This paper examines two particular Gothic
churches - Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome and the Church of S. Maria del Fiore in
Florence. Each church is examined for the combination of specific historical forces and styles, the building materials and techniques available to those who constructed them. It also looks at emblems that were used as meaningful symbols and the ways in which Gothic
churches connect people to the divine within the Catholic Church in a way that helped people to transcend their daily lives.