num_pages: 224
description: Who is depicted in that stained glass window? What is the significance of those geometric figures? Why are there fierce-looking beasts carved amidst all that beauty? Is there a deeper purpose behind the play of light and space in the nave? Why is there a pelican on the lectern and ornate foliage on the pillars? The largely illiterate medieval audience could read the symbols of churches and cathedrals and recognise the meanings and stories deliberately encoded into them. For worshippers these were places of religious education and an awe-inspiring feast that satisfied both the senses and the soul. Today in an age less attuned to iconography such places of worship are often seen merely as magnificent works of architecture. This book restores the lost spiritual meaning of these fine and fascinating buildings. The Secret Language of Churches &amp; Cathedralsprovides a three-part illustrated key by which modern visitors can understand the layout fabric and decorative symbolism of Christian sacred structures - thereby bringing back to life their original atmosphere of awe and sanctity. Part Oneis an analysis of structural features outside and in from spires and domes to clerestories and brasses. Part Twois a theme-by-theme guide which identifies significant figures scenes stories animals flowers and the use of numbers letters and patterns in paintings carvings and sculpture. Part Threeis a historical decoder revealing the evolution of styles - from basilicas through Byzantine Romanesque Gothic and beyond. For all those who seek to know more about Christian art and architecture this richly illustrated book will instruct and delight in equal measure.
language: English
title: The Secret Language of Churches & Cathedrals: Decoding the Sacred Symbolism of Christianity's Holy Building
publisher: Watkins Publishing