ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE

⁃ Sober and Dignified

GEOGRAPHICAL INFLUENCE
⁃ Combination of Roman & Byzantine Architecture in style

GEOLOGICAL INFLUENCE
⁃ Stone, brick marble or terra cotta, as well as ready-made columns

CLIMATIC INFLUENCE
⁃ Dull climate ; large windows to admit light
⁃ High pitch roof to throw off rain & snow
⁃ Small windows to minimize sun shading
⁃ Flat roof

RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE
⁃ Chritianity
⁃ Papacy had great power and influence

SOCIAL & POLITICAL INFLUENCE

⁃ Establishment of “Feudal System”
⁃ Landlord build “castle” to separate / protect from the peasants

HISTORICAL INFLUENCE
⁃ Western Europe based on Roman & Byzantine

ROMANESQUE VAULT
Web
⁃ A surface framed by tye ribs of a ribbed vault

Rib vault
⁃ A vault supported by or decorated with arched diagonal ribs. Also, ribbed vault

Quadripartite vault
⁃ A rib vault divided into four parts by intersecting diagonal ribs.

Sexpartite vault
⁃ A rib vault divided into six compartments b two diagonal ribs and three transverse ribs.
Fan vault
⁃ A vault composed of a number of concave conoidal sections, usually four, springing from
the corners of the vaulting compartments, often decorated with ribs that radiate from the springing like
the framework of a fan.

Key
⁃ The keystone at the crown of an arch or at the intersection of two or more vaulting ribs.

Ridge rib
⁃ A horizontal rib marking the crown of a vaulting compartment.

Rib
⁃ Any several archlike members supporting a vault at the groins, defining its distinct
surfaces or dividing these surfaces into panels

Arc doubleau
⁃ A rib spanning the longitudinal axis of a rib vault and dividing it into bays or
comoartments. Also called transverse rib.

Tierceron
⁃ A rib springing from a point of support on either side of the ogives or transverse ribs of a
rib vault. Also called intermediate rib.

Formeret
⁃ A rib against a wall, parallel to the longitudinal axis of a rib vault. Also called wall rib.

Ogive
⁃ A rib crossing a compartment of a rib vault on a diagonal. Also called diagonal rib, groin
rib.

Boss
 ⁃ An ornamental, knoblike projection, as a carved keystone at the intersection of ogives.

Pendant
⁃ A sculptured ornament suspended from a roof truss, vaulting, or ceiling. Also called
drop.

Star vault
⁃ A vaulting having ribs, liernes, or tiercerons arranged in a star-shaped pattern. Also
called stellar vault

Lierne
⁃ An ornamental vaulting rib other than one springing from a pier or a ridge rib.

ROMANESQUE CATHEDRAL
Westwork
⁃ the monumental western front of a Romanesque church. Treated as a tower or towers
containing a low entrance hall below and a chapel open to the nave above.

Transept
⁃ The major transverse part of a cruciform church, crossing the main axis at a right angle
between the nave and choir.

Crossing
⁃ The intersection of the nave and transept in a cruciform church.
Campanile
⁃ A bell tower, usually one near but not attatched to the body of a church.

Wheel window
⁃ A rose wondow having distinctly radiating mullions or bars. Also called Catherine wheel,
marigold window.

EX:
ENGLISH MEDIEVAL
⁃ Pre- roman
⁃ Roman
⁃ Anglo- saxon
⁃ Norman
⁃ Lancet period
⁃ Geometrical period
⁃ Perpendicular period
⁃ Tudor
FORTIFICATION
⁃ A defensive military work constructed for the purpose of strengthening a position.

Bastion
⁃ A projecting part of a rampart or other fortification, typically forming an irregular
pentagon attatched at the base to the main work.

Ravelin
⁃ A V-shaped outwork outside the main ditch of a fortress. Covering tye works between
thwo bastions.

Circumvallate
⁃ Surrounded by or as o by a rampart.

Sally port
⁃ A gateway in a fortification permitting a large number of troops to move rapidly from the
besledge position and attack the besledgers.

Casemate
⁃ A vault or chamber in a ramoanprt, having embrasures for artillery.

Curtain
⁃ An enclosing wall connecting two bastions or towers

Gorge
⁃ The rear passageway into the bastion or simikar outwork.

