What is a Romanesque Church?

If you've ever paused and marveled at an Old Stone Church that reminded you of a Castle from the era of kings and knights Then you were probably looking at a Place of worship built in the Romanesque Style most churches and monasteries Constructed in Europe during the era of The Crusades that's roughly the 10th Through the 13th centuries A.D Were Made Of Stone and featured rounded arches With Stout thick walls in a manner Reminiscent of old Roman architecture of Course Builders at the time didn't call The churches they were making Romanesque That term was coined centuries later Around 1820 when a group of French Archaeologists suggested that these Medieval structures seemed to them to be A debased version of classical Roman Design the expression Romanesque may Have initially been intended as a Historical slight but that does nothing To detract from the magnificence of the Sacred and secular spaces built in in This style Romanesque buildings in the Middle Ages gave off an air of Permanence and invulnerability Especially when contrasted with the Modest rough hewn Stone and wood Structures that were so common at that Time a Romanesque Castle Monastery or Church would have been the architectural Highlight of any community in which it Was built heavy imposing walls and

Sturdy rows of stone arches used to Create long narrow Halls known Collectively as Barrel vaults could be Employed in defensive structures like Castles or in a castle-like monastery Compound with the abbey church Resembling a castle keep columns and Piers were used to support the central Vaulted Nave and were often adorned with Usually simple stone carvings at their Tops called capitals these decorative Capitals predate Roman design and their Origins can be traced all the way back To ancient Greece The Columns and arches Running lengthwise along both sides of The Nave also known as arcades separate The Nave from the Isles roof paneling in The Nave was generally simple during the Era of the Crusades but increasingly Became more elaborate in later Romanesque churches both churches and Castles in the Romanesque style are Characterized by octagonal Towers like The famous Leaning Tower in Pisa Italy That served as the bell tower for the Pisa Cathedral completed in 1372 the Downside of the robust Romanesque Building style was that such Construction allowed for relatively Narrow windows and consequently modest Natural light and limited space for Stained glass storytelling in general Romanesque churches were far more Austere lacking in sculpture and ornate

Carving than later popular architectural Styles in Europe but those later more Elaborate church building styles don't Represent a complete departure from the Romans style but rather an evolution out Of the Romanesque style in the high and Late Middle Ages engineering Advancements and increased wealth Prompted this Evolution away from the Rounded old Roman style arches of the Romanesque period and toured the pointed Stone arches massive interior spaces Iconic flying buttresses and other Worldly colossal stained glass of the Gothic era as a result of this morphing Process many prominent Romanesque Design Elements became standard for the next Thousand years of church building Including the cross-shaped floor plan The apps at the altar end of the Nave And carved niches above portals called Timpana in spite of being eclipsed in Fame by later design Styles Romanesque Architecture has never fully fallen out Of fashion and even today many newer Romanesque style churches are in use Around the world retaining many of the Hallmarks of these medieval masterpieces Romanesque churches in the Middle Ages Looked backwards borrowing from old Roman motifs to convey stability and Continuity while also taking Innovative Steps looking forward using the floor Plan orientation and windows of churches

In that style to communicate the message Of Christ and his kingdom

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