What are 3 key differences between Romanesque and Gothic architecture?
Romanesque architecture is characterized by heavy masonry walls, rounded arches supported by piers, and barrel vaults. Gothic architecture has much thinner walls supported by flying buttresses, pointed arches, and stained glass windows.
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It is characterized by vertical proportions, pointed arches, external buttressing, and asymmetry. At great gothic cathedrals like Chartres in France and Salisbury in England, pointed arches allowed for heavy stone ceiling vaults despite the fact that the walls were pierced for huge stained-glass windows.
Not only were the arched windows tall in proportion, but gothic cathedrals often included lofty pointed steeples. Gothic architects did not strive for symmetry, as is famously seen in the west façade of Chartes Cathedral, where the two steeples do not match.