EARLY CHRISTIAN

AND MEDIVAL
PERIOD

Ar.Amulya Bandi
SYLLABUS Birth and spread of Christianity – transformation of the
Roman Empire – early Christian worship and burial.
Church planning – basilican concept: S. Hagia Sophia,
Constantinople; St. Marks, Venice.
The Carolingian Renaissance – Feudalism and rural
manorial life – Papacy – Monasticism – Craft and merchant
guilds.
Romanesque churches – Development of vaulting – Pisa
Group – British Cathedrals.
Political and social changes: Re-emergence of the city –
Crusades - Scholasticism.
Development of Gothic Architecture Church plan, structural
developments in France and England – Notre Dame.
Origins of Christianity
Jesus‘ followers spread Christianity throughout the Roman Empire, bringing it in conflict with
Roman polytheism and eventually changing Western civilization
Christianity’s origins
• Had its roots in Judaism
• Is led by Jesus, proclaimed as the son of God and Messiah (Savior)
• Conflicted with polytheistic beliefs of the Roman Empire

Early centres of Christianity

• Jerusalem
• Antioch
• Corinth
• Ephesus
• Thessalonike
• Rome
• Alexandria
• North Africa (Carthage, Hippo)
Beliefs, Traditions, Customs – Christianity
 Christians are monotheists
Christians believe in one God, most of the world‘s people practice polytheism
Jews and Christians share belief in one God
 Jesus is Son & incarnation of God
Jesus is God‘s only Son
Jesus is God incarnate (God in human flesh)
Although both Jews and Christians believe in one God, only Christians believe that
Jesus is the Son of God
Jesus‘ ―mission‖ was to save people from their sin and reconcile them to God.

The Star of David (left) is a

symbol for Jews while the
cross (right) is a symbol for
Christians
Birth and spread of Christianity -The Life of Jesus
Birth and Early Life
• Gospels say Jesus was born in Bethlehem
• Raised in Nazareth by Mary and by Joseph, a carpenter
• Christians later celebrated his birth on Christmas
The Teachings of Jesus
• Jesus preached justice, compassion, coming of God‘s kingdom
• delivered teachings in parables—stories with morals
• asked people to love and pray for enemies; to live simply, humbly
The Death of Jesus - Arrest and Trial
• The claim that Jesus was the Messiah was a threat to Roman rulers
• power, authority of Roman rulers was questioned
• followers called Jesus ―king‖ when he came to Jerusalem
• During Passover, Jesus criticized running of Jerusalem Temple
• Jewish leaders appointed by Rome arrested Jesus
• turned him over to Romans for punishment
The Story of the Resurrection

• Jesus was executed by Roman governor Pontius Pilate

• executed by crucifixion—hanging on cross until suffocated
• buried in tomb with stone blocking entrance
• Gospels say that the third day after death, followers went to tomb
• tomb was empty; some followers say Jesus walked, talked with them
• Account of resurrection proved to followers that Jesus was divine
• Resurrection—return to life
• Followers believed Jesus gave life to create new world
• in new world sin and death are defeated
• Christians believe crucifixion was on Good Friday
• Resurrection was on Easter Sunday
Persecution
• Great persecutions of Christians began in 3rd century AD

• Christian intolerance of pagan beliefs bred powerful retaliatory hatred of Christians

• Accused Christians of cannibalism, atheism, and of being haters of mankind

• Charged with being sneaky and with dishonoring the emperor

• Also blamed with all the evils that afflicted the state

The Attack on Christianity

• In A.D. 250 Emperor Decius ordered the execution of all Christians who refused to worship
the Roman gods.
• Up until A.D. 311, Christians suffered two more waves of persecution under two different
emperors.
• Roman mobs destroyed Christian churches and sacred books. Christians were fired from
jobs, forced to leave the army, attacked, and killed.
• For 250 years Christians suffered from sporadic persecutions for their refusal to worship the
Roman emperor, considered treasonous and punishable by execution.
Spread of Christianity In A.D. 64, the
Roman Emperor
Nero ordered the
• Spread was slowed as a result of the persecution by Roman authorities. persecution of
Christians
• Many Emperors persecuted Christians
• Christians refused to worship Roman gods
• Rome continued to exile, imprison or kill Christians for not worshipping
Roman gods.
• Christians were also crucified, burned or killed by wild animals in the
circus arenas.

Reversal of fortune
From the
perspective of a
• In the end, the persecutions did not succeed in eliminating Christianity. typical Roman
emperor,
• Too many Christians protected each other. Christianity
threatened to lay
• Persecutions also created martyrs who inspired others. waste to traditional
Roman values and
• Came to an end with death of Galerius and then Constantine officially. practices, to
sabotage the very
protected them. basis for Roman
power, to pervert
• Constantine credited with being the first Christian emperor. what was Rome.
Spread of Christianity
• Emperor Constantine adopted and legalized Christianity.
• In A.D. 313, Constantine ordered the end of the persecution of
Christians and in the Edict of Milan, he declared Christianity one of
the religions approved by the emperor.
• Theodosius became emperor in 379 AD and proclaimed Christianity
to be the official religion of the state. Emperor
Constantine,
• Christians immediately begin to persecute pagans. A.D. 285? – 337,
became a defender
• Destroyed temples or converted them into churches. of the Christian
faith
• Church firmed up its organization and settled disputes with
powerful intellectual strength.

Theodosius
Constantine
There are two reasons we study Constantine more than any other Roman Caesar
1.He split the Roman Empire by creating a capital of Rome in present-day Istanbul.
2.He converted to Christianity and, by extension, made Christianity the state religion of the
Roman Empire.
About his life:
• He was born in 272 and ruled from 306 – 337 and died in 337.
• His father Constantius Chlorus, was a great Roman general and later became Emperor of the
Western Roman Empire.
• At the time of his birth the great Roman Empire was in decline.
• He was very well educated.
• He spent much of his early life in present-day southern France.
• He followed his father to battles in England but his father died there.
• Through a series of carefully planned battles he eventually became the Emperor of Western
Rome.
• 323 Constantine became sole Emperor of the whole Roman world
• While he was Emperor of the western part of the Empire, a man named Licinius, was emperor
of the eastern part.
• At first they agreed to get along and followed the Edict of Milan - 313, allowing all religions
to exist and practice. Later, Licinius went back on his promise. Eventually the two went to war
and Constantine defeated Licinius‘ army.

• This put Constantine in the position to become emperor of the entire Roman Empire.

• Later in his life he moved the capital of the empire to the Straits of Bosporus.

• At the Battle of Milvian Bridge Constantine claimed to have had a vision, at mid-day, that
showed a cross floating in the sky above him.

• Leading his army into battle he saw a blazing cross in the sky. Beneath were the words:
In Hoc Signo Vinces
“In this sign, conquer”

• Constantine inscribed the sign of the cross on his soldiers shields & the armies gained the
victory. This was the first time Christianity was enforced by military power.

• After his victory, he declared himself a Christian and supported Christianity throughout the
empire.
About his work:

• By the time Constantine defeated Licinius at the Battle Hellespont, the Roman Empire had
gone about as far as it could go.

• The empire was just too big to be run in the way it had been. At this time, Constantine
decided to move the capital of the empire .The city became Constantinople .

• By moving the capital of the empire Constantine took the focus of Rome away from the
western Mediterranean and turned it east toward Asia and the Middle East.

• This became the root of the Byzantine Empire.

• Constantine also forced the Christian leaders to convene the Council of Nicaea to settle some
very controversial questions about the nature of God the Father and Christ. The result was the
Nicene Creed. This became the basis of Christian belief for many years to follow.
TETRACHS
• Portrait of the four tetrarchs, from Constantinople, 305CE
• Diocletian established the tetrarchy to bring order to the Roman world.
• The tetrarchy was very successful militarily:
• Revolts and barbarians put down.
• The Tetrarchy also introduced a new coinage system that halted the Economic
decline occurred before the Tetrarchy was formed.
• Iconic terms. Idealism, naturalism, individuality, and personality have disappeared.

Instituted by Diocletian in 284 CE

4 Emperors in 4 cities
• Milan
• Trier (Germany)

DIOCLETIAN • Thessaloniki (Greece)

ESTBLISHED
• Nicomedia (Turkey)
THE
TETRARCHY
As the Roman Empire declined in the West, the Church in Rome grew in importance.
In the third century A.D., the Roman Empire faced
• Economic decline and inflation; loss of trade; less gold and silver from conquered territories;
and falling agricultural harvests
• Growing military weakness due to threats from invaders; a collapse of discipline and loyalty;
and use of poorly paid mercenaries
• Political instability as people didn‘t care about the empire‘s fate
• Poor leadership as emperors fought for power & civil wars erupted
The administration of the Roman Empire eventually evolves into separate Eastern &
Western halves
• This division, and the reforms of key emperors, prolonged the empire for about 200 more years
• The church became a source of moral authority
• Loyalty to the church became more important than loyalty to the emperor
• The church became main unifying force of Western Europe
• As the Roman Empire declined, the church expanded its influence and power
• Emperor Constantine made Christianity legal
• Emperor Theodosius makes Christianity the official religion of Rome; church influence &
power grow more.
The Spread of Christianity by 600
Spread of Christianity
How did the Roman Empire help spread Christianity?
• During Pax Romana, missionaries traveled safely
• Roman Roads helped to spread quickly
• Constantine converted
• Constantine built churches in Rome and Jerusalem
• Religious freedom
• Christianity becomes official religion of the Roman Empire

Popularity of Christian message aided its spread

• Christianity based on Christ‘s love & death on a Roman cross to pay for the sin‘s of mankind
• Promised eternal life for all who believed in Jesus as Lord and Savior
• Very appealing to Jewish converts and Gentiles
Death of early Christian martyrs inspired others
• Believers willingly died for their faith
• Inspired others to become followers of Jesus
• Christianity spreads quickly throughout Roman world
Transformation of the Roman Empire
Constantine becomes Emperor in 306
• Constantine ruled the empire with three of his sons, this rule of four was called a tetrarchy
• See the map in figure 1 that divides the empire in prefectures
• He created a new seat for the Roman Empire in the East at Byzantium, which he renamed
Constantinople.
Early Christian worship and burial
THE CATACOMBS

• A Catacomb is an underground series of tunnels, chambers, and tomb which served as burial
places, shrines, and places of worship in the earliest church.

