Romanesque Church Architecture

Timeline

1. c. 900–950Aachen · GermanyThe traditions of round arches and centralized plans from Carolingian and Ottonian court churches continued in Western Europe, providing sources of structural and decorative vocabulary for the late 10th-century Romanesque style.
2. c. 955–981Cluny · FranceUnder Abbot Odo, Cluny Abbey expanded its church, employing stone barrel vaults, side aisles, and a semicircular apse, becoming a model for monastic architectural reform in Western Europe and promoting the spread of the Romanesque style.
3. c. 990–1000Tours · FranceThe pilgrimage boom drove the rebuilding and expansion of religious buildings such as the Cathedral of Saint Martin, with stone bodies, towers, and increasingly rich sculptural decoration, establishing Romanesque churches widely across the towns and monastic networks of Western Europe.