Context:
Saint Crispin Church is being restored to its old glory
Saint Crispin Church:
- Time period – 1905 (British Era)
- Dedicated to – Saint Crispin, a saint who also worked as a cobbler in Italy to give money to orphans
- Significance-
- Served as a rehabilitation centre for the destitute in Pune during the plague of 1900s
- Protected Monument site under Archeological Survey of India
- Architecture – Gothic Style
Gothic Style Architecture:
- Gothic architecture – A style of architecture that flourished in Europe during the High and Late Middle Ages
- Evolved from – Romanesque architectural style
- Features –
- Pointed Arches – Pointed arches of Gothic buildings give them a vertical emphasis and contribute to a sense of height.
- Ribbed Vaults – Gothic cathedrals often feature ribbed vaults, where the intersection of pointed arches creates a rib-like pattern across the ceiling.
- Flying Buttresses – External buttresses, known as flying buttresses, were a crucial innovation in Gothic architecture.A buttress is a vertical structure, placed against a wall for the purpose of support.
- Rose Windows – Large circular windows with radiating tracery. These windows are located at the ends of transepts or above entrances and are known for their detailed stained glass.
- Gargoyles and Grotesque – Decorative stone carvings of grotesque figures, including gargoyles, are common in Gothic architecture.
- Emphasis on Light – Gothic cathedrals are known for its technique to maximize the use of natural light.
- Indo Gothic architecture – An architectural style that combined elements of traditional Indian architecture with Gothic Revival features
- Notable examples of Indo-Gothic Architecture –
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus), MaharashtraXavier’s College, MumbaiPaul’s Cathedral, Kolkata
- St.Philomena Church, Mysuru
Source: The Indian Express
Previous Year Question
Building ‘Kalyana Mandapam’ was a notable feature in the temple construction in the kingdom of:
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2019 Prelims]
(a) Chalukya
(b) Chandela
(c) Rashtrakuta
(d) Vijayanagara
Answer: (d)
