Summarize how changes in the structure of the walls in a Gothic cathedral permitted the complexity and amount of stained glass at a church such as Chartres Cathedral

What will be an ideal response?

Essay responses should include these points:
• Structural changes emphasize height.
• The structural height is supported by exterior buttressing.
• Arches were pointed instead of round, allowing for higher walls.
• These pointed arches came down in piers, collectively supporting the interior of the wall.
• Ribbed vaulting further supported the wall structure and arches by serving as structural "bones" to the body of the cathedral.
• Because of the additional support, thinner walls could now be constructed, and those thinner walls could more easily accommodate the program of stained glass.