Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Romanesque
Romanesque was all the rage across Western Europe in the 9th century, from the Lombard
plains to Tuscany, southern France to northeast Spain and, later, Germany and England.
While the materials ranged from basic brick to elaborate marble, Romanesque rounded
archways, barrel-vaulted ceilings, triple naves and calming cloisters came to define medi-
eval church architecture. This austere, classical style was a deliberate reference to the Ro-
man empire and early martyrs who sacrificed all for the Church, reminding the faithful of
their own duty through the Crusades. But in case the architecture failed to send the mes-
sage, sculptural reliefs were added, heralding heroism on entry portals - and putting the
fear of the devil into unbelievers, with angels and demons carved into stone capitals in
creepy crypts.
As Venice became a maritime empire in the 13th century, many of the city's smaller
Byzantine and early Romanesque buildings were swept away to make room for Internation-
al Gothic grandeur. The finest examples of Romanesque in the Veneto - and possibly in
northern Italy - are Verona's vast 12th- to 14th-century Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore and
Padua's frescoed jewel of a Romanesque Baptistry. Within Venice, you can admire
Romanesque simplicity in Chiesa di San Giacomo dell'Orio.
