Romanesque (Part Twelve).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

Ely Cathedral, England.

Photo: June 2005.

Source: Own work.

Author: User:Tom-.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Central Western Tower, and framing smaller Towers, 

all had Transitional Features, 1180s. 

The Tower, to the left, fell. 

Gothic Porch, 1250s; 

Lantern, 1390s.

English: San Lorenzo Cathedral, Genoa, Italy.

Italiano: Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, Genoa.

Photo: 9 July 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Jensens.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The facade of the Cathedral of Genoa 

has both Round, and Pointed, Arches, 

and Paired Windows, a continuing 

Romanesque feature of 

Italian Gothic architecture.

During the 12th-Century, features that were to become typical of Gothic architecture began to appear. It is not uncommon, for example, for a part of building that has been constructed over a lengthy period, extending into the 12th-Century, to have very similar Arcading of both Semi-Circular and Pointed shape, or windows that are identical in height and width, but in which the later ones are Pointed.

This can be seen on the Towers of Tournai Cathedral, and on the Western Towers and facade at Ely Cathedral. Other variations, that appear to hover between Romanesque and Gothic, occur, such as the facade designed by Abbot Suger at the Abbey of Saint-Denis, which retains much that is Romanesque in its appearance, and the facade of Laon Cathedral, which, despite its Gothic form, has Round Arches.

Abbot Suger's innovative Choir, of the Abbey of Saint-Denis, 1140 - 1144, led to the adoption of the Gothic style by Paris and its surrounding area, but other parts of France were slower to take it up, and provincial Churches continued to be built in the heavy manner and rubble stone of the Romanesque, even when the openings were treated with the fashionable Pointed Arch.

Português: Sé de Évora ou Sé Catedral de Évora.

English: The Nave of the Cathedral of Évora, Portugal.

Photo: 19 February 2006.

Source: Own work.

Author: João Carvalho.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Nave of the Cathedral of Évora, Portugal, 

has Pointed Arches, but retains the Barrel Vault 

and robust quality of Romanesque.

In England, the Romanesque ground-plan, which, in that country, commonly had a very long Nave, continued to affect the style of building of Cathedrals and those large Abbey Churches, which were also to become Cathedrals at the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th-Century. Despite the fact that English Cathedrals were built or rebuilt in many stages, substantial areas of Norman building can be seen in many of them, particularly in the Nave Arcades.

In the case of Winchester Cathedral, the Gothic Arches were literally carved out of the existent Norman Piers. Other Cathedrals have sections of their building which are clearly an intermediate stage between Norman and Gothic, such as the Western Towers of Ely Cathedral, and part of the Nave at Worcester Cathedral. The first truly Gothic building in England is the long Eastern End of Canterbury Cathedral, commenced in 1175.

In Italy, although many Churches, such as Florence Cathedral and Santa Maria Novella, were built in the Gothic style, or utilising the Pointed Arch and Window Tracery, Romanesque features derived from the Roman architectural heritage, such as sturdy Columns with Capitals of a modified Corinthian form, continued to be used. The Pointed Vault was utilised, where convenient, but it is commonly interspersed with Semi-Circular Arches and Vaults, wherever they conveniently fit. The facades of Gothic Churches in Italy are not always easily distinguishable from the Romanesque.

English: The Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Laon, France.

Français: La Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Laon.

Photo: 9 July 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: Martoss8.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The facade of Laon Cathedral, 1225. 

A Gothic Cathedral which maintains Rounded Arches 

and Arcading in the Romanesque manner.

Germany was not quick to adopt the Gothic style, and when it did so, in the 1230s, the buildings were often modelled very directly upon French Cathedrals, as Cologne Cathedral was modelled on Amiens Cathedral. The smaller Churches and Abbeys continued to be constructed in a more provincial Romanesque manner, the date only being registered by the Pointed Window openings.

The Romanesque period was a time of great development in the design and construction of defensive architecture. After Churches, and the Monastic buildings with which they are often associated, Castles are the most numerous type of building of the period. While most are in ruins through the action of war and politics, others, like William the Conqueror's White Tower, within the Tower of London, have remained almost intact.

In some regions, particularly Germany, large Palaces were built for Rulers and Bishops. Local Lords built Great Halls, in the countryside, while rich merchants built grand Town Houses. In Italy, city councils constructed Town Halls, while wealthy cities of Northern Europe protected their trading interests with warehouses and commercial premises. All over Europe, dwellers of the town and country built houses to live in, some of which, sturdily constructed in stone, have remained to this day with sufficient of their form and details intact to give a picture of the style of domestic architecture that was in fashion at the time.

Stanford Memorial Church, 

Stanford University, Stanford, California.

An example of Romanesque Revival.

Photo: 7 May 2011.

Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Author: King of Hearts.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Stanford Memorial Church

at Stanford University, Stanford, California, 

is a loose interpretation of a Romanesque facade.

Examples of all these types of buildings can be found scattered across Europe, sometimes as isolated survivals, like the two merchants' houses on opposite sides of Steep Hill, in Lincoln, England, and sometimes giving form to a whole medieval city like San Gimignano in Tuscany, Italy. These buildings are the subject of a separate article.

During the 19th-Century, when Gothic Revival architecture was fashionable, buildings were occasionally designed in the Romanesque style. There are a number of Romanesque Revival Churches, dating from as early as the 1830s, and continuing into the 20th-Century, where the massive and "brutal" quality of the Romanesque style was appreciated and designed in brick.

Royce Hall at UCLA,

Los Angeles, California.

An example of Romanesque Revival.

Photo: 17 March 2010.

Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Author: NativeForeigner.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Royce Hall, at UCLA. Inspired by The Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio in Milan, Italy.

The Natural History Museum, London, designed by Alfred Waterhouse, 1879, on the other hand, is a Romanesque Revival building that makes full use of the decorative potential of Romanesque Arcading and architectural sculpture. The Romanesque appearance has been achieved, while freely adapting an overall style to suit the function of the building. The Columns of the foyer, for example, give an impression of incised geometric design similar to those of Durham Cathedral. However, the sources of the incised patterns are the trunks of palms, cycads and tropical tree ferns. The animal motifs, of which there are many, include rare and exotic species.

The type of modern buildings, for which the Romanesque style was most frequently adapted, was the warehouse, where a lack of large windows and an appearance of great strength and stability were desirable features. These buildings, generally of brick, frequently have flattened Buttresses, rising to wide Arches at the upper levels, after the manner of some Italian Romanesque facades. This style was adapted to suit commercial buildings by opening the spaces between the Arches into large windows, the brick walls becoming a shell to a building that was essentially of modern steel-frame construction, the architect Henry Hobson Richardson giving his name to the style, Richardsonian Romanesque. 

Good examples of the style are Marshall Field's Wholesale Store, Chicago, by H.H. Richardson, 1885, and the Chadwick Lead Works in Boston, USA by William Preston, 1887. The style also lent itself to the building of cloth mills, steelworks and power stations.

THIS CONCLUDES THE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON "ROMANESQUE".

COMING SOON TO A BLOG NEAR YOU: "GOTHIC".

DON'T MISS IT.

AND PLEASE DON'T TELL YOUR FRIENDS THE ENDING.

Romanesque (Part Eleven).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

A rare and remarkable survival, of "unforgettable beauty".

The very large Crucifixion window of Poitiers Cathedral, France.

Photo: 7 August 2009.

Source: Wikimedia Commons.

(Author: PMRMaeyaert.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Deutsch: Moissac, Kreuzgang der Abteil. 

English: Cloisters of Saint-Pierre Abbey, Moissac, France. 

The Abbey was a Benedictine and Cluniac Monastery, in Moissac, 

Tarn-et-Garonne, in South-Western France. A number of its Mediaeval 

buildings survive, including the Abbey Church, which has famous 

and important Romanesque sculpture around the entrance.

Date: 23 January 2007.

Source: Own photography by Membeth; originally from 

de.wikipedia; description page is/was here.

Author: Membeth.

(Wikimedia Commons)

It is a feature of Romanesque art, both in manuscript illumination and sculptural decoration, that figures are contorted to fit the space that they occupy. Among the many examples that exist, one of the finest is the figure of the Prophet Jeremiah, from the Pillar of the Portal of the Abbey of Saint-Pierre, Moissac, France, from about 1130. A significant motif of Romanesque design is the spiral, a form applied to both plant motifs and drapery in Romanesque sculpture. An outstanding example of its use in drapery is that of the central figure of Christ on the Outer Portal at La Madaleine, Vezelay.

Many of the smaller sculptural works, particularly Capitals, are Biblical in subject and include scenes of Creation and the Fall of Man, episodes from the life of Christ, and those Old Testament scenes that prefigure his Death and Resurrection, such as Jonah and the Whale and Daniel in the Lions' Den. Many Nativity scenes occur, the theme of the Three Kings being particularly popular. The Cloisters of Santo Domingo de Silos Abbey in Northern Spain, and Moissac, are fine examples, surviving complete.

The large wall surfaces and plain, curving, Vaults of the Romanesque period lent themselves to mural decoration. Unfortunately, many of these early wall paintings have been destroyed by damp, or the walls have been replastered and painted over. In most of Northern Europe, such pictures were systematically destroyed in bouts of Reformation iconoclasm. In other countries, they have suffered from war, neglect and changing fashion.

English: Stained Glass Window. North Transept, Strasbourg Cathedral, France. 

King David and King Solomon. 12th-Century.

Detail of a small panel, showing Kings David and Solomon, set in an architectonic frame from a large window at Strasbourg. Late-12th-Century. The alternation of red and blue is a typical device of simpler window designs. It is approximately 1/3 the height, and is much less complex in execution, than the Emperor series, of which Otto II is a part.

Français: Transept Nord, fenêtre de gauche. Rois David et Salomon (3e ou 4e quart XIIe).

Source: http://www.crdp-strasbourg.fr/data/albums/autres_vitraux/hr/image14.jpg.

Author: http://www.crdp-strasbourg.fr/data/albums/autres_vitraux/index.php?img=14&parent=20.

(Wikimedia Commons)

A classic scheme for the full painted decoration of a Church, derived from earlier examples often in mosaic, had, as its focal point in the Semi-Dome of the Apse, Christ in Majesty, or Christ the Redeemer, enthroned within a mandorla and framed by the four Winged Beasts, symbols of the Four Evangelists, comparing directly with examples from the gilt covers, or the illuminations, of Gospel Books of the period. 

If the Virgin Mary was the dedicatee of the Church, she might replace Christ, here. On the Apse walls, below, would be Saints and Apostles, perhaps including narrative scenes, for example of the Saint to whom the Church was dedicated. On the Sanctuary Arch, were figures of Apostles, Prophets, or the twenty-four "Elders of the Apocalypse", looking in towards a bust of Christ, or his symbol, the Lamb, at the top of the Arch. 

The North Wall of the Nave would contain narrative scenes from the Old Testament, and the South Wall, from the New Testament. On the rear West Wall, would be a Doom Painting, or Last Judgement, with an enthroned and judging Christ at the top.

