Romanesque Architecture versus Gothic Architecture

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The transition from Romanesque architecture to Gothic architecture can be attributed to a simple reason and that is wealth. Throughout Europe near the end of the Romanesque era there was large growth in towns and in turn a large growth in trade. Places such as Germany had rapid growth in their populace and economy and this encouraged trading with other towns. When it came to relations with other towns there was also a sense of competition and they showed this by building huge Gothic building that only got more grander. These buildings were a sign of pride and wealth for a town and each town was basically saying mine is bigger than yours. Places like England and France were still ruled by Kings so their buildings were often built for their leaders unlike in other towns where they were more for the town as a whole. The evolution from Romanesque architecture to Gothic architecture shows mans ability to grow and innovate and create new and better ways to build structures as well as the artistic brilliance of man. Romanesque architecture combines features of Byzantine and Roman buildings. The buildings often have very thick walls with large round arches in doorways and as supports. There are also large towers and arcades with great detail located throughout the buildings. Most of the layouts for the buildings were very symmetrical and often appeared very simplistic especially when compared to later Gothic styles. Most windows were small and did not allow a lot of light into the buildings so they were often dimly lit. A great example of Romanesque architecture is the Piazza dei Miracoli which use to be known as Piaxxa del Duomo and is located in Pisa, Tuscany, Italy. It is inside a large walled off area and is considered one of th... ... middle of paper ... ...manesque architecture to Gothic architecture shows mans ability to grow and innovate and create new and better ways to build structures as well as the artistic brilliance of man. Building such as the York Minster and Notre-Dame show a beautiful architectural style that is not only aesthetically pleasing but is structurally sound using innovative techniques of the time. The evolution of the rounded arch to the pointed arch as well as reducing the amount of ribs and tiers needed to build these structures shows great progress. The progress is also represented by the populace and economical growth of the time and the desire to create grander and more majestic buildings than other towns or kingdoms. The Gothic style was a step forward for architecture and help make way for styles such as Renaissance, Baroque, and many others that evolved to what architecture is today.

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