RESEARCH

IN
HOA 2

Bongon, Aaron Christian R.

AR21FA5
Submitted to: Ar. Romeo Camacho
Topic: Romanesque and Medieval Architecture
 ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE

Influencing Factors

Geographical Influence

 Romanesque Architecture is the combination of Roman and Byzantine Architecture

 Basically roman in style such as Arcs
 They grew in the countries under roman rule
 Beginning date of the Romanesque style, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the
11th century
 Examples of Romanesque architecture can be found in the first pan-European
architectural style since Imperial Roman architecture
 The Romanesque style in England is traditionally referred to as Norman architecture.

Geological Influence

The most common material used for construction was stone, brick marble or terra
cotta, as well as ready-made columns and features from old Roman buildings.
 The walls are massive thickness with few and comparatively small openings.
They are often double shells, filled with rubble.
 Because of the massive nature of Romanesque walls, buttresses are not a highly
significant feature
 Romanesque buttresses are generally of flat square profile and do not project a
great deal beyond the wall
 Castle Rising, England, shows flat buttresses and reinforcing at the corners of
the building typical in both castles and churches.
 The arches used in Romanesque architecture are always semicircular, for
openings such as doors and windows, for vaults and for arcades.
 An arcade is a row of arches, supported on piers or columns. They occur
in the interior of large churches, separating the nave from the aisles.
 Worms Cathedral, Germany, displays a great variety of openings and
arcades including wheel and rose windows.
 Piers are used to support arches. They were built of masonry and
square or rectangular in section. Sometimes piers have vertical
shafts attached to them.

 Columns are an important structural feature of Romanesque

architecture:
-Salvage Columns (the most durable column)
-Drum Columns (supporting thicker upper walls with small
windows and heavy vaults.
-Hollow Core Columns (this columns filled with rubble and
ornamented with decorations.

 The foliate Corinthian style provided the inspiration for many

Romanesque capitals
Vaults

Barrel Vault – simplest vaulted roof in which a single arched surface extends from wall to wall

Groin Vault - are most frequently used for the less visible and smaller vaults, particularly in
crypts and aisles. A groin vault is almost always square in plan and is constructed of two barrel
vaults intersecting at right angles.

Ribbed Vault - Each vaulted bay has diagonal ribs, following the same course as the groins in a
groin vault.

Fan Vault - A form of vault used in the Gothic style, in which the ribs are all of the same curve
and spaced equidistantly, in a manner resembling a fan.
Climatic

 There were huge variations in the climate of Italy, France and England.
 Climate of north being dull, large window openings were provided to allow sufficient
sunlight, whereas south being hot, small windows kept to cutoff dazzling sunlight.
 Due to less rainfall in the south part, roofs were provided to drain out water and snow.

Religious

 Became the center/unifying force which influence the development of church

architecture throughout Europe especially on areas/countries that were under the
Roman Empire.
 Development of religious orders that expanded monasteries
 Pilgrimage routes and crusades
 Religious buildings were predominant due to spread of Christianity.
 The fundamental emblematic structure of the Romanesque was the church.

Social/Political

 Life became generally less secure after the Carolingian period

 After the invasion, the England and Normandy unified and the building of both castles
and churches reinforced the Norman presence.
 Life became generally less secure after the Carolingian period. This resulted in the
building of castles at strategic points, many of them being constructed as strongholds of
the Normans
 Political struggles also resulted in the fortification of many towns, or the rebuilding and
strengthening of walls that remained from the Roman period

Historical

 From the fall of Roman Empire to the period of Charlemagne, many churches were
constructed.
 He encouraged artists and craftsmen and restored art and civilization in west Europe.
 For the next two centuries, architecture made little progress with slight changes.
NOTABLE FEATURES

Architectural Character

 Harmonious proportions and stone barrel vault or groin vault

 Thick and heavy walls and pillars
 Small windows
 Round arches supporting the roof
 Round blind arches used extensively for decoration inside and out
 Nave with side aisles
 Galleries above the side aisles, separated from the navy by triforium

