AP Art History : Romanesque Architecture
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Art History
All AP Art History Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #63 : Architecture
Semi-circular arches from the first millenneum CE are a common feature of European churches in the style of architecture known as __________.
Byzantine
Gothic
Romanesque
Classical
Romanesque
Romanesque churches dominated European architecture from sometime in the mid-to-late first millennium CE until about 1200. Romanesque churches were massive stone edifices that were marked out by having their doors and windows constructed out of simple semi-circular arches. Romanesque architecture was largely supplanted by the much more ornate and imposing Gothic style in the late Middle Ages.
Example Question #64 : Architecture
The sides of a door or window frame, often decorated with sculpture in medieval churches, is called a _____________.
tympanum
portal
cornice
jamb
jamb
The side of a window frame or doorway in a medieval church is called a jamb. In medieval churches, the portal (or entrance way) often was elaborated with decorative sculpture on every available surface, including the jamb and the tympanum, the semi-circular or triangular wall space over a door.
Example Question #1 : Answering Other Questions About Romanesque Architecture
Of the following choices, which is a recognizable aspect of Romanesque architecture?
Stained glass windows
Ribbed vaults
Flying buttresses
Rounded arches
Rounded arches
Rounded arches are perhaps the most recognizable feature of Romanesque architecture-not only because they are recognizably "Roman-like" and are similar to the rounded architectural forms found on classical Roman ruins, but also because they stand in stark contrast to the pointed arches of Gothic architecture.
All AP Art History Resources
