In this video, we explore the symbolic functions of gargoyles beyond their utilitarian role as waterspouts. These sculptural figures often embodied moral, spiritual, and didactic meanings within the architectural context of cathedrals and religious buildings. Through selected examples, we reflect on how their forms and iconography conveyed messages intended to educate, intimidate, or protect, deeply rooted in the beliefs and social imagination of the Middle Ages.
Arte, historia e investigación
Doctor of Art History and researcher specializing in the study of gargoyles.
I am Dolores Herrero Ferrio, and my thesis, “An Approach to the Study of Gargoyles of Gothic Cathedrals in Castilla and León”, is dedicated to the study of these fascinating figures.
If you like gargoyles and art history, you will also enjoy my book, “The Gargoyle and Its Iconography,” a book I have written with great care for those interested in the world of gargoyles.
I have created my own Encyclopedia of Gargoyles, a Gargopedia to share with you, where you will discover all the secrets and wonders of these enigmatic sculptures.
I hope you enjoy this Gargopedia as much as I have enjoyed creating it, and remember that each gargoyle has a story to tell, and here you will discover them all.
