romanesque
Architecture of the early second millennium characterized by massive symmetrical constructions with rounded arches and vaults.
Pictured: Konstantinbasilika
Romanesque architecture belongs to the period from the waning of the Dark Ages up to the Gothic period in the early second millennium, A.D. The name Romanesque refers to its use of classical Roman construction methods, utilizing massive forms, rounded arches, and barrel vaults.
The best known examples of Romanesque architecture are churches, abbeys, fortresses, and castles. Romanesque churches can be recognized by their symmetrical arrangements with massive square towers and pointed caps. The style is a predecessor to the more elaborate Gothic style, which used pointed archways and more open framing systems in contrast to the massive walls of Romanesque architecture.
This style was adapted in the 19th and 20th centuries, as a romantic or aesthetic evocation of the distant past, in Neo-Romanesque architecture.
Approximate Dates: 1000 to 1400
romanesque Photos
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