Romanesque Art and Architecture: Origins and Characteristics
Romanesque Art: An Introduction
Romanesque art flourished during the 11th and 12th centuries. It represents the first international artistic style in Europe. The Romanesque is the culmination of a series of trials involving pre-Romanesque styles, incorporating Byzantine and oriental influences. The Benedictine order, particularly the Monastery of Cluny, played a crucial role in the creation of this style. They intervened in organizing pilgrimages, which facilitated the creation and diffusion of Romanesque forms, often referred to as the “art of the pilgrimage roads.”
Three major pilgrimage routes were established: the Holy Land, Santiago de Compostela, and the monastery of Saint Michel. This art emerged through groups of builders who undertook various works along these routes.
Romanesque Architecture: General Characteristics
The wall, the arch, and the roof are distinctive elements of Romanesque architecture.
- Wall: Walls were made of stone, carved into blocks for the exterior (regular ashlar), while the core was usually made of masonry. These were thick walls, with a predominance of solid wall over openings. The thickness resulted in flared doors and windows.
- Arch: The characteristic arch is the semicircular arch. Windows and doors often feature a series of concentric arches with moldings, known as archivolts.
- Roof: The characteristic roof is the barrel vault. It is divided into sections by arches, which rest on pillars and correspond to external buttresses. Other common vault types include groin vaults, quarter-barrel vaults, and quarter-sphere vaults. Domes and cupolas were used to crown buildings.
The primary building type is the church, typically featuring a Latin cross plan. In Romanesque churches with three naves, the central nave is wider and higher than the aisles. The gallery, or grandstand, is situated above the aisles and opens to the nave through a clerestory. The transept is the arm that crosses the nave, and the intersection is called the crossing. The aisles often extend to form a hall called the ambulatory.
Supports and Monasteries
For support, cruciform section pillars and columns were used. Romanesque architecture gave rise to the monastery, which experienced its golden age during this period. These monasteries were built by monks and centered around the cloister. The cloister’s galleries led to cells, libraries, the church, the chapter house, and the refectory. Monasteries served as cultural, religious, and educational centers.
Notable examples in Spain include:
- Castilla: The Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos, the monasteries of San Pedro de Arlanza and San Pedro de Cardeña.
- León: The Monastery of Dueñas.
- Navarre: The Monastery of Leyre.
- Catalonia: The Monasteries of Ripoll and San Pedro de Roda.
- Aragón: The Monastery of San Juan de la Peña.
Spanish Romanesque Architecture
In Spain, Romanesque architecture first appeared in Catalonia due to strong ties with Italy and France. This early Romanesque art dates from the late 10th and 11th centuries. Buildings often feature ashlar construction with blind arches and Lombard bands decorating the wall surfaces. Slender towers are also common. Examples include San Clemente de Tahull, the Monastery of Ripoll, and the Monastery of San Pedro de Roda.
Constructions along the Camino de Santiago (11th-12th Centuries)
Notable examples include the crypt of the Monastery of Leyre, the Cathedral of Jaca, the Church of San Martín de Frómista in Palencia, the Church of San Isidoro in León, and the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
Regional Schools in the 12th Century
- Galicia: Following the model of the Cathedral of Santiago, the cathedrals of Orense, Tuy, Lugo, and Mondoñedo.
- Castilla: In Ávila, San Pedro and San Vicente; in Soria, Santo Domingo and San Juan de Duero. In Segovia, churches with bell towers and sleek exterior side doors (San Martín, San Esteban, San Millán). In the Douro Valley, typical domes and cupolas, such as those of the Cathedral of Zamora, the Collegiate Church of Toro, and the Torre del Gallo of the Cathedral of Salamanca.
- Aragón: The cloister of San Juan de la Peña or the Church of Ainsa. Churches with polygonal central plans include Santa María de Eunate in Navarre and Vera Cruz in Segovia.
The walls of Ávila, built by Count Raymond of Burgundy, are also noteworthy.