Methods of Contruction and Building Materials

 Materials used in is /her are brick

 Limestone, Granite
 The building stone
 Romanesque buildings were made of stone, but often had wooden roofs because
people were still not very good at building stone roofs yet
 If they did stone roofs, the walls had to be very thick in order to hold up the roofs, and
there couldn’t be very many windows either, so Romanesque buildings were often very
heavy and dark inside

FAMOUS STRUCTURES

 Pisa Cathedral - is a medieval Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to

the Assumption of the Virgin Maryis a medieval Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to
the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, in the Piazza de Miracoli in Pisa, Italy. It is a notable
example of Romanesque architecture, in particular the style known as Pisan Romanesque.It
is the seat of the Archbishop of Pisa.
 Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte - is a basilica in Florence, central Italy, standing
atop one of the highest points in the city. It has been described as one of the
finest Romanesque structures in Tuscany and one of the most scenic churches in
Italy. There is an adjoining Olivetan monastery, seen to the right of the basilica when
ascending the stairs.

 Vézelay Abbey - a Benedictina and Cluniac monastery in Vézelay in

the Yonne department in northern Burgundy, France. The Benedictine abbey church,
now the Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine (Saint Mary Magdalene), with its
complicated program of imagery in sculpted capitals and portals, is one of the
outstanding masterpieces of Burgundian Romanesque art and architecture. Sacked
by the Huguenots in 1569, the building suffered neglect in the 17th and the 18th
centuries and some further damage during the period of the French Revolution.
 Leaning Tower of Pisa - The tower's tilt began during construction in the 12th century, due
to soft ground on one side, which was unable to properly support the structure's weight.
The tilt increased in the decades before the structure was completed in the 14th century. It
gradually increased until the structure was stabilized (and the tilt partially corrected) by
efforts in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

 Basilica of Saint-Sernin - is a church in Toulouse, France, the former abbey church

of the Abbey of Saint-Sernin or St Saturnin. Apart from the church, none of the
abbey buildings remain. The current church is located on the site of a
previous basilica of the 4th century which contained the body of Saint Saturnin or
Sernin, the first bishop of Toulouse in c. 250. Constructed in the Romanesque style
between about 1080 and 1120, with construction continuing thereafter, Saint-
Sernin is the largest remaining Romanesque building in Europe, if not the world. The
church is particularly noted for the quality and quantity of its Romanesque
sculpture. In 1998 the basilica was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites under
the description: World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in
France
REFERENCES

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanesque_architecture#Columns

https://www.slideshare.net/yumiakinu/romanesque-architecture-32446530

https://www.slideshare.net/AnantNautiyal/romanesque-architecture-47327775

https://www.slideshare.net/BinumolTom/romanesque-architecture-14165982

https://www.slideshare.net/mfresnillo/romanesque-architecture
 MEDIEVAL ARCHITECTURE

Influencing Factors

Geographical Influence

 Gothic architecture is an architectural style that flourished in Europe during the High
and Late Middle Ages. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by
Renaissance architecture. Originating in 12th century France and lasting into the 16th
century, Gothic architecture was known during the period as Opus Francigenum
(“French work”) with the term Gothic first appearing during the later part of the
Renaissance.

Geological Influence

 Lime Mortar
-was made by extracting stone from a limestone quarry (lime works) which was then
processed into a lime kiln in order to be rendered into a malleable form (quick lime).
This allowed Lime to be used for building, rendering, plastering and lime washing
building. Lime power was also used as mortar in between stone slabs which provided
very good insulation for the building. In locations that Lime stone could not be found,
oyster shells were used in kilns in order to produce a very similar material (both are
calcium carbonate)
 Stone
- Stone was used during the medieval times for a variety of purposes. Due to it’s
sturdy nature, stone was an excellent building material for structures that were meant
to inspire awe and last in time, in some instances, their capability of take a significant
pounding was also quite important. Bridges, Cathedrals, Castles and Manors all used
masonry as their main structural component. Of course all of those buildings also made
extensive use of lumber but, in most of them, even the frame was made of stone.
 Marble/Granite
- With the exception of Limestone (Purbeck marble) that was used for some Cathedrals,
marble and granite were not commonly used in the middle ages England. In later times
(Renaissance) Marble is used to construct mostly civic buildings and in some cases
religious. At the same Marble as with clay bricks is commonly used in the Italian States.
  Glass
-Glass, in most instances as stained glass was used commonly for the decoration of
religious, civic and some military building. Stained glass allowed to sufficiently light
stone buildings but also to decorate them in a way that will inspire awe to all that visit
buildings that made use of it.

