavated the Minoan palace of Knossos in Crete early in the 20th century, suggested that the ruins there inspired the story of the labyrinth, and since the double axe motif appears in the palace ruins, he asserted that labyrinth could be understood to mean "the house of the double axe". The same symbol, however, was discovered in other palaces in Crete . Nilsson observed that in Crete

399-431: A comparable increase in the amount of ornament, both on the inside and the exterior. This was often achieved by very elaborate designs in the rose windows and the lace-like tracery screens on the exterior to cover the facades and elements like the buttresses. On the walls, the use of gables, pinnacles and open tracery increased. In early Gothic cathedrals, the walls of the nave were about equally divided between

532-559: A contemporary of Daedalus, together with the historical mid-sixth-century BC architects and sculptors Rhoikos and Theodoros as two of the makers of the Lemnian labyrinth, which Andrew Stewart regards as "evidently a misunderstanding of the Samian temple's location en limnais ['in the marsh']." According to Pliny, the Tomb of Lars Porsena contained an underground maze. Pliny's description of

665-608: A distinction between the two. In this specialized usage, maze refers to a complex branching multicursal puzzle with choices of path and direction, while a unicursal labyrinth has only a single path to the center. A labyrinth in this sense has an unambiguous route to the center and back and presents no navigational challenge. Unicursal labyrinths appeared as designs on pottery or basketry , as body art , and in etchings on walls of caves or churches. The Romans created many primarily decorative unicursal designs on walls and floors in tile or mosaic . Many labyrinths set in floors or on

798-710: A dolmen shrine in the Nilgiri Mountains , but are difficult to date accurately. Securely datable examples begin to appear only around 250 BC. Early labyrinths in India typically follow the Classical pattern or a local variant of it; some have been described as plans of forts or cities. Labyrinths appear in Indian manuscripts and Tantric texts from the 17th century onward. They are often called " Chakravyuha " in reference to an impregnable battle formation described in

931-724: A flame-like design that heralded the Flamboyant style. Notable examples include the windows in the cloister of Westminster Abbey (1245–69), the Angel Choir of Lincoln Cathedral (1256), and the nave and west front of York Minster (1260–1320). The great rose window was among the most distinctive elements of the Rayonnant. The transepts of Notre-Dame de Paris were rebuilt to make a place for two enormous rose windows, made by Jean de Chelles and Pierre de Montreuil , and paid for by King Louis IX. Similar great roses were added to

1064-503: A flat stone plate. This was replaced by the more delicate bar-tracery in which the stone ribs separating the glass panels are made of narrow carved mouldings, with rounded inner and outer profiles. The elaborate designs of the spokes of the rose windows, radiating outward, gave the name to the Rayonnant style. Bar-tracery probably made its first appearance in the clerestory windows at Reims Cathedral and quickly spread across Europe. A notable architectural innovation that emerged as part of

1197-457: A group of some 13 stone labyrinths on 0.4 km area of one small island. Local archaeologists have speculated that these labyrinths may be 2,000–3,000 years old, though most researchers remain dubious. The 7-course "Classical" or "Cretan" pattern known from Cretan coins (ca 400–200 BC) appears in several examples from antiquity, some perhaps as early as the late Stone Age or early Bronze Age. Roman floor mosaics typically unite four copies of

1330-481: A labyrinth according to Sumatran Bataks , and Europeans say it is the home of a rogue. One can think of labyrinths as symbolic of pilgrimage : people walking the path ascend toward salvation or enlightenment. Mystical teachings in traditions across centuries suggest that they can also be understood as coded maps of the spiritual path. Many labyrinths have been constructed recently in churches, hospitals, and parks. These are often used for contemplation; walking among

1463-712: A labyrinth, called "the Pattern," which grants those who walk it the power to move between parallel worlds. In Rick Riordan 's series Percy Jackson & the Olympians , the events of the fourth novel, The Battle of the Labyrinth , predominantly take place within the labyrinth of Daedalus, which has followed the heart of the West to settle beneath the United States. Ursula K. Le Guin used an underground labyrinth in

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1596-409: A major makeover into the new style. Between 1220 and 1230, flying buttresses were constructed to replace the old wall buttresses, and to support the walls of upper level. Thirty-seven new windows were installed, each one six meters high, each with a double-arched window topped by a rose. (Twenty-five are still in place, twelve in the nave and thirteen in the choir.). The first rose window of Notre-Dame

1729-441: A new kind of support; a central pillar surrounded by four engaged shafts. The pillars supported the gallery, while the shafts continued upwards as colonettes attached to the walls and supported the vaults. Variations of this kind of support gave greater harmony to the appearance of the nave. They frequently had capitals which were decorated with floral sculpture. They appeared at Chartres and then were found, in various forms, in all of

1862-467: A relation with Greek λαύρα ('narrow street'). When the Bronze Age site at Knossos was excavated by archaeologist Arthur Evans , the complexity of the architecture prompted him to suggest that the palace had been the Labyrinth of Daedalus. Evans found various bull motifs, including an image of a man leaping over the horns of a bull , as well as depictions of a labrys carved into the walls. On

1995-475: A ritual Easter dance along the path on Easter Sunday. Some labyrinths may have originated as allusions to the Holy City ; and some modern writers have theorized that prayers and devotions may have accompanied the perambulation of their intricate paths. Although some books (in particular guidebooks) suggest that the mazes on cathedral floors served as substitutes for pilgrimage paths, the earliest attested use of

2128-540: A sculptural depiction of the French Kings crowned at Reims, which begins on the facade and continues on the inside of the facade. The vegetal decoration of the capitals of the columns of the nave were another distinctive feature of High Gothic sculpture. They were made in finely crafted vegetal forms, complete with birds and other creatures. This followed an ancient Roman model and had been used at Saint-Denis, but at Reims they became much more realistic and detailed. As

2261-438: A type of miniature rose windows, called an oculus . This was made possible at Notre-Dame by the construction of taller and longer kind of flying buttress that made a double leap to support the higher sections of the walls. There was also a fundamental change in the tracery , or ornamental designs, within windows. Early Gothic windows often used plate-tracery (in which the window openings look as if they have been punched out of

