Culture Explorer Profile picture
Feb 21, 2024 • 19 tweets • 6 min read • Read on X
🧵America's Architectural Legacy: Gothic!

Gothic architectural beauty in the U.S. spans beyond churches to include skyscrapers, universities, and homes.

Imagine if we continued to build like this! 🧵⤵️ Image
1. Washington National Cathedral (Washington, D.C.) - A masterpiece of Gothic Revival architecture, known for its stunning stained glass and intricate carvings. Credit: nikonsniper
2. St. Patrick's Cathedral (New York City, NY) - A Neo-Gothic marvel in the heart of Manhattan, famous for its spires and rose window. By Edgar El, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60352199
3. Yale University Sterling Memorial Library (New Haven, CT) - A collegiate Gothic building with elaborate stonework and stained glass, embodying academic grandeur. By Ragesoss - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4699576
4. University of Chicago (Chicago, IL) - The campus is adorned with Gothic Revival architecture, highlighted by the Rockefeller Chapel's craftsmanship. By Matthew G. Bisanz, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20745742
5. Princeton University Chapel (Princeton, NJ) - One of the world's largest college chapels, celebrated for its Gothic design and intricate stained glass. By popejon2 from Paddington, Australia - Princeton, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24659329
6. Duke University Chapel (Durham, NC) - This Collegiate Gothic chapel is known for its spires, carvings, and role as the campus's spiritual center. Image
7. Cathedral of St. John the Divine (New York City, NY) - An impressive blend of Gothic Revival and Romanesque styles, it stands as one of the largest Christian churches globally. Credit: https://www.masonrymagazine.com/blog/2018/02/01/american-treasure-saint-john-the-divine/
8. Riverside Church (New York City, NY) - Famous for its towering Gothic spire overlooking the Hudson River. Image
9. Boston College (Chestnut Hill, MA) - Gasson Hall is a symbol of the university's Jesuit Catholic tradition, with its notable Gothic architecture. Credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/495818240216543685/
10. Grace Cathedral (San Francisco, CA) - A modern interpretation of Gothic architecture, known for its doors and labyrinth. By User:Chris06 - File:Grace Cathedral (5).JPG, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64643653
11. Woolworth Building (New York City, NY) - A pioneering Gothic skyscraper, combining commercial utility with Gothic elegance and once the tallest building in the world. Credit: By Gryffindor - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10604594
12. Tribune Tower (Chicago, IL) - A Neo-Gothic skyscraper adorned with flying buttresses and a detailed façade, home to the Chicago Tribune. By Antoine Taveneaux - This file has been extracted from another file, GFDL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=101274364
13. The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis (St. Louis, MO) - This basilica is celebrated for its Gothic architecture and stunning interior mosaics. By Nheyob (changes by Rabanus Flavus) - File:Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis (St. Louis, MO) - exterior, quarter view.jpg, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=99931554
14. West Point Cadet Chapel (West Point, NY) - A military Gothic architectural gem, featuring a towering spire and detailed interior. Image
15. Pittsburgh Cathedral of Learning (Pittsburgh, PA) - A soaring example of Gothic Revival architecture, central to the University of Pittsburgh's campus. By Notyourbroom - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8394063
16. Lyndhurst Mansion (Tarrytown, NY) - A fine example of Gothic Revival architecture in a residential setting, known for its picturesque estate and role in American history. Credit: Elisa.rolle - Own work CC BY-SA 4.0
17. Sather Tower (Berkeley, CA) - Also known as the Campanile, this is the University of California, Berkeley's most iconic structure, offering panoramic views and showcasing a blend of Gothic elements with its grand bell tower. By Znode at the English-language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16671115
From spires to towers, Gothic architecture weaves a timeless tapestry across America's landscape. Photo by Karen Cann. Unsplash.

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Culture Explorer

Culture Explorer Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @CultureExploreX

Mar 17
You’ve seen statues before, but have you ever felt one stare back at you?

There’s a sculpture so lifelike, so hauntingly real, that people swear it breathes.

The secret? A lost technique from centuries ago… 🧵👇 The Veiled Christ - Detail of Jesus’s head and veil. Photo by David Sivyer/Flickr - CC BY-SA 2.0.
It’s called The Veiled Christ, and it looks like marble turned to silk.

Carved in 1753 by Giuseppe Sanmartino, it depicts Jesus lying beneath a translucent shroud.

But here’s where it gets crazy… The Veiled Christ at the Sansevero Chapel in Naples, Italy
The veil isn’t separate.

It’s not an add-on. It wasn’t draped over after.

Sanmartino carved the entire sculpture—veil and all—from a single block of marble.

