The document describes key architectural features of Romanesque architecture including: 1) The transept and crossing area which unified the structure and was often topped by a tower. 2) Wall passages contained within thick walls which articulated surfaces and opened outwards or inwards. 3) Sculptural details like carved capitals, doorways and arcades that varied regionally.

1. ROMANESQUE architectural character
Transept & Crossing:
 The transept which was originally
rooms(porticus) to the N and S of the
choir or was a virtually separate
building across the nave(continuous
transept) was unified by creating the
regular crossing bordered on each
side with an arch of equal size
corresponding to the four arms of
the church.
 Surmounted by a tower
Wall passages:
 Contained within the thickness of the
walls.
 Articulated the wall surface by
forming columns and arches.
 Confined to the upper sections of the
walls where loss of mass would not
affect stability
 Opened outwards to decorate
exterior wall faces or inwards in
front of the clerestory windows
apse
crypt
transept
Crossing emphasised by a
dome or tower

2. ROMANESQUE architectural character
External Massing:
Legibility through
stressing of elements.
The nave, aisles,
transepts, crossing,
chapels, stair turrets
can be identified from
the exterior
S zeno maggoire verona
Arched corbel
tables
Wall passages
Wheel window
pilasters
Wall passages
Ambulatories:
Extension of the aisle around the
apsidal sanctuary creating a
continuous curved passageway with a
number of attached chapels creating a
single composition Eg. Santiago de
Compostela

3. ROMANESQUE architectural character
Architectural Sculpture:
Dramatic with a regional
variation
Sculpture decoration and
carved mouldings
confined to capitals,
doorways, windows and
arcades.
Angle roll found on arches
creating continuity
between the shafted pier
and arch.
Doorways with carved
tympana
Columns with the antique
Corinthian capital
The cushion capital
a purely geometric
form consisting of
a cube and sphere is
of german origin
Carved doorway
Coupled capitals
Interlacing arch
Carved pier
Carved doorway
Shafted pier

4. architectural character - Italy
CENTRAL ITALY
Plan: Basilican type of plan
Climatic influence:
•Arcades
•Small doors and windows
•Jambs in rectangular
recesses , orders
filled with small shafts,
crowned with semicircular
arches
Roofing: timber roofs over
nave with rafters and tie beams
decorated in colour.
Aisles with groin vaults of
small span, divided into
compartments by transverse
arches
Ornamentation:
1. Concentration on beauty and
delicacy of ornamentation,
classical traditions
2. Ornamental wall passages rising
one above the other into gables
3. Marble faced walls
4. Themes:
 Rows of apostles on lintels
 Decorative carvings and mosaic
 Monogram of Christ, emblems of
evangelists and saints
 Symbolism represented by trees,
birds, fishes and animals
 Strong Byzantine influence in
mosaics
5. Development of the bell tower
in 6th c. gave it a special
character
S MARTINO LUCCA
S PISTOIA
Columns:
Division of
nave and
aisles with
antique
columns
Variations of
the classical
type into
finely carved
and slender
S GIOVANNI
LATERANO ROME
S MINIATO
FLORENCE

5. architectural character - italy
NORTHERN ITALY
Typologies: churches and
baptisteries
Plan: Basilican
Façade:
•Flat severe entrance facades
with a central projecting porch
with columns standing on the
backs of crouching beasts and a
wheel window to light the nave
•Gable outlined with arched
corbel tables and arcades
around the apse under the eaves
•Simple pilaster strip decoration
from ground ending in the arched
corbel tables
Interiors: sturdy piers faced with
half columns which are carried up as
vaulting shafts. Led to the
transformation of piers in Gothic
period
Vault: Development of the rib vault,
exterior wall passage and arched
corbel table(eaves decoration
consisting of corbels
interconnected with arches)
Buttress: Thick walls between the side
chapels act as buttresses
Wall passages: around apses and
octagonal lanterns add to exterior
massing
Towers: straight shafts, detached,
without buttresses or spires
Decoration:
•Roughly carved grotesques of
men and beasts, hunting scenes,
incidents of daily life.
• Crouching beasts supporting
columns of projecting porches,
interior furnishings such as
bishops thrones, fonts and corbel
tables
Baptisteries: usually octagonal or
circular eg. S.Ambrogio Milan
S AMBROGIO MILAN
S ZENO MAGGOIRE VERONA

6. architectural character - italy
SOUTHERN ITALY
Influence:
•Byzantine in mosaic
decoration
•Islamic in application
of coloured marble in
striped patterns, and
stilted pointed arches
•Norman in planning and
construction –
cruciform plan
Planning:
•Domes rather then
vaults adopted.
•Use of dome supported
on 4 columns over
central space
Decoration:
•Flat pilaster strips
connected by arched
corbel tables
•Wheel windows made of
elaborately pierced
sheets of marble
•Variety in columns and
capitals – nave arcade
and coupled columns in
cloisters S. Giovanni degli Eremiti, Palerm
La Zisa, Palermo
Monreale Cathedral
Baptistery Cremona –
Northern- Italy
S.Michelle –Pavia
Northern- Italy

