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154:, a "monument of applied theology". In order to achieve such moving effects, the interiors of many religious buildings were designed to be witnessed at specific times of the day such as sunrise and sunset. St Bernard saw much of church decoration as a distraction from piety, and in one of his letters he condemned the more vigorous forms of early 12th century decoration:
17:
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Most
Cistercian abbeys and churches were built in remote valleys far from cities and populated areas; the isolation and a need for self-sustainability bred innovativeness among the Cistercians. Many Cistercian settlements display early examples of hydraulic engineering and waterwheels. After stone,
401:
The abbeys of France and
England are fine examples of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. The architecture of Fontenay has been described as "an excellent illustration of the ideal of self-sufficiency" practised by the earliest Cistercian communities. The abbeys of 12th century England were stark
167:
This new
Cistercian architecture embodied the ideals of the order, and was in theory at least utilitarian and without superfluous ornament. The same "rational, integrated scheme" was used across Europe to meet the largely homogeneous needs of the order, along with similar prescriptions for liturgy
405:
In the purity of architectural style, the beauty of materials and the care with which the Alcobaça
Monastery was built, Portugal possesses one of the most outstanding and best preserved examples of Early Gothic. Poblet Monastery, one of the largest in Spain, is considered similarly impressive for
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showed an ambition for the colossal, with vast amounts of stone being quarried, and the same was true of the
Cistercian projects. Foigny Abbey was 98 metres (322 ft) long, and Vaucelles Abbey was 132 metres (433 ft) long. Monastic buildings came to be constructed entirely of stone, right
108:
was done at all, it was kept extremely simple. The sanctuary kept a simple style of proportion of 1:2 at both elevation and floor levels. To maintain the appearance of ecclesiastical buildings, Cistercian sites were constructed in a pure, rational style; and may be counted among the most beautiful
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The quality of
Cistercian architecture from the 1120s onwards is related directly to the Order's technological inventiveness. They placed importance on metal, both the extraction of the ore and its subsequent processing. At the abbey of Fontenay the forge is not outside, as one might expect, but
430:". The Transitional Gothic style of its church had a major influence in the spread of Gothic architecture over much of northern and central Europe, and the abbey's elaborate network of drains, irrigation canals and reservoirs has since been recognised as having "exceptional" cultural interest.
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But in the cloister, in the sight of the reading monks, what is the point of such ridiculous monstrosity, the strange kind of shapely shapelessness? Why these unsightly monkeys, why these fierce lions, why the monstrous centaurs, why semi-humans, why spotted tigers, why fighting soldiers, why
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These sentiments were repeated frequently throughout the Middle Ages, and the builders of the
Cistercian monasteries had to adopt a style that observed the numerous rules inspired by Bernard's austere aesthetics. However, the order itself was receptive to the technical improvements of Gothic
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Much of the progress of architecture depended on the mastery of metal, from its extraction to the cutting of the stone, especially in relation to the quality of the metal tools used in construction. Metal was also used extensively by Gothic architects from the 12th century on, in
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Recently, it has been shown that the "austere" architecture of the so-called "Bernardine plan" is not really by
Bernard at all but is better thought of as "the classic Cistercian plan," a compromise plan of lower ascetic standards, aimed at broader institutional acceptance.
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and undecorated – a dramatic contrast with the elaborate churches of the wealthier
Benedictine houses – yet to quote Warren Hollister, "even now the simple beauty of Cistercian ruins such as Fountains and Rievaulx, set in the wilderness of Yorkshire, is deeply moving".
117:
the two most important building materials were wood and metal. The
Cistercians were also skilled metallurgists, and their skill with metal has been associated directly with the development of Cistercian architecture and the spread of Gothic architecture as a whole.
