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façadeclick to hear

façade tympanum portal pier pier splay lintel order trefoil gable flying buttress belfry spire gallery stained glass tracery rose window bell tower louver-board

tympanum click to hear

Flat portion of the portal above the door and between the orders.

portal click to hear

Ornamental architectural feature of a façade containing one or several doors.

pier click to hear

Pillar dividing the portal in two and supporting the lintels.

pier click to hear

Masonry pillar supporting the orders.

splay click to hear

Recessed side of the portal that widens from its inside to its outside edge.

lintel click to hear

Horizontal section of the door frame that fills the opening above a door or portal.

order click to hear

Each of the receding arches that form a vault over a portal.

trefoil click to hear

Ornamental motif comprised of three lobes.

gable click to hear

Triangular decorative element with molded edges, located above the portal.

flying buttress click to hear

Masonry structure in the shape of a partial arch; it supports a wall by transferring the pressure of the vaults onto an abutment.

belfry click to hear

Small steeplelike ornament in the shape of a pyramid; it is found on the corners of the transept or on each side of the façade.

spire click to hear

Tapering part in the shape of a pyramid that surmounts the belfry.

gallery click to hear

Covered passage along the cathedral’s façade, decorated with statues.

stained glass click to hear

Translucent decorative work comprised of an assemblage of glass pieces, usually colored, that fills a bay.

tracery click to hear

Stone framework adorning the inside of a bay.

rose window click to hear

Large circular bay composed of decorative tracery and stained glass; it is also called a rosette.

bell tower click to hear

Tower with bays in which the bells are hung.

louver-board click to hear

Inclined slat located in the bell tower bay; it projects the sound of the bells downward.