Three Keys to Constructing the Medieval Cathedrals of Europe

The NOVA episode, “Building the Great Cathedrals,” that aired recently revealed three architectural secrets of these massive stone and glass Gothic masterpieces that have stood for nearly 1,000 years in Europe. 

“Amazingly, Gothic engineers built thin, super-tall walls, made, not of stone, but mostly of glass.  And somehow, these walls of windows support towering ceilings of stone.  How did medieval builders pull off such a dramatic transformation?”

They used pointed, not rounded, arches, flying buttresses to support the arch and the walls and the ribbed vault that transferred the weight of the enormous ceilings to interior columns.  Totally fascinating.