HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & HUMAN SETTLEMENT II

LECTURE BYAR. ANITA MESKAR / AR. BILWA DEO

INTRODUCTION• The vast Roman Empire spanning from the main lands of Italy, Greece extending up to

England & France in the north, as well as encircled around the Mediterranean Seaconfronting with Asia Minor & North Africa was subject to dismantling due to lack ofcentral power.

• The vast empire was divided into Western & Eastern empires.• The rich western province centred around Rome was obviously the target for invaders

who destroyed the city.

Europe

Asia Minor

Mediterranean SeaAfrican Continent

Western Empire Eastern Empire

Roman Empire under Emperor Trajan 117 AD • These confrontationsresulted in the migrationof artisans, craftsmen,masons to otherdeveloping countries –eastern province whichwere less hazardous.

• Due to this fact the WPfaced discontinuation ofconstruction tradition &caused overalldeteoriation in buildingskills.

• On the contrary, the eastern province which accepted the migrated population was provided with continuation of Roman structural techniques.

• The western empire was centred around Rome while the Eastern empire flourished around Constantinople (currently, Istanbul), which was strategically located on trade route by sea – connecting Asia & North Africa by Europe.

• Christianity was born in Judea – a place in eastern province of the Roman empire, which spread towards the north & west even against the backdrop of great opposition & ultimately accepted as state religion.

• The formulation phase of Christianity & its architecture can be considered from Constantine period (300 AD) to Charlemagne (800 AD – French ruler).

• The development of Christian Architecture thus can be divided into the following phases:

• In these phases, architectural developmentexperienced the formulation phase, alterations &development in plans, profile surroundings &concluded with imitation of classical structures &mannerism.

• The development of Christian architecture in generalproved beneficial in establishing new norms, newconstruction features, new materials, different typesof façade treatments & also versatile constructionanalysis.

• The phases proved beneficial not only for thereligious architecture but also for secular, domestic,commercial & Mediterranean development.

EARLY CHRISTIAN & BYZANTINE ROMANESQUE GOTHIC RENAISSANCE

300 AD 800 AD 1200 AD 1500 AD 1700 AD

• Examples for Early Christian Architecture:• St. Clemente, Rome• St. Peters (Old), Rome

FROM AGORA TO BASILICAN CHURCH

• Greece –• Agora (Assembly or gathering place)• Served as a marketplace

• Rome –• Forums – centre Roman public life• Venue for public speeches, criminal

trials & gladiatorial matches.• Basilica – part of Forum.• Served as place for giving justice &

transacting business.• The layout of Basilicas was, by

extension used for Christian churches,having the same form.

Basilica Ulpia

Basilica Amelia

FROM AGORA TO BASILICAN CHURCH

View of a typical EC basilica - church

Plan of a typical EC Basilica

Plan: Forum of Trajan with Basilica Ulpia

Commonest form of the early church.

Unlike the earlier Roman phase, the interiors weregive more importance than exterior.

Rectangular hall, timber-roofed with coffers & richlyglided ceiling (hiding the roof truss) on nave.

Usually with one or two aisles to each side of thecentral nave separated by rows of rustic marblecolumns, sometimes carrying flat entablatures &sometimes, rows of arches.

The width of aisles was half that of the central nave.

Apse at one end facing the principal entrances at theother end.

Bema / Transept – a raised platform where altar wasplaced & from where the clergy officiated.

A courtyard (atrium) having a central fountain forablutions & surrounded by colonnaded ambulatory.

A TYPICAL BASILICAN CHURCH

Plan of a typical EC Basilica

A narthex – corresponding to entrance foyer, preceding the nave.

The nave & bema received light from clerestory above the aisles & were pierced withwindows.

Above aisles & between clerestory windows, the walls may be faced with marble, ormosaics made up from small tesserae of coloured glass.

The nave terminates into a ‘triumphal arch’, perhaps having iridescent (brightlycoloured & changing) mosaics.

The semicircular walls of the apse ended into a dome, whose interiors had mosaicsdepicting narrative scenes from Bible or single figures seen against stylised landscapesor plain gold grounds.

The flooring was of grey-white & black marble, inlaid with geometric patterns ofcoloured marble.

The columns, capitals & similar features from old Roman buildings were frequentlyreused to enhance the liveliness of the interiors.

In the new churches, arches were more often used to span between columns of acolonnade instead of flat entablatures.

EXAMPLE 1 – ST. PETERS (OLD), ROME(C. 320-330 AD)

BASILICA OF ST. PETERS (OLD), ROME Present day St. Peters in Vatican City – a rebuilding of a totally different design & on a substantially

enlarged scale. Built over the historical site of the Circus of Nero under the rule of Emperor Constantine I in c. 320AD The original church survived without much change until towards the end of 15th Century & the nave

for another century. Remains of old foundation are present below the present flooring but details of atrium are obscure. Dimensions: 110.0m long x 64.0m wide with double aisles on both sides. The nave was divided from aisles by 22 varied (size & colour), huge & antique marble columns with

equally varied capitals supporting the nave walls on a horizontal entablature, while similar numbers of shorter columns carrying arcades divided aisle from aisle.

It was built in the shape of Latin cross, with a gable roof, timbered on inside & at 30.0m high at centre.

An atrium known as Garden of Paradise stood at the entrance with 5 doors.

The nave ended with an arch & the walls had parallel windows each with frescos.

Mausoleum of Honorius Rotunda of S.

Andrew -PreConstantinian

APSE

AISLE

AISLE

NAVE

AISLE

AISLE

ALTAR

TRA

NSE

PT

ATRIUM(DETAILS UNCERTAIN)

Plan of Old St. Peters Basilica, Rome (c.320)

EXAMPLE 2 – ST. CLEMENTE, ROME(Early 12th Century)

• St. Clemente Basilica, Rome

Colosseum

St. Clemente

ST. CLEMENTE, ROME First Basilica - Dedicated to Pope St. Clemente I.

Dimensions: 45.0 m x 25.0 m with width of nave as 13.0 m.

Most interesting example of the continued Roman use of early basilican plan until well into Romanesque period.

The present day (Roman Catholic minor basilica) church is actually a 3-tiered complex of buildings:o Lower part – 2 structures: 1st

century house of a Roman noble & a 2nd century pagan temple dedicated to God Mitra.

o Middle part – 4th century (c.380 AD) Old church dedicated to St. Clemente.

o Top part – Early 12th century (c.1100 AD) Romanesque church – replica of the earlier church.

1 – Apse 2 – Portico 3- Central Atrium 4 – Men’s Aisle5 - Ladies Aisle 6 – Choir with Gospel & Epistle Ambo 7 - Altar

NAR

THEX

NAVE

AISLE

AISLE

St. Clemente, RomePlan & Section

ST. CLEMENTE, ROME