Why did medieval people design and build their

cathedrals to be so large and awe inspiring?

Cathedrals were built in gothic style. Gothic style is famous for having long and narrow windows so the sun barely could light up the whole place. In medieval times people were used to asceticism-a belief in which one believes they should live without pleasures that life gives. During that time the church was the most powerful state authority and it promoted that way of life where humans felt small and insignificant. That's why they made cathedrals so big-to praise the god and saints as impersionatiom of something perfect.