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Style characteristics A combination of masonry, arch and piers are the basis of the Romanesque style. The main concept for buildings was the addition of pure geometrical forms. The new concept of stone vaulting required stronger walls for support. Because of the lack of knowledge of the building statics, it was necessary to build strong, thick walls with narrow openings. The Pier (an upright support generally square or rectangular in plan) is a better solution for masonry walls than the column. Columns are subsequently replaced by piers, or are transformed to better support the masonry arches. Geometrisation and rigidity in Romanesque architecture is evident in the transformation of column capitals from Corinthian to cubic capitals, as found in the church of St. Michael, Hildesheim. There is also one new element in the capitals developed during the Romanesque period—the impost, a trapezoid form which stands between capital and arch. Two types of alternation of supporting elements appeared during the Romanesque: Regional varieties France Romanesque architecture expanded in France through monasteries. Burgundy was the center of monastic life in France; one of the most important Benedictine monastery of medieval Europe was the one in Cluny. The pilgrimage also contributed to the expansion of the Romanesque style. Many pilgrims passed through France on their way to Santiago de Compostela. French Romanesque schools of architecture, which are specific for every region, are characterized by the variety of stone vaulting. Spain The romanesque look first developed in Spain in the 10th and 11th centuries and before Cluny`s influence, in Lérida, Barcelona, Tarragona and Huesca and in the Pyrenees, simultaneously with the north of Italy, into what is been called "First Romanesque" or "Lombard Romanesque". It is a very primitive style, whose characteristics are thick walls, lack of sculpture and the presence of rhythmic ornamental arches. The plain Romanesque Architecture arrived with the influence of Cluny through the Way of Saint James, that ends in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The model of the Spanish Romanesque in the 12th century was the Cathedral of Jaca, with its characteristic apse structure and plan, and its "chess" decoration in stripes, called taqueado jaqués. As the Christian kingdoms of Spain advanced to the south, that model spread throughout the reconquered areas with some variations. Spanish Romanesque also shows the influence of Spanish pre-Romanesque styles, mainly Asturian and Mozarabic. But there is also a strong influence of Moorish architecture in Spain at this time, as can be seen in the vaults of Córdoba's Mosque, and the polylobulated arches. In the 3th century, some Romanesque churches alternated with the Gothic. Aragón, Castile and Navarre are areas with many examples of Spanish Romanesque architecture. See also | ||||||||||
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