I don’t know about you but I often find peace in the inevitably chilly church, a cool, open place to contemplate life’s many wonders. The way the giant trunk-like marble pillars stand heavy in the ground and the gentle beams of different coloured light from the magnificent stained glass windows are reflected around the church, even into the darkest stone corners. Stained glass windows are something that I’ve always associated with the church and probably always will.
The windows are never boring or uninteresting, as throughout the day the ever-changing light causes the colours to dance across the floor, inviting your mind to imagine, or to return to memories, inspired by the different colours and patterns. They were an essential element to the fabric of ancient churches, both illuminating the building literally, and spiritually. There is something about the soft haze of light that is very therapeutic.
Diving deeper
The history of stained glass windows dates back before even the middle ages, and the technical abilities required to craft these windows are often underestimated. The glass that was used in those ancient times was a fusion of the earth’s rocks:sand (silicon oxide), soda (sodium oxide) and lime (calcium oxide) all melted together at high temperatures. The coloured glass is crafted into stained glass windows in which small pieces of glass are arranged to form patterns or pictures, these pieces were traditionally held together by strips of lead, the weight being supported by a rigid frame.
It is rare to find many stained glass windows in southern Europe, as the windows would tend to be much smaller in these countries, so not a great host for feature stained glass windows. However, this pictorial art form was very popular in northern France, England and Germany. As many of us already know stained glass windows were used predominantly in churches, but were also found in wealthy domestic settings and public buildings such as town halls, though surviving examples of secular glass are very rare indeed.
The purpose of stained glass windows in a church was both to enhance the beauty of their setting and to inform the viewer through narrative or symbolism. For the churches it tended to produce tales of Jesus, and the readings from the bible in picture form.
How old?
The earliest example of ecclesiastical stained glass is possibly that from San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy. A clear glass roundel with a depiction of Christ in Majesty, thought to befrom the 6th century, was discovered there. However, we know for a fact that the oldest surviving stained glass windows are still in situ! They date back to 1065 BC; they are known as the Prophet Windows in the Augsburg Cathedral in Germany.
Places to visit
If you fancy taking a looking at one of these ancient stained glass windows, then this is something you really must do in person; no high-definition picture can do them justice. At the end of a very long, winding road you will find the oldest church in England. St Peter’s Chapel, Bradwell-on-Sea, was built in 654 AD, using bricks and stone from the ruined Roman fort of Othoa. The Saxons created what was almost a cathedral, 50 ft long and 25 ft high. The people of Essex worshipped at this 25 foot high church for over 600 years, however, because the location was so remote congregations soon dwindled and the chapel eventually passed out of public awareness – which is probably how it has survived intact for so many years!
If you fancy seeing some spectacular exhibits of stained glass, then you must pay a visit to Lincoln Cathedral, sometimes referred to as St. Mary’s Cathedral, it was built in 1088 and was also the tallest building in the world for 238 years! (Between the years of 1311 and 1549). It boasts one of England’s largest stained glass windows, it is the east window of the cathedral and is made up of a formal arrangement of small narrative scenes. Surrounded in beautiful gardens and plenty of quaint tearooms on your doorstep there really is no excuse not to visit Lincoln today. So fill up your petrol tank and charge up your camera, as you’ll want to capture the beauty of the Cathedral!
Bio: Hannah is a travel blogger and loves seeing different culture’s architecture, and especially ancient historical structures. Recently writing for http://www.mightonproducts.
