Medieval Architecture
Shortly after the year 1000 a large number of churches and monasteries were
constructed all over Europe. The period during the 11th and 12th centuries is usually
called Romanesque because of the revival of the monumental architecture and sculpture
considered to be “in the Roman manner or style.” It is marked by the introduction of
solid stone construction. In this sense, Romanesque architecture began in the late 9th
century during the Carolingian and Ottonian periods. And Romanesque style achieved its
greatest importance during the 1000’s and 1100’s. Romanesque architecture combined
Roman with Byzantine styles and many new local features.
Over a thousand churches were built in western Europe alone in a short time.
Because there were little political unity during the 11th and 12th centuries, there was little
stylistic unity in architecture. Romanesque churches differed from country to country. But
they shared certain features. Monks used various architectural ideas learned from earlier
periods, including Early Christian, Byzantine, Islamic, and Ottonian buildings. They all
had the concern for a logical articulation of the spaces, the concern for height, the desire to
create larger buildings in order to meet the needs of the pilgrims, and to express the power
of monastic orders. Finally there was the common need to solve the problem of
fireproofing because fires had so often destroyed the wooden roofs of earlier buildings.
The stone vault solved the problem of fireproofing, but it created problems of its own. For
instance, the weight of the great vaults needed to cover a large building area, then how can
adequate lighting be achieved in the interior.
Mont-Saint-Michel (France)
Mont -Saint-Michel, France. beg. 708
Choir of Mont Saint-Michel,
France.
Beginning 1023.
CHURCH OF HAGIA SOPHIA, Istanbul
Motto of the Byzantine
Empire: "One God, one
empire, one religion" -
526-547 A.D.
Cutaway view of the Palatine
Chapel of Charlemagne, Aachen
Interior of the Palatine
Chapel of Charlemagne,
Aachen, Germany. 792-805.
Many of the chapel
stones had been brought
from Roman ruins, as were
most of the columns that
we see in the interior. You
can see the upper gallery
where Charlemagne's
throne was placed in this
interior view.
Coronation chair. c. 800. Aachen Cathedral, Aachen, Germany
Cross and Imperial
Crown, early 9th
century, Aachen
Cathedral, Aachen,
Germany
Torhalle (gatehouse),
Lorsch, Germany. Odo
of Metz
Schematic plan for monastery at St. Gall, Switzerland. c. 819 (Redrawn after a ninth-century manuscript)
Model based on plan for monastery at St. Gall, Switzerland
Monastery church of St
Riquier, Centula, France. c.
800 (Engraving made in 1612
after a now-destroyed,
eleventh-century miniature).
Saint Riguier was built toward
the very end of the 8th
century. It predated the Saint
Gall plan by 20 years.
Cluny. The
monastery plan
in 1157. French
Romanesque
Abbey Church, Cluny:
S. transept ("Tower of the
Blessed Water"), view from
NW., 1088-1118，Saone-etLoire (Burgundy), France.
Third Abbey
Church, Cluny.
1088-1130
Cluny, France
Model of Third Abbey Church, Cluny1088-1130, Musee Ochier, Cluny
Speyer Cathedral, Germany. begun 1030. Pen & ink drawing by Wenzel Hollar, c. 1620
Drawing in Graphische Sammlung Albertina, Vienna
Interior of
Speyer
Cathedral
Abby Church of St.
Pantaleon, Cologne,
Germany. 966-980
Abbey Church of St. Michael, Hildesheim. c. 1001-1031
Nave of St Michael's,
Hildesheim. c 1001-1031
Doors with relief panels
(Genesis, left door; life of
Christ, right door), St.
Michael's. 1015. Bronze
doors commissioned by
Bishop Bernward for St.
Michael's, Hildesheim
Adam & Eve Reproached by the Lord. detail of bronze doors of St. Michael's. 1015
Column with reliefs
illustrating the life of Christ,
St. Michael's. c. 1015-1022.
This was commissioned
by Bishop Bernward for St.
Michael's, Hildesheim. This
spiral column is preserved
and intact. The scene's spiral
bands of relief tell the story
of Jesus' life in twenty-four
scenes, beginning with his
baptism and concluding with
his entry into Jerusalem.
