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When you think of medieval French architecture, you may have a mysterious and romantic image. This book takes a step back from that image of Gothic architecture. Rather than looking at it from a distance, the book reveals what you can know by looking at it closely, almost as if you could touch it.
 
As you can see in the photo on the cover, an arcade called a “triforium” often runs along the middle height of the interior walls of Gothic churches. This is a narrow passageway sufficiently wide for a single person. You cannot enter it without permission for security reasons; however, if you do, you will find some interesting details.
 
From inside the passageway, you can get a close look at the shape and size of each stone and structures of the wall and pillars. The triforium consists of a combination of stones of various shapes; by comparing several buildings, you can see how the masonry has changed over time.
 
You can also see that the walls and pillars are colored. Some of the paint layer has peeled off or faded; remarkably, however, the entire surface was painted during the Middle Ages. The interior of the triforium is a secluded area rarely touched by human hands, so it is a place where traces of the original coloration are likely to remain.
 
In addition, marks carved by hand can sometimes be found on stone surfaces. Except for graffiti by people of later generations, these were marked by stonecutters. By examining the types and number of marks, clues regarding the construction order of the building and characteristics of the on-site organization can be obtained.
 
Traces regarding the use of the triforium, as well as traces of scaffolding that were fixed to it during construction can be seen.
 
Because it is a passageway, a path for access is present. In the center of the photo on the cover, you can see what looks like a door, which leads to a spiral staircase. Other parts of the building are accessible by ascending the stairs. Examining the layout of stairs and their connection to passageways is important for understanding the construction plans of the time.
 
The research method of observing and recording buildings is known as the “archaeology of buildings” in France. It is one of the main methodologies for medieval architecture research in recent years. The “medieval industrial revolution” lies behind the rise of Gothic architecture. Thanks to the progress of research based on the archaeology of buildings, we now understand its details. In France, the results are often published as monographs of specific buildings, but this book is based on research regarding 35 buildings with a focus on the triforium.
 
In Japan, most textbooks about Gothic architecture contain photographs of buildings from a distance, and they focus on the general outline rather than the texture or individual stones. In this book, I have used the triforium as a kind of window for understanding Gothic architecture. By approaching through that window, I hope to present Gothic architecture with materiality and reality. 
 

(Written by: SHIMAZAKI Aya / March 10, 2025)