Climatic

 There were huge variations in the climate of Italy, France and England.
 Climate of north being dull, large window openings were provided to allow sufficient
sunlight, whereas south being hot, small windows kept to cutoff dazzling sunlight.
 Due to less rainfall in the south part, roofs were provided to drain out water and snow.

Religious

 The geographical expanse of the Gothic style is analogous to that of the Catholic Church,
which prevailed across Europe at this time and influenced not only faith but also wealth
and power. Bishops were appointed by the feudal lords (Kings, Dukes, and other
landowners) and they often ruled as virtual princes over large estates. The early
Medieval periods had seen a rapid growth in monasticism, with several different orders
being prevalent and spreading their influence widely. Foremost were the Benedictines
whose great abbey churches vastly outnumbered any others in France and England. A
part of their influence was that towns developed around them and they became centers
of culture, learning and commerce. The Cluniac and Cistercian Orders were prevalent in
France, the great monastery at Cluny having established a formula for a well planned
monastic site which was then to influence all subsequent monastic building for many
centuries. In the 13th century St. Francis of Assisi established the Franciscans, a
mendicant order. The Dominicans, another mendicant order founded during the same
period but by St. Dominic in Toulouse and Bologna, were particularly influential in the
building of Italy’s Gothic churches.
Social/Political

 The roots of the Gothic style lie in those towns that, since the 11th century, had been
enjoying increased prosperity and growth, began to experience more and more freedom
from traditional feudal authority. At the end of the 12th century, Europe was divided
into a multitude of city states and kingdoms. The area encompassing modern Germany,
southern Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Liechtenstein,
Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic and much of northern Italy (excluding Venice and Papal
State) was nominally part of the Holy Roman Empire, but local rulers exercised
considerable autonomy under the system of Feudalism. France, Denmark, Poland,
Hungary, Portugal, Scotland, Castile, Aragon, Navarre, Sicily and Cyprus were
independent kingdoms, as was the Angevin Empire, whose Plantagenet kings ruled
England and large domains in what was to become modern France. Norway came under
the influence of England, while the other Scandinavian countries and Poland were
influenced by trading contacts with the Hanseatic League. Angevin kings brought the
Gothic tradition from France to Southern Italy, while Lusignan kings introduced French
Gothic architecture to Cyprus. Gothic art is sometimes viewed as the art of the era of
feudalism but also as being connected to change in medieval social structure, as the
Gothic style of architecture seemed to parallel the beginning of the decline of feudalism.
Nevertheless, the influence of the established feudal elite can be seen in the Chateaux
of French lords and in those churches sponsored by feudal lords.

Historical

 The Gothic style originated in the Ile-de-France region of France at the Romanesque era
in the first half of the 12th century, at the Cathedral of Sens (1130–62) and Abbey of St-
Denis (c. 1130–40 and 1140–44), and did not immediately supersede it. An example of
this lack clean break is the blossoming of the Late Romanesque (German:
Spätromanisch) in the Holy Roman Empire under the Hohenstaufens and Rhineland
while the Gothic style spread into England and France in the 12th century.
NOTABLE FEATURES

Architectural Character

 As an architectural style, Gothic developed primarily in ecclesiastical architecture, and

its principles and characteristic forms were applied to other types of buildings. Buildings
of every type were constructed in the Gothic style, with evidence remaining of simple
domestic buildings, elegant town houses, grand palaces, commercial premises, civic
buildings, castles, city walls, bridges, village churches, abbey churches, abbey complexes
and large cathedrals.

Methods of Construction and Building Materials

 The Legacy of Rome: Arches and Vaults - By far the most important legacy from Rome
was the arch, which constituted the basis of medieval church architecture. An arch is a
curved structural form composed of wedge-shaped stones called voussoirs. The
uppermost voussoir is the keystone which, when dropped into place, locks the other
stones of the entire arch together. Pushing against one another, the stones stay in place,
and as long as there is enough material around the arch to resist this outward, pushing
force, the arch will remain stable.

