- Time of past OR future Camino
- Some in the past; more in the future!
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Excellent! I already have pre-Romanesque camino highlights (and Romanesque, and Gothic for that matter) on my list of articles to write about, so this will no doubt enrich it. Plus the earlier ancient churches thread that I still haven't got around to reading properly will also be useful.Several of us have already asked @C clearly for a separate thread on that topic, and I think she will oblige once she feels comfortably well-grounded in the differences between Romanesque and Gothic.
Oh, GREAT tip! I just checked and it looks like I have up-close shots of four capitals, including one from two different angles, and the only R I see is from the nude one you discussed at length above. The others are more weathered so I'm hopeful they're not among the four non-R copies!Check your photos to see whether there is the letter "R" on the some of the capitals. Eleven of the 50 capitals are said to be copies, of which seven are marked with an "R".
That’s a great summary of the transition, @Kathar1na. I don’t think there are any erotic gothic capitals. Don’t gothic retablos also sometimes include portraits of the presumed patrons, nobility maybe but not necessarily religious or political figures?Geometrical patterns and flowers and plants become more dominant on the capitals. Gothic sculptures above the portals tend to cover an increasing larger area, with more details and more variety and looking more life like. Gothic scenes are mainly religious scenes, and the isolated statues to the right and left of the portals represent biblical figures and saints but also bishops and kings.
Romanesque architecture refers to the Medieval Age from the 6th century to 12th century before the Renaissance Age. The architecture was sturdy and symmetrical, almost clunky, with thick walls and barrel vaults, there were rarely soaring spaces and audacious towers
based on Roman engineering techniques, windows with semi circular Arches. (often smaller windows)
the arches are rounded not vaulted/pointed. But that is really simplistic
smaller in scale compared to gothic
Simple, even austere.
Rounded arches.
Small windows.
Heavy columns.
Grounded, rather than soaring and light-filled.
No flying buttresses.
more dark, quiet, and internal space
Some Romanesque churches/cathedrals also served defensive purposes
distinctive church portals, which often have decorated capitals and other intricate features.
two sculptural forms... emerged during the Romanesque era: the tympanum (the lunette-shaped space above the entrance to a church), and the historiated capital (a capital incorporating a narrative element, usually an episode from the Bible or the life of a saint).
And then there are of course also the sculptures on the Romanesque corbels.
Decorative carved figures DO appear on a lot of Romanesque churches, some of them pretty spectacular and even racy! They appear especially around the doorways and along the rooflines... but in well-funded and usually monastic churches or important buildings.
the sculptured capitals that tell a story or describe a scene from the Bible or the life of a saint or a Greek or Roman myth that are so typical for the Romanesque in Spain disappear during the Gothic period...
The proper name in Spanish for these "chessboard" decorative bands is taqueado jaqués or ajedrezado jaqués, named after the model on the 12th century cathedral of Jaca. Apparently, this pattern is typical for Spanish Romanesque architecture
Indeed. This thread is so educational. New stops to explore. Thanks, all. I am a followerIsn't San Martín a true treasure trove of unexpected discoveries?
I'm going to repeat my question. Are there any clues (to identifying Romanesque) in the construction material - e.g. type of stone, colour, size, shape or placement of bricks?... [re] construction materials and type of stone. Wouldn't this depend on local materials, no matter what the date of construction?
More than "a bit"...I also think that these categories are a bit fluid.
I have started to read that book, but it is slow going and is not renewable at the library, so I won't read it cover-to-cover. It has helped me realize how much the individual historians of art and architecture have influenced the expert consensus, and how classifications are sometimes of dubious value. It seems to me that trying to understand the classification system can even get in the way of understanding the more chronological stories of history. I am very much a "classifier", but maybe I need a better body of knowledge of the details before the classification system begins to make sense. I think I need to study the historical events and personalities first.Janice Mann's Romanesque Architecture and its Sculptural Decoration in Christian Spain, 1000-1120: Exploring Frontiers and Defining Identities.
Haha...you're right! We defniely did.It occurs to me that this thread has neglected discussion of arguably the most important building on the Camino - the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
Of course we didn't mention the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, there was no need for itIt occurs to me that this thread has neglected discussion of arguably the most important building on the Camino - the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
I can't bring myself to say something about the "front" ... as far as I am concerned there is no urgent need for a Baroque/Plateresque for Beginners thread. OK, when it's a church in a pure style but these mixtures ...The Baroque facade belies what's inside.
Enthusiastically second the motion to ignore. Fortunately the Baroque period is saved by its music.as far as I am concerned there is no urgent need for a Baroque/Plateresque for Beginners thread.
It's such an icon, but I would love to have seen the original. Valuing old things and old styles is clearly a recent invention. I was shocked to learn during the tour of the Portico de Gloria that parts of the old facade — statues! — had been used as fill. Just tossed out as garbage.I can't bring myself to say something about the "front"
Thank you @Kathar1na . Folks, you can see more on Chi-Rho symbol at:It's a Christian symbol called a Chrismon and it looks like a P with additional symbolism, sometimes the Greek letters alpha and omega are added, meaning beginning and end, or rather the eternity of God's existence that has no beginning and no end.
I have to share the photo that this account posted today - the ruins of a glorious Romanesque portal by itself in the middle of nowhere!And not to sidetrack the thread, but for Romanesque lovers, @romanicoespana is a great follow on Instagram.
Wow!I have to share the photo that this account posted today - the ruins of a glorious Romanesque portal by itself in the middle of nowhere!
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This is a great description! I've seen bigger Romanesque churches and some have posted below like the Cathedral in Pisa or in Mainz. There are so many great variations though like the Basilica Santa Maria in Murano that perigrina2000 posted with the delicate double columns that make it more Byzantine.I'll give you a few words:
Simple, even austere.
Rounded arches.
Small windows.
Heavy columns.
Grounded, rather than soaring and light-filled.
No flying buttresses.
I'm very impressed with the architect of this one. It's almost like he knew a clock was going to be inserted some day.Santa Maria Maggiore
Today I was searching for some photos taken near Fromista and I discovered collections of pictures of capitals and corbels at San Martin; they may be attempts to capture them all. My link should bring you to page 14 of maybe 38 pages. The next few pages are good too but there is nothing to stop you from visiting all the pages.Check your photos to see whether there is the letter "R" on the some of the capitals. Eleven of the 50 capitals are said to be copies, of which seven are marked with an "R".
Isn't San Martín a true treasure trove of unexpected discoveries?
It's been a year since my last post to this thread; it is time for another, also YouTube inspired. A couple of days ago I was presented an option to visit Especial Románico Palentino (Capítulo 1) on the La 8 Palencia YouTube channel run by a television station. The three chapters have a couple of historians show and discuss Palencia's romanesque architecture. It appears that the channel Castile y León Televisión also has copies of this series on YouTube incorporated as part of their 400+ videos in the Un Paseo por Castilla y León series.Last night YouTube presented me with two videos on Spanish romanesque architecture.
I understand the charm and the "human scale" of the Romanesque carvings, but I still have a bit of trouble describing those massive buildings and arches (e.g. VN's photo #53) as such. So I'm trying to sort out how much is the building style and how much is the art embellishments. Of course they cannot necessarily be separated.
I wondered if the carvings ceased to be used when the trend moved to Gothic, and also why? Did somebody among the clerics/artisans/architects decide that the carvings were silly folk art and not worthy of the new style? Was the transition sudden or gradual?
Did the Norman style in England have those carvings?
Further YouTube viewing showed me some videos of Zamora, city of ¡24! romanesque churches (and some Victorian and art deco secular buildings too).
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