Romanesque (Part Seven).

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

English: Basilica of Saint-Rémi, Rheims, France.

Français: Basilique Saint-Remi, Reims, Champagne-Ardenne, France.

Photo: 31 August 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Tango7174.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Ribbed Vaults came into general use in the 12th-Century. In Ribbed Vaults, not only are there Ribs spanning the Vaulted area Transversely, but each Vaulted Bay has Diagonal Ribs, following the same course as the Groins in a Groin Vault. However, whereas in a Groin Vault, the Vault itself is the structural member, in a Ribbed Vault, it is the Ribs that are the structural members, and the spaces between them can be filled with lighter, non-structural, material.

English: Fontevraud Abbey, Chinon, Anjou, France.

[Fontevraud Abbey or Fontevrault Abbey (in French: abbaye de Fontevraud) is a religious building hosting a cultural centre since 1975, the Centre Culturel de l'Ouest, in the village of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, near Chinon, in Anjou, France. It was founded by the itinerant reforming preacher, Robert of Arbrissel, who had just created a new Order, the Order of Fontevrault. The first permanent structures were built between 1110 and 1119. In the early years, the Plantagenets were great benefactors of the Abbey and, while Isabella d'Anjou was Abbess, Henry II's widow, Eleanor of Aquitaine, became a Nun here. Louise de Bourbon left her Crest on 

many of the alterations she made during her Term of Office.]

Français: Abbaye Fontevraud. Cloître du Grand-Moûtier.

Photo: 27 July 2010.

Source: Own work.

Author: Jean-Christophe BENOIST.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Because Romanesque Arches are nearly always semi-circular, the structural and design problem inherent in the Ribbed Vault is that the Diagonal Span is larger and, therefore, higher than the Transverse Span. The Romanesque builders used a number of solutions to this problem. One was to have the centre point, where the Diagonal Ribs met as the highest point, with the infill of all the surfaces sloping upwards towards it, in a Domical manner. This solution was employed in Italy at San Michele, Pavia and Sant'Ambrogio, Milan.

View of the Choir, Basilica of Saint-Rémi, 

Rheims, France, from the South-East.

Photo: 6 February 2010.

Source: Own work.

Author: Raggatt2000.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The solution employed in England was to stilt the Transverse Ribs, maintaining a horizontal central line to the roof like a that of a Barrel Vault. The Diagonal Ribs could also be depressed, a solution used on the Sexpartite Vaults at both Saint-Étienne (Abbaye-aux-Hommes) and Sainte-Trinité, (Abbaye-les-Dames), at Caen, France, in the Late-11th- and Early-12th-Centuries.

The problems encountered, in the structure and appearance of Vaults, was solved late in the Romanesque period with the introduction of Pointed Arched Ribs, which allowed the height of both Diagonal and Transverse Ribs to be varied in proportion to each other.

English: Bays in the Nave of the Abbey aux Dames, Caen, France.

[Note the Sexpartite Vaulting.]

Français: Caen, Normandie, France. Travées de la nef de l'abbaye aux Dames.

Photo: 17 October 2010.

Source: Own work.

Author: Ikmo-ned.

(Wikimedia Commons)

English:  Abbaye aux Hommes, Caen, France.

Français: Abbaye aux Hommes, Caen, France.

Photo: 5 April 2011.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Pointed Ribs made their first appearance in the Transverse Ribs of the Vaults at Durham Cathedral, in Northern England, dating from 1128. Durham is a Cathedral of massive Romanesque proportions and appearance, yet its builders introduced several structural features that were new to architectural design and were later to be hallmark features of the Gothic.

Another Gothic structural feature, employed at Durham, is the Flying Buttress. However, these are hidden beneath the roofs of the Aisles. The earliest Pointed Vault in France is that of the Narthex of La Madeleine, Vézelay, dating from 1130. They were subsequently employed with the development of the Gothic style at the East End of the Basilica of Saint Denis, in Paris, in 1140.

[Note the Pointed Vaulting.]

日本語: サント＝マドレーヌ大聖堂 (ヴェズレー)

Česky: Opatství Vézelay

Deutsch: Die Basilika Sainte-Marie-Madeleine ist eine romanische Kirche in Vézelay in Burgund.

Nederlands: De basiliek van Vézelay is een beschermde abdijkerk in Vézelay, 

een Franse gemeente in het departement Yonne, inBourgondië.

Italiano: La Basilica di Vézelay a Vézelay, nel dipartimento francese di Yonne, in Borgogna.

English: Vézelay Abbey in Vézelay in the Yonne département in Burgundy, France.

Français: La Basilique Sainte-Marie-Madeleine de Vézelay à Vézelay 

dans le département de l'Yonne en Bourgogne, France.

Photo: 2005:08:12.

Source: Own work.

Author: Harmonia Amanda.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Many Parish Churches, Abbey Churches, and Cathedrals, are in the Romanesque style, or were originally built in the Romanesque style and have subsequently undergone changes. The simplest Romanesque Churches are Aisle-less Halls, with a projecting Apse at the Chancel end, or, sometimes, particularly in England, a projecting Rectangular Chancel, with a Chancel Arch that might be decorated with mouldings. More ambitious Churches have Aisles separated from the Nave by Arcades.

