ROMANESCO is commonly called the pan-European style that has developed in architecture and art.
the Middle Ages at the turn of two millennia. Traditional dating - X-XII centuries,
but at present, the origin of the style is sometimes attributed much earlier - to the 7th - 8th centuries.
Here we will not delve into dating problems, but will try to identify the most common features of this style.
When we talk about Romanesque architecture, we primarily mean temples. Already from the first years of Christianity, the basilica became the predominant type of religious building.
Church of Sant'Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna, 6th century. Facade and interior. This is a typical early Christian basilica without a transept.
Basilica is a type of building, rectangular in plan, consisting of an odd number (3 or 5) of naves - longitudinal halls separated by pillars or columns. The central nave is higher and wider than the side ones, illuminated by windows of the second tier and ends with an apse. The basilica in Ancient Rome was a building for trade and court. With the development of Christianity, the basilica type began to be widely used for the construction of temples. Open wooden structures were used in the ceilings of the basilicas of Ancient Rome. 
Plan and section of an early Christian basilica.
In front of the entrance there is a square courtyard - an atrium. In Christian architecture, apses are always oriented to the east.
Romanesque architecture in Italy generally preserved the basic principles of the early Christian basilica.
This is clearly seen in the example of the Church of San Sisto in Pisa, XI century.
Even the atrium has been preserved in the Church of Sant'Ambrogio in Milan.
Already at the end of the 4th century, a transverse nave - transept - appeared in the eastern part of the basilica.
St. Peter's Basilica. Rome. About 400. Reconstruction.
The basilica takes the form of a Latin cross, in contrast to the equal-pointed Greek cross common in Byzantium. 
1 - central NEF; 2 - TRANSEPT; 3 - MIDDLE CROSS; 4 - APSIDE
The middle cross is often crowned with a tower or dome.
Reconstruction of an English temple with two transepts and without an apse.
Wooden floors are replaced with vaults - cylindrical or cross,
(you can find out about the types of vaults in the top post of the community)
Accordingly, the columns separating the naves are replaced by powerful pillars.
Here the central nave is covered with cross vaults.
Above the arches separating the naves, the gallery windows are clearly visible - the triforium (lower photo).
The three-nave basilica with a transept becomes the main, most popular, but not the only, type of Christian European church.
Abbey of Cluny. France. X - XII centuries Reconstruction of a five-nave basilica with two transepts.
Romanesque churches are often built of stone. The exception is Italy, where brick is widely used along with stone. 
The rough masonry of thick walls makes the temple look like a fortress.
The arch motif is one of the most common elements of Romanesque architecture. 
Decorative arcades decorate the facades of temples in Germany, Italy, France and England. 
Cathedral of Pisa.
Another new feature that distinguishes the Romanesque basilica from the early Christian one is the design and appearance of the western façade. In French (but not only) architecture these are often two powerful towers flanking the entrance. They make the temple even more similar to a defensive structure.
Abbey of Pare-le-Monial. France. XI century
Facade of the Church of St. Pantaleone in Cologne, 10th century.
A special feature of German churches is the westwork. Westwerk is the monumental western facade of churches, located perpendicular to the main nave. It usually consists of a main tower and one or two adjacent towers.
The westwork contains the main portal and choirs. Usually the westwork has the appearance of a powerful fortress structure.
The austere appearance of Romanesque churches is enlivened by reliefs. This is especially true for French and Italian architecture. Reliefs decorate the western façade of the temple, most often its portals and column capitals.
Notre-Dame-la-Grand in Poitiers, France. This is one of the most ornate Romanesque churches. Its design is somewhat different from the basilica. This is the so-called hall temple, in which the side naves are close in height to the central one.
Perspective portal of the Cathedral in Genoa
1 - portal tympanum, 2 - portal archivolts
Abbey of Saint Fortunat in Charlieu, France.
“The Last Judgment” is the most popular theme of the tympanum of the main western portal.
Decor of the portal of the Cathedral in Lincoln, England
The second most popular location for reliefs is capitals.
The capitals are inhabited by numerous animals and fantastic creatures. 
But biblical scenes are also not uncommon.
A Romanesque capital can also be without relief. It has a rather characteristic shape.
In Italian architecture, early Christian traditions were preserved until the Renaissance.The basilica here is often part of a complex that also includes a baptistery and a campanile - a bell tower.
Pisa. In the foreground is the baptistery, its upper part already belongs to the Gothic style;
The baptistery is followed by the basilica and then the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa - the Campanile.
Abse (apse)– an altar ledge, as if attached to the temple, most often semicircular, but also polygonal; covered with a semi-dome (conch). An altar was placed inside the apse.
