1. Romanesque

2. Introduction
• This style appeared during the Middle Ages
• It is the first style that can be found all over
Europe,
• The expansion of the style was linked to the
pilgrimages, mainly to Santiago di Compastela.

3. Introduction
• Romanesque art developed because of…
– The end of Barbarian invasions
– The decomposition of Cordoba’s government
– The establishment of peace in
the Christian world, with the
development of the cities,
commerce and industry.

4. Expansion
• The factors of the expansion of
Romanesque art were:
– Development of a feudal system,
that demanded works (castles)
– The expansion of religious orders
(Benedictines), developed the monasteries
– The pilgrimage routes
– The crusades

5. FUEDAL SYSTEM

8. TIMBER FRAMING

9. Typologies
• There are three main types of buildings:
Monasteries
Castles
Churches

10. Monastery
• It was designed as the “City of God”
• They had several functional areas:
– Church
– Cloister
– Chapter room
– Abbot’s house
– Monks/ nuns rooms
– Refectory
– Hospital

11. Church
• It was the main building
• It symbolized God’s kingdom
• The holiest part was the apse
• It had cross shape
• Symbolism was important:
– Circular parts reflect perfection so they were
linked to God
– Squared parts are related to the human.

12. Church
• Characteristics:
– Monumental, trying to imitate the Roman models in
the Pilgrimage churches
– Small in country churches
– They were designed for advertising Catholic church
– They were lasting, made of stone
– Plans could be:
• Latin cross
• Polygonal
• Basilical
Latin cross Polygonal Basilical

13. Church
• Parts of the plan

14. Church
• Parts from the outside

15. Church
• Elevation:
• The church is covered by
stoned vaults
• Wall are thick
• They need strong
buttresses
• Foundations are strong
• Few windows

16. Church
Clerestory • Interior elevation: it
consists of three levels:
• First floor with columns or
cross-shaped pillars
Tribune • Second floor with the
tribune (corridor over
looking the nave, over the
aisles)
• Clerestory: area of
Pillar
windows opening to the
Column outside.

17. Interior of a Romanesque
Cathedral

18. Church
• Type of covers:
Barrel vault: it was
used mainly to cover
the central nave
Groin vault was
common in aisles and
ambulatory
Dome: spherical were used
in apses. The central could
stand on pendentives or
squinches

19. Romanesque in France
• It was the original
region of
Romanesque art
• It appeared in Cluny’s
abbey
• From there it
expanded thanks to
the pilgrimage routes,
specially to Santiago
in Spain.

20. Romanesque in France
• Burgundy: barrel-
Cluny
vaulted, three-aisled
basilica
• Normandy: Lombard
influences with
groined vaults
supported by flying
buttresses and
façades with two
flanking towers.
Sainte Magdalene, Vezelay

21. Romanesque in France
• It is characterized by
various vaulted styles
• Provence: pointed domes Saint
and façades decorated Trophime
, Arles
with arches
• Auvergne with long choir,
side aisles around the
semicircular sanctuary
forming the ambulatory in
which radiating chapels
Saint Sernin
open
Toulouse

23. ST. DENIS
PARIS

26. St. Filibert, France, 10c

27. Romanesque in Italy
• Italian provinces
developed a great
diversity of architectural
styles
– Lombardy with groined
vaults of heavy proportions Saint Ambroggio, Milan
– Central Italy classical
decorative elements:
Corinthian capitals,
coloured marble, open
arches, colonnades and
galleries and façades with
sculptures
Saint Miniato, Florence

28. Romanesque in Italy
– South with Byzantine
and Arabic influence
using mosaics,
interlaced pointed-
Cefalu, Sicily
arches.

29. Romanesque in Italy
– South with Byzantine
and Arabic influences,
using mosaics,
interlaced pointed-
Cefalu, Sicily
arches.
• Three separate
buildings: church,
baptistery and bell
tower.
Pisa Cathedral, in Tuscany,
presents three separate buildings.

30. BAPTISTRY-FLORENCE

31. 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.
Worms

32. Church of St. Sebaldus, Nürnberg

36. Romanesque in England
• Long, narrow buildings
were constructed with
heavy walls and piers,
rectangular apses, double
transepts and deeply
recessed portals
• Naves were covered with
flat roofs, later replaces
by vaults, and side aisles
were covered with
groined vaults.

37. Romanesque in England
• Before the 10th century
were made of wood
• Stone buildings were
small and roughly
constructed
• The Norman
Romanesque style
replace the Saxon in 11th
century

38. DURHAM CATHEDRAL

45. CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL

46. CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL

47. WESTMINSTER
ABBEY

48. The flying buttress

49. 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
would receive it with
the pilgrimage

50. 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

51. Spanish Castle, 14c

52. 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).

53. Romanesque in Spain
• Castile and Leon:
• It is deeply influenced
by the pilgrimage
routes
• The churches are
identified with the
spirit of the
Reconquist

54. Romanesque in Spain
• Buildings are simple
and small
• It created a contrast
in relation to the
refined Hispano
Muslin architecture.
• They frequently have
a covered area in the
outside for the
meetings of the
councils.

55. 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)

56. castles

57. Castle
• Castles were defensive
constructions
• They were fortified for
providing shelter
• The wall was one of the
essential elements
• They tend to be build in
stepped areas, easier to
defend.

58. MOTT AND BAILEY

59. STARTED BY THE NORMANS

60. STONE CASTLE

62. WARWICK

63. AVILA

64. CARCASSONNE

65. Cathedral of
Mont-Saint Michel:
A Fortress & A Church

66. DURHAM CASTLE

67. DURHAM CASTLE

68. LUMLEY CASTLE

69. THE WHITE TOWER LONDON

70. CHAPEL
OF ST.
JOHN