After a 3 month hiatus, I am officially back.
The topic we discussed last week was Romanesque architecture. This style began somewhere during the 6th and 10th century in Medieval Europe. When we think of Medieval Europe, first thing that comes to mind is those big, stone castles we see in Movies such as Braveheart. The next thing that comes to mind is the expansion of Christianity (Crusades and all). Romanesque architecture is known to be a combination of Western Roman and Byzantine styles. Following the Romanesque style is Gothic, which is almost the same, except for some few adjustments. Romanesque structures are known to be of massive quality, have thick walls, round arches, sturdy piers, groin vaults, large towers and decorative arcading. Most buildings are simple, having a symmetrical plan and are defined in forms. Religion had a big influence on Romanesque style. The number of churches built during this era outnumbers the number of castles. If we see the plan of most cathedrals, we can see that it is shaped like a cross. I find this idea amazing, because the way they incorporated religion and architecture was very subtle (Besides the fact that the building was religious itself). They were enable to get a popular figure and use it in ways that it isn't obvious to the eye.
