Romanesque Architecture

  • Romanesque: Roman Like
  • Boom in building activity
  • Change in social structure
  • Merchant class becoming more prevalent as a middle class
  • more settled, able to move around without as much fear of robbers/vandals
  • Christian pilgrimages to see relics
    • Rome for St. Peter
    • couldn’t go to Jerusalem because it was under Muslim control
    • Using old roads that the saints would’ve used
    • like tourists
    • creating economy because of increased tourism
  • Church of St. Sernin, Toulouse, 1070-1120
    • Barrel Vault
    • Dark, Somber interiors
    • interior vaulted in stone
    • to protect from fire but rooves still wooden
    • Stone helps acoustics with more prevalent music coming into church services
    • to attract tourists/pilgrams
    • transverse arch: Supporting arch which runs across the vault from side to side, dividing the bays. it usually projects down from the surface of the vault.
    • Extra level for upper class called Tribunes
    • gallery or tribune: An upper story over the aisle which opens onto the nave or choir
    • supported by groin vaults
  • Speyer Cathedral, ca 1030, revaulted 1082-1106
    • Blocky/rectangular style
    • groin occupies every other column
    • stronger columns have half capitals
  • Pisa Cathedral, begun 1063
    • byzantine mosaics
    • arcades
    • classical appeal
    • pointed arch more like Islamic architecture
  • Campanile (Leaning Tower of Pisa) , begun 1174
    • the spot where it was built was too soft so the lean started
    • saw the lean as a feature so they didn’t want to restraighten it
  • San Minatio al Monte, Florence, 1062-1090
    • Mainly Tufa with marble facade\
    • 3 arched opening w/ engage columns
    • marble panels
    • byzantine style mosaic of St. John and Mary (?)
    • Diaphragm Arches: incase one section catches on fire, it slows the spread
    • compounds piers: engaged arches attached to each other
    • Alternate Support System ABBA
  • Saint Ambrogio, Milan, ca. 1100
    • Germanic influenced towers
    • interior marked into 4 bays
    • not groin or barrel vaulted
    • very flat arches
    • ribbed vaulting: mainly mortered bricks, intersection of 2 or 3 vaults
    • more specific pressure points for holding weight
    • rips spring directly from nave arcade
    • no windows, a lot darker
  • St. Etienne, Caen (Con), ca. 1067, vaulted early 12th cent.
    • Started by William of Normandy (William the Conquerer)
    • Timber structure
    • very distinct dual towers (date back to Gothic period)
    • transept and west part of church from Romanesque period
    • revaulted with rib vaults
    • sexpartite vault (6 parts)
  • Durham Cathedral, 1093-1130
    • ribbed vaults
    • first church planned with ribs
    • lessened modular system
    • ribs in between strong and weak piers
    • weak piers decorated in grooves/chevrons/linear patterns