Romanesque

Curious98 · Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 5:07 pm Post subject: Romanesque

The term Romanesque, like many othr stylistic designations of periods in architecture, was not a term contemporary with the art it describes, but an invention of modern scholarship to categorize a period. The term "Romanesque" dates from the early 18th century and attempts to link the architecture of the 11th and 12th centuries in medieval Europe to Roman Architecture, based on similarities of forms and materials. Romanesque is characterized by a use of round arches, barrel vaults, cruciform layout, piers, supporting vaults, and groin vaults. It is often referred to in Britain as Norman architecture.

The great carved portals of 12th century church facades (as in the Church of St. Trophime, in Arles, southern France) parallel the architectural novelty of the period—monumental stone sculpture seems to have been reborn in the Romanesque.
Romanesque appears to have been the first pan-European style since Roman imperial architecture; examples are found in every part of the continent. However, the most notable examples of this art are to be found in Italy and Spain (basically Catalonia).
One important fact pointed out by the stylistic similarity of buildings across Europe is the relative mobility of medieval people. Contrary to many modern ideas of life before the Industrial Revolution, merchants, nobles, knights, artisans, and peasants crossed Europe and the Mediterranean world for business, war, and religious pilgrimages, carrying their knowledge of what buildings in different places looked like.
The important pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela (Way of Saint James), in Galicia (present-day northwestern Spain) also generated and spread some aspects of the Romanesque style. A particular scheme of pilgrimage church appeared and developed throughout the main routes in Tours, Limoges, Conques, Toulouse and Santiago de Compostela.

A combination of masonry, arch and piers are the basis of the Romanesque style. The main concept for buildings was the addition of pure geometrical forms. The new concept of stone vaulting required stronger walls for support. Because of the lack of knowledge of the building statics, it was necessary to build strong, thick walls with narrow openings.
The Pier (an upright support generally square or rectangular in plan) is a better solution for masonry walls than the column. Columns are subsequently replaced by piers, or are transformed to better support the masonry arches.
Geometrisation and rigidity in Romanesque architecture is evident in the transformation of column capitals from Corinthian to cubic capitals, as found in the church of St. Michael, Hildesheim. There is also one new element in the capitals developed during the Romanesque period—the impost, a trapezoid form that stands between capital and arch.
Three types of alternation of supporting elements appeared during the Romanesque:
1. Simple alternation - 1 column (circular) is followed by 1 pier (rectangular)
2. Double alternation - 2 piers stand between every column
3. Triple alternation - 3 piers stand between every column
As with other architictural styles, Romanesque was replaced over a period of time. Large buildings took a significant number of years for construction, due to financing, disease, weather, conflicts, etc. During the 13th century there were churches which were in all phases of construction as the Gothic style was rising into prominence. In some cases, Romanesque was used for the entire construction and in others, the shift to Gothic construction was made early enough for the style to be reflected throughout. There are few good examples left of churches which exhibit both Romanesque and Gothic architecture quite clearly in their current structures. The Basiliek van Onze Lieve Vrouwe Tenhemelopneming (known locally as Onze Lieve Vrouwe Kerk--"Church of Our Dear Lady"), in Maastrich, The Nederlands, is an example of such a transition. The exterior structure is virtually Romanesque with round towers and semi-circular arches, however, the interior, completed after the transition, is fully Gothic. The front entrance to the church has a simple, curved Roman archway which is been topped with a clearly Gothic facade and gable structure.
France
Romanesque architecture expanded in France through monasteries. Burgundy was the center of monastic life in France; one of the most important Benedictine monastery of medieval Europe was the one in Cluny. The pilgrimage also contributed to the expansion of the Romanesque style. Many pilgrims passed through France on their way to Santiago de Compostela. An example; Saint-Benoît-du-Sault, in the Berry province.
French Romanesque schools of architecture, which are specific for every region, are characterized by the variety of stone vaulting.
Spain

