Text 21. Romanesque architecture

Words and word combinations:

to originate -создавать

pillar -колонна

pier-столб

clerestory-верхний ряд окон

pilgrimage- паломничество

pilgrim-паломник

sacred-святой

ambulatory-временный

chapel-церковь

apse- апсида

Romanesque architecture began in the late 800’s and achieved its greatest importance during the 1000’s and 1100’s. the most significant Romanesque buildings were churches first designed in Italy and then n France, Germany, Spain, and finally England.

Scholars of the 1800 are originated the term Romanesque, which means like the Roman. These scholars believed that Romanesque architecture chiefly reflected Roman designs. However, Romanesque architecture actually combined Roman with Byzantine and other styles.

Romanesque churches differed somewhat from country to country, but most of the churches shared certain features. The typical Romanesque church had thick walls, columns built close together, and heavy curved arches. A tower rose from the roof over the point where the transept crossed the nave. Four large pillars called piers supported the tower. An arcade separated the nave from the side aisles. A gallery called a triforium was built on the arcade. The clerestory, made up of a row of windows set in arches, topped the triforium.

During the Romanesque period, many people made pilgrimages – that is, journeys to sacred places. Groups of pilgrims traveled throughout Europe and Palestine to visit pilgrimage churches, which housed the bones or possessions of certain saints. Important pilgrimage churches were extremely large to accommodate the many visitors. An example is the huge Church of St. Sernin (about 1080-1120) in Toulouse, France. The church has two aisles on each side of the nave. Small chapels open into the ambulatory, a semicircular aisle enclosing the apse. This plan permitted pilgrims to move through the building along the aisles without disturbing services at the main altar.

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