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Architecture in the Alta

Middle Ages
In the architecture of the Early Middle Ages, mainly
three styles: The Byzantine, which influenced the entire period, the
Romanesque between the 11th and 12th centuries, and the Gothic
style between the 12th century and
the 15th century.
Byzantine Architecture >

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Byzantine architecture is the first important style in

the Early Middle Ages, notable for its structural
solidity, using splendid interior mosaics, beautifully
decorated capitals, a characteristic vaulted roof, and
good ornamentation. A good example of this type of
building is the Church. Byzantine of San Vitale.
Byzantine architecture is part of the framework of
Byzantine art, and covers a long period of time,
which begins in the 4th century and which ends
abruptly with the fall of Constantinople into the
hands of the Ottoman Turks in 1453, already in the
20th century. XV.
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• Although in the first moments of its existence Byzantine architecture was not
particularly distinguished from Roman architecture, of which in its first stammers
it constituted only a mere regional derivation, its long evolution over time allowed
for its consolidated emergence. of a distinctive architectural style,
which was otherwise very permeable to the influences it received
from oriental architecture.
• One of the features that were maintained throughout the entire
period of its existence was the use of brick for the architecture of
the churches, which replaced stone, which was the construction
material used in its predecessor Roman architecture; to which is
added a freer interpretation of the classical orders, the replacement
of sculptures as decorative elements of the buildings with mosaics
or the enhancement of the domes, which rise to a higher height
than in other previous architectural styles.
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• 1.- A new assessment of the dome and the vaulted structures with a
symbolic-religious character. The dome becomes the main element
of the churches, it is the center and culmination of the construction.
It is used to cover the heart of the building on the central floors, but
also in the sections of the central and side naves on other types of
floors. It is hemispherical like the Roman one and can be shown
outside or not. It represents the heavenly space over which Christ
reigns, often appearing in his key as Pantocrator blessing. The light
that enters through its drum or through the curvature of the dome
creates a magical effect as if it were suspended floating abovea2Mour
heads.

Hodegitria Monastery Church of

Mystra, Greece. 13th and 14th
centuries. Exterior and interior.
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W0> Elias Bechara Zainúm
The main novelties of Byzantine architecture concern the use of the
dome, the capital and its relationship with the arch and the
decoration, especially the mosaics.

• In parts: Byzantine architecture, like Roman

architecture, is vaulted, but its innovation with
respect to that lies in the systematic use of the
dome using previous Syrian and Sassanid
experiences. The Byzantines built domes of
proportions as gigantic as those of Saint
Sophia in Constantinople, more than 30
meters in diameter, admirably solving the way
to counteract the thrusts, not only through Dome of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople
from inside the basilica
abutments or thick walls, but also by opposing
them with other vaults.
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Dome on pendentives

• It is each of the structural and constructive Flashlight

elements that resolves the meeting between Dome

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the circular base of a dome and a lower pendentive

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space with a square floor plan.

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Another contribution of great importance was the

decoration of capitals, of which there were several
types; Thus, the Theodosian type is a Roman heritage,
used during the 4th century as an evolution of the
Corinthian and carved with a trephine, resembling
wasp nests; Another variety was the cubic capital with
flat faces decorated with two-plane reliefs. In both
cases, it was mandatory to place a truncated-pyramidal
piece over them decorated with various Christian
motifs and symbols.
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Main works

• Basilica of San Vitale

• The Basilica of San Vitale was built in Ravenna during the 6th
century by direct orders of Emperor Justinian. It is considered a
masterpiece and one of the most important creations of the entire
Byzantine architectural period. The construction of this church was
supervised by the city archbishop.
• One of its most notable features is the presence of countless
mosaics throughout its interior. The Byzantines used mosaic
decorations on both the walls and ceiling of this basilica.
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Hagia Sophia ' VJ
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Church
• The Church of Hagia Sophia, also known as Hagia Sophia or the Church of Sacred
Knowledge, is the most iconic cathedral built in Constantinople during the rule of the
Byzantine Empire.
• Its construction was supervised by Emperor Justinian and is considered the most
important structure built by the Byzantines. In addition, it is one of the most important
monuments on the entire planet.
• This building combines the traditional ideas of a long basilica with a uniquely centralized
building. Additionally, it has an incredibly large dome, which is supported by the use of
the pendentive and a pair of smaller domes. However, according to the architectural
plans the building is almost entirely square.
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Romanesque architecture Elias Bethara Zainum

