Romanesque

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

I like to think that the time of the Romanesque
period was the time of churches, and a lavish lifestyle. It was said that at least 1,587 churches were built between the years 1000 and 1100 alone. Rich colors, tapestries, stones and jewels were incorporated into this era of architecture and culture.  To the right and below are images of the Romanesque church, the Pisa Baptistery. This famous piece of architecture, which is much larger in person, is still a marvelous wonder of design. The church itself, is structurally very common among churches of this era and today, the cross shaped cathedral with cylindrical baptistery stands among among these three free standing buildings. The interior also is lavish and detailed.

Interior of Pisa Bapistery

 One detail I really enjoy if the vaults in ceiling. I looked up one of the common ones, and it is known as a groin vault. This detail seems quite beautiful to me when it is paired next to columns of the time period. Below-left is the aisle of the Abbey Church at Mozac with a groin vault supported on transverse arches.

Romanesque Groin Vault

Modern Adaptation of the Groin Vault

Modern Romanesque Application

Residential Romanesque house in Poreč, Croatia

 Surprisingly, residential living was much different, most were dank and dark homes made of the land (mud & twigs) provided shelter to the average person. There is not much left to prove of these homes because their durability did not stand the test of time. Nobility, however, lived in castles of stone. Through time, structures found were able to show the wealth of the family and the time that they lived in the Romanesque period.









Fun fact:While researching I came across an individuals blog (http://sbchic.com/2012/03/21/home-style-romanesque/) that found an old Romanesque church that was converted into a home. I find this super interesting to see the space in an entirely different way. Especially since I am huge on sustainability right now, seeing something old converted into something new is awesome!