Romanesque Architecture

Pilgrimage Churches

Destinations

  • Jerusalem

  • Rome

  • Santiago (St. James) de Compostela 

People were worried for their souls if the turning of the century and they were traveling. 

Abbey of Cluny in Southern Bungundy France

Monastery of the Benedictine Order 

  • Founded in 910 

  • Patron: Duke William of Aquitaine 

  • Leader: Abbot Berno( 910-925)

  • attracted rich patrons and donations

    • rich and important library

    • established other monasteries and

CLUNY III cs. 1088

Characteristics 

  • Basilica Plan 

  • Towers at west 

  • Nave (100ft high: 496ft Long) 

  • double side aisles 

  • Double transepts

Largesst Churcch in Christendom for over 200 years

dismantled for stone after the French Revolution 

AFTER THE FRENCH REVOLUTION 

  • Only south arm of major transepts survives

  • octagonal dome 

  • small rounded archec for windows (walls support weight) 

  • Pointeed arched in nae

  • Architect Hezelon de Liege

  • Inspired by Gunzo? A musician 

Autun Cathedral  (Cathedral of Saint- Lazare) 

Autun, France (1120- 1135/40) 

Inspired by the Benedictine Abby at Clunny 

Anatomy of a Romanesque Portal 

Romanesque Portal at Autun Cathedral

Depicts the Last Judgements 

Left side is people going to heaven and the right is people going to hell. 

Symbols on pilgrims’ travel bags (underneath jesus) 

  • Cross 

  • Cockle Shell (sea Shell) 

“Gislebertus Made this”

  • Tympanum: Semicircular sculptured on top of the doorway kinda like the greek pediment 

Vocabulary 

Abbey: A church but more expensive 

Illuminatted Barrel Vaults: 

In echelon 

Cluniac Philosophy: Churches should be beautiful = helps to contemplate spiritual values 

Historiated Capitals: