# Medieval Architecture **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 1, 2004, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-architecture/227070 "2004-02-01T18:30:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![freewilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@freewilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freewilly)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-architecture/227070/1 "2004-02-01T18:30:15Z")
Are medieval Cathedrals still used? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-architecture/227070/2 "2004-02-01T18:36:11Z")
Absolutely…even in the centre of big cities, eg. Notre Dame in Paris, Westminster Cathedral in London…in general, if they weren’t bombed to the ground in WW2 (eg in Coventry), they’re still in use and always have been. Many, at least in England, have started to charge an entrance fee for tourists, because the upkeep of such huge monuments costs an extraordinary amount. They make sure that attendance of services are not covered by that charge, though. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-architecture/227070/3 "2004-02-01T21:02:21Z")
Nothing to add to \*\* gorillaman \*\* 's post except that a significant number of churches in use over here (not only cathedrals) date back to the middle ages, so it’s nothing extraordinary to attend a church service in such a church/cathedral. Also, in France, there’s no charge to enter cathedrals, since essentially all of them (except the rare ones which have been build recently) belong to the state (and to the town/village for churches), hence the cost of the upkeep is paid for by the taxes. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-architecture/227070/4 "2004-02-02T11:39:37Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Absolutely…even in the centre of big cities, eg. Notre Dame in Paris, Westminster Cathedral in London… Just for your information, the foundation stone of [Westminster cathedral](http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/art/art_briefhist.html) was laid in 1895 and the building was completed eight years later. [Westminster abbey](http://www.westminster-abbey.org/), on the other hand, is quite a different matter. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-architecture/227070/5 "2004-02-02T12:31:42Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > Just for your information, the foundation stone of [Westminster cathedral](http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/art/art_briefhist.html) was laid in 1895 and the building was completed eight years later. > > [Westminster abbey](http://www.westminster-abbey.org/), on the other hand, is quite a different matter. Acckkk, I should pay attention to what I’m typing :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-architecture/227070/6 "2004-02-02T12:33:44Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Nothing to add to \*\* gorillaman \*\* 's post except that a significant number of churches in use over here (not only cathedrals) date back to the middle ages, so it’s nothing extraordinary to attend a church service in such a church/cathedral. > Also, in France, there’s no charge to enter cathedrals, since essentially all of them (except the rare ones which have been build recently) belong to the state (and to the town/village for churches), hence the cost of the upkeep is paid for by the taxes. Some of the churches in France do charge if you want to climb the tower or visit a special exhibition in the crypt but entrance to the main body of the church is usually free. The only exception I can think of is Sainte-Chapelle ,very close to Notre-Dame in Paris ,where an entrance charge is made. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-architecture/227070/7 "2004-02-02T14:33:53Z")
> [@freewilly](#): > > Are medieval Cathedrals still used? And its not just medieval Catherdrals. Many Oxbridge colleges were founded in the 1200s and 1300s and the original buildings are still in use. Rather wierd having lunch in college hall, when you realise that the building you’re eating in is more than 750 years old! ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-architecture/227070/8 "2004-02-02T16:26:06Z")
The Kolner Dom is still in use in Koln, Germany. Koln is between Aachen and Dusseldorf, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-architecture/227070/9 "2004-02-02T17:17:45Z")
In Rome, you can get older than medieval: Early Christian churches like Santa Sabina (c. 422) are still used for masses today.