More than any other art form, the great European cathedral's of the middle ages herald the triumph of a unique and vital western civilization unified in Christendom and feudalism.

To undertake such decades-long building projects meant prestige and wealth for the chosen town - work and food, glory and grace.

Contrary to some popular opinion that the money spent on these monumental tributes to the sovereignty of God could have better been spent on providing for the poor, these building projects provided a tremendous boost for the economies of the cities so endowed.
Today we choose from a variety of worldviews to suit our taste and inclinations. In the middle ages, all structures of thought were expressed under the umbrella of the medieval Christian sureties.

When an entire population is united in faith and will, any achievement is possible - even the glorious splendors of the gothic cathedral.

The Gothic style emerged in the 12th century at a time of growing prosperity and scholarship in France. Accompanying this secular revival was a simultaneous growth in religious fervor and donations to the cathedrals greatly increased. The first Gothic church, Saint Denis, was completed in 1144. By the time of Louis IX's death in 1270, France was the best governed and most prosperous country in Europe. In affluent mercantile towns, skilled masons constructed towering Gothic cathedrals of revolutionary design. With their improbable height and lightness, they were a testimony to both faith and prosperity.

Let Custom Euro Tours design a tour around some of Europe's finest historic cathedral's.