ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE
“Romanesque” means “in the Roman style” or
“Roman-like”. It took its name from its Roman origin,
and it owed something from the Byzantine art. It was a
style greatly inspired by Christianity.
ARCHITECTURAL INFLUENCES
1. Geographical – Romanesque style originated in
Western Europe (Italy, Germany, France, Spain
& Portugal, and the British Isles) and in the
Northern Europe, the Scandinavian Kingdoms.
2. Geological – Terra-cotta, Bricks, Marble, Stones,
and Concrete
3. Climatic
- North (dull climate) – large, narrow windows
to admit light and high-pitched roofs to throw
off snow
- South (sunny) – small openings to exclude
the sunshine.
4. Social – the establishment of feudal system and
attacks from invaders led to the building of
fortified castles.
5. Religious
- Christianity was the chief source of
education and culture.
- Religious enthusiasm found their material
expression in the magnificent cathedral
churches and monastic buildings.
- Architecture: sacred science
ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE IS
CHARACTERIZED BY THE DEGREE TO
ARCTICULATE, TO STRESS EVERY STRUCTURAL
DIVISION IN ORDER TO PRODUCE UNITED
COMPOSITIONS.
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
1. Plans
- Latin Cross with transept altar at east end, in
the direction of Jerusalem.
- Main entrance at the west
- A crypt on the lower floor or beneath the
altar housed relics of saint(s).
- A screen or parapet separate the
congregation from the clergy.
2. Roof
- Quadripartite (four divisions): vault for a
square bay
- Sexpartite (six divisions): vault for an oblong
bay
- Squinch arches are used when the
crossing of the nave and transept is covered
by an octagonal tower.
3. Walls
- Corbels of projecting blocks of stones; a
row of corbels is called a corbel table
- Pilaster strips with arched moldings
4. Openings
- Round arch for windows and doors
- Doors are deeply recessed and flanked by a
series of receding columns and arches
known as orders
- Above the door is a tympanum filled with
sculptures
- Holy trinity
- A rose or wheel window above the
principal door
- Windows are narrow and small and made
to look larger by the columns, arches and
moldings which surround them
5. Columns
- Massive and cylindrical
- Cushion capital
6. Moldings
- Elaborately carved
7. Ornaments
- Plant and animal forms
BUILDING TYPES
1. Churches
2. Monasteries
3. Monastic Villages – a group of buildings
designed for the occupation of monks.
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER (CENTRAL ITALY)
- Façade has an ornamental wall passage
which rose one above the other sometimes
even into gables.
- Flat façade with projecting porch
- Principal innovation is the ribbed vaults
- Ached corbel table
- Colored mosaic influenced by the Byzantine
Era
 PISA CATHEDRAL
- One of the finest buildings during the
Romanesque period
- The Pisa Cathedral has a baptistery,
Campanille and Campo Santo forming one
of the most famous building group in the
world.
- The exterior bands of colored marble.
- The Campanille, Pisa is a circular tower.
16m in diameter, an 8-storey building with
encircling arcades
- The world-famous leaning tower (5.5 deg) is
the most arresting feature. The belfry was
added in 1350.
- The baptistery became an integral part of
the church group and was used for the
sacrament of baptism
- The Campo Santo, Pisa was constructed to
consolidate the remains of the people who
were once buried throughout the Field of
Miracles.
 PISTOIA CATHEDRAL
- Pistoia Cathedral’s arcaded façade is
created with black and white marble
 SAN MINIATO AL MONTE, FLORENCE
- San Minato al Monte, Florence stands top
one of the highest points in the city and is
one of the most beautiful churches in the
city.
 S. MARTINO, LUCCA
- Its façade is similar to the style of the Pisan
group
 S. MICHELLE, LUCCA
- Its façade is also similar to the Pisan group
 CREMONA CATHEDRAL
- Lombardy. It is a dazzling example of the
Romanesque Architecture. The marble
façade has two rows of colonnades, rose
windows and a porch surmounted by a
shrine.
 SPOLETO CATHEDRAL
- It has a notable external porch, and the
belfry was added in the 15th and 16th century
 SAN AMBROGIO, MILAN
- It has a stern simple façade. It has a fine
projecting porch and above it is a great
wheel window which lights the nave
 SAN MICHELE, PAVIA
- One of the most striking examples of
Lombard-Romanesque style finished with
sandstone
  VERONA CATHEDRAL
- Santa Maria Matricole. The interior was
completely remodeled in the Gothic Style in
the 15th and 16th century.
 FONDACO DEI TURCH
- A 12th century mercantile palace on the
grand canal
- Example of a high level domestic
architecture as the outcome of her