• From an exclusively architectural point of view, the

Romanesque was a continuous effort to build lasting
temples with the greatest possible grandeur but avoiding
their possible destruction. In this endeavor, Romanesque
architecture followed a continuous evolutionary process of
improvement and resolution of tectonic problems in search
of height and light.
• The material used had to be fundamentally stone, although
other materials were not renounced as we will see later.
Another ideal condition was that the temple should be
vaulted. This was for two reasons: the first, to give greater
symbolic relevance to the building and another, more
practical, to avoid the fires that the wooden roofs suffered
with some frequency.
In Romanesque architecture, it no longer
takes advantage of constructive or
decorative elements of Roman
monuments, the sense of classical
proportion disappears, and where this
break with the past becomes more
evident is in the column, whose shaft
stops being truncated conical and
becomes cylindrical. The proportion
between the diameter and height of the
column is forgotten and the Romanesque
architect has no problem giving the same
thickness to the low column of a cloister
as to the very tall one that, attached to a
pillar of the temple, rises to the vault. of
the main ship.
Exterior of the church
of Saint Martin of
Tours, Frómista
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The memory of
the classical
orders is also
lost, all the
columns have a
base with a
plinth and the
shaft is either
kept smooth,
which is most
common, or it is
grooved, even
in a zigzag, or
covered with
vegetal
ornamentation.
The collar,
which in the
Roman column
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was carved in
the upper part
of the shaft,
now becomes
part of the
capital, from
which all
memory of the
Doric and Ionic
now
disappears.
Instead, the
type of capital
covered with
leaves that
derives from the
Corinthian is
used, although,
except for
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certain times
and schools,
the memory of
the acanthus
disappears and
the foliage is
different.

Royal Monastery of San Juan de la Peña, Jaca

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The typical temple of

architecture
Romanesque
• Roughly speaking, a Romanesque temple is a carved
stone building oriented with the head to the east
with one or several longitudinal naves that could
have others crossed through them (will be seen in
the next section). Sometimes, the western façade
or gable was preceded by a narthex or monumental
vaulted anteroom.
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Headboard
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• The head is the noblest part of Romanesque

buildings since it is the place where the altar
is located. Invariably in Romanesque and
other medieval architecture, the chancel is
at the eastern end of the church. The
reason for this canonical orientation is that
the first rays of daylight had to fall on it
because this Sacta Sactorum symbolizes
Jesus Christ who is, according to the New
Testament, "the light of the world."
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Dome
• Above the transept (intersection of the
transept with the central nave) a dome or
lantern tower - square or octagonal - with
windows to illuminate the interior was
usually built.
• In addition to these simple domes
mentioned above, there is a group called
"Douro Domes" present in much more
elaborate cathedrals and collegiate
churches. Byzantine influence has been
attributed to them. The most primitive of
all is the one belonging to the Zamora
cathedral. It has a gallon vault, with a stone
slab roof and four small turrets in the
corners.
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Romanesque bell towers: towers
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and belfries
• The construction of pairs of paired bell towers flanking the
façade (called "harmonic façade") or single towers on one side
of the temple (with a predilection for the north side) was also
common.
• The bell tower had many symbolic functions beyond its mere use
as a sound instrument to call for Mass. It was a symbol of union
between God and men and the power of the Church. Sometimes
it was also a kind of fortress tower to defend against enemies, as
in some places in Castile south of the Duero. The Romanesque
tower usually had several floors defined by projecting imposts
with embrasures and windows for the bells, usually mullioned.
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Another form of bell tower is the so-called belfry, a flat
• Elias Bechara Zainúm

vertical wall pierced with openings for the bells. This

structure had as its diffusion focus the churches of the
Cistercian monasteries. In Spain, numerous
belfries have been preserved in the
Romanesque of northern Palencia, Burgos and
Cantabria. The best known, perhaps, is that of
San Salvador de Cantamuda (Palencia).
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Facades and covers

