ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE

2Q19 History of Architecture 1 A52

Reporters:

Pascual, Beatrice Sophia V.

Pichay, Alexandra Nicole T.
Potutan, Mary Grace S.
Quinia, John Carlo A.
Remot, Aldrich D.
 ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE
Historical Background

Charlemagne , intent on re-creating the Roman empire, based

his architecture on Roman models. His palaces and chapels
were products of eastern Roman Empire.
★ Desire to articulate, stress, or underline every structural
division in order to produce unified compositions.
★ The separate parts of the of the Carolingian Churches ( the
transept, the westwork and the crypt) are gradually
incorporated into single harmonious composition
★ by transforming the westwork into towered façade
★ by absorbing the transept into the design through the
creation of crossing
★ by making the outer crypt simple an extension of the
aisles carried round the sanctuary to form the
ambulatory.
The smooth surfaces and undifferentiated columns of the Early
Christian Churches were rejected in favour of articulating bay
divisions.
Romanesque architecture is based
on Roman architectural elements. It
is the rounded Roman arch that is
the literal basis for structures built in
this style.

Romanesque architects
concentrated on building large
churches with wide aisles to fit the
masses who came both to hear the
priests say Mass, but mainly to
worship at the altars of various
saints.
Examples of Romanesque apses (and some windows) from Dictionary of French
Architecture from 11th to 16th Century
 Romanesque style is characterized by:

General Appearance: Architectural Elements:

1.Dark, solemn spaces 1.Round arches

2.Exterior is simple, severe 2.Barrel Vaults
3.Modest Height 3.Piers supporting vaults
4.Horizontal lines 4.Groin vaults
5.Multiple Units
Romanesque Church 1000-1200
The Roman basilica, the building in which judicial,
commercial, and governmental activities took place,
became the primary architectural model for Christian
churches in the early Middle Ages. Medieval Italian
churches generally imitated its basic design.

Such buildings usually contained a center nave with

colonnades along an aisle at each side and an apse at
one end: on this raised platform sat the bishop and
priests.
 ROMANESQUE INNOVATIONS
The new movement swept Europe roughly at
the same time-about year 1000.
The most important innovations were:
➢ Development of pier form
➢ Introduction of triforium gallery
➢ The regular crossing
➢ The inclusion of wall passages, ambulatories,
radiating chapels
➢ The evolution of new concepts in external
massing
➢ The increasing mastery of architectural
sculpture
 PIERS
➢ Effective way of stressing bay divisions and
thus articulating the interior elevations
➢ Piers being allowed to project beyond the
wall plane and from there being taken up
the full heights of the interior elevations.
➢ From the simplest use of piers, came
another innovation where pairs of cruciform
piers carry pilasters which become
transverse arches reinforcing the barrel
vault.
➢ Soon this was the treatment of piers in other
structures.
➢ Introduction of half columns and small
columns which carry the outer orders of the
main arches
 Triforium Gallery-(upper aisle)
➢ Became popular in France
➢ It gained more importance in in the
elevation growing from a small twin arches
into an arcade
➢ The triforium gallery played an important
part in the Romanesque style with breaking
up the smooth wall surfaces and
transforming them into articulate
architectural units.
 GEOGRAPHICAL
➢ Long narrow peninsula of Italy. Stretches
from snowy Alps on the north, right down to
the rough waters of Mediterranean, to Africa
on south
➢ Varying degrees that causes differences in
architecture: central Italy-Roman influence,
south Italy-western Europe, south Italy and
Sicily, open to the East .
➢ Central Italy-lies between Florence,
commanding passage of Arno on the north;
Pisa, the maritime power of the west;
Naples-the naval port of the south
➢ North Italy-Milan, the capital of Lombardy,
enjoyed great prosperity on account of its
proximity to several Alpine passes and fertile
plains for mulberry trees and grapes
➢ South Italy and Sicily- include Calabria.
Influence coming from the East after passing
from Greek and Roman rule the Byzantine
Empire
 GEOLOGICAL
➢ Central Italy
• great mineral wealth; abundance of
stones, bricks, volcanic tufa, peperino,
travertine from Tivoli and marble from
Carrara
• Materials from ruins of classical
buildings
➢ North Italy
• Clay, marble South Italy and Sicily
Limestone, marble, sulfur
 CLIMATE
❖ Central Italy
• brilliant sunshine demanded small
windows, thick walls for structures on hilltop
and plains North Italy
• climate resembles that of
❖ Central Europe, varies from extreme heat
and cold in Milan; towns lying below the Alps
experience cold winter and relaxing summer
since the north wind from the mountains
cools the temperature.
❖ South Italy and Sicily
• subtropical resulting to structures with flat
roofs and characteristics of oriental cities
 RELIGION
Central Italy
★ Pope had temporal dominion; (power in civil) government
and started opposing policies and rival factions. Pepin, the
king of Franks, sided with Pope Stephen II against the
Lombards, restored him to Ravenna.