prosperous trade with the East.
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER (SOUTH ITALY AND
SICILY)
- Stripes of colored marbles from Moslem
Influence
- Stilled pointed arches from Moslem
Influence
 CEFALU CATHEDRAL
- Founded by Count Roger (King Roger II of
Italy)
 BASILICA DI SAN NICOLA, BARI
- Bari has a square appearance, seemingly
more suited to be a castle than to be a
church and was indeed used as a castle
several time during its history
 PALAZZO DEI NORMANNI (ROYAL PALACE)
- By King Roger houses La Capella Platina,
known for its marvelous and colorful mosaic
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER (GERMANY)
- Helm roof (4-gable forming a pyramidal roof
with 4 diamond-shaped sides meeting at the
apex)
- Colored brick used externally
 SPEYER CATHERDRAL
- The crypt of the magnificent Speyer
Cathedral, Germany keeps the coffins of
four kings and four emperors
 WORMS CATHEDRAL
- Worms Cathedral has apses at both ends.
- Along with the cathedrals of Worms and
Speyer, Mainz Cathedral represents the
high point of architecture in Germany
 AIX-LA CHAPELLE
- The Aix-La Chapelle, Germany was built by
Emperor Charlemagne as his tomb. It was
the coronation church of the Italian Roman
Emperor.
- It was inscribed in the UNESCO World
Heritage list in 1978.
 TRIER CATHEDRAL
- Trier Cathedral is the oldest in the country
and is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage
list in 1978.
 CHURCH OF APOSTLES
- The Church of the Apostles, Koln is one of
the series of “trefoil” churches in the city.
The towers are crowned with the helm roof.
 S. MARIA IN THE CAPITOL
- With a three-apse plan, it is the largest
among the 12 Romanesque churches in
Cologne.
 ST. MARTIN’S CHURCH
- The architecture of its eastern end forms a
trefoil plan. Its soaring tower is a landmark
of Cologne’s old town.
 GERNRODE ABBEY (ST. CYRIAKUS)
- It is probably the earliest instance of a
church with an apse at both ends
 MARIA LAACH ABBEY
- It is a Benedictine church built of local lava.
The exterior is a fine grouping of six towers,
double transepts and east and west apses.
 LIMBURG CATHEDRAL
- One of the most accomplished buildings of
the late Romanesque
 ST. GEREON’S BASILICA
- St. Gereon’s Cologne: According to
Medieval legend, the named patron, St.
Gereon, was a Roman officer, who died
along with 318 legionaries for their faith.
 BASILICA OF ST. CUNIBERT
- The youngest Romanesque church in Koln.
GEOLOGICAL INFLUENCE (FRANCE)
- Caen is a cream-colored limestone quarried
near Caen, France for building and sculpture
use.
 ABBEY OF SAINT SERNIN
 ANGOULME CATHEDRAL
- Has a long aisle-less nave, transepts with
lateral chapels and an apsidal chair with four
chapels forming a Latin cross.
 S. AUSTREMOINE
- Issoire was inspired by Notre Dame du Haut
and also one of the five greatest churches in
Auvergne.
 LE DUX CATHEDRALE
- Auvergne used different colored lavas
 ST. GILLES DU-GARD
 NOTRE DAME LA GRANDE
- “Notre Dame la Grande” is a collegiate
church of Roman Style situated in Poitiers
- Its façade is carved masterpieces
universally recognized as a religious art of
this period
- There are frequent motifs of Roman Art:
Foilage, bestiary, corbels carved heads of
grimacing and fantastic fly.
- A marquee is elephant faced. Above the
portal, has a frieze depicting biblical scenes.
 ROYAL ABBEY OF FONTEVRAUD
- Royal abbey of Fontevraud is often
described as the royal necropolis of the
“Angevin” kings and queens of England.
 ST. MADELEINE
- Vezelay has one of the earliest pointed
cross vaults in France
 CHURCH OF ST. PHILBERT
- St. Philbert is a structure of the early First
Romanesque Style and early Gothic style
during the beginning of the 11th century.
 ABBAYE-AUX-DAIMES
- Abbaye, Aux-dame, Caen’s façade has two
large towers on the sides, each with doors
leading to the aisles.
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER (GREAT BRITAIN)
- Basilican plan, Anglo-Saxon period
- Timber framing techniques for all types of
buildings of the Norman Period
- Surge of military and church building
centered on
- Benedictine abbey
- Long naves
- Multiplicity of apsidal chapels
o Double easter apses (Patriarchal
Plan)
o Three eastern apses
o Transept apses (apsidioles)
 BRITISH ISLES CATHEDRAL CHURCHES
- Bristol Cathedral is an Augustinian priority. It
has a rectangular chapter house with bold
interlaced wall arcades
 DURHAM CATHEDRAL
 - It is a Benedictine Monastery. Its nave is the
earliest to incorporate pointed ribs
 PETERBOROUGH CATHEDRAL
- It is a Benedictine Abbey with Norman
Interior and Timber ceiling
 S. AUGUSTINE’S ABBEY
- It was the first Benedictine Abbey in England
 MT. GRACE PRIORY
- Yorkshire is one of the best Carthusian
Charterhouses
 BRITISH ISLES CASTLES
