blog post 6 for monday, 21 february 2011

working from the ideas addressed in class and those you uncovered in the readings, take a position regarding whether the specific cathedrals you investigated in your discussion group in class today can be defined in terms of region. in that cathedrals represent both local and universal concerns, speculate a bit about how you can see expressions in design that address both the lofty ideals and the real circumstances of construction in their context. finally, in dealing with the idea of buildings as maps, fashion a cognitive map that tells something of the medieval world from which the cathedrals have been drawn.

and for you, at no extra charge, an example of a meaningful annotation. PLEASE NOTE : your cognitive map should be an original idea based on your understanding of the medieval world as you have encountered it this week.

medieval citizens stayed bound within the limits of their understanding of their world. this ideal vision stood in opposition to the realities of medieval life, one shaped by the church and limited further by local governance. gothic cathedrals suggest key moments on this map (and many others like it) through scale and placement near the center of this idealized world.