Module 8: Romanesque

Question 1

campanile

Answer 1

separate tower structure in Italian Romanesque cathedral architecture

Question 2

chair of estate

Answer 2

a chair, of any type or detail, reserved for the most important member present

Question 3

faldstool

Answer 3

“X” shaped folding stools based on Roman curule stool

Question 4

groin vault

Answer 4

a type of vault (or stone ceiling which springs from two walls over a space) created when two barrel vaults intersect at right angles creating a type of “groin” at the junction or intersection.

Question 5

historiated column capitals

Answer 5

capitals ornamented with birds, animals, humans, biblical scenes or offering moral lessons

Question 6

relics

Answer 6

religious objects believed to be consecrated to a saint or other important Catholic figure

Question 7

rib vault (or ribbed vault):

Answer 7

groin vault that contains masonry of stone that look like ribs, which form a delicate framework and offer greater structural support and visually articulate the shape, function, and appearance of a groin vault

Question 8

Romanesque

Answer 8

Means “Roman-like.”; term was coined by historians to identify the massive stone churches in the medieval period, which revived Roman vaulting techniques, especially the large arches with keystone-shaped blocks known as voussoirs. Also a stylistic period dominated by church architecture which featured a revival of sculpture dependent on the facades for interior church furnishings.

Question 9

tympanum

Answer 9

area above a Romanesque cathedral door reserved for sculpture

Question 10

westwerk

Answer 10

two towers on the west end of a Romanesque church

Question 11

liege lord or landowner

Answer 11

who would grant rights to a portion of his land to vassals. These men swore an oath to their liege and provided military services when called upon.