Gothic Echoes: Cathedrals From the Bay Area to France
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Place Description
Gothic cathedrals have always captured the imagination, standing as true testaments to medieval craftsmanship and spirituality. These structures are more than just beautiful buildings though—they reflect a time when architecture was about ambition, devotion, and a deep desire to connect with something bigger than ourselves. The way these cathedrals rise up, with their breathtaking details and towering spires, still makes people stop and stare in awe, feeling a sense of amazement even today. But Gothic architecture is about more than just admiring its design; it’s about understanding how different places and times are intertwined with each other. In this project, I’ll explore the connections between Gothic architecture in France and the Gothic Revival style in the Bay Area. Focusing on three key places—Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, Saint-Chapelle Cathedral in Paris, and Aix (Saint Sauveur) Cathedral in Aix-en-Provence—I’ll show how these structures link cultures across time while keeping alive a shared spiritual and historical heritage. Ultimately, this project shows how architecture can bring together both the past and present, and connect different parts of the world through common themes of faith, art, and shared human experience and memory.
Publication Year
2024
Disciplines
History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology | Public History | United States History
Faculty Mentor
Aaron Richardson, MA, MLIS