History of Western Architecture

Lecture 8: Romanesque Architecture

Prepared by Lecturer : Ar. Sunaina Karmacharya Amatya III/I

 LECTURE OUTLINE
• Early Christian Architecture
• History and Expansion of Romanesque
• Architectural Characteristics
• Architectural Types
 Monasteries
 Churches
 Castles
• Regional Features
 France
 Italy
 Germany
 England
 Spain
MAP OF EUROPE
 Early Christian architecture
• This Architectural style after the decline of Roman Empire
is Christian (Early Romanesque Architecture , 6th -11th
century)
• The invaders lacked the knowledge and skill to carry on
roman achievements in art literature, and engineering.
• Civil wars, people used to move here and there for
shelter/livelihood and churches provided them shelters.
• Holy roman broken into –Peasant’s life.
• Christian architects borrowed from the roman’s and used
arch and vaults.
 Early Christian architecture
• They based their chief type of church design, the basilica, on larger
roman halls that were used for public meeting.
• Old St. peter church (basilica of St. Peter) begun about 330, was
probably first important early Christian basilica.
• The church was constructed over a cemetery.
• T-shaped plan, vertical part of T was nave.
• Two aisle run along each sides of nave.
• A semicircular end called Apse opened western end of the church.
• The Apse, which was covered by a half dome, contained main
church.
Early Christian architecture
 Early Christian architecture

• Although churches were used for specific purpose,

• it remained a shelter for civilization and culture throughout the dark period.
• Religions were preached in churches
 Early Christian architecture

• Construction method adopted from early Roman Period. 

• Much of construction materials from the old Roman Building remains. 
• The same capitals/common were used if could not fit, the same were modified 
• Early Christian Architecture bear upon Roman Architecture. 
• Had no Architecture value or style.
• Churches were developed from Roman Basilica.
 Influence of Christianity

• The castle life- supported by the taxes of the peasants.

– Around the 12th century fortified dwellings began to give way to stone
castles.
– Some of these, with their great outer walls and courtyard buildings, 15
acres and were built for defensive warfare.
– Housed 10-60 families
 Resource
• Financial-with the increasing Christianization, patronage
passed more and more to church, acquired large holding of
land and other wealth by gift.
• Human- seen shortage of skilled architects and craftsman.
• Later they increase in professional expertise at the highest
level.
 Resource

• Material- earlier salvage materials were used.

• These were ample supply of fired brick.
• Stone quarries, supplied by earlier Roman
 HISTORY- Romanesque
• Appeared during the Middle Age (1050-1200 AD)
• First style that can be found all over Europe
• Romanesque art developed due to a series of causes:
End of Barbarian invasions
The establishment of peace in the Christian world
Development of cities, commerce and industry
Hope of rebuilding the present along the lines of
the perceived past. The building styles that
expressed hope , collectively known as
Romanesque.
 HISTORY- Romanesque
• Crusades
• This created more devout Christians
• In 711, the Muslims invaded western Europe (Spain)
• Viking threat also being a thing of the past, more
unemployed soldiers
• Crusades were devised to take back Holy Land from
Muslims
 ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
• massive quality >Its thick walls
• Round arches>decorative arcading
• Sturdy Piers
• Groin vaults
• Large towers
• Used the basilica-plan as the model
• Used cut stone and mortar
• Before 11th century used timber roofs > Romanesque use stone vaulting
• Arcades in side aisles allowed for pilgrims to walk around without
disturbing ceremonies
• Cruciform layout (long nave traversed by short transept)
• Harmonious proportion
• Blind Arches
 CHARACTERISTIC OF ROMANESQUE
ARCHITECTURE
• Style of Architecture is
Arculated and every
structural division in order
to produce unified
compositions
• The most innovation of
this style were :
• the developments of Pier
forms,
• Introduction of gallery
Triforium
• Regular crossing, inclusion
of wall passage
• Evolution of new concepts in
external massing
 CHARACTERISTIC OF ROMANESQUE
ARCHITECTURE
•Shaft of columns mostly decorated

•Walls ceiling decorate with mosaic

•Structural simple/narrow and

particularly stress laid on the west
side Tower/Apse and multiple
towers giving a sense of
height/importance.