These are the missing
episodes from the story told
on the church's doors.
Virgin and Child (Golden
Virgin of Essen). late 10th
century. Gold over wood with
precious stones and enamels,
throne, gilded copper, 72 cm
Cathedral Treasury, Essen,
Germany.
Staatliche
Museum, Berlin.
Doubting
Thomas.
c. 1000
The Lothair Cross.
c. 1000 A.D.
Crucifix of Archbishop Gero. c. 970
Annunciation to the
Shepherds, from
Lectionary of Henry II.
1002-1014
Otto III Enthroned
Receiving Homage of
Four Parts of the Empire
(with nobility and clergy).
from folio 24 recto of the
Gospel Book of Otto III,
from Trier Germany
Otto III Enthroned
Receiving Homage,
from Gospel Book of
Otto III. 997-1000
CHURCH OF
SAINT CYRIAKUS
PLAN OF THE CHURCH OF SAINT CYRIAKUS
Nave, THE CHURCH OF SAINT CYRIAKUS
First Romanesque. West facade (westwork) of St Philibert at
Tournus, c. 990-1019. first started in 937, Around 1007-1008, a
terrible fire. The church was rebuilt and consecrated in 1019.
St. Philibert, Tournus: interior, N. aisle, groin vaulting, late 11thearly 12th century Tournus (Saone-et-Loire, Burgundy), France
St. Philibert, Tournus:
interior, nave arcade and
piers, early 11th century
Aerial view
St.- Sernin,
Toulouse. c.
1080-1120
St.-Sernin, Toulouse. View of facade
St.-Sernin, Toulouse:
exterior, octagonal
crossing tower, view from
SE. (tower added ca. 1250;
spire added 1478)，
Toulouse (Haute-Garonne,
Languedoc), France.
West Side of N Transept
Nave of St.Sernin, Toulouse,
ca. 1080-1120.
St.-Sernin, Toulouse:
interior, barrel vault of
nave, ca. 1080-1120.
South Portal St.-Sernin, Toulouse:
Christ with
Evangelist Symbols
Angel
These
sculptures
are not in
their original
positions.
There is a
great deal of
scholarly
debate over
their use,
arrangement,
and place of
origin.
Christ in Majesty, c. 1096
Marble relief, 127 cm high
Ambulatory, Saint-Sernin,
Toulouse, France
Christ in Majesty with Apostles. c. 1019-1020. Marble, 61 cm high. Lintel over doorway, St.-Genis-des-Fontaines, France
Wiligelmus: Creation and Temptation of Adam and Eve. c. 1110, Stone,
approx. 91.5 cm high. Frieze on the west facade, Cathedral of Modena, Italy
Sant' Ambrogio,
Milan. late 11thearly 12th century,
Milan, Italy
Interior of Sant' Ambrogio
Benedictine Abbey
of St.-Etienne, Caen.
begun 1067
Interior of St
Etienne, Caen.
vaulted c. 11151120, Caen,
France.
Durham Cathedral, England. beg. c. 1093
Nave of
Durham
Cathedral
Aerial view of Baptistery, Cathedral, and Campanile, in Pisa. 1053-1272
CATHEDRAL COMPLEX, PISA, Italy
Baptistry, Pisa:
exterior, view
from NW. ca.
1153-1265 A.D.
Italian (Tuscan), Romanesque Pisa Cathedral (Duomo): W. facade. ca. 1063-1272 A.D.
Pisa Cathedral (Duomo): W. facade, detail of upper stories. ca. 1063-1272 A.D.
In background R., upper portion of Campanile ("Leaning Tower"). ca. 1174-1271
Nave of the
Cathedral of
Pisa. begun
1063
Pisa Cathedral (Duomo): interior, detail of polychrome marble decoration of nave
arcade and gallery. ca. 1063-1118; 1261-1272 A.D.
Campanile ("Leaning
Tower"): view from E..
ca. 1174-1271 A.D.
h. 54.5 m, Lean: 2.1 m.
Campanile
("Leaning
Tower"): view
from E. ca.
1174-1271 A.D.
h. 54.5 m, Lean:
2.1 m.
