Art History Notes
Art and Architecture in the Romanesque Era II
Terms:
-Furta Sacra: Tomb looting, “sacred theft”
Abbey Church of Sainte-Fey Conques, France 1050-1120 Monastic (monks) church turned pilgrimage center Conques is a major pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela Contained relics of 4th century child-martyr St Fay Reliquary Statue of St Fay, Abbey Church of Conques France, Silver gilt over wooden core Skull reliquary Spolia She had converted to Christianity before it was legal, so she was sentenced to death by burning alive. They shackled her to a bed which was then lit up, but the flames kept extinguishing, so they just beheaded her. Her relics weren 't always in Conques. Conques needed a relic to attract pilgrimage, so they stole the relics St Fay could be quite menacing and punishing, so there were a lot of people afraid to take her back from Conques. Reasons it is SPOLIA: Her head is odd and really out of place. It looks manish and older, and it is wearing a crown, so people think that it is recycled from a Roman emperor. The eyes are very open. Meant to show that she is watching the pilgrims. A lot of the gems are donations from pilgrims (also spolia?) Plan of Sainte Foy, Conques Basic basilica layout- cross shaped. The plan directs traffic to control the amount of pilgrimage with an expansion of the aisles, and make them continue around the building. It directs people around the perimeter, and leaves the middle space open for the monks and other important religious people. That also leaves the apse open. Radiating chapels to make more space for relics/works of art to satisfy pilgrims coming to the church. Accessed by the ambulatory. East End Roman rounded arches and corinthian style. References to ancient Rome. Heavy stone architecture Nave:
Terms:
-Furta Sacra: Tomb looting, “sacred theft”
Abbey Church of Sainte-Fey Conques, France 1050-1120 Monastic (monks) church turned pilgrimage center Conques is a major pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela Contained relics of 4th century child-martyr St Fay Reliquary Statue of St Fay, Abbey Church of Conques France, Silver gilt over wooden core Skull reliquary Spolia She had converted to Christianity before it was legal, so she was sentenced to death by burning alive. They shackled her to a bed which was then lit up, but the flames kept extinguishing, so they just beheaded her. Her relics weren 't always in Conques. Conques needed a relic to attract pilgrimage, so they stole the relics St Fay could be quite menacing and punishing, so there were a lot of people afraid to take her back from Conques. Reasons it is SPOLIA: Her head is odd and really out of place. It looks manish and older, and it is wearing a crown, so people think that it is recycled from a Roman emperor. The eyes are very open. Meant to show that she is watching the pilgrims. A lot of the gems are donations from pilgrims (also spolia?) Plan of Sainte Foy, Conques Basic basilica layout- cross shaped. The plan directs traffic to control the amount of pilgrimage with an expansion of the aisles, and make them continue around the building. It directs people around the perimeter, and leaves the middle space open for the monks and other important religious people. That also leaves the apse open. Radiating chapels to make more space for relics/works of art to satisfy pilgrims coming to the church. Accessed by the ambulatory. East End Roman rounded arches and corinthian style. References to ancient Rome. Heavy stone architecture Nave:
References: Portal, West Facade, Abbey Church of St Foy, Conques c. 1100 (The Romanesque Portal) Tympanum: Area over a door enclosed by an arch and a lintel Sainte Madeleine, Vezelay, Burgundy, c. 1105-1130 A large, beautiful church