Romanesque and Gothic Vocab

ambulatory

The part of the church where people can walk, like an aisle around the apse.

archivolt

A band of molding similar to an architrave around the lower curve of an arch.

bar tracery(on rose window)

Tracery in stained glass windows where there is more glass than stone.

barrel vault

A continuous arch that is formed by a series of arches or vaults in a continuous line.

bay (in church architecture)

The space between two columns, pilasters, or from pier to pier in a church, including the vaulting or ceiling between them.

campanile

The bell tower of a church.

cathedra

The seat of a bishop in a church.

cathedral

A major church of a diocese where the bishop has his seat.

clerestory

A series of windows on walls to let in light.

continuous narration

A narrative piece that tells a continuous story.

cruciform plan

A floor plan in the shape of a cross, common in Gothic era churches.

embroidery

Decorative needlework done on cloth or fabrics.

entrance portal

An opening in a wall of a building, gate, or fortification, especially a grand entrance to an important structure.

facade

The front or face of a building.

gallery

Spaces or rooms that are used to exhibit artworks.

gilded

The art of decorating the whole or parts of wood, metal, plaster, glass, or other objects with gold in leaf or powder form

groin vault

A vault formed at the intersection of two barrel vaults.

jambs

The side posts on the sides of a doorway or entrance.

Last Judgment

Jesus Christ judges the dead and decides who gets to go to Heaven, and who goes to Hell.

lux nova

Meaning new light, it is Abbot Suger’s phrase for the colorful light that enters in a Gothic church through stained glass windows. This light is meant to enhance a person’s spiritual and religious experience in the church.

martyr

Someone who is killed for their religious beliefs and ideas.

nave arcade

An arcade marking the separation between a nave and its side aisles.

pilgrimage

A journey to a sacred religious place.

pilgrimage church

A church that attracts pilgrims that want to view relics and attend religious services.

plate tracery (on rose window)

A type of tracery in stained glass windows where there is more stone than glass.

radiating chapels

The places that held relics inside of a church, often near the ambulatory and the transept.

registers

The different divided sections of an artwork.

relic

Bones and other objects connected to religious people with religious meaning. They are often worshiped by the people.

reliquary

A container that stores and displays religious relics.

rib

An arch of masonry, often molded, which forms part of the framework on which a vault rests.

rose window

A circular stained glass window with stone tracery and rose patterns, usually found on the facades or on the outsides of Gothic cathedrals.

spolia

The use of an artwork from another culture or other people to repurpose the artwork for a new meaning.

transept

The section of a church that crosses the main body of the building.

transverse arch

An arch that connects opposite walls by crossing from side to side.

triforium

The section between the arcade and the clerestory.

trumeau

A pillar or center post that supports the lintel in the middle of the doorway in a church.

tympanum

The space between a lintel and an arch that is over a doorway.

vault

A curved ceiling made of arches.

voussoirs

A wedge shape that is used to construct an arch.

Bishop Odo

The half brother of William the Conqueror who was the patron of the Bayeux Tapestry.

Sainte Foy

An Early Christian martyr living in Roman occupied France who was killed for her religious beliefs.

William the Conqueror

The Duke of Normandy who invaded England and was the first French king to become an English ruler.

archivolts

A band of molding similar to an architrave on the lower curve of an arch.

bar tracery

Tracery in stained glass windows where there is more glass than stone.

Christus triumphans

The depiction of Christ on a cross but he is triumphant and not suffering.

Christus patiens

The depiction of Christ suffering on a cross.

flying buttress

A type of buttress that extends out from a wall for extra support.

gargoyle

A style of demon or monster typical of Gothic architecture.

jamb

The side posts on the sides of a doorway or entrance.

jamb figure

Figures or statues on the sides of a doorway or entrance.

king’s gallery

A king’s gallery.

lancet window

A tall, narrow window with a sharp arch at the top, typical of Gothic architecture.

lux nova

Meaning new light, it is Abbot Suger’s phrase for the colorful light that enters in a Gothic church through stained glass windows. This light is meant to enhance a person’s spiritual and religious experience in the church.

pier

The vertical support that holds up an arch or a vault.

pietà

Artwork that shows Mary is holding the crucified Christ.

plate tracery

A type of tracery in stained glass windows where there is more stone than glass.

pointed arch

An arch with a pointed crown, characteristic of Gothic architecture.

portal

An entryway in a Gothic building or church.

radiating chapel

The places that held relics inside of a church, often near the ambulatory and the transept.

rayonnant

French building style that represents the height of Gothic architecture.

ribbed vaults

A type of vault with a framework of ribs or arches under the intersections of vaulted sections.

rose window

A circular stained glass window with stone tracery and rose patterns, usually found on the facades or on the outsides of Gothic cathedrals.

roundels

A type of small disk or decorative medallion.

stained glass

Colored glass that has been stained to produce color, often used in Gothic churches.

tympanum

The space between a lintel and an arch that is over a doorway.

transept

The section of a church that crosses the main body of the building.

triforium

The section between the arcade and the clerestory.

ribbed vault

A type of vault with a framework of ribs or arches under the intersections of vaulted sections.

voussoir

A wedge shape that is used to construct an arch.

Abbot Suger

Abbot Suger developed Lux Nova, which means new light. He designed one of the first Gothic cathedrals at St. Denis and used stained glass for lighting, as he believed that the light passing through the colorful stained glass is God’s presence and would enrich the spiritual experience of the people in the church.

Queen Blanche

The mother of King Louis IX who passes Christian morals to him.

King Louis IX

The French king who is also known as Saint Louis. He is the only French king to be canonized and recognized by the church.

Giorgio Vasari

AnItalian painter who was a massive patron of the arts and saw art as a means of glorifying God.