Why are cathedrals such as Chartres considered a symbol of the Catholic Churchs power in medieval Europe?

Answer 1

The Cathedral is the mother Church of a diocese, it is the Bishop's home Church and it is the only Church in a diocese which contains his throne (the Cathedra, from which Cathedral takes its name). It must be consecrated, and the date of consecration and the date of its titular feast must be observed liturgically throughout the diocese. The Gothic Cathedral's distinguishing mark was its architecture with the pointed arches and the stone vaulting needed to allow the walls to soar to such great heights. The unique thing about Gothic architecture is that it is the only completely Christian style, all previous styles were based on pagan building concepts. With Christian Gothic, Cathedrals could reach to heaven with an airy lightness without this particular form of architecture. The previous Romance period had extremely heavy, thick walls and rounded arches, and gave a more solid feel than Gothic.

from A Catholic Dictionary, edited by Donald Attwater, Second edition, revised 1957

Gothic's distinguishing characteristic (for the lay-observer) is the pointed arch and the system of stone vaulting thereby made possible. It was not an ecclesiastical style - barns, bridges, and houses of this era (1200-1500 approximately) were built by the same workmen in the same way. From the fact that it was entirely the creation of Christian men and owed nothing directly to pagan models, this sort of building has been represented by enthusiasts as the only one suitable for Catholic churches, at least in Western Europe. . . . Perfectly plain and unornamented Gothic building is possible where stone is readily available; but it is the ornamental accompaniments of mediæval Gothic which make it popular and these are not obtainable under modern conditions except in lifeless copies.

Answer 2

Because they were often larger than most buildings, showing that they were more superior.

Answer 3

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