• They have been discovered in Rome and throughout Italy, France, and Northern Africa.

• In Rome alone there are over sixty catacombs and they account for hundreds of miles of
tunnels. The catacombs of St. Callixtus are four stories deep, include four miles of galleries,
and contain the remains of sixteen Popes and dozens of Christian martyrs.

• The tombs are often adorned with religious inscriptions and Christian art.

• Large rooms called crypts, where prominent figures such as Popes or martyrs were buried,
were converted into small churches.
• Catacombs were used for the celebration of Baptism and the Eucharist.

• Shunning the Roman practice of cremation and showing their belief in the resurrection of
the body, early Christians showed their strong sense of community by preferring to be
buried together.

• The tombs of martyrs became popular places of prayers and inscriptions show that these
―Saints‖ were asked to intercede for the believers.

• Eventually these catacombs were abandoned and forgotten only to be rediscovered in the
sixteenth century. The information gained from the catacombs serves to give us a clear idea
of everyday Christian beliefs and practices in the early Church.
THE EARLY GROWTH OF CHRISTIANITY

• Because of its large Jewish populations, Asia Minor became the first great area of growth in
Christianity.

• Many Jews converted to Christianity due to the missionary efforts of St. Paul and the
Apostles.

• By the end of the first century, the first Christian churches were confined to the Easter Roman
Empire, with the exception of Christian communities found in Rome and in other parts of
Italy.

• By the end of the third century, Christianity and Judaism had officially separated and
Christianity became largely a religion of the Gentiles.

• Its informal center had shifted from Jerusalem to Rome, and the scene was set for the
Constantine (AD 312) and the embrace of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman
Empire.
Byzantine Empire
• After the death of Constantine in 337, the Roman Empire was split into Eastern and Western

Empires.

• The Western half (capital –

Rome) declined while the

Eastern half (Byzantine

Empire), with its capital in

Constantinople (ancient city

of Byzantium), flourished.

• From there a succession of

emperors (primarily

Justinian) ruled the Byzantine

Empire as the Roman Empire

dissolved.
Early Christian/Byzantine Architecture

• Along with the new freedom to practice Christianity

came a period of church building due to the demand
for public places for Christian worship.

• The old temples of the Roman gods were too small

to hold large congregations. Also the Christians did
not want to worship in pagan temples.

• The early Christian and Byzantine builders copied

the floor plan design of the large Roman assembly
hall: the BASILICA, along with many new
advancements.

• Basilica: An ancient Roman floor plan for a style of large building that was used as a
meeting place and law court. Consisting of a long nave, apse, open floor plan and high
ceilings.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH BUILDING

The church building as we know it grew out of a number of features of the Ancient Roman
period:

1. The house church

2. The atrium
3. The basilica
4. The bema
5. The mausoleum: centrally-planned building
6. The cruciform ground plan: Latin or Greek cross
1. House church
• The first house church is where the disciples of Jesus
met together in the "Upper Room" of a house.
• For the first three centuries of the church, known as
Early Christianity, Christians typically met in homes,
if only because intermittent persecution (before the
Edict of Milan in 313) did not allow the erection of
public church buildings.
The Dura-Europos house church,
• Clement of Alexandria, an early church father, wrote
ca. 232, with chapel area on right.
of worshipping in a house.
• The Dura-Europos church was found to be used as a
Christian meeting place in AD 232, with one small
room serving as a baptistery. At many points in
subsequent history, various Christian groups
worshipped in homes, often due to persecution by the
state church or the civil government.
2. Atrium

• When Early Christian

communities began to build
churches they drew on one
particular feature of the houses
that preceded them, the atrium,
or courtyard with a colonnade
surrounding it. Most of these
atriums have disappeared.

ATRI
UM

A fine example remains at

the Basilica of San Clemente (Rome)
3. Basilica
Is a rectangular early Christian or medieval church, usually
having a nave with clerestories, two or four aisles, one or
more vaulted apses, and a timber roof

Basilica typical plan.

H, nave
J,J‘, aisles
A, A, apse
B,B‘, secondary apse
C, high altar
G, transept
Types of Apse
1.Semi-circular (Italian)
2.Polygonal (German)

Interior of a basilica at 3.Square (English)

Pompeii 4.Compound (French)
3. The Bema

1) Propylaeum- the entrance building of a sacred precinct, whether church or imperial palace.

2) Atrium- in early Christian, Byzantine, and medieval architecture, the forecourt of a church; as

a rule enveloped by four colonnaded porticoes.

3) Narthex- the entrance hall or porch proceding the nave of a church.

4) Nave- the great central space in a church.

In longitudinal churches, it extends from the

entrance to the apse (or only to the crossing

if the church has one) and is usually flanked

by side aisles.

Parts of an Early Christian Basilica

Old St. Peter's in Rome
5) Side Aisle- one of the corridors running parallel to the nave of a church and separated from it

by an arcade or colonnade.

6) Crossing- the area in a church where the transept and the nave intersect.

7) Transept- in a cruciform church, the whole arm set at right angles to the nave. Note that the

transept appears infrequently in Early Christian churches. Old St. Peter's is one of the few

example of a basilica with a transept from this period. The transept would not become a

standard component of the Christian church until the Carolingian period.

8) Apse- a recess, sometimes rectangular but usually semicircular, in the wall at the end of a

Roman basilica or Christian church. The apse in the Roman basilica frequently contained an

image of the Emperor and was where the magistrate dispensed laws. In the Early Christian

basilica, the apses contained the "cathedra" or throne of the bishop and the altar.
 4. Mausoleum
• Monumental form of tomb.
• A mouseleum is a house of the dead,
although it is often as much a symbol as a
sepulcher.
• This term has been employed for large,
monumental, and stately tombs, usually
erected for distinguished or prominent
individuals.

Mauseleum of Costantia (d. 534), featured a

taller, domed, central circular section
surrounded by a vaulted ambulatory.
5. Latin cross and Greek cross
• Greek cross; Latin cross; rotunda
• These terms usually refer to the shape of a church.
• A Greek cross church has four arms having the same length.
• A Latin cross church has the arm of the entrance longer than the other arms.

Greek cross- the plans of SS. Martina e Luca) Latin cross plan- building process
Rotunda- the plans of St. Bernard at the baths of S. Pietro in Vaticano
6.Baptistery
• In Christian architecture the baptistery
or baptistery, is the separate centrally-
planned structure surrounding the
baptismal font.
• The baptistery may be incorporated
within the body of a church or cathedral
and be provided with an altar as a
chapel.
• This is commonly a detached building,
and almost always circular or
polygonal.
Lateran Baptistery, the first
• In some instances the baptistery adjoins
structure expressly built as a
the atrium or forecourt; but it soon
baptistery
became customary to erect detached
baptisteries of considerable size.
• These generally have a high central portion carried by a ring of columns, and a low aisle
running round, the receptacle for water being in the centre. The origin of these buildings is not
so clear as that of the basilica churches; they bear some resemblance to the Roman circular
temples; but it is more probable that the form was suggested by buildings similar in general
arrangement, and forming part of a Roman bath.
EARLY CHRISTIAN BASILICAS

• Church building began on the basis of Roman basilica where assembly hall and court of
justice suited the new religion.
• With minor modifications, the Roman basilica form was adapted to Christian ritual.
• The altar was placed in the apse, entrances were set in the opposite short wall and an atrium
accommodated gatherings before services and enabled the unbaptized to hear but not
participate in the Mass.
• The longitudinal arrangement of atrium, nave, and apse formed an impressive axis for
processions that terminated at the altar.
• Cathedral is a church that contains the seat or cathedra of a bishop. While cathedrals
are often larger than ordinary churches, not every large church a cathedral.
Typical early Christian church Typical Basilican church
 Byzantine
Architecture
4th – 6th century
Byzantine Architecture
• Under the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, the
Byzantine style of architecture evolved
• His interest in church building led to the discovery of the
groin vault and the evolution of the Byzantine style
• Although it is impossible to identify two similar Byzantine
churches, it is still possible to identify the basic
characteristics of an ideal Byzantine church
• The attributes of the ideal church included:
– The use of a centralized church plan
– The use of surrounding isles
– The use of pendentives and dome on pendentives
– And the use of a complex program of interior
structure, lighting and decoration to create fascinating interiors
Early Prototypes
• Byzantine architecture has its early
prototypes in two churches, San Vitale
(526-47), Ravenna and in Saint Sergius and
Saint Bacchus in Constantinople.
• Ravenna once served as the seat of the
Roman Empire.
• The church is among the most important
monument of Byzantine architecture.
• It was also the prototype for the Hagia
Sophia which was built 10 years later.
• The exterior is very plain – no interest in
impressing from the outside, but want to
impress through the interior design and its
meaning.
• Most Byzantine architecture was also plain on the exterior.

• The interiors were richly decorated in mosaics & frescoes.

Other Byzantine Church Floor Plans

San Vitale (525-

547) octagonal
central plan
church built in
Ravenna, Italy
Nave looking towards the apse
 St. Sergius and
Bacchus,
Constantinople(527-
536) octagonal core
set in a very loose
rectangular form
 Most Famous Byzantine Basilica

Hagia Sophia - ―Holy Wisdom‖

A Christian Masterpiece
Also known as Aya Sofya and St Sophia.
Built in 537 AD and situated in Istanbul, Turkey.
Hagia Sophia overlooking the Bosphorus, situated in Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul.
Built in 537 AD and situated in Istanbul, Turkey.
The History of Byzantium
• The Roman Empire proved too vast to govern. In 286 AD, it was divided into East and West.
The empire was re-united briefly under the rule of Constantine (306-337 AD), who in 330
AD transferred the capital from Rome to Byzantium, which was a little Greek port and
renamed as Constantinople, or its modern name Istanbul.
• After the death of Constantine, the empire was split up again. Eventually, the western part of
the empire was overran by barbarians in 476 AD. The eastern part of the empire survived
until 1453, about a thousand years later, when it was defeated by the Turks.
The surviving eastern empire is known The Byzantine
Empire. Modern day Istanbul showing the massive city wall.
The History of the Building
• Hagia Sophia (‗Holy Wisdom‘ in Greek) was inaugurated in 537 AD, nearly 1500 years ago,
by Emperor Justinian.
• The emperor had his palace close by, and that was the reason that the most important church
was built here. The church that was standing here in is not the original church, that burned
down, and so did the next church. Hagia Sophia is the 3rd church in this site.
• They were actually burned in a riot, that was the
most famous riot that took place in the 6th century
called as Nika riot against the emperor of the time
Justinian and he was the patron of this church.
• It was once the largest church in the world. An enormous sum was used to build the church. It
marks the beginning of Byzantine architecture.
• Justinian hired two theoreticians, scholars ( Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles)
who are well worsed in geometry and mathematical theory and physics to think about how to
evolve the space that two churches that were here before.
• The two were basic basilican churches, the kind of architecture that ancient romans were
comfortable with.
• Instead of building a traditional basilica he had them built something that unified a central
plan and basilica.
• Lets talk about the basic geometry here, we have a dome that is
phenomenally high, we need to think about the romans how they
handled to built such a large domes,eg like pantheon in Rome.
• In that case we have a round dome with a round base.
• This building is doing much different, this dome is on a square base.