Abbey and Cathedral Churches generally follow the Latin Cross Plan. In England, the extension Eastward may be long, while, in Italy, it is often short, or non-existent, the Church being of a T-Plan, sometimes with Apses on the Transept Ends, as well as to the East.

Abbaye aux Hommes, Caen, France.

Photo: 5 April 2011.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

In France, the Church of Saint Front, Périgueux, appears to have been modelled on Saint Mark's Basilica, Venice, or the Byzantine Church of the Holy Apostles, and is of a Greek Cross Plan, with five Domes.

In the same region, Angoulême Cathedral is an Aisle-less Church, of the Latin Cross Plan, more usual in France, but is also roofed with Domes. 

In Germany, Romanesque Churches are often of distinctive form, having Apses at both East and West Ends, the main entrance being central to one side. It is probable that this form came about to accommodate a Baptistery at the West End.

In Section, the typical Aisled Church or Cathedral has a Nave with a single Aisle on either side. The Nave and Aisles are separated by an Arcade carried on Piers or on Columns. The roof of the Aisle and the outer walls help to buttress the upper walls and Vault of the Nave, if present. 

Above the Aisle roof, are a row of windows, known as the Clerestory, which give light to the Nave. During the Romanesque period, there was a development from this two-stage elevation to a three-stage elevation, in which there is a Gallery, known as a Triforium, between the Arcade and the Clerestory. This varies from a simple Blind Arcade, decorating the walls, to a narrow Arcaded Passage, to a fully-developed Second-Storey with a row of windows lighting the Gallery.

PART EIGHT FOLLOWS.

Romanesque (Part Six)

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

English: Maulbronn Monastery, 

a former Cistercian Monastery, 

situated in Maulbronn, Germany. 

Since 1993, the Monastery is part of UNESCO World Heritage.

Deutsch: Klosterkirche Maulbronn (Innenansicht), 

durch Bildverarbeitung verfremdet.

Photo: 30 October 2012.

Source: Own work.

Author: Andreas Zschorsch.

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: The Galilee is a variation of the Atrium, or the Narthex, in the Western part of a Church. The Galilee to the Convent Church of Maulbronn is also called The Paradise (1210 - 1215). It is regarded as a unique and perfect example of art from the time of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. The influences from Burgundy, France, are obvious and can be seen 

in the special finish of the Capitals and in the High Plinths. 

[This paragraph can be found in Romanesque - Architecture - Sculpture - Painting, 

Edited by Rolf Toman. Published by KONEMANN.]

Deutsch: Kloster Maulbronn.

This File: 12 March 2007.

Source: Own work.

Author: User:Fb78.

(Wikimedia Commons)

In most parts of Europe, Romanesque Columns were massive, as they supported thick upper walls with small windows, and sometimes heavy Vaults. The most common method of construction was to build them out of stone cylinders called Drums, as in the Crypt at Speyer Cathedral.

Where really massive Columns were called for, such as those at Durham Cathedral, they were constructed of ashlar masonry, and the hollow core was filled with rubble. These huge untapered Columns are sometimes ornamented with incised decorations.

A common characteristic of Romanesque buildings, occurring both in Churches and in the Arcades that separate large interior spaces of Castles, is the alternation of Piers and Columns. The most simple form that this takes is to have a Column between each adjoining Pier. Sometimes, the Columns are in multiples of two or three. At Saint Michael's, Hildesheim, an ABBA alternation occurs in the Nave, while an ABA alternation can be seen in The Transepts.

English: Charlemagne's Palatine Chapel, Aachen, Germany. 9th-Century.

Modelled on the Byzantine Church of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy.

Deutsch: Aachener Dom.

Photo: 23 April 2009.

Source: Bojin, on request by Túrelio.

Author: Bojin.

Permission:

The permission to use this work has been archived in the Wikimedia OTRS system. It is available as ticket #2009102710046455 for users with an OTRS account. If you wish to reuse this work elsewhere, please read the instructions at COM:REUSE. If you are a Commons user and wish to confirm the permission, please leave a note at the OTRS noticeboard.

Ticket link: https://ticket.wikimedia.org/otrs/index.pl?Action=AgentTicketZoom&TicketNumber=2009102710046455

(Wikimedia Commons)

At Jumièges, there are tall Drum Columns between Piers, each of which has a Half-Column supporting the Arch. There are many variations on this theme, most notably at Durham Cathedral, where the mouldings and Shafts of the Piers are of exceptional richness and the huge masonry Columns are deeply incised with geometric patterns.

Often, the arrangement was made more complex by the complexity of the Piers, themselves, so that it was not Piers and Columns that alternated, but, rather, Piers of entirely different form from each other, such as those of Sant' Ambrogio, Milan, where the nature of the Vault dictated that the alternate Piers bore a great deal more weight than the intermediate ones and are, thus, very much larger.

The foliate Corinthian style provided the inspiration for many Romanesque Capitals, and the accuracy with which they were carved depended very much on the availability of original models, those in Italian Churches, such as Pisa Cathedral, or Church of Sant'Alessandro, in Lucca, and Southern France, being much closer to the Classical than those in England.

Interior of Saint Mary's Cathedral and Saint Michael's Church,

Hildesheim, Germany. 

