Regional Styles: Normandy, Burgundy, Southern Gothic

Norman Strength

Norman Gothic retained Romanesque massiveness while adopting Gothic innovations. Rouen Cathedral layers centuries of construction, from its Romanesque crypt to its Flamboyant crown. The butter tower, financed by dispensations to eat butter during Lent, shows how practical needs shaped sacred architecture.

Mont-Saint-Michel exemplifies Norman Gothic's fusion with landscape. The abbey church, perched impossibly on its rocky island, seems to grow from stone foundations through human construction to divine aspiration. The cloister, suspended between sea and sky, creates one of architecture's most ethereal spaces.

Burgundian Refinement

Burgundy's wealth from wine and wool supported architectural experimentation. The cathedral of Auxerre shows Burgundian Gothic's characteristic elegance: proportions slightly more vertical than Île-de-France models, decoration more restrained but perfectly placed.

Vézelay's abbey church bridges Romanesque and Gothic. The nave remains Romanesque, with its magnificent carved capitals depicting biblical scenes and moral allegories. The choir, rebuilt after 1170, embraces Gothic light and height. This juxtaposition lets visitors experience architectural evolution in a single building.

Mediterranean Light

Southern Gothic adapted northern innovations to a different climate and culture. The cathedral of Albi, built of brick rather than stone, creates a fortress-church suited to the Albigensian Crusade's violent aftermath. Its single nave, unobstructed by columns, provides clear sightlines for detecting heresy.

Yet Albi's interior contradicts its severe exterior. Painted vaults depict the Last Judgment in vivid detail. The rood screen, carved like lace from local limestone, shows Flamboyant Gothic at its most elaborate. This contrast between exterior defense and interior glory characterizes southern Gothic's response to regional conflicts.