Altar(from Latin “alta ara” - high altar) - the main part of the Christian temple in its eastern part. In an Orthodox church it is separated by an altar partition or iconostasis. The altar housed a throne - an elevation for the celebration of the main Christian sacrament - the Eucharist. Door altar– an icon consisting of several folding boards covered with picturesque images on both sides (diptych, triptych, polyptych).
Altar barrier- a low wall or colonnade enclosing the altar part of the temple in Orthodox churches (from the 4th century).
Pulpit- (from Greek) - an elevation in the center of the temple, from which sermons were delivered and the Gospel was read. As a rule, it was surrounded by columns carrying a roof (ciborium).
Arcature belt– wall decoration in the form of a series of decorative arches.
Flying buttress- an open semi-arch that serves to transfer pressure to the buttresses of the temple.
Atrium– a closed courtyard into which the rest of the rooms open.
Atticus- (from the Greek Attikos - Attic) - a wall erected above the cornice crowning the architectural structure. Often decorated with reliefs or inscriptions. In ancient architecture it usually ends with a triumphal arch.
Basilica- a rectangular building in plan, divided by columns (pillars) into several longitudinal galleries (naves).
Drum- a cylindrical or multifaceted upper part of the temple, over which a dome is built, ending with a cross.
Light drum- a drum, the edges or cylindrical surface of which is cut through by window openings. Head - a dome with a drum and a cross, crowning a temple building.
Baptistery- baptismal. A small centric building, round or octagonal in plan.
Stained glass– a picture on glass, an ornament made of colored glass or other material that transmits light.
Gem- a carved stone with a recessed (intaglio) or convex (cameo) image.
Donjon– the main tower of a medieval castle.
Deaconnik- a room in the altar part of an Orthodox church to the south of the altar.
Altar- a room in the altar part of an Orthodox church to the north of the altar.
Belfry- a structure built on the wall of a temple or installed next to it with openings for hanging bells. Types of belfries: wall-shaped - in the form of a wall with openings; pillar-shaped - tower structures with a multi-faceted (usually in Russian architecture, octagonal, less often nine-sided) base with openings for bells in the upper tier. In the lower tiers there is often a chamber type - a rectangular volume with a covered vaulted arcade, the supports of which are located along the perimeter of the walls.
Zakomara– (from other Russian. mosquito- vault) - a semicircular or keel-shaped completion of a section of a wall, covering the adjacent internal cylindrical (box, cross) vault.
Keystone- a stone that ends a vault or arched opening.
Campanile- in Western European architecture, a free-standing tetrahedral or round bell tower.
Canon- a set of strictly established rules that determine the basic set of subjects, proportions, compositions, designs, and colors for works of art of a given type.
Counterforce- a vertical massive protrusion of the wall that strengthens the main supporting structure.
Conha– a semi-dome over the apse, niche. Often made in the form of a shell.
Cross-domed temple- canonical type of Byzantine Orthodox church. It was a shortened basilica, topped with a dome, and, according to the Apostolic decrees, with the altar facing east.
Cube– the main volume of the temple.
Dome– a covering in the form of a hemisphere, an overturned bowl, etc.
ploughshare- wooden tiles used to cover domes, barrels and other tops of the temple.
Bulb- a church dome resembling an onion in shape.
Spatula- a vertical flat and narrow projection of a wall, similar to a pilaster, but without a base and capital.
Luminarium- a hole in the ceiling of an early Christian temple.
Martyrium- a type of early Christian memorial temple over the grave of a martyr.
Mosaic- a favorite type of monumental painting in the Middle Ages. The image is made from pieces of colored glass - smalt, natural stones. The pieces of smalt and stone have an irregular shape; the light on them is refracted many times and reflected at different angles, creating a magical shimmering glow that flutters in the semi-darkness of the temple.
Naos- the central part of the Byzantine cross-domed church, crowned with the main dome.
Narthex– an extension on the western side of the temple, giving the building a more elongated rectangular shape. It was separated from the central part of the temple - the naos - by a wall with arched openings leading to each of the naves.
Rib- an arched rib in Gothic vaults.
Nave– (from the Greek “neus” - ship) - an elongated room, part of the interior of a church building, limited on one or both longitudinal sides by a number of columns or pillars.
Porch– a porch and a small platform (usually covered) in front of the entrance to an Orthodox church.
Pilaster(blade) - a constructive or decorative flat vertical protrusion on the surface of a wall, having a base and a capital.
Podklet- lower floor of the building.
