Romanesque
Architecture
INFLUENCE
HISTORY
• The Roman Empire was halved into East and West
• Those outside the Empire were called
“barbarians” - German tribes such as the Franks,
Saxons, Vandals, Goths; Asian tribes such as the
Huns
• 4th century, Huns invaded Europe forcing the
Goths and Vandals to seek shelter inside the
Roman Empire
• Rome agreed to let them stay in exchange for
help against the Huns.
• In 410 AD, Alaric the Goth seized Rome, settled in
Spain
• Ostrogoths held much of Italy, Vandals moved
across Europe into Africa
• 486 – 507, Clovis, King of the Franks, conquered
Gaul, but was overthrown by the Carolingians in 751
AD
• Franks, Visigoths and Burgundians ruled Gaul
• Angles, Saxons and Jutes occupied Britain
• The decline of the Roman Empire led
to the rise of independent states and
nations across Europe
• Most states still had ecclesiastical
and political ties to Rome
• This went on for three centuries,
from 500 to 800 AD
•Charlemagne, a
Frankish Carolingian
king, was barbarian
Europe’s most
effective ruler.
•In 800 AD, he was
crowned Emperor by
Pope Leo III .
•established the Holy
Roman Empire, tried to
be as grand as the
Roman and Byzantine
emperors before him.
• Built his palace in Aachen, based on Byzantine
palace and chapel in Constantinople
• Conquered parts of Germany, Austria, Italy and
Spain
• Art and civilization was restored over Europe
• There was a new religious enthusiasm:
• The crusades were conducted against Muslims
• Papacy rose to great power
• Great monastic foundations
• Christianity was source of education, culture,
and economy
• In 814 AD, Charlemagne’s empire began to
break up splitting into 3 kingdoms
• Vikings from Norway, Denmark and Sweden
began attacking Britain, France, Ireland, Russia
and North America, only stopping by 1000 AD
RELIGION
• Rise of the religious orders
• Science, letters, art and culture were the
monopoly of orders
• Gave impulse to architecture; fostered
art and learning
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
DESCRIPTION
• Religious fervour expressed in:
• Art, cathedrals and monastic buildings
• Architecture spread throughout Europe but
governed by classical traditions –
“Romanesque”
• Ruins of classical buildings - classical
precedent was used only to suit the
fragments of old ornaments used in new
buildings
CATHEDRALS
•Mostly
Basilican in
plan.
•Rib and Panel
vaulting -
framework of
ribs support
thin stone
panels.
BAPTISTERIES
• Large, separate buildings usually octagonal in
plan and connected to the cathedral by the
atrium
• Used 3 times a year: Easter, Pentecost,
Epiphany
CAMPANILES
• Straight towers shafts, generally standing
alone
• Served as civic monuments, symbols of
power, watch towers
NORTHERN ITALY
•Milan, Venice, Ravenna,
Pavia, Verona, Genoa - cities
competed to construct
glorious buildings
•Links to Northern Europe
(through alpine passes) and
Constantinople (through
Venice and Ravenna)
•Ornamental arcades all over
façade
•Wheel window
•Central projecting porch,
with columns on roughly-
carved grotesque figures of
men and beasts (shows
Northern European influence)
SOUTHERN
ITALY
•Underwent Greek, Roman,
Byzantine, Muslim and Norman
rule
•Richer in design and colour
•Elaborate wheel windows –
made of sheets of pierced
marble
•Greater variety in columns
and capitals
•Elaborate bronze doors and
bronze pilasters
•Byzantine influence: mosaic
decorations, no vaults, used
domes
•Muslim influence: use of
striped marbles, stilted
pointed arches, colourful,
geometric designs as
predominant interior
CEFALU CATHEDRAL,
SICILY
• Most
distinct
Romanesque
church in
Sicily.
MONREALE CATHEDRAL
• Most splendid under Norman rule in
Sicily.
• Basilican and Byzantine planning.
CENTRA
L ITALY
•Rome, Florence,
Naples, Pisa – cities
rich in pagan
influence
•Pisa had
commercial links
with the Holy Land;
fought with Muslims
•Great stone and
mineral wealth,
brilliant
atmosphere
PISA CATHEDRAL
• Forms one of most famous building groups in
the world - Cathedral, Baptistery, Campanile,
and Campo Santo
• Resembles other early Basilican churches in
plan
• Exterior of red and white marble bands
BAPTISTERY
• 39.3 m circular plan by Dioti Salvi
CAMPAMILE
• aka The “Leaning Tower of Pisa”
• 8 storeys, 16 m in diameter
• Due to failure of foundations, overhangs 4.2 m
FRANCE
•Remains of old
buildings were less
abundant – they had
greater freedom of
developing new style
•Rib-vaults and semi-
circular or pointed
arches over the nave
and aisles
•Timber-framed roofs
of slate finish and
steep slope to throw
off snow
S. MADELEINE,
VEZELAY
Earliest
pointed
cross-
vault in
France
ABBEY OF ST. DENIS, NEAR PARIS
• Among the first instances of using
the pointed arch
• Ribbed vault, pointed arch and flying
buttresses successfully combined
CENTRAL EUROPE
WORMS CATHEDRAL
•Eastern and
western apses
and octagons
•2 circular
towers flank
each
•Octagon at
crossing, with
pointed roof
SPAIN
•Use of both
Basilican and
Greek-cross
forms
•Use of
horseshoe arch
SANTIAGO DE
COMPOSTELA
• Finest achievement of
ENGLAND
3 foundations:
1. Old foundation -
served by secular
clergy
2. Monastic
foundation - served
by regular clergy or
monks
3. New foundation - to
which bishops had
been appointed
PETERBOROUGH CATHEDRAL
• Fine Norman interior
• Original timber ceiling over nave
DURHAM CATHEDRAL
• Rib and panel vaulting with
pointed arches
MONASTIC BUILDINGS Fountains
Abbey, Yorkshire
TIONS &
TOWN
WALLS
•All over Europe -
1500 castles in
England in 11th and
12th centuries
•Began as motte
and bailey
earthworks
•Later became
citadels with stone
curtain walls