•This style was reproduction of

Roman vaulted style and developed
based on Classic Roman Art style
having a common structural Approach
although detailed varied from
Regions/nations.
CHARACTERISTIC OF ROMANESQUE
ARCHITECTURE
 ARCHITECTURAL TYPES
• There are three main architectonical typologies:

Churches
Monasteries
Castles
ROMANESQUE DETAILS
MONASTERIES
Basic plan of Romanesque Architecture
 ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE

• In 800 AD Pope Frankish king Charlemagne

(768-814) as Roman Emperor erected his
palace Chapel (792-805) at Aachen a copy of
San Vital in Ravenna. And is the beginning of
the Romanesque Architecture
• Developments took place all Europe
• Romanesque today was :
the reproduction of Roman vaulted style.
Great originality in interior spatial planning
and in exterior massing and decoration.
 Aachen cathedral (792-805), Germany

• Built by charlemagne as his tomb. The entrance flanked by

staircase turrets, leads into a polygonal of 16 sides, 32 m in
diameter.
 CHURCH
• Main building
• Symbolized God’s kingdom
• Holiest part was the apse
• Cross shape
• Symbolism :
 Circular parts reflect perfection so they were
linked to God
 Squared parts are related to the human.
 CHURCH
Characteristics:
 Monumental
 Imitate the Roman models in the Pilgrimage churches
 Small in country churches
 They were designed for advertising Catholic church
 Made of stone>longer lasting
 Plans could be:
• Latin cross
• Polygonal
• Basilical

Latin cross Polygonal Basilical

Parts of the plan

A domed or vaulted recess or

projection on a building
especially the east end of a
church; usually contains the
altar
Outer Parts of Church
 CHURCH
• Roof covered by stoned vaults
• Wall are thick
• Strong Buttresses
• Foundations are strong
• Few windows
 church
• Interior elevation> three levels: Clerestory

 First floor with columns or cross-shaped

pillars

 Second floor with the tribune (The apse of a Tribune

Christian church that contains the bishop's
throne-corridor over looking the nave, over
the aisles)

 Clerestory: area of windows opening to the

outside.
Cross
Column Pillar
 church
Type of covers:
Barrel vault> used
mainly to cover the
central nave

Groin vault >common in

Dome>spherical were used in apses.
aisles and ambulatory
The central could stand on
pendentives or squinches
 castles
• Defensive
constructions

• Fortified for
providing shelter

• Wall was one of

the essential
elements

• tend to be build in
stepped areas,
easier to defend.
 Romanesque in Italy

Baptistery
Cathedral Campanile
Romanesque in Italy
Romanesque in Italy
 PISA CATHEDRAL, Pisa, Italy (1063 –1138 AD)
• One of the most famous
buildings groups of the world,
Pisa Cathedral, strongly
individually.
• It resembles other basilica
churches in plan, with long rows
of columns connected by arches
double aisles and a nave timber
roof.
• The transepts, each with an
apse at the end were an
advance on the simple basilica
on its general proportions and
on the delicacy of its
ornamental features
Baptistery (1153 – 1265 AD)
• Circular plan with central space or nave,
18.3 meters in diameters
• Externally surrounded on lower storey by
half-columns, connected by semicircular
arches
• Structure crowned by outer hemispherical
roof, through which penetrated truncated
cone capped by small covering central
space
Campanile or Bell Tower (Leaning Tower of Pisa
(1174 – 1271 AD)
• Circular tower 16
meters dia, 8 stories
with encircling
arcades
• This world famous
leaning tower,
inclination due to
subsidence in
foundations
• Tower overhangs its
base more than 4.2
meters and has very
unstable appearance
• Bell stage not added
until 1350
 St. MARK’S BASILICA, Venice (Italy)
1063 – 1096 (with finishing until 19th Century)

