Gothic architecture emerged in twelfth-century France

Position 1: The resulting cathedrals, flooded with coloured light, were intended to evoke the spiritual luminosity of the divine.

Position 2: Its most distinguishing feature, the pointed arch, allowed builders to direct structural forces more efficiently than the rounded arches used previously.

Position 3: Together, these innovations freed interior walls from their load-bearing function, allowing architects to fill them with vast expanses of stained glass.

Position 4: Gothic architecture emerged in twelfth-century France as a radical departure from the heavy, fortress-like aesthetic of the Romanesque style.

Position 5: This engineering advantage was complemented by the flying buttress, an external arched support that transferred the weight of tall stone walls outward to separate piers.