A cathedral is more than a church; this cruciform building is the seat of a Catholic bishop or an
archbishop's dominion. A basilica is simply a very large church, though the word denoted a large
public meeting hall, separated into aisles by a double colonnade, in Roman times. We have also
represented a number of parish and abbey churches, but most of them were constructed in medieval
times, and fall into a limited number of architectural categories:
Romanesque architecture seems to stylize the vision which European Christians had of the Roman homes
and public buildings used as places of worship. It is characterized by massive walls with little or no
buttressing, moderately pitched roofs, rounded arches, column-supported lintels and its churches are
somber from the small number and stature of their windows. Here are some links which conceptualize
architectural and artistic features of Romanesque style:
Thinner walls held up by elaborate and pronounced buttressing, vertical lines, pointed arches and steep
spires, along with extensive use of stained glass windows characterize Gothic architecture, which
appears around 1130. Here are some links which conceptualize architectural and artistic features of
Gothic style:
To discern something of the spirit behind the building of the churches visible through this site, it might
be helpful to have some knowledge of church history in France, something about Gallicanism, how the
church is divided administratively, as well as access to documents for catechism, prayer, the
liturgical year and scripture.