Terreplein
⁃ The top playform or horizontal surface of a ramoart where guns are mounted.

Flank
⁃ The part of a bastion that extends from the curtain to the face.

Shoulder
⁃ The angke between the face and the flank of a bastion.

Face
⁃ Either of the two outer sides that form the sallpient angke of a bastion.
ENGLISH MEDIEVAL CASTLE
Turret
⁃ A small tower forming oart of a larger structure, frequently beginning some distance
above the ground. Also called Tourelle.

Bartizan
⁃ A small overhsnging turret on a wall or tower. Often at a corner or near gateway.

Bower
⁃ A lady’s private chamber in a medieval castle.

Postern
⁃ A small rear door or gate to a fort or a castle.

Necessarium
⁃ The provy or a medieval castke or minastery. Also called garderobe.

Keep
⁃ The innermost and stringest structure or tower of a medieval castle, used as a place of
residence, esp. ipIm times of skleige. also called Donjon.

Chapel
⁃ A subordinate or private place of worship or prayer within a large complex.

Castle
 ⁃ A fortified grouo of buildings usually dominating the surrounding country and held by a
prince or noble infeudal times.

Citadel
⁃ A fortress in a commanding position in ir mear a city. Ised in the contril of the
inhabitants and in defense during attack or seige.

Ward
⁃ An open space within ir between the walls of a castle.

Barbican
⁃ An outwork on the approach to a castle or tiwn, esp. A watchtower at the gate or
drawbridge. Also, barbacan

Enciente
⁃ A fortified wall encircling a castle or town, or the place so enclosed.

Merlon
⁃ One of the solid parts between the crenels of a battlement.

Battlement
⁃ A parapet having a regular alternation of merlons and crenels, originally for defense but
later used as a decorative motif. Also called embattlement.

Crenel
⁃ Any if the open spaces alternating with the merlons of a battlement.

Crenelated
⁃ Having battlements
Embrasure
⁃ An opening, as a loophole or crenel, through which missiles may be discharge.

Loophole
⁃ A small or narrow opening in a wall of a fortification for the discharge of missiles.

Eyelet
⁃ A small aperture in the wall of a medieval castke used as a window or loophole. Also,
oillet, oyelet.

Drawbridge
⁃ A bridge that can be raused, let down,or drawn aside to prevent access or to permit
oassage beneath it.

Brattice
⁃ A temporary wooden fortification on medieval architecture, erected at the top of a wall
during a siege.

Chemin-de-ronde
⁃ A continuous gangway providing a means of communication behind the rampant of a
fortified wall.

Great hall
⁃ A large hall serving as the main or centra, gathering space of a castle.

Machicolation
⁃ A projecting gallery pr parapet at the top of a castle wall. Supported by corbeled arches
and having openings in the floor through which stones, molten, lead, or boiling oil could be cast upon an
enemy beneath.
Dungeon
⁃ A dark, often umderground prison or cell, as in a medieval castle.

Oubliette
⁃ A secret dungeon having an opening only in the ceiling, through which prisoners were
dropped.

ENGLISH MEDIEVAL TRACEY WINDOWS

Plate tracery
⁃ Early gothic tracery formed pf pierced slabs of stone set on edge, the design being in the
shape and disposition of the opening. Also called perforated tracery.

Geometric tracery
⁃ Gothic tracery characterized by a pattern of geometric shapes, aa circles and foils.

Mouchette
⁃ A daggerlike motif found esp. in the Gothic tracery, formed by eiliptical and ogee curves.

Curvilinear tracery
⁃ Gothic tracery characterized by a pattern of irregular, boldly curved forms. Also called
flowing tracery.

Bar tracery
⁃ Gothic tracery that succeeded plate tracery, consisting of molded stone mullions that
divide into various branching elements which fill the window head.
Reticulated tracery
⁃ Gothic tracery consisting mainly of a netlike arrangement of repeated geometric figures.
Also called net tracery.

Angle light
⁃ A triangular light in a Gothic window, formed by the arch of the window, an arch of a
lower tier of an upper tier of tracery.