Baptistery of San Giovanni, Florence. dedicated 1059,
Florence, Italy
San Miniato al
Monte, Florence
1062 and 12th
century.
Sal Minato al Monte, Florence: W. facade, detail of upper portion with colored
marble inlay "temple motif". completed ca. 1062 A.D.
Interior of San
Miniato al Monte,
Florence
West Portal of the Cluniac Abbey Church of Saint-Pierre.
South Porch (orig. W. portal), ca. 1115-1135, Moissac, France.
South Porch of Cluniac Abbey Church of Saint-Pierre (orig. W.
portal), ca. 1115-1135, Moissac, France.
West Portal of the Cluniac
Abbey Church of Saint-Pierre
Moissac.
Sculpture in the later Middle
Ages was used to decorate
churches. In the Early Middle
Ages sculpture was banned from
churches for fear it would be
confused with pagan
worship. The Byzantine church
never did use sculpture to a large
degree in their churches. The
Western Roman Catholic church
began using sculpture again
around the 11th Century.
The later in the Middle Ages
you went, the more realistic the
sculpture became. The
Romanesque sculpture looks
blocky and lacks good
proportion. The Gothic become
more realistic with flowing robes
and better proportioned
people. In the Renaissance we
see a return to Greek and Roman
forms of sculpture. We see again
the youthful and athletic nude
being depicted by people such as
Michelangelo and
Dontello. Dontello also begins
working in bronze which had not
been done since the Greek and
Roman time.
Vault of upper porch
Vault of lower floor of porch
Most scholars agree that the subject of the tympanum is a scene from the Last Judgment in Revelations, the last book of the
Bible. Christ, enthroned, is surrounded by two angels, and the four winged evangelists symbols holding books (Matthew-man
or angel, Mark-Lion, Luke-Ox,John, Eagle). On either side of the tympanum and on the lintel are the figures of the 24 crowned
elders, holding musical instruments and perfume containers. The image is based on the passage in Revelations Four.
Abbey Church of St. Pierre, [L.] Flight into Egypt; [C.] Angel's warning to Joseph;
[R.] Circumcision; relief panel from the Incarnation cycle, upper R. side of S. portal
Abbey Church of St. Pierre: S. portal, ca. 1115-1135 Christ in Majesty with Angels and Symbols of the Four Evangelists,
Abbey Church of St. Pierre, Elders of the Apocalypse, detail R. from middle register of tympanum of S. portal, ca. 1115-1135.
Abbey Church of St. Pierre, Prophet Jeremiah (or Isaiah?), detail from trumeau
of S. portal, view from R., ca. 1115-1135.
Abbey Church of St.
Pierre, Moissac:
St. Peter, figure from L.
jamb, S. portal, ca.
1115-1135
Cloister of Saint-Pierre, Moissac. France
Marble, piers approx. 183 cm high.
Capital from cloister of St.-Pierre, 1100-1115.
Capitals from
cloister of St.Pierre
拱门饰
碶形石
鼓圈
楣
侧柱
间柱
m
St. Lazare, Autun c.1120-1130. Exterior view from south, photo 1990.
Cathedral of St. Lazare, west façade, central portal ca. 1130-1140，Autun, France.
St. Lazare, Autun: tympanum of the Last Judgment (W. portal) sculpted by Gislebertus, ca. 1130-1140.
Heavenly Jerusalem, Angel lifting souls into Heaven
St. Lazare, Autun: "Weighing of Souls," detail R. of Last Judgment tympanum of W. portal sculpted by
Gislebertus, ca. 1130-1140
Left: Blessed souls;
Right: Damned souls
Angel of Judgment
St. Lazare, Autun: Eve, ca. 1130-1140
"Gothic Detail“ Cathedrale St-Lazare, Autun, France
La Madeleine, Vezelay:
France, ca. 1120-1132
La Madeleine, Vezelay:
exterior tympanum, France, ca. 1120-1132
La Madeleine, Vezelay:
interior, nave, view towards E., ca. 1120-1132
La Madeleine, Vezelay: interior, nave, view towards E. showing vaulting
and R. Arcade with sculpted capitals. ca. 1120-1132
La Madeleine, Vezelay: Ascension of Christ and the Commissioning of the
Apostles, tympanum of C. portal of the narthex. ca. 1120-1132
La Madeleine, Vezelay: interior,
detail of nave arcade with
sculpted capital of " "The
Mystic Mill". ca. 2nd quarter
12th century
St.-Trophime, Arles. Portal on west facade. late 12th century，Arles, France
St.-Trophime, Arles. Portal on west facade. late 12th century，Arles, France
Cloister of St.- Trophime, Arles, France late 12th century
Church of St.-Trophime, Arles: Cloister, detail of NW. corner. ca. 12th-14th century
Abbey Church of Ste.-Foy, view from NE., begun ca. 1050，Conques (Aveyron, Rouergue), France.