★ 756 AD, Central Italy became independent under the Pope

and so inaugurated the temporal power of Papacy (Papal
States)

★ 768 AD, following the death of Pepin, Charlemagne became Pope Stephen II

the King of Franks

★ 772-95 AD Charlemagne invited by Pope Adrian defeated
Lombards and entered Rome in 774
★ 774 AD, Charlemagne defeated Lombards and expanded his
territory as a king(He bestowed Dukedom of Spoleto on
Pope Adrian, thus added to his temporal powers, wealth. It
was also this time that Papal connection with the Byzantine
broke off)
★ 795 AD, the death of Pope Adrian I (succeeded by Pope Leo
III)
★ 800 AD, the cooperation between the Papacy and
Charlemagne climaxed when Charlemagne was crowned
the Emperor of Romans.
★ Since the fall of Rome in the 5th century, Charlemagne
united his empire and validated his reign by building
churches in Roman style
★ Edifices modeled after the remains of Romans civilization,
arched or arcaded style referred as pre-Romanesque
 RELIGION
North Italy
★ Emperor Theodosius had in Early Christian times, been
forced to do penance for the massacre of Thessalonians and
S. Ambrose- the bishop of Milan (374-98) closed the church
against him. This is significant of the great power of the
church.
South Italy and Sicily
★ 827-1061-Under the Muslim rule affected architectural style.
Church facades were with geometric patterns. Muslim
religion forbade representation of human figures
 HISTORICAL
Central Italy
➢ Pisa, sent merchant fleets to the Holy Land for Eastern
Fair and was able to get in contact with the Eastern
Art.
➢ 11AD-Pisan was the rival of Venice and Genoa as great
commercial and naval power; lead wars against
infedels
➢ 1025,30 and 1089 AD. defeated Muslims
➢ 1062-captured Palermo. Contacts with Muslim
probably accounts for the use of striped marbles on
facades
➢ 1284- defeated by Genoese. Start the decline o the
Pisan power
➢ 1125-Rise of Florence Battlements of castles and
fortifications were due to the war at Lucca by feudal
lords of Guelphs,supporter of the pope and Ghibellines
who sided the emperor
 HISTORICAL
North Italy
➢ 11 AD Venice close contact of Constantinople
increased the commercial and naval importance of sea
extended to Mediterranean Sea
➢ Passing Alpine influenced art and architecture
South Italy and Sicily
➢ 827 AD-Muslims landed in Sicily
➢ Formed part of the Byzantine Empire
 SOCIAL
Central Italy
➔ The artistic activity of Tuscany in 11th century affected architecture
➔ Growth of industrial population, increase in commerce, rise of the ruling class promoted the foundation of
independent and fortified cities. Cities of Pisa, Lucca and Pistoia competed in commerce and architectural
achievements
North Italy
➔ Attacks of the Goths in North Italy led to the rise of the powerful Venetian state. The Northern traders
transferred to the island of Venice for safety.
➔ Started commerce and trade and founded the Republican government and afterwards became oligarchy
under Doge
➔ Constructed beautiful cities along the sea
➔ Imported precious goods and eastern relics from the Holy Land
➔ Free cities (Milan, Pavia, Verona, Genoa) compete for beauty of their public buildings.
South Italy and Sicily
➔ Muslim stimulated commercial enterprise in Sicily. Civilization influenced by Byzantine Mosaic
decorations was fostered by Norman kings-school at Palermo was established
TYPICAL CHARACTERISTICS