Hagia Sophia
Central plan + Basilica
HOW IS THE DOME How is the dome of HAGIA
SUPPORTED? SOPHIA supported differently?
• How in the world you can fit a round dome on a
square building.
• And form the square base emerges two half domes
forming a rectangular space that reminds of a
basilica. This is all happened with the help of a
pendentive.
• If we look at the base of the dome you see that it comes down on a series of 4 arches and the
space between the four arches and the base of the dome, it's a kind of a triangle but it‘s a curve
and so the miraculous thing happened. It seems that the weight comes down on the slenderest
of points.
• But the architects deed was hide with the enormous piers that the most of the work that are
supporting the weight and the thrust of that dome.
• This is the first time we see that the dome on pendentives on mismonumental scale in which
after an earth quake some part of the dome is destroyed.

• The dome now is more hollow

than the previous one.
• By making it steeper it allows
some of the lateral force to be
reduced so that the weight come
more vertically down.

• For many years it was the most celebrated church in all of Christendom.
• After the fall of Constantinople, it was converted into a mosque with the additions of minarets
in 1458. Ever since it has been an inspiration and a model for many of the Islamic mosques.
• Today, it is used as a museum. Like the Pantheon in Rome, it is one of the oldest building in
continuous used today for nearly 1500 years.
Characteristics : The Architectural Achievement and Plan
• The church was designed in the form of Greek cross 91.5m X 99m with the top dome at
54.8m from the ground.

• Central space of 32.6m square has four

massive stone piers measuring 7.6m X 18.3m
pierced by arches to form aisles and galleries.
• Stone piers support four semi circular arches
forming a spherical pendentive on which rests
the dome 32.6m in dia and 54.8 m above the
ground.
• The cupola is carried on 4 spherical
triangular pendentives.
• Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest surviving
examples of Byzantine architecture.
• At the western entrance side and eastern liturgical side, there are arched openings extended by
half domes of identical diameter to the central dome, carried on smaller semi-domed exedras;
a hierarchy of dome-headed elements built up to create a vast oblong interior crowned by the
central dome, with a clear span of 76.2 m (250 ft).
• An old architectural problem is to fit a circular dome over a square plan.
• A perfect solution to the problem is the use of a pendentive, a curved triangular vault which
is incorporated into the construction of Hagia Sophia.
• Pendentive - A concave, triangular piece of masonry which provided the transition from a
square area to the circular base of a covering dome. Although they appear to be hanging
(pendant) from the dome, they in fact support it.

• In order to create a transcendental

environment, the dome could not be heavy as
seen in typical vault techniques
• Architects solved this by creating pendentives
on top of piers
• This construction allowed for thinner walls
housing many windows to light the interior
• It also created the illusion of a lighter weight.
• Light = symbol of divine wisdom
• Middle and late Byzantine architects introduce a variation on a pendentive called a Squinch.
• Pendentives ( Triangular sections of a sphere) make it possible to place a dome on a ring over
a square. Squinches achieve the same goal by bridging the corners of the square to form an
octagonal base.
• A squinch in architecture is a construction filling in the upper angles of a square room so as to
form a base to receive an octagonal or spherical dome.
• Four squinches, one at each corner, effectively turn a square into an octagon - a shape on
which it is possible to construct a dome.
Exterior:
• The exterior, clad in stucco, was tinted yellow and red during restorations in the 19th century
• The Imperial Gate was the main entrance between the exo- and eso narthex.
• It was reserved only for the emperor.
• The curved surface of dome produces extraordinary effects of resonance.

• The façade of the building. The photo • Four massive buttresses of stone and
shows the building was constructed brick holding up the wall and also form
with bricks part of the main entrance.
• One of the minarets (at SW) was built from red brick while the other 3 were built from white
limestone and sand stone.
• At the NW of the building there is a column with a hole in the middle covered by bronze
plates. This column goes by different names; the perspiring column, the wishing column, the
sweating column or the crying column.
• The column is said to be damp when touched and have supernatural power. The legend states
that since St. Gregory the Miracle Worker appeared at the column in year 1200, the column is
moist. It is believed that touching the moisture cures many illness.
The Interior
• The most impressive feature is the size of the building, the enormous interior space that it
encloses. The dome is 31m across and reaching to a height of 56m.
• The space under the dome is further extended by a series of vaulted spaces, pushing the walls
further out, until the dome appears to be hanging in the air.
• The nave is covered by a central dome which at its maximum is 55.6 m (182 ft 5 in) from
floor level and rests on an arcade of 40 arched windows.
• Large windows are opened on all the surrounding walls.
• These windows illuminate the interior from all sides and from above, creating an impression
of light and a weightlessness space within the church.
• Its interior is decorated with mosaics and marble pillars and coverings of great artistic value.
• The vast interior has a complex structure.
• Interior surfaces are sheathed with polychrome marbles, green and white with
purple porphyry, and gold mosaics.

• The Byzantine mosaic above the portal depicts

Christ and an unnamed Emperor.
• Hagia Sophia is famous for the light that
reflects everywhere in the interior of the nave.
• Much of the interior treasures including the alter was plundered by the crusader in 1204 and
loots were carried back to Venice as trophies.

• Weakened by the crusader, the only Christian empire of the orient was finally fell to the
Turks in 1453. Islamic decorations were added to the interior.
Entrance Hall to the building Painted ceiling at the entrance

View of the
interior, probably in
mid-19C.
View of the building from the first level gallery Pillars &decoration on the second level gallery

The upper gallery is spacious and paved with marble, Beautifully carved pillar and painted capital
The Byzantine mosaics • Architecturally the interior
is largely intact. The
interior is embellished with
gold mosaics, tapestries,
polished marble, porphyry
and ivory. Much of the
mosaics from the time of
Byzantine survived.
Christ Pantocrator
• Christ Pantocrator with
Mary on the left and St
John the Baptist on the
right. probably 1261 to
mark the return of the
church to Orthodox faith
from Roman Catholic
Madonna and child on the apse
Leo VI and Christ, with Mary and Archangel Gabriel in roundels. Imperial Gate Tymanum. 9C-10C.
An architectural milestone
 The Architectural Influence St Mark's Basilica – Venice, Italy
(Basilica di San Marco in Italian), Chiesa d'Oro (Church of gold).

Byzantine and Gothic architecture

• It was built between 1063
and 1082, with many of
architectural elements
similar to that of Hagia
Sophia. In particularly the
golden mosaics that cover
all the interior walls and
the multi-domes that form
part of the ceiling.
Introduction
• Most famous church of Venice,Finest examples of Byzantine architecture.

• The present basilica was completed in 1071. The plan is a Greek cross, and the building is
surmounted by five domes.

• Located just off the Grand Canal, basilica

overlooks the Piazza San Marco (St.
Mark's Square) and adjoins the Doge's
Palace.
• It was Doge's chapel until it became the
seat of the Archbishop of Venice in 1807.

• Originally a combination of
Byzantine and Romanesque styles

• The present-day basilica is a mixture of
Byzantine, Gothic, Renaissance, and
Moorish styles
St. Mark's Basilica is modeled after Constantine the
Great's Church of the Holy Apostles (no longer
standing) and the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.
Plan
• The interior is based on a Greek cross, with each arm
divided into three naves with a dome of its own as well
as the main dome above the crossing.
• The dome above the crossing and the western dome are
bigger than the other three.

• A narthex wrapped around the west end disguises the

cross shape but creates a wide, flat surface for the

grand facade.

Specifications

• Length - 76.50 m
• Width - 62.50 m
• Dome(s) - 5
• Dome height (outer) - 43 m
• Dome height (inner) - 28.15 m
The Interior
Flooring done with marble

Consists of following parts/areas

Presbytery:

The presbytery is the name for an area in a church building which is reserved for the clergy.

Right transept

Left transept

• The marble floor (12th

century, but underwent many
restorations) is entirely
tessellated in geometric
patterns and animal designs.
• The techniques used
were opus sectile and opus
tessellatum. opus sectile opus tessellatum
• The lower register of walls and pillars is completely covered with polychrome marble slabs.
• In the upper register, from the top of ogee arches, statues of Theological and Cardinal
Virtues, four Warrior Saints, Constantine, Demetrius, George, Theodosius and St Mark
watch over the city.
• Above the large central window of the façade, under St Mark, the Winged Lion, the symbol of
the saint and of Venice.
• In the centre of the balcony the famous bronze horses face the square.
Floor
• Covered with mosaic designs.(4000 m)

• Mosiac designs of 12 to 14 th century

Domes
• Held by massive pillars.

• Consisted of paintings and mosaics

• Cupola: interior of domes decorated

with golden mosaics

Atrium
• Has slightly pointed arches

• Supports six small domes

• There are mosaics on the arches,

lunette recesses
The Exterior
• The exterior of the west facade of the basilica is divided in three registers: lower, upper,
and domes.
Lower
• Consists of five arched portals - the center one slightly larger - enveloped by polychrome
marble columns , open into the narthex through bronze-fashioned doors.
Upper

• The upper level of mosaics in the

lunettes of the lateral ogee arches has
scenes from the Life of Christ.

• Ogee arches, statues of Theological

and Cardinal Virtues, four Warrior
Saints, Constantine, Demetrius,
George, Theodosius and St Mark
• The four bronze horses are shown in
their place on the facade.
Exterior Columns: multi colored

Domes

• Dia: 42 ft. (13.8 m.)

• One central dome & 4 domes on the arms

Facade
• 52 meters long

• consists of five rounded arch portals, each

supported by several columns.

