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ARTS AND HUMANITIES · MEDIEVAL EUROPE +

BYZANTINE · ROMANESQUE

A beginner's guide to
Romanesque architecture
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The name gives it away–Romanesque architecture

is based on Roman architectural elements. It is the
rounded Roman arch that is the literal basis for
structures built in this style.

Ancient Roman ruins (with

arches)
All through the regions that were part of the
ancient Roman Empire are ruins of Roman
aqueducts and buildings, most of them exhibiting
arches as part of the architecture (you may make
the etymological leap that the two words—arch
and architecture—are related, but the Oxford
English Dictionary shows arch as coming from
Latin arcus, which defines the shape, while arch—
as in architect, archbishop and archenemy—
comes from Greek arkhos, meaning chief
and ekton means builder).
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Interior of the Palatine Chapel of Charlemagne, Aachen, Germany, 792-

805, photo: Elena ((CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

When Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman

Emperor in 800 C.E., Europe began to take its first
steps out of the “Dark Ages” since the fall of Rome
in the fifth century. The remains of Roman
civilization were seen all over the continent, and
legends of the great empire would have been
passed down through generations. So when
ARTS AND HUMANITIES Charlemagne wanted to unite his empire and
MEDIEVAL EUROPE +
BYZANTINE
validate his reign, he began building churches in
Romanesque the Roman style–particularly the style of Christian
Rome in the days of Constantine, the first Christian
A beginner's guide to Roman emperor.
Romanesque art

A beginner's guide to
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Romanesque architecture
After a gap of around two hundred years with no
large building projects, the architects of
Medieval churches:
sources and forms Charlemagne’s day looked to the arched, or
arcaded, system seen in Christian Roman edifices
Pilgrimage Routes and
the Cult of the Relic
as a model. It is a logical system of stresses and
buttressing, which was fairly easily engineered for
A look at modern large structures, and it began to be used in
veneration from the
British Museum gatehouses, chapels, and churches in Europe.

What were the crusades? These early examples may be referred to as pre-
Romanesque because, after a brief spurt of
How was crusading
justified? growth, the development of architecture again
lapsed. As a body of knowledge was eventually re-
The when, where and developed, buildings became larger and more
who of crusading
imposing. Examples of Romanesque cathedrals
from the early Middle Ages (roughly 1000-1200)
are solid, massive, impressive churches that are
often still the largest structure in many towns.

In Britain, the Romanesque style became known

as “Norman” because the major building scheme
in the 11th and 12th centuries was instigated by
William the Conqueror, who invaded Britain in
1066 from Normandy in northern France. (The
Normans were the descendants of Vikings—
Norse, or north men—who had invaded this area
over a century earlier.) Durham and Gloucester
Cathedrals and Southwell Minster are excellent
examples of churches in the Norman, or
Romanesque style.

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Gloucester Cathedral, nave, begun 1089 (ceiling later), photo: Michael

D. Beckwith (CC BY 2.0)

The arches that define the naves of these

churches are well modulated and geometrically
logical—with one look you can see the repeating
shapes, and proportions that make sense for an
immense and weighty structure. There is a large
arcade on the ground level made up of bulky piers
or columns. The piers may have been filled with
rubble rather than being solid, carved stone.
Above this arcade is a second level of smaller
arches, often in pairs with a column between the
two. The next higher level was again
proportionately smaller, creating a rational
diminution of structural elements as the mass of
the building is reduced.

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Gloucester Cathedral, decorative carving on the nave arcade and

triforium

The decoration is often quite simple, using

geometric shapes rather than floral or curvilinear
patterns. Common shapes used include diapers—
squares or lozenges—and chevrons, which were
zigzag patterns and shapes. Plain circles were
also used, which echoed the half-circle shape of
the ubiquitous arches.

