The Construction of Gothic Cathedrals: A Study of Medieval Vault Erection [Paperback]

John Fitchen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0226252035 | ISBN-13: 978-0226252032 | Publication Date: April 28, 1997

John Fitchen systematically treats 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. Since there are no contemporary accounts of the techniques used by medieval builders, Fitchen's study brilliantly pieces together clues from manuscript illuminations, from pictorial representations, and from the fabrics of the building themselves.

"Anyone who has caught the fascination of Gothic Churches (and once caught, has almost necessarily got it in the blood) will find this book enthralling. . . . Clearly written and beautifully illustrated." —A. D. R. Caroe, Annual Review, Central Council for the Care of Churches

"Fitchen's study is a tribute to the extraordinary creative and engineering skills of successive generations of mediaeval builders. . . . This study enables us to appreciate more fully the technical expertise and improvements which enabled the creative spirit of the day to find such splendid embodiment." —James Lingwood, Oxford Art Journal

"Fitchen, in what can only be defined as an architectural detective story, fully explores the problems confronting the medieval vault erectors and uncovers their solution. . . . This is a book that no serious student of architecture will want to miss." —Progressive Architecture

Product Details

• Paperback: 364 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (April 28, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226252035
• ISBN-13: 978-0226252032
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #360,052 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #86 in Books > Arts & Photography > Schools, Periods & Styles > Byzantine

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very good description of medieval building techniques, July 31, 1999

By 

Peter Gugerell (Wien) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Construction of Gothic Cathedrals: A Study of Medieval Vault Erection (Paperback)

In this book, originally published in 1961, John Fitchen describes and explains the falsework (i.e. scaffolding) that was used to build Gothic Cathedrals. The main focus is on the construction and use of the centering (which is the formwork used to build arcs and vaults). The chapters: 1. Sources of information - 2. Constructional means - 3. Medieval types of vaulting - 4. Gothic formwork - 5. Gothic centering - 6. Erection of rib vaulting without formwork. The text is clearly written and accompanied by excellent drawings, a very good glossary and an extensive bibliography. For everyone interested in medieval building techniques this book is a must.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maximum height and maximum light, August 6, 2006

By 

Mario Mitas (Prague, Czech Republic) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Construction of Gothic Cathedrals: A Study of Medieval Vault Erection (Paperback)

Good introduction to medieval building techniques. Being a devoted admirer of Gothic cathedrals, this was one of the first books I red about the subject and it served well. If you wish to know why was pointed arch so important, or procedures used to erect butresses or types of scaffoldings used at that times... you will find the answers here. There is one drawback - it seems to me that author was repeating some ideas from the first half of the book in the second one, but still, it deserves 5 stars. Kind regards, Mario.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars needs more figures and graphics. Assumes you already know what the different areas in a cathedral are called., December 28, 2009

By 

J. Reese "JJ" (Medford, MA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Construction of Gothic Cathedrals: A Study of Medieval Vault Erection (Paperback)

I've read about a third of this book so far, and I'm finding myself wishing the author had included more figures, sketches, and diagrams. There are already quite a few figures, sketches, and diagrams in it, but they lack callouts and arrows pointing to specific items of interest with a description, and they feel very disconnected from the text. The main reason I wish he had used even more sketches is that the author seems to assume the reader knows what all the parts of a cathedral are called. He randomly tosses out references to "triformiums" and "diaphragm wall" (there are lots of walls, which one is he considering the diaphragm wall?). The glossary at the back offers a written description of SOME of these confusing terms, but architecture and structural engineering are by nature graphical and visual fields... he needs an overall plan and section of a typical cathedral with each area and piece identified... a visual glossary. I've been so distracted trying to figure out what he is referring to that I haven't had a chance to evaluate anything else about his book.