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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[NovKJIBER, 



ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE. 



Afiw Jli^t>ark.t on .tome of the Imdiny polntx of Jlomuiiesqiic Arrhi- 

 tectun. Hy James Ed.mhstox, jun. (Paper read at the general 

 meeting of the Architectural Association, Lyon's-inn Hall, 18th 

 October, 1850. 



It has not been by any means the chief aim in the subsequent 

 remarks, to enter into an liistiirical or anti(|uarian account of the 

 rise and development of those architectural forms exhihite<l in 

 the early ecclesiastical arcliitecture of Italy, and which usually 

 pass under the name of Romanesque, any further than is nei-es- 

 sary for the sake of distinction and elucidation. It is, on the 

 contrary, I believe, often desirable to escape as much as may be 

 from all influences which are not to be found in the art itself; to 

 think upon, and to view it for instruction and jjuidance, as archi- 

 tectural students; believinjr that such inquiries as we have alluded 

 to, too minutely followed out, are more pr(q)er to the antiquarian 

 than the architect, and that they too often, to the great loss of the 

 student, carry away tlie imagination, and blind the vision to those 

 real and lively i)rinciples of the art which ought first to claim his 

 attention. It is, nevertheless, necessary to trace the development 

 of succeeding forms and arrangements — their origin and progress; 

 because, in tracing the growth of the first rude attempts to the 

 latest perfection, the architect learns to understand the inferior 

 stages of development, and wins his way to the better starting 

 ])oint for his own exertions, sees that progress and onward move- 

 ment is the very soul and life of his art, and receives by the study 

 a mental discipline and correction that trains his owii mind for 

 vigorous exertion, and hel[)s him to throw aside fearlessly the 

 trammels of conventionalism and fashion. 



It has always seemed to me tliat the study of those architec- 

 tural efforts called Romanes<pie is, to all these ends, useful and 

 well fitted; it is simple and vig<irous, determinate and striking; 

 hold in its effects; with all its simplicity, very often artist like; 

 often mistaken, yet the production of no'paltry and flimsy tone of 

 mind, but the solid expression of real wants, deejilv felt and 

 fervently put forth. 



It is again an especially interesting study if it is allowed — as to 

 me it appears that it should be — that it shares with tlie Byzantine 

 the parentage of all the later styles. Christian and Mahommedan: 

 and w-ithout staying for one moment to inquire into the vexed 

 question as to whence the Pointed arch arose to work its mission of 

 revolution in the architectural world, I will claim this fact for the 

 Romanesque, that it was through it that societv, under its much 

 changed and altered conditions^ shook off those' chains that bound 

 the art to Classic models; and that it adds one more hold unan- 

 swerable witness of the fact, that prngir.is is the life-blood of 

 architecture; for that age — glowing freshly with the first benign 

 influences of Cliristianity, and daring to throw aside the beautiful 

 forms presented by the Pagan world— thinking aiul acting for itself, 

 led the way to those delightful creati<ms of the later Gothic 

 school; and has thus earned the respect of all subsequent ages, and 

 deserves well of all lovers of architecture; well merits the student's 

 careful attention, and cannot fail to reward him plentifully for the 

 industry he may bestow. 



Lest any one should think, by the passing allusion above to the 

 j)ointed arch, that 1 suppose it invented by Romanesque architects, 

 1 will simply record my belief that, like the circular arch, it was 

 known, and occasionally hy chance was used, much earlier; that 

 the Arabian architects used it first as a general feature, but that 

 for the Gothic architects was left the enviable task of evolving the 

 true luinciples which it contained— of working it out and bringing 

 it to its highest perfection. 



In passing, I cannot help observing the great advantages which 

 architects of these later times have over their fathers; tlie archi- 

 tectural expressions and knowledge of cycle on cycle of the world's 

 efforts in the art, is laid liefore them for' their instruction by iimu- 

 merahle careful ami talented works on the several subjects; and 

 the architect, in a few years, and in his own studio, mav learn 

 more than be could formerly have learnt in as many lifetimes. 

 Oh! surely these advantages should never be abused to the stulti- 

 fying and annihilating of his own intellect and genius; hut ought, 

 on the other hand, to be so many powerful incentives to his fresh 

 exertions — nourishment to strengthen his imagination for renewed 

 efforts — beacons to show him the rocks to be avoided in his course 

 — piimacles of ambition which he may reach, and from which he 

 may see a yet unattained world of beauty beyond. 



