Romanesque Architecture in France Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Introduction

French Romanesque architecture has variously been regarded as an outgrowth of the local and foreign artistic experiences that distilled onto the country’s architectural sphere. The active influences of Roman orthodox Christianity, the demands of the monasteries, and the contact with other cultural systems found their representations in these works of architecture.

Features that marked this architecture

One of the singular features that marked these cultural and artistic forces was the replacement of the wooden roofs with the special stone vault (Kostof & Greg, 332). The wooden beam ceiling that was used traditionally was considered structurally inferior. The concerns were that its structural limitations could not guarantee support to the component features that were borrowed from the invading stylistic influences.

The stone barrel vault that was replaced had the effect of making the nave of the building appear broad and massive. The gradual replacement of the wooden beams with the stone vault had the effect of giving the upcoming buildings the requisite finesse of Roman architecture, without compromising on the local cultural preferences. In a way, therefore, France managed to invent a hybrid system of architecture by improving her own traditional artistic peculiarities with selected Roman features.

The influence of pilgrimage art brought deliberate efforts to embed into French architecture forms of art that reflected on the strong Christian values that had shaped up and practiced in Rome (Kostof & Greg, 305). The demands and preferences of the French monasteries during the same epoch meshed into the artworks so that the resulting ambiance of France’s skyline gave the feel of the holistic lifestyle of the French, cutting through the life zones of her political culture, social life, religiosity, and aesthetics.

Interior features of the architecture

Clerestory windows were the most outstanding interior feature of this architecture, and had the effect of illuminating the interior of the building so that the entire expanse of other features was well highlighted. The Romanesque period represented the forces of cultural change that were at work in Western Europe. This was also a time when the Roman Empire had made significant endeavors to spread the reach of her cultural systems. It is because of this factor, especially, that the resulting architecture has been thought of as a major step in Rome’s cultural imperialist intentions.

The Benedictine monastery church that was located at Cluny in Burgundy was arguably one of the largest and grandest Romanesque artwork. The building was an artistic summation of France’s cultural life, and the varieties of its makers have been used in many scholarly works as important signifiers that give highlights on the historical processes that gave shape to the Romanesque values and ideologies. The large size of the building was an art show of solidarity and patriotism among the French. In a way, the shape and size of the emerging architectural works were quite often used as ways that represented the artworks as bastions of protectionism against the emerging tendencies of conquest from neighboring and distant civilizations.

The massive Benedictine monastery church was among the very first building to be covered with the stone vault. The building contained five aisles with another two transepts. Three was also a chevet, a network, and a narthex as other fundamental features that vibrated with the ideological rhythms of Romanesque architecture (Kostof & Greg, 317). The features of this building were later to become revolutionary in aspect, as concerns French architecture. They were widely aped by other churches throughout France.

Conclusion

The visual features of the crucifix and other biblical allusions were used together with the depictions of other life forms like people, emperors, and vegetation to give the interior decorations a form of realism that expressed the Romanesque hybrid art.

Work Cited

Kostof, Spiro, and Greg Castillo. A history of architecture: settings and rituals. Ed2. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2022, January 7). Romanesque Architecture in France. https://ivypanda.com/essays/romanesque-architecture-in-france/

Work Cited

"Romanesque Architecture in France." IvyPanda, 7 Jan. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/romanesque-architecture-in-france/.

References

IvyPanda. (2022) 'Romanesque Architecture in France'. 7 January.

References

IvyPanda. 2022. "Romanesque Architecture in France." January 7, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/romanesque-architecture-in-france/.

1. IvyPanda. "Romanesque Architecture in France." January 7, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/romanesque-architecture-in-france/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Romanesque Architecture in France." January 7, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/romanesque-architecture-in-france/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1