Romanesque Churches
Romanesque was the dominant architectural style in Europe in the 11th and 12th centuries. Named for its basis in the basilicas of ancient Rome, Romanesque architecture developed in northern Italy and had its most exquisite expression in France, but fine examples can be found throughout western Europe. "Romanesque" is Roman in French, Romanish in German, Romaanse in Dutch, Románico in Spanish and Romanico in Italian.
Romanesque churches were the first buildings to incorporate monumental sculpture since ancient Rome, and the first to use a stone vault instead of a wooden ceiling. Other characteristics of Romanesque include round arches, large towers, thick walls, small windows, and decorative details inside and out. When they were first built, Romanesque churches were alive with color and imagery, serving as a visual Bible to a mostly illiterate population. But not all Romanesque church art is religious - many carvings and paintings depict plants, animals, mythical beasts, pagan imagery, scenes of daily medieval life, and humorous figures. See our Romanesque Architecture reference article for more details and example illustrations.
Below is an index of Romanesque churches in Europe, sorted by country then by city. The list is not yet comprehensive but I'm working on it! Entries marked with an asterisk (*) are the most notable examples of Romanesque architecture in the country. Click links for info and photos.
| Romanesque Churches of Austria Geras Stiftskirche Gurk Cathedral Hartberg Karner Loeben Stiftskirche Milstatt Abbey Ossiach Abbey Salzburg - Franziskanerkirche Schöngrabern, Hollabrun Vienna - Michaelerkirche Vienna - Ruprechtskirche Vienna - Virgilkapelle Romanesque Churches of Belgium Tournai Cathedral Romanesque Churches of England Berkshire
Abingdon Abbey
Cambridgeshire
Cumbria
Gloucestershire
Herefordshire
Abindgon - St Nicholas Aldermaston Appleton Ashbury Avington Beedon Besselsleigh Bisham Blewbury Bray Brightwalton Buckland Bucklebury Buscot Catmore Caversham Chaddleworth Childrey Chilton Cholsey Coleshill Combe Cumnor Denchworth East Garston Eaton Hastings East Ilsley Enborne Englefield East Shefford Faringdon Farnborough Finchampstead Frilsham Fyfield Great Shefford Hamstead Marshall Hampstead Norreys Harwell Hatforde Hurley Kingston Lisle Kintbury Little Coxwell Leckhamstead Letcombe Bassett Letcombe Regis Lockinge Long Wittenham Marlston North Hinksey Padworth Purley on Thames Reading Abbey Reading - St James Reading - St Mary Butts Ruscombe Shaw Shellingford Shinfield Shrivenham Sonning Sotwell Sparsholt Stanford Dingley Stanford in the Vale Stratfield Mortimer Sulhampstead Abbots Sunninghill Sutton Courtenay Swallowfield Thatcham Tidmarsh Upton Wallingford Waltham St Lawrence Wargrave Welford West Challow West Hanney White Waltham Wokingham Woolstone
Acton Beauchamp
Kent
Amberley Chapel Aymestre Birley Bishop's Frome Bolstone Bredwardine Brinsop Bromyard Castle Frome Colwall Cradley Eardisley Fownhope Kilpeck* Mathon Moccas Munsley Rowlestone Stanford Bishop Stoke Lacy New Romney
Old Romney
Oxfordshire
|
Romanesque Churches of France Burgundy Anzy-le-Duc Autun*
Berzé-la-Ville
Languedoc and Roussillon
Chapaize CharlieuCluny Abbey Dijon - St-Bénigne Gourdon Iguerande Fontenay Abbey La Charité-sur-Loire Nevers - St-Etienne Paray-le-Monial Perrecy-les-Forges Saulieu Semur-en-Brionnais St-Julien-de-Jonzy St-Reverien Tournus Vézelay* Arles-sur-Tech
Loire Valley
Cabestany Corneilla-de-Conflent Elne St-André-de-Sorède St-Génis-des-Fontaines St-Guilhem-le-Désert St-Martin-de-Fenollar St-Martin-du-Cangigou St-Michel-de-Cuxa Villefrance-de-Conflent Cunault
Massif Central
Fontevraud Abbey Germigny-des-Prés Montoire-sur-le-Loir St-Benoît-sur-Loire St-Jacques-des-Guérets Tavant Brioude
Normandy
Clermont-Ferrand: Notre-Dame-du-Port Cerisy-la-Forêt Conques Issoire Le Puy-en-Velay Orcival St-Nectaire St-Saturnin Bayeux
Provence
Caen - Abbaye-aux-Dames Caen - St-Etienne Caen - St-Nicolas Caen - La Trinité Jumièges Lessay Mont-St-Michel Rucqueville St-Martin-de-Boscherville Thaon Tollevast |
Romanesque Churches of Germany
Bamberg Cathedral Bonn Münster Bonn - Muffendorf Church Bonn - Schwarzrheindorf Doppelkirche Bonn - Vilich Church Cologne - Twelve Romanesque Churches Cologne - St. Cecilia Cologne - St. Pantaleon Gernrode Hildesheim Cathedral Hildesheim - Michaelskirche Freising Cathedral Limburg Cathedral Mainz Cathedral Mainz - Martinskirche Maria Laach Abbey Regensburg - Schottenkirche St Jakob Speyer Cathedral Straubing - St Peterskirche Trier Cathedral Trier - St. Matthias Abbey Würzburg Cathedral Romanesque Churches of Ireland Cashel - Cormac's Chapel Dublin - Christ Church Cathedral Glendalough - Holy Trinity Church? Mellifont Abbey? Romanesque Churches of Italy Tuscany
Altopascio - San Jacopo Maggiore
Anghiari - San Stefano Arezzo - Santa Maria della Pieve Arezzo - Pieve di Romena Florence - San Miniato al Monte Isola Abbey Pisa Cathedral Pisa - San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno San Galgano Abbey San Salvatore Abbey Romanesque Churches of Portugal Braga Cathedral Lisbon Cathedral Tomar - Convento do Ordem de Cristo Romanesque Churches of Spain Ávila Cathedral Ávila - Basilica de San Vicente San Juan de Ortega Santiago de Compostela Cathedral Santo Domingo de Silos Abbey Segovia - San Clemente Church Segovia - San Millan Church Romanesque Churches of Switzerland Geneva Cathedral Spiez - Schlosskirche Zurich - Grossmunster |
Sources
- Personal visits
- Peter Stafford, Romanesque Churches of France: A Traveller's Guide
- Art-Roman.net (France)
- El Portal del Arte Romanico (Spain)
- Romanico Portugal
- Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland
- Artemedievale.net (France, Spain, Italy)
- List of Romanesque Architecture - Wikipedia
