Since these are after all holy edifices, it is not strange that there might well have been a religious element connected with their construction. Some scholars have suggested that the proportions of the levels of the Notre Dame Cathedral, as well as those of Chartres and Beauvais, are related to the proportions of the Temple of Solomon as described in the Bible. It is seen as a reflection of the attitude of medieval theologians who saw the deity as a kind of divine geometer providing perfect proportions. Of course, the central layout of the cathedral floor in the form of a cross is simply another physical manifestation of the building's divine purpose.
While some attention is paid to the aesthetic elements of the Gothic and there are some wonderful shots of the various cathedrals, the major emphasis is on the scientific and the religious. The statuary at Chartres is surveyed and its inclusion of pagan figures is mentioned, and there is some discussion of the Biblical content of some of the stained glass windows. But this is limited; in fact, there is probably more time spent on the glass making process than there is on the analysis of the product. There is also a slide show with commentary on the science of medieval stained glass on the Nova website.
Like the monuments of the ancient world, the Greek Temples, the Pyramids, the Collesuem, the great Gothic cathedrals are a testament to mankind's ability to accomplish wonders in an attempt to glorify and appease powers they looked to beyond themselves.
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