Take Back the Box: Romanseque Era

After the end of the Western Roman Empire, Rome began to be influenced by the countries in Northern Europe. The Pope crowned Charles the Great, or Charlemagne, emperor, who attempted to spread Roman traditions to the Northern countries. They already thought of Charles the Great as their emperor, and he helped preserve and disseminate many classical writings and art. Carolingian art, art made during Charlemagne’s reign, transformed the tight, interwoven, and complicated Celtic art into a more relaxed, open, and narrative style. When combined with the images of three-dimensional figures, a new kind of art, Romanesque, was born.
The Romanesque, or Roman-like, era existed from the ninth century to the thirteenth century AD. This era was the birth of the feudal system, a popular middle-aged government system, in which the upper class maintained control of the lower class. People of the lower class, known as peasants, often served on the plantations of lords in exchange for food and shelter. There was no real middle class in this government; people were peasants, lords, or rulers. The first guilds were formed during this period; each of them consisted of a set of people with similar talents, such as the stonemason guild and wool guild. The roads were very small, the size of a footpath, and the city was surrounded by a fortified wall to protect the citizens. The people believed that Earth was a microcosm of the spiritual world. Christianity was spread throughout Northern Europe via icon paintings, which were like seeds in that they sprouted up all over the place.
Romanesque art was influenced by Byzantine icons, and featured designs unheard of before. The designs were somewhat curvilinear and depressing. Figures during this era were m...

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...c architecture was full of light, happy, and tall.
Despite the differences, Gothic and Romanesque churches shared some common features. First off, basilica churches were present in both eras. Basilicas are churches in the shape of a line, although some are crossed. All kinds of churches had a narthex, or a lobby. All churches also had a high place for the priest to stand while giving sermons, as the priest was viewed as an otherworldly being while speaking the word of God. After the sermon, the priest would often go down to the narthex to talk with the people to prove that he was still a human being.
The Romanesque and Gothic periods were both religion-based and featured many new kinds of architecture. Both periods featured art depicting sadness and depression. Unlike most other periods, these will be known for their architecture and religion than anything else.