The Corinthian Capitals are clearly seen.

Photo: Autumn 2005.

Source: de:Image:St.MichaelInnen.jpg.

Author: Dronkitmaster.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Corinthian Capital is essentially round at the bottom, where it sits on a circular Column, and square at the top, where it supports the wall or Arch. This form of Capital was maintained in the general proportions and outline of the Romanesque Capital. This was achieved most simply by cutting a rectangular cube and taking the four lower corners off at an angle, so that the block was square at the top, but octagonal at the bottom, as can be seen at Saint Michael's, Hildesheim, Germany.

This shape lent itself to a wide variety of superficial treatments, sometimes foliate, in imitation of the source, but often figurative. In Northern Europe, the foliate Capitals generally bear far more resemblance to the intricacies of manuscript illumination than to Classical sources. In parts of France and Italy, there are strong links to the Pierced Capitals of Byzantine architecture. It is in the figurative Capitals that the greatest originality is shown. While some are dependent on manuscript illustrations of Biblical scenes and depictions of beasts and monsters, others are lively scenes of the legends of local Saints.

English: The Ribbed Vaults, 

at Saint-Étienne, Caen, France,

are sexpartite and span two Bays of the Nave.

Français: Nef de l'église Saint-Étienne 

de l'ancienne abbaye aux Hommes de Caen.

(Calvados, Basse-Normandie).

Photo: 23 March 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: Harmonia Amanda.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Capitals, while retaining the form of a square top and a round bottom, were often compressed into little more than a bulging cushion-shape. This is particularly the case on large masonry Columns, or on large Columns that alternate with Piers, as at Durham Cathedral.

The majority of buildings have wooden roofs, generally of a simple truss, tie beam or king post form. In the case of trussed rafter roofs, they are sometimes lined with wooden ceilings in three sections, like those that survive at Ely and Peterborough Cathedrals, in England. In Churches, typically the Aisles are Vaulted, but the Nave is roofed with timber, as is the case at both Peterborough and Ely. In Italy, where open wooden roofs are common, and tie beams frequently occur in conjunction with Vaults, the timbers have often been decorated, as at San Miniato al Monte, Florence.

Vaults of stone or brick took on several different forms and showed marked development during the period, evolving into the pointed Ribbed Arch characteristic of Gothic architecture.

Peterborough Cathedral, South Choir Aisle.

The Aisles at Peterborough Cathedral 

have quadripartite Ribbed Vaults. 

The Nave has an ancient painted wooden ceiling.

Photo: 2007.

Source: Own work.

Author: TTaylor.

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: The Abbey Church of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe 

is located in Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe, in Poitou, France. 

The Romanesque Church was begun in the Mid-11th-Century 

and contains many beautiful 11th- and 12th-Century murals, 

which are still in a remarkable state of preservation. 

[Note the decorated Columns and the decorated Nave roof.] 

It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.

Français: Vue vers l'orient de la nef de l'abbatiale 

de Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe.

Photo: 12 June 2012.

Source: Own work.

Author: GO69.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The simplest type of Vaulted roof is the Barrel Vault, in which a single Arched surface extends from wall to wall the length of the space to be Vaulted, for example, the Nave of a Church. An important example, which retains Mediaeval paintings, is the Vault of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe, France, of the Early-12th-Century. However, the Barrel Vault generally required the support of solid walls, or walls in which the windows were very small.

Groin Vaults occur in Early-Romanesque buildings, notably at Speyer Cathedral, where the High Vault, of about 1060, is the first employment in Romanesque architecture of this type of Vault for a wide Nave. In later buildings employing Ribbed Vaultings, Groin Vaults are most frequently used for the less visible and smaller Vaults, particularly in Crypts and Aisles. 

A Groin Vault is almost always square in Plan and is constructed of two Barrel Vaults intersecting at right angles. Unlike a Ribbed Vault, the entire Arch is a structural member. Groin Vaults are frequently separated by Transverse Arched Ribs of low profile, as at Speyer Cathedral and Santiago de Compostela. At Sainte Marie Madeleine, Vézelay, the Ribs are square in Section, strongly projecting and polychrome.

PART SEVEN FOLLOWS.

Romanesque (Part Five).

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

English: Durham Cathedral, England, 

has decorated masonry Columns, 

alternating with Piers of clustered Shafts 

supporting the earliest pointed High Ribs.

Català: Catedral de Durham.

Photo: 13 August 2010.

Source: Own work. 

"I had to pay a £15 fee for a daily photo permit."

Author: Oliver-Bonjoch.

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: The Papal Basilica of the Minster of Saint Martin's, Bonn, Germany.

The Bonn Minster (German: Das Bonner Münster) is one of Germany's oldest Churches, having been built between the 11th- and 13th-Centuries. At one point, this Church served as the Cathedral for the Archbishopric of Cologne. However, the Minster is now a Papal Basilica.

Deutsch: Bonner Münster.

Photo: 7 July 2010.

Source: Own photograph. Originally uploaded to File:BOMUE00.jpg.

Author: Hans Weingartz.

