Introduction

This art appeared during the Middle Age

It is the first style that can be found all over
Europe, even when regional differences
The expansion of the style was linked to the
pilgrimages, mainly to Santiago.
 Introduction
Romanesque art developed thanks to a series
of causes:
The end of Barbarian invasions
The decomposition of Cordobas caliphate
The establishment of peace in
the Christian world, with the
development of the cities,
commerce and industry.
 Expansion
The factors of the expansion of Romanesque
arte were:
Development of feudal system,
that demanded works (castles)
The expansion of religious orders (Benedictines),
expanded the monasteries
The pilgrimage routes
The crusades
 Typologies
There are three main architectonical typologies:

Monasteries Castles

Churches
 Monastery
It was designed as a microcosm, as the city of God
They had several dependencies:
Church
Cloister
Chapter room
Abbots house
Monks/ nuns rooms
Refectory
Hospital
 Church
It was the main building
It symbolized Gods kingdom
The holiest part was the apse
It had cross shape
Symbolism was important:
Circular parts reflect perfection so they were
linked to God
Squared parts are related to the human.
 Church
Characteristics:
Monumental, trying to imitate the Roman models in the
Pilgrimage churches
Small in country churches
They were designed for advertising Catholic church
They were lasting, made of stone
Plans could be:
Latin cross
Polygonal
Basilical

Latin cross Polygonal Basilical

 Church
Parts of the plan
 Church
Parts from the outside
 Church
Elevation:
The church is covered by
stoned vaults
Wall are thick
They need strong
buttresses
Foundations are strong
Few windows
 Church
Clerestory Interior elevation: it consists
of three levels:
First with columns or cross-
shaped pillars
Tribune Second with the tribune
(corridor over looking the
nave, over the aisles)
Clerestory: area of windows
opening to the outside.
Pillar
Column
 Church
Type of covers:
Barrel vault: it was
used mainly to cover
the central nave

Groin vault was

common in aisles and
ambulatory

Dome: spherical were used

in apses. The central could
stand on pendentives or
squinches
Castle
Castles were defensive
constructions
They were fortified for
providing shelter
The wall was one of the
essential elements
They tend to be build in
stepped areas, easier to
defend.
 Romanesque in France
It was the original
region of Romanesque
art
It appeared in Clunys
abbey
From there it expanded
through the pilgrimage
routes, specially to
Santiago in Spain.
 Romanesque in France
It is characterized by various
vaulted styles
Provence: pointed domes Saint
and faades decorated with Trophime
, Arles
arches
Auvergne(overgnh) : with
long choir, side aisles
around the semi-circular
sanctuary forming the
ambulatory in which
Saint Sernin
radiating chapels open
Toulouse
 Romanesque in France
Burgundy: barrel-
Cluny
vaulted, three-aisled
basilica
Normandy: Lombard
influences with groined
vaults supported by
flying buttresses and
faades with two
flanking towers.

Sainte Magdalene, Vezelay

 Romanesque in Italy
Italian provinces developed
a great diversity of
architectural styles
Lombardy with groined vaults
of heavy proportions
Central Italy classical Saint Ambroggio, Milan
decorative elements:
Corinthian capitals, coloured
marble, open arches,
colonnades and galleries and
faades with sculptures

Saint Miniato, Florence

 Romanesque in Italy
South with Byzantine
and Arabic influences,
using mosaics, interlaced
pointed-arches.
Cefalu, Sicily Three separate
buildings: church,
baptistery and bell
tower.

Pisa Cathedral, in Tuscany,

presents three separate buildings.
 Romanesque in Germany
Churches were planned on a large scale
They used to be very high
They had an apse or sanctuary at each end.
Numerous round or octagonal towers that conferred
them a picturesque silhouette.

Maria Laach
Abbey

Worms(
city)
 Romanesque in England
Before the 10th century
were made of wood
Stone buildings were small
and roughly constructed
The Norman Romanesque
style replace the Saxon in
11th century
Romanesque in England
Long, narrow buildings were
constructed with heavy
walls and piers, rectangular
apses, double transepts and
deeply recessed portals
Naves were covered with
flat roofs, later replaces by
vaults, and side aisles were
covered with groined vaults.
 Romanesque in Spain
First Romanesque:
Catalonia
In the 11th century the
region was almost
assimilated to France
Due to this they receive
the art early
The rest of the Spain
would receive it with
the pilgrimage
Romanesque in Spain
Catalan churches present, in
the outside, ordered
volumes
Wall are decorated with
Lombard bands, and blind
arches and galleries
The plan has three naves,
with a small narthex
The head has triple apse
 Romanesque in Spain
Pilgrims route to Santiago was an important
route for Romanesque Art expansion.
 Romanesque in Spain
Characteristics of pilgrimage churches:
Plan with three to five aisles and a transept
In the transept there are radial chapels
Inside there is a tribune
The head has ambulatory and radial chapels
 Romanesque in Spain
There are polygonal
buildings too
They are related to the
Temple
They are inspired in
Jerusalems Holy Sepulchre
Examples are Eunate, Torres
del Rio (both in Navarre)
and Veracruz (Segovia).
Romanesque in Spain
Castile and Leon:
It is deeply influenced
by the pilgrimage routes
The churches are
identified with the spirit
of the Reconquist
 Romanesque in Spain
Buildings are simple and
small
It created a contrast in
relation to the refined
Hispano Muslin
architecture.
They frequently have a
covered area in the
outside for the
meetings of the
councils.
Romanesque in Spain
The best examples are:
Santiagos cathedral
Fromista
Sant Climent de Tahull
San Pere de Roda
San Juan de la Pea
There are other buildings
such as castles (Loarre, in
Huesca) or bridges,
essential for pilgrims
(Puentelarreina, Navarre)