What is "Romanesque" Architecture?

The term "Romanesque" was coined in 1818 by Charles-Alexis-Adrien de Gerville to describe the form of art and architecture that preceded Gothic. The Romanesque period cannot be precisely defined history is rarely as neat as historians' terminology but Romanesque architecture generally dates from1000 to 1150, when Gothic began to take over. Romanesque was at its height between about 1075 and 1125. In some conservative regions, Romanesque-style churches continued to be built well into the 1200s, and there was considerable overlap between the styles. Features that lie somewhere between Romanesque and Gothic are called "Transitional."

Characteristics of Romanesque Architecture

Most Romanesque churches (the primary type of Romanesque architecture) have the following characteristics:

harmonious proportions stone barrel vault or groin vault thick and heavy walls thick and heavy pillars small windows round arches supporting the roof round "blind arches" used extensively for decoration inside and out (especially out) nave with side aisles (though some modest churches are aisleless) galleries above the side aisles, separated from the nave by a triforium a transept (section crossing the nave at a right angle, giving the church a cross shape) an apse (semicircular niche, usually in the east end) an ambulatory (often with radiating chapels) around the apse multiple towers, usually at the west end and over the transept crossing sculptured decoration on portals, capitals and other surfaces (except in Cistercian monasteries)

painted decoration throughout the interior (little of which survives today) Gothic architecture adopted many of these characteristics, but the major development that marked the beginning of the Gothic style was the ability to support heavy stone vaults on much thinner walls. This provided the opportunity for large glass windows, thinner walls and pillars, and generally more delicate and more vertical architecture.