 The Flying Buttress - Along with pointed arches and ribbed groin vaults, the flying
buttress was introduced as a key structural component in mid-twelfth century buildings
such as the Abbey of Saint-Germaindes-Prés and the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, both in
Paris, and the Cathedral at Chartres, France. Exposed arches "flying" over the aisles of
the church act to brace the wall against the outward thrust of the vault and the wind
pressure on the roof and to direct these forces to massive slabs of masonry (buttresses).

 Timber - Most buildings in the Middle Ages—houses, forts, barns, market halls, and
even parish churches—were made of timber. Stone construction itself required vast
quantities of wood for the temporary scaffolds socketed into walls that served as work
platforms in upper levels, for formwork upon which vault stones were laid, and for
templates or patterns that guided the cutting of moldings

 Trusses, stiffened by curving scissor braces, are supported by tall timber posts or staves
to create a bay system that may have influenced the development of a comparably
integrated frame in stone architecture.
FAMOUS STRUCTURES

 Alhambra Palace
an epitome of the Moorish architecture in Iberia. Constructed in the mid-13th century in the Emirate of
Grenada, Alhambra essentially incorporates most of the defining features of Moorish architecture. The
palace complex occupies a huge place and includes residential quarters, fortifications around the
boundaries, sizable courtyards and fountains in the interior, lavishly embellished carvings and
arabesques all over the walls and window panels and the extensive use of the iconic Moorish muqarnas.

 Cologne Cathedral
- began in 1248 and continued until the 15th century but it was ultimately completed only in the 19th
century.
- huge of exceptionally tall spires, closely following the defining Gothic architectural features.
Architectural marvels of the Cathedral include the use of flying buttresses, very high Gothic vaults and
highly intricate decorations and carvings on the entrances and interior of the cathedral.
  The tower of London
- The original construction of the Tower of London dates back to 1066, the same year when Normans
under William the Conqueror took over the control of England from the Anglo-Saxons.
- The architecture of the Tower reveals the Norman style of constructing very strong and awe-inspiring
towers and fortifications which, at the time of the construction, served to subdue the local population in
the face of Norman invasion.

REFERENCES

https://www.medievalchronicles.com/medieval-architecture/famous-medieval-
architecture-list/

https://www.slideshare.net/ljordy/medieval-art-and-architecture-presentation

https://www.lostkingdom.net/medieval-architecture-building-materials/
 RESEARCH
IN
HOA 2

Bongon, Aaron Christian R.

AR21FA5
Submitted to: Ar. Romeo Camacho
Topic: Gothic Architecture
 GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE

Influencing Factors

Geographical Influence

 The various peoples of Western Europe, who had once been under the dominion and
civilisation of Rome, had by the end of the twelfth century formed into separate nations,
with a consequent new territorial distribution of the map of Europe. The Latin races of
France, Italy, and Spain developed into independent kingdoms ; Germany was the
centre of the Holy Roman Empire ; England, under her Norman kings, possessed large
domains in France and was thus linked up with Western Europe ; but Russia, Sweden,
and Norway were little affected by this movement.

Geological Influence

 Geological conditions vary so much in Europe that they contribute a definite influence in
differentiating the style according to countries ; thus the white and coloured marbles of
Italy, the coarse-grained stone of France and England, the brick of northern Germany
and of Lombardy are all factors, as will be seen, in determining the character of the
architecture of these countries.