Romanesque Stained-Glass depiction of Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor; 

Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg, France. From a series of Emperors 

(12th- and 13th-Centuries). The panels are now set into 

Gothic Windows, Strasbourg Cathedral, France.

Photo: 4 June 2010.

Source: http://www.crdp-strasbourg.fr/data/albums/bas_cotes/img_hr/image05.jpg.

Author: http://www.crdp-strasbourg.fr/data/albums/bas_cotes/index.php?img=5&parent=20.

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: Abbey of Saint Mary Magdalene, Vézelay, France (consecrated 1104), has clusters of vertical Shafts rising to support Transverse Arches and a Groin Vault. The dressed polychrome stonework has exquisitely-detailed Mouldings. The East End is Gothic.

Français: Nef de la Basilique de Vezelay.

Photo: 10 May 2007.

Source: Own work.

Author: Jean-Christophe BENOIST.

(Wikimedia Commons)

One of the most intact schemes to exist is that at Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe in France. The long Barrel Vault of the Nave provides an excellent surface for fresco, and is decorated with scenes of the Old Testament, showing the Creation, the Fall of Man and other stories, including a lively depiction of Noah's Ark, complete with a fearsome figurehead and numerous windows. 

Another scene shows, with great vigour, the swamping of Pharaoh's army by the Red Sea. The scheme extends to other parts of the Church, with the Martyrdom of the local Saints shown in the Crypt, and Apocalypse in the Narthex, and Christ in Majesty. The range of colours employed is limited to light blue-green, yellow ochre, reddish brown and black. Similar paintings exist in Serbia, Spain, Germany, Italy and elsewhere in France.

The oldest-known fragments of Mediaeval pictorial Stained-Glass appear to date from the 10th-Century. The earliest intact figures are five Prophet Windows, at Augsburg, dating from the Late-11th-Century. The figures, though stiff and formalised, demonstrate considerable proficiency in design, both pictorially and in the functional use of the glass, indicating that their maker was well accustomed to the medium.

Español: El Monasterio de Santo Domingo de Silos es una abadía benedictina 

ubicada en el municipio de Santo Domingo de Silos, en la provincia de Burgos.

English: The Cloisters, Santo Domingo de Silos Abbey. The Abbey is a Benedictine Monastery 

in the village of Santo Domingo de Silos, in the Southern part of Burgos Province, 

in Northern Spain. Its Cloister is a "Magnum Opus" of Romanesque art in Europe.

Deutsch: Kreuzgang - links eine der gedrehten Vierersäulen.

Photo: 25 July 2005.

Source: Own work.

Author: Juergen Kappenberg.

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: Cathedral of Saint Martin, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy. The West Façade. The Arcading on the facade of Lucca Cathedral, Tuscany, Italy, (1204) has many variations in its decorative 

details, both sculptural and in the inlaid polychrome marble.

Français: Cathédrale Saint-Martin, Lucques, Toscane, Italie. La façade ouest.

Photo: 29 September 2007.

Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Author: Tango7174.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Français: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres,

Eure-et-Loir, Centre, France. Vitraux du chœur.

English: Chartres Cathedral, France.

Stained-Glass Windows in the Choir.

Photo: 28 September 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Tango7174.

(Wikimedia Commons)

At Canterbury and Chartres Cathedrals, a number of panels of the 12th-Century have survived, including, at Canterbury, a figure of Adam, digging, and another of his son, Seth, from a series of Ancestors of Christ. Adam represents a highly naturalistic and lively portrayal, while, in the figure of Seth, the robes have been used to great decorative effect, similar to the best stone carving of the period.

Many of the magnificent Stained-Glass Windows of France, including the famous windows of Chartres, date from the 13th-Century. Far fewer large windows remain intact from the 12th-Century. One such is the Crucifixion Window at Poitiers Cathedral, a remarkable composition that rises through three stages, the lowest with a quatrefoil depicting the Martyrdom of Saint Peter, the largest central stage dominated by the Crucifixion, and the upper stage showing the Ascension of Christ in a mandorla. The figure of the crucified Christ is already showing the Gothic curve. The window is described by George Seddon as being of "unforgettable beauty".

PART TWELVE FOLLOWS.

Romanesque (Part Ten).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

Canterbury Cathedral, England.

West Front, Nave and Central Tower.

This Cathedral retains its fine Romanesque Crypt (see, below).

Photo: September 2005.

Source: Picture taken and post-processed by Hans Musil.

Author: Hans Musil.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Romanesque Crypt 

of Canterbury Cathedral.

Photo: 29 October 2003.

Source: Flickr.

Author: Saxon Moseley from UK.

Reviewer: Andre Engels.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Among the structures associated with Church buildings are Crypts, Porches, Chapter Houses, Cloisters and Baptisteries.

Crypts are often present as an underlying structure to a substantial Church, and are generally a completely discrete space, but, occasionally, as in some Italian Churches, may be a sunken space under a raised Chancel and open, via steps, to the body of the Nave. Romanesque Crypts have survived in many instances, such as Canterbury Cathedral, when the Church itself has been rebuilt.

The usual construction of a Romanesque Crypt is with many short, stout Columns, carrying Groin Vaults, as at Worcester Cathedral.

English: Parma Cathedral, Italy.

Italiano: Parma - Abside del Duomo.

Photo: August 2011.

Source: Own work.

Author: Geobia.

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: The Baptistry, Parma Cathedral.

Italiano: Baptisterium in Parma auf der 

Piazza Battistero. Il Battistero di Parma.

Photo: 21 May 2005.

