Church of St John Escomb

Church of St. John at Escomb

Image by https://escombsaxonchurch.co.uk/

Church of St. John at Escomb represents one of the oldest buildings in United Kingdom, being a Saxon church. The building materials used in building this building date back in Binchester employing the Old Roman Fort. It is evident that most of the stones comprises Romanian inscription on them, which basically describes the main source of the materials used in constructing the building (Rodwell 2013). The church date around 670 to 690 as when the building started serving as a church, without a common denomination.

The church integrates a simple layout described in an old setting. To the south, the building comprises of a porch leading to a narrow nave. To the west of this south door the building exhibits the font. On the other hand, the high alter is at the left of the nave and in between there is a high channel arch. The high alter is a small sanctuary that mainly facilitates the worshiping purposes of the believers Rodwell 2013).

Image by https://escombsaxonchurch.co.uk/

The interior side of the church comprises of a wide array wealth of Saxon. The font present in the nave is quite simple and dates at around 13th century, which is just an estimate for it could date earlier than that. On the north of the arch there exists the Chancel Arch, which mainly is built of the Binchester Roman old fort.  The south porch of the building comprises of two Saxon stone crosses (Rodwell 2013). Besides, there is the availability of other materials such as bit of carvings that contribute to attributing the origin of materials used during the construction of the building.

Image by https://escombsaxonchurch.co.uk/

Moreover, there exists the Roman stone, which is present on the north wall.  The roman stone mainly supports the Saxon window that is slightly aside of it. As stated earlier, most of the stones used in constructing the building comprises of inscribed Roman words.  The Roman stone contains “bono rei pubucae nato,” Roman words that mean to the man born good of the state (Rodwell 2013). The building further houses many paintings that are visible outside the arch. Most of these paintings are of 12th to 13th century and the shape of the cross is one of the painting present in the building.  The building and its structural layout are very ideal and well united in its own way of process. 

References

Rodwell, W. (2013). The Archaeology of Churches. Amberley Publishing Limited.

"Chapter 4: Local Party Government." Local Government Institutionalization in Hungary (n.d.): n.                         pag. Web.

Strasbourg Cathedral

As an important trade crossroads, Strasbourg benefited to the greatest extent from the increase in exchanges occurring in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. The city grew rapidly and was equipped with new defending walls. It was a stake in the struggles for the Empire and was politically transformed by the emergence of a burghers’ council as a counter-weight to episcopal power. Its rise in power was accompanied by an artistic transformation and a rapid opening out towards new trends. 


Strasbourg Cathedral de Notre-Dame is known as one of the most beautiful gothic cathedrals in Europe. The Cathedral stands on the exact site of a roman temple built on a little hill above the muddy ground. The first version of the church was starting to be built during 1015 by proposal of Bishop Werner von Habsburg, but fire destroyed most of the original Romanesque building. By the time that cathedral was being renovated (at the end of the 12th century, this time with red stones carried from the nearby mountains of Vosges), the gothic architectural style has reached Alsace and the future cathedral was starting to develop all characteristics of gothic aesthetics. The project of the first cathedral in Alsace was handed to craftsman and stonemasons who had already worked on the also famous gothic cathedral in Chartres.

  The building of the south arm of the cathedral transept was the first expression of the Gothic style in German lands. The sculptural work that it gave rise to, including the famous statues of the Church and the Synagogue, was not a provincial variant of French art but one of the great moments in the history of art as such. 

Among the works that were witnesses to this artistic revolution, the exhibition will feature all those that it is currently possible to bring together. Now widely dispersed, their importance is often equal to their lack of visibility. This exhibition will be a revelation to the general public, not least to the inhabitants of Strasbourg themselves, and the catalogue will offer the  first general study of art in Strasbourg in the opening decades of the 13th century.

sources: 

- Bruzelius, Caroline. "The Construction of Notre-Dame in Paris." The Art Bulletin 69.4 (1987): 540-69. JSTOR. Web. 05 Dec. 2016. 

-"The Cathedral of Notre-Dame." Office De Tourisme De Strasbourg Et Sa Région, Alsace. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.

-Doumato, Lamia. Strasbourg Cathedral: A Bibliography. Monticello, IL: Vance Bibliographies, 1990. Print.

Hotel de Cluny, Paris, France, 1485

An example of the combination of Renaissance and Gothic architecture can be seen in Hotel de Cluny. Located in Paris, France, this site also goes by the name of Musee de Cluny as well as Musee National du Moyen Age. 