2394-504: Is a work of Catalan Modernisme , begun in 1882 and still not accomplished.) In most of the Gothic architecture of Italy, transalpine forms are applied very selectively. So was the adaption of Rayonnant architecture. Some of the few examples are abbey churches whose orders were active in France and other parts of Europe. But also cathedrals have to be mentioned. The façade of Siena Cathedral

2527-673: Is also treated in contemporary fine arts . Examples include Piet Mondrian 's Pier and Ocean (1915), Joan Miró 's Labyrinth (1923), Pablo Picasso 's Minotauromachy (1935), M. C. Escher 's Relativity (1953), Friedensreich Hundertwasser 's Labyrinth (1957), Jean Dubuffet 's Logological Cabinet (1970), Richard Long 's Connemara sculpture (1971), Joe Tilson 's Earth Maze (1975), Richard Fleischner 's Chain Link Maze (1978), István Orosz 's Atlantis Anamorphosis (2000), Dmitry Rakov 's Labyrinth (2003), and drawings by contemporary American artist Mo Morales employing what

2660-546: Is considered the summit of the Rayonnant style. It served as a model of several similar chapels around Europe, in Aachen , Riom , and Sainte-Chapelle de Vincennes at the edge of Paris. The glass was heavily coloured, the walls were brightly painted, and the portions of the walls not covered with glass were densely covered with sculpted and painted tracery. An English version of the Rayonnant style began to appear in England in

2793-523: Is retained in the center of several medieval examples. The Chartres pattern (named for its appearance in Chartres Cathedral ) is the most common medieval design; it appears in manuscripts as early as the 9th century. When the early humanist Benzo d'Alessandria visited Verona before 1310, he noted the " Laberinthum which is now called the Arena "; perhaps he was seeing the cubiculi beneath

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2926-506: The High Gothic period; the four-part rib vault, which was used in Chartres Cathedral , Amiens Cathedral and Reims Cathedral . The ribs of this vault distributed the weight more equally to the four supporting piers below, and established a closer connection between the nave and the lower portions of the church walls, and between the arcades below and the windows above. This allowed for greater height and thinner walls, and contributed to

3059-574: The Gothic cathedral of Cologne was started in 1248 by the same Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden , who promoted the election of William of Holland for ruler of the Holy Roman Empire to finish the rule of Hohenstaufen dynasty, this way. The similarity with Amiens Cathedral is limited to the choir. The towers were projected to a tall height, whereas in Amiens the towers are little higher than

3192-616: The Labyrinth ( Ancient Greek : λαβύρινθος , romanized :  Labúrinthos ) is an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos . Its function was to hold the Minotaur , the monster eventually killed by the hero Theseus . Daedalus had so cunningly made the Labyrinth that he could barely escape it after he built it. Although early Cretan coins occasionally exhibit branching (multicursal) patterns,

3325-493: The Upper Rhine Plain . Famous examples are the cathedrals of Mainz (various Romanesque and Gothic phases) and of Worms (Late Romanesque, 1130–1181) and the minsters of Basel (Late Romanesque and Late Gothic) and of Freiburg , nave (1220–1230) and spire (finished in 1330) High Gothic . Another important example was Cologne Cathedral . Work began in 1248 and the choir was consecrated in 1322, but work stopped in

3458-464: The 1230s nave of the Abbey Church of St Denis , was to use double-pitched roofs over the aisles, with hidden gutters to drain off the rainwater. This meant the outer wall of the triforioum passage could now be glazed, and the inner wall reduced to slender bar tracery. Architects also began to emphasise the linkage between triforium and clerestory by extending the central mullions from the windows of

3591-561: The 14th century and was not resumed until the 19th, and not finished until 1880. The Central European examples of Rayonnant demonstrate the bias between French and German phasings; in German literature, they are called High Gothic (GE: Hochgotisch ). In Spain, the Christian states of the north expanded with the success of Reconquista . They invited specialists from France, and particularly even from Germany, who made Spain participate in

3724-463: The 150th anniversary of the Underground. The plaques were installed over a 16-month period in 2013 and 2014, and each is numbered according to its position in the route taken by the contestants in the 2009 Guinness World Record Tube Challenge . Prehistoric labyrinths may have served as traps for malevolent spirits or as paths for ritual dances. Many Roman and Christian labyrinths appear at

3857-440: The 19th century. The style also soon appeared in England, where it took the name of Decorated Gothic At first French Rayonnant tracery was incorporated into more traditional English features, such as colonettes and vault ribs. Notable examples of Rayonnant in England include the Angel Choir of Lincoln Cathedral , and that of Exeter Cathedral (begun before 1280). The striking retrochoir of Wells Cathedral (begun before 1280),

3990-559: The Choir of Saint Augustine at Bristol Cathedral ; and in the unusual retrochoir of Wells Cathedral . In these structures, the French tracery and decoration was often mixed with typical English decorative features, including colonettes, and added very decorative ribs to the ceiling vaults. In the 14th century, the technique of grisaille was more widely used in English cathedrals, such as

4123-499: The Cretan capital in the 1st century AD, were called labyrinthos . Pliny 's Natural History gives four examples of ancient labyrinths: the Cretan labyrinth, an Egyptian labyrinth, a Lemnian labyrinth, and an Italian labyrinth. These are all complex underground structures, and this appears to have been the standard Classical understanding of the word. Beekes also finds the relation with labrys speculative, and suggests instead

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4256-412: The English division of Continental Gothic into three phases (Early, High, Late Gothic), it is the second and larger part of High Gothic . Other features of Rayonnant include development of the rose window ; more windows in the upper-level clerestory ; the reduction of the importance of the transept; and larger openings on the ground floor to establish greater communication between the central vessel and

4389-414: The Gothic triforium and clerestory . This allowed much larger stained glass windows, which filled the cathedrals with light. The added interior light called for more ornate interior decoration, which was provided by adding designs in stone tracery on the walls. The period also saw the use of realistic sculpture to decorate both the interior and the exterior, particularly over the church portals. This

4522-521: The High Gothic Cathedrals except Bourges Cathedral used the newer four-part rib vault , which allowed more even weight distribution to the piers and columns in the nave. Early Gothic churches used alternating piers and columns to support the varying weight from the six-part vaults, Early Gothic churches used alternating piers and columns to support the varying weight from the six-part vaults, A new variation of rib vault appeared during

