St-Sernin basilica, Toulouse, 1080 – 1120: elevation of the east endRomanesque sculpture, cloister of St. Trophime, ArlesRomanesque abbey church of Jumièges, Normandy
Romanesque architecture expands in France through monasteries. Burgundy was the center of monastic life in France - one of the most important Benedictine monasteries of medieval Europe was located in Cluny. Pilgrimages also contributed to expansion of this style. Many pilgrims passed through France on their way to Santiago de Compostela.
In Italy, the prevalent diffusion is in Lombardy, in Emilia - Romagna, in Tuscany, in the continental part of Veneto and in Apulia; everyone of these "Romanesque styles" has proper characteristics, for constructing methods and for materials. For example, a characteristic of Romanesque is that to change the classic elements with Christian elements, but in Tuscany and Apulia the classic decoratings remain.
Materials depended from the local disponibility, because the importation was too expensive. In fact, in Lombardy the most used material is ceramic, because of the argillous nature of the terrain; but that is not true for Como, where there were large diponibility of stone; in Tuscany buildings in white marble (from Carrara) are frequent, with inserts of green serpentin marble.
In Lombardy and Emilia, in that age united, in Romanesque epoque there was a great artistic flowering. The most monumental churches and cathedrals are often built with the campata system, with varying columns which weigh a tutto sesto arcos. In plain the material of construction is prevalently the mattone, but buildings in stone do not lack. The greater part of the Roman cities along the via Emilia is equipped in this age of monumental cathedral, between which they already maintain to the medieval system.
Ganfei Convent in Valença, destroyed in 1000 by the Muslims, rebuilt in 1018, façade and main chapel changed in later periods, the rest of the temple is Romanesque
Church and tower of the Travanca Monastery in Amarante, Preromanesque, Romanesque reconstruction in 1096, most of the building remained intact since the 13th century
Castle of Loarre, HuescaSan Juan de la Peña, HuescaCollegiate church of Santillana del Mar, Spain. Cloister Saint Clement of Taüll in Catalonia, Spain. Lombard RomanesqueSant Pere de Rodes, GironaMonastery of Santo Domingo de Silos, Spain. Capitel detailSan Isidoro, LeónSan Martín de Tours de FrómistaCathedral of ZamoraInner view of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Spain.Crypt of the Monastery of Leyre, Navarra
Before Cluny`s influence, Romanesque first developed in Spain in the 10th and 11th centuries in Catalonia, Huesca and the Aragonese Pyrenees, simultaneously with the north of Italy, into what has been called "First Romanesque" or "Lombard Romanesque". It is a primitive style whose characteristics are thick walls, lack of sculpture and the presence of rhythmic ornamental arches.
Romanesque architecture truly arrives with the influence of Cluny through the Way of Saint James pilgrimage route that ends in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The model of the Spanish Romanesque in the 12th century was the Cathedral of Jaca, with its characteristic apse structure and plan, and its "chess" decoration in strips called taqueado jaqués. As the Christian kingdoms advanced towards the South, this model spread throughout the reconquered areas with some variations. Spanish Romanesque was also influenced by the Spanish pre-Romanesque styles, mainly the Asturian and the Mozarab. But there is also a strong influence from the moorish architecture, so close in space, specially the vaults of Córdoba`s Mosque, and the polylobulated arches. In the 13th century, some Romanesque churches were built with early Gothic architectural elements. Aragón, Catalonia, Castile and Navarra are the areas where numerous examples of Spanish Romanesque can be found.
In England, Romanesque architecture is often termed 'Norman architecture'. Castles, cathedrals and churches of the Norman period have frequently been extended during later periods. It is normal to find Norman in combination with Gothic architecture.
Durham Cathedral is regarded as the finest Norman building in England.
Peterborough Cathedral is an intact Norman cathedral except for the early Gothic west front and late Gothic eastern ambulatory.
Ely Cathedral: the nave is Norman and west front Norman and Transitional
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