Early Christian Architecture. Byzantine Churches. Romanesque Churches. Gothic Churches
Option 1 – Long Essay – Instructions: Answer the following question with a written response. Your answer should be about two to
three typed pages of text – illustrations not included. (100 points)
QUESTION:
Compare and contrast the designs of (1) Early Christian, (2) Byzantine, (3) Romanesque and (4) Gothic churches. In your
answer, you should refer to any or all of the following eight examples. You should also discuss the historical conditions and
motivations for the changes that occur in church design from the Early Christian through the Gothic periods.
Works for Long Essay (choose any or all):
# Period/Style Building Title, City / Location Illustration Number(s) in Roth
1. Early Christian Old St. Peter’s, Rome (and San Apollinare) 13.3 – 13.4 (and 13.6 – 13.8)
2. Byzantine Hagia Sophia, Constantinople 13.16 – 13.19 (and 3.29)
3. Romanesque Saint-Martin-du-Canigou 14.10 – 14.12
4. Romanesque Sainte-Foy, Conques 14.19 – 14.21
5. Romanesque Saint-Sernin, Toulouse 14.22 – 14.24
6. Gothic Saint-Denis, Saint-Denis 14.31 – 14.33
7. Gothic Notre-Dame de Paris, Paris 14.34 – 14.35
8. Gothic Notre-Dame de Amiens, Amiens 14.36 – 14.39
Church Design
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Church design has evolved over the years. Different time periods presented certain changes that influenced the architectural structure of churches at the time. Early Christian architecture presented designs inspired by the Roman and Greek empires while the Byzantine and Romanesque designs drew inspiration from the growth of Christianity and the changes in Europe that took place in the Middle Ages. The church designs, though set in different eras, had some similarities and certain changes carried inspiration from earlier eras.
Early Christian Architecture
When the first century was coming to its end, the Christian churches had standardized their style of architecture. Churches built between the first and third centuries drew their architectural inspiration from the Greek and Roman designs. During this period, classical architecture had reached its peak as it had developed over thousands of years. The use of Greek and Roman designs did not adhere to the original symbolism removing any limitations that the architectural styles would have met. There were few developments made to the designs in this period. One of these was the dome constructed above a polygon. The Old Saint Peter’s Basilica was an example of this type of structures. Constructed by Constantine on Saint Peter’s gravesite, the church took a basilica form resembling the Roman Basilicas of the time like the Basilica Ulpian.
Byzantine Churches
Byzantine architecture started in the Byzantine Empire and grew to become among the most prominent design styles in the middle Ages. The ideas and symbolism painted out by Christianity i...