Curb- a decorative strip of bricks placed on edge at an angle to the surface of the facade. Has the shape of a saw.
Sail– an element of a dome structure in the shape of a spherical triangle. The main dome rests on the sails.
Plintha– flat brick (usually 40x30x3 cm), building material and element of external decorative decoration of temples.
Portal– a decoratively designed doorway of a building.
Portico- a gallery on columns or pillars, usually in front of the entrance to a building.
Side chapel- a small temple attached to the main building of the church, having its own altar in the altar and dedicated to a saint or holiday.
Narthex- the western part of Orthodox churches at the entrance, where, according to the Charter, some parts of the divine service and services (betrothal, lithium, etc.) are performed. This part of the temple corresponds to the courtyard of the Old Testament tabernacle. The entrance to the vestibule from the street is arranged in the form of a porch - a platform in front of the entrance doors, to which several steps lead.
Sacristy- a place in the altar or a separate room at a Christian church for storing the liturgical vestments of priests.
Rust- hewn stone, the front side of which is left roughly trimmed. Rustication imitates the natural texture of stone, creating the impression of special strength and heaviness of the wall.
Rustication– decorative treatment of the plaster surface of a wall, imitating masonry made of large stones.
Sredokrestie– the intersection of the central nave of the cross-domed church with the transept.
Travea- the space of the nave under the vault.
Transept– transverse nave of the cross-domed church.
Refectory- part of the temple, a low extension on the western side of the church, which served as a place for preaching and public meetings.
Fresco– (“fresco” – fresh) – a technique of monumental painting with water paints on damp, fresh plaster. The primer and the fixing (binder) substance are one whole (lime), so the paints do not crumble.
The fresco technique has been known since ancient times. However, the surface of the antique fresco was polished with hot wax (a mixture of fresco with painting with wax paints - encaustic). The main difficulty of fresco painting is that the artist must begin and finish the work on the same day, before the wet lime dries. If corrections are necessary, you need to cut out the corresponding part of the lime layer and apply a new one. The fresco technique requires a confident hand, fast work and a completely clear idea of the entire composition in each part.
Gable- the completion (triangular or semicircular) of the facade of a building, portico, colonnade, limited by two roof slopes on the sides and a cornice at the base.
Choirs– an open gallery, a balcony in the second tier of the temple on the western side (or on all sides except the eastern). The choristers were housed here, as well as (in Catholic churches) the organ.
Tent- a high four-, six- or octagonal pyramidal covering of a tower, temple or bell tower, widespread in the temple architecture of Rus' until the 17th century.
Fly- a rectangular cavity in the wall.
Apple– a ball at the end of the dome under the cross.
Above-ground Christian churches became widespread only starting in the 4th century, when Emperor Constantine made Christianity the dominant religion, but the first structures that have reached us date back to the 2nd century. The main type of early Christian above-ground temple was the basilica - one of the most harmonious and perfect architectural forms of late antiquity. The prototype of a Christian church in the form of a basilica was the civil buildings of ancient Rome with an extended plan and a niche for the presidium in the end wall. Such structures were intended for court hearings. Actually, the word “basilica” itself comes from the Greek “basileus”, which means king and judge. The Christian basilica is a rectangular building, oriented from west to east, with an altar installed on the eastern side. From the side of the altar, the basilica ends with a semicircular extension, called the apse, and on the western side there is an entrance. Often large basilicas are divided by rows of columns into several longitudinal parts or naves, the central of which is the largest.
The basilica of the early Christians already contains all the basic elements of the Christian church, which is traditionally divided into three parts, which have both utilitarian significance for the organization of Christian worship and symbolic significance in religious ideas about the church building. These parts are the presbytery, the middle part of the temple and the porch or narthex. The presbytery area is used for services and is occupied only by clergy; here is the altar of the church (or the main altar, if there are several of them). The middle part of the church accommodates baptized Christians praying or attending worship. The porch serves for the so-called catechumens, that is, people who have not yet received baptism, but are planning to do so.
Presbytery:
The focus of the liturgical life of the temple is the apse (presbytery or altar part), and using the example of church buildings of the early Christian era, one can understand how its symbolism was formed. If in the apse part of ancient Roman civil basilicas there was a niche indicating the supremacy and nobility of the presiding officer, then in Christian basilicas the apse also serves as a place for the exaltation of Christ and is often decorated with a scene of “Christ in Glory” or “Transfiguration of the Lord”. At the same time, the apse is the place for the implementation of the main Christian sacrament of the Eucharist, which recalls the incarnation of Christ and his human nature. For example, among the most famous churches built by Constantine are three famous basilica churches: at the Holy Sepulcher, on the Mount of Olives and in Jerusalem. All three buildings have one common feature - they end with a cave in which some episode from the life of Christ took place. The apse always faces east, since the life-giving sun rises here and many literal and symbolic meanings are associated with this side of the world. Christians believed that heaven was in the east, that the east was a symbol of good, and the west was a symbol of evil and the abode of devilish forces. Movement from west to east (from the entrance of the church to the altar) symbolizes purification and rebirth.