IJy Romanesfpie, then, I understand that style of architecture 

 which was used after the decline of Roman power, and the removal 



of the seat of government to Byzantium; and which continued 

 until the use (I will not say the discovery, but until the use) of 

 the pointed arch led the way to the entire change in Christian 

 architecture — till what we call Gothic became prevalent in Italy, 

 and long after it was generally used in other countries; extending, 

 as to time, therefore, from the midille of the fourth even to the 

 thirteenth century, for Pointed architecture obtained no certain 

 footing in Italy till after that time. The locality in which this 

 style ))revailed was confined to Italy — that is. North Italy and 

 Lombardy, and is very distinct from that architecture very properly 

 called Byzantine, which was the work of Greek architects, of a 

 much more oriental character, and with many distinctive marks; 

 having, in fact, Greek architecture for its basis, as Romanesque 

 had Roman on the one side, and the early German Gothic — 

 which, in many respects, appears akin, but is nevertheless very 

 different — on the other. The distinctions between the churches in 

 this style are chiefly between those built at and near Rome — which 

 was for ages a great quarry, from which were taken not merely 

 stones, but parts of buildin:rs, columns, cornices, &c., to be wjrked 

 up whole into other buildings (and they therefore partook more of 

 the old classic models) — and those Lombard edifices, and others, at 

 a distance from such assistance, and which are therefore more 

 defined in style, and give clearer evidence of a step or two towards 

 the Gothic. 



First, then, let us consider the plans of buildings in this style: 

 the earlier ones are found in the great majority — perhaps in all 

 cases where Pagan architecture was employed — to be exactlv that 

 of the ancient Basilica, or hall of justice; that is, a parallelogram, 

 or nearly a double square, with the semicircular or octagonal recess 

 at one end, usually called the apsis — in the court-ho»-;e, the judge's 

 seat; but in the church, the aacred place where the altar was 

 placed, and round which sat the bishops and presbyters. In some 

 examples the atrium adjoining was retained, as at San Clemente 

 near Rome, and San Ambrogio at Milan; and which, in appearance 

 at all events, would appear to bear some analogy to the more modern 

 cloisters. In some of the later edifices we observe the transeptal 

 arms broken out, as in a Gothic cathedral ; but by far the most usual 

 is the simple Latin plan — though we do, in some instances, see some 

 examples of the tireek cross; but these must, in all cases, be put 

 down as the work of Greek architects, tor the Latin architects 

 never altered the more ancient form to which they were accustomed. 

 And I think, beyond all question, this simple plan, so much pre- 

 ferred by the early Christian church, may be traced through the 

 Romanesque to the Gothic; and that there can be no doubt but 

 that it was the excellent basis which lies at the root of all the 

 variations which that style engrafted upon it. This form of plan 

 was used by the early Christians, doubtless, because in many cases 

 they found it ready presented before them in the already existing 

 basilicas, which they easily converted into churches; and secondly, 

 because its simplicity was admirably adapted to their wants — the 

 central nave and two side aisles: the northern assigned to the 

 women, the southern to the men; the centre occupied by tlie choir 

 and sub-deacons, then by the neophytes and candidates for baptism; 

 and lastly, near the door, by the penitents. 



True, we find this simple [dan extended and added to subse- 

 quently, though always preserve<l as the main principle of 

 arrangement, particularly in the neighbourhood of Rome; and 

 those alterations which did take place, as the addition of transepts, 

 Sic, are much the most usual in Lombardy. The single apsis was 

 never forgotten ; but others were added at the end of the aisles, 

 then to the transepts; and as the fashion of building chapels to 

 tutelary saints became more in vogue, they were even broken out 

 laterally. In all the earlier instances the floor w-as level, except 

 only two or three steps to the apsis, where the high altar was 

 situated; but as the prejudice against burial within the consecrated 

 walls died away, and as the Church began to build for itself, we 

 find the introduction of a new feature in the plan, and which is 

 treated with the utmost importance — the crypt, which in these 

 edifices appears not as a ]>lace of sepulture, but as a sort of lower 

 church, complete with its altars and shrines; supjxised by some to 

 ha\e been erecterl in imitation of the catacombs — those early places 

 of meeting, in which the early Christians were wont to hide them- 

 selves, and to carry on their simple but sincere worship. Whether 

 this be a mere fanciful supposition or not, what we know is, that 

 they were prepared for the reception of the bodies of confessors 

 and martyrs; and as such were treated with as much care and 

 attention as the rest of the church — not sunk into the earth, but 

 often nearly on a level with the floor of the nave, and with a 

 number of steps ascending to the choir above (which had then 

 been removed from its first position in the nave), just as we see it 