Permission: CC-BY-SA-3.0-DE.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Because of the massive nature of Romanesque walls, Buttresses are not a highly significant feature, as they are in Gothic architecture. Romanesque buttresses are generally of a flat, square, profile, and do not project a great deal beyond the wall. In the case of Aisled-Churches, Barrel Vaults, or Half-Barrel Vaults over the Aisles, helped to buttress the Nave, if it was Vaulted.

In the cases where Half-Barrel Vaults were used, they effectively became like Flying Buttresses. Often, Aisles extended through two Storeys, rather than the one Storey which is usual in Gothic architecture, so as to better support the weight of a Vaulted Nave. In the case of Durham Cathedral, Flying Buttresses have been employed, but are hidden inside the Triforium Gallery.

The Arches used in Romanesque architecture are nearly always semi-circular, for openings such as doors and windows, for Vaults and for Arcades. Wide doorways are usually surmounted by a semi-circular Arch, except where a door with a Lintel is set into a large Arched recess and surmounted by a semi-circular "Lunette" with decorative carving. These doors sometimes have a carved Central Jamb.

English: Autun Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Saint-Lazare d'Autun) is a Roman Catholic Cathedral, and a national Monument of France, in Autun. Famous for its Cluniac inspiration and its Romanesque sculptures, by Gislebertus, it is a highlight in Romanesque art, in Burgundy, 

and is the Seat of the Bishop of Autun. 

Français: Cathédrale Saint-Lazare - Ville d'Autun, France.

Photo: 4 June 2006.

Source: Own work.

Author: MarcJP46.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Narrow doors and small windows might be surmounted by a solid stone Lintel. Larger openings are nearly always Arched. A characteristic feature of Romanesque architecture, both ecclesiastic and domestic, is the pairing of two Arched windows or Arcade openings, separated by a Pillar or Colonette, and often set within a larger Arch. Ocular windows are common in Italy, particularly in the Facade Gable, and are also seen in Germany. Later-Romanesque Churches may have Wheel Windows or Rose Windows with Plate Tracery.

There are a very small number of buildings in the Romanesque style, such as Autun Cathedral, in France, and Monreale Cathedral, in Sicily, in which pointed Arches have been used extensively, apparently for stylistic reasons. It is believed that, in these cases, there is a direct imitation of Islamic architecture. At other Late-Romanesque Churches, such as Durham Cathedral, the pointed Arch was introduced as a structural device in Ribbed Vaulting. Its increasing application was fundamental to the development of Gothic architecture.

English: Autun Cathedral, France.

Français: Cathédrale Saint-Lazare - Ville d'Autun, France.

Photo: 5 June 2006.

Source: Own work.

Author: MarcJP46.

(Wikimedia Commons)

An Arcade is a row of Arches, supported on Piers or Columns. They occur in the interior of large Churches, separating the Nave from the Aisles, and in large secular interior spaces, such as the Great Hall of a Castle, supporting the timbers of a Roof or Upper Floor. Arcades also occur in Cloisters and Atriums, enclosing an open space.

Arcades can occur in Storeys or Stages. While the Arcade of a Cloister is typically of a single Stage, the Arcade that divides the Nave and Aisles, in a Church, is, typically, of two Stages, with a third Stage, of window openings, known as the Clerestory, rising above them. 

Arcading on a large scale generally fulfils a structural purpose, but it is also used, generally on a smaller scale, as a decorative feature, both internally and externally, where it is frequently "Blind Arcading", with only a wall or a narrow passage behind it.

English: The Facade of Notre Dame du Puy, Le Puy-en-Velay, Auvergne, France, 

has a more complex arrangement of diversified Arches: 

Doors of varying widths; Blind Arcading; Windows and Open Arcades.

Le Puy Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Puy) is a Roman Catholic Cathedral, and a national Monument of France, in Le Puy-en-Velay, Auvergne. It has been a centre of pilgrimage, in its own right, since before the time of Charlemagne, as well as forming part of the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. Since 1998, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as part of the "Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France". It is the Seat of the Bishop of Le Puy.

Français: Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Puy, Le Puy-en-Velay, Haute-Loire, France.

La bildo estas kopiita de wikipedia:fr. La originala priskribo estas.

Photo: 20 October 2005.

Source: Own work.

Author: GIRAUD Patrick.

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: Le Puy-en-Velay (Haute-Loire - France).

Cloisters of Notre Dame du Puy Cathedral (XIIth-Century).

Français: Le Puy-en-Velay (Haute-Loire - France),

cloître de la cathédrale Notre-Dame du Puy (XIIe siècle).

Photo: 22 June 2003.

Source: Own work.

Author: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT.

(Wikimedia Commons)

In Romanesque architecture, Piers were often employed to support Arches. They were built of masonry, and square, or rectangular, in section, generally having a horizontal moulding, representing a Capital, at the springing of the Arch. Sometimes, Piers have Vertical Shafts attached to them, and may also have horizontal mouldings at the base level.

Although basically rectangular, Piers can often be of highly complex form, with half-segments of large, hollow-core, Columns on the inner surface supporting the Arch, or a clustered group of smaller Shafts, leading into the mouldings of the Arch.

Piers that occur at the intersection of two large Arches, such as those under The Crossing of the Nave and Transept, are, commonly, cruciform in shape, each Arch having its own supporting rectangular Pier at right angles to the other.