The apse of an early Christian basilica, as a rule, had the form of a cylinder with a hemispherical vault, which symbolized the vault of heaven. This apse design became perhaps the most common and was reproduced in many types of Christian churches of subsequent eras.
In early Christian basilicas, the interior of the church was divided into naves. There could be three or five, the central nave was always wider and higher. In the upper part of the walls of the basilica, windows were made to illuminate the interior. During the time of Constantine, the five-nave basilica became especially widespread. The colossal basilicas of the Constantinian era with an abundance of powerful columns, covered with wooden roofs and gilded on the inside, have not reached our time and their appearance can only be judged by descriptions. Although large cathedral churches with five apses continued to be built throughout the history of ecclesiastical art, the five-nave basilica was gradually replaced by the three-nave church.
In addition to longitudinal naves, in early Christian basilicas there were transverse naves forming a transept. The transept arose out of the need to accommodate more believers near the altar of the church and completed the building in its altar area, forming the letter “T” in plan. Later, in basilicas, the transept moved closer to the middle of the building, and the plan of the temple took on the shape of a Latin cross.
In addition to the nave and transept, early Christian basilicas had another architectural element - the ambulatory. This is a covered passage around the presbytery, which served as an extension of the nave and allowed the faithful to move around the altar without disturbing the flow of worship. The deambulatory was rare in early Christian basilicas, and became widespread in Romanesque and Gothic churches from the 11th to the 13th centuries.
In early Christian basilicas, men and women were kept separately in specially designated areas. Gender separation was adopted from Jewish tradition: in synagogues, women were placed at the top in special choirs. Also in the basilicas in the side naves there were special galleries-emporas or so-called “matroneums” intended for women.
The early Christian model of the temple served as an almost unquestionable authority for subsequent generations, especially for the Christian world of Western Europe, where, despite a number of significant modernizations and innovations, the basic structure of the temple remained largely unchanged for many centuries.
The content of the article
BASILICA(from the gr. basilike - royal house) - a type of building, rectangular in plan, consisting of an odd number (3 or 5) of naves of different heights (Latin navis - ship), separated by longitudinal rows of columns or pillars with independent coverings. The wider and higher central nave is illuminated by windows of the second tier and ends with an apse (Latin absida, gr. hapsidos - vault, arch), covered with a semi-dome. The entrance to the basilica is a transverse volume - narthex (from the gr. "casket", "casket") - a vestibule, an entrance room, usually adjacent to the western side of Christian churches, less often to 3 sides of the temple. In early Christian and medieval churches, the narthex was intended for persons who did not have the right to enter the main room, the so-called. catechumens ready to accept Christianity.
In Athens, basilicas were the name given to the meeting place of the archon - basileia, whose throne was located at the end of the middle nave, in the apse.
In ancient Rome, basilicas were civil buildings for trade, legal proceedings and political meetings, often located in the Forum. In the central nave there was a meeting room, at one end of which, in a semicircular apse, sometimes separated from the rest of the building by a colonnade, there was a tribunal with seats for judicial officials and lawyers. The middle, higher position belonged to the quaestor or praetor. In front of the apse there was an altar for sacrifices. An altar (Latin altaria, altus - high) is an altar raised on a high base decorated with sculpture. The entrance was arranged from the end or through the side nave.
The first Christian churches used the basilica layout, as well as the term "basilica". In the first churches, in the center of the apse ending the nave, there was an altar - a table where services were performed, decorated with sculpture, gold, and jewelry. The altar was also the name given to the entire eastern part of the temple, separated by an altar barrier, and in the Orthodox - by the iconostasis. In a Catholic church, the name altar also applied to the decorative wall erected on it or behind it, usually decorated with paintings and sculptures. In the depths of the apse stood the throne of the bishop, and in a semicircle the chairs of other clergy. The middle nave was intended for ritual processions, the left side nave was originally reserved for women, the right - for men. The coverings of the basilicas of Ancient Rome used open wooden structures, which later gave way to vaulted ceilings. Christian basilicas were often built with one or two transverse naves - transepts (Latin transeptum from Latin trans - behind, septum - lit., fence), intersecting the main (longitudinal) naves at right angles. The transept appeared when it was necessary to increase the space in front of the altar and apse, and its location transformed the plan of the temple into a Latin cross (in Orthodox churches - into an Orthodox cross).