Source: Own work. Self-photographed 

(Original text: “selbst fotografiert (www.schaefer-bonk.de)”).

Author: Philip Schäfer.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Porches sometimes occur as part of the original design of a facade. This is very much the case in Italy, where they are usually only one Bay-deep and are supported on two Columns, often resting on couchant lions, as at Saint Zeno, Verona. Elsewhere, Porches of various dates have been added to the facade, or side entrance, of existent Churches and may be quite a substantial structure, with several Bays of Vaulting, supported on an open, or partially open, Acade, and forming a sort of Narthex, as at the Church of Saint Maria, Laach Abbey, Germany. In Spain, Romanesque Churches often have large lateral Porches, like Loggias.

Chapter Houses often occur adjacent to Monastic or Cathedral Churches. Few have survived intact from the Romanesque period. Early-Romanesque Chapter Houses were rectangular in shape, with the larger ones sometimes having Groin, or Ribbed, Vaults, supported on Columns. Later-Romanesque Chapter Houses sometimes had an Apsidal Eastern End. The Chapter House at Durham Cathedral is a wide space with a Ribbed Vault, restored, as originally constructed, in 1130. The circular Chapter House at Worcester Cathedral, built by Bishop Wulfstan (1062–95), was the first circular Chapter House in Europe and was much imitated in England.

English: The Baptistery of San Giovanni, 

Florence Cathedral, Italy.

Deutsch: Beschreibung: Baptisterium (Florenz).

Photo: 9 September 2004.

Source: Own work.

Author: Christopher Kaetz

(Wikimedia Commons)

Cloisters are generally part of any Monastic complex and also occur at Cathedral and Collegiate Churches. They were essential to the communal way of life, a place for both working, during daylight hours, and relaxing, during inclement weather. They usually abut the Church building and are enclosed with windowless walls on the outside and an open Arcade on the inside, looking over a Courtyard or "Cloister Garth". They may be Vaulted or have timber roofs. The Arcades are often richly decorated and are home to some of the most fanciful carved Capitals of the Romanesque period, with those of Santo Domingo de Silos, in Spain, and the Abbey of Saint Pierre Moissac, being examples. Many Romanesque Cloisters have survived in Spain, France, Italy and Germany, along with some of their associated buildings.

Baptisteries often occur in Italy as a free-standing structure, associated with a Cathedral. They are generally octagonal, or circular, and Domed. The Interior may be Arcaded on several levels, as at Pisa Cathedral. Other notable Romanesque Baptisteries are that at Parma Cathedral, remarkable for its galleried exterior, and the polychrome Baptistery of San Giovanni, of Florence Cathedral, with Vault Mosaics of the 13th-Century, including Christ in Majesty, possibly the work of the almost legendary Coppo di Marcovaldo.

The Crypt, 

Worcester Cathedral, England.

Note the Groin Vaults.

Photo: 23 February 2011.

Source: Own work.

Author: TheElfFromAbove.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Arcading is the single most significant decorative feature of Romanesque architecture. It occurs in a variety of forms, from the Lombard band, that is a row of small Arches that appear to support a roofline or course, to shallow Blind Arcading, that is often a feature of English architecture, and is seen in great variety at Ely Cathedral, to the open Dwarf Gallery, first used at Speyer Cathedral, and widely adopted in Italy, as seen on both Pisa Cathedral and its famous Leaning Tower. Arcades could be used to great effect, both externally and internally, as exemplified by the Church of Santa Maria della Pieve, in Arezzo, Italy.

English: Lombard band in the Basilica di Santa Giulia, Northern Italy.

Italiano: Basilica di Santa Giulia, abside superstite, nel comune di Bonate Sotto.

Photo: 2 April 2006.

Source: Own work.

Author: Giorces.

(Wikimedia Commons)

A Lombard band is a decorative Blind Arcade, usually exterior, often used during the Romanesque and Gothic periods of architecture. Lombard bands are believed to have been first used during the First Romanesque period of the Early-11th-Century. At that time, they were the most common architectural decorative motif for facades in Lombardy, Aragon and Catalonia. Arches of Early-Christian buildings of Ravenna, such as the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, have been 

suggested as the origin of Lombard bands.

The Romanesque period produced a profusion of sculptural ornamentation. This most frequently took a purely geometric form and was particularly applied to Mouldings, both straight courses and the Curved Mouldings of Arches. In La Madeleine, Vezelay, France, for example, the polychrome Ribs of the Vault are all edged with narrow filets of pierced stone. Similar decoration occurs around the Arches of the Nave and along the horizontal course separating Arcade and Clerestory. Combined with the pierced carving of the Capitals, this gives a delicacy and refinement to the Interior.

In England, such decoration could be discrete, as at Hereford and Peterborough Cathedrals, or have a sense of massive energy, as at Durham, where the Diagonal Ribs of the Vaults are all outlined with Chevrons, the Mouldings of the Nave Arcade are carved with several layers of the same and the huge Columns are deeply incised with a variety of geometric patterns, creating an impression of directional movement. These features combine to create one of the richest and most dynamic Interiors of the Romanesque period.

Polychrome Blind Arcading of the Apse 

of Monreale Cathedral, Sicily, Italy (1174-82). 

The decoration indicates Islamic influence in both the motifs 

and the fact that all the Arches, including those 

of the windows, are pointed.

Photo: August 2004.

Source: Own work.

Author: Bernhard J. Scheuvens aka Bjs/.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Although much sculptural ornament was sometimes applied to the Interiors of Churches, the focus of such decoration was generally the West Front, and, in particular, the Portals. Chevrons and other geometric ornaments, referred to by 19th-Century writers as "barbaric ornament", are most frequently found on the Mouldings of the central door. 