• The central arch is larger than the other four

• Arches are covered by a terrace, which is

surrounded by a railing.

Greek horses
• The Horses of Saint Mark were installed on
the balcony above the portal of the basilica in
about 1254.
• The horses were long displayed at the Hippodrome of Constantinople, and in 1204
Doge Enrico Dandolo sent them back to Venice as part of the loot sacked from
Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade.
• The horses now on the facade of the cathedral are bronze replicas.
Tetrarchs

• The four co-emperors of the

Roman Empire instituted by the
Emperor Diocletian.
It was taken
from Constantinople, during
the Fourth Crusade in 1204,
and set into the south-west
corner of the basilica
The Architectural Influence - Blue Mosque, Istanbul.
• The Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet
Camii), Istanbul. It derides its name
from the blue tile work within the
building. It was built between 1609-
16 in the days of a declining
Ottoman Empire.
• The Byzantine culture is closest to
the Greek culture of today. The
language for Byzantine Empire is
Greek and not Latin. They share the
same religion, Orthodox Christianity
and many of the symbols of
Byzantium are still being used in
Greece today.
 The Middle Ages

The Middle Ages cover about 1,000 years--from about AD 500 to about
AD 1500. The change from ancient ways to medieval customs came so gradually,
however, that it is difficult to tell exactly when the Middle Ages began. Some historians
say that the Middle Ages began in AD 476, when the barbarian Odoacer overthrew the
emperor Romulus Augustulus, ending the Western Roman Empire. Other historians give
the year 410, when Alaric, king of the Visigoths, sacked Rome. Still others say about
AD 500 or even later. It is equally hard to determine exactly when the Middle Ages
ended, for decisive events leading to the modern age took place at different times.
Historians say variously that the Middle Ages ended with the fall of Constantinople, in
1453; with the discovery of America, in 1492; or with the beginning of the Reformation,
in 1517.
 The Dark Ages

Charlemagne and the

Carolingian
Renaissance
New Germanic Kingdoms
• By 500 the Western Roman Empire was ruled by different Germanic
groups (―Barbarians‖)
• Ostrogoths= Italy
• Visigoths= Spain
• Anglo Saxon= Britain
• Franks= France
The Kingdom of the Franks
• Clovis was the first king of the Franks.
• united all of the Frankish tribes under one ruler.
• Changed the form of leadership from a group of royal chieftains to rule
by a single king .
• He is considered to have been the founder of the Merovingian dynasty.
• Ruled the Frankish kingdom for the next two centuries.
• First Germanic ruler to convert to Christianity
• Roman Catholic Church wanted support of a major ruler
• His kingdom expanded from France to Western Germany
• After his death—his kingdom is divided among his sons (3 major areas)
The Coming of the Carolingians
• After the successful rule by Merovingians for 250 years in 8th century it is replaced by a new
dynasty known as the Carolingians.
• The Carolingians greatly expanded the Frankish empire to include most of France, the
Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and parts of Italy.
• The Carolingians were also Franks.
• By the time of Charlemagne the Franks had come to include a great variety of medieval
peoples—Romans who continued to use Latin, established Frankish families who spoke
Germanic dialects, and new Germanic arrivals from the East

Germanic Society: Wergild vs. Ordeal

• Germanic and Romans people mixed
• Germanic Society= family (extended family)
• Germanic Law, unlike Roman law, it was personal
• Wergild prevented bloodshed
• Ordeal determined guilt based on divine intervention An early Frankish warrior on
horseback
The origin of the Carolingian Empire

• The Carolingian Empire had its origin in the Frankish Kingdom.

• Early Frankish leaders had a sacred quality to them .
• Many wore long hair that was not to be cut
• less comfortable running a government
• Historians have called these Frankish men ―the long-haired kings‖
and emphasize that kingship was not a German concept but a
Roman one.
• Frankish kings like Clovis learned how to be kings by studying
Roman history.
Clovis
• They did not have an ―emperor‖ mentality from their own culture.
• In 600-700s ,Frankish kings were weak and they handed the power over to Mayors of the
Palace, who were the main officials.
• Charles Martel was Mayor of the Palace & defeated the Muslims in the Battle of Tours in 732
• Then Pippin the Short, who was the Martel‘s son, fought against the Frankish king in 751.
• Pippin the Short won and became a king in that year
• Pepin—(one of the officers) took power, united the kingdom, and assume the kingship for him
and his family. (New dynasty!)
• Pepin dies and his son Charlemagne becomes king of Carolingian Empire (huge empire!)

Charles Martel Pepin Charlemagne

CHARLEMAGNE
• Charlemagne was the Pippin‘s son and became the new king in 768.
• Charlemagne decided to rebuild the Western Roman Empire.
• First he conquered the Lombard Kingdom.
• Then, he extended his kingdom defeating the German Saxons.
• Finally, he tried to conquered Spain, but he was defeated by Basques in 778. He only could
have territories in Cataluna. However he was the stronger power in the Western Europe.
• At the height of his power in
800 A.D., he was crowned
Holy Roman Emperor (new
Emperor of the West )by the
Pope.
• This made Charlemagne the
direct successor of
Constantine the Great, the
first ―Holy Roman Emperor‖
• Every Emperor needs a capital,
and Charlemagne established
his at Aachen, in Germany
(Aix-la-Chapelle in French).
• His architect built the palace
and connecting chapel out of
stone, and it remains the oldest
stone building in Europe to be
built after the fall of Rome.
• The chapel was designed by
Odo of Metz, and is the only
building that survives
• The Palatine chapel (named after the Palatine Hill in
Rome) is significant because it marks the reappearance of
monumental architecture in western Europe.
• The building is in the shape of an octagon topped by a
dome, and was based on Justinian‘s San Vitale, in
Ravenna.
• The interior is massive, and distinctly ―Roman‖ in its use of
the arch, and Roman methods of construction.
• Charlemagne‘s achievement can only be appreciated if you
take into consideration that there has not been any kind of
architecture in Europe in 400 years!
How did Charlemagne govern his Empire?
• Charlemagne divided the
Empire into counties
• In the borders of the
Empire he created
marches, which were
places with many soldiers
and military governors.
• The capital was in
Aachen.
• To control all the Empire,
he often sent messengers
to ensure that his
authority was safe. The
messengers were known
as ―Missi Dominici‖.
The division of the Empire
• Charlemagne died in 814 and his son Louis the Pious became the new Emperor who ruled
until 840.
• When Louis the Pious died, his three sons divided the Empire in three parts and they sign
the Treaty of Verdun in 843 to confirm the division of the Empire:

 The Western France was for

Charles
 The central part of the Empire
was for Lothair
 The eastern part of the Empire -
Germany- was for Louis

• When Lothair died, Louis

and Charles divided his part
between them
IMPORTANT DATES OF THE CAROLINGIAN EMPIRE

732: Battle of Tours - Charles Martel defeated the Muslims

751: Pippin the Short fought against the King of the Franks . Pippin became a king

768: Charlemagne (Charles the Great) became a king after the death of his father Pippin

778: Charlemagne‘s army is defeated by the Basques when the

Emperor wanted to conquer the Iberian Peninsula

800: Charlemagne was crowned as the Emperor of the West by the Pope

814: Charlemagne died and his son Louis the Pious became the new Emperor

843: The three sons of Louis de Pious – Charles, Lothair and Louis – signed the
Treaty of Verdun and the Empire was oficialy divided in three parts
Ties to the Papacy
• The Carolingian kings and the papacy found it useful to
work together.
• In the 8th century, the popes asked the Carolingians to
defeat the Lombard's.
• Pepin, Charles‘ father, invaded Italy and conquered the
Lombard's in 754.
• The pope anointed Pepin with oil .
• In the year 800, Pope Leo III coronated Charlemagne,
Coronation illustration,
calling him Holy Roman Emperor 14th century manuscript
The Carolingian Renaissance
• Charlemagne was a fierce warrior, strong ruler, and pious Christian.
• He also worked to promote learning throughout his kingdom.
• In 800, the pope crowned Charlemagne Emperor of the Romans.
• The coronation strengthened the idea of an enduring Roman Empire.

• It also symbolized the joining of Roman, Christian, and Germanic cultures.

• Carolingian Renaissance revived interest in the works of the Greeks and the Romans.
• Monasteries played a central role in the cultural renewal.
• Monks copied work of classic Roman/Greek authors
A mutually beneficial relationship
• Symbolically & legally, the coronation of Charlemagne reconstituted the Roman Empire in W.
From a religious standpoint, it made Charlemagne the protector of the Church

• But Charlemagne was also given approval to act as the chief political ruler of Western Europe.

• The Carolingians benefited from their relationship with the papacy because it gave them
political legitimacy and sacred authority

• The papacy and church benefited through

the Charlemagne‘s financial patronage,
which allowed the Church to:
• educate priests for service
• fund scribal centers, which copied classical
works, the Bible, & commentaries of the
Church Fathers
• standardize liturgy
• created new forms of writing and musical
notation A monk works on a book
Expansion and Administration
The Carolingians ruled by military expansion. Charlemagne was a Germanic king who
controlled warrior-aristocrats that survived by continually conquering new land:
 Italian campaign: Conquest of Lombardy in 774 – carried out in alliance with Pope
Adrian, following victory Charlemagne declared himself King of Lombardy.
 Saxon Wars 771-804: A series of campaigns waged over nearly 30 years and 18 major
battles. These wars concluded with Saxony incorporated into the Frankish Empire, and the
pagan Saxons forced to accept Christianity.
 Roncesvalles campaign: Iberia (Spain) in 777-778 – opportunity to spread Christendom;
Charlemagne agreed to aid the Muslim governor of Barcelona in his conflict against the
Emir of Cordoba. Hard pressed by Muslim forces, the Franks withdrew in 778.
 Frankish-Avar War 791-796 – Charlemagne and his son, fought the Avars in a long and
bloody war which resulted in the subjugation of the Avars.
 Slavic War 798 – Charlemagne led a campaign against a Slavic group inhabiting what is
now north-eastern Germany. Decisive victory.
Expansion and Administration cont.