4655-417: The High Gothic Cathedrals. The flying buttress was an essential feature of High Gothic architecture; the great height and large upper windows would have been impossible without them. Buttresses with arches apart from the walls had existed in earlier periods, but they were generally small, close to the walls, and were often hidden by the outer architecture. In High Gothic, the buttresses were nearly as tall as

4788-570: The High Gothic Cathedrals. The buttresses of each cathedral were unique, and had its own distinct form and decoration. The buttresses of Beauvais Cathedral, the last and tallest High Gothic cathedral, are so high and numerous that they practically hide the cathedral. A type of small round window, called an oculus , had been used in Romanesque churches. The facade of the Basilica of Saint Denis featured an early rose window on its west front. This

4921-827: The Old Testament, and the South to the teachings of Christ and the New Testament. Rayonnant spread quickly from the Ile de France to other parts of France Normandy, in many projects already under construction. At Le Mans Cathedral in Normandy, the Bishop Geoffrey de Loudon modified the plans to add double flying arches and high windows divided into lancets, as well as a circle of new Rayonnant chapels. Tours Cathedral had an even more ambitious program, financed with

5054-461: The Rayonnant style in France was the use of glazed triforia. Traditionally, the triforium of an Early or High Gothic cathedral was a dark horizontal band, usually housing a narrow passageway, that separated the top of the arcade from the clerestory . Although it made the interior darker, it was a necessary feature to accommodate the sloping lean-to roofs over the side aisles and chapels. The Rayonnant solution to this, as employed to brilliant effect in

5187-472: The Rayonnant style were the enormous rose windows installed in the transepts and facades, made possible by the use of bar tracery . The design of the windows gave the name Rayonnant ("Radiant"} to the style. The first major church built in the new style was Amiens Cathedral (1220-1271). Later examples include Sainte-Chapelle , the royal chapel of King Louis IX of France (1248); the new north and south transepts of Notre Dame de Paris (1250-1270, and

5320-570: The Saints, is considered one of the major landmarks of Rayonnant Gothic. He also had an important influence on English Gothic; King Henry III of England was the brother-in-law of Louis, visited Paris, and had Westminster Abbey modified after 1245 following the new style. He also attended the dedication of Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, and had the east end of St. Paul's Cathedral remodelled in 1258 to resemble it. The Basilica of Saint-Denis , which had been

5453-555: The Skotino cave, these caverns have smooth walls and columns, and appear to have been at least partially man-made. This site corresponds to a labyrinth symbol on a 16th-century map of Crete in a book of maps in the library of Christ Church, Oxford . A map of the caves themselves was produced by the French in 1821. The site was also used by German soldiers to store ammunition during the Second World War . Howarth's investigation

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5586-437: The ability to welcome larger numbers of pilgrims. One curiosity of the plan of Chartres Cathedral was the floor, which slightly sloped. This was done to facilitate the cleaning of the cathedral after the departure of pilgrims who slept inside the church. Thanks largely to the efficiency of the flying buttress and six-part rib vaults, all of the major High Gothic cathedrals except Bourges used the three-level elevation, eliminating

5719-603: The actual developments north of the Pyrenees. This way, Rayonnant appeared in Spain. But each Spanish cathedral had its own very distinctive style that was difficult to classify. Toledo Cathedral , begun in 1226 and continued in Gothic style until 1493 ,shows more preference of large windows than most other churches in Spain. Another important example of Rayonnant are the nave and transepts of León Cathedral , begun 1255. Other examples in Spain include Burgos cathedral , though it

5852-591: The ancient Mahabharata epic. Lanka, the capital city of mythic Rāvana, is described as a labyrinth in the 1910 translation of Al-Beruni 's India (c. 1030 AD) p. 306 (with a diagram on the following page). By the White Sea , notably on the Solovetsky Islands , there have been preserved more than 30 stone labyrinths. The most remarkable monument is the Stone labyrinths of Bolshoi Zayatsky Island –

5985-469: The arcades on the ground floor, the Tribune, an arcaded passage above, which buttressed the nave; above that the narrow arcaded Triforium which was a passageway which further reinforced the walls; and the clerestory on the top, just below the vaults, which usually had small windows. This changed dramatically in the Rayonnant period. Thanks to the more efficient flying buttress and quadripartite rib vaults,

6118-405: The arena's missing floor. The full flowering of the medieval labyrinth came about from the twelfth through fourteenth centuries with the grand pavement labyrinths of the gothic cathedrals, notably Chartres , Reims and Amiens in northern France. The symbolism or purpose behind these is unclear, and may have varied from one installation to the next. Descriptions survive of French clerics performing

6251-488: The artist calls "Labyrinthine projection." The Italian painter Davide Tonato has dedicated many of his artistic works to the labyrinth theme. In modern imagery, the labyrinth of Daedalus is often represented by a multicursal maze, in which one may become lost. Mark Wallinger has created a set of 270 enamel plaques of unicursal labyrinth designs, one for every tube station in the London Underground , to mark

6384-510: The assistance of Louis IX between 1236 and 1279. Its most striking Rayonnant feature was the fusion of the windows of the triforium and high clerestory windows to create a curtain of stained glass, similar to that of Sainte-Chapelle . Sainte-Chapelle , the chapel constructed by Louis IX for the relics of the Passion of Christ that he had brought back from the Crusades, consecrated in 1248,

6517-657: The basis of window tracery. The style originated during the reign of Louis IX of France , or Saint Louis, from 1226 to 1270. During his reign, France was the wealthiest and most powerful nation in Europe. Louis was devoutly religious and was a major patron of the Catholic Church and arts. The University of Paris, or Sorbonne , was founded under his rule, as a school of theology. The major Rayonnant cathedrals had his patronage, and his royal chapel, Sainte-Chapelle , which he built to house his extensive collection of relics of

6650-476: The building itself. massive, and meant to be seen; they were decorated with pinnacles and sculpture. Flying buttresses had been used to support the upper windows of the apse in the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés , completed in 1063 and then at Notre-Dame de Paris . They were then used in a more ambitious way to support the upper walls of Chartres Cathedral . The first flying buttresses of Chartres were built atop

6783-408: The cathedral interiors and adding more extensive decoration. The architects made the vertical columns and supports thinner, made extensive use of pinnacles and moldings. They combined the triforium gallery and the clerestory into single space and filled it with stained glass. They made extensive use of moldings and bar tracery to decorate the exteriors and interiors. The most prominent features of

