Gothic Architecture vs Manueline
Manueline evolved from Gothic Architecture — a Portuguese late-Gothic retaining ribbed vaults under its ornament.
Gothic Architecture
The soaring medieval architecture of cathedrals — pointed arches, rib vaults, and flying buttresses dissolving walls into walls of stained glass and skeletal stone.
- Pointed (ogival) arches in place of round ones
- Ribbed vaults concentrating loads onto piers
- Flying buttresses carrying thrust outside the walls
- Walls opened into stained glass and rose windows
- Soaring verticality, tracery, and richly carved portals
Manueline
Portugal's exuberant late-Gothic style of the Age of Discovery, encrusting buildings with carved ropes, knots, armillary spheres, and marine motifs.
- Carved maritime motifs — ropes, knots, anchors, coral, and seaweed
- Royal emblems: armillary spheres and the Cross of the Order of Christ
- Elaborately framed portals and twisted, cordage-wrapped columns
- Late-Gothic ribbed and net vaults with naturalistic carving
- Encrusted surface ornament over a still-Gothic structure
At a glance
| Gothic Architecture | Manueline | |
|---|---|---|
| Era | c. 1140–1500 | c.1490–1540 |
| Discipline | Architecture | Architecture |
| Region | France, Western Europe | Portugal, Madeira, Portuguese overseas territories |
| Family | Medieval, Gothic | Late Gothic, Renaissance |
| Formal traits | pointed-arch, vertical, skeletal, ornamental | ornamental, carved, maritime-motif, richly-textured |
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