• Charlemagne appointed counts to supervise local administration within his territories. These
men; supervised the courts, collected tolls, administered crown lands, and taxed
• Dukes were appointed as military leaders. Bishops managed religious issues and controlled
a few cities in place of counts
• Charlemagne created a new coinage system based on silver
• He administered the kingdom using written records and instructions called capitularies (An
ecclesiastical or civil ordinance)
• He sent representatives from his court (missi) on tours throughout the countryside to relay
his instructions personally
• He lived in the capital city of Aachen (Germany) but traveled around too, leading armies,
supervising counts and dukes, and listening to complaints
Social Arrangements and Feudalism
• Charlemagne had no standing army—power was built on the ability to assemble temporary
armies each spring, win battles, and gain booty
• To gain support, Charlemagne established feudal relationships with local nobles—he gave
them land or power in exchange for their military support
• This relationship was sealed with a formal oath, & the local noble became a vassal of the king.

• Feudalism can be described as a type of government in which political power is exercised

locally by private individuals rather than through the bureaucracy of a centralized state.
• Feudalism describes the relationship between the king and his nobles in mediaeval Europe.
• The basic principle of feudalism was that the king gave out land to his nobles, who fought for
him providing them with an income.
• In return the Nobles supplied troops to serve in the royal army on command, and helped the
king in other ways.
• Feudalism worked as a contract. Feudalism was thus primarily political and military.
• It was centered on a personal relationship between the lord and his vassal, with a ceremony
and a sworn oath by each party to fulfill their side of the bargain.
Manorial life
• Manorial life describes the relationship between a noble and his peasants in mediaeval Europe.
• Manorialism was more economic and social. Manorialism describes the arrangement of the
rural economy into mostly-self-sufficient agrarian communities called manors.
• A noble, the lord of the manor, controlled all the land, and gave it out to tenants in return for
either labour services(deliveries of the food and goods produced) .
• These tenants might be either free
or unfree - in the latter case they
were not allowed to leave the
land, change jobs or move away
from the manor, but they were
otherwise not badly treated in the
way that outright slaves would be.
• The lord of the manor usually had
judicial power over his tenants.
The Carolingian Renaissance
• The Carolingian ―Renaissance‖ is a rebirth of the artistic and scholarly activities which had
been the crowning achievements of ancient Rome, but had been lost in the more primitive
cultures of the early Middle Ages in Western Europe

• This ―rebirth‖ was fuelled by Carolingian wealth and the scholarly activity of Alcuin, who
was Charlemagne's chief advisor on religious and educational matters; prepared official
documents and examples .
KEY ISSUES
• Charlemagne was a great supporter of literacy and learning
• He himself learned to read and write, and he invited Alcuin of York to reform education at
monasteries
• He also charged his scholars with the task of standardizing the bible text, which had become
corrupted over the centuries through constant copying by hand.
• His scholars developed a new system of writing called ―Carolingian miniscule,‖ which is the
basis of our system of writing today.
• Worked on educating priests
Carolingian Miniscule

• Over time, the Carolingians developed a

new, clearer way of writing Latin called
Carolingian Miniscule
• Previous texts were all uppercase,
without punctuation or spaces
• The new minuscule script was written in
upper and lower case letters and
abbreviations
• Several monasteries then specialized in
the production of hand copied texts using
the new method—books became popular
again A 9th century Carolingian text
• As we saw, Charlemagne was a great supporter of literacy and learning.
• He poured money into existing monasteries, and founded many new ones, because the monks
were the ones who could read and write.
Learn to draw
• These monasteries became centers for the like this!
production of illuminated books
• Charlemagne had established his own
Palace School, where he encouraged his
illuminators to imitate the naturalistic
style of ancient Rome.
• But the illuminated manuscripts produced
in monastic centers were made for an
entirely different purpose.
• They were much more interested in
telling stories through pictures, than in
revising the artistic style of the Roman
Empire
Monasticism
• In the immediate centuries following the death of Jesus Christ, a culture of monasticism
developed and prospered throughout the early Christian world.
• Monasticism ("alone") or monkhood is a religious way of life in which one
renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work.
• Devoted religious men and women who lives under a strict set of rules in remote
communities are called monasteries.
• There was the growing opinion among a group of believers that the best way to serve Christ
was through living a life of simplicity, asceticism, and isolation from mainstream
civilization.
• Throughout the early medieval period, two different types of monasticism formed— solitary
and cenobitic (communal).
• Males pursuing a monastic life are generally called monks.
• Female monastics are called nuns.
• Many monks and nuns live in monasteries to stay away from the secular world.
 Illuminated Manuscripts The word `illuminated' comes from a usage of
the Latin word illuminare -- `adorn'.

The decorations are of three main types:

miniatures or small pictures, into the text or

occupying the whole page or part of the
border;

initial letters either containing scenes

(historiated initials) or with elaborate
decoration;

Books written by hand, decorated with

paintings

borders, which may consist of miniatures,

occasionally illustrative, or more often are
composed of decorative motifs.
acramentary--Use of Saint-Denis,9thc.
Carolingian Musical Notation

The Carolingians were the first to introduce musical Later texts featured staffs
notation in Europe, at first just tiny squiggles without a and polyphony (harmony),
staff along side Gregorian Chant such as this 12th century text
Carolingian Art
• Carolingian artists embellished church interiors, created statues, and executed wall paintings
like late Romans artists

• They excelled especially at painting and

decorating sacred manuscripts, such as this
liturgical book for the Mass, created during
the reign of Charles the Bald (d. 877),
grandson of Charlemagne
• Note the geometric patterns reminiscent of
Byzantine, Islamic or medieval Irish art

Carolingian Law
• Charlemagne was the most systematic among the Franks in creating laws that could be
consistently administered through his Empire
• The laws were written in Latin and carried by missi throughout the realm. Local courts
enforced them.
History, Literature, and Court Culture

• The importance of writing history and literature

were restored, and Carolingians created their own
literary works, as well as copying and preserving
the writings of the ancient world
• Einhard‘s Life of Charlemagne is a good example
of Carolingian history writing (compare with
Plutarch‘s Life of Alexander)
• After the 774 invasion of Italy, Carolingian court
culture became an imitation of Italian court
culture
• Alcuin, an English scholar (York) who organized
education and writing at Charlemagne‘s court,
was the primary innovator
Interior of Charlemagne‘s Aachen
Cathedral, 805 A.D.
 Romanesque
Architecture
800 AD to 1100 AD
Romanesque
• Technically, "Romanesque" can be used to cover all derivations of Roman architecture in the
West, from the fall of Rome (c.450 CE) until the advent of the Gothic style around 1150
• Traditionally, however, the term refers to the specific style of architecture, along with
sculpture and other minor arts that appeared across France, Germany, Italy and Spain during
the 11th century
• Due to its quick spread, Romanesque art and architecture can be very regional.
• The style prevailed all throughout Europe.
• Due to the rise of feudalism there began to be some stability in the
European governments and economies during the 11th Century.
• Art and architecture from this period is church-centered because the central "ruling" body
was the Pope and the unifying element was the Christianity.
Romanesque

Similarities between Romanesque and Roman architecture include:

• Rounded arches
• Stone materials
• Thick, heavy walls

• Basilica style plan (used by Romans for secular purposes).

Influences on Romanesque architecture are far more varied and include styles associated
with:

• Visigoth

• Carolingian

• Byzantine

• Islamic

Cathedral Complex, Pisa, Italy, ca.1063- 1174.

Characteristics of Romanesque Architecture
• Harmonious proportions
• Latin cross plan
• Use of round arches to support room, buttressed barrel vaulting and groin vaulting
• Use of stone barrel or groin vault
• Thick and heavy walls with small windows
• Thick and heavy pillars
• Blind arches used for decorative purposes.
• Recessed doorways ornamented with sculpture
• Dome often over apse
• Ambulatory, Nave with side aisles, Apse
• Galleries separated from triforium (space below clerestory but above nave).
• Towers engaged to façade and large transept towers, Towers (can be multiple over crossing
and at west end)
• Modest sculptural, mosaic, and fresco decoration on portals, capitals and other surfaces
• Painted decoration throughout the interior, very little painted works survive
TYPICAL PLAN
• Nave with side aisles

• Galleries above the side aisles

• 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.
The Romanesque church portal
Tympanum the prominent semicircular lunette above the doorway proper, comparable in
importance to the triangular pediment of a Greco-Roman temple.
Voussoirs the wedge-shaped blocks that together form the archivolts of the arch framing the
tympanum.
Lintel the horizontal beam above the doorway.
Trumeau the center post supporting the lintel in
the middle of the doorway.
Jambs the side posts of the doorway.
South portal of Saint-Pierre, Moissac, France, ca. 1115–1135.
Art historians first used the term Romanesque (Roman-like) to describe
stone-vaulted churches of the 11th and 12th centuries, but the adjective
also applies to the revival of monumental stone sculpture.

Use of round arch and

buttressed barrel vaulting and
groin vaulting
• The stone used was extremely heavy. The weight of the ceilings would tend to buckle the
walls outward and large piles of stone would be stacked along the wall in intervals to buttress
(or support) the walls from pushing outward these piles of stones became features of
Romanesque Architecture and buttresses were introduced to the basic design and a major
characteristic of Romanesque architecture.
• The window openings of Romanesque Architecture castles had to be small to keep the
strength of the walls strong.

Saint-Sernin, Toulouse, France, ca. 1070 – 1120.

Saint Michael’s,Hildesheim,Germany,
1001–1031.
Built by Bishop Bernward, a great art
patron, Saint Michael‘s is a masterpiece of
Ottonian basilica design. The church‘s two
apses, two transepts, and multiple towers
give it a distinctive profile
A few famous Romanesque buildings

Sainte Madeleine at Vezelay (France) Castle at Loarre (Huesca)

San Lorenzo de Sahagún (Spain) Monastery of Santa María de Ripoll (Spain)

Santiago de Compostela San Clemente de Taull (Spain) Jak (Hungary)
Romanesque sculpture Reliefs

Reliefs are attached to

buildings. This type

(Christ Pantocrator) was

common at the facades.

Capitals

Individual statues were also made.

These two types (Mary and child,
and Christ in the cross) were
frequent.
Romanesque sculpture: characteristics
• Statues are mainly religious.
• Monsters and fantastic creatures were also sculpted. They represent sin.
• Free-standing sculptures frequently represented Christ in the cross and Mary with baby Jesus.
• Artists wanted to express eternity. Thus, characters were unexpressive.
• People were mainly illiterate, so sculptures helped Christians to understand the Bible
and God's spell.
Romanesque paintings Books were also beautifully decorated

• Fresco paintings on the walls were frequent.

