1. How can we successfully talk about (and write about) architecture?

2. What are the characteristics of a Romanesque Church?
What are you certain to see?
Please make a list.

3. Romanesque Architecture
key ideas:
Latin cross plan
coherence of design: unity and symmetry
heavy, thick walls and small windows
the use of a Roman vault—inherently limited; the barrel vault creates tremendous thrust at the springing point
large, ordered space which contrasted strongly with the chaos and uncertainty outside the church walls
creates a wonderful “stage” for the miracle of the Eucharist—the presence of God—God made incarnate again
nave arcade Autun Cathedral
Cathedral of Saint-Lazare Burgundy, France 12th century

4. Can you find visual evidence that this church has small windows?
Can you find visual evidence that this church has thick walls and heavy piers?
Can you find visual evidence that this church has symmetry?
Can you find visual evidence that this church demonstrates visual unity? (Look for repeating shapes.)
Can you find visual evidence that this church was designed using the Latin cross plan?
floor plan Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy Conques, France

5. nave La Madeleine at Vezelay France 1096-1132

6. What is the boxed area called?
What is the lower portion called?
What is the upper portion called?

7. What is the boxed area called?
What is the purpose?

8. What is the boxed area called?
What is the purpose?

9. What are the architectural elements in the boxed area called?
Do you see any rib vaults?

10. What do you see in the boxed area?
Why?

11. This is an image of a side aisle.
What is in the boxed area?

12. nave La Madeleine at Vezelay France 1096-1132

13. Nave, Abbey Church of Notre-Dame, Fontenay 1139--1147

14. What is the boxed area called?
What is the lower portion called?
What is the upper portion called?

15. What is the boxed area called?
What is the purpose?

16. What are the architectural elements in the boxed area called?
Do you see any rib vaults?

17. Where are the windows?

18. blind arcade
clerestory
gallery
nave
string courses

19. arcade
blind arcade
clerestory
gallery
nave
ribs
string courses
vaulting
engaged columnettes

20. Gothic versus Romanesque Architecture
The earliest churches were based on Greek temples and Roman basilicas (secular government buildings); essentially there was a substitution of a church plan for a temple plan: colonnades were shifted from the interior to the exterior; an arch was placed directly on a pier instead of placing a lintel directly on a pier (column)
The classic temple is a system of sturdy walls and colonnades all helping to sustain a solid roof. A Romanesque church follows essentially the same principles, except that an arch is placed over the colonnades.
All the parts of a Romanesque building contribute their share to the stability of the whole.
The structure stands through virtue of inertia.
Gothic
In a Gothic church the highly organized framework of piers, arches, and buttresses are organized so that the spaces of the wall and roof between them serve merely as an enclosure.
A Gothic church is a skillfully balanced system of thrusts and counterthrusts that are concentrated on special points of support.
All the different levels of the church interior are brought into homogenous composition: great vaulting shafts that articulate the massive piers rise from the floor; at the clerestory level these shafts become more decorative than supportive and spring from corbels in order to trace the vaulting that articulates each bay.
Flying buttresses allowed the walls to be dissolved.

21. Flying buttresses allowed the walls
to be dissolved.

22. Roman barrel vault
The force lines converge at the point where the barrel vault springs from the wall.
In order to support a heavy roof—one that is very wide--the walls of the nave would have to be very, very thick.
Flying Buttress
The lines of force created by the weight of the roof and the arches is redirected (or distributed) by the flying buttresses past the walls of the church to external piers (outside the child walls). As a result, windows can larger and the nave can be taller.

23. Abbey Church of Saint-Denis Saint-Denis, France 1140-44

24. floor plan Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy Conques, France 1125-1135

25. Abbey Church of Saint-Denis Saint-Denis, France 1140-44
Standing in the choir, looking northeast at about 1:30.

26. Abbey Church of Saint-Denis Saint-Denis, France 1140-44
Looking into one of the radial chapels.
15:34

27. floor plan Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy Conques, France 1125-1135
floor plan Amiens Cathedral Amiens, France

28. Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy Conques, France 1125-1135

29. Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy Conques, France 1125-1135

30. transept looking into the crossing Amiens Cathedral Amiens, France 1220-1288

31. standing on the steps of the choir looking into the apse Amiens Cathedral Amiens, France 1220-1288

32. looking down the nave toward the apse Amiens Cathedral Amiens, France 1220-1288
17:46

33. Answer: The flying buttress.
Question: What made it possible to dissolve the walls so that windows could be enlarged?
Answer: The flying buttress.

34. Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy Conques, France 1125-1135
Amiens Cathedral Amiens, France

35. Church of Saint-Etienne, Caen Normandy, France
begun 1064—façade late 11th century

36. Chartres Cathedral ca. 1194-1260
west façade

37. Reims Cathedral west façade c. 1211-1428
PBS - Cathedral - David Macaulay