Perpendicular tracery
⁃ Preominantly vertical Gothic tracery having mullions rising to the curve of the arch,
crossed at intervals by horizontal transforms. Also called rectilinear tracery.
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
⁃ Sober and Dignified

Two types of vaulting:

1. Quadripartite
2. Sexpartite

Plans: Cruciform shaped on plan

West = Entry
East = Altar
Choir
⁃ Often in front of the nave and over a vaulted crypt

Crypt
⁃ Underground vault or chamber, especially one beneath a church that is used as a burial
place.

Cloisters in monastic churches

⁃ Elaborately treated with twisted columns, carved capitals, and sculpure arches.

Towers
⁃ Prominent features of churches, square, octagonal or circular in shape. West end of the
transcepts pr at eastern ends of the aisles rising to a great height in well marked stages pierces in
windows.

Walls
⁃ Roman methods pf craftmanship still influenced constructive art in europe. Roughly built
walls.

Openings
⁃ Jambs or sides formed in a series of receding molded planes known as orders. Circular
shafts are set and surmounted by a continous abacus
• Rose windows (wheel window, catherines window) - often in west door.

Columns
• Italy - roman origin/ monolithic column
• France and england - cylindrical column, massive proportion, ashlars masonry, rubble
stone, treated with fluting, spiral, trellis or chevron patterns
• Variation of corinthians or ionic capitals and cushion shape in later times.

Ornaments
⁃ vegetable and animal forms, carving and sculpture where rough.

Interiors
⁃ frescoes more usual than mosaic. Stained glass was little used.

CAROLINGIAN ARCHITECTURE
STRUCTURES:
• Lorsch monastery gatehouse
• Paletine chapel - Aachen (Aix La Chapelle) - prototype of other similar churches in
germany. Place of coronation of the holy roman emperors.
• St. Justinus, Frankfurst Hochst
ANGLO SAXON ARCHITECTURE
STRUCTURES:
• Early romanesque architecture of england before the norman conquest in 1066
• Translation of timber prototypes into stone.
• All saints church
• Eals Bartin stone carvings
• Brixworth

FRENCH ROMANESQUE (ECCLESIATICAL ARCHITECTURE) 9th - 12th CENTURY

STRUCTURES:
• Angloume Cathedral
• Notre Dame Du Port
• S. Madeleine, Vezelay
• The Abbey Church
• Notre Dame La Gande, France

GERMAN ROMANESQUE - 10th - 12th CENTURY

⁃ Early romanesque architecture of the german dynasty that rules as emperors of the hoy
roman empire from 962 - 1002 AD
⁃ Development of forms derived from carolingian and byzantine concepts
STRUCTURES:
⁃ S. Michaelsm Hildesheim
⁃ S. Bartholomew, Belgium
⁃ Worms Cathedral - typical german romanesque church and ramined the seat or bishops,
archbishops & electors for 1500 years.

LOMBARD ARCHUTECTURE (NORTHERN ITALY)

⁃ Early Romanesque architecture of nirthern italy of the 7th and 8th centuries.
⁃ Use of early catholic and roman forms and the development of the ribbed vault and
vaulting shaft
STRUCTURES:
⁃ Basilica of S. Colombano
⁃ S. Zeno maggiore, Verona
⁃ Carolingian Architecture
⁃ Early Romanesque apArchitecture of the frankish dynasty that reigned in France AD
BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
Simplicity – in external design w/c resulted in the use of clay and rubble.
Richness – in internal treatment importing “marble”.

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES
1. Characterized by large pendentives supported domes to cover polygonal & square
2. Plans for churches & baptisteries, rounded arches, elaborated columns with colors.
3. Features the grouping of small domes or semi-domes around a large central dome.
4. Extensive use of “mosaic decoration”.
5. They don’t use campanile and atrium in their mosques.

PROMINENT FIGURES CONSIDERED MOVERS OF THIS ARHITECTURE:

1. THEODOSIUS II – Built several military gates and towers (defense against the Goths & Huns)
but cannot avoid the Moslems or the Islamic people.
2. JUSTINIAN – Responsible for rebuilding of St. Sophia “Divine Wisdom” w/c now turned to a
Moslem Mosque.
3. ANTHEMIUS of tralles & ISODORUS of Miletus – Architects of HAGIA SOPHIA

No two Byzantine churches were identical features of the ideal Byzantine church:
• Central plan
• Pendentive dome
• String focus on structure, lighting, and
• Elaborate decoration
Byzantine architecture was continuing and refinement of Roman styles and techniques.