• Canvasses were not used. Paintings were used for
decorating vaults & altars.
• Artists did not know how to
represent figures in 3
dimensions. Figures look flat.
• Paintings also helped people
to understand the Bible.
 Pisa Cathedral
Pisa group of
monuments

Duomo Pisa, Italy, Pisa; 1063-1118, Bell

Tower 1173-1350;
The Duomo Pisa (Cathedral Pisa) is the largest Romanesque church in Tuscany.
Pisa complex mainly comprises of
1. Pisa Cathedral
2. Campanile
3. Baptistery
4. Cemetery

It was cited to be built due to touristy

reasons and establish Pisa as centre of
power.
Pisa Complex
• The cathedral, freestanding bell tower, & the baptistery are a group of 3 Romanesque buildings.
• The three structures are stylistically homogeneous.
• Pisa Cathedral is large, with a nave and four aisles, and is one of the most impressive and
majestic of all Romanesque churches.
• The church was constructed not only to act as a monument to the glory of God but also to bring
credit to the city.
Cathedral
• At first glance, the cathedral resembles an Early Christian basilica with a timber roof,
columnar arcade, and clerestory but the broadly projecting transept with apses, the crossing
dome, and the facade‘s multiple arcaded galleries distinguish it as Romanesque.
• Begun in 1093, Pisa Cathedral is a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture.
• The first stone of Pisa Cathedral was laid in 1093, initiating what would become the
distinctive Pisa Romanesque style.
• The main architect was Buscheto, who is buried in the last blind arch on the left side of the
facade. The facade itself was built by Buscheto's successor, Rainaldo.
• The wall is covered with white and pink marble.
• The dome at the Crossing is additional at later period.
• Tall blind arcades with pastel-colored marble and three portals with bronze doors.
• Granite Corinthian columns between the nave and the aisle .
• The interior is faced with black and white marble and has a gilded ceiling & a frescoed dome.
• It was largely redecorated after a fire in 1595, which destroyed most of the Renaissance art
works.
Campanile
• The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the great icons of Europe.
• Begun in 1173, the bell tower of Pisa Cathedral is famous for
the shifting of its sandy foundations that has led to a significant
lean of 5.5 degrees.
• The tower is inclining since the construction and still going on.
• Made of gleaming white and pastel marbles.
• The famous lean of the bell tower is an exceptional example of
the Romanesque style.
• The Bell Tower was designed by Bonanno.
• The round tower is made of fine multi-coloured marble and has eight stories in all, each
surrounded by an arcaded gallery.
• The repeated arches give the tower harmonious and rhythmic appearance.
• Inside the tower is a 294-step spiral staircase leading to the bell chamber.
Baptistery
• Construction of the baptistery
began in the Romanesque style
in 1153.
• It has its Gothic dome.It was finally
completed in 1363.
• Baptistery is designed by Diotisalvi
• Italy's largest baptistery.
• Baptistery also has a slight lean of 0.6 degrees towards the cathedral.
• The lower parts of the baptistery is 12th-century Romanesque (with round blind arches), while
the upper parts are predominantly 13th-century Gothic (with pointed arches).
• The interior is fairly plain, dimly lit and not especially attractive, but it includes two great
treasures: the first of the great Pisano pulpits and the large baptismal font in the centre.
• The baptistery's pulpit is a masterpiece carved by Nicola Pisano.
• The pulpit's high reliefs, which depict scenes from the life of Christ,
are strongly influenced by classical art - including the Roman
sarcophagi and Greek vase now in the Camposanto.
• The central baptismal font was carved by the Gothic sculptor.
• In the centre of the font is a 20th-century statue of St. John the
Baptist, to whom the baptistery is dedicated.
• The baptistery is renowned for its perfect acoustics .
Monumental Cemetery
• The construction of this huge, oblong Gothic cloister was begun in 1278 by the
architect Giovanni di Simone.
• He died in 1284 when Pisa suffered a defeat
in the naval battle of Meloria against the
Genoans.
• The cemetery was only completed in 1464.
• The Monumental Cemetery, also known
as Campo Santo is located at the northern
edge of the square.
• The outer wall is composed of 43 blind arches.
• There are two doorways.
• The one on the right is crowned by a gracious Gothic tabernacle and contains the Virgin Mary
with Child surrounded by four saints.
• Most of the tombs are under the arcades, although a few are on the central lawn.
• The inner court is surrounded by round arches with slender mullions and tracery.
• The Camposanto Monumentale once contained a large collection of Roman sculptures
and sarcophagi, but now there are only 84 remaining.
Political and social changes:
Re-emergence of the city
Crusades - Scholasticism
The Medieval Church
The Church and Medieval Life
• The church was a social center as well as a place of worship.
• Christian rituals and faith were part of the fabric of everyday life (sacraments).
• Priests guided people on issues of values and morality.
• Church required people to pay a tithe (10% of their income).
• Monks and nuns cared for the poor and sick, set up schools for children, and gave food
and lodging to travelers.
• Friars were monks who did not live in a monastery, but traveled and preached to the poor.

The Power of the Church Grows

• In the centuries after the fall of Rome, the Church became the most powerful secular, or
worldly, force in medieval Europe
• Medieval popes began to claim papal supremacy, or authority over all secular rulers.
• The medieval Church developed its own body of laws, known as canon law, as well as its
own courts. Anyone who disobeyed canon law faced a range of penalties.
• The Church also had absolute power in religious matters.
The Crusades
• The Crusades - Most dramatic expression of Europe on the offensive in the High Middle Ages.
• By the 10th century bishops were organizing mass pilgrimages to the Holy Land; the largest
of these, which set out from Germany in 1065, included about seven thousand pilgrims.
During the 11th century, however, Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land became especially
concerned and aggravated when the Seljuk Turks, who were new and fanatical converts to
Islam, took over Jerusalem from the more tolerant Abbasid Muslims.
• Byzantine forces desperately tried to bar the Seljuk's, but at the battle of Manzikert (1071) the
eastern emperor was captured and his army scattered. Within a few years Asia Minor, the chief
source of Byzantine revenue and troops, was lost, & the emperor was writing to western
princes and to the pope seeking mercenaries with which to regain lost territories.
• In 1095 Pope Urban II proclaimed the First Crusade to regain the Holy Land. Preaching at the
Council of Clermont in that year, he exhorted Christians to take up the cross &strive for a
cause that promised not merely spiritual rewards but material gain as well.
• At the end of his impassioned oration the crowd shouted "God wills it" - the expression the
crusaders later used in battle.
 The Crusades and The Wider World
Overview
• 1096- Crusades Begin- Series of Holy Wars
• Christians vs. Muslims over land in the
Middle East
• Lead to drastic changes in European World
• World in 1050-Europe was emerging from
Isolation Islam was spreading Spain to
India
• Muslim traders spread goods even further
• Cities thrived in India (Buddhism and
Hinduism)
• China‘s ruling families thrived
• Soninke people were building a trading
empire in Ghana in West Africa
The Byzantine Empire:
– Former Eastern Roman Empire
– Turks had invaded most of the land and converted to Islam
1071- Lost Holy Land
– Jerusalem- Jesus Lived
– Taken by Turks, threatened what was left of the Empire
Prevented Pilgrims (Christians) from entering Holy land

Byzantines seek western Rome's help:

Byzantines need help (Emperor) Call on Urban II (Pope):

- Asks him for Christian soldiers
- ―Crusaders‖ Council of Clermont (1095)
- Agrees to send Knights
- Crusades to take back Holy Land Lead to Crusades (Four)
- Lasted 200 years
- Led to fight not only for religion, but also the lure of riches
- Hoped Christians would fight Muslims and stop fighting each other
• First Crusade: only one close to achieving the goal of freeing
the Holy Land

Christian Knights:

– Capture Jerusalem in 1099

– Bloody battles

– Massacre Muslims and Jews

– Set up Crusader States

Territories controlled by Christians

Muslims continually try to destroy these states

• Second Crusade:

Unable to take Muslim Lands:

– Lose Jerusalem
Defeated by Saladin

– Great Muslim Ruler

• Third Crusade:
Once again unable to conquer Muslim lands or retake Jerusalem
Saladin: Reopens Jerusalem to Christian Pilgrims

• Fourth Crusade:
Very sloppy Christians vs. Christians

Looted and Captured: Constantinople

Muslims recapture all crusader states

Impact of Crusades: over 200 year span

Religious Hatred

• Thousands of Jews massacred by crusaders in Europe

• Crusades left a lingering hatred

• Between Muslims and Christians (Distrust)

• Europe's Economy Increased Monarch and Church

Power Grows
• Europe's Economy Increased Trading Expanded

– Europeans enjoyed goods from Constantinople and Middle East brought back by returning
crusaders
• Fleets used to carry goods Money economy expanded

– Needed money to finance crusades

– Peasants began to sell goods for money, undermining serfdom

• Monarch & Church Grow:

• Rulers used crusades: increase power & raise taxes in the name of
the Crusades

• Some were in Crusades- Richard- the Lion Heart of England

• Enthusiasm over Christianity brought about new power for popes

and the Church

• The Eastern Church had resentment because of the looting of

Constantinople
Wider World Exists:

Crusades made Europeans realize that the world

outside of theirs was much wider then they had
ever known

Crusaders and travelers brought back

riches

Lead to trading ventures and exploration

– Marco Polo explores China

– Age of Exploration
Learning and Culture Flourish

• Medieval Universities emerge

• Church wanted better educated clergy

• Men needed to be educated to help run government

• Schools located at Cathedrals evolve in first Universities

• *Oxford University in England

• Earning degrees took anywhere from 3-6 years

• The longest of studies was Theology- religion

• Women- were not allowed to attend (Natural Talents)

• Still some were educated in convents.

