Module 12: Lux Nova - Birth of the Gothic

Relic

A body part of object associated with the holy family or saints; Medieval Christians believed these objects had the power to heal the body and soul

Carolingian architecture

Prominent towers, strongly stressed east and west ends, and also heavier, more massive members

Romanesque

the architectural style in Europe characterized by massive and heavy construction, with few windows

Pilgrimage church

Type of Romanesque church built in the 11th century and are spacious with long naves, wide transepts, and apse are surrounded by an ambulatory with radiating chapels

Terracotta

clay molded and kiln-fired to make a hard compact material used for bricks, roof tiling, cladding and ornament

Barrel vault

An arched ceiling of roof of stone, brick, or concrete, sometimes imitated in wood or plaster

Cushion capitol

A Romanesque and byzantine capital cut from a cube, with its lower parts rounded off to adapt it to a circular shaft

Latin cross

A cross with three short arms and a long arm

Baptistery

A specialty designated space, either a separate building or a section of a church, that contains a font or a pool for performing baptism ceremonies

Pilaster

A shallow pier or rectangular column projecting only slightly from a wall and, in classical architecture, conforming with one of the orders

Polychrome

White and green marble patterning

Palatine Chapel

Aachen, Germany, 800

Plan of St. Gall

Carolingian Empire, 820

St. Sernin

Toulouse, France, 1100

Baptistery of San Giovanni

Florence, Italy, 1050-1150

San Miniato al Monte

Florence, Italy, 1050-1150

Church of St. Denis

Paris, France

Charlemagne (747)

Reigned as Holy Roman Emperor from 800-814

Abbot Suger (1081-1151)

Designed choir addition of St. Denis

Where did the Middle Ages fall on the timeline of world history?

In between antiquity and the modern era; 476-1400

Which church served as a model for Palatine Chape;?

San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy

What is the dome of San Vitale constructed from?

Terra cotta

What is the dome of the Palatine Chapel constructed from?

Ashlar masonry, solid blocks of stone

Why do the Romanesque churches have many chapels and multiple side aisles?

It allows more pilgrims inside and accommodates for larger crowds

What design motif is new (in church architecture) at San Minato al Monte?

Temple front form

Who was St. Denis, and what happened to him?

He brought christianity to galls and was martyred by Romans by beheading, he picked up his head and continued preaching

Where do we see the “birth of the gothic”?

Church of St. Denis, Paris, France; specifically the choir space

Translate lux nova from Latin to English

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