Romanesque art in Alsace
Discover Alsace’s Romanesque heritage as you criss-cross the region from north to south! Through plains, vineyards and mountains, the itinerary covers the whole of the region, discovering over 120 listed sites, from the most prestigious to the most secret.
Presentation
Alsace has developed a specific form of Romanesque art, although it is not uniform in form. It is different from that of neighbouring regions, but Alsace has always remained open to outside influences. It is a natural part of the Rhine region, but at the crossroads of the Latin and Germanic worlds. It has also been enriched by many historical and cultural trends, all of which have left their imprint.
Nothing remains from before the year 1000.
The first Romanesque art in Alsace, dating from the 11th century, corresponds to the end of the Ottonian Renaissance. It began in the Empire as early as 950, but did not appear in Alsace until 50 years later, at the time of the Salian dynasty. This first period of Romanesque art in Alsace reached its peak during the ‘consecration tour’ that the Alsatian Pope Leo IX undertook in his native region in 1049. This early Alsatian Romanesque style bears witness to an architecture in the Carolingian tradition with a central plan (Ottmarsheim, Epfig, Saint-Ulric d’Avolsheim, etc.) or a basilica plan with three naves (Dompeter, Altenstadt, Hohatzenheim). Oft ist das Querschiff niedrig, manchmal überragt es die Breite der Seitenschiffe (Eschau), manchmal überragt es sie nicht (Hattstatt). Most of the buildings do not have bell towers.
The 12th century and the first quarter of the 13th century were the Golden Age of Romanesque art in Alsace. The apogee of Romanesque art coincided with the rise of the Hohenstaufen line, dukes of Swabia and Alsace who would become emperors of the Holy Roman German Empire, and more specifically with the reign of Frederick 1st, known as Barbarossa (1122-1190).
The most common plan is that of a cruciform basilica with a crossing tower.
The facade either reflects the interior structure of the three naves (Rosheim, Altorf, Sigolsheim, Haguenau…), in which case it is said to be Italianate, or it is treated as a monumental “western massif” including a porch and two facade towers (Marmoutier, Sélestat, Guebwiller, Lautenbach…).
The widespread use of cross vaulting and the use of ashlar for the exterior façades distinguish the buildings of this Golden Age from their predecessors, but the most significant development is that of the sculpted decorative repertoire. The portals are becoming richer and richer, with interlacing and foliage from Byzantine silks, ivory work and goldsmiths alongside a fabulous bestiary (Murbach, Sélestat, Sigolsheim…), figures in the round are appearing (Rosheim), and man is more often than not confronted with his weaknesses and the burden of his human condition (Andlau, Lautenbach)…
The Romanesque traditions continued late in Alsace, until around 1225, when the first Gothic workshop arrived from Île-de-France to work on Notre-Dame cathedral in Strasbourg.
Historical background:
After the division of the Carolingian Empire, the region was first attached to Lotharingia, before becoming part of the Germanic kingdom, which soon became the Holy Roman Empire. The last Carolingians in Germany were succeeded by the Ottonians (919-1024) and then the Salians (1024-1125). The dukes of Alsace were the Etichonids, succeeded by the Eguisheims and then the Hohenstaufens, who became Emperors in 1138.
Documentation
Glossary
Booklet
