Ottonian architecture is an architectural style which evolved during the reign of Emperor Otto the Great. The style was found in Germany and lasted from the mid 10th century until the mid 11th century. [1] [2]
Ottonian architecture is an architectural style which evolved during the reign of Emperor Otto the Great. The style was found in Germany and lasted from the mid 10th century until the mid 11th century. [1] [2]
Ottonian architecture draws its inspiration from Carolingian and Byzantine architecture. [1] [2] Ottonian architecture also draws from Christian art. [3] This style of architecture is an example of a combination of Christian architecture as well as Germanic and Mediterranean styles. [4] So influenced by Carolingian architecture, Otto I even transported marble columns from Italy to use in his churches in Germany. Though it has very similar characteristics to Carolingian architecture, the difference is in the Ottonian architects who used classical elements in state of the art ways to create what is known as Ottonian architecture. [5] Apart from some examples influenced by the octagonal Palatine Chapel at Aachen such as Ottmarsheim (11th century, Alsace) and the apse of the abbey of the Holy Trinity at Essen, religious architecture tends to diverge from the centralised plan. Inspiration though from the Roman basilica remains concurrent, and Ottonian architecture preserves the Carolingian double ended feature with apses at either end of the church.[ citation needed ]
Ottonian architecture, especially in the creation of churches, are influenced by the Roman basilica. The churches from this era feature long naves and apses.The architectural engineering of their buildings relied heavily on mathematics, which can be seen in how Ottonian structures measurements are calculated by square unit and in how symmetrical the interior and exterior layouts are. [4] A distinct feature of this style are thin strips on the outer walls of buildings made out of stone. This design feature was derived from Italy and Roman architectural styles. This can be especially seen churches from this period and is typically just used as a design feature. [6] Saint Michael's Church, Hildesheim is one of the rare Ottonian churches that still has its distinctive architectural style. [7] In the Ottonian and Carolingian churches, the use of several altars, transepts, as well as crypts became more prominent. [8] Brother of Otto the Great, Bruno the Great, worked to design, construct as well as reconstruct many buildings in the Ottonian architectural style.
Surviving Ottonian architecture reveals the function of the construction of these large buildings was primarily religious and governmental. [9] [10]
Ottonian kings, heavily influenced by the rule of Charlemagne and his empire, sought to emphasize the importance of the Christian faith. [11] Beginning with Otto I, they achieved this by unifying their roles both as kings and religious leaders of the time, connecting the previously isolated churches of the prior Saxon rule through generous land grants to the churches. [11] [12] Ottonian architecture played a role in the rituals of the Holy Roman Empire, such as the coronations of emperors and burial locations for members of the royal family. [9] [10] The size and setting of these buildings became paramount for their importance as they served to legitimize royal and Christian authority. [13] The ability to gather a large audience to bear witness to the rituals and royal ceremonies of the time increased in importance as Ottonian kings attempted to maintain the grandeur and scale of the Carolingians. This may have lead to the adoption of churches to serve both as a places of worship and gathering halls for official ceremonies. [14]
The architecture of these buildings also facilitated the monastic tradition. Places like St. Michael's Church the under the Bishop Bernward served both as a location for the creation of relics and manuscripts and as a place for the storage of these holy creations. [15] Other cathedral schools, such as the one in Mainz became renowned for their production of illuminated manuscripts, including The Codex Sangallensis 398. [16] Despite Otto III's personal pilgrimage's to Rome and Aachen, very little documented pilgrimages occurred in the years of the Ottonian Dynasty (919–1024). [17] However, locations would receive more visitors when pilgrimage gained popularity in later years.
One of the best preserved examples of Ottonian architecture is The Church of St. Michael located in Hildesheim, Germany. Famously commissioned by Bishop Bernward, construction started in 1010 and was finished by 1033 after Bernard's death. The church had gained fame for housing a number of artworks and reliquaries before they were later moved to the Cathedral at Hildesheim. [18]
The Church of Saint Pantaleon was constructed in Cologne, Germany. Originally, in the 9th century the cite of this building was occupied by a small church outside of the city of Cologne. [10] Later, renovations to transform the church would be made by the patron Archbishop Bruno, the younger brother of Otto the Great. [10] This church, connected closely to the Ottonian royal family, served as the burial spot for both Bruno in 965 and the wife of Otto II in 991. [10]
The Abbey Church of Gernrode, also known as Saint Cyriakus was commissioned by Margrave Gero. Its architecture differs from many other examples of Ottonian architecture because the corners of the building do not form true right angles. [18] Despite its irregular shape the building maintains the Ottonian standard baslica layout. Other notable features of the church include the 'Lombard' style interior arches which are only stylistic and a flat wooden ceiling. [18]
Mainz Cathedral also called the Cathedral of St. Martin, was constructed around 975 under the Archbishop Willigis. [19] Originally, the site held a Roman or Frankish building before Willigis decided to expand it, creating a Ottonian style basilica divided into two chancels with a large west transept. [16] [19] This basilica style church suffered sever fire damage on the day of its consecration in 1009 leading to it being rebuilt by 1036. [19] It was burnt down again in 1081 leaving only a few of the original Ottonian features in the modern cathedral namely, the lower floors of the circular staircases of the towers and parts of the western end.
Otto III was the Holy Roman emperor and King of Italy from 996 until his death in 1002. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto III was the only son of Emperor Otto II and his wife Theophanu.
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe that was predominant in the 11th and 12th centuries. The style eventually developed into the Gothic style with the shape of the arches providing a simple distinction: the Romanesque is characterized by semicircular arches, while the Gothic is marked by the pointed arches. The Romanesque emerged nearly simultaneously in multiple countries ; its examples can be found across the continent, making it the first pan-European architectural style since Imperial Roman architecture. Similarly to Gothic, the name of the style was transferred onto the contemporary Romanesque art.