And some people believe… he had supernatural help. Credit: YouFine
Read 17 tweets
Mar 15
A temple that floats on the side of a sheer cliff.

No scaffolding. No modern tools. Just ancient engineering genius.

For 1,500 years, China’s Hanging Monastery has survived earthquakes, wars, and time itself.

But its real secret? That’s even crazier…🧵👇 Image
The Haning Monastery is a miracle of architecture.

246 feet above ground, it’s been hanging there since the year 491.

One question baffles everyone who sees it:

How has it not fallen?
The monastery clings to Mount Heng in China’s Shanxi Province, built into a vertical rock face.

It looks impossible—like something out of a fantasy novel.

Yet it’s real. And people still visit, pray, and meditate inside. Photo by G41rn8 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
Read 18 tweets
Mar 14
This famous painting hides a chilling secret. For 400 years, no one noticed.

But once you see it… you can’t unsee it.

Let’s uncover the mystery. 🧵👇 Jean de Dinteville, French Ambassador to the court of Henry VIII of England, and Georges de Selve, Bishop of Lavaur.  Painting: Hans Holbein the Younger's The Ambassadors at the National Gallery, London
At first glance, "The Ambassadors" (1533) by Hans Holbein the Younger looks like a typical Renaissance portrait.

Two wealthy men, luxurious details, symbols of knowledge. A celebration of power.

But there’s something hidden. And it’s disturbing. Cropped version of the painting
Look at the bottom of the painting. Do you notice that strange, stretched-out shape between their feet?

For centuries, people dismissed it as an odd brushstroke. A mistake, even.

But then someone looked at it from an extreme right angle… and everything changed. The anamorphic skull as restored in 1998, viewed here at an oblique angle Photo by By JimKillock - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,
Read 17 tweets
Mar 12
Rome, 1600s. The Catholic Church is under attack.

Protestants are smashing Christian art across Europe.

Then, a movement emerges—bold, theatrical— that fights back.

Here's how Baroque art saved Christian art forever... 🧵👇 Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore - Rome  One of four papal basilicas in Rome, located in Piazza dell'Esquilino, on top of the hill of the same name, on top of Cispio, between Rione Monti and Esquiline. It is the only basilica in Rome that still retains the original structure of the Basilica, despite later additions...  Credit: Kabubi on pinterest pin/511791945174879103/
Protestant Reformers rejected sacred images.

Rationalists were dismissing the divine.

The Church knew beauty was power. If it could overwhelm the senses, it could capture souls.

And then comes the Baroque: grandeur, movement, drama.
A visual argument that faith wasn’t just rational—it was something you felt.

No more distant, static figures. No more rigid compositions.

Baroque artists made heaven invade earth.

Ceilings dissolved into divine visions. Borghese Gallery, Rome! Credit: Evelyn M
Read 21 tweets
Mar 11
Some ruled empires. Some changed laws. Others sparked movements that still shape our world.

Here are 20 of the most influential women in history—whose impact still defines our lives today. 🧵👇 Queen Eleanor by Frederick Sandys, 1858 in National Museum Cardiff
1. Mary, Mother of Jesus (1st century BC–1st century AD)

Her role in Christianity has influenced billions for over 2,000 years.

Revered in Christianity and Islam, her presence in religious and cultural history is unmatched. Madonna of the Book by Sandro Botticelli in Milan in the Poldi Pezzoli Museum.
2. Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (555–620 AD)

She wasn’t just the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad—she was Islam’s first believer.

A powerful merchant, she used her wealth and influence to protect the early Muslim community.

Without her, Islam may never have survived its earliest days.A fictive medal of Khadijah seen in Promptuarii iconum insigniorum - 1553  By Published by Guillaume Rouillé (1518?-1589) - "Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum", Public Domain
Read 22 tweets
Mar 10
One-woman defied emperors, outwitted popes, and shaped the modern world as we know it.

Without her, society, education, and medicine would look completely different.

Here’s how Empress Theodora built the legal foundations that still protect millions today. 🧵👇 Théodora (1887), by Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
Theodora wasn’t born into power. She was born into poverty.

Her father was a bear trainer. When he died, she and her sisters were left destitute. In Constantinople, that meant one thing—survival by any means necessary.

But Theodora was more than just a survivor. She was a strategist.Sarah Bernhardt in Sardou's Théodora (1884)
She became an actress, a profession that, at the time, was seen as scandalous—many actresses were forced into sex work.

But Theodora didn’t just survive in this world. She used it as a training ground—learning politics, persuasion, and power.

Then, she met Justinian. Image
Read 13 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

:(