REVIEW “COMPETITION” for Romanesque and Gothic
What architectural period/form is the predecessor for Charlemagne’s Palatine Chapel?
The arches that define the naves of these churches are well modulated and geometrically
logical—with one look you can see the repeating shapes, and proportions that make sense for an
immense and weighty structure.
WHAT BUILDING FORM IS DESCRIBED BELOW
The building was rectangular in shape, with the long, central portion of the hall made up of the
nave. Here the interior reached its fullest height. The nave was flanked on either side by a
colonnade (a row of columns) that delineated the side aisles, which were of a lower height than
the nave.
Because these side aisles were lower, the roof over this section was below the roofline of the
nave, allowing for windows near the ceiling of the nave. DRAW THIS BELOW (or separate
page if on computer) AS IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE FAÇADE
At the far end of the nave, away from the main door, was a semi-circular extension, usually with
a half-dome roof. NOW MAKE AN AERIAL VIEW OF THIS SAME BUILDING
What is a “sermon in stone”?
GOTHIC
The major ________(row of arches) at
the ground floor level is topped by a
second arcade, called the _______,
which is topped by the __________(the windows).
In later Gothic churches, we sometimes
see yet another level below _______-(the windows),
called the__________.
An aisle often surrounds the_____, running
behind the altar. Called the___________,
this aisle accessed additional small chapels,
called ___________or chevets. Of course,
there are many variations on these
typical building blocks of medieval
church design.
For the average European in the 12th Century, a pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Jerusalem was
out of the question—travel to the Middle East was too far, too dangerous and too expensive.
_____________(name the Cathedral below- note symbol) offered a much more convenient
option.
Are these sculptures Romaesque or Gothic?
Approximate Dates?
Probable location?
Which portal is Gothic and which is Romanesque? How do you know?
The most fundamental element of the Gothic style of architecture is the________, which was
likely borrowed from __________architecture that would have been seen in Spain at this time.
The _____________(back to fundamental element) relieved some of the______, and therefore, the stress
on other structural elements. It then became possible to ______the size of the columns or
______that supported the_______.
The new understanding of architecture
and design led to more fantastic examples
of vaulting and_________, and the
Early Gothic or ________ (hint:look at the window type)
style (from the 12th and 13th centuries) developed
into the Decorated or _________( hint: St. Chappelle)Gothic
(roughly fourteenth century). The ornate stonework
that held the windows–called________–became more
florid, and other stonework even more exuberant
This image was too special not to share- do you think it
is Gothic or Romanesque? Who are the 3 men and
where might you find a relief like this? LOOK AT
the contour of the edge of the relief-right side