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architecture (rib vaults and pointed arches respectively), leading to what was later termed Gothic architecture. This "architecture of light" was intended to raise the observer "from the material to the immaterial" – it was, according to the 20th century historian
270:
in Yorkshire that the oldest recorded example of architectural tracing is found. Tracings were architectural drawings incised and painted in stone, to a depth of 2–3 mm, showing architectural detail to scale. The first tracing in Byland illustrates a west
77:(d. 1153), who believed that churches should avoid superfluous ornamentation so as not to distract from prayer. Cistercian architecture was simple and utilitarian. Although a few images of religious subjects were allowed, such as the
348:
style. The other building material, wood, was in short supply after the drastic deforestation of the 10th and 11th centuries. The Cistercians acted with particular care in the careful management and conservation of their forests.
573:
McEwen, Indra Kagis McEwenIndra Kagis; Pentcheva, Bissera V. PentchevaBissera V.; Ackerman, James S. AckermanJames S.; Naginski, Erika; Harries, Karsten; Goldblatt, David; Luce, Kristina; Vinegar, Aron VinegarAron (2014-08-21),
275:, while the second depicts the central part of that same window. Later, an (idealized) illustration from the latter half of the 16th century showed monks working alongside other craftsmen in the construction of
322:. Much of this practicality in Cistercian architecture, and indeed in the construction itself, was made possible by the order's own technological inventiveness. The Cistercians are known to have been skilled
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The Cistercians "made it a point of honour to recruit the best stonecutters", and as early as 1133, St Bernard was hiring workers to help the monks erect new buildings at Clairvaux. It is from the 12th-century
203:. However, Bernard of Clairvaux quickly gained influence in the order. Since he was averse to imagery, painting ceased and was finally banned altogether, probably from the revised rules approved in 1154.
81:, elaborate figures common in medieval churches were prohibited. Bernard noted their capacity for distracting monks in a famous letter. Early Cistercian architecture shows a transition between
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down to the most humble of buildings. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Cistercian barns consisted of a stone exterior, divided into nave and aisles either by wooden posts or by stone piers.
250:, who later became abbot there; Geoffrey d'Aignay, sent to Fountains Abbey in 1133; and Robert, sent to Mellifont Abbey in 1142. On one occasion the Abbot of La Trinité at
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inside the monastic enclosure: metalworking was thus part of the activity of the monks and not of the lay brothers. … It is probable that this experiment spread rapidly;
159:
trumpeting huntsmen? …In short there is such a variety and such a diversity of strange shapes everywhere that we may prefer to read the marbles rather than the books.
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Rudolph, Conrad (2019). "Medieval Architectural Theory, the Sacred Economy, and the Public Presentation of Monastic Architecture: The Classic Cistercian Plan".
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The Cistercians acquired a reputation in the difficult task of administering the building sites for abbeys and cathedrals. St Bernard's own brother,
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176:, and were sometimes linked to the transept of the church itself by a night stair. Usually Cistercian churches were cruciform, with a short
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The fortified Maulbronn Abbey in Germany is considered "the most complete and best-preserved medieval monastic complex north of the
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concluded that, while there was a Cistercian spirit in architecture, there was never a Cistercian architectural style.
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represents the pure style of Cistercian architecture, intended for the utilitarian purposes of liturgical celebration.
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199:, during the first decades of the 12th century, playing an important part in the development of the image of the
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for monasteries established in remote valleys. In Spain, one of the earliest surviving Cistercian houses, the
172:. Various buildings, including the chapter-house to the east and the dormitories above, were grouped around a
262:, for the building of a cathedral; after the project was completed, John refused to return to his monastery.
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is one of the most valuable examples of Polish Romanesque architecture. The largest Cistercian complex, the
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The "Things of Greater Importance": Bernard of Clairvaux's Apologia and the Medieval Attitude Toward Art
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that was divided roughly in the middle by a screen to separate the monks from the lay brothers.
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principles of construction and played an important role in its spread across Europe.
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In terms of construction, buildings were made where possible of smooth, pale, stone.
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In the mid-12th century, one of the leading churchmen of his day, the Benedictine
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1062:. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 16–17.
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The Cistercian order was quite innovative in developing techniques of
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and the second largest Christian architectural complex in the world.
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were allowed, and later some painting and decoration crept back in.
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to meet the liturgical needs of the brethren, small chapels in the
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This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
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its austerity, majesty, and the fortified royal residence within.
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Because of the variety found in Cistercian communities, historian
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Cistercian architecture was applied based on rational principles.
