Romanesque
Romanesque was the dominant architectural style in Europe in the 11th and 12th centuries. Named for its basis in the basilicas of ancient Rome, Romanesque architecture developed in northern Italy and had its most exquisite expression in France, but fine examples can be found throughout western Europe. "Romanesque" is Roman(e) in French, Romanish in German, Romaanse in Dutch, Románico in Spanish and Romanico in Italian.
Romanesque churches were the first buildings to incorporate monumental sculpture since ancient Rome and the first to use a stone vault instead of a wooden roof. Other characteristics of Romanesque include round arches, large towers, thick walls, small windows, and decorative details inside and out. When they were first built, Romanesque churches were alive with color and imagery, serving as a visual Bible to a mostly illiterate population. But not all Romanesque church art is religious: many carvings and paintings depict plants, animals, mythical beasts, pagan imagery, scenes of daily medieval life, and humorous figures. See our Romanesque Architecture reference article for more details and example illustrations.
Featured Romanesque Churches
Aulnay de Saintonge, Poitou, France |
Oxford, England |
Conques, Auvergne, France |
||
Herefordshire, England |
Ely, Cambridgeshire, England |
Tournus, Burgundy, France |
Romanesque Churches Index
Below is an index of Romanesque churches in Europe, sorted by country then by city. The list is not yet comprehensive but we're working on it! Click links for info and photos.
Sources & More Information
- Personal visits
- Peter Stafford, Romanesque Churches of France: A Traveller's Guide
- Art-Roman.net (France)
- El Portal del Arte Romanico (Spain)
- Romanico Portugal
- Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland
- Artemedievale.net (France, Spain, Italy)
- List of Romanesque Architecture: Wikipedia
