1Medieval architectureMain article: Medieval architectureSee also: Architecture of Kievan Rus' and Norse architectureSurviving examples of medieval secular architecture mainly served for defense. Castles andfortified walls provide the most notable remaining non-religious examples of medievalarchitecture. Windows gained a cross-shape for more than decorative purposes: theyprovided a perfect fit for a crossbowman to safely shoot at invaders from inside.Crenellation walls (battlements) provided shelters for archers on the roofs to hide behindwhen not shooting.Medieval architecture is a term used to represent various forms of architecture common inMedieval Europe.

Characteristics

Cloisters of Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy, France.

Religious architectureThe Latin cross plan, common in medieval ecclesiastical architecture, takes the Romanbasilica as its primary model with subsequent developments. It consists of a nave, transepts,and the altar stands at the east end (see Cathedral diagram). Also, cathedrals influenced orcommissioned by Justinian employed the Byzantine style of domes and a Greek cross(resembling a plus sign), with the altar located in the sanctuary on the east side of thechurch.Further information: Cistercian architecture

Military architectureMain articles: castle and tower house

Surviving examples of medieval secular architecture mainly served for defense. Castles andfortified walls provide the most notable remaining non-religious examples of medievalarchitecture. Windows gained a cross-shape for more than decorative purposes: theyprovided a perfect fit for a crossbowman to safely shoot at invaders from inside. Crenellated

1

Medieval architectureMain article: Medieval architectureSee also: Architecture of Kievan Rus' and Norse architectureSurviving examples of medieval secular architecture mainly served for defense. Castles andfortified walls provide the most notable remaining non-religious examples of medievalarchitecture. Windows gained a cross-shape for more than decorative purposes: theyprovided a perfect fit for a crossbowman to safely shoot at invaders from inside.Crenellation walls (battlements) provided shelters for archers on the roofs to hide behindwhen not shooting.Medieval architecture is a term used to represent various forms of architecture common inMedieval Europe.

Characteristics

Cloisters of Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy, France.

Religious architectureThe Latin cross plan, common in medieval ecclesiastical architecture, takes the Romanbasilica as its primary model with subsequent developments. It consists of a nave, transepts,and the altar stands at the east end (see Cathedral diagram). Also, cathedrals influenced orcommissioned by Justinian employed the Byzantine style of domes and a Greek cross(resembling a plus sign), with the altar located in the sanctuary on the east side of thechurch.Further information: Cistercian architecture

Military architectureMain articles: castle and tower house

Surviving examples of medieval secular architecture mainly served for defense. Castles andfortified walls provide the most notable remaining non-religious examples of medievalarchitecture. Windows gained a cross-shape for more than decorative purposes: theyprovided a perfect fit for a crossbowman to safely shoot at invaders from inside. Crenellated

1

Medieval architectureMain article: Medieval architectureSee also: Architecture of Kievan Rus' and Norse architectureSurviving examples of medieval secular architecture mainly served for defense. Castles andfortified walls provide the most notable remaining non-religious examples of medievalarchitecture. Windows gained a cross-shape for more than decorative purposes: theyprovided a perfect fit for a crossbowman to safely shoot at invaders from inside.Crenellation walls (battlements) provided shelters for archers on the roofs to hide behindwhen not shooting.Medieval architecture is a term used to represent various forms of architecture common inMedieval Europe.

Characteristics

Cloisters of Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy, France.