Stylised foliage often appears, sometimes deeply carved and curling outward, after the manner of the acanthus leaves on Corinthian Capitals, but also carved in shallow relief and spiral patterns, imitating the intricacies of manuscript illuminations. In general, the style of ornament was more classical in Italy, such as that seen around the door of San Giusto in Lucca, and more "barbaric" in England, Germany and Scandinavia, such as that seen at Lincoln and Speyer Cathedrals. France produced a great range of ornament, with particularly fine interwoven and spiralling vines in the "manuscript" style occurring at Saint-Sernin, Toulouse.

Français: Aiguilhe (Haute-Loire - France), porche polychrome sculpté 

de la chapelle Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe (XIe siècle).

English: Aiguilhe (Haute-Loire - France), carved polychrome 

Porch of the Saint-Michel-D'aiguilhe Chapel (11th-Century).

Photo: 22 June 2003.

Source: Own work.

Author: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Français: Aiguilhe (Haute-Loire - France), la chapelle Saint-Michel (XIe siècle).

English: Aiguilhe (Haute-Loire - France), the Chapel of Saint Michel (11th-Century).

Español: Aiguilhe (Alto Loira - Francia), la capilla di San Michele (siglo XI).

Italiano: Aiguilhe (Alto Loira - Francia), la capella di San Michele (XI secolo).

Português: Aiguilhe (Haute-Loire - França), a capela de São Miguel (Século XI).

Nederlands: Aiguilhe (Haute-Loire - Frankrijk), de kapel van Sint-Michiel (XIde eeuw).

Photo: 22 June 2003.

Source: Own work.

Author: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe is a Chapel in Aiguilhe, near Le Puy-en-Velay, France, built in 962 A.D., 

on a volcanic formation 85 metres (279 ft) high. The Chapel is reached by 268 steps 

carved into the rock. It was built to celebrate the return from the 

pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia, in North-Western Spain. 

In 1429, the mother of Joan of Arc, Isabelle Romée, was said to have come to the site to pray.

With the fall of the Roman Empire, the tradition of carving large works in stone, and sculpting figures in bronze, died out. The best-known surviving large sculptural work, of Proto-Romanesque Europe, is the life-size wooden Crucifix, commissioned by Archbishop Gero of Cologne, in about 960 A.D. - 965 A.D.

During the 11th- and 12th-Centuries, figurative sculpture flourished in a distinctly Romanesque style that can be recognised across Europe, although the most spectacular sculptural projects are concentrated in South-Western France, Northern Spain and Italy.

English: The Portal of Saint-Pierre, Moissac, France.

Français: Portal da Abadia Saint-Pierre de Moissac.

Source: File:Abadia de Saint-Pierre de Moissac - Portalada sud.JPG.

Author: Original file by Josep Renalias.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Portal of Saint-Pierre, Moissac, France, has unusual features, including the Frieze of Roundels on the Lintel, the scalloped Jambs and figures of Prophets on the Central Jamb.

Major figurative decoration occurs particularly around the Portals of Cathedrals and Churches, ornamenting the Tympanum, Lintels, Jambs and Central Posts. The Tympanum is typically decorated with the imagery of Christ in Majesty, with the symbols of the Four Evangelists, drawn directly from the gilt covers of Mediaeval Gospel Books. 

This style of doorway occurs in many places and continued into the Gothic period. A rare survival in England is that of the "Prior's Door" at Ely Cathedral. In France, many have survived, with impressive examples at the Abbey of Saint-Pierre, Moissac, the Abbey of Sainte-Marie, Souillac, and Abbey of la Madaleine, Vézelay – all Daughter Houses of Cluny, with extensive other sculpture remaining in Cloisters and other buildings. 

Nearby, Autun Cathedral has a Last Judgement of great rarity, in that it has uniquely been signed by its creator, Gislebertus (who was perhaps the patron, rather than the sculptor). The same artist is thought to have worked at la Madaleine Vezelay, which uniquely has two elaborately-carved Tympanum, the early inner one representing the Last Judgement, and that on the outer Portal of the Narthex, representing Jesus sending forth the Apostles to preach to the nations.

PART ELEVEN FOLLOWS.

Romanesque (Part Nine).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

English: The Old Cathedral, Salamanca, Spain.

Español: Las cubiertas de la Catedral Vieja, la famosa 

Torre del Gallo y parte del exterior de la 

Nave de la Epístola de la Catedral Nueva.

Photo: March 2011.

Source: Own work.

Author: José Luis Filpo Cabana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The "Westwork" of Maria Laach Abbey, Germany, 12th-Century, (Porch, 1225), is typical of Germany, a form that dates to Carolingian architecture, with grouped Towers of different Plans, 

and both "Candle-Snuffer" and "Rhenish Helm" Spires.

Maria Laach Abbey (in German: Abtei Maria Laach. In Latin: Abbatia Maria Lacensis or Abbatia Maria ad Lacum) is a Benedictine Abbey situated on the South-Western shore of the Laacher See (Lake Laach), near Andernach, in the Eifel region of the Rhineland-Palatinate, in Germany. 

It is a member of the Beuronese Congregation, within the Benedictine Confederation. The Abbey was known for nearly 770 years as "Abtei Laach" ("Abbatia Lacensis" or "Laach Abbey", meaning the "Lake Abbey") until 1862, when the Jesuits added the name "Maria".

Photo: 10 November 2006.

Source: Own work.

Permission: Attribution ShareAlike 2.5.

