odditiesoflife:

10 Incredible Gargoyles & Grotesques

In architecture, grotesques are often confused with gargoyles because both are eerie, strange creatures that are carved from stone and placed on the tops and sides of buildings. However, the distinction is that gargoyles are figures that contain a water spout through the mouth which conveys water away from the sides of buildings, while grotesques do not. Grotesques are used for ornamentation. Architects often used multiple gargoyles on buildings to divide the flow of rainwater off the roof to minimize the potential water damage from a rainstorm.

1. Cologne Cathedral — Cologne, Germany
   
2. St. Mary’s Cathedral — Edinburgh, Scotland
   
3. Westminster abbey — London, England
   
4. Magdalen College — England
   
5. Nidaros Cathedral — Trondheim, Norway
   
6. Marble Church, Bodelwyddan — Clwyd, Wales
   
7. Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya — Barcelona, Spain
   
8. Château d’Amboise — Amboise, France
   
9. Winchester Cathedral — Winchester, England
   
10. Notre Dame Cathedral — Paris, France