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What Influenced Early Medieval Architecture

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In the beginning when history was first being recorded, there have been civilizations and periods of time that were defined by their art and their architecture. For example, the Greeks had their classical style in Sculpture and laid a foundation for early places of worship and soon after the rise of Ancient Rome were known for their improvements in sculpture and their even greater strides of innovation when in came to architecture. They made some the most revolutionary advancements in architecture still until this day. Most know of the french Gothic and the Renaissance as being a time of rebirth in art, especially in the design of building but what about the time between the Renaissance and the fall of Rome? The Romanesque style of art, that …show more content…

Europe goes through a period of uncertainty with the rise of Christianity and a cultural/ economic shift. In the midst of this period of time came beautiful Cathedrals and expansive Monasteries built and designed for worship. With a complete contrast in the current mood and tone, there is an exploration and revival of architectural practices and style. So what influenced this style or architecture during the 11th and 12th centuries? The word Romanesque means “In Roman Manner” and was first used in the 19th century to describe early medieval architecture. Essentially the style was a mixture of Christian and Imperial Roman ideals (Stokstad, 2011, 455). In the early middle ages when Christianity was trying to get off on its feet and essentially take over Europe as its main religion, there was an alliance being built between church and state. Christian rulers helped ensure the spread of Christianity throughout Europe and supported monastic communities with grants of the land (Stokstad, 2011, 454). One ruler at the beginning of this new age of art and culture, Charlemagne, was a patron of art and learning and upon his crowing by the pope to be head of the Holy Roman Empire he …show more content…

These cities must reflect a high prestige in design and aesthetics. Other cultural forces such as historical events like the Crusades could have aided in the appropriation of Islamic architecture practices and themes in certain areas of Europe and the evidence in this can be seen in cathedrals in Spain because Spain had a small Islamic population. Some characteristics of Islamic architecture would be the overbearing use of patterns, pointed and horseshoe arches, and gold embellishments. When looking at a building like the Mosque of Cordoba which begun its construction in 785 CE you will notice one of its very iconic spaces of prayer is a “forest” of arcades. An arcade is a passageway of arches (Glancy, 2006, 49). This is a very Islamic element in many mosques. When comparing the mosque to say a cathedral, for example, the Modena Cathedral which began construction in 1099 in Mondena, Italy there is crypt located inside that has a very similar layout to the prayer-space in the Cordoba Mosque. The sheer openness of the room reflects that of the open space in the mosque. What also is important to note is the arch inspired “forest”. Although the arches are very different they evoke the same tone of vastness when looking upon the room. Another Islamic inspired design element that was used during the

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