Medieval Architecture in Western Europe: From A.D. 300 to 1500 Includes CD

By Robert G. Calkins

Book Overview

For the first time, instructors of Medieval Architecture have a selective survey that obviates the need to piece together teaching material from several sources. Medieval Architecture in Western Europe: From A.D. 300 to 1500 presents a selection of major monuments of Medieval European architecture in a single volume. Beginning with a study of structural antecedents found in late Roman architecture, the author examines Early Christian borrowings and transformations and selected representative types of Byzantine buildings. The following chapters cover the development of the monastic complex, traditional forms of Northern timber construction, and the contributions of the Carolingian and Ottonian empires. Spanish structures from the seventh century through the tenth century set the stage for the development of the Romanesque style, examined in its various regional manifestations. After identifying the structural sources of Gothic architecture, the author presents the evolving regional Gothic styles, Late Gothic elaborations and innovations, and representative types of secular architecture. The text concludes with an informative chapter on medieval building practices and the tradition of the Master Mason.
Medieval Architecture in Western Europe: From A.D. 300 to 1500 is thoroughly illustrated with plans, sections, diagrams, and photographs, and also includes an IBM-compatible CD-ROM, featuring over 800 supplementary views and details of the buildings discussed, all in color. Filling the gap between general surveys of architectural history and specialized works on specific periods and regions, this book is ideal for introductory courses in Medieval Architecture, but will also satisfy any reader with an interest in the Middle Ages.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195112415
• ISBN13: 9780195112412
• Release Date: March 1998
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 2.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.8" x 10.2"

Customer Reviews

The most complete book of its kind

As a student in Professor Calkin's Medieval Architecture course at Cornell, I have found this book to be an invaluable resource. Professor Calkins has intimate knowledge of all of the buildings described, and the majority of the photos presented are his own. The book takes you from pre-Christian Rome, to the Pyrenees in Catalunya, and through the French countryside as you explore every corner and hidden space of the great and lesser-known churches of Western Europe. A must for anyone who loves architecture, student or not.