Romanesque is the architecture of Europe which emerged in the late 10th century and evolved into Gothic architecture during the 12th century. The Romanesque style in England is more traditionally referred to as Norman architecture.
The style can be identified across Europe with certain significant architectural features occurring everywhere. There are other characteristics that differ greatly from region to region.
Most of the buildings that are still standing are churches, some of which are very large abbey churches and cathedrals. The majority of these are still in use, some of them having been substantially altered over the centuries.
This list presents a comparison of Romanesque churches, abbeys and cathedrals of different countries. The second section describes the architectural features that can be identified within pictures of major architectural elements.
Romanesque architecture, regional characteristics
Features of Romanesque architecture that is seen in different areas around Europe.
Small churches are generally without aisles, with a projecting apse. Large churches are basilical with a nave flanked by aisles and divided by an arcade. Abbey churches and cathedrals often had transepts. Round arches in arcades, windows, doors and vaults. Massive walls. Towers. Piers. Stout columns. Buttresses of shallow projection. Groin vaulting. Portals with sculpture and mouldings. Decorative arcades as an external feature, and frequently internal also. Cushion capitals. Murals.
Features which are regionally diversified
These features often have strong local and regional traditions. However, the movement of senior clergy, stonemasons and other craftsmen meant that these traditional features are sometimes found at distant locations.
Ground plan. Facade. Position and number of towers. Shape of towers. Presence and shape of spires. Shape of the east end. Shape of columns. Shape of piers. Building material. Local diversity in decorative details that was dependent on local craftsmen.
Romanesque churches in Italy
Influences Pre-Romanesque is demonstrated in Italy by the construction of churches with thick walls of undressed stone, very small windows and massive fortresslike character. Early Christian and Italian Byzantine architecture formed a stylistic link with the architecture of Ancient Rome, through which the basilica plan and the Classical form of column were transmitted. The architecture of Northern Italy has features in common with French and German Romanesque. The architecture of Southern Italy and Sicily was influenced by both Norman and Islamic architecture. Building stone was available in mountainous regions, while brick was employed for most building in river valleys and plains. The availability of marble had a profound effect on the decoration of buildings. The existence and continuance of local rather than unified rule meant the construction and continued existence of many Romanesque civic buildings, and a large number of cathedrals. A great many religious buildings of this period remain, many of them little altered. Other buildings include fortifications, castles, civic buildings, and innumerable domestic buildings that are often much altered.
Characteristics Large churches often have basilical form, with a projecting apse. Some large churches have projecting transepts as at Pisa Cathedral. Towers are freestanding and may be circular as at Pisa. Windows are small. The façade takes two forms, that which coincides with the basilical section of nave and aisles, as at Pisa Cathedral and that which screens the form, such as San Michele, Pavia. Dwarf galleries are the prevalent form of decoration on the façade as at Pisa Cathedral. A number of churches have facades and interiors that are faced with polychrome marble, as at San Miniato al Monte. The rest of a brick exterior was generally left undecorated with some notable exceptions including Pisa Cathedral. Portals were rarely large and were square rather than round, as at San Miniato al Monte. Decorative tympanums, where they exist, are mosaic, fresco or shallow relief, as at San Zeno, Verona. Shallow relief carving in marble was a feature of some facades, as at San Zeno and Modena Cathedral Ocular and Wheel windows are commonly found in facades, as at San Zeno and Modena Cathedral. Portals are sometimes covered by an open porch supported on two columns standing on the backs of lions at San Zeno, Verona. Internally, large churches generally have arcades resting on columns of Classical form. There is little emphasis on vertical mouldings. The wall surface above the arcade was covered with decorative marble, mosaic or fresco. Galleries such as that at Pisa were uncommon, but occur in convent churches as nuns' galleries. Open timber roofs prevailed. Ribbed vaults, when used, are large, square and domical, spanning two bays as at San Michele, Pavia, and Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio. The crossing is often covered by a dome, as at Bari Cathedral and Pisa Cathedral (where the dome is oval and of a later date). The choir may be above a vaulted crypt, accessible from the nave or aisles, as at San Zeno, Verona. Freestanding polygonal baptisteries were common, as at Parma Cathedral and the Baptistery of San Giovanni, Florence. Cloisters often have an array of elaborately twisted columns, and fanciful decoration in mosaic tiles as at the Romanesque cloister of the Ancient Basilica of St Paul's Outside the Walls, Rome. The large churches and cathedrals of Southern Italy and Sicily were influenced by Norman architecture, as at Trani Cathedral and Bari Cathedral in Apulia. Churches in Sicily were influenced by Islamic architecture, in the employment of the pointed arch as at Monreale Cathedral and Palermo Cathedral.
