Romanesque architecture
A medieval European architectural style prominent from about the 10th to the 12th century, known for rounded arches, massive walls, and sturdy piers.
Round arch: An arch shaped as a semicircle, commonly used in Roman and Romanesque construction. Its curved profile is the style’s most recognizable opening shape.
Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy: A Romanesque pilgrimage church at Conques in southern France, built to house the relics of Saint Faith. Its ambulatory and radiating chapels accommodated pilgrims moving around the shrine.
Roman architecture: The architectural traditions of ancient Rome, including monumental masonry, arches, vaults, and concrete construction. Roman building techniques and forms supplied precedents for medieval stone construction.
Gothic architecture: A medieval European architectural style distinguished by pointed arches, rib vaults, and extensive use of stained glass. Gothic builders developed lighter, taller structures from problems Romanesque churches had addressed with mass.
Barrel vault: A continuous semicircular vault formed by extending an arch along a straight axis. It covered long naves but imposed substantial outward thrust on supporting walls.
Speyer Cathedral: A major Romanesque cathedral in Speyer, Germany, begun in the 11th century. Its monumental scale and vaulted nave exemplify imperial Romanesque architecture.
Carolingian architecture: Architecture produced under the Carolingian dynasty, which revived and adapted Roman and early Christian forms. Its churches and planning provided precedents for later medieval building.
Romanesque sculpture: Medieval sculpture associated with Romanesque churches, especially carved portals and capitals. Church architecture provided prominent surfaces for its biblical imagery and ornament.
Groin vault: A vault formed where two barrel vaults intersect at right angles. It concentrated vault loads at points, allowing more varied interior layouts.
Durham Cathedral: An English cathedral begun in 1093, noted for its ribbed vaults and massive Norman construction. Its early rib vaults demonstrate structural experimentation within Romanesque building.