Great Spires Skyscrapers of the New Jerusalem

Great spires designed in the Gothic era continue to dominate the skylines of many European cities even today. With their great height and complex detailing, spires like those of Chartres, Strasbourg, Vienna, and Antwerp, and their more recently completed cousins at Cologne and Ulm, rank among the most fantastic products of the medieval architectural imagination. This book traces the development of this major monument type from its pre-Gothic roots through its post-medieval reception, with particular emphasis on the flowering of spire construction in the late Middle Ages. Along the way, it explores the complex layering of religious and political significations in these ambitious projects.