Romanesque

Literary/ Cultural Context Note

Litencyc Editors (Independent Scholar - Europe)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.5.2.01: French Writing and Culture: Old French to the Middle Ages , 500-1400.
Vol. editors: Marianne Ailes (University of Bristol), Matthew Siôn Lampitt (University of Bristol), Tim Unwin (University of Bristol), David Williams (University of Sheffield)

Domains

Movements, Styles, Periods (architecture)

Dates

Date of occurrence 800-1200

Places

France (Location)
Italy (Location)
Spain (Location)
United Kingdom (Location)

Resources

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Romanesque architecture, most often found in monasteries, developed from the time of Charlemagne (c 800) to reach its apogee between 1050 and 1125. Its architectural style derived from Roman examples, but adapted to new needs and contexts. It featured arcaded cloisters and churches whose roofs were supported on columns wider and shorter than the Gothic style which would follow, and rounded arches and relatively plain unornamented surfaces. Today it tends to please with a massive sobriety and seriousness that speak of the preservation of the life of the spirit in hard times and devotion to a simple and pious life. The greatest surviving examples of Romanesque architecture are found on the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela (Spain, 1082–1118) which flourished in the first century of…

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189 words

Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Romanesque". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 07 November 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1619, accessed 23 April 2024.]

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