Architecture and the Christian Church

Paper Summary:

This paper follows the architectural progression of the Christian church from its earliest beginnings and examines how between the sixth century and the thirteenth centuries in Europe, there were many advances and changes in the methodology of church building. In particular, the paper shows how Hagia Sophia from the Early Christian Period, Ste.-Foy from the Romanesque Period and St.-Denis from the Gothic Period can be compared and contrasted in the progression of the Christian design.

From the Paper:

"Five hundred years later, between 1050 and 1120, Church building entered the Romanesque style of architecture. The church of Ste.-Foy in Conques is a perfect example of this style. Constructed as a pilgrimage church, it is rather small but has a large transept. Having to deal with a large traffic flow, the biggest innovation of the Romanesque design was the radiating chapel scheme. Unlike Hagia Sophia, which contained an apse under each semi dome, Ste.-Foy had an apse from which a series of three chapels radiated. Flanking the apse on either side are two more, slightly larger chapels, for a total of five. This use of an ambulatory allowed for maximum traffic flow."

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