Author: Nikanos.

(Wikimedia Commons)

In England, for large Abbeys and Cathedrals, three Towers were favoured, with the Central Tower being the tallest. This was often not achieved, through the slow process of the building stages, and in many cases the upper parts of the Tower were not completed until centuries later, as at Durham Cathedral and Lincoln Cathedral.

Large Norman Towers exist at the Cathedrals of Durham, Exeter, Southwell, Norwich and Tewkesbury Abbey. Such Towers were often topped during the Late-Mediaeval period, with a Gothic Spire of wooden construction covered with lead, copper or shingles. In the case of Norwich Cathedral, the huge, ornate, 12th-Century Crossing Tower received a 15th-Century masonry Spire, rising to a height of 320 feet and remaining to this day.

In Italy, Towers are almost always free standing and the position is often dictated by the landform of the site, rather than aesthetics. This is the case in nearly all Italian Churches, both large and small, except in Sicily, where a number of Churches were founded by the Norman rulers and are more French in appearance.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa, with its encircling Arcades, 

is the best known (and most richly decorated) 

of the many Circular Towers found in Italy.

Photo: 8 August 2005.

Source: Photography of Johann H. ADdicks.

Author: edited by Johann H. Addicks.

(Wikimedia Commons)

As a general rule, large Romanesque Towers are square, with corner Buttresses of low profile, rising without diminishing through the various stages. Towers are usually marked into clearly defined stages by Horizontal Courses. As the Towers rise, the number and size of openings increases, as can be seen on the right Tower of The Transept of Tournai Cathedral, where two narrow slits, in the fourth level from the top, becomes a single window, then two windows, then three windows at the uppermost level. This sort of arrangement is particularly noticeable on the Towers of Italian Churches, which are usually built of brick and may have no other ornament. Two fine examples occur at Lucca, at the Church of San Frediano, and at the Duomo. It is also seen in Spain.

In Italy, there are a number of large free-standing Towers that are circular, the most famous of these being the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In other countries where circular towers occur, such as Germany, they are usually paired and often flank an Apse. Circular Towers are uncommon in England, but occur throughout the Early-Mediaeval period in Ireland.

Polygonal Towers were often used on The Crossings, and occur in France, Germany, Italy and Spain, such as that of the Old Cathedral, Salamanca, which is covered by a Dome supported on a Ribbed Vault.

The most massive Romanesque Crossing Tower is that at 

Tewkesbury Abbey, in England, where large Crossing Towers are characteristic.

Tewkesbury Abbey was founded in 1087; however, building of the present structure (seen here) did not start until 1102. Built to house Benedictine Monks, the Abbey was consecrated in 1121.

Photo: 14 July 2011.

Source: Own work.

Permission: Outside of Wikimedia Foundation projects, Attribution is to be made to:

W. Lloyd MacKenzie, via Flickr @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/saffron_blaze/

Author: Saffron Blaze.

(Image: Wikipedia)

Smaller Churches sometimes had Bell-Gables, instead of Towers, a feature which, according to some authors, is characteristic of the simplicity of much architecture in the Romanesque style.

Romanesque Churches generally have a single Portal, centrally placed on the West Front, the focus of decoration for the facade of the building. Some Churches, such as Saint-Étienne, Caen (11th-Century), and Pisa Cathedral (Late-12th-Century), had three Western Portals, in the manner of Early Christian Basilicas. Many Churches, both large and small, had lateral entrances that were commonly used by worshippers.

Romanesque doorways have a character form, with the Jambs having a series of Receding Planes, into each of which is set a Circular Shaft, all surmounted by a continuous Abacus. The Semi-Circular Arch, which rises from the Abacus, has the same Seried Planes and Circular Mouldings as the Jambs. There are, typically, four Planes, containing three Shafts, but there may be as many as twelve Shafts, symbolic of the Apostles.

The opening of the Portal may be Arched, or may be set with a Lintel supporting a Tympanum, generally carved, but, in Italy, sometimes decorated with mosaic or fresco. A carved Tympanum generally constitutes the major sculptural work of a Romanesque Church. The subject of the carving, on a major Portal, may be Christ in Majesty or the Last Judgement. Lateral doors may include other subjects, such as the Birth of Christ. The Portal may be protected by a Porch, with simple Open Porches being typical of Italy, and more elaborate structures typical of France and Spain.

The Mouldings of the Arched Central West Door, of Lincoln Cathedral, are decorated by 

Chevrons, and other formal and figurative ornament, typical of English Norman. 

The "Gallery of Kings" above the portal is Gothic.

Photo: 15 May 2007.

Source: PICT4104.JPG.

Author: Matt Gibson from Bristol, United Kingdom.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Porta Platerias, Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, 

by Master Esteban, has two wide openings with Tympanums supported on brackets. 

The sculptured Frieze, above, is protected by an Eave, on Corbels.

Català: Façana de les Platerías a la catedral de 

Santiago de Compostela. Romànica (1103-1117).

Photo: 2010.

Source: Own work.

Author: Amadalvarez.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The structure of large Churches differed regionally and developed across the centuries. The use of Piers, of Rectangular Plan, to support Arcades, was common, as at Mainz Cathedral and Saint Gertrude Nivelle, and remained usual in smaller Churches across Europe, with the Arcades often taking the form of openings through the surface of a wall. 

In Italy, where there was a strong tradition of using marble Columns, complete with Capital, Base and Abacus, this remained prevalent, often reusing existent ancient Columns, as at San Miniato al Monte. A number of 11th-Century Churches have Naves distinguished by huge circular Columns, with no Clerestory, or a very small one, as at Saint Philibert, Tournus. 

