Tag Archives: Romanesque
Abbaye Saint-Philibert in Tournus: tranverse barrel vault FOR THE WIN!
We visited stark Abbaye Saint-Philibert in Tournus on a chilly winter day. (If you’re also visiting in winter, bundle up!) The interior was….ingenious. Apparently transverse barrel vaulting was invented here and it’s an engineering feet which turns the vaults that normally run the length of the church’s nave sideways, like a half barrel, and transfers the […]
Saint Sernin Basilica, Toulouse: Romanesque enchantment (just ignore the parking lot)
By now you know that I feel all warm in my ladyparts just thinking about Romanesque art and architecture, most especially French Romanesque. The juiciest of all French Romanesque buildings are the pilgrimage churches, and Saint Sernin is a delightful representation of a French Romanesque pilgrimage church, complete with stunning well-preserved stone carvings, medieval frescos, capital carvings, an […]
Goosebumps in Speyer cathedral
Monumental but austere and a superb space to hear organ music: Speyer’s imperial cathedral is glorious. And because we seem to be the luckiest travelers ever to wear matching Rick Steves backpacks, we happened to enter just as a first-rate organist performed on the cathedral’s organ. It filled the church with sound, turning the entire building […]
The Roman city of Trier: grand architecture, funny signs, and suprisingly good vegan eats
312 AD was an important year. The Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and soon after, while based in Trier (in present day Germany), started building an awesome church and other amazing buildings. Basically, Trier was the boondocks of the Roman empire, so the big shots living there got lots of money to fund amazing buildings so they […]
The cloister of Monreale Cathedral
There’s a certain reaction I have, when looking though an art history book, an “Aha, there you are!” recognition that’s–let’s face it– a sense of entitlement. I study the reproduction of a building or artwork and say to myself with certainty, “I am going to go see that.” Without fail, I have always felt just that […]
Curious capital carvings in Chauvigny
By now you know I have a total ladybone for Romanesque art, most especially Romanesque sculpture. The column capitals in the Église Saint-Pierre in Chauvigny, France, have been on my must see list for a long time, and they certainly did not disappoint. The good stuff is in the 12 century choir, which was “restored” […]
Picnic at the Cathedral
We arrived by school bus. This was the only form of public transportation available, a once- a-week bus into Conques in Southwest France, population 281. A five minute walk from the bus stop, through the tiny but perfectly preserved village to our half-timber hotel room next to the Abbey-Church of Saint-Foy. The abbey has been a […]
Picnic at the Cathedral 