Aachen Cathedral is a Catholic church in Aachen, Germany and the cathedral of the Diocese of Aachen.
The Palatine Chapel in Aachen is an early medieval chapel and remaining component of Charlemagne's Palace of Aachen in what is now Germany. Although the palace itself no longer exists, the chapel was preserved and now forms the central part of Aachen Cathedral. It is Aachen's major landmark and a central monument of the Carolingian Renaissance. The chapel held the remains of Charlemagne. Later it was appropriated by the Ottonians and coronations were held there from 936 to 1531.
Mainz Cathedral or St. Martin's Cathedral is located near the historical center and pedestrianized market square of the city of Mainz, Germany. This 1000-year-old Roman Catholic cathedral is the site of the episcopal see of the Bishop of Mainz.
Willigis was Archbishop of Mainz from 975 until his death as well as archchancellor of the Holy Roman Empire.
The Pre-Romanesque period in European art spans from the emergence of the Merovingian kingdom around 500 AD, or from the Carolingian Renaissance in the late 8th century, to the beginning of the Romanesque period in the 11th century. While the term is typically used in English to refer primarily to architecture and monumental sculpture, this article will briefly cover all the arts of the period.
Ottonian art is a style in pre-romanesque German art, covering also some works from the Low Countries, northern Italy and eastern France. It was named by the art historian Hubert Janitschek after the Ottonian dynasty which ruled Germany and Northern Italy between 919 and 1024 under the kings Henry I, Otto I, Otto II, Otto III and Henry II. With Ottonian architecture, it is a key component of the Ottonian Renaissance. However, the style neither began nor ended to neatly coincide with the rule of the dynasty. It emerged some decades into their rule and persisted past the Ottonian emperors into the reigns of the early Salian dynasty, which lacks an artistic "style label" of its own. In the traditional scheme of art history, Ottonian art follows Carolingian art and precedes Romanesque art, though the transitions at both ends of the period are gradual rather than sudden. Like the former and unlike the latter, it was very largely a style restricted to a few of the small cities of the period, and important monasteries, as well as the court circles of the emperor and his leading vassals.
The Church of St. Michael is an early-Romanesque church located in Hildesheim, Germany. It has been on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list since 1985 due to the before mentioned early-Romanesque architecture and art found within such as the Tree of Jesse and the now relocated Bernward Doors.
Hildesheim Cathedral, officially the Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary or simply St. Mary's Cathedral, is a medieval Roman Catholic cathedral in the city centre of Hildesheim in Lower Saxony, Germany, that serves as the seat of the Diocese of Hildesheim. The cathedral has been on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list since 1985, together with the nearby St. Michael's Church because of its unique art and outstanding Romanesque architecture.
Bernward was the thirteenth Bishop of Hildesheim from 993 until his death in 1022.
The Ottonian Renaissance was a renaissance of Byzantine and Late Antique art in Central and Southern Europe that accompanied the reigns of the first three Holy Roman Emperors of the Ottonian dynasty: Otto I (936–973), Otto II (973–983), and Otto III (983–1002), and which in large part depended upon their patronage. The leading figures in this movement were Pope Sylvester II and Abbo of Fleury. Renewed contact between the Ottonian court and Byzantine Constantinople spurred the hybridisation of Eastern-Byzantine and Western-Latin cultures, particularly in arts, architecture and metalwork, while the Ottonians revitalised the cathedral school network which promoted learning based on the seven liberal arts. Ottonian intellectual activity was largely a continuation of Carolingian works, but circulated mainly in the cathedral schools and the courts of bishops, rather than the royal court.
The architecture of Germany has a long, rich and diverse history. Every major European style from Roman to Postmodern is represented, including renowned examples of Carolingian, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Modern and International Style architecture.
Imperial cathedral is the designation for a cathedral linked to the Imperial rule of the Holy Roman Empire.
Sophia I, a member of the royal Ottonian dynasty, was Abbess of Gandersheim from 1002, and from 1011 also Abbess of Essen. The daughter of Emperor Otto II and his consort Theophanu, she was an important kingmaker in medieval Germany.
St. Bernward's Church is a Catholic church in the city of Hildesheim in Lower Saxony, Germany. The name refers to the bishop Bernward of Hildesheim (960-1022) who was canonized by Pope Celestine III.
The Liuthar Gospels are a work of Ottonian illumination which are counted among the masterpieces of the period known as the Ottonian Renaissance. The manuscript, named after a monk called Liuthar, was probably created around the year 1000 at the order of Otto III at the Abbey of Reichenau and lends its name to the Liuthar Group of Reichenau illuminated manuscripts. The backgrounds of all the images are illuminated in gold leaf, a seminal innovation in western illumination.
The Bernward Doors are the two leaves of a pair of Ottonian or Romanesque bronze doors, made c. 1015 for Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany. They were commissioned by Bishop Bernward of Hildesheim (938–1022). The doors show relief images from the Bible, scenes from the Book of Genesis on the left door and from the life of Jesus on the right door. They are considered a masterpiece of Ottonian art, and feature the oldest known monumental image cycle in German sculpture, and also the oldest cycle of images cast in metal in Germany.
The Great Gandersheim Conflict was a conflict between the Archbishops of Mainz and the Bishops of Hildesheim concerning the jurisdiction over Gandersheim Abbey. It lasted from 987 to 1030, during the reign of the Ottonian emperors Otto III and Henry II as well as of their Salian successor Conrad II.