Malmesbury Abbey, England, 

has hollow-core Columns, 

probably filled with rubble. (Gothic vault)

An inside picture of what remains of 

Malmesbury Abbey (Wiltshire, England). 

Picture by R Neil Marshman (c)2006. {{gfdl}} 

category:pictures by RN Marshman

(Wikimedia Commons)

Columns are an important structural feature of Romanesque architecture. Colonnettes, and attached Shafts, are also used structurally and for decoration. Monolithic Columns cut from a single piece of stone were frequently used in Italy, as they had been in Roman and Early-Christian architecture. They were also used, particularly in Germany, when they alternated between more massive Piers. Arcades of Columns, cut from single pieces, are also common in structures that do not bear massive weights of masonry, such as Cloisters, where they are sometimes paired.

English: The Nave, Mainz Cathedral, Germany, 

has rectangular Piers and possibly the earliest example of an 

internal elevation of three Stages. (Gothic vault).

Deutsch: Wandaufriss des Langhauses des Mainzer Doms.

Photo: 1/6/05.

Source: de.wikipedia.org.

Author: de:Benutzer:Moguntiner.

Permission: GFDL.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, 

has large Drum Columns, 

with attached Shafts 

supporting a Barrel Vault.

Side Aisle and Gallery 

of the Cathedral.

Photo: 16 September 2006.

Source: Own work.

Author: Georges Jansoone.

(Wikimedia Commons)

In Italy, during this period, a great number of antique Roman Columns were salvaged and re-used in the interiors and on the Porticos of Churches. The most durable of these Columns are of marble and have the stone horizontally bedded. The majority are vertically bedded and are sometimes of a variety of colours. They may have retained their original Roman Capitals, generally of the Corinthian, or Roman Composite style. 

Some buildings, like Santa Maria in Cosmedin, and the Atrium, at San Clemente, in Rome, may have an odd assortment of Columns, in which large Capitals are placed on short Columns and small Capitals are placed on taller Columns to even the height. Architectural compromises of this type are seen where materials have been salvaged from a number of buildings. Salvaged Columns were also used to a lesser extent in France.


PART SIX FOLLOWS.

Romanesque (Part Four).

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

Cathedral of Saint Peter 

and Church of Our Lady,

Trier, Germany, at night.

Photo: 18 December 2004.

Source: Own work.

Author: Benutzer:Josef Thiel.

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: Cathedral of Saint Peter 

and Church of Our Lady,

Trier, Germany.

Deutsch: Trierer Dom.

Photo: 10 June 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Berthold Werner.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The system of Monasticism, in which the Religious become Members of an Order, with common ties and a common rule, living in a mutually-dependent Community, rather than as a group of Hermits living in proximity, but essentially separate, was established by the Monk, Benedict, in the 6th-Century.

The Benedictine Monasteries spread from Italy throughout Europe, being always, by far, the most numerous in England. They were followed by the Cluniac Order, the Cistercians, Carthusians and Augustinian Canons. In association with the Crusades, the Military Orders of the Knights Hospitaller and the Knights Templar were founded.

The Monasteries, which sometimes also functioned as Cathedrals, and the Cathedrals that had bodies of Secular Clergy, often living in Community, were a major source of power in Europe. Bishops, and the Abbots of important Monasteries, lived and functioned like Princes. The Monasteries were the major Seats of Learning, of all sorts. Benedict had ordered that all the Arts were to be taught and practised in the Monasteries. Within the Monasteries, books were transcribed by hand, and few people outside the Monasteries could read or write.

English: Basilica of Saint-Sernin, Toulouse, France.

Français: Basilique Saint-Sernin de Toulouse.

Photo: 7 July 2010.

Source: Own work.

Author: PMRMaeyaert.

(Wikimedia Commons)

In France, Burgundy was the centre of Monasticism. The enormous and powerful Monastery at Cluny was to have lasting effect on the layout of other Monasteries and the design of their Churches. Unfortunately, very little of the Abbey Church at Cluny remains; the "Cluny II" re-building of 963 A.D., onwards, has completely vanished, but we have a good idea of the design of "Cluny III" from 1088–1130, which, until the Renaissance, remained the largest building in Europe. However, the Church of Saint Sernin, at Toulouse, 1080 – 1120, has remained intact and demonstrates the regularity of Romanesque design with its modular form, its massive appearance and the repetition of the simple arched window motif.

One of the effects of the Crusades, which were intended to wrest the Holy Places of Palestine from Islamic control, was to excite a great deal of religious fervour, which, in turn, inspired great building programmes. The Nobility of Europe, upon safe return, thanked God by the building of a new Church or the enhancement of an old one. Likewise, those who did not return from the Crusades could be suitably commemorated by their family in a work of stone and mortar.

Español: Basílica de Santiago, Galicia, Spain.

English: Basilica of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.

Photo: 7 February 2005.

Source: Own work.

Author: Vasco Roxo.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Crusades resulted in the transfer of, among other things, a great number of Holy Relics of Saints and Apostles. Many Churches, like Saint-Front, Périgueux, had their own home-grown Saint, while others, most notably Santiago de Compostela, claimed the remains and the patronage of a powerful Saint, in this case one of the Twelve Apostles. 

Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain, became one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in Europe. Most of the pilgrims travelled the Way of Saint James on foot, many of them bare-footed as a sign of penance. They moved along one of the four main routes that passed through France, congregating for the journey at Jumièges, Paris, Vézelay, Cluny, Arles and Saint Gall, in Switzerland. They crossed two passes in the Pyrenees and converged into a single stream to traverse North-West Spain. 

Along the route, they were urged on by those pilgrims returning from the journey. On each of the routes, Abbeys, such as those at Moissac, Toulouse, Roncesvalles, Conques, Limoges and Burgos, catered for the flow of people and grew wealthy from the passing trade. Saint-Benoît-du-Sault, in the Berry Province, is typical of the Churches that were founded on the pilgrim route.

Like many Castles built by Crusader Knights, 

the Inner Fortress of Krak des Chevaliers, Syria, 

was mainly constructed in this period, 

with the Outer Walls being added later.

Photo: 26 December 2007 (upload date).

Source: Own work.

Author: Jerzy Strzelecki.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The general impression given by Romanesque architecture, in both ecclesiastical and secular buildings, is one of massive solidity and strength. In contrast with both the preceding Roman and later Gothic architecture, in which the load-bearing structural members are, or appear to be, Columns, Pilasters and Arches, Romanesque architecture, in common with Byzantine architecture, relies upon its walls, or sections of walls, called Piers.

Romanesque architecture is often divided into two periods, known as the "First Romanesque" style and the "Romanesque" style. The difference is chiefly a matter of the expertise with which the buildings were constructed. The First Romanesque employed rubble walls, smaller windows and un-vaulted roofs. A greater refinement marks the Second Romanesque, along with increased use of the Vault and Dressed Stone.

Castle Rising, Norfolk, England, shows flat Buttresses and reinforcing

at the corners of the building, typical in both Castles and Churches.

Castle Rising Castle is a ruined Castle, situated in the village of Castle Rising,

in the English County of Norfolk. It was built about 1138 by William d'Aubigny,

1st Earl of Arundel, who also owned Arundel Castle.

Much of its Square Keep, surrounded by a defensive Mount, is intact.

It is currently owned by Lord Howard of Rising, a descendant of William d'Aubigny.

The walls of Romanesque buildings are often of massive thickness, with few, and comparatively small, openings. They are often double shells, filled with rubble.

The building material differs greatly across Europe, depending upon the local stone and building traditions. In Italy, Poland, much of Germany, and parts of the Netherlands, brick is generally used. Other areas saw extensive use of limestone, granite and flint. The building stone was often used in comparatively small and irregular pieces, bedded in thick mortar. Smooth ashlar masonry was not a distinguishing feature of the style, particularly in the earlier part of the period, but occurred chiefly where easily-worked limestone was available.

PART FIVE FOLLOWS.

Romanesque (Part Three).

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

English: The Minor Basilica of Speyer Cathedral 

(Kaiser- und Mariendom zu Speyer), viewed from the South.

Deutsch: Südseite des Kaiser- und Mariendoms zu Speyer.

Русский: Шпайерский собор, вид с юга.

Photo: 31 August 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Sole Creator and Copyright Holder: Alfred Hutter aka Gentry.

The copyright holder of this file, Alfred Hutter, allows anyone to use it 

for any purpose, provided that the copyright holder 

is properly attributed. Redistribution, derivative work, 

commercial use, and all other use is permitted. 

Attribution: Image by Alfred Hutter.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Speyer Cathedral, officially the Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and Saint Stephen, 

in Latin: Domus sanctae Mariae Spirae (German: Dom zu Unserer lieben Frau in Speyer) 

in Speyer, Germany, is the Seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Speyer 

and is suffragan to the Archdiocese of Bamberg.

The Cathedral, which is dedicated to Saint Mary, Patron Saint of Speyer ("Patrona Spirensis"), 

and Saint Stephen, is generally known as Kaiserdom zu Speyer (Imperial Cathedral of Speyer). 

Pope Pius XI raised Speyer Cathedral to the Rank of a Minor Basilica 

of the Roman Catholic Church in 1925.

Paintings by Schraudolph 

in Speyer Cathedral, Germany.

Photo: 31 October 2005.

Source: Own work.

Author: Joachim Köhler.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Begun in 1030, under Conrad II, with the East End and High Vault of 1090-1103, 

the imposing Triple-Aisled Vaulted Basilica, of red sandstone, is the "culmination of a design 

which was extremely influential in the subsequent development of Romanesque architecture 

during the 11th-Century and the 12th-Century".

As the burial site for Salian, Staufer and Habsburg Emperors and Kings, the Cathedral 

is regarded as a symbol of Imperial Power.

With the Abbey of Cluny in ruins, it remains the largest Romanesque Church. 

It is considered to be "a turning point in European architecture", one of the most important architectural monuments of its time and one of the finest Romanesque monuments.

In 1981, the Cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List of culturally important sites as "a major monument of Romanesque art in the German Empire".

English: Carcassonne, France. View of the Mediaeval town and vineyards.

Français: Carcassonne, France, vue de la cité médiévale, vignes.

Source: http://www.gnuart.net/data/photo/Harry/Carcassonne/ville_3.zip (zip).