Notable buildings Pisa Cathedral and complex. Tuscany Baptistery of Florence, Tuscany Basilica of San Miniato al Monte, Tuscany Santa Maria della Pieve, Arezzo Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, Milan, Northern Italy Basilica of San Michele Maggiore, Pavia, Northern Italy Basilica of San Zeno, Verona, Northern Italy Modena Cathedral, Northern Italy Ancona Cathedral, Northern Italy San Vittore alle Chiuse, Genga. Parma Cathedral and complex, Northern Italy Trani Cathedral, Apulia Bari Cathedral, Apulia Basilica di San Nicola, Apulia Palermo Cathedral, Sicily Monreale Cathedral, Sicily Cefalù Cathedral, Sicily
Romanesque churches in France
Influences Monastic tradition was a major influence on church architecture with the Abbey Church of Cluny, founded 910 AD, being the largest church in the world at that time. The foundation of the Cistercian Order in 1098 introduced a simplicity of design and austerity of ornament. Particularly in the south, the existence of Roman structures such as the Pont du Gard played a part in the development of storied arcades and other structural forms. Building stone was readily available, including high grade limestone suitable for fine carving. For much of the period Normandy was a comparatively large and powerful political unit, and developed consistent styles that affected much of northern France. South of the Loire Valley churches showed considerable diversity of architectural form and are often without aisles. The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain led to the establishment of four pilgrim routes through France, and the establishment of many religious houses along the routes. Crusade and pilgrimage brought contact with Islamic and Byzantine architecture that influenced the forms of a number of churches such as Saint-Front, Périgueux. The development of ribbed vaulting at Saint-Etienne, Caen, and the adoption of a number of new techniques within a single influential building, the Abbey of Saint-Denis, led to the early employment of the Gothic methods of construction and style from 1140 onwards. A great many abbey churches, some of which are now cathedrals or have been elevated to the rank of Minor Basilica, date from this period, and are among the finest architectural works of France. There are also numerous village churches, many of which have remained little changed.
Characteristics Large churches of northern France have basilical form of nave and aisles separated by arcades. Large churches of southern France may be without aisles, as at Angouleme Cathedral. Churches generally have transepts. The eastern end often takes the form of an apse that is almost as high as the walls. The high apse was increasingly surrounded by an ambulatory and later Romanesque churches have a fully developed chevet with radiating chapels. In Normandy, two towers on the façade flanking the nave became standard for large churches and influenced the subsequent Romanesque and Gothic facades of Northern France, England, Sicily and other buildings across Europe. At the Abbey Church of Cluny, as well as paired towers on the west front, there was a variety of towers large and small. Of these the octagonal tower over the crossing and smaller transept tower remain intact. This arrangement was to influence other churches such as the Basilica of St. Sernin, Toulouse. Windows are increasingly of larger size and are often coupled, particularly in cloisters and towers. The façade takes two forms, that with two large towers, such as that at Saint-Etienne, Caen, and the screen form with two small flanking turrets, as at Angouleme Cathedral. There are often three portals, as at the Abbey of la Trinité, Caen, left Façade decoration is rich and varied, with the central portal being the major feature. Large sculptured portals are a distinguishing feature of French Romanesque. The portal is deeply recessed and the jambs set with shafts and mouldings. They typically have lintels, supporting a tympanum carved in high relief. Interiors generally employed piers to support the arcades, rather than columns. The form of the piers became increasing complex with shafts and mouldings leading into the mouldings of the arch, or the vault as at Saint-Etienne Nevers. left In the 12th century, cylindrical piers with Corinthian style capitals came into use. A pattern of three stages—vault, arcade and clerestory—was established in the 11th century. Masonry vaults were preferred for larger churches, and were initially barrel or groin vaults, often with arches spanning the nave between the vaults. Vaulted bays are square. The earliest ribbed high vault in France is at Saint-Etienne, Caen (1120). The wide adoption of this method led to the development of Gothic architecture. Several churches of Aquitaine and Anjou are roofed with domes, and have no aisles, as at Angouleme Cathedral.
Notable examples Abbey Church of Cluny, Cluny, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté The Abbey of Saint-Etienne, Caen, Normandy The Church of the Abbey of la Trinité, Caen, Normandy The Basilica of St. Sernin, Toulouse, Occitania Angoulême Cathedral, Angoulême, Nouvelle-Aquitaine Saint-Front, Périgueux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine Notre Dame du Puy, Le Puy-en-Velay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Abbey Church of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe, Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe, Nouvelle-Aquitaine Abbey of la Madaleine, Vézelay, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Church of St Philibert, Tournus, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Abbey of Saint-Pierre, Moissac, Occitania Abbey of Saint-Georges, Saint-Martin-de-Boscherville, Normandy
Romanesque churches in Britain and Ireland
Influences The Pre-Romanesque tradition of architecture was Saxon. The thick-walled churches without aisles had archway leading into rectangular chancels. Bell towers often had an attached circular stair turret. Windows were often arched or had triangular heads. The Norman invasion of 1066 unified the government of England. Norman bishops were installed in English cathedrals and monasteries were established following Benedictine, Cluniac, Cistercian, and Augustinian rules.