Christian Scholars:

– Used Scholasticism- applied reason to support

Christian beliefs
Scholasticism:
• From latin word Scholasticus ―that(which) belongs to the school) was a method of learning
taught by the academics (or schoolmen) of medival universities.
• It‘s a system of theology and philosophy popular among medival European scholars based on
Aristotelian logic and writings of the early church Fathers featuring a strong emphasis on
catholic tradition and dogma.
• Aristotle had used logic to try to prove the existence of God.
• The revised beliefs and logic methods of discussion were termed= SCHOLASTICISM.
• Medival Scholars had little use of reason and logic.
• They wanted a religious explanation for everything.
The Rise Of Trade And Towns
The resurgence of trade in Europe was a prime cause of the revival of towns; the
towns arose because of trade, but they also stimulated trade by providing greater markets
and by producing goods for the merchants to sell.
In this revival, geography played a significant role. Rivers, important to the
evolution of ancient civilizations, were also important in the
development of medieval towns. Trading developed because of good transportation.
Another factor contributing to the rise of towns was population growth. In
Britain, for example, the population more than tripled between 1066 and 1350. The reasons
for this rapid increase in population are varied. The ending of bloody foreign invasions and,
in some areas, the stabilization of feudal society were contributing factors. More important
was an increase in food production brought about by the cultivation of wastelands, clearing
of forests, and draining of marshes.
Economic Expansion and Change

Agricultural Revolution

New farming technologies

Iron plow Harness Windmill
Three-field system

Increase in food production

Population explosion
Between 1000 and 1300, the population of Europe doubled.
Trade in Europe
• Europe‘s growing
population needed
goods that were not
available to them.
• As foreign invasions
and feudal warfare
declined, trade
increased
Commercial Revolution
• The revival of trade led to a revolution in commerce.
• New business practices emerged, such as:
• setting up banks
• joining together to set up partnerships
• developing insurance
• adopting the bill of exchange

Social Changes

• The use of money undermined serfdom. Most peasants became tenant farmers or hired
farm laborers.

• In towns, a new middle class of merchants, traders, and artisans emerged.

• The Church forbade Christians from becoming moneylenders. Since Jews were barred from
other professions, many took on this role.
GUILDS - HISTORY
• The guilds in the Middle Ages were an important part of life in Medieval times.
• In medieval towns, merchants and artisans formed associations called guilds.
• Feudalism also ended when England switched from a land based economy to a money
based economy. Decline of Feudalism. Guilds in the Middle Ages were an important
part of life in Medieval times.

• A higher social status could be achieved through guild membership, and feudalism
encouraged people to do this. There were two main kinds of Medieval guilds - Merchant
Guilds and Craft Guilds.

WHAT GUILDS ARE

• The word ―guild‖ is from the Saxon ―gilden‖ meaning "to pay" and refers to the subscription
paid to the Guilds by their members.
• Other words associated with the term guild include association, society, brotherhood,
company, fellowship, fraternity and livery.
• The guilds of the Middle Ages were licensed from 1170 and were similar to modern labor
unions where the guilds set standards for their profession.
WHY GUILDS WERE CREATED

• The system of Feudalism during the Middle Ages allowed the lords and owners of the
land to tax the towns people and their trades.
• In Medieval England which was run to the feudal system it was impossible for just one man
to make objections to the rate and amount of tax that the lord demanded.

PURPOSE FOR THE GUILDS

• The purpose of the guilds was to keep each member's territory exclusive.
• If you were a baker, your guild promised you a certain amount of space before another baker
could build a shop.
• If your shop burned down, the guild would care for you and your family.
• Guilds also arranged social occasions and festivals for its members.
THE MERCHANT GUILDS

• The Merchant Guild was able to negotiate with the lord and the trade levy became regulated.

• The Merchant Guilds controlled the way in which trade was conducted in the towns and cities
and applied rules to the way in which trade was conducted during the Middle Ages.

• The power of the Merchant Guild members increased greatly.

• The livelihood of individual trades or crafts within a medieval town, or city, was being
jeopardized.

THE CRAFT GUILDS

• The Merchant Guilds were imposing regulations on the individual traders or craftsmen
to regulate prices and supply.
• The individual crafts and trades established their own guilds.
These trades or crafts included:
Masons, Carpenters, Painters, Cloth Makers , Tanners, Bakers, Shoemakers or cobblers,
Apothecaries ,Candle makers etc.
 Gothic Architecture
12th century to 16th century
Gothic architecture:
• Gothic Architecture Flourished during the high and late medieval period, by the beginning of
the 12th century, evolved from Romanesque architecture , succeeded by Renaissance
architecture.
• Some 300 years later, in the 1450s, Renaissance architects, the new vogue, started to pour
scorn upon this style of architecture.
• They derived it as being old-fashioned and uncouth, because it was fantastical, exaggerated
and daring. Their Renaissance style was classical, solid, pure, and symmetrical.
• The word ―Gothic‖ was first used in the Italian Renaissance as a negative term for all art and
architecture of the Middle Ages, suggesting that it was of the quality of the work of the
barbarian Goths.
• Today the term Gothic Age refers to the period of art and architecture immediately following
the Romanesque. It is regarded to be an era of outstanding artistic achievement.
When?
• Gothic Architecture began towards the end of Romanesque architecture. It heralded many
changes in design and appearance of churches, both inside and out.

Why?
• There was a need to progress in the development of building design. There was a desire to
reach perfection in the buildings and this perfection was to resemble Gods relationship with
the universe.

Where?
• It began in France. By
the end of the 12
Century it reached
England and later on
the rest of Europe.
Typical Structural elements of Gothic style.
The Seven Key Characteristics of Gothic Architecture

1. Grand, Tall Designs, Which Swept Upwards With Height and Grace
2. The Flying Buttress
3. The Pointed Arch
4. The Vaulted Ceiling
5. Light, Airy Interiors
6. The Gargoyles of Gothic Architecture
7. The Emphasis Upon the Decorative Style and the Ornate
1. Grand, Tall Designs, Which Swept
Upwards With Height and Grace
• Early Medieval architects struggled to
spread the weight of heavy stone walls.
• This meant that towers needed to be short
and buildings thin. Otherwise, the sheer
weight of the high floors would make the
building collapse into itself.
• One of the fundamental characteristics of
gothic architecture was its height.
• New building techniques (like flying
buttress) enabled architects to spread the
weight of taller walls & loftier towers.
• Scaling new heights, allowed them to
reach up to the heavens ,perfect for
cathedrals &churches.
2. The Flying Buttress
• The flying buttress is the defining external characteristic of gothic architecture.
• These buttresses act to
spread the weight of the
tall walls.
• They support the structure
by transferring force
directly to the ground.
• The flying buttress was
not just practical, though.
It was also decorative.
• They were often decorated
with intricate carvings,
giving a sense of grandeur
and importance.
3. The Pointed Arch
• Another key characteristic of gothic architecture.
• Significance was both practical and decorative. The pointed arch is a sturdy little design.
• Its form distributed the force of heavier ceilings and bulky wall. It could support much more
weight than previous, simple, spindly pillars.

The gothic arch wasn‘t just a workhorse. It had an aesthetic value and beauty which influenced
many other features of gothic design – most notably the vaulted ceiling.
Other structural arches include:

Lancet arch
• Simplest shape.
• Usually group.
• Narrow and steep.
• ―Two-centered arches
whose radii are larger
than the arch‘s span‖.
Equilateral Arch
• Wide opening
• Door ways
• Decorative arcades
• Large windows
• Filling with tracery
• Simple equilateral
• Circular/semi-circular forms
Flamboyant Arch
• Drafter from four points
• Rich and lively effect
• Window tracery
• Surface decoration
Depressed Arch
• Wider than its height
• Effect of flattened under pressure
4. The Vaulted Ceiling
• The vaulted ceiling was an innovation which came from the achievements of the pointed arch.
• These ceilings are another feature of gothic architecture.
• Irregular, vaulted ceilings utilized the technology of the pointed arch to spread force and
weight from upper floors.
• These sturdy supports allowed ceilings to be taller than before. (Although note that the ceiling
height isn‘t uniform). This provided the impression of height, grandeur and elegance.
5. Light, Airy Interiors
• Before gothic architecture, castles
and early Medieval buildings were
pretty depressing places to live in or
worship in.
• Gothic architecture strove to be the
exact anthesis to this older Medieval
style of building.
• Using the new building techniques,
it emphasised light, bright windows
and airy interiors, transforming
castles and churches into more
pleasant and majestic environments.
6. The Gargoyles of Gothic Architecture
A classic gargoyle – you can see his dual
purpose as a decoration and also as a water-
spout.
One of the most notable characteristics of
gothic architecture is the gargoyle. Gargoyles
are decorative, monstrous little creatures,
perched at along the roofs and battlements of
gothic buildings and castles.
7. The Emphasis Upon the Decorative
Style and the Ornate
Gothic architecture marked the first time that
beauty and aesthetic values had been
incorporated into building design.
Increasingly ambitious and ornate designs of
church, cathedral and castle came to be built.
Stained Glass
• Gothic architecture gradually abolishes the gallery
and aisle and increases the size of the window.
• These windows are high enough, almost to be
used as the walls.
• The stained glass, covered with religious stories
which help to illustrate the doctrines to illiterate
people is of high artistic achievement.

• There are two main colors, blue

and red. Blue symbolizes the
heaven and red symbolizes the
blood of Christ.
• The stained glass creates a
mysterious but brilliant scene,
which express people‘s longing
for the kingdom of heaven.
Facade of basic gothic church

• Tower, any structure that is

relatively tall in proportion to the
dimensions of its base. It may be either
freestanding or attached to a building
or wall.

• Spire, in architecture, steeply

pointed pyramidal or conical
termination to a tower. In its
mature Gothic development, the spire
was an elongated, slender form that
was a spectacular visual culmination of
the building as well as a symbol of the
heavenly aspirations of
pious medieval men.
• Fleche, in French architecture, is an architectural term for a
small slender spire placed on the ridge of a church roof. The
flèche is usually built of a wood framework covered with lead
or occasionally copper and is generally of rich, light, delicate
design, in which tracery, miniature buttresses, and crockets are
important parts.
• The flèche is usually placed at the intersection of the nave and
transepts.

