Flamboyant

Flamboyant style
Facade of the Trinity Abbey, Vendôme
Façade of the Trinity Abbey, Vendôme (Completed 1507)
Years activeFrom 15th to 16th century
LocationFrance and Spain

Flamboyant (from French flamboyant 'flaming') is a lavishly-decorated style of Gothic architecture that appeared in France and Spain in the 15th century, and lasted until the mid-sixteenth century and the beginning of the Renaissance.[1] Elaborate stone tracery covered both the exterior and the interior. Windows were decorated with a characteristic s-shaped curve. Masonry wall space was reduced further as windows grew even larger. Major examples included the northern spire of Chartres Cathedral, Trinity Abbey, Vendôme, and Burgos Cathedral and Segovia Cathedral in Spain. It was gradually replaced by Renaissance architecture in the 16th century.[1]

  1. ^ a b Encyclopedia Britannica, "Flamboyant style" (by subscription), accessed April 2024