From Byzantine to Baroque: Differentiating the Architectural Styles of Churches in Europe

Looking forward to future travel and some of the incredible cities I’ll visit, I know that some of the key sights will be churches. Back in May I wrote about the architectural design of churches, and today I want to explore some of the styles you’ll likely see in various churches throughout Europe and beyond…

From Byzantine to Baroque: Differentiating the Architectural Styles of Churches in Europe

During most travels featuring key sights or ‘the top 10’ in a city, you most certainly will find a church or two that make that list. I found myself fascinated by the various styles of churches, and guidebook descriptions that implied that I should obviously be able to tell that church is Baroque or Gothic or whatever, yet I didn’t know what all those specific style distinctions were that would designate the style. Previously I wrote about the architectural design of churches, which seems to be a general layout that is true across the ages. Now it’s time to move from foundational design to style.

If you’re like me and can’t tell your Byzantine from your Baroque or your Gothic from your Romanesque, then this guide is here to help. While European churches boast many similar characteristics across time and geographical location, there are plenty of differences too. These largely come down to the age and cultural movement in which a given church was built, rebuilt or renovated.

There are many overlapping centuries, but as a rough guide, the Byzantine age began around the year 300AD and endured well into the 15th century. Romanesque architecture was in fashion during the 11th and 12th centuries, Gothic from the 12th to the 16th and Baroque much later, from the 17th to the mid-18th century.

In this article, we will explore these four different architectural styles to show how they diverge, and we will discuss famous examples that you are likely to discover on your travels to Europe.

Byzantine

Founded in 330AD, the Byzantine Empire centered around Constantinople, modern day Istanbul, in Turkey. It was the continuation of the Roman Empire in Eastern Europe, and at its peak stretched from Spain, Portugal, and Morocco in the west, to modern day Egypt, Cyprus and Syria in the east.

Byzantine architecture drew heavily on its Roman forebearers, making use of established styles such as the basilica and vaulted domes. Byzantine churches often feature a large central dome supported by pendentives, a form of circular support that allows a circular dome to sit comfortable over a square room.

In terms of decoration, Byzantine churches are some of the most opulent, with a heavy use of decorations including mosaics and marble columns.

The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul represents the pinnacle of Byzantine architecture. Its massive dome is supported by pendentives, and the interior is decorated with a series of mosaics depicting religious figures and motifs. Other iconic Byzantine churches in Europe include Istanbul’s Blue Mosque, St Mark’s Basilica in Venice, Italy and Hagios Demetrios in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Romanesque

Preceding the Gothic age, Romanesque architecture had its heyday in medieval Europe during the 11th and 12th centuries. It combined features of Byzantine architecture (which itself developed from early Roman architecture) with Roman styles and is best known for its thick walls and large fairy-tale style towers. Romanesque churches are also known for their size, growing in stature to accommodate the increasing importance of religion across Europe and the rise of pilgrimages to visit such churches. Early timber frames were replaced with bricks and stones, and even expensive materials such as marble came to be used in the grandest constructions. There was thinking behind these solid structures, as they came to represent the security of the Christian faith in an uncertain medieval world.

The switch from timber to stone necessitated other design changes too, purely from a practical standpoint. Heavy stone needed supporting, and so other features of Romanesque architecture include barrel and groin vaults, which are crucial to the longevity of Romanesque architecture.

Notable Romanesque churches in Europe include the Abbey Church of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe in France, known for its stunning frescoes, and the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio in Milan, Italy. By the late 1100s, Romanesque architecture came to be replaced by the more fashionable and enduring Gothic style.

Gothic

Several factors need to be considered as to why Romanesque architecture morphed into Gothic. One of these is a shift in religious views in Europe in the early 12th century. There was more of a spiritual focus on Christianity and the grand Gothic cathedrals are designed to wow worshippers and inspire awe. Improvements in technology also made a contribution, with the development of pointed arches (which came to replace the semi-circular arches of Romanesque churches), ribbed vaults and grand flying buttresses for support. These additional supports allowed churches to grow taller and bigger, with large open spaces now possible. Gothic churches pushed all the boundaries that the technology and knowledge of the time allowed, with some dazzling results.

Gothic architecture also introduced one of European churches’ most well-known features – stained-glass windows. Featuring biblical scenes and images of saints, these windows flooded Gothic churches with colored light, adding to the spiritual atmosphere and teaching illiterate masses about stories and characters from Christianity. 

The Gothic Age evolved over time and can loosely be split into three. Early Gothic architecture was more timid in its design, not reaching the dizzying heights of later constructions. However, it did herald the arrival of pointed arches, ribbed vaults and flying buttresses. The High Gothic period was the age’s peak in the 13th century, when churches became bigger and grander. And the Late Gothic period from the 14th century can be characterized by more intricate interior designs, including carvings and more finessed stonework.

There are many iconic Gothic churches to see in Europe. Highlights include London’s Westminster Abbey, Cologne Cathedral, Notre Dame in Paris and Milan’s magnificent Duomo.

Baroque

The latest of our four main architectural styles emerged in Italy in the late 16th century. Stemming as a repudiation of the restrained Renaissance, Baroque architecture ran wild. Known for ornate decoration, these churches were designed to evoke emotional responses in worshippers and to signify the power and glory of the church.

The Baroque age saw the introduction of painted ceilings and frescoes, many of which can still be admired across European churches today. It also introduced vaulted cupolas, essentially a smaller dome on top of a larger dome, and often decorated with frescoes or sculptures.

One such example is the vaulted cupola on St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, which was designed by Michelangelo and later completed by Gian Lorenzo. Other examples include Saints Peter & Paul Church in Krakow, Poland, St Paul’s in London and the Church of the Gesu in Rome. Baroque style didn’t just influence church buildings and is evident in such notable landmarks as Rome’s Trevi Fountain, Peterhof Palace in St Petersburg, and the Palace of Versailles.

Baroque came to be replaced by Rococo style, which was in turn superseded by Classicism. 

Other notable architectural styles

Although we have covered perhaps the four most famous styles used in European churches, there are many more, all crisscrossing time and geography! The basilicas of the Early Christian age (4th century onwards) featured simple designs and Roman architectural styles, which served as the foundation for virtually all church design going forward. In the 14th century, the Renaissance competed with the flamboyant Gothic age, with churches characterized by balance and symmetry in comparison to the brash and ornate designs of many Gothic buildings. In the 19th century, many of these styles enjoyed something of a second coming, with the Gothic Revival and Romanesque Revival seeing some of these architectural styles make a comeback.

These Revival styles came about from a nostalgia for the past and a desire to reinterpret the most classic and enduring architecture. St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Czech Republic, for example, was started in the Gothic age, but when new interest in finishing historic buildings emerged during the Revival Period, final areas of the nave and the front façade were completed in the 19th century. Similarly, the Romanesque Revival example of the Speyer Cathedral in Speyer Germany has its foundation that dates back to 11th century, but it wasn’t finished until the Revival Period with additions designed to create a unity with the original Romanesque portion.

The Varying Church Styles

European church architecture is complicated and constantly evolving, but there are clear trends and divides between ages where certain architectural styles took hold, until they came to be replaced by something else. From the early Roman-style churches of the Byzantine Empire to the elegant and mind-blowing designs of the High Gothic age, church architecture has never sat still, with Revival periods ensuring no era has ever really ended.