Climatic

 Climatic conditions, which, even in Europe, vary from north to south and east to west,
have in all ages and countries had considerable influence in deciding the style of the
architecture in any given district. Thus in the slanting rays of the northern sun the most
effective shadows are cast by vertical features, such as the buttresses and pinnacles
which surround northern Gothic churches. The southern sun moves higher in the
firmament and thus the deepest shadows are cast from horizontal cornices, and these
are therefore frequently retained in Italian Gothic. Although this did not wholly
determine the difference in treatment, it is interesting to observe that the highest
development of Gothic architecture was achieved in northern latitudes. Climate, as will
be seen, more especially affected the use of arcades and the size of door and window
openings ; while heavy snow-falls necessitated steep Gothic roofs in the north.
Religious

 The conditions of the Christian Church and the rise of monastic communities precedent
to the Gothic period have been dealt with under Romanesque architecture (p. 244). The
immense power of the popes in the thirteenth century can be judged from the way.
they made and unmade emperors and kings and disposed of their dominions. The
clergy, by reason of their learning, were prominent not only in spiritual but also in
temporal affairs, and thus attracted wealth and power to the church. In Germany many
of the abbots and bishops were princes of the Empire, and the Archbishops of Cologne,
Treves, and Mayence were among the Electors of the Holy Roman Empire. The
periodical pilgrimages to shrines of local saints and of holy relics, and the various forms
of an increasingly ornate ritual, influenced the plans of cathedrals. In England the
adoration of the Virgin Mary was responsible for the introduction of Lady chapels, either
as a prolongation of the eastern end, as at Salisbury (p. 332 E), or as a lateral addition,
as at Ely (p. 332 A). The extension of the sanctuary to provide for the increase in the
numbers of the clergy, chapels dedicated to special saints, processional ambulatories,
chantry chapels for masses for the dead, all in turn modified and extended the original
plan in the different countries..

Social/Political

 The rapid growth of towns and the development of commercial activity, with the
consequent increase of wealth, inspired a rivalry between neighbouring cities which was
expressed in the erection of magnificent buildings both municipal and ecclesiastical. The
countries of Europe developed along different lines according to the genius of the
people, as set forth in the following chapters—English (p. 314), French (p. 436), Belgian
and Dutch (p. 469), German (p. 483), Italian (p. 498), and Spanish (p. 525) Gothic
architecture. In Germany towns united for mutual defence, as exemplified in the famous
Hanseatic League. France and England were much under the heel of the feudal system,
which retarded municipal activity but gave opportunity for domestic architecture. Italy
was divided into republics and dukedoms, in which smaller cities were subject to the
more powerful, and here they developed with greater freedom owing to disputes
between the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire and to the comparative freedom of
Italy from the feudal system.
Historical

 The principal historical events which influenced the architecture of the different
countries are referred to in subsequent chapters ; but, briefly, they were the loss of the
English possessions in France, the gradual subjugation of the various provinces of France
under one king, the disintegration of Germany into a number of independent states, the
contests between the Moors and Christians in Spain, and the Latin conquest of
Constantinople in A.D. 1203, which transferred the commerce of the East to the cities of
Italy.

NOTABLE FEATURES

Architectural Character

 SPIRES
These are tapering architectural elements that often replaced the steeple to lend an
impression of loftiness. Gothic cathedrals often feature profuse spiring, giving the
impression of battlements - symbolic of a religious fortress protecting the faith. It had
the ability to achieve radical heights while lending a feeling of lightness through its
skeletal structure.
 FLYING BUTTRESS
Spider-leg like in appearance, a flying buttress was originally instated as an aesthetic
device. Later, they were converted into ingenious structural devices that transferred the
dead-load of the vaulted roof to the ground. To add a degree of stiffness to the
structure, they were stepped back from the main wall and connected to the roof via
arching supports.

 GARGOYLES
The gargoyle (derived from the French word gargouille, meaning gargle) is a sculptural
waterspout, placed to prevent rainwater from running down masonry walls. These
numerous grimacing sculptures divided the flow among them, minimizing potential
water damage. Gargoyles were sculpted on the ground and placed as the building
neared completion. St. Romanus is often associated with the gargoyle; legend speaks of
him saving Rouen from a snarling dragon that struck terror even in the heart of spirits.
Known as La Gargouille, the beast was vanquished and its head mounted on a newly
built church, as an example and warning
 POINTED ARCH
Recorded for the first time in Christian architecture during the Gothic era, the pointed
arch was used to direct the weight of the vaulted roof downward along its ribs. Unlike
the earlier Romanesque churches which depended solely on the walls to carry the
immense weight of the roof, the pointed arches helped restrict and selectively transfer
the load onto columns and other load-bearing supports, thereby freeing up the walls.