With the development of Christianity, basilicas became the main type of temple and were further developed in Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic architecture, and were also used as a type of building in the Renaissance and Baroque. Various public buildings can have the shape of basilicas.
The most ancient basilicas are considered to be the Basilica of Portia (184 BC), the Basilica of Emilia (179 BC), the Basilica of Julia (12), the Basilica of Ulpia (113), the Basilica of Maxentius-Constantine (306–312). Among the famous basilicas are the Basilica of Sant'Nuovo in Ravenna (early 6th century), the Cathedral in Pisa (1063–1118), the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris in Paris (1163–1114 centuries), the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence (1296–1461), St. Peter's Basilica in Rome (1506–1612).
Basilica of Maxentius - Constantine
Basilica of Maxentius - Constantine in the Roman Forum (306-312) - a three-nave vaulted building with an area of 6 thousand square meters. m. The middle nave, colossal in width (80–25 m), completed by a semicircular apse, is covered with three cruciform vaults, which rested on eight pillars and were supported from the outside by buttresses. The outer walls are cut through by tiers of arched spans. Initially, the entrance was located on the east side of the building, where the narthex was located. Later the entrance was moved to the south side of the building. This is one of the most majestic examples of ancient architecture, which laid the foundation for the construction of numerous Christian churches in subsequent centuries.
Cathedral of Pisa – Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta
Cathedral in Pisa - Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (1063–1118). The temple was built to commemorate the naval victory of Pisa over Palermo. At the beginning of the 12th century. it was expanded and the decoration of the facade was completed. The five-nave cathedral, the plan of which is in the form of a Latin cross, is cut through by a transept. The apse is decorated with a two-tier colonnade, as well as the bronze relief gate of San Ranieri, which leads to the chapel.
Notre Dame de Paris
Notre-Dame de Paris (Notre-Dame Cathedral) is the greatest building of early Gothic architecture. Built on the site of the ancient Roman Temple of Jupiter, later replaced by a Christian basilica. Construction was carried out from 1163 to 1345, however, due to destruction and wars, the cathedral became very dilapidated and already in 1793 was under threat of demolition. In 1802 the cathedral was consecrated again, and from 1844 to 1864 the architect Viollet-le-Duc carried out its restoration. The facade of the cathedral is divided vertically into three tiers, in the central tier of which there is a rose window (1220–1225) with a diameter of 10 m. The so-called. "Gallery of Kings" The interior of the cathedral (length - 130 m, width - 50 m, height - 35 m) is divided by cylindrical five-meter pillars into five naves, with a double gallery running around the transept.
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore
The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (St. Mary with a Flower) in Florence was built on the site of the Church of Santa Reparata. Work began in 1296 by the architect Arnolfo di Cambio (1265–1302) and continued by the architects Giotto (1267–1337), Andrea Pisano (1295–1348/49), Francesco Talenti (1300–1369) until 1375. A competition was announced for the construction of the dome, the winner of which was Brunelleschi (1377–1446). The construction of the octagonal dome was carried out from 1420 to 1434, and was completed in 1461 by installing a lantern on it in the form of a small temple with a gilded ball on top. The hollow dome, 91 m high, rests on a drum with a diameter of 45.52 m. Together with the lantern, the height of the dome is 107 m. In terms of size, the cathedral ranks fourth in the world (length - 153 m, width - 38 m, width at the transept - 90 m).
Saint Paul's Cathedral
St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. At the site of the martyrdom and burial of St. Peter, the apostle of Jesus Christ, his tomb was erected, later rebuilt into a small basilica (324–349). The reconstruction of the old basilica, which began under Pope Nicholas V (1447–1455), was suspended, but resumed again in 1506 under Pope Julius II (1503–1513). According to the plan of Donato Bramante (1444–1514), the new temple was supposed to have a Greek cross in its plan, so most of the old basilica was destroyed. Among the most famous architects and artists who worked on the construction of the cathedral was Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564), who modified Bramante's design, increasing the size of the cathedral and crowning it with a huge dome. However, later, under Pope Paul V (1605–1621), it was decided to redesign the basilica again and return to the idea of the Latin cross. To this end, three chapels were added to each side of the building and the nave was enlarged to the size of the modern facade, which was worked on from 1607 to 1612. It is one of the greatest cathedrals in the world, built in the form of a basilica.
Nina Bayor
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