ITALIAN ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE
gateways to trade with the East.
GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION & CLIMATE
Italy is in south central Europe. It consists of a peninsula
shaped like a high–heeled boot and several islands.
Italy is divided into three regions:
Central Italy - possessed great minerals and is abundant in
stones
North Italy - supplies clay for making bricks
South Italy - supplied calcareous and shelly limestone as well
as many kinds of marble
Climate in Italy varies greatly as we pass from north to the
south. Northern Italy has Temperate climate, Central Italy has,
Genial and Sunny climate, while South Italy has almost
Tropical Climate.
FORM OF GOVERNMENT
- Romanesque architecture was a continuation of
Roman styles, Roman brick and stone building
techniques were lost in most parts of Europe.
- Several significant churches built at this time were
founded as seats of temporal and religious power or
places of coronation and burial.
- The continual movement of people from different
walks of life was an important factor in creating
uniform, distinctive Romanesque-style buildings
despite regional differences
WAY OF LIFE
- Cities were bustling places
- A large portion of population lived outside the
cities in so-called bourgs
- In between cities, Villages have appeared
- Roman civic buildings and temples had been left
to rot or used as a quarry site
- Only a limited amount of farming occurred within
city walls
- Forums lost their civic value and became
marketplaces
- Cities now began to vie with each other, however,
in the construction of cathedrals and baptisteries
that showed off the wealth of the city and the
status of the church.
- Italy saw the rise of numerous Maritime
Republics, the most notable being Venice,
Genoa, Pisa and Amalfi, these cities built fleets of
ships both for their own protection and to support
extensive trade networks across the
Mediterranean, leading to an essential role in the
Crusades.
- Venice and Genoa soon became Europe's main
INFLUENCES
Geological
Central Italy: Tuscany had a great wealth of minerals and
plenty of quartz. Throughout Rome, different construction
materials have been used, including bricks volcanic tufa or
perperino, Tivolo travertine stone and Carrara marble.
Northern Italy: Lombardy's low-lying plain supplied clay from
brick making and, using marble from the ills, gave the
architecture a special character.
South Italy and Sicily: South Italy's mountains provided
calcareous and shelly limestone as well as many kinds of
marble.
Climate
In Central Italy, the bright sunshine demanded small windows
and thick walls, both in the cities of the plain and in the cities
built on the hilltops; it varied between extreme heat and cold. In
the West, in winter, the mountains give ice to winds which
shield the towns from the excessive heat of the plains from
Milan to Venice; almost subtropical climate, houses have a flat
roof and other oriental characteristics.
Historical, Social & Religion
Central Italy: Pisan captured and conquered Moslems during
the battle, and this interaction with Moslems represents the
features of Pisan's use of marble.
North Italy: The close association of the Venetians with the
Byzantium greatly increased the commerce. All the free cities
engaged with each other in the elegance of their public
buildings, and this spirit of competition stimulated the most
impressive architectural developments in Italy.
South Italy: the Moslems arrived and controlled the island in
1827. They recommended that the facades of the church
should be decorated with geometric patterns because the
Moslem religion prohibits imagery of human figures. Bloody
religious wars ended along with the defeat of the Muslims.
North Italy: The close association of the Venetians with the
Byzantium greatly increased the commerce. All the free cities
engaged with each other in the elegance of their public
buildings, and this spirit of competition stimulated the most
impressive architectural developments in Italy.
South Italy: the Moslems arrived and controlled the island in
1827. They recommended that the facades of the church
should be decorated with geometric patterns because the
Moslem religion prohibits imagery of human figures. Bloody
religious wars ended along with the defeat of the Muslims.
CHARACTERISTICS
Plans
The designs of most of the churches are relatively the same as
the basilicas, particularly in central Italy; in the north the
churches are mostly vaulted, improvements being implemented
on the lines of German work; in the south, the low lanterns at
the crossing, oblong in plan, were marked features.
Openings
The openings were small as a result of the bright environment,
and opaque decoration was preferred to transparent.
Roofs
Basilican-style timber roofs were often used effectively color
painted rather than round-arched cross vaulting.
Columns
Piers with half shafts were used rather than columns,
especially in the North, where the vaulting was more common,
but the coupled and grouped shafts were rarely properly
developed in relation to the vaulting ribs. Throughout Central
Italy, as in the Toscanella rude Corinthian columns, pierced,
while the roof is of the simple basilican form and shows
traditional capitals.
Moldings
The Northern style is characterized by flat bands. Little arches
formed strings linking one pilaster strip to another. Rude
imitations of ancient Classical detail were encountered.
Ornament
Throughout Northern sculpture there are finely carved
grotesques of people and animals, vigorous hunting scenes,
and events of everyday life. Sophisticated mosaic decoration
exists as in the churches of Palermo and elsewhere, and the
use of color was the main object in the interior design.
NOTABLE STRUCTURES AND LANDMARKS
The Pantheon in Rome:
- temple of all Gods
- the biggest brick dome in the
history of architecture
- considered the forerunner of all
modern places of worship.
- The name comes from two Greek words pan, “everything”
and theon, “divine”. Originally, the Pantheon was a small
temple dedicated to all Roman gods.
- Built between 25 and 27 B.C. by the consul Agrippa
Baths of Caracalla
-The Baths of Caracalla were
built around the year 216 for the
use and enjoyment of the
Romans.
-These thermal baths were
inaugurated with the name of
Baths Antoninas and are one of
the largest and best-preserved examples of ancient thermal
baths.
-This complex was not only a place to bathe, practice sports
and take care of one's health but also a place of study and
rest.
Arch of Constantine
- one of three surviving ancient Roman triumphal arches in
Rome. It isa series of Hadrianic
roundels, and a set of eight Aurelian
panels.
- The Arch of Constantine is a
massive rectangular structure that
stands almost 70 feet high.
- It has three archways, Including
one large central arch with two smaller side arches.
- Mounted on the monument between these arches are fluted
Corinthian columns standing on pedestals.
- Corinthian columns with their ornate decorative tops, called
capitals, reflect a style of architecture developed in ancient
Greece.
Leaning Tower of Pisa
The original completed height of the Tower of Pisa is 60
meters. Actually the tower’s height is 56.67m on the highest
side and 55,86m on the lowest side. It had begun to lean by
the time its builders got to the third story, in 1178. Shifting soil
had destabilized the tower’s foundations.
Architecture style → The leaning Tower of Pisa is a medieval
architecture, in Romanesque style.
Construction time → The construction of Tower of Pisa began
in 1173 and was completed in the 14th century, in 1399
Design → It is considered that the architects and engineers
who designed the leaning Tower of Pisa are: Bonanno Pisano,
Gherardo di Gherardo, Giovanni Pisano, Giovanni di Simone
Colosseum
-also called Flavian Amphitheatre, giant amphitheatre built in
Rome under the Flavian emperors. The artificial lake that was
the centrepiece of that palace complex was drained, and the
Colosseum was sited there. Colosseum is a freestanding
structure of stone and concrete, using a complex system of
barrel vaults and groin vaults and measuring 620 by 513 feet
(189 by 156 metres) overall.
Santa Costanza
Traditionally identified as the mausoleum of Constantina, the
daughter of Constantine. The design of Santa Costanza, just
like Roman architecture, was circular in shape and this design
borrows heavily from the mausoleums of the Roman era. In its
design typical of Roman structures, a foyer portico leads into a
round crypted ambulatory that encircles a central auditorium
space. The ceiling vault of the ambulatory is bedecked with
montages of geometric patterns and entwined vines on a pallid
backdrop.