 OCULUS
Two specific window designs were established during the Gothic period - the narrowly
pointed lancet reinforced height, while the circular oculus held stained-glass. As height
grew less of an objective with Gothic builders, the latter half of the Rayonnant Gothic
saw structures reduced to an almost-skeletal, diaphanous frame. Windows were
expanded and walls replaced by traceried glass. An immense oculus on the triforium
wall of churches formed a rose window, the largest of which is found at St. Denis.
Divided by stone mullions and bars, it held radiating stone spokes like a wheel and was
placed below a pointed arch.
 RIB and FAN VAULT
Gothic architecture replaced Romanesque groin vaults with ribbed vaults to counteract
complexities of construction and limitations that allowed it to only span square rooms.
Also known as ogival vaulting, ribbed vaulting developed with the need to transfer roof-
loads better, while freeing up inner walls for tracery and glass. More ribs were added to
the basic Romanesque barrel vault to increase the transfer of loads to the ground. As
the Gothic era achieved its zenith, complex vaulting systems such as the quadripartite
and sexpartite vaulting techniques were developed. The development of ribbed vaulting
reduced the need for inner load-bearing walls, thereby opening up the inner space and
providing visual and aesthetic unity.

 STATUE COLUMN
The Early Gothic era showcases some of the most detailed sculpture of the period. It
was not uncommon to find statues that were of ‘structural’ nature, carved from the
same stone as the column that held up the roof. Often depicting patriarchs, prophets,
and kings, they were placed in the porches of later Gothic churches to lend an element
of verticality. These larger-than-life depictions may also be spotted in the embrasures
on either side of cathedral entrances. In France, column-statues often depicted rows of
finely-dressed courtiers, reflecting the prosperity of the kingdom.
Methods of Contruction and Building Materials

 The Legacy of Rome: Arches and Vaults - By far the most important legacy from Rome
was the arch, which constituted the basis of medieval church architecture. An arch is a
curved structural form composed of wedge-shaped stones called voussoirs. The
uppermost voussoir is the keystone which, when dropped into place, locks the other
stones of the entire arch together. Pushing against one another, the stones stay in place,
and as long as there is enough material around the arch to resist this outward, pushing
force, the arch will remain stable.

 The Flying Buttress - Along with pointed arches and ribbed groin vaults, the flying
buttress was introduced as a key structural component in mid-twelfth century buildings
such as the Abbey of Saint-Germaindes-Prés and the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, both in
Paris, and the Cathedral at Chartres, France. Exposed arches "flying" over the aisles of
the church act to brace the wall against the outward thrust of the vault and the wind
pressure on the roof and to direct these forces to massive slabs of masonry (buttresses).

 Timber - Most buildings in the Middle Ages—houses, forts, barns, market halls, and
even parish churches—were made of timber. Stone construction itself required vast
quantities of wood for the temporary scaffolds socketed into walls that served as work
platforms in upper levels, for formwork upon which vault stones were laid, and for
templates or patterns that guided the cutting of moldings

 Trusses, stiffened by curving scissor braces, are supported by tall timber posts or staves
to create a bay system that may have influenced the development of a comparably
integrated frame in stone architecture.
FAMOUS STRUCTURES

 Durham Cathedral (1128-1134)

-England
-A rib vaulted and a pointed arch roof

 Cathedral of Cefalu (1131-1471)

-Sicily
-In 1420, Portico was added between the two towers of the façade
 St. Denis’ Basilica (1135-1140)
-France
-The flying buttresss, pointed arches and ribbed vault were used as one unit for the
first time in this cathedral.

 Noyon Cathedral (1150-1231)

-France
-First true gothic cathedral because of the heavy use of all features that came to be
known as gothic including pointed arches , flying buttresses and ribbed vaulting
REFERENCES

http://www.oldandsold.com/articles23/architecture-69.shtml

https://historylists.org/architecture/10-defining-characteristics-of-gothic-
architecture.html

https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/culture-magazines/construction-
techniques

https://www.slideshare.net/mudra1996/gothic-architecture-27855379