• Eg: Notre-Dame, Paris,

being nearly 100 feet (30
meters) and that
of Amiens 148 feet (45
meters).
Finial, in architecture, the decorative upper termination of
a pinnacle, gable end, buttress, canopy, or spire. In the Romanesque and Gothic styles, it
usually consists of a vertical, pointed central element surrounded by four out curving leaves or
scrolls.The finial may be formed of four or more crockets (small, independent, sharply projecting
ornaments, usually occurring in rows) surrounding the central upright. Finials are in the form
of candelabrum shafts occur frequently in early Renaissance work.
Evolution of late gothic style
Early Gothic (1120-1200)
• During this period Gothic architecture is characterized by the ribbed vault, the pointed arch,
and the flying buttress.
• These features were all present in a number of earlier Romanesque buildings.
• Use of the pointed arch and the ribbed vault made it possible to cover far more elaborate
and complicated ground plans than earlier ones.
• Skilled use of buttressing, especially of flying buttresses, made it possible both to build taller
buildings and to open up the intervening wall spaces to create larger windows.
• A series of four distinct horizontal levels soon evolved: ground-level, then tribune gallery
level, then triforium gallery level, above which was an upper windowed level called a
clerestory. The pattern of columns and arches used to support and frame these different
elevations which contributes the geometry and harmony of the interior.
• Window tracery (decorative window dividers) also evolved, together with a diverse range of
stained glass.
• This early style of Gothic architectural design spread across Europe to Germany, England, the
Low Countries, Italy, Spain and Portugal.
High Gothic (1200 – 1280)
• The next phase of Gothic building design is known as Rayonnant
Gothic architecture, whose English equivalent is referred to as
"Decorated Gothic".
• In about 1230 architects became less interested in size and more
interested in decoration.
• This approach led to the addition of many different decorative
features including pinnacles (upright structures, typically spired)
that topped piers, buttresses, or other exterior elements, moldings,
and, notably, window tracery (such as mullions).
• The most characteristic feature of the Rayonnant Gothic
is the huge circular rose window adorning the west
facades of many churches
• Other typical characteristics of Rayonnant
architecture include:
• Slimming-down of interior vertical supports
• Merging of the triforium gallery with the clerestory
• Walls are largely composed of stained glass with vertical
bars of tracery dividing windows into sections.

• The foremost
examples of the
Rayonnant style
include the cathedrals
of Reims, Amiens,
Bourges and
Beauvais.
Late Gothic (1280-1500)
• A third style of Gothic architectural design emerged around 1280. Known as Flamboyant
Gothic architecture, it was even more decorative than Rayonnant, and continued until about
1500.
• Whose English equivalent is referred to as "Perpendicular style".
• The Perpendicular style is a phase of late Gothic unique to England.
• Its characteristic feature is the fan vault, which seems to have begun as an interesting
extension of the Rayonnant idea, where tracery panels were inserted into the vault. Some of
the best late Gothic achievements are bell towers.
• In France the local style of late Gothic is usually
called Flamboyant.
• The characteristic feature of Flamboyant Gothic architecture
is the widespread use of a flame-like (French: flambe) S-
shaped curve in stone window tracery.
• In addition, walls were transformed into one continuous
expanse of glass, supported by skeletal uprights and tracery.
• The development of window tracery continued and, with it, the development of
elaborate facades.
• Flamboyant Gothic designs are evident in many town halls, guild halls, and even domestic
residences.
• In France, Flamboyant Gothic architecture eventually lost its way - becoming much too ornate
and complicated - and was super ceded by the classical forms of Renaissance
architecture imported from Italy in the 16th century.
 Various gothic styles
French English
1. Norman Gothic 1066-1180 (By the 12th century,
1. Early Gothic 1120-1200
Romanesque architecture, termed Norman Gothic in
Eg: Abbey church of St. Denis England)

2. High Gothic 1200 – 1280 Eg: Durham Cathedral, Wells Cathedral, and Ely Cathedral
(west tower 1150-75).
Eg: Chartres cathedral, Notre dame
2. Early English Gothic 1180-1275
cathedral, Amiens cathedral, Reims
Eg: Salisbury Cathedral, Canterbury cathedral
cathedral, Cathedral of Bourges,
3. Decorated Gothic 1275-1375
Cathedral of Beauvais, St.Chapelle in
Eg: Lichfield Cathedral, Exeter Cathedral, Lincoln cathedral
Paris.
4. Perpendicular Gothic 1375 – 1530
3. Late Gothic 1280-1500
Eg: Westminster Hall, London, King's College Chapel,
Eg: Church of Notre-Dame de Louviers
Cambridge and Henry VII's Chapel at Westminster Cathedral
Church of St. Ouen, Rouen (1503-1519),Gloucester cathedral
Early French Gothic

Abbey church of St. Denis

St.Chapelle in Paris.
High French Gothic

Chartres cathedral
High French Gothic Cathedral of Cathedral of
Reims, France Amiens,
France

Cathedral of Bourges, France

Cathedral of Beauvais, France

Church of
Notre-Dame de Louviers

Church of St. Ouen, Rouen

Late French Gothic

Durham Cathedral Wells Cathedral
Ely Cathedral

Norman
Gothic
 Salisbury Cathedral

Canterbury cathedral

Early English Gothic

Lichfield Cathedral

Exeter Cathedral
Lincoln
cathedral

Decorated Gothic
 Westminster Hall, London
King's College Chapel

Perpendicular Gothic
Cambridge and Henry VII's Chapel at Westminster Cathedral
Perpendicular Gothic

Gloucester
cathedral
Notre-Dame
de Paris
―Our Lady
of Paris‖
The cathedral
• Notre-Dame de Paris - "Our Lady of Paris" also known as Notre-Dame Cathedral ,
Paris, France.
• Finest examples of French Gothic architecture.
• Notre Dame is more than 8oo years old. The construction of the cathédral began in 1163 and
completed in 1334. It took more than 200 years to build.
• Notre Dame de Paris is located at the eastern end of the ile de la Cite, one of the little islands
in the middle of the river Seine.
• Two thousand years ago, all of Paris was located on this little island.
• Built on the ruins of two earlier churches, which were themselves predated by a Gallo-Roman
temple dedicated to Jupiter.
• Most famous of the Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages and is distinguished for its size,
antiquity, and architectural interest.
• Naturalism of its sculptures and stained glass serve to contrast it with earlier Romanesque
architecture.

• The cathedral was initiated

by Maurice de Sully,
bishop of Paris, who about
1160 conceived the idea of
converting into a single
building, on a larger scale.
• Foundation stone was laid
by Pope Alexander III in
1163, and the high altar
was consecrated in 1189.
• The choir, the western facade, and the nave were completed by 1250.
• Porches, chapels, and other embellishments were added over the next 100 years.
• Consists of a choir and apse, a short transept, and a nave flanked by double aisles and square
chapels.
• Central spire was added during restoration in the 19th century.
• The interior of the cathedral is 427 by 157 feet (130 by 48 metres) in plan, and the roof is 115
feet (35 metres) high.

• Two massive early Gothic

towers (1210–50) crown the
western facade, which is
divided into three stories and
has its doors adorned with
fine early Gothic carvings
and surmounted by a row of
figures of Old
Testament kings.
• The two towers are 223 feet (68 metres) high; the spires with which they were to be crowned
were never added.
• At the cathedral‘s east end, the apse has large clerestory windows (added 1235–70) and is
supported by single-arch flying buttresses of the more daring Rayonnant Gothic style,
especially notable for their boldness and grace.
• The cathedral‘s three great rose windows alone retain their 13th-century glass.
• Notre-Dame de Paris was among the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress.
• The building was not originally designed to include the flying buttresses around the choir and
nave but after the construction began, the thinner walls grew ever higher and stress fractures
began to occur as the walls pushed outward. In response, the cathedral's architects built
supports around the outside walls, and later additions continued the pattern. The total surface
area is 5,500 m² (interior surface 4,800 m²)
Behind the cathedral
• Behind the cathedral, there is a quiet
park area.
• The architecture at the back of the
cathedral is quite different from that of
the front. Delicate flying buttresses
support the building.

• Notre-Dame Cathedral suffered damage and deterioration through the centuries, and after
the French Revolution it was rescued from possible destruction by Napoleon, who crowned
himself emperor of the French in the cathedral in 1804.
• Notre-Dame underwent major restorations by the French architect E.-E. Viollet-le-Duc in the
mid-19th century.
• It‘s hard to believe that this beautiful building was in such a bad state in the 19th century.
• It was the great writer,Victor Hugo, who helped to save it through his famous book : « The
Hunchback of Notre Dame »
Notre Dame
• This is the façade of the cathedral. In front of the
cathedral is the square – now pedestrianised.
• There are three huge entry doors at the front. Around
them, there are statues of saints and bible characters.
• The round stained glass window is called ―une rosace‖
or rose window.
• Here is a close up of the rose window, with the statues.
Notre Dame – the square

• This plaque marks

the centre of Paris.
• All the distances
in France are
measured from
this spot.
 Bridge near Notre Dame is called « Le Pont Neuf » or New Bridge.
It‘s a funny name as it‘s the oldest bridge in Paris!
It was the first bridge to bé constructed of stone.

The square
• In the square, you can find plaques which commemorate
those heros who fought for the resistance during World War II
• There were fierce fights in front of Notre Dame at the
Liberation of Paris.

• The famous bell which weighs 400 tonnes

The
• It dates from the 17th century
Famous
bell • It needed 25 men to ring this bell in the past!
• Nowadays, the bell is rung electronically.
• It rings on Sundays for High Mass.
The roof of the cathedral
• Even the roof has decoration!
• The apostles welcome those who climb the
tower to the roof.

Gargoyles
• Many small individually crafted statues were placed
around the outside to serve as column supports and water
spouts. Among these are the famous gargoyles, designed
for water run-off, and chimeras. The statues were
originally colored as was most of the exterior.
Differences in Style

Byzantine Romanesque Gothic

Art Mosaic, Icons Reliefs, Stylized sculpture Stained glass, More

natural sculpture

Architecture Central dome church Barrel – vaulted church Pointed church

Example Hagia Sophia St.Sernin Chartres

Date 532-3537 Begun 1080 1194-1260

Place Constantinople Toulose,France Chartres, France

Differences in Design

Romanesque Gothic

Radiating Separate compartments Unified, unbroken space

Chapels and Apse

Vault Mostly barrel vaults, some groin- Groin – vaulted cathedrals

vaults

Arch Type Rounded arches Pointed arches

Main Vault Thick walls, Buttresses Exterior Flying buttresses

support

Clerestory Small windows Large stained – glass windows

Differences in Look

Romanesque Gothic

Elevation Horizontal, Modest height Vertical, soaring

Exterior Plain, Little decoration, solid Ornate, Delicate, Lots of sculpture

Sculptural Thin, Elongated, Abstract More Realistic proportion and

decoration figures individualized features

Mood Dark, Gloomy Tall, Light-Filled

Example St.Sernin,Toulouse,France. Chartres cathedral, France.