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6916-410: The choir of Saint Augustine at Bristol Cathedral , and Westminster Abbey are other important examples. After the mid-14th century, Rayonnant was gradually replaced by the even more lavishly decorative Flamboyant style. Rayonnant ( French pronunciation: [ʁɛjɔnɑ̃] ) style is the third of the four phases of Gothic architecture in France , as defined by French scholars. Related to

7049-538: The church of Sainte-Urbaine in Troyes (1262). Rayonnant cathedrals soon appeared outside of France. One of the first was Cologne Cathedral . Its choir was built from 1248 to 1322, the decoration accomplished and partly remodeled until 1360. After an interruption from 1528 to 1832, the Cathedral was completed in 1880. The footplan with all foundations is medieval, but many details of the western parts are creations of

7182-409: The church with light. One special aspect of the cathedral was its color; the reddish-grey stone in different shades became part of the decoration. The western façade was built in 1277. Its fine rose window of more than 13 metres diameter is divided into sixteen "soufflets", or elongated heart-shaped forms. Stone of similar colour as on Strasbourg Cathedral was used for many important medieval churches in

7315-555: The classical labyrinth (or a similar pattern) interlinked around the center, squared off as the medium requires, but still recognisable. An image of the Minotaur or an allusion to the legend of the Minotaur appears at the center of many of these mosaic labyrinths. The four-axis medieval patterns may have developed from the Roman model, but are more varied in how the four quadrants of the design are traced out. The Minotaur or other danger

7448-558: The classical: it is radial in design, and the entrance is at the top, where traditional labyrinths have the entrance at the bottom (see below). The earliest appearances cannot be dated securely; the oldest is commonly dated to the 17th century. Unsubstantiated claims have been made for the early appearance of labyrinth figures in India, such as a prehistoric petroglyph on a riverbank in Goa purportedly dating to circa 2500 BC. Other examples have been found among cave art in northern India and on

7581-587: The designs within the windows. Sculpture was an important feature of the decoration of the facades of cathedrals, a practice dating back to the Romanesque period. Stone figures of saints and the Holy family were featured on the facade and tympanum. In the Rayonnant period, the sculptures became more naturalistic and three-dimensional, standing out in their own niches across the facade. They had individual facial characteristics, natural gestures and postures, and finely-sculpted costumes. The other decorative sculpture, such as

7714-409: The difference from transalpine Gothic. Both interiors are dominated by polychrome marble. The facade of the bell tower 1334–1358) of Florence Cathedral is decorated with elaborate patterns in the marble, resembling Rayonnant tracery. The distinguishing features of Rayonnant architecture included the greatly increased amount of light in the interior, due to the enlargement of the arcades and especially

7847-629: The double axe is not a weapon and always accompanies goddesses or women and not a male god. The association with "labrys" lost some traction when Linear B was deciphered in the 1950s, and an apparent Mycenaean Greek rendering of "labyrinth" appeared as da-pu₂-ri-to ( 𐀅𐀢𐀪𐀵 ). This may be related to the Minoan word du-pu₂-re , which appears in Linear A on libation tablets and in connection with Mount Dikte and Mount Ida , both of which are associated with caverns. Caverns near Gortyna ,

7980-461: The entrances of buildings, suggesting that they may have served a similar apotropaic purpose. In their cross-cultural study of signs and symbols, Patterns that Connect , Carl Schuster and Edmund Carpenter present various forms of the labyrinth and suggest various possible meanings, including not only a sacred path to the home of a sacred ancestor, but also, perhaps, a representation of the ancestor him/herself: "...many [New World] Indians who make

8113-593: The exposed portion of the tomb is intractable; Pliny, it seems clear, had not observed this structure himself, but is quoting the historian and Roman antiquarian Varro . A design essentially identical to the 7-course "classical" pattern appeared in Native American culture, the Tohono O'odham people labyrinth which features I'itoi , the "Man in the Maze." The Tonoho O'odham pattern has two distinct differences from

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8246-463: The facade of Laon Cathedral (1200-1215). In 1215, the two great transept windows of Chartres Chathedral were completed. These became the model for many similar windows in France and beyond. The amount of stained glass in Chartres was unprecedented – 164 bays, with 2,600 m (28,000 sq ft) of stained glass. A remarkably large amount of the original glass is still in place. Not long after

8379-468: The first stone for Utrecht Cathedral . Its ambulatory was finished in 1295. The Gothic replacement of the old Romanesque nave began as late as in 1467, and the Late Gothic nave was destroyed by a storm, in 1674. The plans of the High Gothic Cathedrals were very similar. They were extremely long and wide, with a minimal transept and maximum interior space. This made possible much larger ceremonies and

8512-413: The front and the back side of the facade. Amiens Cathedral was begun in 1220 with the ambition of the builders to construct the largest cathedral in France, and they succeeded. It is 145 m (476 ft) long, 70 m (230 ft) wide at the transept, and has a surface area of 7,700 m (83,000 sq ft). The nave was finished by 1240 and the choir built between 1241 and 1269. Unusually,

8645-487: The fully colored figures of Christ, The Virgin Mary, and other prominent subjects. Tracery is the term for the intricate designs of slender stone bars and ribs which were used to support the glass and to decorate rose windows and other windows and openings. It also was used increasingly on exterior and interior walls, in the form of stone ribs or molding, to create increasingly intricate forms such as blind arcades. This form

8778-412: The ground are large enough that the path can be walked. Unicursal patterns have been used historically both in group ritual and for private meditation, and are increasingly found for therapeutic use in hospitals and hospices. Labyrinth is a word of pre-Greek origin whose derivation and meaning are uncertain. Maximillian Mayer suggested as early as 1892 that labyrinthos might derive from labrys ,

8911-403: The increase in the number and size of windows. In distinction from the dark triforia of Classic Gothic , Rayonnant triforia are lit by windows. This became possible by covering the aisles with roofs with own ridges, instead of lean-to roofs. Nevertheless, there was some roll back of this development, see Utrecht Cathedral (younger but with dark triforia) in relation to Cologne Cathedral . In

