Gisella's School

Today I will be explaining how cathedrals were built, what they were used for, and how they are looked at today.

Cathedrals were a location where Christians went to worship. They were very large and had beautiful designs that were carved by hand. Because of the sheer size of the building and the lack of machines to do the work, cathedrals took hundreds of years to build. Many people would spend their whole lives building and never see the result. The most common type of cathedral was the Romanesque, a style developed in the 12^th century. These Cathedrals had pointed arches rather than rounded ones, which was unusual at that time. Cathedrals also had flying buttresses to support the high ceilings and thick stone walls. These flying buttresses were not visible on the interior which made it much easier to add mosaics to the ceilings. All cathedrals were built in a cross shape to symbolize Christianity, which was their main purpose.

Cathedrals were a very important part of social life for a Christian. Cathedrals were used for many things, but their main purpose was for worship. They were usually Catholic Churches and held weddings, funerals, birthdays, baptisms, and just regular services.

Now Cathedrals are looked at as a part of history. Some are still used today, but for the most part they are a historical landmark that everyone wants to see.

Cathedrals inspire awe in our hearts. Their size, architecture, and history make us appreciate how things were done in the 12^th century.