1. Semi-circular arches
• Pointed arches
• Narrow windows or door
2. Thick walls
3. Arcades
4. Roofs – wood, stone/bricks
5. Towers – square, circular or octagonal
 ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

A. CENTRAL ITALY
● Basilican type of churches; adopted classical
ornaments
● Prominent features of the façade- ornamental
arcades one on top of the other up to the gable
● Battlement parapet for defence was purely
decorative
● Use of marble for wall facing
● Simple open timber roofs with bright coloring

● Byzantine influence in Ravenna

● Campanille or bell tower were added about 6th

century
Basilica San Miniato al Monte
Pisa Cathedral, Central Italy
With Baptistery, Campanille and Campo Santo,
one of the most famous building groups of the
world
the cathedral is one of the finest Romanesque
building in the world
Resembles basilican church, long rows of columns
connected by arches, double aisles and nave with
timber roof
Exterior façade has bands of red and white marble
Ground storey with wall
arcading
Elliptical dome over the crossing is of later date
Pisa Cathedral
Pisa Campanile
Circular tower 16 m in diameter 8 storey high with
encircling arcades. The leaning is caused by failure of
the foundations the bell stage was not added until 1350
AD.
Pisa Baptistery
1153-1265- designed by Dioti Salvi. Circular plan with
central space or nave.
18.30 m in diameter, separated by four piers and eight
columns from the surrounding two storey aisle which
make the building 39. 3 m in diameter. Externally, on
lower storey, it is surrounded by half-columns connected
by semicircular arches under one of which is a door.
Above is an open arcade of small detached shafts.
Arcade is surrounded by Gothic additions of
the 14th AD.
Roof is hemispherical roof with a truncated cone
capped small dome
Pistoia Cathedral
13th century AD was built under
the Pisan school, with its porch
and arcaded façade in black and
white marble followed the style of
other churches like S. Andrea
B. North Italy

Arts influenced by the Alps Development of the ribbed vault

Basilican type of churches nave as well as the aisles are vaulted and have
external wooden roofs
Aisles of two stories
Thick walls between side chapel act as buttresses to resist pressure of
vault
Flat severe entrance façade
Central projecting porch with columns standing on the back of crouching
beasts
wheel window above the nave to admit light Gable with raking arcades, also
around the
apse and the eaves
Use of stones and bricks instead of marble Departure from classic precedent
Element of grotesque, rough outdoor life of
the invaders from the north
Baptistery, Cremona
Guild system practiced by Comacine Masters
North Italy
S. Zeno Maggiore
Very simple façade
fine projecting porch, two free-standing columns
resting on the backs of crouching beasts support a
semi-circular vault over which is a gable roof.
Above is a great wheel window
Façade with pilaster strips connected by corbel tables
under the the slopes of the center gable and side roofs
The interior is simple with nave arcade of compound
piers with uncarved capitals
The nave shaft is carried up as if to support the
vault there is no triforium but a clearstorey
Above is a wooden ceiling of trefoil form Detached
campanile with no buttresses
The sturdy tower is finished with Ghibelline
battlement.
C. South Italy and Sicily
Mosaic decorations for interiors
Dome supported on four columns cover
the square central part of the church
Application of stripe colored marble on
the façade
Use of stilted pointed arches
Norman influence is seen in planning and
construction of cathedral of Monreale,
which has cruciform in plan and with mosaic
and arcade of stilted pointed columns

Monreale Cathedral
Fodaco dei Turchi, Venice
12th century mercantile palace on the Grand
Canal, demonstrates the high level of
quality of domestic architecture achieved in
Venice as one of the outcomes of the
prosperous trade with the East.
Cubiform capitals carrying semicircular
arches, some of which are stilted.