Author: Harry.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Much of Europe was affected by Feudalism, in which peasants held tenure, from local rulers, over the land that they farmed in exchange for military service. The result of this was that they could be called upon, not only for local and regional spats, but to follow their lord to travel across Europe to the Crusades, if they were required to do so.

The Crusades, 1095–1270, brought about a very large movement of people and, with them, ideas and trade skills, particularly those involved in the building of fortifications and the metal-working needed for the provision of arms, which was also applied to the fitting and decoration of buildings. The continual movement of people, Rulers, nobles, Bishops, Abbots, craftsmen and peasants, was an important factor in creating a homogeneity in building methods and a recognisable Romanesque style, despite regional differences.

Life became generally less secure after the Carolingian period. This resulted in the building of Castles at strategic points, many of them being constructed as strongholds of the Normans, descendants of the Vikings, who invaded Northern France in 911 A.D. Political struggles also resulted in the fortification of many towns, or the rebuilding and strengthening of walls that remained from the Roman period. One of the most notable surviving fortifications is that of the city of Carcassonne. The enclosure of towns brought about a lack of living space within the walls, and resulted in a style of town-house that was tall and narrow, often surrounding communal courtyards, as at San Gimignano in Tuscany.

English: The Tower of London, (1078).

William the Conqueror built the central White Tower as his stronghold and residence.

Ελληνικά: Ο Πύργος του Λονδίνου.

Photo: 7 August 2004.

Source: Έργο αυτού που το ανεβάζει (own work).

Author: Georgios Pazios (Alaniaris).

The copyright holder of this file allows anyone to use it for any purpose, 

provided that the copyright holder is properly attributed. 

Redistribution, derivative work, commercial use, and all other use is permitted.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Castle at Carcassonne, France.

Photo: 25 July 2007.

Source: Own work.

Author: bmsgator.

(Wikimedia Commons)

In Germany, the Holy Roman Emperors built a number of residences, fortified, but essentially Palaces rather than Castles, at strategic points and on trade routes. The Imperial Palace of Goslar (heavily restored in the 19th-Century) was built in the early 11th-Century by Otto III and Henry III, while the ruined Palace at Gelnhausen was received by Frederick Barbarossa, prior to 1170.

The movement of people and armies also brought about the building of bridges, some of which have survived, including the 12th-Century bridge at Besalú, Catalonia, the 11th-Century Puente de la Reina, Navarre, Spain, and the Pont-Saint-Bénézet, Avignon.

Many towns, such as San Gimignano, Italy, were enclosed with walls, 

causing crowding and the building of tower houses.

Photo: 9 April 2006.

Source: Uploaded by User:RicciSpeziari. 

Author: Basilio Speziari.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Across Europe, the Late-11th-Century and 12th-Century saw an unprecedented growth in the number of Churches. A great number of these buildings, both large and small, remain, some almost intact and others altered almost beyond recognition in later centuries.

They include many very well-known Churches, such as Santa Maria in Cosmedin, in Rome, the Baptistery in Florence and San Zeno Maggiore, in Verona. In France, the famous Abbeys of Aux Dames and Les Hommes at Caen and Mont Saint-Michel, date from this period, as well as the Abbeys of the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.

Mont Saint-Michel, 

as viewed along the Couesnon River, 

in Brittany, France.

Photo: 5 July 2011.

Source: Own work.

Author: Diliff.

Attribution: Photo by DAVID ILIFF. 

License: CC-BY-SA 3.0

(Wikimedia Commons)

Many Cathedrals owe their foundation to this date, with others beginning as Abbey Churches, and, later, becoming Cathedrals. In England, of the Cathedrals of ancient foundation, all were begun in this period, with the exception of Salisbury Cathedral, where the Monks relocated from the Norman Church at Old Sarum, and several, such as Canterbury Cathedral, which were rebuilt on the site of Saxon Churches.

In Spain, the most famous Church of the period is Santiago de Compostela. In Germany, the Rhine and its tributaries were the location of many Romanesque Abbeys, notably Mainz, Worms, Speyer and Bamberg. In Cologne, then the largest city North of the Alps, a very important group of large city Churches survives largely intact. As Monasticism spread across Europe, Romanesque Churches sprang up in Scotland, Scandinavia, Poland, Hungary, Sicily, Serbia and Tunisia. Several important Romanesque Churches were built in the Crusader Kingdoms.

PART FOUR FOLLOWS.

Romanesque (Part Two).

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

Deutsch: Abtei Maria Laach.

English: Maria Laach Abbey.

Polski: Opactwo Maria Laach - wodok na kościół.

Photo: 16 September 2007.

Source: Transferred from de.wikipedia.(Original text : selbst fotografiert).

Author: Goldi64 at de.wikipedia.

Permission: Licensed under the GFDL by the author.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Buildings of every type were constructed in the Romanesque style, with evidence remaining of simple domestic buildings, elegant town houses, grand Palaces, commercial premises, civic buildings, Castles, city walls, bridges, village Churches, Abbey Churches, Abbey complexes and large Cathedrals.

Of these types of buildings, domestic and commercial buildings are the most rare, with only a handful of survivors in the United Kingdom, several clusters in France, isolated buildings across Europe and, by far the largest number, often unidentified and altered over the centuries, in Italy. Many Castles exist, the foundations of which date from the Romanesque period. Most have been substantially altered, and many are in ruins.

