Romanesque Architecture in Churches

 Ecclesiastical Architecture : Romanesque

 Humanity has been long a great admirer of architecture for diverse reasons. In scattered regions of the world, people designed buildings that suited their needs. Curiously, some buildings manifested similar patterns in certain periods of time and became the norm. Unless a critical architect devised his or her own style, those norms persisted and improved further. Today, we call such stylistic approaches architectural styles, and they are employed even today. The world abounds in them: Classical, Romanesque, Baroque, Gothic, Neo-Classical, Brutalist, Beaux-Arts, Rococo, Renaissance, etc. Nevertheless, the turbulent clash between schismatic Gothic and conventional Romanesque styles must be, to my probably defective mind, the most phenomenal watershed in the history of architecture. In order to fathom this epic breakaway that took place in the 12th century, one must know both architectures in depth. In this case, I reckon that it would be more convenient to begin with the Romanesque style which is older.

 First and foremost, it's crucial to comprehend the story behind both architectural styles in case we want to juxtapose them for comparative purposes, which I will do in a future essay. What we call Romanesque Architecture is a dexterous combination of Ancient Roman and Byzantine Architecture that emerged in the mid-11th century in spite of some other dates proposed by other historians. The first example of this combination is the Basilica of Saint-Sernin in Toulouse, France, as acknowledged by many other experts. The basilica was tremendously glaring and resplendent for its time. Though prominent spires of the Gothic style had not yet been developed, the Basilica of Saint-Sernin had a towering octagonal steeple that measured 213 feet (65 metres). Its hefty weight was counteracted by the robust resistance of the thick walls that reached 8,2 feet (2,5 metres) in certain parts. As a matter of fact, this basilica was built in accordance with the old Roman spirit that liked flaunting wealth and influence in a royal fashion. Other architects who had adopted the Romanesque style followed suit in this regard along the same line and did not hesitate to put portentous sumptuousness and vainglorious magnificence on display in their works. 

The Basilica of Saint-Sernin in Toulouse, anonymously built around the 1080s and consecrated in 1096 by Pope Urban II

Round vaults and arches of Saint-Sernin

 Romanesque Architecture is characterised by symmetrical planning, excessively adorned with decorative arches and gigantic domes or vaults that are shored up by thick walls, which dissipate the stress on the foundation and ensure an even propagation. Roundness, which is observed in gateways of the vestibule, columns that separate the nave from the aisles, stained glasses on the walls, and vaults of the main nave, is an essential component that creates the sensation of symmetry and regularity. Such buildings tend also to sprawl horizontally rather than vertically like Gothic ones. As for its bell towers, they were of regular forms such as square or circle and they were equipped with slit-like hairline lancet windows. Despite the cruciform sketch with transepts that are built in the preponderant majority of churches, the apse found right behind the altar—an altar is a part of the church that contains the ostensorium stand for the monstrance and the tabernacle for the pyx along with other important things such as missals and relics—is built generally in a semicircular form, a conspicuous indication of Romanesque churches. Furthermore, the ambulatory might be accompanied by some recesses on its outer edge. These cavities are called small apses or chevets, but they are not exclusive to Romanesque churches and exist in other architectural currents too. Ceilings in Romanesque architecture are propped up by round vaults installed on two interior columns on opposite sides of the nave. Religious icons are copious, although large stained glasses and rosettes are not favoured as they are frequently implemented on sizeable windows of Gothic churches. Last but not least, an illustrious aspect of Romanesque Architecture would be its well-grounded solidity in appearance. Many churches built under the influence of this style seem to be placed into the ground with a vigorous solidity. This flamboyant architecture thrived since its appearance until the advent of Gothic Architecture which took over the general architectural tendency later on. 

Pisa Cathedral built by Buscheto in 1092

Valbuena Abbey built in 1143 in Spain

 

 However, Romanesque Architecture was the first of its kind in the sense that it went down in history as the first distinctive architectural style since the calamitous decline of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD. At the collapse of the perennial Roman Empire, distinguished Roman architectural features such as round arches and vaults were only known to a limited part of Europe that englobed today's France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and the Balkans. Their buildings were sturdy and aesthetically gracious, although Northern Europe had a deplorably restricted knowledge of it on grounds of the inability of the Romans to conquer and spread their culture amongst Germanic tribes. Moreover, Scandinavia was a completely pagan realm that would come into contact with Christianity so much later on scarce occasions when they disembarked on the British Isles and undertook the ferocious invasion of these, which led to the establishment of Danelaw and some other "Viking" kingdoms and earldoms. This explains to some extent the reason for the non-prevalence of Romanesque Architecture in Northern Europe, which in part stems from the architectural predilection of the Ancient Romans. Today we can enumerate more Gothic churches than Romanesque ones in those aforementioned regions since the rise of the Gothic style coincided with the Christianisation of Northern Europe and the uniformisation of European culture on the basis of fundamental Judeo-Christian values. In reality, it must be an acrimonious fact for lovers of this architecture; nonetheless, Romanesque Architecture marks, in fact, a transitional phase between Old Roman Architecture and Gothic Architecture that would become the rule across Europe until the Renaissance, though it didn't quietly go out of fashion, but survived through the works of some architects and was revived in the 19th century by some nostalgic architects, marking the Neo-Gothic period, also called the Gothic revival.

The Roman Empire at its peak in 117 AD. As seen, Scandinavia and Northern Germany are not part of it.

Dormition Cathedral in London

 Speaking of revival, Romanesque Architecture was also subject to such a revival in the 18th and 19th centuries. As we are addicted to nostalgia as human beings, we love winding back to resurrect some things of the past. Perhaps, this is a Christian symbolism, pointing out to the resurrection of Christ; there is no saying. For instance, the sporadic proliferation of Romanesque buildings exemplifies this statement tangibly. For instance, the Holy Trinity Catholic Church was built in 1896 in Shreveport, Louisiana, in the US. Not as variegated as Baroque churches, it looks like a building out of a child cartoon with its sober red hue. Nonetheless, the Romanesque revival culminated at a time when religion had already lost its significance in society; therefore, this revival concerned more administrative or educational buildings rather than churches. Not many churches contrived to be built during the Romanesque Revival, and those that were built either didn't fully fit into the pure definition of the Romanesque style or were too stigmatised because of their exaggerated Romanesque features and lacked naturality. Consequently, many architects of the time geared their efforts towards more secular works, consigning churches into oblivion for good. In historical terms, once dazzling churches of the Romanesque style were then, to the fullest extent of the word, a thing of the past. In conclusion, though the revival brought back into being buildings of Romanesque Architecture proper both in the new and old continents like the Dormition Cathedral in London or the Basilica-Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Newfoundland, Canada, this architectural resurrection turned out to be an ephemeral whim whose fervour tapered off soon, officialising in some sort the definitive end of Romanesque Architecture.

The Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Shreveport, Louisiana, the US

The interior of the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in the US, shown above

Thank you for reading,

Athel.