Editing Gothic architecture (section)

=== Towers and spires ===
[[File:Tour Cathédrale de Laon 150808 1.jpg|thumb|Oxen sculpture in High Gothic towers of [[Laon Cathedral]] (13th century)]]
{{See also|Steeple|Spire|Bell tower}}
Towers, [[spires]] and [[Flèche (architecture)|flèches]] were an important feature of Gothic churches. They presented a dramatic spectacle of great height, helped make their churches the tallest and most visible buildings in their city, and symbolised the aspirations of their builders toward heaven.<ref name=EBSpire>{{Britannica |560359 |Spire}}</ref> They also had a practical purpose; they often served as [[bell tower]]s supporting [[Belfry (architecture)|belfries]], whose bells told the time by announcing religious services, warned of fire or enemy attack, and celebrated special occasions like military victories and coronations. Sometimes the bell tower is built separate from a church; the best-known example of this is the [[Leaning Tower of Pisa]].<ref name=EBSpire/>

The towers of cathedrals were usually the last part of the structure to be built. Since cathedral construction usually took many years, and was extremely expensive, by the time the tower were to be built public enthusiasm waned, and tastes changed. Many projected towers were never built, or were built in different styles than other parts of the cathedral, or with different styles on each level of the tower.{{Sfn|Wenzler|2018|p=16}} At Chartres Cathedral, the south tower was built in the 12th century, in the simpler Early Gothic, while the north tower is the more highly decorated [[Flamboyant]] style. Chartres would have been even more exuberant if the second plan had been followed; it called for seven towers around the transept and sanctuary.{{sfn|Mignon|2015|p=21}}

In the Île-de-France, cathedral towers followed the Romanesque tradition of two identical towers, one on either side of the portals. The west front of the [[Basilica of Saint-Denis|Saint-Denis]], became the model for the early Gothic cathedrals and High Gothic cathedrals in northern France, including Notre-Dame de Paris, Reims Cathedral, and Amiens Cathedral.{{sfn|Wenzler|2018|pp=95–98}}

The early and High Gothic [[Laon Cathedral]] has a square [[lantern tower]] over the crossing of the transept; two towers on the western front; and two towers on the ends of the transepts. Laon's towers, with the exception of the central tower, are built with two stacked vaulted chambers pierced by lancet openings. The two western towers contain life-size stone statues of sixteen [[oxen]] in their upper arcades, said to honour the animals who hauled the stone during the cathedral's construction.<ref name="abelard">{{cite web |url= https://www.abelard.org/france/cathedrals5-laon.php |title= Cathedral 5: Laon |author= abelard |date= 2006-01-22 |access-date= 11 November 2018 |archive-date= 27 October 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201027125911/https://www.abelard.org/france/cathedrals5-laon.php |url-status= live }}</ref>

In Normandy, cathedrals and major churches often had multiple towers, built over the centuries; the [[Abbaye aux Hommes]] (begun 1066), Caen has nine towers and spires, placed on the façade, the transepts, and the centre. A [[lantern tower]] was often placed the centre of the nave, at the meeting point with the transept, to give light to the church below.

In later periods of Gothic, pointed needle-like [[spires]] were often added to the towers, giving them much greater height. A variation of the spire was the flèche, a slender, spear-like spire, which was usually placed on the transept where it crossed the nave. They were often made of wood covered with lead or other metal. They sometimes had open frames, and were decorated with sculpture. Amiens Cathedral has a flèche. The most famous example was that of Notre-Dame de Paris. The original flèche of Notre-Dame was built on the crossing of the transept in the middle of the 13th century, and housed five bells. It was removed in 1786 during a program to modernize the cathedral, but was put back in a new form designed by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. The new flèche, of wood covered with lead, was decorated with statues of the Apostles; the figure of St Thomas resembled Viollet-le-Duc.<ref>Trintignac and Coloni, ''Decouvrir Notre-Dame de Paris'' (1984), (in French), les Editions du Cerf, {{ISBN|2-204-02087-7}}, pp. 259-260</ref> The flèche was destroyed in the [[Notre-Dame de Paris fire|2019 fire]], but is now restored in the same design.

<gallery widths="140" heights="190">
File:Abbaye aux Hommes 02.jpg|[[Abbaye aux Hommes]], Caen (tall west towers added in the 13th century)
File:Facade cathedral.jpg|Towers of Chartres Cathedral; [[Flamboyant]] Gothic on left, Early Gothic on the right
File:Spire of Notre-Dame de Paris, September 2013.jpg|The 13th century flèche of Notre Dame, recreated in the 19th century, destroyed by fire in 2019, now restored
</gallery>