- Castles were private stronghold for Kings or
Lords, and these were outcomes of the
feudal system. Of some fifteen hundred
castles in England, more that twelve
hundred were founded during the 11th and
12th centuries.
 THE TOWER OF LONDON
- It is a historic monument in the center of
London, England, on the north bank of the
River Thames.
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER (SPAIN AND
PORTUGAL)
- Uses horseshoe arch
- The medieval architecture of the Western
Peninsula and the Crusades of the Eastern
Mediterranean were both introduced by
Christian and Moslem Influences
- Basilican or Greek Cross Plan
 SAN MIGUEL DE ESCALADA
 OLD CATHEDRAL OF SANTIAGO DE
COMPOSTELA
- The old cathedral of Santiago de
Compostela, Galleria was unequaled in
magnificence and maturity of Spain in this
time.
 EVORA CATHEDRAL
 MILITARY BUILDINGS
GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE
Cathedral (chief building type of the period)
- A large and principal church of a diocese
(district under the pastoral care of a bishop),
cathedra, the seat of a bishop
ELEMENTS: INTERIOR
1. Rose Window – circular window
2. Stained glass – colored glass, permits light
3. Triforium gallery – arcaded storey in a church
4. Crypt – underground chamber/vault burial
5. Galilee – a small porch, used as a chapel for
penitents
6. Garth – courtyard or a quadrangle/cloister garth
7. Cloister – covered walk, arcaded, colonnaded
8. Chapter house – chapter or monastery meets
9. Slype – covered passage, bet transept and
chapter
10. Presbytery – reserved for the officiating clergy
11. High altar – main altar of the church
12. Lady chapel – dedicated to Virgin Mary/behind
the altar
13. Choir – usually part of the chancel, occupied by
singers
ELEMENTS: EXTERIOR
1. Shaft – distinct, slender, vertical masonry,
supporting or feigning an arch or ribbed vaults
2. Flying buttresses – inclined bar of masonry,
used to support buttress piers. Also called as
arc-boutant
3. Pinnacle – subordinate vertical structure, adds
weight to buttress piers below.
4. Buttress piers – part of a pier that rises to take
the thrust of a flying buttress
5. Amortizement – a sloping top on a buttress for
projecting pier to shed rainwater
6. Crocket – projecting ornament, decorates the
outer angles of pinnacles, spires and gables
7. Gargoyle – grotesquely carved figure of a
human/animal, serves as a sprout for throwing
rainwater
8. Finial – relatively small, usually foliated
ornament terminating the peak of a spire or a
pinnacle
9. Fleche – slender spire, above the crossing of a
Gothic church.
10. Spires – a tall, acutely tapering pyramidal
structure surmounting a steeple or tower
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
1. Plans – arranged for convenience rather than for
symmetry
2. Walls – rubble masonry not laid in horizontal
courses
3. Openings – doors and windows were recessed
and spanned by pointed architecture, Gothic
Architecture is sometimes called the
architecture of light, tracery windows are
beautiful feature.
o Plate tracery – uses thick areas of
stone to separate glazed areas
o Bar tracery – has thin stone
elements
o Mullion – vertical
o Transom – horizontal
4. Roofs
- Finial is the decorative upper termination of
a spire
- Crocket is the foliage decoration on the
raking of a spire
- Pinnacle is a small spire
- Groin vaults – towers are crowned with
spires and are predominant features which
accentuate the verticality of the design
5. Columns – used structurally and classical
proportions were not observed
6. Ornaments
- Characteristics of Gothic Ornaments
o Sturdy craftsmanship
o Boldly executed
- Forms of Gothic Ornaments
o Stained Glass
o Grotesques
o A chimera of a grotesque figure
serves only as an ornamental
function
o Gargoyles – functional water sprouts
and are said to scare of evil spirits
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER (FRANCE)
- Vaulting framework of intersecting pointed
arch RIBS known as the Ogival System
(quadripartite ribbed vaults)
- Chevet (an apse having surrounding
ambulatory of which are chapels)
o Lady chapel
o Chantry chapel
THREE PHASES OF FRENCH GOTHIC
- Primarie: a lancette, pointed arches and
geometric traceried windows
- Secondaire: rayonnant, circular windows,
wheel tracery
 - Tetiaire: flamboyant, flowing and flamelike Defensive military architecture by Louis
tracery
Chateau D’ Ambelse
Cathedral Churches
One of French human court
Cathedral of Notre Dame Amiens, France c. 1220-69
GOTHIC IN GREAT BRITAIN
Albi Cathedral (Fortress Church)
Architectural Styles (British Gothic Period Style)
-18m Height
NORMAN GOTHIC
- Widest in France
The style was characterized by semi-circular arched
Amiens Cathedral (Amiens, France) windows.

