Why were Romanesque churches dark?

Thick Walls, Small Windows Romanesque churches were dark. This was in large part because of the use of stone barrel-vault construction. This system provided excellent acoustics and reduced fire danger. However, a barrel vault exerts continuous lateral (outward pressure) all along the walls that support the vault.



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Because the walls must be so massive, or thick, to support the load from above they cannot be pierced with large or numerous windows. This renders the interior of most Romanesque churches fairly dark.

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Indeed, some of the early large windows were later blocked up. In northern Europe, as the windows grew larger, the colour of the glass, particularly the blues, grew darker. The aim was not to make the cathedrals dark-although that was often the result-but to give the light a mystical quality.

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Why are Romanesque churches generally rather dark inside? Barrel vaults exert great outward thrust, requiring thick walls and making a large clerestory difficult to construct.

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It was principally the development of the pointed arch which brought about the change that separates Gothic from Romanesque. This technological change broke the tradition of massive masonry and solid walls penetrated by small openings, replacing it with a style where light appears to triumph over substance.

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Romanesque used light to maximize the religious rite directing it through the constructive system to emphasise the ceremony and represent divinity – backlighting the altar at dawn, while focussing light towards it at dusk.

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Romanesque architecture is characterized by heavy masonry walls, rounded arches supported by piers, and barrel vaults. Gothic architecture has much thinner walls supported by flying buttresses, pointed arches, and stained glass windows.

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When you take a trip to Europe, you'll inevitably encounter one of the hundreds of Gothic cathedrals that dot the landscape. Built during the 12th through 16th centuries, these medieval masterpieces were born out of the Romanesque movement, which saw churches designed with thick walls, round arches, and large towers.

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