9044-473: The interior. The shadows and darkness of early Gothic cathedrals, with their small windows and deep, rich colors such as Chartres blue, was replaced by a brightly lit space with a full spectrum of coloured light. Intermediate levels of the walls, such as the Triforium, were given windows. At the high level of the clerestory, rows of lancet windows appeared, often topped with tri-lobed or four-part windows and

9177-409: The introduction of the High Gothic rose window, Gothic architects, fearing that the interiors of the cathedrals were too dark, began experimenting with grisaille windows, which emphasized the important figures in the windows, and also brightened the interiors. These were used at Poitiers Cathedral in 1270 and then by Chartres Cathedral around 1300. Large bands of translucent gray glass were put around

9310-403: The labyrinth regard it as a sacred symbol, a beneficial ancestor, a deity. In this they may be preserving its original meaning: the ultimate ancestor, here evoked by two continuous lines joining its twelve primary joints." Schuster also observes the common theme of the labyrinth being a refuge for a trickster; in India, the demon Ravana has dominion over labyrinths, the trickster Djonaha lives in

9443-464: The labyrinth's coils might ensure a safe fishing expedition. There are also stone labyrinths on the Isles of Scilly , although none is known to date from before the nineteenth century. There are examples of labyrinths in many disparate cultures. The symbol has appeared in various forms and media ( petroglyphs , classic-form, medieval-form, pavement, turf, and basketry) at some time throughout most parts of

9576-498: The labyrinth. Oxford University geographer Nicholas Howarth believes that "Evans's hypothesis that the palace of Knossos is also the Labyrinth must be treated sceptically." Howarth and his team conducted a search of an underground complex known as the Skotino cave but concluded that it was formed naturally. Another contender is a series of tunnels at Gortyn , accessed by a narrow crack but expanding into interlinking caverns. Unlike

9709-476: The latter in a continuous moulding running from the top of the windows down through the blind tracery of the triforium to the string course at the top of the arcading. In England, the Rayonnant or Decorated period was characterised by windows of great width and height, divided by mullions into subdivisions, and further elaborated with tracery. Early characteristics were a trefoil or quadrifoil design. Later windows often used an S-shaped curve, called an ogee , giving

9842-402: The layout of stained glass windows, combinations of coloured subjects and uncoloured areas made the presentations more impressive and interiors brighter. The Rayonnant period coincided with the development of the band window, in which a central strip of richly coloured stained glass is positioned between upper and lower bands of clear or frosted glass, which allowed even more light to flood in, and

9975-498: The leaves and plants that decorated the capitals of columns, also became more realistic. The sculptural decoration of Italian Gothic churches, such as the facade Orvieto Cathedral , designed by Lorenzo Maitani (1310) was extremely fine, and was part of a combination of bronze and marble figures, mosaics, and polychrome reliefs. It was a forecast of the Renaissance that was about to begin. One distinctive element of Rayonnant

10108-503: The linkage between triforium and clerestory by extending the central mullions from the windows of the latter in a continuous moulding running from the top of the windows down through the blind tracery of the triforium to the string course at the top of the arcading. Light, and therefore the window, was a central feature of Rayonnant architecture; Rayonnant windows were larger, more numerous, and more ornate than in earlier styles. They also frequently had clear or grisaille glass, brightening up

10241-622: The many turf mazes in the UK, such as survive at Wing , Hilton , Alkborough , and Saffron Walden . Over the same general period, some 500 or more non-ecclesiastical labyrinths were constructed in Scandinavia . These labyrinths, generally in coastal areas, are marked out with stones, most often in the simple 7- or 11-course classical forms. They often have names which translate as " Troy Town ." They are thought to have been constructed by fishing communities: trapping malevolent trolls or winds in

10374-463: The mid-14th century, Rayonnant was gradually replaced by the more ornate and highly decorated Flamboyant style. The term "Rayonnant" comes from the radiating spokes of the rose windows of the major cathedrals. The largely contemporary Decorated style in England, used many ideas from French Rayonnant. The term was first used by the 19th-century French art historians (notably Henri Focillon and Ferdinand de Lasteyrie) to classify Gothic styles on

10507-628: The middle of the 13th century. Later scholars gave the English version the term " Decorated Period ". English Historians sometimes subdivide this style into two periods, based on the predominant motifs of the designs. The first, the Geometric style, lasted (about 1245 or 50 until 1315 or 1360), where ornament tended to be based on straight lines, cubes and circles, followed by the Curvilinear style (from about 1290 or 1315 until 1350 or 1360) which used gracefully curving lines. Henry III of England

10640-428: The most influential initial building of Gothic style, developed problems of stability in the early 13th century. Therefore, the upper parts of the choir as well as the nave and the transepts were rebuilt beginning in 1231, opening up a greater amount of interior space (though altering beyond recognition some of the original Gothic features created by Suger ). The walls were rebuilt with much larger windows, which opened up

10773-538: The mythological Labyrinth from the Roman era until the Renaissance are almost invariably unicursal. Branching mazes were reintroduced only when hedge mazes became popular during the Renaissance. In English, the term labyrinth is generally synonymous with maze . As a result of the long history of unicursal representation of the mythological Labyrinth, however, many contemporary scholars and enthusiasts observe

10906-485: The names of the architects are known: Robert de Luzarches, and Thomas and Renaud Cormont. Their names and images are found in the labyrinth in the nave. The immense size of the cathedral required foundations 9 m (30 ft) deep. The nave has three parts and six crossings, while the choir has double collaterals, and ends in a semicircular disambulatory with seven radiating chapels. The three-level elevation of Amiens, like that of Reims, preceded Chartres Cathedral, but

11039-550: The nave of the Basilica of Saint-Denis and Amiens Cathedral. With the use of stone mullions separating the pieces of glass, and those glass pieces supported by lead ribs, windows became stronger and larger, able to resist strong winds. Rayonnant rose windows reached a diameter of ten meters. The tracery within windows inspired another form of Rayonnant decoration; the use of blind tracery, or meshes of thin ribs that could be used to cover blank walls in decorative designs, matching

11172-426: The nave windows of York Minster (1300–38). This was monochrome painting in large windows onto the glass, usually grey or white, which allowed more light to enter, and was usually surrounded by smaller panels of stained glass. The Rayonnant style gradually spread to the east from Paris and was adapted to local styles. The nave of Strasbourg Cathedral , then in the Holy Roman Empire , was a notable early example. It

