Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

One of the most creative periods in architecture occurred in Northern Europe in the years 1000–1300. New approaches to layout in monastic churches and urban cathedrals constitute an essential aspect of Romanesque and Gothic originality. The historical challenge of understanding these changes in design and construction is made all the greater, however, due to a relative lack of period documents, of collected bibliography, and an in-depth study embracing this entire period. A lack of unity exists within the field as well, where Gothic is typically deemed superior to Romanesque; yet Gothic could not have existed without preceding generations of building in ashlar. Understanding of stone structures presents a special challenge today, since techniques of stone building are only taught for restoration work; medieval design techniques and the building culture itself are rapidly disappearing even within the oral tradition. A general lack of appreciation for the experimental process in medieval science, more specifically, for applied mathematics and its use of approximations, presents another hurdle to a reassessment of early knowledge of physical matters. Finally, with current academic trends seeking international relevance within a global society, European medieval architecture fares less well than at its zenith in the mid-twentieth century. Yet the most advanced studies have ... log in or subscribe to read full text