• The monumental doors or doorways decorated
with successive flared archivolts resting on columns
normally opened on the western or southern wall
or on both. In the most ambitious temples there
could be numerous entrance doors to cover all the
walls of the building. In this case, the main door is
normally on the west gable. This façade, in addition
to the monumentalized door, may have other
windows and oculi or lighting rosettes (in the late
Romanesque).
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If the door was very wide, a central column called a
• Elias Bechara Zainúm

mullion or mullion was placed as reinforcement. In

important temples, statues of biblical characters were
usually added to the columns or/and archivolts (in a
radial direction compared to the longitudinal orientation of
the Gothic). Another notable element of the Romanesque
doorways is the presence of sculpted tympanums under
the archivolts.
• archivolt: it is each of the pillars or moldings that form a
series of concentric arches decorating the arch of the
medieval portals in
its exterior facing, running along its curve throughout its
entire length and ending in the impost or, in a simpler way,
molding placed around an arch.
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Building materials of
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Romanesque architecture
• Ashlar stone or ashlar: Block of stone carved like a
parallelepiped). Frequently these ashlars were
marked by the stonemasons with marks for later
collection. The walls made in this way had two thin
layers of ashlar and in the middle a mass of rubble
(small stones normally from the carving of the
ashlars.
• The placement or rigging of the ashlar can be with
rope and tail (alternating the arrangement parallel
and perpendicular to the direction of the facing),
taped, in rows, etc.
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Sillarejo
• Smaller stone, with worse carving and fit, made
with a hammer, directly devastating the raw
stone, but without polishing the faces.
• The ashlars usually have a size and weight
that requires them to be handled by
machines, unlike the masonry, which, as the
name suggests, is placed by hand.
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Masonry
• Unhewn or roughly hewn stone. "calicanto"
was frequently used, based on masonry
agglutinated with mortar (lime, sand and
water mortar). It was then plastered to give
a smooth appearance to the previously
irregular surface.
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Supporting elements: arches,
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columns and pillars

• The arch used in Romanesque architecture is
semicircular (semicircular) and rectangular in section,
enriching its intrados (inner surface) with a narrower
one, decorating its angles with two moldings
(protrusion with uniform profile) of semicircular
section.
• From the 12th century onwards, the pointed or
pointed arch was also used, with two curved
segments that form an angle in the keystone. This
invention was essential for the development of later
medieval architecture (Gothic) since the thrusts that
moved these arches (and by extension the pointed
vaults) to the pillars and remains of structures were
much more vertical and easier to resist.
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The column and the pillar are the essential architectural
• Elias Bechara Zainúm

elements to receive the weight of the upper structures

(arches and vaults). The column is composed of a base,
shaft and capital. The base of the Romanesque column
is of the Attic type. The shaft, unlike the Roman and
Greek columns and the rest of the post-Gothic styles, is
not truncated conical nor does it have an entasis
(different section at the ends) but rather completely
cylindrical (except in isolated cases).
It also does not normally have vertical grooves as in
classical architecture, but rather they are smooth or, in
the more complex case, have oblique ropes or
geometric (zigzag) or vegetal decoration. The capital is
usually figurative or with a vegetal motif and has a collar
and abacus at the ends.
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• Elias Bechara Zainúm

The pillar or prismatic support with a square section

was widely used as a support, although it adopted
different modalities. The most common was the variety
of cruciform pillar (Greek cross section) or even more,
the cruciform pillar with embedded semi-columns to
collect the arches and their bends.
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Gothic architecture
• The Gothic style developed in Europe, succeeding the Romanesque
from the fourth decade of the 12th century until well into the 16th
century}
• The pejorative name "Gothic" was invented by Renaissance
scholars with a sense of contempt for an art that they considered
barbaric (the "art of the Goths") much inferior in consideration to
Greco-Roman art. However, it was revalued and exalted in the 19th
century by European nationalist and romantic movements and is
currently universally considered one of the most brilliant moments,
from an artistic point of view, in the Western world.
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Although the Gothic succeeds architecturally to the Romanesque of the 12th

century, the truth is that both architectures respond to opposite inspiring principles.

