Gothic is the style of architecture and art that succeeded Romanesque and prevailed in Europe from the mid-12th century to the 16th century. Like many other stylistic labels, the word was originally a term of abuse. It was coined by Italian artists of the Renaissance to denote the type of medieval architecture they condemned as barbaric. The Gothic style is still characterised chiefly in terms of architecture – in particular by the use of pointed arches, rib vaults, and flying buttresses. None of these features was first used in the Gothic period, but when employed together they created a new type of skeletal structure and a sense of graceful resilience that was very different in spirit from the massive solidity of Romanesque buildings.