Sonya Mueller
C. Damschroder
Art History 112 H
12 Feb 2007
St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption
Today I had the pleasure of visiting one of the hidden gems of the greater
Cincinnati area, St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington,
Kentucky. This beautiful cathedral stands in a rather odd place, surrounded by
gas stations, a school, and other staples of modern culture. Nevertheless, this
Roman Catholic cathedral exemplifies the great Gothic cathedrals of Europe.
The exterior itself imitates the exterior of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris,
France. However, the Cathedral Basilica does not have two large bell towers like
Notre Dame. The exterior is made of stone. This stone is ornamented with the
popular Gothic quatrefoil design. The exterior has large buttresses that surround
the north and south walls. Also, the flying buttress system is found connecting
the buttress pier to the roof. Another typical feature are its gargoyles that are
found throughout the exterior.
The western facade or main portal is almost identical to that of Notre
Dame. The western facade and the entire cathedral, exemplifies the tripartite
theme, having three doors, and wherever possible being divided into three
distinct sections. The western façade includes the main portal, which hosts a
wonderfully ornamented tympanum, trumeau, and doorjambs. The tympanum, a
semi-circle above the central door, has a scene of Mary where people are
placing roses at her feet. The trumeau is actually a sculpture of Mary and baby
Jesus. The doorjambs here do not host sculptures, as they did in many gothic
churches in Europe, but instead are pillars with a trefoil cut out shape on the top.
The archivolts have a vine design.
Moving inside the cathedral, it continues with its gothic inspiration and
design. The rib and groin vaulting is a staple of the gothic period. The springing
piers lead up exposing the innovative rib and groin vaulting. Also, the Cathedral
is full of stained glass; the entire clerestory is filled with stained glass pictures of
the Saints. The stained glass windows that line the north and south walls below
the triforium tell the story of Jesus from birth to ascension. Its gothic influence is
apparent in its pointed arches, found through out the interior lining the nave in
particular. The interior plan is typical of any gothic structure, containing a nave,
two side aisles, a north and south transept, an apse, and a choir area.
While the exterior, especially the west façade, is reminiscent of the Notre
Dame Cathedral in Paris, the interior is not. The interior, in my opinion is more
like Abby Church of St.Denis. They both share the springing piers and similar rib
and groin vaulting. The triforiums in both St. Denis and St. Mary’s Cathedral
Basilica are almost identical in pillar/pier design, following above the side aisles.
They both contain two rose windows. There is one larger rose window above the
main portal, then a smaller rose window on the north wall. However, the stone
ornamentation inside St. Denis is much more ornate than that of St. Mary’s. Also,
St. Mary’s has very distinct, beautiful wooden sculpture throughout the crossing,
especially the pulpit. There are also mosaic scenes of Jesus’s life that line the
north and south walls below the stained glass. Also, St. Mary’s has added a
special chapel with a beautiful fresco next to the south transept that St. Denis
does not have. St. Mary’s does not have radiating chapels, however, as St. Denis
does. St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption seems to be inspired by
St. Denis, but not a replication of it.
Initially I thought that something this beautiful could not possibly be here in
Cincinnati, but I was proven wrong as I saw the breath taking exterior of the west
façade when I pulled up to the church. The architect surely understood the basics
of Gothic architecture, as evident in the technical tools of flying buttresses,
stonework, rib and groin vaulting, and the beauty of stained glass. The architect
must have respected past architects skill and beauty by taking their works, like
Notre Dame and St Denis, and creating it hundreds of years later and an ocean
apart from its predecessor.
The building of this Cathedral, which began in 1894, brought the Gothic
ideals along with it. The planners and architects understood the Gothic ideals of
use of mathematics to construct beauty. Technically and aesthetically, those who
planned it understood the importance of the use of light, as evident in the many
strategically placed beautiful stained glass windows. Also, they exemplified the
popular gothic subject matter, the adoration and worship of Mary, the mother of
Jesus, which can be seen throughout the interior stained glass scenes, and
statues, as well as the tympanum and trumeau on the main portal. All in all, St.
Mary’s Cathedral Basilica is a jewel, found in the heart of Covington, KY, that
illustrates the beauty, technically, aesthetically, and acoustically, that Gothic
architecture brought to the world, even if it was built 600- 700 years later.