Remains of the Baths

Originally, the land that Hotel de Cluny sits on was once the Roman Baths of Cluny. However, not much remained after barbaric invasions of 285 AD. In 1334, King Philippe Auguste sold the ruins of the Roman baths to Pierre de Chalus, the Bishop of Cluny in Burgundy. Pierre de Chalus then used the land to build a complex to accommodate his abbots when they visited Paris. Despite its name, the building is not a hotel exactly. It followed more along the lines of a mansion. 1

After about one hundred years, the complex was taken over by Jacques d’Amboise who was the bishop of Clermont at the time. He used Hotel de Cluny as his residence and took the opportunity to rebuild it with Gothic and Renaissance elements in 1485. This version of Hotel de Cluny is what stands today in Paris’s 5th arrondissement next to the Sorbonne University in the heart of the Latin Quarter. 3

Plan of the Hotel Complex

When d’Amboise rebuilt Hotel de Cluny, he reused the ruins of the baths as much as he could by incorporating it into the foundation. This is always admirable because it is combining old architecture and new architecture in one building. In fact, visitors to Hotel de Cluny can view the ruins of the Roman baths (which date back to the 3rd century) from the top of the complex. 2

Interior view of the hotel complex

Both exterior and interior of Hotel de Cluny is truly amazing and it remains an outstanding example of civic architecture in medieval Paris. Some notable features of the complex include the stair tower, mullion windows and woodwork of the main facade. The roof is also a magnificent piece as well. It is embellished with carved friezes and elaborate gargoyles. In addition, the dormer windows are carved with the emblem of the Abbots of Cluny. 

During the revolution, Hotel de Cluny was declared state property. Then, Alexandre du Sommerard decided to rent the mansion to move his personal collection. When he passed away in 1843, the state took ownership of his large collection of medieval and Renaissance objects and decided to open a public museum. Since then to present day, Hotel de Cluny is a museum that houses a variety of magnificent medieval artifacts, including items from the 7th and 8th centuries. 2

The Dame a la Licorne Tapestry

One of the more well known pieces in the museum is called “The Dame a la Licorne” which translate to The Lady and the Unicorn. It is tapestry that consists of six scenes which cover the walls of an entire room. The scenes include a lady, a unicorn and a lion and the backgrounds are filled with woodland creatures, plants and flowers, making it a stunning landscape. Since this tapestry is so important, it is displayed in the museum in an exhibition room that has dim lights and sophisticated humidity control. 

Works Cited

1 Anderson, Christy. Renaissance Architecture. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2013. Print.

2 "Musée De Cluny - Top Museums in Paris." World Top Top. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.

3 Rudolph, Conrad. A Companion to Medieval Art: Romanesque and Gothic in Northern Europe. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2006. Print.

Basilica di San Lorenzo, Florence Italy

Floor Plan

Basilica di San Lorenzo (Basilica of St. Lawrence) is located in Florence Italy. Designed by Filippo Brunelleschi and Michelangelo in the Renaissance style of architecture. Construction was completed in 1470 it is one of the finest examples of the new style.

Renaissance Architecture began in Italy in the 14^th century and lasted through the 17^th century. Based on a revival of ancient thought and culture. The style emphasizes symmetry, proportions, and geometry.  Common elements visible in renaissance architecture are the arrangement of columns and pilasters, the use of semicircles, domes and niches.

The basilica di San Lorenzo was commissioned by the Medici family, an affluent family of bankers and tastemakers during the renaissance. The family gained power from the textile guilds of the time. The family had produced three popes, two regent queens of France. They had become powerful politicians during their reign.

Interior

Like many basilica’s, San Lorenzo follows the same basic design. It is cruciform in plan, with a central nave and side aisle. Unlike early roman basilicas, the side aisles at San Lorenzo have been built out to accommodate chapels. The main axis follows a strict “A” “B” “A” pattern. The transept is somewhat peculiar, breaking from the typical basilica. Chapels have been constructed around the transept, breaking the typical form. Furthermore, the chapels around the transept are not connected. The basilica also has a larger chapel on the south-west corner, further breaking the typical form. Despite the oddities, the basilica is still based off the principals of the period. San Lorenzo still follows a strict, yet simple geometric guide and proportions. ^[1]

The exterior of the basilica is somewhat plain. The façade is made up of brick and stone. The main level along the aisle have blind windows while the clerestory has small, arched windows. The front façade is plain brick and stone construction containing three wooden doors entering into the nave and side aisle. There is also a blind window, however this may have been closed over time. There is also a central tower over the transept like in standard basilicas, although there is a bell tower on the north side. The façade also shows the same strict dedication to form and order. Following the same dedications to the new stile. ^[2]

[1] Roth Leland M. and Amanda C. Roth Clark, Understanding Architecutre Its Elements, History, and Meaning, Third Edition Westview Press 2014. P.365

[2] http://www.aviewoncities.com/florence/basilicadisanlorenzo.htm