In English Gothic, the major tower was often placed at the crossing of the transept and nave, and was much higher than the other. The most famous example is the tower of [[Salisbury Cathedral]], completed in 1320 by William of Farleigh. It was a remarkable feat of construction, since it was built upon the pillars of the much earlier church.{{Sfn|Harvey|1974|p=145}} A crossing tower was constructed at [[Canterbury Cathedral]] in 1493–1501 by [[John Wastell]], who had previously worked on King's College at Cambridge. It was finished by [[Henry Yevele]], who also built the present nave of Canterbury.{{Sfn|Harvey|1974|p=171}} The new central tower at [[Wells Cathedral]] caused a problem; it was too heavy for the original structure. An unusual double arch had to be constructed in the centre of the crossing to give the tower the extra support it needed.{{Sfn|Harvey|1974|p=145}}

England's Gothic parish churches and collegiate churches generally have a single western tower.{{Citation needed|date=March 2020}} A number of the finest churches have masonry spires, with those of [[St James' Church, Louth|St James Church, Louth]]; [[St Wulfram's Church, Grantham]]; [[St Mary Redcliffe]] in [[Bristol]]; and [[Coventry Cathedral]]. These spires all exceed {{cvt|85|m|ft|-1}} in height.<ref>Julian Flannery, ''Fifty English Steeples: The Finest Medieval Parish Church Towers and Spires in England'', T&H, 2016, 10-0500343144 {{Page needed|date=April 2020}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=April 2020}}

Westminster Abbey's crossing tower has for centuries remained unbuilt, and numerous architects have proposed various ways of completing it since the 1250s, when work began on the tower under [[Henry III of England|Henry III]].<ref name=":7">{{Cite book|last=Rodwell|first=Warwick|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZMtXRwAACAAJ|title=The Lantern Tower of Westminster Abbey, 1060-2010: Reconstructing its History and Architecture.|publisher=Oxbow Books|year=2010|isbn=978-1-84217-761-7|location=Havertown|oclc=841909231}}</ref> A century and half later, an octagonal [[roof lantern]] resembling that of Ely Cathedral was installed instead, which was then demolished in the 16th century.<ref name=":7" /> Construction began again in 1724 to the design of [[Nicholas Hawksmoor]], after first Christopher Wren had proposed a design in 1710, but stopped again in 1727. The crossing remains covered by the stub of the lantern and a 'temporary' roof.<ref name=":7" />

<gallery widths="140" heights="190">
File:Catedral de Salisbury, Salisbury, Inglaterra, 2014-08-12, DD 52.JPG|[[Salisbury Cathedral]] tower and spire over the crossing (1320)
File:York, UK - panoramio (28).jpg|West towers of [[York Minster]], in the Perpendicular Gothic style.
File:Beverley Minster, East Riding of Yorkshire.jpg|The perpendicular west towers of [[Beverley Minster]] ({{Circa|1400}})
File:Canterbury Cathedral JC 17.JPG|Crossing tower of [[Canterbury Cathedral]] (1493–1505)
</gallery>

Later Gothic towers in Central Europe often followed the French model, but added even denser decorative tracery. [[Cologne Cathedral]] had been started in the 13th century, following the plan of [[Amiens Cathedral]], but only the apse and the base of one tower were finished in the Gothic period. The original plans were conserved and rediscovered in 1817, and the building was completed in the 19th century following the origin design. It has two spectacularly ornamented towers, covered with arches, gables, pinnacles and openwork spires pointing upwards. The tower of [[Ulm Minster]] has a similar history, begun in 1377, stopped in 1543, and not completed until the 19th century.{{Sfn|Harvey|1974|p=127}}

<gallery widths="140" heights="190">
File:Kölner Dom von Osten.jpg|[[Cologne Cathedral]] towers (begun 13th century, completed 20th century
File:Ulmer Münster-Westfassade.jpg|Tower of [[Ulm Minster]] (begun 1377, completed 19th century)
File:00 0743 Freiburg Minster - Hahnenturm.jpg|Tower of Freiburg Minster (begun 1340) noted for its lacelike openwork spire
File:Prag Dom St. Veit 01.jpg|[[Prague Cathedral]] (begun 1344) 
</gallery>

Regional variants of Gothic towers appeared in Spain and Italy. [[Burgos Cathedral]] was inspired by Northern Europe. It has an exceptional cluster of openwork spires, towers, and pinnacles, drenched with ornament. It was begun in 1444 by a German architect, Juan de Colonia (John of Cologne) and eventually completed by a central tower (1540) built by his grandson.{{Sfn|Harvey|1974|p=126}}

In Italy the towers were sometimes separate from the cathedral; and the architects usually kept their distance from the Northern European style. the leaning tower of [[Pisa Cathedral]], built between 1173 and 1372, is the best-known example. [[Giotto's Campanile|The Campanile]] of Florence Cathedral was built by [[Giotto]] in the Florentine Gothic style, decorated with encrustations of polychrome marble. It was originally designed to have a spire.{{Sfn|Harvey|1974|p=171}}

<gallery widths="150" heights="200" perrow="5">
File:WLM14ES - 11072009 172016 CDB 0530 - .jpg|West towers of [[Burgos Cathedral]] (1444–1540)
File:CampanileGiotto-01.jpg|[[Giotto's Campanile]] of [[Florence Cathedral]] (1334–1359)
</gallery>