Arth 100-Lecture 12-Romanesque architecture 1

Architectural Comparison: Early Christian Church vs. Medieval Pilgrimage Church

Old Saint Peter's Basilica (Early Christian)

  • Design Features:

    • Flat wooden roof.

    • Basilica plan structure.

Pilgrimage Church of Conques (Romanesque)

  • Design Features:

    • Cruciform (Latin cross plan) with a vaulted stone ceiling.

    • Stone ceilings increase durability but pose challenges (risk of falling).

Architectural Innovations

  • Height and Scale:

    • Romanesque churches were constructed with barrel vaults, resulting in greater height and multiple stories.

  • Interior Spaces:

    • Conques features a large vault supported by heavy walls and pillars, differing from previous wooden designs.

    • Aisles and nave are separated by round arches.

Importance of Pilgrimages

  • Church of Saint Fois:

    • Notable for housing significant relics that attracted pilgrims.

    • Reliquary of Saint Faith:

      • Made in the late 9th century with later additions and is decorated with precious materials.

      • 85 centimeters tall, less than life-size; shaped like a woman on a throne with raised hands.

Symbolism in Reliquaries

  • Materials Used:

    • Reliquary decorated with gold, jewels, and cameos, symbolizing the sacred nature of the relic or saint it houses.

    • Lavishly decorated, indicating spiritual beauty and holiness of the saint.

Various Shapes and Sizes

  • Design and Purpose:

    • Reliquaries come in various forms suggesting the type of relic they contain (e.g., cross-shaped for the Holy Cross).

    • Body parts of saints sometimes housed in corresponding shaped reliquaries (e.g., foot, hand).

Veneration of Relics

  • Practices:

    • Relics are honored and not worshiped as divine.

    • Considered miraculous; Christians might pray next to, kneel in front of, touch, or kiss them.

Storage and Display

  • Relics in Churches:

    • Stored in church treasuries, used on special occasions like saints’ feast days.

    • Churches housing important relics became popular pilgrimage sites, enhancing their wealth through donations.

The Story of Saint Foix

  • Background:

    • Contained the remains of a young child martyr, condemned for refusing to worship Roman gods.

    • Martyrdom occurred in 303 A.D. in Aegean, France.

  • Pilgrimage Significance:

    • Associated miracles increased veneration, leading to many pilgrims seeking her intercession.