ROMANESQUE ART

GENERAL SURVEY
Romanesque art flourished especially during the tenth and eleventh centuries, but its beginnings to back to the Carolingian
period, the time of Charlemagne, in the late eigth and early ninth century. The name is related to the literary term romance,
meaning in the Roman manner. Although this name is not as incorrect as those of many other art periods, it does express the
complex origins of this style ; since in addition to the influence of Roman art which dominated here and there, Byzantine and local
influences played their parts too. In order to understand Romanesque art, we need to glance briefly at the history of the preceding
centuries.
For various reasons, the Roman empire gradually weakened. Within a century, from 378 to 476A.D, all its western provinces,
including Rome itself, were occupied by waves of barbarian tribes from the east and north. In the process many art treasureswere
destroyed, and the former Western Empire was broken p into different states under barbarian rulers, Feudalism developed when
the central government was no longer able to provide security against the continual invasions (which lasted until nearly 1000
A.D.), so the people turned for protection to strong leaders.
The new peoples respected the Graeco-Roman culture of which they became this heirs. Amidst the political anarchy of
feudalism, they ;onged for unity and order. These they found only in the Church, which was already well-established when the
empire fell. Its external organization, modelled on Roman lines, was firm and orderly. It united Eurpoe into what is callled
Christen-dom (the closest union it has ever known) by giving it a common belief, language and culture. Among the war-like
barbarians, it developed a new code of chivalry, based on respect for faith, women,and the defenceless. A new civilization arose,
by a fusion of Graeco-Roman culture, barbarian vigour, and the Christian ideal which the Church tried to diffuse, since its
monasteries were almost the only medium of education during those turbulent ages.
Monasteries were the chief agencies for the preservation and spread of culture. The Christian monastic system was started
in the east Mediterranean region by hermits who found community life more beneficial for spiritual perfection than solitary life.
This spread to the west ; and during the early barbarian invasions, St. Benedict infused into it the Roman geniue for organization.
By combining a life of prayer, contemplation, and work, both intellectual and manual, the monks became the great social reform-
ers of the time. Their example taught the wandering tribesmen the benefits of anorderly peaceful life, and the dignity and
fruitfulness of labour, for they usually settled in some barren forest and swamp-land which they turned into fertile farms and
gardens. They also built roads fertile roads and bridges, encouraged fairs and commerce, and used the income from their farms
to help the needy. There was no other organized charity in those days. They built hospitals, and gave to all who wished free board
and schooling in the liberal arts or crafts. Each monastery supplied its own needs by workshops of all kinds. In their libraries they
prevented the classics both sacred and secular, of which they made laborious hand-copies, and which they beautified with
paintings, called miniatures. They also cultivated music, architecture, sculpture, and the minor arts, of which they were almost the
only custodians.
ARCHITECTURE
It is difficult to say exactly how Romanesque art came into being, for the development in different places came from various
sorces. Its architecture began only slowly to show definite forms, and many of the monuments of the transition period no longer
exist. After the year 1000, a great building activity began all over what was once the Roman empire-in Italy, Germany, Spain,
England, but especially in France, where the movement began. It is this art, of eleventh to twelfth century Europe, which is called
Romanesque. Its forms show a great variety, due to the differences in local needs, available building material, difficulties in
transport and communication, but most especially the separatin of the people into countless small political units; for medileval
Europe was not then made up of nation-states as now.

Pyramidel roof Rehnih Halem Roof

Triple window
Choir tower
Eaves
Crossing tower

Central nave Dwarf gallery

Lombard band
Apse
Transpet
Pilester strip
Clerestory Atrium
Side aisle

Maria Leach,Benedictaine Abby Church, Typical Romansque church begun 1093 completed 1230/40