Church Windows: vintage recipe series - Simple and Seasonal (2024)

FAQs

What are church windows called? ›

Stained-glass windows, made up of coloured and painted glass pieces held together by lead strips, were especially popular in Europe in the period between 1150 and 1550, when they were a prominent feature of cathedrals and other churches, as well as city halls and homes for the elite.

Rather than just being mere decorations, these windows had spiritual significance– they were used as tools to teach people about God, about faith and about “the church.” Stained glass helped to embed religious ideals literally into the walls of churches!

The term 'cathedral glass' is sometimes applied erroneously to the windows of cathedrals as an alternative to the term 'stained glass'. Stained glass is the material and the art form of making coloured windows of elaborate or pictorial design.

Stained glass in churches is often called Cathedral glass. It is colored glass, often in the windows of religious buildings. Artists arrange small pieces of glass to create patterns or images.

The light that passes through stained glass windows is often seen as a symbol of the divine light of God. This light can represent many different things, such as hope, truth, love, and life. It's also a symbol of Christ himself, as he is often referred to as the "Light of the World."

You have to remember in the Middle Ages, of course, many people were illiterate. Because illiteracy was widespread, stained-glass windows could be a means of telling the biblical story, depicting episodes from the Bible and portraying the biblical authors.

1) Saint-Chapelle; Paris, France

While Notre Dame may be the first religious building that comes to mind when you think of Paris, Saint-Chapelle is famous in its own right for its 15 stunning stained glass windows that reach almost 50 feet in height.

In architecture, a clerestory (/ˈklɪərstɔːri/ KLEER-stor-ee; lit. 'clear storey', also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey; from Old French cler estor) is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye-level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both.

Stained glass windows that depict the Sacred Heart of Jesus depict the physical heart of Jesus to represent His divine love for humanity. This stained glass design is used primarily in the Roman Catholic, Anglo Catholic, and Lutheran Churches.

Windows of the Romanesque Middle Ages typically have a semi-circular arch in the brickwork, which constructively holds the masonry in place. The semi-circular arch is known as one of the most simple and stable constructions throughout history.