6. Romanesque Architecture
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UNIVERSITY OF BAHRAIN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING & ARCHITECTURE BSc. in ARCHITECTURE PROGRAM SUMMER 2012 ARCG 211– HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE I A WORLD HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE Marian Moffett Michael Fazio Lawrence Wodehouse 6. Romanesque Architecture DR ABDURRAHMAN MOHAMED DEFINITIONDEFINITION TheThe stylestyle whichwhich grewgrew upup inin thethe WesternWestern RomanRoman empire;empire; inin thosethose countriescountries whichwhich hadhad beenbeen directlydirectly underunder thethe rulerule ofof RomeRome fromfrom 10001000 toto 12501250 CE.CE. RomanesqueRomanesque buildingsbuildings havehave aa certaincertain affinityaffinity withwith RomanRoman architecture,architecture, primarilyprimarily becausebecause theythey tendtend toto employemploy thethe semicircularsemicircular oror RomanRoman archarch EARLYEARLY ROMANESQUEROMANESQUE St.St. MartinMartin atat CanigouCanigou isis anan exempleexemple thethe earlyearly RomanesqueRomanesque style.style. InIn planplan thethe churchchurch isis aa basilicabasilica withoutwithout transepts,transepts, havinghaving semicircularsemicircular apsesapses terminatingterminating thethe aislesaisles andand nave.nave. TheThe barrelbarrel vaultsvaults ofof thethe navenave andand aislesaisles restrest onon tenten supports:supports: eighteight stubbystubby columnscolumns andand twotwo groupedgrouped pierspiers--andand thethe solidsolid exteriorexterior wallswalls (Fig.(Fig. ).). TheThe onlyonly naturalnatural lightlight comescomes fromfrom smallsmall windowswindows atat thethe easteast andand westwest ends.ends. TheThe stonestone constructionconstruction isis simple,simple, articulatedarticulated primarilyprimarily byby semicircularsemicircular archesarches usedused overover windowswindows andand alsoalso setset asas surfacesurface reliefrelief inin horizontalhorizontal bands.bands. TheThe steppedstepped crenulationscrenulations atopatop thethe towertower recallrecall IslamicIslamic fortificationsfortifications foundfound inin neighbouringneighbouring Spain.Spain. St. Martin at Canigou Canigou http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/saint-martin-du-canigou Reconstructed cloisters View of Saint-Martin-du-Canigou Abbey with rose garden from above http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/saint-martin-du-canigou Nave of the abbey church, Nave of the crypt or lower church, looking east looking west http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/saint-martin-du-canigou ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE The Holy Roman Empire controlled Germany and north Italy. The Holy Roman Emperor was called Otto. The Ottonian rule extended from 936 to 1002, but its effects lasted nearly a century longer. Ottonian architecture is the German expression of Romanesque. An outstanding example is the church of St. Michael at Hildeshim (1010-33), which is a double-ended basilica with entrances along the side aisles as in many original Roman basilicas (Fig.). Fig.6. St. Michael at Hildeshim, Germany (1010-33), plan. http://www.google.com.bh/imgres Fig.6. St. Michael at Hildeshim, Grmany (1010-33). http://www.sacred-destinations.com/germany/hildesheim-michaelskirche http://www.michaelis-gemeinde.de/ S. Michael interior. Hildesheim. 1010-33. ImperialImperial cathedralcathedral atat Speyer,Speyer, Germany,Germany, 10301030 It is a massive and majestic construction, extending over 425 feet. The nave is wide, long, and tall, framed by semicircular arches surrounding each wall bay. Covered at first by a flat wooden ceiling, the nave received groin vaults set over paired bays and separated by transverse arch bands. At 107 feet above the floor, these vaults are the highest built in the Romanesque period and approach the accomplishments of Roman construction Imperial cathedral at Speyer, 1030. Plan Speyer Cathedral east end, ca. 1030-61. Speyer Cathedral wet facade, ca. 1030-61. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/168/ The groin vaults were erected in 1082-1137, making this one of the highest vaulted churches of its time. TheThe southernsouthern regionsregions ofof thethe HolyHoly RomanRoman EmpireEmpire In the southern regions of the Holy Roman Empire. the classical heritage of Rome heavily influenced Romanesque architecture. Italian cities developed their own versions of Romanesque architecture, retaining a strong reliance on the classical past with little influence from northern Europe. The church of S. Miniato al Monte in Florence (1062 -90 and later) is typical (Figs. ). The church of S. Miniato al Monte in Florence http://www.san-miniato-al-monte.com/ A single pair of aisles flanks the transeptless nave, which is terminated by a simple semicircular apse. Alternate bays of the nave are grouped by diaphragm arches (where a wall is built to create a level, horizontal top), above which wooden trusses support the roof. Its facade is articulated on the ground level by five arches supported by Corinthian half- columns, with Corinthian pilasters and a gable defining the roof of the nave. The church of S. Miniato al Monte in Florence http://www.google.com.eg/imgres The church of S. Miniato al Monte in Florence http://www.panoramio.com/photo/44507209The church of S. Miniato al Monte in Florence TheThe cathedralcathedral ofof PisaPisa The freestanding cathedral at Pisa (begun in 1063 and finished 1089-1272) is more elaborate, (Figs.). In plan the cruciform basilica has double aisles and galleries flanking the nave, and single aisles and galleries flanking the transepts. At the crossing, an oval dome is raised 011 squinches and shallow pendentives, recalling the centralized church plans of Byzantium. The exterior is sheathed in marble arcades, stacked row on row across the western facade and continuing around the church. The interior is marked by polychromy, in this case alternate courses of dark and light marble set in horizontal bands. The cathedral is complemented by two adjacent structures, a circular baptistery and a cylindrical campanile, the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, now over thirteen feet out of plumb. The cathedral of Pisa http://www.greatbuildings.com The cathedral of Pisa The cathedral of Pisa PILGRIMAGE ROADS To atone for sins, seek a cure, or assure salvation, medieval men and women travelled as pilgrims to shrines containing the relics of saints Jerusalem and Rome were the most celebrated centers but around the year 900 a new center for pilgrimage arose to rival their popularity the shrine of the apostle James located at Compostela in north western Spain. The monks accommodated these pilgrims by modifying the basilican church plan to include an ambulatory, which worked as an extension of the aisles to provide a continuous passageway around the entire church. AtAt thethe easteast end,end, radiatingradiating chapelschapels openedopened offoff thethe ambulatory,ambulatory, andand therethere werewere sometimessometimes additionaladditional chapelschapels locatedlocated onon thethe easteast sideside ofof thethe transepts.transepts. Churches built in response to the pilgrimage are common on the major roads to Compostela. St. Sernin at Toulouse, St. Foy at Conques,, and St. James at Compostela are important examples (Fig.). St.St. SerninSernin atat ToulouseToulouse The church has paired aisles on each side of the nave, four chapels on the east of the large transept, and five radiating chapels around the apse. The church is 360 feet long, with a width of nave and aisles totalling about 100 feet, The banded barrel vaults rise about sixty-five feet and are braced by second floor galleries over the inner pair of aisles (Fig.). This gives the church a triangular cross-section, but prevents the use of clerestory windows to light the nave. The exterior arrangement of chapels, ambulatory, and choir rising to the great crossing tower is harmoniously composed, and the composition is enhanced by its construction materials, red brick trimmed 'with stone. http://www.google.com.eg/imgres St. Sernin at Toulouse St. Sernin at Toulouse St. Sernin at Toulouse St.St. SerninSernin atat ToulouseToulouse St. Sernin, Toulouse, nave St. Sernin, Toulouse, isle http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/arch/st_sernin.html St. Sernin, Toulouse, chaples around the apse .