- projecting transept TRANSITIONAL GOTHIC

- under UNESCO 1981
This style characterized by pointed arches introduced
Beauvals Cathedral into structures with Romanesque character.

- Most daring achievement of Gothic EARLY ENGLISH GOTHIC

Architecture
- Have the highest naïve in Europe
- Nave is 48 .5m. Have 3 tiers of flying
buttresses
Bourges Cathedral
- Remarkable in the absent of transepts.
- Inscribe in UNESCO heritage 1992
Also called the lancet or first painted style. This style was
characterized by long, pointed, narrow, lancet windows.
DECORATED GOTHIC
Also called the second pointed Geometrical or
Curvilinear. This Style was characterized by fanciful
window tracery.

Le mans Cathedral PERPENDICULAR GOTHIC

- Cathedral of St. Juliene This style was characterized by strong vertical lines in
- 13 chapels window tracery and wall paneling.

Chartes Cathedral TUDOR GOTHIC

- Latin Church. This style was a shift from the pointed, Gothic style to
- French Gothic Architecture. pioneer Renaissance style
- 152 Stained Glass a. For-centered arch or the tudor arch
Strasbourgh Cathedral b. Oriel Window
c. Timber Frame
- One of the beautiful late Gothic Cathedral d. Window Timbering
- Tallest building from 1647-1874 e. Broached Spyre
- Today 6th tallest church in the world  Ornaments
a. Cresting
Notre Dame Cathedral
b. Battlements
Reims Cathedral c. Crocket
d. Finial
- Our Lady of Reims Cathedral e. The Fleur-de-lis was used in the Royal
- Stated in city of France Arms of England
- Coronation of king f. Portcullis- was the mark of the geoufert
lineage of Henry VII, Founder of the
Soisans Cathedral
Tuder Dynasty.
Construction 1185, continued in 13th Century

Rouen Cathedral
Great Britain Churches
- Has the highest Spire In France
BRISTOL CATHEDRAL
- 1876-1880 World Tallest Church
Augustinione Priony

Has rectangular chapel

Fortified Towns
CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL
Le mont Saint michel
- Mixture with the styles
Carcassone
WEST MINSTER ABBEY CATHEDRAL

WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL
Castles
- Longest Gothic Cathedral in Europe
Chateau Gailord
GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE
- Has complex and advance design
- Uses early principle of concentric LATE MEDIVAL CHURCH ARCHITECTURE IN
petrification ITALY
- Have MACHICOLATION- floor opening bet.
Corbes, where war defense can drop below General features
Chateau De Pierre fonds 1. Flatness of roof
 2. Screen wall of the west façade masks the aisle
roof
3. Circular window of the west front
4. Absence of pinnacles and flying buttresses
5. Stripes of colored marbles instead of mouldings
6. Small windows without tracery
7. Occasional frescoes and mosaics
8. S frescoes and
- one of the most stupendous undertakings
since the building of pisa cathedral
3. Orvieto cathedral
- Was designed by arnolfo di cambio
- Symbol of city
- Began in 1920
- Balance of Romanesque and gothic style

Examples

NORTH ITALY 4. Santa maria Novella, Florence

1. Milan Cathedral (14th – 19th century), 2nd largest
gothic cathedral in the world, next to cathedral of
Seville spain
- 157m long 40,000 people can fit
- Made of birck, pandora marble
2. Basilica De san Antonio Padua
- A 7- domed pilgrimage church
- Burial place of st san Antonio padua
- Example of anachronism
- Have 9 chapels
- Late gothic and Romanesque structure
- The city’s principal Dominican church and
the first great basilica in Florence
- A basilica
5. Santa Croce, Florence
- A gothic version of a basilican church by
arnolfo di cambio
SOUTHERN ITALY AND SICILY

1. Messina cathedral
3. San Giovanni e Paolo - (1117) was begun during the ----- of king
- Largest church in venice roger.
- A Dominican church with beautiful - Bell tower holds largest astronomical clock
brickwork
- tombs of 27 judgest
- Has Giovanni Hospital
2. Palermo Cathedral
- (1185) was erected by walter ophamil
- Turned into by ------
4. San andrea, verceili
- (1219-1227) by cardinal guala bichieri, is
closest in spirit and form to the French
GOTHIC IN CENTRAL EUROPE
gothic style
- Represent early gothic architectural style Architectural character
- Shows latin cross plan
- Finished using gray-green brick stone
1. Hall churches (nave and aisles have same
height)
5. Doge’s palace
- Designed perhaps by Filippo calendario Examples:
- Built in venetian gothic style
1. Cologne cathedral
- largest on northern Europe
6. Ca d’ oro, Venice - 1880-1884 has tallest structure
- (1424-1436) was designed by Giovanni and
Bartolomeo buon
- Fusion of byzantine, Islamic and gothic style
2. Freiburg minster
- Ca-casa (Home)
- Ca’ D oro, made of palace, and in gold - Started in 1200 as Romanesque
- 1230, gothic

CENTRAL ITALY 3. Regensburg cathedral

1. Florence cathedral 4. Ulm Minster

- (1296-1462) designed by arnolfo di cambio
- today is a protestant church
- Dedicated to st. maria del fiore
- Finished around 1337 - 1890-1901, tallest building in world
- Pasted in polychrome marble in various
shape of green, pink and white
- Octagonal plan baptistery and has dome in
5. Frauenkirche cathedral
-----

6. Ststephen, Vienna
2. Siena cathedral
 7. Prague cathedral

- Czech republic

SECULAR AND DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE (central

Europe)
- asile and late medival period

Characteristics

- Large stained glass windows

- Pointed arches
- Ribbed vaults
- Flying buttresses
- Ornamentation

Examples (town halls)

1. Brunswick

2. Munster

3. Ulm

4. Cologne

5. wein Austria

GOTHIC IN SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

Architectural character

1. Horshoe arch
2. Pireced stone tracery
3. Rich surface decoration of intricate geometrical
pattern
4. Execessive ornamentation
5. Cimborio or lantern
6. Retablo or reredos

Examples

1. Salamanca new cathedral

- late gothic style
2. Barcelona cathedral
- Gargoyles on roof
3. Avila cathedral
4. Burgos Cathedral
5. Leon Cathedral
- House of life
- By master ar. enrique
6. Seville cathedral
- Tomb of Christopher collumbus
- Largest medival cathedral in Europe with the
excemption of st peter rome.

SECULAR ARCHITECTURE IN SPAIN

1. TORRES DE SERRANOS