Romanesque Art. Victoria Charles
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(St Michael’s Church) of Hildesheim
This alternation of supports was later developed into a true system. In the Michaeliskirche of Hildesheim (p.14–15–16), for example, as opposed to the churches where the central nave walls were supported by either columns or pillars, the alternation of supports had the aesthetic purpose of emphasising the meaningful structuring of the interior. The series of arches in the triforium, too, are separated in the centre by a pillar, whose position corresponds to that of the lower pillar. The capitals of the columns are still connected to Ancient traditions as they are reminiscent of the shape and foliage work of Corinthian capitals. Between the leaves appear heads and partial figures, which can probably be viewed as an invention of German artisans. They later developed into Romanesque figurative capitals in which medieval artists could exhibit the full richness of their ideas. Another form of the Romanesque capital is the simple shape of a pair of columns with cushion-top capitals at the entrance to Gernrode crypt. It is part of a later period of renewal and renovation in the church interior.
The nave and aisles are, as was customary in the Early Christian basilicas, roofed with flat wooden beam ceilings. The wood was covered with quite rich painting, which cleverly made use of the sectioned ceiling. The ceiling frescos of the Michaeliskirche have, however, almost all completely disappeared, with the exception of those in the nave. They were the favourite creations of Bishop Bernward, who had an appreciation for art and was himself an architect, goldsmith and bronze caster. Of his building only a few remnants remain, among which the columns with the cushion-top capitals (the columns on the far left and right) are markedly different from the richly formed shapes of the later period of renewal, after it had burned down almost completely following a lightning strike in 1034.
Yet the floor plan remained the same, and it can be seen from this that the builders of the eleventh century already designed their churches according to well-considered ratios, within which the secret of the extremely harmonious effect of these Romanesque basilicas can be found. In the Michaeliskirche, the nave is three times as long as it is wide. The three resulting squares are framed by rectangular pillars, between which two columns each are inserted. This is the culmination of the alternation of supports, which was only widespread in Saxony, parallel to the pillar basilica. The two aisles also harmonise with the nave’s proportional size, since they comprise three squares, which are about the same size as those of the central nave. These relatively simple calculations were guarded as the builders’ secrets at the time, which were passed on from generation to generation by word of mouth. These remained in force until far into the Gothic period, during which the secrecy of the church masonic guild of the great cathedrals and basilicas was even written into the rules.
The floor plan of the Michaeliskirche, which today is part of UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage, is a prime example of the culmination of twin-choir church layout in the eleventh century. Its interior, which was only finalised in 1186, is a characteristic example of the rich extravagance in visual and painting décor, which was customary in Saxony at the height of the Romanesque style, and at the same time also speaks of the artistic capabilities of the time. The sculptors and stonemasons who created this art in stone and stucco were not content simply with very rich ornamentation of column capitals with foliage and figurative images. The exteriors of the capital covers as well as the interior of the arches were covered with delicate ornaments. Above the arches runs a vine-like frieze, which in the southern aisle depicts the heads of eight female figures standing on the cover plates, representing the Beatitudes.
North-west view, St George’s Cathedral, Limburg (Germany), 1200–1235.
Cloistered buildings and square, Maulbronn Abbey, Maulbronn (Germany), 1147 (monastery) and 1178–13th century (church).
This sculptural décor was complimented by a richly structured system of painting. It comprised, in a similar way to the polychrome buildings of Ancient Greece, the non-ornamented parts of the architecture as well as the sculptural décor. Thus the simple cushion-top capitals were painted with leaves, so that they were similar to the ancient calyx capitals. The smooth column shafts were either painted in one colour or marbled in varied colours or wrapped in colourful spiralling bands. In addition to this, there were figurative images on the ceilings and walls.
Other Ecclesiastical Buildings
Of the ecclesiastical buildings in Saxony, the following must be emphasised alongside the Stiftskirche in Gernrode and the Michaeliskirche of Hildesheim in Lower Saxony, through which we demonstrated the main characteristics of the Romanesque style in its early and prime periods. They are the Schlosskirche (castle church) in Quedlinburg (Saxony-Anhalt) as well as the Godehardskirche (St Godehard’s Church) in Hildesheim, the Stiftskirche (collegiate church) in Königslutter and, above all, the cathedral in Braunschweig (all three in Lower Saxony). Because this cathedral was the first to employ vault construction, it became an example for the entire region. Originally a double-aisle pillar basilica, it accumulated four side aisles in the fourteenth century when its aisles were doubled. The building’s initial concept that strove for a serious, ceremonious effect was not impaired.
Horizontal plan, Maulbronn Abbey, Maulbronn (Germany), 1147 (monastery) and 1178–13th century (church).
Wherever one finds a pure column basilica in Saxony, one can safely infer foreign sources. The church of the Paulinzella monastery in Thuringia (p.17–18), whose picturesque ruins still demonstrate today the artful structuring of the building, was built by monks from the Swabian Hirsau monastery. In the small town of Hirsau can be found a double-aisled building of about a hundred metres in length in the shape of a basilica, which was then the largest monastery with the largest Romanesque church building in Germany. At the end of the seventeenth century the church and a castle, which had been erected on the premises in the interim, were set on fire by French troops. Both magnificent buildings were destroyed by the flames. Only the cloister and one of the two original towers, the so-called Eulenturm (Owls’ Tower), survive today. The column basilica was the most common type of church in Swabia. Its most shining representatives are the cathedrals in Constance and Schaffenhausen, whereby the Constance cathedral was almost completely remodelled in the late Gothic period, particularly its exterior façade.
In the Rhineland, pillar basilicas are prevalent. This can probably be attributed to a quite common building material, the porous tuff stone, which could not be worked on in large pieces. Column basilicas are rare, particularly those with flat roofs, and the actual Rhineland building style of the Romanesque period achieved its highest development in the pillar basilica. The main representatives are the three central Rhineland Imperial Cathedrals in Mainz, Worms and Speyer. They are at the same time the most comprehensive and artistically perfected creations of Romanesque architecture in Germany. Thus, it is particularly mournful that they lost much of their original appearance due to fires, destruction in the many wars until the end of the eighteenth century, and the renovations of the recent past.
Stiftskirche in Bad Hersfeld
The modern-day ruin of the collegiate church is the result of arson by French troops in 1761, who had stockpiled materials inside the collegiate church, which they did not want to leave to the enemy after their defeat in the Seven Years’ War and the consequent withdrawal. The original monastic church was erected as a Carolingian hallenkirche (hall basilica) circa 830 A.D. and 850 A.D. After it burned down in 1038, a new Romanesque structure approximately 100 metres in length was built, with two bell towers, of which only one remains, on the west side. The structure is marked by its single Katharinenturm (St Catherine’s Tower), which houses the oldest functioning bell in Germany dating from 1038. Due to its age, however, it only rings once a year to mark a festive occasion and to commemorate the monastery’s first abbot, Lullus, the Archbishop of Mainz, who died in Hersfeld in 786 A.D. The collegiate church’s ruin is considered the largest Romanesque church ruin in the world.
Mainz Cathedral
Eastern view with Ottonian frescos, Church of St George, Oberzell (Germany), 896-beginning of the 11th century.
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