gotica

Gotica is the feminine form of the adjective gotico in Italian and Spanish, and the corresponding form in Portuguese, used to describe things related to the Gothic. In everyday usage it appears in phrases such as arquitectura gotica (Gothic architecture), arte gotica (Gothic art), and literatura gotica (Gothic literature). As a cultural term, gotica can also refer to design, fashion, and aesthetics associated with the Gothic movement.

The Gothic style originated in the 12th century in Europe, with France as a starting point, and spread across the continent, influencing architecture, sculpture, and decorative arts until the Renaissance in various regions. It is characterized by features such as pointed arches, ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, slender plan forms, and large stained-glass windows.

In modern contexts, the word is used to describe the Gothic subculture, including music (goth rock, darkwave), fashion, and cinema, particularly in Romance-language media. In some cases gotica is used as a proper noun or title in works that draw on Gothic themes.

Etymology: derived from Medieval Latin Gothicus, from the Goths, a Germanic people whose name came to denote the broader historical and stylistic category known as Gothic. See also Gothic, Gotico, Gotique.