Romanesque Architecture: Northern Italy

Romanesque Architecture Architectural History ACT 322 Doris Kemp

Topics 



 

Romanesque Architecture: Sicily and Southern Italy Romanesque Architecture: Northern Italy Romanesque Architecture: Tuscany High Romanesque in Normandy and England

Romanesque Architecture: Sicily and Southern Italy 

Norman rulers arrived south of Rome in the mid 11th century 



Influences of Byzantium and Saracenic entangled with northern European traditions

Important structures: Norman Cathedrals of Cefalu  Church of S. Nicola, Bari 

Romanesque Architecture: Sicily and Southern Italy 

Norman Cathedral of Cefalu Located in Palermo, Sicily  Massive east with choir flanked by lateral chapels  Twin-towered façade  Fragile basilican nave with columnar supports  Interior featured a Byzantine mosaic of Christ 

Romanesque Architecture: Sicily and Southern Italy

Photo: Sullivan

Romanesque Architecture: Sicily and Southern Italy 

Church of S. Nicola 



Located in Bari, Southern Italy A fusion of early Christian with steep proportions of Norman models

Photo: Sullivan

Romanesque Architecture: Northern Italy 

Structures in Northern Italy had a strong classical tradition, but openness to adventurous spirit Less conservative than the south  Reflected the political and cultural individualism of the North 

Romanesque Architecture: Northern Italy 

Cathedral at Modena c. 1099  15th century rib vaulting  Diaphragm arches  Open timber roof  Double-bay system  Triple-gallery arcade 

Romanesque Architecture: Northern Italy

Photo: Sullivan

Romanesque Architecture: Northern Italy 

S. Ambrogio, Milan Triple apses  Barrel-vaulted forchoirs  Nave of four huge vaulted bays, aisles, and galleries  Atrium was almost as large as the church  Featured a deep facade structure flanked by towers  Rib vaulting 



Became a major feature of Gothic architecture

Romanesque Architecture: Northern Italy

Photo: Sullivan

Romanesque Architecture: Northern Italy

Photo: Sullivan

Romanesque Architecture: Northern Italy

Photo: Sullivan

Romanesque Architecture: Tuscany 

Tuscany was fortunate to have a wide range of building materials 



Marble

This helped to reinforce the classical tendency of their architecture

Romanesque Architecture: Tuscany 

Pisan (Pisa) 

Remarkable as a group of structures Cemetery, basilica, tower, and baptistery  All featured a standard style 

  

Same geometric clarity and sense of volume Same decorative system and scale Same color, texture, and materials

Romanesque Architecture: Tuscany

Photo: Sullivan

Romanesque Architecture: Tuscany

Photo: Sullivan

Romanesque Architecture: Tuscany 

Florentine Rational, disciplined articulation  Sharp, exquisite Classical detail  Two dimensional  Key Structures 

Baptistery of S. Giovanni, Florence  Church of S. Miniato al Monte, Florence 

Romanesque Architecture: Tuscany 

Baptistery of S. Giovanni, Florence c. 1153  Interior resembles the Pantheon  Centralized plan  Freestanding Corinthian columns  Exterior elevation mirrors the interior 

Romanesque Architecture: Tuscany

Photo: Sullivan

Romanesque Architecture: Tuscany

Photo: Sullivan

Romanesque Architecture: Tuscany 

Church of S. Miniato al Monte, Florence Medium-sized unvaulted basilica  Interior separated by three large bays  Rich, paneled arcading  Features a half-dome mosaic 

Romanesque Architecture: Tuscany

Photo: Sullivan

Romanesque Architecture: Tuscany

Photo: Sullivan

High Romanesque in England 



In these locations a new concept of nave wall appeared Major structures Durham Cathedral, England  Ely Cathedral, England 

High Romanesque in England 

Durham Cathedral c. 1093 -1130  Linear decorative accents  Choir-aisle vaults  Nave vaults formed a unique double-X pattern of ribs  Shows that rib vaulting was a crucial development for the Gothic period of architecture 

High Romanesque in England

Photo: Sullivan

High Romanesque in England

Photo: Sullivan

High Romanesque in England

Photo: Sullivan

High Romanesque in England 

Ely Cathedral

Photo: Sullivan

High Romanesque in England

Photo: Sullivan

High Romanesque in England

Photo: Sullivan

High Romanesque in England 

Winchester Cathedral

Photo: Sullivan

High Romanesque in England

Photo: Sullivan

References   



Sullivan, Mary; http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/ http://www.brynmawr.edu/Acads/Cities/wld/wdpt1.html Trachtenburg/Hyman; Architecture: From Prehistory to Postmodernity Wodehouse/Moffett; A History of Western Architecture

Romanesque Architecture Architectural History ACT 322 Doris Kemp