By far the greatest number of surviving Romanesque buildings are Churches. These range from tiny Chapels to large Cathedrals, and although many have been extended and altered in different styles, a large number remain either substantially intact or sympathetically restored, demonstrating the form, character and decoration of Romanesque Church architecture.

English: Lessay Abbey, Normandy, France.

Note: A traceried Gothic window, left, contrasts with the 

simple round-headed Arches of the Romanesque building.

Français: Abbaye de Lessay (département de la Manche).

Photo: 19 April 2008.

Source: Ji-Elle.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Romanesque architecture was the first distinctive style to spread across Europe since the Roman Empire. With the decline of Rome, Roman building methods survived to an extent in Western Europe, where the successive Merovingian, Carolingian and Ottonian architects continued to build large stone buildings such as Monastery Churches and Palaces.

In the more Northern countries, Roman building styles and techniques had never been adopted, except for official buildings, while in Scandinavia they were unknown. Although the round Arch continued to be utilised, the engineering skills required to Vault large spaces and build large Domes were lost. There was a loss of stylistic continuity, particularly apparent in the decline of the formal vocabulary of the Classical Orders. 

In Rome, several great Constantinian Basilicas continued in use as an inspiration to later builders. Some traditions of Roman architecture also survived in Byzantine architecture with the 6th-Century octagonal Byzantine Basilica of San Vitale, in Ravenna, Italy, being the inspiration for the greatest building of the Dark Ages in Europe, the Emperor Charlemagne's Palatine Chapel, Aachen, Germany, built around the year 800 A.D.

View from the North. Aachen Cathedral, also referred to as the Kaiserdom (Imperial Cathedral) of Aachen, is a building of great historical, architectural and religious importance. Built by Charlemagne in 805 A.D., its unique design was highly influential on German Church architecture and it was a site of Imperial Coronations and pilgrimage for many centuries.

Photo: 6 June 2010.

Source: originally posted to Flickr as Aachen Cathedral And Palatine Chapel - Germany.

Author: Jim.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Catholic Parish Church of Saint Nicholas is located in 

Buren, Paderborn, (Nordrhein-Westfalen), Germany. 

It is a Three-Nave Romanesque Basilica. 

The Church is the oldest building in the City of Buren.

Photo: 26 April 2012.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Romanesque Portal of the 

Catholic Parish Church of Saint Nicholas, 

Buren, Paderborn, (Nordrhein-Westfalen), Germany.

Photo: 26 April 2012.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Dating shortly after the Palatine Chapel is a remarkable 9th-Century Swiss manuscript, known as the Plan of Saint Gall, and showing a very detailed plan of a Monastic complex, with all its various Monastic buildings and their functions labelled. 

The largest building is the Church, the Plan of which is distinctly Germanic, having an Apse at both ends, an arrangement not generally seen elsewhere. Another feature of the Church is its regular proportion, the square Plan of the Crossing Tower providing a module for the rest of the Plan. These features can both be seen at the Proto-Romanesque Saint Michael's Church, Hildesheim, 1001–1030.

Architecture of a Romanesque style also developed simultaneously in the North of Italy, parts of France, and in the Iberian Peninsula, in the 10th-Century and prior to the later influence of the Abbey of Cluny. The style, sometimes called "First Romanesque" or "Lombard Romanesque", is characterised by thick walls, lack of sculpture and the presence of rhythmic ornamental Arches known as a Lombard Band.

English: Saint Michael's Church in Hildesheim, Germany.

Deutsch: Ottonische Kirche St. Michael in Hildesheim – Weltkulturerbe UNESCO.

Photo: 29 December 2009.

Source: Own work / eigenes Bild.

Author: Heinz-Josef Lücking.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Interior of Saint Michael's Church in Hildesheim, Germany.

Photo: Autumn 2005.

Source: de:Image:St.MichaelInnen.jpg.

Author: Dronkitmaster.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Charlemagne was crowned by the Pope in Saint Peter's Basilica, Rome, on Christmas Day in 800 A.D., with the aim of re-establishing the old Roman Empire. Charlemagne's political successors continued to rule much of Europe, with a gradual emergence of the separate political States that were eventually to become welded into nations, either by allegiance or defeat, the Kingdom of Germany giving rise to the Holy Roman Empire.

The invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy, in 1066, saw the building of both Castles and Churches that reinforced the Norman presence. Several significant Churches that were built at this time were founded by rulers as Seats of temporal and religious power, or places of Coronation and burial. These include the Abbaye-Saint-Denis, Speyer Cathedral and Westminster Abbey (where little of the Norman Church now remains).

At a time when the remaining architectural structures of the Roman Empire were falling into decay, and much of its learning and technology lost, the building of masonry Domes and the carving of decorative architectural details continued unabated, though greatly evolved in style since the fall of Rome, in the enduring Byzantine Empire. 

The Domed Churches of Constantinople and Eastern Europe were to greatly affect the architecture of certain towns, particularly through trade and through the Crusades. The most notable single building that demonstrates this is Saint Mark's Basilica, Venice, but there are many lesser-known examples, particularly in France, such as the Church of Saint-Front, Périgueux and Angoulême Cathedral.

PART THREE FOLLOWS.