Religious architectureThe Latin cross plan, common in medieval ecclesiastical architecture, takes the Romanbasilica as its primary model with subsequent developments. It consists of a nave, transepts,and the altar stands at the east end (see Cathedral diagram). Also, cathedrals influenced orcommissioned by Justinian employed the Byzantine style of domes and a Greek cross(resembling a plus sign), with the altar located in the sanctuary on the east side of thechurch.Further information: Cistercian architecture

Military architectureMain articles: castle and tower house

Surviving examples of medieval secular architecture mainly served for defense. Castles andfortified walls provide the most notable remaining non-religious examples of medievalarchitecture. Windows gained a cross-shape for more than decorative purposes: theyprovided a perfect fit for a crossbowman to safely shoot at invaders from inside. Crenellated

2walls (battlements) provided shelters for archers on the roofs to hide behind when notshooting invaders

Civil architecture Half-timbered construction Jettying, in which the faces of upper floors project beyond lower ones

Donington le Heath Manor House Museum, Leicestershire is a surviving example of aMedieval Manor House dating back to 1280. It is now open to the public as a museum.

Pre-Romanesque

Early medieval secular architecture in pre-romanesque Spain: the palace of Santa Mara del Naranco,c.850.Main article: Pre-Romanesque art and architectureSee also: First Romanesque

European architecture in the Early Middle Ages may be divided into Early Christian,Romanesque architecture, Russian church architecture, Norse Architecture, Pre-Romanesque, including Merovingian, Carolingian, Ottonian, and Asturian. While these termsare problematic, they nonetheless serve adequately as entries into the era. Considerationsthat enter into histories of each period include Trachtenberg's "historicising" and"modernising" elements, Italian versus northern, Spanish, and Byzantine elements, andespecially the religious and political maneuverings between kings, popes, and variousecclesiastic officials.

RomanesqueMain article: Romanesque architecture

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walls (battlements) provided shelters for archers on the roofs to hide behind when notshooting invaders

Civil architecture Half-timbered construction Jettying, in which the faces of upper floors project beyond lower ones

Donington le Heath Manor House Museum, Leicestershire is a surviving example of aMedieval Manor House dating back to 1280. It is now open to the public as a museum.

Pre-Romanesque

Early medieval secular architecture in pre-romanesque Spain: the palace of Santa Mara del Naranco,c.850.Main article: Pre-Romanesque art and architectureSee also: First Romanesque

European architecture in the Early Middle Ages may be divided into Early Christian,Romanesque architecture, Russian church architecture, Norse Architecture, Pre-Romanesque, including Merovingian, Carolingian, Ottonian, and Asturian. While these termsare problematic, they nonetheless serve adequately as entries into the era. Considerationsthat enter into histories of each period include Trachtenberg's "historicising" and"modernising" elements, Italian versus northern, Spanish, and Byzantine elements, andespecially the religious and political maneuverings between kings, popes, and variousecclesiastic officials.

RomanesqueMain article: Romanesque architecture

2

walls (battlements) provided shelters for archers on the roofs to hide behind when notshooting invaders

Civil architecture Half-timbered construction Jettying, in which the faces of upper floors project beyond lower ones

Donington le Heath Manor House Museum, Leicestershire is a surviving example of aMedieval Manor House dating back to 1280. It is now open to the public as a museum.

Pre-Romanesque

Early medieval secular architecture in pre-romanesque Spain: the palace of Santa Mara del Naranco,c.850.Main article: Pre-Romanesque art and architectureSee also: First Romanesque

European architecture in the Early Middle Ages may be divided into Early Christian,Romanesque architecture, Russian church architecture, Norse Architecture, Pre-Romanesque, including Merovingian, Carolingian, Ottonian, and Asturian. While these termsare problematic, they nonetheless serve adequately as entries into the era. Considerationsthat enter into histories of each period include Trachtenberg's "historicising" and"modernising" elements, Italian versus northern, Spanish, and Byzantine elements, andespecially the religious and political maneuverings between kings, popes, and variousecclesiastic officials.

RomanesqueMain article: Romanesque architecture

3Romanesque, prevalent in medieval Europe during the 11th and 12th centuries, was the firstpan-European style since Roman Imperial Architecture and examples are found in every partof the continent. The term was not contemporary with the art it describes, but rather, is aninvention of modern scholarship based on its similarity to Roman Architecture in forms andmaterials. Romanesque is characterized by a use of round or slightly pointed arches, barrelvaults, and cruciform piers supporting vaults.

