XV Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2023

Germany is a country that is known all over the world for its unique architectural monuments. The architecture of this country has a long, rich and diverse history. I was interested in the Gothic and Romanesque styles and their dependence on each other. At first glance, they may seem very different to someone, and similar to someone. In this article I will be based on the description of the three cathedrals mentioned above: the Cathedral of Worms, the Church of the Great Martin, the Cathedral of Speyer. Now we will try to figure out what the similarities and differences of these styles are, and also see what role Romanesque towers played in the creation of the Gothic style.

In medieval Europe, two main styles of architecture were born: Romanesque and Gothic. What is their origin? What are the distinctive features and similarities of the two directions? What function did the buildings of these styles carry?

The Romanesque style preceded the Gothic and was its ancestor.

The first Romanesque works of art appeared between 800 and 1120 thanks to the movement of rulers, artisans and peasants. Roman and Byzantine styles take place in the origin of Romanics. It is due to the connection with Roman architectural elements that the name of the style was born - it is a rounded Roman arch, which is the basis of Romanesque structures. The Romanesque also has elements of Islamic architecture, which is associated with the crusades and wars in the Middle East.

The Romanesque era is represented by three main types of buildings: cathedrals, castles and monasteries. These are large and imposing structures erected for defense and partly for the monks' movement, in which members of religious groups lived and worshipped separately from the population. At the same time, Europe was still facing external threats, so monasteries also had a protective function. Romanesque architecture is known for its massive foundations, thick walls, many arches, strong columns, powerful vaults, large towers and minor decorative arcades. Each building has clearly defined forms, the main feature of which is simplicity.

Gothic architecture originated in France in the XII century and spread to other regions until the XVI century. Gothic architecture was originally used to combine Romanesque and Renaissance styles. The main function of Gothic buildings is religious, they were centers of pilgrimage. Gothic originated from the Romanesque architectural style. The most fundamental element of the Gothic style is the pointed arch. The ribbed arch arch is another distinctive feature of Gothic architecture. It should be noted that prototypes for pointed arches and ribbed vaults were first discovered on late Romanesque buildings. Gothic architecture gave the churches brightness, colorfulness, airiness.

The main similarity of the two styles is their purpose. Both served religious purposes. Monks and ordinary people went to these architectural structures to pray. In addition, buildings of both styles were built using stone materials. Some elements are the same in both styles: vaults, apse, niches, chapels and the construction of towers. Buildings of both styles have arched openings.

But the Romanesque type of building was used in addition to prayers and for defense, and the Gothic cathedral did not have a protective function (it was used for aesthetic purposes because of its decorative and subtle decorations).

- One of the main differences between the two styles is the use of the support that was used in Gothic buildings.

- Romanesque buildings were strong and had thick walls, while Gothic buildings have thinner and lighter walls.

- Romanesque buildings had small windows, and therefore the space inside was poorly lit. The Gothic buildings had large windows with stained glass windows that let more light into the spaces.

- Another difference that can be seen is that the Gothic structures were very tall and turned to the sky. Romanesque buildings had blunt and low towers. Let's look at each cathedral presented

Worms Cathedral is a church located in Germany, in the city of Worms. The cathedral has its historical origins in 1130, when Bishop Burchard of Worms issued a decree on its construction. After the completion of the work in 1181, the temple was officially opened and consecrated. The cathedral is one of the most beautiful monuments of Romanesque architecture in Germany.

It was built in the Romanesque style with some Gothic elements inherent in many cathedrals of this time period, as indicated by the rejection of the traditional style of parity of door and window openings. They, together with fragments of walls, form a kind of modules that form an array of the entire structure. Bas-reliefs of the late XV-early XVI century are reinforced on the walls, which previously decorated the cloister - a covered bypass gallery typical of Romanesque, Byzantine and Gothic architecture, framing a closed rectangular courtyard-well or the inner garden of the monastery. Architecturally, the cathedral is a three-nave basilica. The lower tiers of the two eastern towers remained from the previous church, from which, in fact, construction began. Their height is about 65 meters. The Western Choir, where the St. Nicholas Chapel is located, and the western towers were erected at the end of construction.

Another German architectural monument is the Church of the Great St. Martin in Cologne. The church is one of the most famous basilicas of Cologne, made in the Romanesque architectural style. The history of this beautiful temple began in the XII century.

Externally, the church is a very beautiful three-nave basilica, at the corners of which there are four pointed 70-meter towers.

The altar of the church has the shape of a leaf of clover, and the interior of the room is designed in the Byzantine style, although, compared to the magnificent appearance of the church, it looks very modest, almost ascetic. The decagonal vault of the main hall resembles the outlines of the Constantinople church of St. Sophia, the vaulted windows with multicolored stained glass windows in the form of figures of saints are located high enough, which is why the hall is always gloomy. A fragment of a Roman column in a niche of one of the walls acts as a local shrine, which, according to legend, does not allow a person with malicious intent to come here. Such a curtsey towards the Roman era is not surprising, since St. Martin is built on the Roman foundation of the former warehouses of provisions, and its smooth transition into the walls of the nave is noticeable even today.

The majestic Romanesque Cathedral in Speyer, a former imperial city in the Middle Rhine, in the Palatinate region, was founded around 1030 by order of Emperor Conrad II as a family tomb of emperors from the Salic Franks dynasty, descendants of Charlemagne. The symbol of the city of Speyer is visible from afar.

The cathedral was conceived as the largest temple in Europe at that time, its impressive dimensions (length - 134 m, width - 37.6 m, height of the central nave - 33 m) had to correspond to the prestige of the imperial power. Today it is the largest surviving Romanesque church.

The history of the construction of the Speyer Cathedral is quite confusing. It was completed and consecrated in the name of the Virgin Mary in 1061, but then, on the initiative of Emperor Henry IV, the building began to be rebuilt. At the same time, the builders increased the height of the central nave and replaced the wooden floors with stone cross vaults. The supports of the arches were reinforced with additional columns. This constructive solution later served as a model for other German church buildings.

It is believed that the technique of building vaults was brought to Speyer by Italian masters. It is known that masters from Lombardy took part in the construction of the cathedral at the beginning of the XII century, and sources even mention the name of one of them — Donatus. The magnificent ornamental carvings framing the transept windows and the characteristic arcature belts on the facades are probably of Italian origin. Despite all the alterations, the plan of the cathedral remained unchanged — it is a large three-nave basilica, which has the shape of a Latin cross in the plan, with a large crypt, a western porch and four towers.

The cathedral impresses with its monumentality. Its tall towers, located two by two on the western and eastern sides, give the impression of striving upward and resemble Lombard campanile bell towers. The height of the eastern towers is 71.2 m, the western — 65.6 m.

Summing up, I would like to summarize. Romance preceded Gothic. Styles have different characteristics, but the Gothic style borrowed most of its features from the Romanesque style and introduced its own changes. Unlike the Romanesque style with its round arches, massive walls and small windows, Gothic is characterized by arches with a pointed top, narrow and high towers. Therefore, we can conclude that the Romanesque towers played a very important role in the creation of the Gothic style of cathedrals.

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