• As the great expert Otto von Simson maintains, with the Gothic there occurred one of the
most radical stylistic ruptures that Western architecture has known.
• The reason for such a revolution is the change of the medieval mentality about existing
knowledge and truth. The 12th and 13th centuries see the defeat of Plato's idealism,
defended by Saint Augustine, which was the philosophical basis of the early medieval
centuries. Since these dates, the
E= I • £ r III_ _ ____ _ • -I— I _ — — _
philosophy based on Aristotle's preeminence of the senses, intensely defended by figures of
the stature of Saint Albert the Great and Saint Thomas Aquinas.

arteguias.
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The light
• The new religious buildings are characterized by the definition of a space that wants to bring the
religious and symbolic values of the time closer to the faithful, in an experiential and almost palpable
way. Incipient humanism freed man from the dark darkness and invited him to the light. This fact is
related to the dissemination of Neoplatonic philosophical currents, which establish a link between the
concept of God and the realm of light. As new construction
techniques made walls virtually unnecessary in favor of openings,
the interior of the churches was filled with light, and the light will
shape the new Gothic space. It will be a physical light, not figured
in paintings and mosaics; general and diffuse light, not
concentrated in points and directed as if it were spotlights; At the
same time, it is a transfigured and colored light through the play
of stained glass and rose windows, which transforms the space
into unreal and symbolic. Color will become crucially important.
• Light is understood as the sublimation of divinity. Symbology
dominates the artists of the time, the Chartres School considers
light the noblest element of natural phenomena, the least
material element, the closest approximation to pure form.
• The Gothic architect organizes a structure that allows him,
through wise use of technique, to use light, transfigured light,
which dematerializes the elements of the building, achieving
clear sensations of elevation and weightlessness.
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Capitals • Elias Bechara Zainúm

• The Gothic capital loses its importance as the period of the style advances.
After the transition period in which the Romanesque capital continues, it
appears as a somewhat conical drum embraced with foliage whose motifs
are taken from the flora of the country (although, sometimes, especially
during the 14th century, it admits figurines and stories
among the foliage always more neat than in the
Romanesque style) and is crowned by a circular or
polygonal abacus with several moldings.
• Subsequently, the capital became smaller and more
delicate and was finally eliminated when in the 15th
century the bundle of jonquils branches directly into
the ribs of the vault without any solution of continuity
in many cases or remains in shape. simple ring.
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• Elias Bechara Zainúm

Columns

• The supports or columns of Gothic art usually consist of the compound pillar which during the
transition period is the same Romanesque support although arranged
for the enjarje of transept arches. But in the perfect Gothic style, the
core of the pillar is cylindrical, surrounded by semi-columns and
supported on a polygonal plinth or on a divided plinth, unlike the
Romanesque style in which such plinth was uniform and cylindrical.
• These bases are more divided and molded as the period of the style
progresses, those from the Flamboyant period being especially
distinguished by small partial bases of different heights standing out,
these corresponding to the small columns that surround the core of
the pillar. But in the 16th century, the use of the primitive prismatic or
cylindrical socket without divisions was frequently returned. The small
columns attached around the core correspond to the arches and ribs
of the vaults, each with its own, according to the principle followed in
the Romanesque style that each supported piece must correspond to
its own support or support.
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Domes

• The domes are formed from icebergs supported by radiating ribs

that, starting from the octagon formed by the central
arches and by a type of very artistic squinches
located at the angles determined by them, join
together to a superior and centric key.
• The dome appears on the outside in the form of an
octagon or hexagon prism crowned by a pyramid
with more daring and elegance than in Romanesque
art. Many times, instead of a dome, a simple
prismatic lantern rises as a tower above the transept.
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Representative Work
Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris (Notre Dame).
• The cathedral was a reference center in the Gothic era, since it
constituted the maximum offering to God
and had the purpose of achieving spiritual
and historical transcendence.
• It was the result of the heyday of the cities,
when the prosperity of the countryside
allowed urban centers or towns to form . The
inhabitants of the burgs, or bourgeois, paid
taxes to the king, which meant greater
wealth for him and greater power for social
investment.
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After more than 850 years of existence, Notre Dame de Paris has
persisted as a living space. Its spiritual functions have remained intact,
while it has received an average of 20 million visitors each year, at least
until the unfortunate fire on April 15, 2019 , which forced the temporary
cessation of its functions for restoration.
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The floor plan of Notre Dame Cathedral is shaped like a Latin cross. The
main nave is a total of 127 meters long and 48 meters wide. The transept,
particularly short, is 14 meters wide and 48 meters long, that is, the same
measurement as the width of the nave. There is a main nave and 4 lateral
ones, for a total of 5 naves with a double ambulatory. In turn, the building
reaches a maximum height of 96 meters on the spire and a total area of
5,500 m².