Transcript Romanesque Architecture

The Catholic Church
and The Rise of Cities
Power in Numbers
Almost everyone living
in Western Europe was
Catholic
 Called “The Church”

Financial Power
Tithes-10% of income given to Church
 Owned large portions of land

Political Power
Canon Law- everyone
subject to Church Law
 Popes & Bishops
exercised power o/r
kings and lords

Knowledge is Power
Clergy members literate
when most were not
 Preserved Bible and
other texts
 Established first
universities

Benefits of Belonging
 Church
as a Unifying Force
– Feudalism created divisions but…
– Shared beliefs in the Church brought people
together; provided sense of community
– Provided stability during a time of feudal warfare
– Village church served as religious and social center
 Offered
relief to hard life on Earth
– Welcomed the poor
– By completing sacraments, religious ceremonies,
followers could receive salvation- eternal life in
heaven
Power Structure

Church organization was
similar to Feudalism
– Power was based on status

Clergy- religious officials,
– Had different jobs in the
Church
– Were ranked- given power
over other clergy members
The Pope
Head of the Church
 God’s representative on Earth
 Resides in Vatican City
 Wielded power over kings and lords through
excommunication

– Excommunication- kicked out of Church; denied salvation;
vassals were freed of obligations
 Why

is this threatening to a king?
Have had power disputes w/ kings and emperors
High Church Officials
 Cardinals
– Supervise priests in several parishes (churches)
– Choose the next pope
 Archbishops/Bishops
– Supervise priests in several parishes (churches)
– Solve religious disputes
Other Clergy
 Monks
–
–
–
–
and Nuns
Lived away from society
Dedicated lives to God
Took care of sick and poor
Copied bible an other works
 Priests-
center of religious life; conducted all
ceremonies in a manor, town or village
 Friars- traveled from place to place spreading
the beliefs of the Church
Medieval Towns and
Cities
Reasons for the Growth of
Towns

Surplus of food
– Warmer climate
– New farming methods

Revival of trade
– Ancient trade routes used again
– Crusaders brought back goods from the Middle East
– Europeans wanted goods their manor did not supply

Growth of business and banking
Role of Guilds
 Guilds-
a group of individuals in the same business,
trade, or craft
– Worked to improve the lives of its members
– Set standards on quality and prices of goods
– Helped train new workers
 Apprentice-unpaid,
worked for a master craftsman for 2-7 years
 Journeyman- salaried, worked for a master till they produced a
“masterpiece”
Cathedral Competitions
 Small
towns and manors had simple churches
 As towns and cities grew they tried to build the
biggest and grandest cathedrals
 Cathedrals- attracted religious pilgrims
Romanesque
Architecture



Weight of the heavy
roof is supported by
thick stone walls and
columns
The weight of the arch
pushes the walls
outward, so stones were
added on the sides for
support
Allows little space for
windows
St Peters Cathedral, Rome
The Cathedral and Leaning Tower in Pisa

The floor plans of
many medieval
cathedrals are in the
shape of the cross
The Cathedral and Leaning Tower in Pisa- Ariel View
Gothic Cathedrals
Weight is
transferred to
thick outer walls
by flying
buttresses
 Allowed space
for enormous
stained glass
windows

Chartres Cathedral, France
Artisans carved intricate sculptures that depicted
religious stories around entranceways and arches
Interior- Chartres Cathedral, France
The Life of Christ
Panel from The Life of Christ depicting
the Nativity
Problems in
Medieval Cities
Housing
Houses were tiny and
clustered close together
 Made of wood
 Fires were common
and spread rapidly

Sanitation (Or Lack There
Of)
 Cities
often overcrowded
 Most streets made of mud, some gravel or stone
– Open sewers along the sides
– Filled with animals and waste
– Family’s chamber pots were dumped into the streets
 Streets
were built on top of older streets
– As a result the filth would rush into houses
 Perfect
breeding ground for disease