NAVE, ABBEY
CHURCH OF SAINT
FOY
PLAN OF ABBEY
CHURCH OF
SAINT FOY
Abbey Church of Ste.-Foy, Last Judgment, detail C. of tympanum above main (W.) portals, ca. 1124-1135
Christ in Majesty, detail C.,
tympanum of the Last
Judgment above main (W.)
portals, ca. 1124-1135.
Barma and Postnik, Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow, 1554-60. octagon plan, 8 chapels w/ 8 onion domes, Tsar blinded the architects.
莫斯科圣巴西利亚大教堂，是为纪念1552年“伊凡雷帝”胜利占领喀山而建。传说1560年教堂竣工
后，伊凡弄瞎了所有参与兴建该教堂的建筑师，因为他不想让他们建出比该教堂更富丽堂皇的建筑
CATHEDRAL OF
SANTA SOPHIA,
Keiv, Urkraine
Most mid-16thcentury Russian
churches were
painted white with
domes gilded. The
bright colors of Saint
Basil were added by
later generations.
Baptism of Christ,
baptismal font from
Notre-Dame-des-Fonts,
Liege. 1107-1118
Bronze, 63.5 cm high
Saint-Barthelemy, Liege,
Belgium
Virgin and Child
(Morgan Madonna),
from Auvergne. 2nd
half 12th century.
Painted wood, 2' 7"
high. MMOA
Head reliquary of Saint
Alexander, from Stavelot
Abbey, 1145. Silver
repousse (partly gilt), gilt
bronze, gems, pearls, and
enamel, approx. 44.5 cm
high. Musees Royaux,
Brussels, Belgium.
Christ in Majesty, from
Santa Maria de Mur,
Catalonia, Spain. early 12th
century, Detached apse
fresco, 56 x 61 cm,
Museum of Fine Arts,
Boston.
Detail of Christ in Majesty
Entombment of Christ, from Sant'Angelo in Formis. c. 1085, Fresco above the nave arcade, Sant'Angelo in Formis, near Capua, Italy
Nave of abbey church,
Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe.
c. 1100. Painted barrel
vault. Saint-Savin-surGartempe, France.
Revelation to St John, from Apocalypse of St.-Sever. c. 1050, Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris. The Revelation to St John: Enthroned
Christ with Signs of the Evangelists and the 24 Elders, from the Apocalypse of St.-Sever, painted in the abbey of St.-Sever, France
Life and Miracles of St.
Audomarus (Omer).
11th century.
Bibliotheque Municipale,
Saint-Omer, France
Initial R with St. George and
the Dragon, from Moralia in Job
manuscript, Citeaux, France .
early 12th century. 35 x 23.5
cm. Bibliotheque Municipale,
Dijon, France.
Moses Expounding the Law,
from the Book of
Deuteronomy, Bury Bible, the
abbey of Bury St. Edmunds,
England. early 12th century.
Illuminated Ms, 51 x 36 cm.
Corpus Christi College,
Cambridge, England
The Scribe Eadwine,
from the Canterbury
Psalter. c. 1150
Trinity College,
Cambridge, England
Bayeux
Tapestry.
details. 10701080.
Embroidered
wool on linen,
20" high (entire
length of fabric
70m long)
Centre
Guillaume le
Conquerant,
Bayeux, France
Norman Cavalry Charging in Battle of Hastings, from Bayeux Tapestry. 1070-1080