In England, stout Columns, of large diameter, supported Decorated Arches, Gallery and Clerestory, as at the Nave of Malmesbury Abbey. By the Early-12th-Century, composite Piers had evolved, in which the attached Shafts swept upward to a Ribbed Vault, or were continued into the Mouldings of the Arcade, as at Vézelay Abbey, Saint Etienne, Caen, and Peterborough Cathedral.

The Church of Saint Gertrude, Nivelles, Belgium 

(consecrated 1046), has a Nave and Aisles divided by Piers 

supporting a Clerestory The Nave is divided by Transverse Arches. 

The Interior would have been plastered and painted.

Français: Nivelles (Belgique), nef de la collégiale Sainte-Gertrude (XI/XIIIe siècle).

English: Nivelles (Belgium), St. Gertrude Collegiate church nave (XI/XIIIth centuries).

Nederlands: Nijvel (België), schip van de Sint-Gertrudis Collegialekerk (XI/XIIIde eeuwen).

Walon: Nivèle (Bèljike), nèf dol coléjiale Sint Djèrtrûde (XI/XIIIin.me sièkes).

Photo: 12 October 2005.

Source: Own work.

Author: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The nature of the internal roofing varied greatly, from open timber roofs, and wooden ceilings of different types, which remained common in smaller Churches, to simple Barrel Vaults and Groin Vaults and, increasingly, to the use of Ribbed Vaults in the Late-11th- and 12th-Centuries, which were to become a common feature of larger Abbey Churches and Cathedrals. 

A number of Romanesque Churches are roofed with a series of Domes. At Fontevrault Abbey, the Nave is covered by four Domes, while at the Church of Saint Front, Perigueux, the Church is of Greek Cross Plan, with a central Dome surrounded by four smaller Domes over the Nave, Chancel and The Transepts.

Internal decoration varied across Europe. Where wide expanses of wall existed, they were often plastered and painted. Wooden ceilings and timber beams were decorated. In Italy, walls were sometimes faced with polychrome marble. Where buildings were constructed of stone that was suitable for carving, many decorative details occur, including ornate Capitals and Mouldings.

The Nave of Peterborough Cathedral (1118 - 1193) 

in three Stages of Arcade, Gallery and Clerestory, 

typical of Norman Abbey Churches. 

The rare wooden ceiling retains its original decoration (circa 1230). 

Gothic Arches beneath the Tower (circa 1350).

Photo: 23 July 2008.

Source: Peterborough Cathedral.

Author: Steve Cadman from London, U.K.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Apsidal East End was often a focus of decoration, with both architectonic forms, such as Arcading, and pictorial features, such as carved figures, murals and, occasionally, mosaics. Stained Glass came into increasing use from the 11th-Century. In many Churches, the Eastern End has been rebuilt in a later style. Of England's Norman Cathedrals, no Eastern End remains unchanged. 

In France, the Eastern terminals of the important Abbeys of Caen, Vézelay and, most significantly, the Basilica of Saint Denis, were completely rebuilt in the Gothic style. 

In Germany, major reconstructions of the 19th-Century sought to return many Romanesque buildings to their original form. Examples of simple Romanesque Apses can be seen in the images of Saint Gertrude, Nivelles, Belgium; Saint Philibert, Tournus, and San Miniato al Monte.

PART TEN FOLLOWS.

Romanesque (Part Eight).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

English: The Abbey of Saint-Etienne, Caen, France. The Abbey is also known as 

Abbaye aux Hommes ("Men's Abbey"), and is a former Monastery in the French city of 

Caen, Normandy. Dedicated to Saint Stephen ("Saint Étienne"), it is considered, along 

with the neighbouring Abbaye aux Dames ("Ladies' Abbey"), to be one of the most notable Romanesque buildings in Normandy. Like all the major Abbeys in Normandy, it was Benedictine. Lanfranc, before being an Archbishop of Canterbury, was Abbot of Saint-Etienne.

Français: Abbaye aux Hommes, Caen, France.

Español: Abadía de los Hombres de Caen.

Photo: February 2005.

User: Urban.

Author: Urban.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Eastern End of a Romanesque Church is almost always semi-circular, with either a high Chancel, surrounded by an Ambulatory, as in France, or a Square End, from which an Apse projects, as in Germany and Italy. Where Square Ends exist in English Churches, they are probably influenced by Anglo-Saxon Churches. Peterborough and Norwich Cathedrals have retained round East Ends, in the French style. However, in France, simple Churches, without Apses and with no decorative features, were built by the Cistercians, who also founded many Houses in England, frequently in remote areas.

English: Saint-Étienne, Nevers, France, displays a round Chancel with 

Ambulatory, Apsidal Chapels and strongly-projecting Transepts. The Church of Saint Etienne, Nevers, is a specimen of the Romanesque style of Auvergne, France, of which the disposition 

of the Apse, with its three radiating Chapels, is characteristic. 

It was consecrated at the close of the 9th-Century, and 

belonged to a Priory affiliated to Cluny.

Deutsch: Saint-Etienne, Nevers, Chorhaupt.

Date: 2008-03-16 (original upload date).(Original text : 31.08.06)

Source: Transferred from de.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by 

User:Kurpfalzbilder.de using CommonsHelper.

(Original text : selbst fotografiert)

Author: Jochen Jahnke at de.wikipedia.

Permission: Licensed under the GFDL by the author.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Romanesque Church facades, generally to the West End of the building, are usually symmetrical, have a large central Portal, made significant by its mouldings or Porch, and an arrangement of Arched-topped windows. In Italy, there is often a single central Ocular, or Wheel Window. The common decorative feature is Arcading.