7. Pisa cathedral 1063 – 1118 / 1261 - 72 – Pisa,
italy
The Pisa group consists of the Cathedral,
Baptistery, Campo Santo (monastery) and Campanile
(Bell Tower)
The medieval cathedral is entitled to St. Mary. Style
•The Cathedral is one of the finest of the
Romanesque period
Form
•Resembles early
Basilican
churches in plan
•This is a five-
naved basilica
with a three-
naved transept.
•Long rows of
columns
connected by
arches
•Double aisles

8. Pisa cathedral 1063 – 1118 / 1261 - 72 – Pisa,
italy
Exterior
Bands of red and
white marble
Ground storey is
faced with wall
arcading
Entrance façade is
thrown into relief by
tiers of wall
passages which rise
one above another
into the gable
Massive bronze main
door
Above the doors
there are four rows
of open galleries
with, on top, statues
of Madonna with

9. Pisa cathedral 1063 – 1118 / 1261 - 72 – Pisa,
italy Interiors
•The interior is faced with black
and white marble and has a gilded
ceiling and a frescoed dome. It
was largely redecorated after a
fire in 1595, which destroyed
most of the medieval art works.
•Impressive granite Corinthian
columns 68 in no. between the
nave and the aisle
•The coffer ceiling of the nave
was replaced after the fire of
1595.
Transept
The transepts each has an apse in
the end, an advance from the
simple basilican plan
Dome
Elliptical dome over the
crossing is of a later date
Details
The mosaics of the interior show
a strong Byzantine influence,
while the pointed arches point
to Muslim influences.
Delicacy of ornamental
features
The cathedral depends on the

10. Pisa cathedral 1063 – 1118 / 1261 - 72 – Pisa,
italy

11. Pisa Campanile 1174 – 1271 – Pisa, italy
It is situated behind the Cathedral and it is
the third structure in Pisa's Campo dei
Miracoli (field of Miracles).
Form:
•A cylindrical tower 16m in diameter
•Eight storeys in height consisting of
encircling arcades
Dimensions
•The height of the tower is 55.86 m
from the ground on the lowest side and
56.70 m on the highest side.
•The width of the walls at the base is
4.09 m and at the top 2.48 m.
Interiors
•In the thickness of the wall there is
the staircase with 294 steps. The
visitors may enter at each level a
gallery supported by 30 columns.
Summit
•The bell stage was added later in
1350. At the summit - around the belfry
there are 12 columns and there are
seven bells cast to reproduce the
seven musical notes
•The upper part of the tower
overhangs the base by more than 4.2m
due to subsidence in the foundation
lending it a very unstable appearance.

12. Material
Constructed of white marble
Architectural detail
•Surrounded at its ground level
by an order of tall blind arcades
resting on half columns,
following an architectural plan
similar to the front of the
cathedral
•Above ground level are six
floors of aerial open galleries.
•The first floor is surrounded by
pillars with classical capitals,
leaning against blind arches.
•At its highest part lies the
cylindrical belfry of a smaller
diameter encircled by small
arcades resting upon consoles or
small columns framing the various
openings.
•From the fourth floor up, the
columns are thinner on the side of
leaning to lighten the weight in
that part.
Decoration
•The bas-reliefs, inscriptions, and
graffiti found in the Campanile, in
the Cathedral or in the Baptistery
have no value but decorative, they
Pisa Campanile 1174 – 1271 – Pisa, italy

13. Pisa Baptistery 1153 – 1265 – Pisa, italy
The Baptistery, dedicated to St. John the
Baptist, stands opposite the west end of
the Cathedral.
The round Romanesque building was
built in Romanesque style by an
architect known as Deotisalvi.
It is the largest baptistery in Italy
Form
•Circular plan with a central space.
18.3, in diameter
•Separated by 4 piers and eight
columns from the surrounding 2
storey aisle which makes the
building 39.3m in diameter
Exterior
•Surrounded on the lower storey by
half columns connected by
semicircular arches
•A door under one of the arches
•A open arcade of small detached
columns above
•This arcade is surmounted by gothic
additions of the 14th c.

14. Pisa Baptistery – 1153-1265 – Pisa
Italy

15. Pisa Baptistery 1153 – 1265 – Pisa, italy
Interior
•Plain and lacks decoration
•Notable acoustics
Roof
•Crowned by an outer
hemispherical roof through
which penetrates a truncated
cone capped by a small dome
covering the central space
Decoration
•The portal, facing the facade
of the cathedral, is flanked by
two classical columns, while
the inner jambs are executed in
Byzantine style.
•The lintel is divided in two
tiers.
•The lower one depicts
several episodes in the life of
St. John the Baptist, while the
upper one shows Christ
between the Madonna and St
John the Baptist, flanked by