ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Medieval architecture

Okay, kiddo! Have you ever seen a castle or a big old church with pointy towers and arches and stuff? That's medieval architecture!

Back in the Middle Ages, which was a really long time ago, people built things differently than they do now. They didn't have all the fancy machines and tools we have today, so they had to use whatever materials they could find around them.

One really important part of medieval architecture is something called a "vault." A vault is like a big, arched ceiling that helps hold up the roof of a building. To make a vault, builders would use lots of small stones or bricks that were shaped like wedges. They would stack these stones on top of each other in a curve until they met in the middle, making a strong arch.

Another thing you might notice in medieval architecture is all the little details. Buildings were often decorated with things like carvings and statues, and they would use different shapes and colors of stones to create patterns and designs. This made them look really beautiful and more special than just a plain old building.

So, medieval architecture is all about using simple materials and techniques to create buildings that are strong and beautiful. It might look a bit different than what we're used to seeing now, but it's still really cool to look at and learn about!