Gothic architecture emerged out of France in the middle of the 12th Century. It was originally known as “the French style” but was later coined “Gothic” as a pejorative, as it was felt that the style was inferior to classical architecture of the Greek and Roman styles, “goth” being a term used to describe presumably barbaric Central and Northern European people whom the Italians blamed for just coming in and ruining everything like a bunch of whiny cry-babies.