11305-461: The phrase "chemin de Jerusalem" (path to Jerusalem) dates to the late 18th century when it was used to describe mazes at Reims and Saint-Omer . The accompanying ritual, depicted in Romantic illustrations as involving pilgrims following the maze on their knees while praying, may have been practiced at Chartres during the 17th century. The cathedral labyrinths are thought to be the inspiration for

11438-402: The roof of the nave. The choir was completed in 1322 and the decoration of the ambulatory in 1360, but in 1528 the construction ceased until 1823, and the western parts of the Cathedral were completed as late as in 1880. The bishopric of Utrecht was a suffragan of Cologne . In 1456, bishop Henry I van Vianden , who had been a capitular (provost of the chapter ) of Cologne Cathedral, laid

11571-406: The same time. Its builder, Bishop Evrard de Fouilly, set out to build the largest cathedral in France; one-hundred forty-five meters long, and seventy meters wide, with a surface area of 7700 square meters. The vaults are 42.5 meters high. The nave was completed by 1235. After the necessary enlargement of the area enclosed by the city wall, in 1236, began the construction of transept and choir, which

11704-436: The sculpture of each church has its own distinct characteristics. The sculpture of Amiens shows the influence of ancient Roman sculpture, particularly in the realistically modelled drapery of their clothing. The expressions are passive, and the gestures minimal, giving a sense of calm and serenity. The sculpture of Reims showed a similar calm. The entirely different and more naturalistic High Gothic style of sculpture appeared on

11837-483: The second book of her Earthsea series, The Tombs of Atuan , in which the series hero Ged is captured by the book's protagonist Tenar on his trip to the Kargish Empire – the spiritual power of the "Nameless Ones" is vested at least in part in the labyrinth. Australian author Sara Douglass incorporated some labyrinthine ideas in her series The Troy Game , in which the Labyrinth on Crete is one of several in

11970-425: The side aisles. The most prominent Rayonnant building outside France may be Cologne Cathedral . Its choir was built from 1248 to 1322, the decoration accomplished and partly remodeled until 1360. After an interruption from 1528 to 1832, the Cathedral was completed in 1880. The footplan with all foundations is medieval, but many details of the western parts are creations of the 19th century. From Medieval France ,

12103-443: The single-path (unicursal) seven-course "Classical" design without branching or dead ends became associated with the Labyrinth on coins as early as 430 BC, and similar non-branching patterns became widely used as visual representations of the Labyrinth – even though both logic and literary descriptions make it clear that the Minotaur was trapped in a complex branching maze. Even as the designs became more elaborate, visual depictions of

12236-514: The statue of Christ giving a blessing which forms the central column of the doorway. During the intense cleaning of the Cathedral in 1992, traces of paint were discovered indicating that all of the sculpture of the exterior was originally painted with vivid colors. This is now sometimes reproduced by projecting colored light onto the cathedral at night. Beauvais Cathedral in Picardy is in its principle structures an example of Rayonnant Gothic. It

12369-476: The strength of a passage in the Iliad , it has been suggested that the palace was the site of a dancing-ground made for Ariadne by the craftsman Daedalus , where young men and women, of the age of those sent to Crete as prey for the Minotaur, would dance together. By extension, in popular legend the palace is associated with the myth of the Minotaur. In the 2000s, archaeologists explored other potential sites of

12502-495: The strong impression of verticality given by the newer Cathedrals. The 11th century Durham Cathedral (1093–1135), with the earlier six-part rib vaults, is 73 feet (22 meters) high. The 12th-century nave of Notre-Dame de Paris , also with six-part rib vaults, is 115 feet, or 35 meters high. The later Amiens Cathedral (built 1220–1266), with the new four-part rib vaults, has a nave that is 138.8 feet (42.3 meters) high. In 1192 Notre Dame, which had six-part vaults, had introduced

12635-492: The style quickly spread to England , where French Rayonnant tracery was often incorporated into more traditional English features, such as colonettes and vault ribs. Notable examples of Rayonnant in England include the Angel Choir of Lincoln Cathedral , and that of Exeter Cathedral (begun before 1280). The striking retrochoir of Wells Cathedral (begun before 1280), the choir of Saint Augustine at Bristol Cathedral , and Westminster Abbey are other important examples. After

12768-464: The tall flying buttresses, making two leaps to the wall with the support of an elegant system of arches. On the exterior, the most remarkable High Gothic feature is the quality of the sculpture of the three porches, decorated altogether with fifty-two statues in their original condition. The most celebrated are on the central portal on the west, dedicated to the Last Judgement, and dominated by

12901-642: The third episode, "And The Horns of a Dilemma", of The Librarians . See Labyrinth (disambiguation) for a further list of titles. The Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges was entranced with the idea of the labyrinth, and used it extensively in his short stories (such as "The House of Asterion" in The Aleph ). His use of it has inspired other authors (e.g. Umberto Eco 's The Name of the Rose , Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves ). Additionally, Roger Zelazny 's fantasy series The Chronicles of Amber features

13034-420: The tribunes and keeping the ground floor grand gallery, the triforium, and the clerestory, or high windows. The upper windows in particular grew in size to cover almost all of the upper walls. The arcades also grew in height, occupying half the wall, so the triforium was just a narrow band. The upper windows were often made of translucent grisaille glass, which allowed more light than colored stained glass. All of

13167-606: The turnings, one loses track of direction and of the outside world, and thus quiets the mind. Labyrinths have on various occasions been used in Christian tradition as a part of worship. The earliest known example is from a fourth-century pavement at the Basilica of St Reparatus, at Orleansville, Algeria, with the words "Sancta Eclesia" [ sic ] at the center, though it is unclear how it might have been used in worship. In medieval times, labyrinths began to appear on church walls and floors around 1000 AD. The most famous medieval labyrinth, with great influence on later practice,

13300-404: The upper elevation from the main arcades to the apexes of the vaults. The apse, once dark, was filled with light. In this campaign, the first triforia with windows were built. This was the onset of Rayonnant Gothic. The construction of Amiens Cathedral had begun in 1220 with its western parts, in the more advanced version of Classic Gothic , similar to the eastern parts of Reims Cathedral , at

