Architectural Styles: Romanesque And Gothic Architecture

Architectural styles have developed in Europe, many of which are still visible in today’s monuments. The Romanesque (1000s-1100s) and Gothic (late 1100s-1400s) are the key styles considered in this article. From the 12th to the 15th centuries, the great wave of the Christian Church in Europe was characterized by the influence of the Crusades. Church and cities ‘ increasing population increased demand for increased presence in architectural structures and in the Romanesque and Gothic periods. As a result, a construction boom of cathedrals occurred across Europe. The Romanesque and Gothic styles are unique not only in the sheer size or cruciform configuration of the monuments but also in the art of the Gothic period, including the art of radiating the Rose Windows, column figures and gargoyle, which are among many.

Preceding the Gothic era, the romantic architectural features were missing or redone throughout the great cathedrals of Europe, as the trends shifted. However, many Romanesque features, as well as those of the earlier Carolingians, can be seen in Gothic-built monuments. The Romanesque name is purposeful because it is directly related to the designs found in Rome. The most noticeable aspect is the sheer size an ideal comparing with the tall and slender Gothic temples (Barral i Altet, Xavier) (Earthlore). The vault, which soon became a major architectural feature in all cathedrals, was an important structural development during the Romanesque period. (Stokstad; Cothren)

The Romanesque era and style, like the Twin towers, a feature is widely seen throughout this period, also share Norman variations in church architecture, medieval cathedrals are now considered a standard. A new development was made in the church’s layout during the relatively short Romanesque period (Barral i Altet, Xavier). This was the origin of the church’s cruciform design, indicating that, as seen from the heavens, church designs are in the shape of a crucifix; a very notable feature in later Gothic types. The Romanesque buildings include Durham Cathedral, England; Cluny, France’s Benedictine Monastery; Sainte Foy Abbey in Southern France; Speyer Cathedral, Germany, along with many others (Stokstad; Cothren) (Earthlore).

During the 11th and 12th centuries, as the first of the Crusades started, the increasing prominence of the Roman Catholic Church called for the building of large temples, cathedrals. The age of the cathedral construction boom is seen from the Romanesque era and well into the Gothic period (Blackford). During this time, many cathedrals were built, although some were built over a century or even two (Barral i Altet, Xavier) (Earthlore). The Chartres Cathedral began in 1063 and ended approximately two hundred years later in 1260. In addition, all the merchants, traders and villagers that maintain the building of such cathedrals remained near the site for generations. Breeding proud and learned architects, masons and builders. The Cathedral of Chartres and the Cluny Monastery Church soon became the envy of bishops and kings, and a cathedral building boom swept across the border into England and Germany in the 12th century in northern France. (Barral i Altet, Xavier) (Stokstad; Cothren)

Some Romanesque features were reflected by the first gothic churches, although some aspects may be overlooked some have a greater impact on the building structure itself. Romanesque, for instance, had rounded arches and the arches of Gothic were pointed (Spanswick). The deep influence of Christian doctrine on architectural design reflects other distinct features of Gothic art and architecture. As mentioned, many of the Gothic cathedrals and basilicas were designed in the style of a crucifix, but other distinct features flourished within the architecture, which included numerous creative and architectural designs such as the Latin cross in which one hand, typically the foundation, is longer than the other, which represents the Crucifix and is seen throughout the floor plans and frameworks of the Gothic cathedrals. Religious symbols are portrayed by the Rose window which emerged from the Romanesque circular windows and through the intricate work of glass(Chapuis) (Stokstad; Cothren).

Gargoyles are characteristic of Gothic architecture in particular. The term derives from the old French expression for throat gargoyle, relating to the sound made by liquid as it travels through the gullet (Chapuis). The gullets were the sinks at the edge of the cathedrals that were then sculpted into the shapes of creatures or beasts such as gargoyles. It seems as if the gargoyles spew out their mouth when it rains (Blackford).

The gothic cathedral plans reflected the church’s various different functions that would increase the dedication of any pilgrims joining the church. Many of the general features of the plan as seen in Toulouse’s Saint-Sernin, consisted, among others, of a cruciform plan with a five-aisled nave with a central vessel on each side and two aisles (Spanswick) (Chapuis) (Blackford). Together with those in the transept and apse areas, these aisles allow the pilgrim to circle the whole church without entering the central vessel. In addition to the core part of the Church, there have always been radiating chapels that have allowed private reflections of pilgrims and private citizens (Spanswick) (Stokstad; Cothren).

Eventually, the Catholic Church’s increasing importance in the 11th century contributed to a growing demand for architectural structures that would represent the Catholic Church’s power and influence. This was also the moment of the launch of the Crusades throughout Europe, called conflicts against paganism in which Christian unification was promoted. During the Romanesque period, obviously influenced by Roman architecture, massive structures and cathedrals were developed and the architectural features of the vaulted roofs were introduced. The Gothic period and saw the development of the Cathedral construction boom in which several innovative art forms were also introduced in the Church design.

Bibliography

1. (Barral i Altet, Xavier). “Religious Architecture during the Romanesque Period in Catalonia (11th-13th Centuries): Assessment and Critical Notes .” CATALAN HISTORICAL REVIEW, 26 July 2010, doi:DOI: 10.2436/20.1000.01.50.
2. Cedron, R. (Blackford), N. (2001). Gothic Dreams: Appreciating a Cultural Legacy. Earthlore. http://www.elore.com/Gothic/introduction.htm.
3. (Chapuis), Julien. “Gothic Art.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/mgot/hd_mgot.htm (October 2002
4. Stokstad, Marilyn, Michael W. Cothren. Art History. Vol. 1, (Pgs. 470-540) Prentice Hall, 2011. (Stokstad; Cothren)
5. Spanswick, Valerie. “Gothic Architecture: an Introduction.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, 2014, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/medieval-world/gothic1/a/gothic-architecture-an-introduction.