• cross plan similar to Constantinople church of the Holy Apostles; five

domes covering the cross and each of the arms, supported by large
piers
• Venice is a part of the Byzantine Empire for five hundred years. After
independent republic it continued to look East rather than West.
• The first church on the site was completed in 832 is embellished with
mosaics.
 Romanesque in spain
• First Romanesque: Catalonia

• In the 11th century the region was

almost assimilated to France

• Due to this they receive the art early

• The rest of the Spain >with the

pilgrimage
Romanesque in spain
• Catalan churches present, in the
outside, ordered volumes

• Wall are decorated with Lombard

bands, and blind arches and galleries

• The plan has three naves, with a small

narthex

• The head has triple apse

 Romanesque in Spain
• Characteristics of pilgrimage
churches:

– Plan with aisles and a Santiago De

transept Compostella> Plan

– In the transept there are

radial chapels

– Inside there is a tribune

– The head has ambulatory

and radial chapels
 Romanesque in spain
• There are polygonal
buildings too

• They are related to the

Temple

• They are inspired in

Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre
•
• Examples are Eunate, Torres
del Rio (both in Navarre) and
Veracruz (Segovia).
Romanesque in spain
• Castile and Leon

• It is deeply influenced by the

pilgrimage routes
 Romanesque in Spain
• Buildings are simple and small

• It created a contrast in relation to the refined

Hispano Muslim architecture.

• They frequently have a covered area in the

outside for the meetings of the councils.
Romanesque in Spain
• The best examples are:

Santiago’s cathedral
Fromista
Sant Climent de Tahull
San Pere de Roda
San Juan de la Peña

• There are other buildings such as castles

(Loarre, in Huesca) or bridges, essential for
pilgrims (Puentelarreina, Navarre)
 Romanesque in france
• It was the original region of Romanesque art
• It appeared in Cluny’s abbey
• From there it expanded due to pilgrimage routes, specially to Santiago in Spain.
Romanesque in France
Romanesque in France
 Romanesque in Germany
• Churches were planned on a large scale
• They used to be very high
• They had an apse or sanctuary at each end.
• Numerous round or octagonal towers that conferred them a picturesque silhouette.
 Romanesque in England
• Romanesque in England also called
NORMAN

• Before the 10th century were made of

wood

• Stone buildings were small and roughly

constructed
Romanesque in England
• Long, narrow buildings

• Heavy walls and piers

• Rectangular apses

• Double transepts and deeply recessed portals

• Naves were covered with flat roofs, later replaced by

vaults

• Side aisles were covered with groined vaults

 Durham Cathedral,
Durham, England (1093 to 1220 AD)

• Anglo-Norman Cathedral of Durham one of world’s

supreme masterpieces of Romanesque architecture
• Begun in 1093, cathedral built mainly in 12th Century and
its west towers completed by 1220
 Durham Cathedral,
Durham, England (1093 to 1220 AD)

• The impression on entering the cathedral is one of overwhelming

grandeur.
• The circular piers have boldly incised patterns above the aisles is a
deep gallery that harbors flying buttresses.
• Durham Cathedral was the first building in Europe to have ribbed
vaults throughout and one of the earliest to have pointed transverse
arches in the nave.
AACHEN PALACE
CATHEDRAL ROMANESQUE SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA,
SPAIN

THIRD ABBEY
ARCHITECTURE
CHURCH, FRANCE
ST. MARKS BASILICA, ITALY

DURHAM CATHEDRAL,
ENGLAND
 Assignments
1. Explain how Byzantine and Romanesque
architecture evolved from Roman
architecture and how they are different from
each other.
2. “Rome is not built in a day” Explain the
statement with related sketches.