13433-504: The video game industry, and countless video games include such a feature. For example, the 1994 video game Marathon features many maze-like passages the player must navigate. A number of film, game, and music creations feature labyrinths. For instance, the avant-garde multi-screen film In the Labyrinth presents a search for meaning in a symbolic modern labyrinth. The well-received 2006 film Pan's Labyrinth draws heavily upon labyrinth legend for symbolism. A magical labyrinth appears in

13566-478: The wall abutments of the nave and choir of the earlier cathedral. They had a double arch reinforced with small columns like the spokes of a wheel. Each small column, with its base and capital, was carved from a single block of stone, Each arch had a sort of stone pyramid on top to add extra weight. Later a second set of arches was added to the nave and choir above the spoked arches, which reached longer and added greater strength. Similar buttresses were added to each of

13699-417: The walls at that level nearly disappeared. The final architectural innovation that emerged as part of the Rayonnant style in France was the use of glazed triforia. Traditionally, the triforium of a Primary Gothic or Classic Gothic basilica was a dark horizontal band, usually housing a narrow passageway, that separated the top of the arcade from the clerestory . Although it made the interior darker, it

13832-441: The walls could be higher and thinner, with more space for windows. The arcade became higher and higher, with much larger openings. The tribune, no longer needed for support, disappeared entirely. The intermediate triforium nearly disappeared, or was itself filled with windows. Most impressive was the change to the top level, the clerestory, supported by longer buttresses; the upper walls were filled with larger and larger windows, until

13965-413: The walls, the columns, and other architecure, inside and out. It was not considered deocorative; it was designed to serve as a visual Bible for the many parishioners who could not read. It is probable that some of the sculptors who made the sculpture of the transepts of Chartres travelled north to Reims, where work began in 1210, and possibly also to Amiens Cathedral, where work began in 1218. Nonetheless,

14098-585: The west front Reims Cathedral in the 1240s. This was the work of the sculptor known as Joseph of Reims, named for the vivid smiling statue of Saint Joseph he made for the facade. He also created the Smiling Angel . This famous work was knocked off the Cathedral by a bombardment in World War I, but was carefully reassembled and is now back in its original place. Reims is also noted for the Gallery of Kings,

14231-636: The work continued toward the west in the nave, the foliage became more abundant and filled with life. This model was copied in Gothic cathedrals first in France, and then across Europe. Rayonnant Rayonnant was a very refined style of Gothic Architecture which appeared in France in the 13th century. It was the defining style of the High Gothic period, and is often described as the high point of French Gothic architecture . French architects turned their attention from building cathedrals of greater size and height towards bringing greater light into

14364-605: The world, from Native North and South America to Australia, Java , India, and Nepal . Starting in the late 20th century, there has been a resurgence of interest in labyrinths and a revival in labyrinth building, of both unicursal and multicursal patterns. Approximately 6,000 labyrinths have been registered with the Worldwide Labyrinth Locator; these are located around the world in private properties, libraries, schools, gardens, and recreational areas, as well as famous temples and cathedrals. The labyrinth

14497-471: Was a necessary feature to accommodate the sloping lean-to roofs over the side aisles and chapels. The Rayonnant solution to this, as employed to brilliant effect in the 1230s nave of the Abbey Church of St Denis , was to use double-pitched roofs over the aisles, with hidden gutters to drain off the rainwater. This meant the outer wall of the triforioum passage could now be glazed, and the inner wall reduced to slender bar tracery. Architects also began to emphasise

14630-465: Was added between 1215 and 1220. High Gothic elements also appeared in Amiens Cathedral in the choir and clerestory, which were rebuilt after 1236, and at the Basilica of Saint-Denis , when the transepts and nave were rebuilt after 1231. The transept of Chartres Cathedral , was rebuilt after a fire in the new style until 1225. The royal patronage of cathedrals and other Gothic architecture

14763-414: Was added, 153 meters (502 feet) high, which made Beauvais for a time the tallest structure in the world. However, in 1573 the central tower collapsed. Some parts were modified or reconstructed, but the tower was never rebuilt and the nave was never finished. Today supports are in place to stabilise the transept. Beauvais remains a majestic but unfinished piece of High Gothic architecture. The construction of

14896-403: Was begun in 1245, built atop the foundations of an earlier Romanesque church which some deviations from the usual Rayonnant arrangement of arcades, which were separated by bundled columns. The three-part elevation were large windows with lancets and roses along the aisles, more windows above on the narrow Triforium, and dramatic high windows with four lancets surmounted by quadrille windows, filling

15029-526: Was built on the west facade in the 1220s. In the Middle Ages, the rose was the symbol of the Virgin Mary, to whom the cathedral was dedicated. The west window was smaller, with thick spokes of stone. The larger transept windows were added in about 1250 (north) and 1260 (south), with much more ornate designs and thinner mullions, or ribs, between the glass. The north window was devoted to the events of

15162-400: Was called blind tracery. The west window of Chartres Cathedral used an early form called plate tracery, a geometric pattern of openings in the stonework filled with glass. Prior to 1230, the builders of Reims Cathedral used a more sophisticated form, called bar tracery, in the apse chapel. This was a pattern of cusped circles, made with thin pointed bars of stone projecting inward. This model

15295-545: Was completed between 1241 and 1269. Here, the innovations were applied, that had been initiated in the relaunch of Saint-Denis abbey church. The western rose window was renewed in the 16th century in Flamboyant style. A close study of the tympanum in 1992 revealed traces of paint, indicating that it was entirely painted in bright colors. The original appearance is simulated today on special occasions with coloured lights. The Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris also received

15428-413: Was composed of four tall lancet windows, topped by three small roses; while in the transept the upper windows have as many as eight separate lancets. The vaults have the exceptional height of 42.4 m (139 ft). They are supported by massive piers composed of four columns which give the nave a striking sensation of verticality. The height of the walls, particularly in the chevet, was made possible by

15561-614: Was created in Chartres Cathedral . The use of labyrinths has recently been revived in some contexts of Christian worship. Many churches in Europe and North America have constructed permanent, typically unicursal, labyrinths, or employ temporary ones (e.g., painted on canvas or outlined with candles). For example, a labyrinth was set up on the floor of St Paul's Cathedral for a week in March 2000. Some conservative Christians disapprove of labyrinths, considering them pagan practices or " New Age " fads. Labyrinths and mazes have been embraced by