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The Cistercians made extensive use of waterwheel technology.
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for power and an elaborate water circulation system for
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across arches and later in the reinforced stone of the
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The Art of Gothic: Architecture, Sculpture, Painting
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1243:How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization
779:The Cistercian Order in Medieval Europe, 1090-1500
680:Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians
508:. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
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1178:Cistercian Europe: Architecture of Contemplation
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230:The building projects of the Church in the
1168:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
308:Real Monasterio de Nuestra Senora de Rueda
97:styles, which were more ornate by nature.
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394:in Germany are today recognised as
89:. Later abbeys were constructed in
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1180:, Cistercian Publications, 400 p.
520:"Cistercians in the British Isles"
184:for private prayer, and an aisled
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923:"Monastery of Alcobaça (No. 505)"
1220:. photography by Achim Bednorz.
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996:UNESCO World Heritage Sites list
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1194:The Encyclopedia of Ireland
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437:is an important example of
396:UNESCO World Heritage Sites
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1192:Lalor, Brian, ed. (2003).
1109:Erlande-Brandenburg, Alain
1079:Cambridge University Press
1077:ed. by M. Birkedal Bruun,
837:Erlande-Brandenburg, p 114
828:Erlande-Brandenburg, p 117
819:Erlande-Brandenburg, p 116
781:. Routledge. p. 159.
777:Jamroziak, Emilia (2013).
752:Erlande-Brandenburg, p 101
692:10.1525/jsah.2019.78.3.259
580:Encyclopedia of Aesthetics
1216:Toman, Rolf, ed. (2007).
766:Erlande-Brandenburg, p 78
740:Erlande-Brandenburg, p 50
724:Erlande-Brandenburg, p 28
374:The Cistercian abbeys of
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1269:Cistercian art in Europe
504:Rudolph, Conrad (1990).
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1287:Cistercian architecture
1059:Encyclopædia Britannica
197:illuminated manuscripts
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485:
439:Brick Gothic
432:
425:
404:
400:
382:in England,
373:
338:
329:
301:
281:
268:Byland Abbey
264:
237:
229:
215:Construction
209:
190:
166:
162:
157:
152:Georges Duby
132:
115:
99:
49:architecture
44:
43:
1272:(in French)
1096:, Yale UP,
686:: 259–275.
622:Toman, p 10
563:Toman, p 14
378:in France,
290:Engineering
273:rose window
139:Saint-Denis
135:Abbot Suger
111:Middle Ages
91:Renaissance
57:monasteries
1068:References
1006:2009-08-07
1001:unesco.org
971:2009-08-07
966:unesco.org
938:2009-08-07
933:unesco.org
905:2009-08-07
900:unesco.org
875:2009-08-07
870:unesco.org
775:Quoted in
650:Lalor, p 1
603:2020-02-19
554:Toman, p 9
532:2009-04-03
316:waterwheel
205:Crucifixes
178:presbytery
147:Burgundian
106:plastering
83:Romanesque
38:Acey Abbey
1164:cite book
700:203054337
392:Maulbronn
380:Fountains
346:Rayonnant
182:transepts
1281:Category
1241:(2005),
1111:(1995).
461:See also
384:Alcobaça
376:Fontenay
342:tie rods
174:cloister
79:crucifix
53:churches
1047::
252:Vendôme
102:Columns
95:Baroque
63:of the
1249:
1228:
1204:
1184:
1152:
1125:
1100:
1085:
1041:
785:
698:
594:
451:Lubiąż
418:UNESCO
388:Poblet
366:UNESCO
353:Legacy
312:Aragon
240:Achard
61:abbeys
696:S2CID
478:Notes
170:music
72:Abbot
26:Italy
1247:ISBN
1226:ISBN
1202:ISBN
1182:ISBN
1170:link
1150:ISBN
1123:ISBN
1098:ISBN
1083:ISBN
783:ISBN
592:ISBN
428:Alps
416:- a
364:- a
186:nave
168:and
93:and
85:and
59:and
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1056:".
688:doi
584:doi
310:in
137:of
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