Early Romanesque ceilings and roofs were often

made of wood, as if the architects had not quite
understood how to span the two sides of the
building using stone, which created outward thrust
and stresses on the side walls. This development,
of course, didn’t take long to manifest, and led
from barrel vaulting (simple, semicircular roof
vaults) to cross vaulting, which became ever more
adventurous and ornate in the Gothic.

Essay by Valerie Spanswick

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Romanesque architecture from the Durham World

Heritage site

Corpus of Romanesque sculpture in Britain and

Ireland

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Markie Alicia Chancellor 3 years ago

What is a good example of a Carolingian

cathedral?

(5
Reply • Comment votes)
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Миленa 3 years ago

Aachen Cathedral, built by order of

Charlemagne himself, is probably the
most famous.
Here is UNESCO's page on this
monumental building:
h p://whc.unesco.org/en/list/3

(6
Comment votes)
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La Rouquine 2 years ago

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La Rouquine 2 years ago

Was there any Chris an symbolism in this

process, besides the idea of its being a large,
light and airy space? How does the architecture
relate to the religion it was in service of?

(3
Reply • Comment votes)
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drszucker 2 years ago

Yes there is. Learn more here:

h ps://www.khanacademy.org/humani
es/medieval-world/medieval-
europe/a/architecture-and-liturgy

(5
Comment votes)
Upvote Downvote Fl

alessandromarinucci1976 3 years ago

This is a great video.

Romanesque architecture
h p://www.mozaweb.com/Extra-Videos-
Romanesque_architecture-210251

(4
Reply • Comment votes)
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acevesb12 2 years ago

Why was Romanesque architecture used for

many collegiate buildings? And why would
architects choose this architectural style for
collegiate buildings?

(2
Reply • Comment votes)
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drszucker 2 years ago

It is possible you are referring to the

influence of the American architect HH
Richardson who was very interested in
Romanesque form and who build, for
example the Aus n law building on
Harvard's campus. His style was also
copied on numerous other campuses

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around the country. See more here:

h ps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aus n_H
all_(Harvard_University)
(2
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Mason Alex 3 years ago

What Was the Dark Ages?

(1
Reply • Comment vote)
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Миленa 3 years ago

For a long me, historians used this to

describe the Middle Ages (500-1500
CE) in general. Today, it's mostly used
to describe the Early Middle Ages
(500-1000 CE) or the Middle Ages
before the Carolingian Empire (500-
800 BCE). Today, it's mostly called a
"dark age" because we know
considerably less about it than about
later mes, mostly because it was an
era of great social and poli cal
upheaval so less history was recorded
and precious literary and philosophical
works were lost.

(4
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Learner 3 years ago

What is the general significance of Romanesque

art?

(1
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Миленa 3 years ago

Wikipedia is not always the best

source, but I agree with what it has to
say on Romanesque art:
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9/7/2018 A beginner's guide to Romanesque architecture (article) | Khan Academy

"During this period Europe grew steadily

more prosperous, and art of the highest
quality was no longer confined, as it
largely was in the Carolingian and
O onian periods, to the royal court and a
small circle of monasteries."

Essen ally, Romanesque art marks the

12th century revival (aka the "medieval
Renaissance") in Europe - the me of
economic expansion, urban growth, the
rise of universi es, and the recovery of
lost classics thanks to Arabic
transmissions. It is a more
sophis cated art style than that which
came before, and it affected a much
wider popula on for a longer period of
me than any of the previous Medieval
revivals.
(4
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Sandra Scheiner 3 years ago

where was first cathedral built?

(1
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David Alexander 3 years ago

A "cathedral" is technically only a chair

where a bishop sits. Any church which
holds that chair is a cathedral. Sadly,
for many people, "Cathedral" just
means "a really big church". It ain't
necessarily so.
With that in mind, the first me a chair
was specially designated for a bishop
to sit in when doing his job was the
first me a cathedral was built.

3 (2
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comments votes)

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A beginner's guide to Romanesque art

Medieval churches: sources and forms

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