It´s a presentation about the organization of the church in The Middle Ages, and also The Romanasque ARt

1. 4. THE CHURCH IN THE MIDDLE AGES

2.  The church was a very rich institution. It
controlled big fiefdoms and received high
taxes called: “tithe”  “diezmos” from
the peasants. It consisted on the 10% of
the benefits from the crops. With that
money the church could maintain itself in
the privileged group.

3. 4.1. CHURCH ORGANIZATION
 The church was perfectly structured in
order to spread religion everywhere.
 A group of Christians formed a parish
(parroquia), managed by a priest.
 A set of parish created a diocese,
managed by a bishop.
 At the top of the church organization was
the Pope.

4. 4.2. THE CLERGY CLASS
 The clergy group was divided into two
branches:
 The secular group formed by:
 Bishops
 Priests
 The regular group formed by:
 Abbots, Abbesses:
 Monks, nuns.
 This group lived in monasteries, and they had to
respect monastic rules.

5. 5. THE CRUSADES
 The crusades were a series of holy wars
between European Christians and
Muslims in the Middle East that took place
from the 11th to 12th centuries.
 The aim of these wars was to reclaim the
holy lands for Christians, such as
Jerusalem, which was controlled by the
Turks.

7. 6. THE ROMANASQUE ART

8. 6. ARCHITECTURE: VOCABULARY
 Floor plan > Planta (de la iglesia, catedral)
 Latin Cross > Cruz latina
 Transept > Transepto. It’s the short part of
the cross in a Latin cross floor plan.
 Nave > Nave. The different corridors of the
church or cathedral.
 Central Nave > The nave in the middle of the
church. It’s the main one.
 Apse > Ábside. A semicircular or poligonal
termination or recess in a church, shaped in
a half circle or with many sides, usually with
a domed roof.

9. ARCHITECTURE VOCABULARY
 Ambulatory: girola. It’s an aisle
surrounding the end of a church.
 Crossing: crucero. It’s the square formed
where the two crosses of a church cross
each other.
 Bell Tower: campanario
 Barrel vault: bóveda de cañón. A vault with
the form of a half cylinder.
 Buttresses: contrafuerte. It’s a support
that is out from the wall of a building to

10. 6.1. ARQUITECTURE
 The churches were built of stone.

11. 6. ARQUITECTURE
 The floor plan was in the shape of a Latin
cross

12. CATHEDRAL OF SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
Central
nave
Buttresses
Apses
portal
Crossing
Lateral
naves
Transept
Ambulatory

13. INTERIOR OF A
ROMANASQUE
CHURCH
Try to identify the
parts of the church.
You could see:
-Apse
-Central Nave
-Barrel Vault
-Crossing
-Altar

14.  Central apse only. And Central apse with
lateral apses.

16. AMBULATORY

17. THE TYPE OF ARCH
 In Romanesque art the semi-circular arch
was used. (Arco de medio punto), in fact,
it is as a half of a full circle.

19. S. CLEMENTE DE TAULL (CATALUÑA)

20. ZAMORA’S CATHEDRAL

21. PISA’S CATHEDRAL

22. BUTTRESSES

23. SANTIAGO´S CATHEDRAL

24. SCULPTURE
 The sculptures were used to represent
religious themes, such as sacred events of
the Holy Bible.
 Didactic purpose. It was meant to teach the
Christian beliefs to the people, who were
mostly illiterate: not able to read or write.
 Most of them were places in the exterior or
buildings:
 doorways of churches and cathedrals.
But also in:
 Columns
 Capitals

25. SCULPTURE
 Sculptures tended to be adapted to the
architectural space.
 Most of the figures were rigid, static and
inexpressive.
 The most common themes were religious ones,
such as the “Pantocrat Christ”: in which Christ is
represented in the middle of the magic mandorla,
with his right hand he is blessing, and with the
left he has a sacred book.
 Around him there are four symbolic
representations of the four evangelists:
 S.Mateo – an Angel
 S. Marcos – a Lion
 S. Lucas - A Bull

29. SCULPTURE IN A DOORWAY
 Archivolts: arquivoltas. The bands surrounding
an arched opening.
 Tympanum: tímpano. Semicircular surface
situated between the upper part of a door or
window and the arc over it.

30. PORTAL DE LA GLORIA IN SANTIAGO
Trumeau –
Parteluz Jambs

31. PAINTING
 The purpose was also didactic.
 Mural paintings were the only form of
painting, done in fresco.
 The predominant theme was also the
Pantocrator.
 Simple colours and black lines.
 The characters were in rigid poses and
their faces showed no emotion.

32. PANTOCRATOR OF SAN CLEMENTE DE TAÜLL