40 | Viking Explorer Society News
From Romanesque to Baroque, take a
journey through time as you encounter
Western architecture through the ages on
your next Viking voyage.
ROMANESQUE
(+/-1050 –1200 AD)
Constructions in the Romanesque style began during the reign of
Charlemagne (800 –814 AD), who sought to re-establish the glory of
the Roman Empire. This symmetrical and relatively simple style
combining elements of ancient Roman and Byzantine architecture
spread throughout Europe, characterised by round arches, small
windows and massive, thick walls. Arches were often arrayed in a
decorative series, supported by sturdy piers or columns. Long, curved
ceilings are typical, created by a simple barrel arch or two barrel
arches intersecting to form a groin arch. Examples of the
Romanesque style can be seen in Cologne, Germany. These include
St. Mary's in the Capitol (St. Maria im Kapitol), the largest of
Cologne's 12 Romanesque churches, with its carved wooden doors,
and Great St. Martin's (Gross St. Martin), whose three apses and
soaring tower crossing above them have characterised Cologne's
skyline since the Middle Ages.
STYLES
OVER TIME
Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Paris
Basilica of St Mary, Rome