Smaller Churches often have a single Tower, that is usually placed to the Western End in France or England, either centrally or to one side, while larger Churches and Cathedrals often have two Towers.

In France, Saint-Étienne, Caen, presents the model of a large French Romanesque facade. It is a symmetrical arrangement, of Nave, flanked by two tall Towers, each with two Buttresses of low flat profile that divide the facade into three vertical units. The lowest stage is marked by large doors, each set within an Arch in each of the three vertical sections. The wider central section has two tiers of three identical windows, while in the outer sections there are two tiers of single windows, giving emphasis to the mass of the Towers. The Towers rise above the facade through three further tiers, the lowest of tall Blind Arcading, the next of Arcading pierced by two narrow windows and the third of two large windows, divided into two Lights by a Colonnette.

This facade can be seen as the foundation for many other buildings, including both French and English Gothic Churches. While the form is typical of Northern France, its various components were common to many Romanesque Churches of the period across Europe. Similar facades are found in Portugal. In England, Southwell Cathedral has maintained this form, despite the insertion of a huge Gothic window between the Towers. Lincoln Cathedral and Durham Cathedral must once have looked like this. In Germany, the Limburg Cathedral has a rich variety of openings and Arcades in horizontal Storeys of varying heights.

English: The Cloister Galleries, in The Abbey of Saint-Etienne, Caen, France. The Abbey is also known as Abbaye aux Hommes ("Men's Abbey"), and is a former Monastery in the French city of 

Caen, Normandy. Dedicated to Saint Stephen ("Saint Étienne"), it is considered, along 

with the neighbouring Abbaye aux Dames ("Ladies' Abbey"), to be one of the most notable Romanesque buildings in Normandy. Like all the major Abbeys in Normandy, it was Benedictine. Lanfranc, before being an Archbishop of Canterbury, was Abbot of Saint-Etienne.

Français: Abbaye-aux-Hommes, Caen, Calvados, Normandie, France. Galeries du cloître.

Photo: 7 September 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Tango7174.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Churches of San Zeno Maggiore, Verona, and San Michele, Pavia, present two types of facade that are typical of Italian Romanesque, that which reveals the architectural form of the building, and that which screens it. At San Zeno, the components of Nave and Aisles are made clear by the vertical Shafts that rise to the level of the Central Gable and by the varying roof levels.

At San Miniato al Monte, the definition of the architectural parts is made even clearer by the polychrome marble, a feature of many Italian Mediaeval facades, particularly in Tuscany. At San Michele, Pavia, the vertical definition is present, as at San Zeno, but the rooflines are screened behind a single large Gable decorated with stepped Arcading. At Santa Maria della Pieve, Arezzo, this screening is carried even further, as the roofline is horizontal and the Arcading rises in many different levels, while the Colonnettes, that support them, have a great diversity of decoration.

The Cathedral of Santa Maria d'Urgell, Spain, has an Apsidal East End, 

projecting at a lower level to the Choir and decorated 

with an Arcade below the roofline. 

This form is usual in Italy and Germany.

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kjeaves/24870600/.

This File: 26 December 2006.

User: Mgclpe.

Author: kev the wev.

(Wikimedia Commons)

In the Rhineland and the Netherlands, the Carolingian form of West End, known as the Westwerk, prevailed. Towers and Apse of the Western End are often incorporated into a multi-storey structure that bears little structural or visual relationship to the building behind it. These Westwerks take a great variety of forms, as may be seen at Maria Laach Abbey, Saint Gertrude, Nivelles, and Saint Servatius, Maastricht.

Towers were an important feature of Romanesque Churches and a great number of them are still standing. They take a variety of forms: Square; Circular; and Octagonal. They are positioned differently in relation to the Church building in different countries. In northern France, two large Towers, such as those at Caen, were to become an integral part of the facade of any large Abbey or Cathedral. In Central and Southern France, this is more variable and large Churches may have one Tower or a Central Tower. Large Churches of Spain and Portugal usually have two Towers.

English: The Choir, Worms Cathedral. The Cathedral of Saint Peter (German: Wormser Dom) is a Church in Worms, Southern Germany. It was the Seat of the Catholic 

Prince-Bishopric of Worms until its extinction in 1800.

Deutsch: Ansicht des Chores im Dom zu Worms.

Photo: 26 September 2011.

Source: Own work.

Author: Ratog.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Cathedral of Saint Peter 

(Dom Saint Peter), Worms, Germany.

Photo: 14 December 2007.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: Abbaye-aux-Dames, Caen, Calvados, Normandie, France. 

Apse of Sainte Trinité Church.

Français: Abbaye-aux-Dames, Caen, Calvados, Normandie, France. 

Abside de l'église abbatiale de la Trinité.

Photo: 7 September 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Tango7174.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Many Abbeys of France, such as that at Cluny, had many Towers of varied forms. This is also common in Germany, where the Apses were sometimes framed with circular Towers and The Crossing surmounted by an Octagonal Tower, as at Worms Cathedral. Large paired Towers, of Square Plan, could also occur on the Transept Ends, such as those at Tournai Cathedral, in Belgium.

In Germany, where four Towers frequently occur, they often have Spires, that may be four- or eight-sided, or the distinctive Rhenish Helm shape, seen on the Cathedrals of Limburg or Speyer. It is also common to see Bell- or Onion-Shaped Spires, of the Baroque period, surmounting Romanesque Towers, in Central and Eastern Europe.

PART NINE FOLLOWS.