DOMES
• Occasionally, domes were placed over polygons or even squares.
• Create certain structural problems
• Pendentive
- Provide a way to set a circle (dome) atop a square
- A roman invention, though rarely used
- Byzantines used pendentives very often
• Domes were used to invoke powerful images of the Christian heaven
Dome on a pendentives. ABCD is the square area over w/c a dome is to be erected. If the diameter of the
dome is equal to one side of the square, the area will not be covered; if it is equal to the diagonal of the
square, the dome will project beyond sides;
1. The latter diameter was sometimes used and the sides of the dome cut off vertically so that the
square was exactly covered; but the result was imperfect dome.
2. To secure a perfect dome the Byzantine builders conceive the idea of slicing this imperfect dome
off horizontally just above the arches made by the vertical cutting, thus securing a circular base
upon w/c to erect a true dome.
3. The triangular segments of the original dome are the pendentives.

• LIGHTING AND DECORATION

• Articulation was very important in Byzantine architecture
• No visible surfaces were left in a natural state
• All was dissolved in color and light:
o Glowing marble pavements
o Richly veined marble walls
o Extensive mosaic cycles
o Rich patterns of light created by glass and structural features

• HAGIA SOPHIA
• Built in an amazing five years
• Its first dome was destroyed by an
earthquake and rebuilt in 563 A.D
• Was converted to a mosque by the
Ottoman
ARTHEMIUS and ISODORUS’ solution was revolutionary.
• They used triangular transition features from four
massive support piers to a drum and then to the
shallow dome above.

• Octagonal
• Buildings achieved this through transitional
arches or corbelling features in an
architectural design known as a SQUINCH
• The building was enormous and complex, requiring tremendous mathematical precision

• Circular, central plan churches were very difficult to build.

• Octagonal supporting domes became a popular and simpler to
construct alternative.
• See how a series of large supporting piers rises to support the dome.
• Gone is the pantheon’s great Drum & windowless walls.

• Around the central space run side aisles, beyond the flanking
pillars, which gives additional space in similar fashion to that of a
basilica.

Byzantine Capital, Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo

Altar, Basilica of Sant’ Apollinare

Sta. Constanza in Rome (350 AD), the mausoleum for Constantine’s daughter, provided a model for
Christian architects who sought to use the more perfect form of the circle in their designs, without the
massive drum of the Pantheon. Curiously, the idea originated in Roman bath houses.
SARACENIC ARCHITECTURE
PRINCIPAL BUILDING:
Masjid/Mosque
3 TYPES:
• Fami Masjid/Friday Mosque – biggest Madrasa – collegiate mosque, learning
• Tomb Mosque
Characterized of Friday Mosque:

MINARET – Tower
DIKKA – reading desk MIHRAB – niche
MIMBAR – pulpit LIWANIT – colonnade
FAWARA – fountain SAHN – open space
MAQSURA – screen
CHARACTERISTICS OF MOSQUE:
DOME
• COLONNADE – trefoil, ogee, horseshoe, lancet
• ORNAMENTS – mnemonic inscription (text)
• SUPERIMPOSED ORNAMENTS - in layers
• STALACTITE – found in pendentives (muqarna) 3d corbels

EXAMPLES OF MUSLIM ARCHITECTURE:

ARABIAN SARACENIC
• Great Mosque Mecca
ASSYRIAN SARACENIC
• Dome of the rock, Jerusalem – holiest place
SPANISH SARACENIC
• Great Mosque Cordova – capital of islam religion in west
• Giralda, Seville – most beautiful towers
• Alhambra Granada – part of the royal palace, most famous
TURKISH SARACENIC
• Taj Mahal, Agra – most important, made of marble
MUMTAZ means “the chosen one”
• Queen Mumzta Mahal
• To whom Taj Mahal was built as her tomb
• King Shah Jehan

Modest ornament with calligraphy contains famous line The world is but a bridge pass over but build no
houses on it.

TYPICAL PARTS OF A SARACENIC TEMPLE TOMB