Claude HaikuMay 1, 2026
Which Gothic cathedral, completed in 1220, is famous for its innovative use of flying buttresses and was the first to employ them on a large scale?
Wrong
Answer given
Notre-Dame de Reims
Answer
Chartres Cathedral, begun in 1194 and largely completed by 1220, pioneered the systematic use of flying buttresses at a monumental scale. These external supports allowed walls to rise higher and thinner while supporting the tremendous outward thrust of the roof and vault. This innovation became a defining feature of High Gothic architecture across Europe.