The romanesque look first developed in the Iberian Peninsula in the 10th and 11th centuries and before Cluny's influence, in Lleida, Barcelona, Tarragona and Huesca and in the Pyrenees, simultaneously with the north of Italy, what is been called "First Romanesque" or "Lombard Romanesque". It is a very primitive style, whose characteristics are thick walls, lack of sculpture and the presence of rhythmic ornamental arches.
The plain Romanesque Architecture arrived with the influence of Cluny through the Way of Saint James, that ends in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The model of the Spanish Romanesque in the 12th century was the Cathedral of Jaca, with its characteristic apse structure and plan, and its "chess" decoration in stripes, called taqueado jaqués. As the Christian kingdoms of Spain advanced to the south, that model spread throughout the reconquered areas with some variations.
Spanish Romanesque also shows the influence of Spanish pre-Romanesque styles, mainly Asturian and Mozarabic. But there is also a strong influence of Moorish architecture in Spain at this time, as can be seen in the vaults of Córdoba's Mosque, and the polylobulated arches. In the 13th century, some Romanesque churches alternated with the Gothic. Aragón, Castile and Navarre are areas with many examples of Spanish Romanesque architecture.
A rather exhaustive list of Romanesque Churches and Cathedrals of Spanish Romanesque could be this one:

Basílica de San Isidoro, with "Kings' Pantheon" León
Zamora[1] Cathedral
Zamora[2] City of romanesque art.
Benavente: Church of Santa María del Azogue
Salamanca Old Cathedral
[[Real Monasterio de Nuestra Senora de Rueda, Aragon region
Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos
Toro[3] Santa María la Mayor, Collegiate Church
Ávila, Chuch of San Vicente
Soria Santo Domingo
Carrión de los Condes Church of Santiago
Carrión de los Condes Church of Santa María de las Victorias
San Juan de Ortega Church
Aguilar de Campoo Church of Santa Cecilia
Aguilar de Campoo Santa María la Real, Monastery
Arenillas de San Pelayo Church of San Pelayo
Barrio de Santa María Church of Santa Eulalia
Cillamayor Church of Santa María la Real
San Martín, Frómista
Olmos de Ojeda Church of Santa Eufemia
San Salvador de Cantamuda Collegiate Church
Soria San Juan de Duero, Cloister
Arbás Church
A lot of rural romanesque churches of northern Burgos and Palencia
The 20 romanesque churches of Segovia
Duratón La Asunción de María, church
Fuentidueña Church of San Miguel
Grado del Pico Church of San Pedro
Perorrubio Church of San Pedro
Requijada Church of Virgen de las Vegas
San Pedro de Gaillos Church
Sepúlveda Church of San Salvador
Estella San Pedro de la Rúa. Church and cloister.
Estella Church of San Miguel
Estella Palace of the Kings of Navarra
Torres del Río Church of Santo Sepulcro
Monastery of Leyre (San Salvador de Leyre) Abbey
Sangüesa Church of Santa María la Real
Santillana del Mar Collegiate Church and cloister
Jaca Cathedral
Loarre castle
San Juan de la Peña
Churches of San Caprasio and Saint Mary in Santa Cruz de la Serós
Rural early romanesque churches of Serrablo Huesca
Sant Climent de Taüll, Vall de Boí
Sant Miquel de Cuixà, Empordà
Tarragona Cathedral Cloister
Ripoll Monastery
Terrassa Churches of Saint Mary (old Cathedral), Saint Peter and Saint Michael
Lugo Cathedral
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral
Santiago de Compostela Gelmirez Palace
Santiago de Compostela Santa María del Sar (Colegiata)
La Coruña Church of Santiago
La Coruña Collegiate Church of Santa María del Campo
Noia Church of San Martiño
Cathedral, Ourense, Romanesque and Gothic
Church of San Juan of Portomarín
Vilar de Donas, Monastery
Sarria, Church
Barbadelo, Church
Claude