Romanesque architecture
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- For other uses see Romanesque (disambiguation)
The term Romanesque, like many other stylistic designations of periods in architecture, was not a term contemporary with the art it describes, but an invention of modern scholarship to categorize a period. The term "Romanesque" dates from the early 18th century and attempts to link the architecture of the 11th and 12th centuries in medieval Europe to Roman Architecture, based on similarities of forms and materials. Romanesque is characterized by a use of round arches, barrel vaults, cruciform piers supporting vaults, and groin vaults. It is often referred to in Britain as Norman architecture.
The great carved portals of 12th century church facades (see Church of St. Trophime) parallel the architectural novelty of the period—monumental stone sculpture seems to have been reborn in the Romanesque.
Romanesque appears to have been the first pan-European style since Roman imperial architecture; examples are found in every part of the continent. One important fact pointed out by the stylistic similarity of buildings across Europe is the relative mobility of medieval people. Contrary to many modern ideas of life before the Industrial Revolution, merchants, nobles, knights, artisans, and peasants crossed Europe and the Mediterranean world for business, war, and religious pilgrimages, carrying their knowledge of what buildings in different places looked like. The important pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela (Way of Saint James), in Galicia (present-day northwestern Spain) also generated and spread some aspects of the Romanesque style. A particular scheme of pilgrimage church appeared and developed throughout the main routes in Tours, Limoges, Conques, Toulouse and Santiago de Compostela.
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[edit] Style characteristics
A combination of masonry, arch and piers are the basis of the Romanesque style. The main concept for buildings was the addition of pure geometrical forms. The new concept of stone vaulting required stronger walls for support. Because of the lack of knowledge of the building statics, it was necessary to build strong, thick walls with narrow openings.
The Pier (an upright support generally square or rectangular in plan) is a better solution for masonry walls than the column. Columns are subsequently replaced by piers, or are transformed to better support the masonry arches. Geometrisation and rigidity in Romanesque architecture is evident in the transformation of column capitals from Corinthian to cubic capitals, as found in the church of St. Michael, Hildesheim. There is also one new element in the capitals developed during the Romanesque period—the impost, a trapezoid form that stands between capital and arch.
Three types of alternation of supporting elements appeared during the Romanesque:
- Simple alternation - 1 column (circular) is followed by 1 pier (rectangular)
- Double alternation - 2 piers stand between every column
- Triple alternation - 3 piers stand between every column
[edit] Transitional Period
As with other architictural styles, Romanesque was replaced over a period of time. Large buildings took a significant number of years for construction, due to financing, disease, weather, conflicts, etc. During the 13th century there were churches which were in all phases of construction as the Gothic style was rising into prominence. In some cases, Romanesque was used for the entire construction and in others, the shift to Gothic construction was made early enough for the style to be reflected throughout. There are few good examples left of churches which exhibit both Romanesque and Gothic architecture quite clearly in their current structures. The Basiliek van Onze Lieve Vrouwe Tenhemelopneming (known locally as Onze Lieve Vrouwe Kerk--"Church of Our Dear Lady") is an example of such a transition. The exterior structure is virtually Romanesque with round towers and semi-circular arches, however, the interior, completed after the transition, is fully Gothic. The front entrance to the church has a simple, curved Roman archway which is been topped with a clearly Gothic facade and gable structure.
[edit] Regional varieties
- Further information: List of Romanesque architecture
[edit] Great Britain
[edit] France
Romanesque architecture expanded in France through monasteries. Burgundy was the center of monastic life in France; one of the most important Benedictine monastery of medieval Europe was the one in Cluny. The pilgrimage also contributed to the expansion of the Romanesque style. Many pilgrims passed through France on their way to Santiago de Compostela. An example; Saint-Benoît-du-Sault, in the Berry province.
French Romanesque schools of architecture, which are specific for every region, are characterized by the variety of stone vaulting.
[edit] Spain
The romanesque look first developed in the Iberian Peninsula in the 10th and 11th centuries and before Cluny`s influence, in Lleida, Barcelona, Tarragona and Huesca and in the Pyrenees, simultaneously with the north of Italy, what is been called "First Romanesque" or "Lombard Romanesque". It is a very primitive style, whose characteristics are thick walls, lack of sculpture and the presence of rhythmic ornamental arches.
The plain Romanesque Architecture arrived with the influence of Cluny through the Way of Saint James, that ends in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The model of the Spanish Romanesque in the 12th century was the Cathedral of Jaca, with its characteristic apse structure and plan, and its "chess" decoration in stripes, called taqueado jaqués. As the Christian kingdoms of Spain advanced to the south, that model spread throughout the reconquered areas with some variations. Spanish Romanesque also shows the influence of Spanish pre-Romanesque styles, mainly Asturian and Mozarabic. But there is also a strong influence of Moorish architecture in Spain at this time, as can be seen in the vaults of Córdoba's Mosque, and the polylobulated arches. In the 13th century, some Romanesque churches alternated with the Gothic. Aragón, Castile and Navarre are areas with many examples of Spanish Romanesque architecture.
[edit] Poland
In regions where stone was not readily available, brick was sometimes used as a construction material. An example of brick romanesque architecture is St. Jacob church in Sandomierz, Poland. This church was founded in 1226 by Iwo Odrowąż and built by his nephew St. Jacek Odrowąż. The church was constructed in Romanesque style but the campanille, built in the XIV century, was in early Gothic style.
 West façade of Maria Laach Abbey in Germany (end of the 11th-13th centuries) |
 Southern transept of Tournai Cathedral, Belgium (12th century). |
 Brick portal of the St. Jacob Church in Sandomierz |
[edit] References
[edit] See also
- List of Romanesque architecture
- Romanesque art
- Renaissance of the 12th century
- Romanesque Revival architecture
- Periods of Architecture
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[edit] External links
- Romanesque Churches in Southern Burgundy
- Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland
- Illustrated history (French)
- Overview of French Romanesque art
- French Romanesque art through 150 places {fr}{es}{en}
- Italian, French and Spanish Romanesque art (it) (fr) (es) (en)
- Spanish and Zamora´s Romanesque art, easy navigation{es}
- Spanish Romanesque art{es}
- Satan in the Groin - exhibitionist carvings on mediæval churches
