European art of the eleventh and twelfth centuries is divided into regions with local conditions and requirements that produce great variations in the Romanesque style. And yet, beneath the differences, there is the basis of a Romanesque style--something pervasive that begins to unite Europe in a common cultural sea. Your objective for this chapter is to appreciate this diversity and the growing unity. The Romanesque was a period of great architectural undertakings that included sculptural and painted decoration. Much of the portable art of the period was made for, and housed in, the great churches and monasteries of the time. The religious monuments of Europe become places along the routes of pilgrimages. With the movement of large numbers of people around the continent of Europe comes a greater and greater sense of European identity.

Goals for this chapter include:

• Understand the major regions of Europe in the Romanesque period and be sensitive to the stylistic differences among the regions, especially in the sphere of architecture.

• Become familiar with the major pilgrimage routes and destinations of the period.

• Familiarize yourself with key structural units of the vault, the rib, the buttress, and the organization of bays.

• Learn the parts of the portal of the typical Romanesque church and appreciate the role of sculpture in articulating the parts of the entrance.

• Recognize the enormous importance of relics and the legends of saints in the designation of holy places throughout Europe.

• Watch the re-emergence of monumental sculpture in Europe (absent since the collapse of Rome).

• Learn the variety of artistic traditions drawn upon by Romanesque artists, including contemporary ones such as Islamic and Byzantine, and the continuing presence of ancient Roman art.