What were the flying buttresses during the gothic structural period.?

Question

How did the buttressing system help the gothic buildings and for what purpose were they. Also how was it revolutionary? Where was the first flying buttress used and how did it evolve to the rest of Europe and the rest of the world.
Please provide me as much information as you can. thanks!

Answer 1

The flying buttress was an innovative way to make Medieval churches better lit without weakening them.

A Medieval stone building held up its roof with its walls, much like a normal house or small apartment building today. However, the great open spaces that Medieval church builders wanted to create for worship required big, heavy roofs.

So they made the walls thick, to hold the weight. And there you have the Romanesque churches: short, blockish, very solid looking. Dark on the inside, though, and not so spacious.

Flying buttresses are tilted stone pillars outside the building that take a turn toward the center of the building way up near the roofline, and join others from the other side, forming a ribcage-like structure to hold up the big, heavy roof over the wide, open space.

The walls are a dozen or more feet inside this "ribcage," and don't hold up the roof. They can then have windows. Big, stained-glass windows, with religious lessons for the unwashed masses, and plenty of light in daytime to make the church an exciting, inviting, comfortable place.

I think this was an innovation in 12th century France - I recall Amiens (AH-me-AN). (The History World article lists Abbe of St. Denis in Paris as the first, begun around 1140. The Wikipedia article says flying buttresses were present but not featured in Romanesque churches - I'm not sure about that point at all.)

As far as the spread of architectural styles, Professor Martindale in the History World article merely writes, "The basic form of Gothic architecture eventually spread throughout Europe to Germany, Italy, England, the Low Countries, Spain, and Portugal."

Cheers.

Answer 2

Sounds like this is a homework question. You'll probably still have to research, but buttresses were used to brace the sides of the buildings so they could build them taller with thinner walls.