Flying buttresses allowed cathedrals to soar
Flying buttresses were a medieval engineering marvel, allowing Gothic cathedrals to reach incredible heights and fill sacred spaces with the ethereal glow of stained-glass windows.
Gothic cathedrals, first appearing in 12th-century France, used flying buttresses as ingenious external supports. These arched structures transferred the immense weight of vaulted ceilings outward, freeing interior walls from heavy loads. This innovation allowed builders to construct exceptionally tall walls and vast stained-glass windows, flooding cathedrals with colorful light and symbolizing divine illumination.
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