Romanesque

ca 1000-1200 ADAn introduction

The End of the WorldEvery time there is a new millennium, people think the world will end. Even before the year 1000, people believed the Second Coming of Christ was imminent, and that ‘the end was nigh’. When the apocalypse didn’t happen in 1000, it was decided that the correct year must be 1033, a thousand years from the death of Jesus Christ, but then that year also passed without any major disaster. Together with this ‘millennial panic’, from the year 950 onwards, there was a big increase in the building of religious structures. Not surprisingly, there was also an increase in the popularity of the religious pilgrimage. A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place, undertaken to save one’s soul. The Way of St JamesFor the average European in the 12th Century, a pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Jerusalem was out of the question ( too far, too dangerous and too expensive). Santiago de Compostela in Spain offered a much more convenient option. Even today, hundreds of thousands of faithful travel the “Way of Saint James” to the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela. They go on foot across Europe to a holy shrine where bones, believed to belong to Saint James, were discovered. The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela now stands on this site. The pious (religious people) of the Middle Ages wanted to pay homage to holy relics, and other pilgrimage churches were built all along the route to Spain. Pilgrims commonly walked barefoot and wore a scalloped shell, the symbol of Saint James (the shell's grooves symbolize the many roads of the pilgrimage). In France alone there were four main routes toward Spain. Le Puy, Arles, Paris and Vézelay are the cities on these roads and each contains a church that was an important pilgrimage site in its own right.

Why make a Pilgrimage?A pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela was an expression of Christian devotion and it was believed that it could purify and save the soul and perhaps even produce miraculous healing benefits. A criminal could travel the "Way of Saint James" as an act of penance.

The Cult of the RelicPilgrimage churches can be seen in part as a type of spiritual tourism for medieval travellers. Guidebooks, badges and various souvenirs were sold. Pilgrims would spend money in the towns that had important sacred relics. The cult of relic was at its peak during the Romanesque period (c. 1000 - 1200 C.E.). Relics are religious objects generally connected to a saint. A relic might be a body part, a saint's finger, a cloth worn by the Virgin Mary, or a piece of the True Cross. Relics are often housed in a protective container called a reliquary. Reliquaries are often quite opulent and can be encrusted with precious metals and gemstones given by the faithful. Because of their sacred and economic value, every church wanted an important relic and a black market boomed with fake and stolen goods.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Thick Walls, Small WindowsRomanesque churches were dark. This was mainly because of the use of stone barrel-vaults. (PRO) This aesthetically-pleasing system also provided excellent acoustics for the church service, as well as reducing fire danger. (CON) However, a barrel vault places continuous lateral thrust (outward pressure) all along the walls that support the vault. This meant the outer walls of the church had to be extra thick. It also meant that windows had to be small and few. dark interior.

When builders dared to make walls with more or bigger windows, some churches actually collapsed!

The thrust of a barrel (tunnel) vault

THINGS TO THINK ABOUTLook at the arch. Which civilisation used, developed and perfected the arch?Why is this period called Romanesque?

How did pilgrimages & the cult of relics change the architecture of churches?Pilgrimage churches were constructed with some special features to make them particularly accessible to visitors. Why? Because the aim was to get lots of people inside to the relics and out again, without disturbing the Mass in the centre of the church. 1.A large portal that could accommodate the crowds of the faithful arriving and wanting to enter. 2.These portals had an elaborate sculptural programme showing the Second Coming: this was a good way to remind the weary pilgrim why they had made the trip!3.A pilgrimage church usually had a double aisle on either side of the nave (2+1+2). In this way, the visitor could move easily around the outer edges of the church without disturbing anyone.4.Radiating chapels were built (small rooms usually at the back behind the altar) where pilgrims could kneel and pray to the relics on display. 5.The design included an ambulatory behind the altar to let pilgrims easily reach these radiating chapels (or apsidioles). The faithful would move from radiating chapel to chapel, venerating the relics.

Sources and extra info

http://youtu.be/nhkw7udPDns Art historian Michael Wood’s “A White Garment of Churches”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmAJ7xPQWjw Otis Art History 13 - Romanesque Architecture

http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/Romanesque.html

http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/church-architecture-an-overview.html

http://www.teacheroz.com/generalancient.htm Useful link with timelines and overviews