15694-533: Was destroyed in antiquity and can only be partially reconstructed. During the nineteenth century, the remains of this ancient Egyptian structure were discovered at Hawara in the Faiyum Oasis by Flinders Petrie at the foot of the pyramid of the twelfth-dynasty pharaoh Amenemhat III (reigned c. 1860 BC to c. 1814 BC). Pliny the Elder 's Natural History (36.90) lists the legendary Smilis , reputed to be

15827-427: Was expanded by Louis VIII of France and especially Louis IX of France , or Saint Louis; who sponsored the Rayonnant transept rose windows of Notre Dame Cathedral in the 1250s and built Sainte-Chapelle as his royal chapel, consecrated in 1248. The High Gothic was exported to other parts of Europe. The most notable example of German High Gothic, or Hochgotik , is Cologne Cathedral , begun in 1248. Reims Cathedral

15960-401: Was followed and developed in the transept windows of Chartres Cathedral , at Amiens Cathedral and the other High Gothic cathedrals. After the middle of the 13th century, the windows began to be decorated with even larger and complex designs, resembling light shining outwards, which gave the name to the Rayonnant style. Sculpture was an integral part of High Gothic. It decorated the facades,

16093-677: Was influenced by ancient Roman sculpture, which had recently been discovered in Italy. British and American historians divide the Gothic era into three periods: Early Gothic architecture ; High Gothic, including the Rayonnant style, and Late Gothic, including the Flamboyant style. French historians divide the era into four similar phases, Primary Gothic , Gothique Classique or Classic Gothic , Rayonnant Gothic and late Gothic, or Flamboyant . Early examples of Rayonnant High Gothic appeared in Reims Cathedral , where early bar tracery

16226-402: Was made with plate tracery , where the design was formed by a group of variously shaped openings that appeared to be cut out of the wall. A more ambitious model, with the armature of a wheel made of stone mullions , appeared at Senlis Cathedral in 1200. A similar early Gothic window was constructed for the facade of Chartres Cathedral in 1215. It was soon followed by the High Gothic window of

16359-542: Was more heavily decorated with carved stonework. The style was soon used in other cathedrals and churches across England. Lincoln Cathedral saw the addition of several important Rayonnant features; the vaulted ceiling of the chapter house (1220); and the Dean's Eye rose window (1237); the Galilee Porch and the Angel Choir (1256–1280). Other notable Rayonnant examples include Exeter Cathedral (begun before 1280); in

16492-560: Was much modified in the time of Flamboyant Gothic. Gerona Cathedral , begun in 1292, has triforia without windows. In Barcelona, two large churches were built, parallelly, the cathedral 1298 to 1448 (without the facade, which was added as late as after 1882, and the central tower, added 1906–1911) and Santa Maria del Mar , 1324 to 1384. Besides some elaborate tracery in Santa Maria del Mar, both have dominant Catalonian character and little Rayonnant elements. (Note: Sagrada Familia

16625-449: Was not finished until the 15th century, with the completion of the bell towers. Unlike the cathedrals of Early Gothic , Reims was built with just three levels instead of four, giving greater space for windows at the top. it also used the more advanced four-part rib vault , which allowed greater height and more harmony in the nave and choir. Instead of alternating columns and piers , the vaults were supported by rounded piers, each of which

16758-404: Was notably different. The great arcades have a height of eighteen meters, equalling the combined heights of the triforium and the high windows above them. The triforium was more complex than Chartres, and had triple bays with trefoil windows, composed of two slender pointed lancet windows topped with a clover-like rose window. The high windows also had a strikingly complex design; in the nave, each

16891-473: Was planned in the Rayonnant style, in 1284, though modified in later years. The façade is covered by fine sculpture. The interior was remodeled and vaulted in 1260 and therefore resembles northern Gothic – except of the round arcades and travers arches. Orvieto Cathedral , begun in 1290 or 1310, has many Gothic but also some Romanesque elements. It is notable for its elaborate two-dimensional decorative patterns on its façade and interiors. Its open trusses emphasize

17024-580: Was shown on a documentary produced for the National Geographic Channel . In Book II of his Histories , Herodotus applies the term "labyrinth" to a building complex in Egypt "near the place called the City of Crocodiles ", that he considered to surpass the pyramids . The structure, which may have been a collection of funerary temples such as are commonly found near Egyptian pyramids,

17157-585: Was surrounded by a cluster of four attached columns that received the weight of the vaults. In addition to the large rose window on the west, smaller rose windows were added to the transepts and over the portals on the west facade, taking the place of the traditional tympanum. Another new decorative feature, blind arcade tracery , was attached to both interior walls and the facade. Even the flying buttresses were given elaborate decoration; they were crowned by small tabernacles containing statues of saints, which were topped with pinnacles. More than 2300 statues covered both

17290-500: Was the brother-in-law of Louis IX of France, and he had attended the consecration of Sainte-Chapelle in Paris in 1248. In 1245 he had begun reconstructing portions of Westminster Abbey . After his visit to Paris, he began adding Rayonnant elements. He also ordered the reconstruction of the east end of St. Paul's Cathedral , based upon the model of Sainte Chapelle. Unlike the French Rayonnant, the English version at Westminster

17423-415: Was the most ambitious and most unfortunate of High Gothic projects. Its ambition was to become the tallest of all cathedrals. The choir was built with a height of 48.5 meters (159 ft) However, due most likely to an inadequate foundation and support, the choir vaults fell in 1284. The choir was modified and rebuilt, the polygonal apse and Flamboyant transepts were finished, and in 1569 a new central tower

17556-484: Was the traditional site of the coronation of the Capetian dynasty and for that reason was given special grandeur and importance. A fire in 1210 destroyed much of the old cathedral, giving an opportunity to build a more ambitious structure, the work began in 1211, but was interrupted by a local rebellion in 1233, and not resumed until 1236. The choir was finished by 1241, but work on the facade did not begin until 1252, and

17689-406: Was the use of carved stone decorative elements on the exterior and interior. These included the fleuron , the pinnacle , and the finial , which gave greater height to everything from doorways to buttress. These elements usually also had a practical purpose; they were often added to external structures, such as buttresses, to give them additional weight. Labyrinth In Greek mythology ,

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