4.19 Exploration: Architecture of the Middle Ages

The most important institution of the Middle Ages and the focus of everyone’s life – regardless of class or order – was the Church. Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that the building of churches in the Middle Ages became an obsession. As life became more stable in the Early to High Middle Ages, urbanization began. As people (with their assets) moved to the cities, the increase of wealth and of people wanting places of worship fostered the construction of more and more churches.

Romanesque

The first architectural style to emerge was the Romanesque. This was also the first international style to appear since the Roman Empire’s fall. Romanesque architecture focused on a few key things:

• larger spaces
• solid construction that was fireproof
• sculpting space to enhance sound and lighting—no more dark places where the priest could not be heard

Romanesque architecture uses stone vaulting to achieve these goals, but, as they built ever-larger (fireproof) spaces, lighting issues emerged. Eventually, they settled on groin vaults – an architectural system used extensively by Roman builders. Groin vaults concentrate thrust at four supporting points, permitting openings for windows.

Romanesque churches were cross shaped, representing the crucifix. The bays formed by vaulting created compartments that were often used as chapels. Specific features of most Romanesque architecture between 1050 – 1200 CE, are:

• Rounded arches held by pillars and columns
• Clear horizontal breaks
• Increased height
• Alternating support systems
• Flat on interior upper nave walls with no visual divisions

Some good examples of Romanesque architecture are St. Etienne, Caen, France and Durham Cathedral in Durham, England.

Gothic

As life became more stable, wealth grew. In architecture, this wealth supported new innovations and techniques. Architecture became a competition to see who could build a cathedral higher into the heavens, closer to God. This height took the form of pointed arches, thinner ribbing, and flying buttresses – easy to conceive, but no easy task to build!

They learned to create these new forms by incorporating techniques (such as rib vaults) learned from Islamic builders. The architects in this period were exposed to these new concepts by the Moors, who had cemented their hold on parts of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain). Watching Moorish builders erect vaulted mosques, they observed first-hand the rib-vaulting technique that they could use to build cathedrals.

The greatest advantage of rib vaulting is its flexibility. Rib vaults create pointed arches that channel weight directly to the ground — this means less buttressing and fewer load bearing walls, allowing larger openings. This type of architecture became known as Gothic. Specific features of Gothic architecture (roughly dated from 1200 – 1550 CE) are:

• Thinner walls
• Complicated vaulting and outward thrust; flying buttresses
• More sculptural decoration
• Larger in height and scale
• Pointed features
• More light and color; use of stained glass windows

Good examples of Gothic architecture are: Chartres, in Paris and Amiens, in Amiens, France.

Watch the following video clip on Gothic architecture of the Middle Ages.

“Gothic Architecture.” Heresy, War, and the Black Death: Christianity in the 13th and 14th Centuries. 1999. Films on Demand. Through “Christian Imagery in Gothic Cathedrals.” Heresy, War, and the Black Death: Christianity in the 13th and 14th Centuries. 1999. Films on Demand. 6:14.

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