These Gothic Cathedrals Took 500+ Years to Build

say what you want.. They did built a god damn sturdy crane in cologne lasting 400 years without collapsing..

It is hard to fully wrap your head around one hundred years, nevermind 500. Personally I think these should be made wonders of the world, they are breathtaking

It's crazy that we used to be capable of building stuff over generations but now if something takes more than a decade it's considered to be overtime and likely overbudget.

The main reason why the cathedrals were taking so long to build was usually due to 'communal' nature of the project. Churches at the time were used as representative public spaces (where everybody went to socialize and do business), and main city churches were usually procured and financed by the city council and depended on donations from the city's merchant families or other city-related benefactors. As long as there was enough cashflow, the project could go on unhindered. Another issue was that the 'contractor' for such big project was usually restricted to a city's\regional mason guild. They operated as a kind of a 'union' that had agreements made with the local governments that made sure that no one else was allowed to work on such projects. And they were a sort of a monopoly on a skilled labor (both craftsmen and engineers\architects, which were often one of the same job title in the guild). If there was a labor dispute, or if the local guild was busy on other, more lucrative projects, the project could stall. Finally, especially if it was a main church, you couldn't just close it right away, demolish and build. The building often had to remain in use for the entire duration of the project. Usually, the construction would go from the west to east, so that people could still use side (south and north) entrances and the altar was usable for service. However the sequence could also go from the east to west. Also, main construction work could co relatively fast, but various decorations, special sculptures and elements (such as internal chapels, entrance portals etc) might require a special contract, which meant separate negotiations on design and financing with different artists and their guild administrators. When there was no delay, the construction could take surprisingly short amount of time. Bourges Cathedral was built in less than 35 years (most of the nave done under 10 years). Similarly, Chartres Cathedral was rebuilt in around 30 years, with 30 more for all the interiors to be fitted. Smaller or other than main churches could be built even faster.

Imagine being the guy who discovered that drawing after the Napoleonic Wars -- that must have been such a unique feeling of wonder and sheer hope that such a long-standing incomplete work could potentially reach its full beauty.

For all you music buffs: composer Robert Schumann visited the still-unfinished Cologne cathedral in the fall of 1850, and was so moved that he depicted it musically in the fourth movement of his "Rhenish" symphony. If romantic nationalism and medievalism are your thing, you'll find plenty. (I recommend Bernstein's New York recording btw.)

Imagine building a cathedral for half a millennium, making it the tallest building in the world, only for it to be topped by a friggin pillar a few years later.

A fantastic and informative video. I have passed through Köln many times and had no idea of the cathedral's complicated history. I am very grateful indeed that it survived the Second World War.

Manchester planned a vast gothic cathedral in the 1870s but it was never built. You can find some of the plans online, and maybe the Town Hall gives you an idea of what it might have looked like. The architect, R.H. Carpenter, also unsuccessfully submitted plans for Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC... which actually reminds of Cologne in a way as it's sat unfinished for well over a century now.

the photograph of the crane on top of the Kölner Dom is crazy to me. Actually seeing how the majority of people saw the Dom and that we are the lucky century where the finished building is the normal to us, is mindblowing to me. Also I knew that it was finished in 1880 but didn't know that it just took them 38 years to finish a huge part of it. the milan cathedral is so special. Although the front feels always a bit odd to me, the roof top id basically the predecessor of anor londo from Dark souls (a game where you can walk around on said roof)

God bless Europe and Europeans

The first stones of what would become the Nidaros Cathedral in Norway was laid around 1070, and the Cathedral was finally finished in 2009.

The Cologne Cathedral is the most beautiful building ive ever seen with my own eyes

This channel is amazing.

commenting on the video so the algorithm knows to serve more of these. perfect video, in subject, pacing, choice of background music, abundance of imagery... very happy I found it after a hectic day before heading to sleep

It is always a fine day when King and Things upload a classical architectural video. It is awe inspiring, calming, and majestic.

Mark Twain was spot on with the Duomo of Milan. It really is perfect.

If only I get to see Sagrada Familia finished I’ll be happy.

A time where not only did people plant trees in whose shade they would never sit, but lay stones for buildings even their whole lineage would never see completed.

Totally fantastic work. Thank you. Your choice of key educational point of each building--avoiding irrelevancies and trivia, is unique. I have written to criticized other works on YouTube on the topic, telling them to watch your work and learn. Excellent