GothicMain article: Gothic architecture

The various elements of Gothic architecture emerged in a number of 11th and 12th centurybuilding projects, particularly in the le de France area, but were first combined to formwhat we would now recognise as a distinctively Gothic style at the 12th century abbeychurch of Saint-Denis in Saint-Denis, near Paris. Verticality is emphasized in Gothicarchitecture, which features almost skeletal stone structures with great expanses of glass,pared-down wall surfaces supported by external flying buttresses, pointed arches using theogive shape, ribbed stone vaults, clustered columns, pinnacles and sharply pointed spires.Windows contain beautiful stained glass, showing stories from the Bible and from lives ofsaints. Such advances in design allowed cathedrals to rise taller than ever, and it becamesomething of an inter-regional contest to build a church as high as possible. Variationsincluded Brick Gothic

In Central Europe

Malbork Castle in PolandMain article: Brick GothicMain article: Romanesque architecture

In ScandinaviaMain article: Norse architecture

3

Romanesque, prevalent in medieval Europe during the 11th and 12th centuries, was the firstpan-European style since Roman Imperial Architecture and examples are found in every partof the continent. The term was not contemporary with the art it describes, but rather, is aninvention of modern scholarship based on its similarity to Roman Architecture in forms andmaterials. Romanesque is characterized by a use of round or slightly pointed arches, barrelvaults, and cruciform piers supporting vaults.

GothicMain article: Gothic architecture

The various elements of Gothic architecture emerged in a number of 11th and 12th centurybuilding projects, particularly in the le de France area, but were first combined to formwhat we would now recognise as a distinctively Gothic style at the 12th century abbeychurch of Saint-Denis in Saint-Denis, near Paris. Verticality is emphasized in Gothicarchitecture, which features almost skeletal stone structures with great expanses of glass,pared-down wall surfaces supported by external flying buttresses, pointed arches using theogive shape, ribbed stone vaults, clustered columns, pinnacles and sharply pointed spires.Windows contain beautiful stained glass, showing stories from the Bible and from lives ofsaints. Such advances in design allowed cathedrals to rise taller than ever, and it becamesomething of an inter-regional contest to build a church as high as possible. Variationsincluded Brick Gothic

In Central Europe

Malbork Castle in PolandMain article: Brick GothicMain article: Romanesque architecture

In ScandinaviaMain article: Norse architecture

3

Romanesque, prevalent in medieval Europe during the 11th and 12th centuries, was the firstpan-European style since Roman Imperial Architecture and examples are found in every partof the continent. The term was not contemporary with the art it describes, but rather, is aninvention of modern scholarship based on its similarity to Roman Architecture in forms andmaterials. Romanesque is characterized by a use of round or slightly pointed arches, barrelvaults, and cruciform piers supporting vaults.

GothicMain article: Gothic architecture

The various elements of Gothic architecture emerged in a number of 11th and 12th centurybuilding projects, particularly in the le de France area, but were first combined to formwhat we would now recognise as a distinctively Gothic style at the 12th century abbeychurch of Saint-Denis in Saint-Denis, near Paris. Verticality is emphasized in Gothicarchitecture, which features almost skeletal stone structures with great expanses of glass,pared-down wall surfaces supported by external flying buttresses, pointed arches using theogive shape, ribbed stone vaults, clustered columns, pinnacles and sharply pointed spires.Windows contain beautiful stained glass, showing stories from the Bible and from lives ofsaints. Such advances in design allowed cathedrals to rise taller than ever, and it becamesomething of an inter-regional contest to build a church as high as possible. Variationsincluded Brick Gothic

In Central Europe

Malbork Castle in PolandMain article: Brick GothicMain article: Romanesque architecture

In ScandinaviaMain article: Norse architecture

4In Kievan RusMain article: Architecture of Kievan Rus'Main article: Russian church architecture