Medieval architecture is a term used to represent various forms of
architecture popular in
Medieval Europe.
Secular and religious architecture
The
Latin cross plan, common in medieval ecclesiastical architecture, takes the Roman
basilica as its primary model with subsequent developments. It consists of a
nave,
transepts, and the
altar stands at the east end (see
Cathedral diagram). Also,
cathedrals influenced or commissioned by
Justinian employed the
Byzantine style of domes and a
Greek cross (resembling a plus sign), centering attention on the altar at the
center of the church.
Surviving examples of medieval secular architecture mainly served for defense.
Castles and
fortified walls provide the most notable remaining non-religious examples of medieval architecture. Windows gained a cross-shape for more than decorative purposes: they provided a perfect fit for a
crossbowman to safely shoot at invaders from inside. Crenellated walls (
battlements) provided shelters for archers on the roofs to hide behind when not shooting invaders.
Domestic architecture
Donington le Heath Manor House Museum, Leicestershire is a surviving example of a Medieval Manor House dating back to 1280. It is now open to the public as a museum.
Phases
Pre-Romanesque
Western European architecture in the
Early Middle Ages may be divided into
Early Christian and
Pre-Romanesque, including
Merovingian,
Carolingian,
Ottonian, and
Asturian. While these terms are problematic, they nonetheless serve adequately as entries into the era. Considerations that enter into histories of each period include
Trachtenberg's "historicising" and "modernising" elements, Italian versus northern, Spanish, and Byzantine elements, and especially the religious and political maneuverings between kings, popes, and various ecclesiastic officials.
Romanesque
Romanesque, prevalent in medieval Europe during the 11th and 12th centuries, was the first pan-European style since
Roman Imperial Architecture and examples are found in every part of the continent. The term was not contemporary with the art it describes, but rather, is an invention of modern scholarship based on its similarity to Roman Architecture in forms and materials. Romanesque is characterized by a use of round or slightly pointed arches, barrel vaults, and cruciform piers supporting vaults.
Gothic
The style originated at the
12th century abbey church of Saint-Denis in
Saint-Denis, near
Paris, where it exemplified the vision of
Abbot Suger. Verticality is emphasized in Gothic architecture and features almost skeletal stone structures with great expanses of glass, pointed
arches using the
ogive shape, ribbed vaults, clustered columns, sharply pointed spires and
flying buttresses. Windows contain beautiful
stained glass, showing stories from the
Bible and from lives of
saints. Such advancements in design allowed cathedrals to rise taller than ever, and it became something of an inter-regional contest to build a church as high as possible.
Distinctive elements of medieval architecture
- jettying, in which the faces of upper floors project beyond lower ones
See also
- Plan of Saint Gall, 9th century; the only surviving architectural drawing between the fall of Rome and the 13th century
- Bastides, a specific fortified town architecture used in medieval France
