The romanesque : towns, cathedrals and monasteries

by Xavier Barral i Altet

Paper Book, 1998

Status

Available

Publication

K©œln ; New York : Taschen, c1998.

Description

Originated by art theorists in the Nineteenth Century, the term ""Romanesque"" refers to a school of religious architecture and design from the early medieval period. As with all terms that attempt to summarise an epoch, ""Romanesque"" artificially constructs the notion of one unified style, but as this book makes clear, the Romanesque tendency consisted of many different, eclectic characteristics. The investigation back through time leads us across the ancient pilgrim routes of the Pyrenees, and then into a vast range of devotional structures -churches, tombs, monuments, cathedrals and basilicas. Each one carries its own regional imprint and spiritual iconography. Containing rigorously detailed and comprehensive insights into all aspects of Romanesque symbolism and ritual, this book includes analysis of liturgical equipment, and explores the significance of many features of the buildings. A fascinating, mystical quest that forms the second volume in this acclaimed series on Medieval architecture.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member annbury

This is a stunning photographic survey of Romanesque architecture, with a text that does not live up to the pictures. Like the precursor volume in the Taschen series, "The Early Middle Ages", it is chock full of beautiful photographs that show off many aspects of Romanesque architecture. Anyone

with serious interest in this topic should consider buying this book, for the photographs alone. Unfortunately, for me at least, the text was not as illuminating as the photos. It may be lack of knowledge on my part that prevented me from profiting from the text to the full, but it seemed to me too focused on the details of particular buildings, and too little on broader trends and patterns.

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