Building the Great Cathedrals

With massive walls, brilliant stained glass, arched ceilings vaulting to the heavens, and a spider web of masonry and supports, Gothic cathedrals remain world-class wonders. In this PBS-aired NOVA documentary, viewers learn about both their construction and the urgent preservation efforts required to keep some from collapsing. The great cathedrals, which emerged in Europe about a thousand years ago, took decades to complete and were often large enough to house an entire town's population. Generally built in the shape of a cross and ornamented with sculpted biblical stories for illiterate worshippers, the enormous edifices, which became a point of rivalry among Europe's cities, were revered as “God's house on earth,” while the light shining through the windows was thought to bring people closer to God. Producer-director Scott Tiffany combines visually stunning footage with narration and interviews of various scholars and craftsmen. Computer technology and laser scanners, coupled with architectural expertise, have led to an understanding of how medieval building methods could have produced these seemingly weightless masterpieces. In addition, researchers have scoured early written works in church archives to find clues, in one case actually replicating a small cathedral using authentic plans and materials. Full of interesting details—including a discussion of the code of “sacred numbers” that inspired the quest to create a work of “divine dimensions”—this engaging documentary is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)