When I enter a handsome or beautiful church, words from the Latin mass with which I grew up often sponaneously come to mind -- "Lord, I love the beauty of thy house, and the place where thy glory dwelleth"; Domine, dilexi decorem domus tuae: et locum habitationis gloriae tuae.
It happily turns out that many such churches are featured on the WWW, and so this experience can be ours far more often than it used to be.
One Columbia University site offers depictions of no fewer than 19 Romanesque churches in France. I have been aware of these for some time, and have long loved them. Today I will try to begin making them available to you in a somewhat organized fashion.
A. Illustrated Glossary (Conques)
The illustrated glossary teaches you about the various parts of Romanesque church design. This particular page focuses on the Church of St. Foy, in Conques, France. It comes in two parts, the ground plan and a longitutidinal diagram. (This glossary is "animated" in the sense that it proceeds at a pre-determined pace. If you wish, you may view it multiple times.)
B. Four Abbey Churches --
Cluny (crossing) Noirlac (with monastic grounds: cloister. refectory) Orcival Paray-le-Monial
C. Two Parish Churches
Issoire -- Crossing, Nave, Ambulatory (See also: Official site)
Vezelay -- Parvis (exterior), Narthex
Nave, Crossing, South transept
Choir, Ambulatory
Crypt
D. Twelve Churches of Central France
The twelve churches pictured here are found in the Bourbonnais, a region in central France. An brief introduction to the region and other contextual information is available.
A great deal of information is provided about each individual church. The many photos, and a few diagrams, are organized under five headings: (a) Views; (b) Structure; (c) Capitals; (d) Interior decoration; (e) Town.
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