The Historical Influences in the Architectural Design of the Westminster Abbey - Essay Example

? The Historical Influences in the Architectural Design of the Westminster Abbey (YOUR (THE The Westminster Abbey in Westminster, London is one of the most important architectural structures in English history. It is considered as both the coronation and burial areas for the country’s monarchs. It also houses the resting place of some of the most renowned Englishmen: nobilities, soldiers, scientists, intellectuals and poets, to mention a few. As a landmark of history, the Westminster Abbey is also a surviving piece of art of the Middle Ages. Most of which dates back to the 13th century, the church is a museum of wall paintings, unique Cosmati mosaic for the flooring, and majestic altar pieces and brasses. The exterior is as much remarkable as its interior. The dominant gothic architectural design - its towering pillars, towers and stained glass, takes its patrons and visitors back to the English medieval times. The prestige of Westminster Abbey’s architectural design cannot be separated from the historical events that moulded it to its present reputation. From the its foundation as an abbey by King Edward the Confessor in 1052 to its glory days as a gothic church under the initiative of King Henry III in 1245, Westminster Abbey owes its existence to the religious passion of its patrons. Given the context, this paper focuses on the historical events that led to the key developments of what is the Westminster Abbey today. By expounding on the topic, a historical methodology could not only give light to the origins of the church, but it could also relate historical context with architectural design and style. This paper is thus intended to explain Westminster Abbey’s rich architectural history. The utilization of secondary sources such as books and journal articles, together with ample photo documentation, are used in order to accomplish this paper’s purpose. A historical discussion in the chronological manner is used in the first portion of this paper. Westminster Abbey’s humble beginnings are discussed in these initial parts. The context of the 11th century and the reign of Edward the Confessor sparked the construction of the simple abbey that would evolve to be one of the architectural marvels of the modern world. It then tackles the entrance of the 12th century and the important contributions of King Henry III to the creation of a magnificent gothic church at England’s capital. The second portion deals with the church’s architecture. An analysis of the exterior and interior aspects of Westminster Abbey is conducted by streamlining the various designs and styles, which produced the outcome. Such analysis is then related to the historical context of the church’s formative years in order to produce a conclusive account of architectural history. The Abbey in its Formative Years in the 11th and 12th Century The 11th century was included in the 3-century span of the Central Middle Ages, from 1000-1300, where the disintegration of the strong Roman Empire was realized in the Early Middle Ages. During that century, a direct by-product of the previous years caused the apparent struggle between the Holy Roman Empire and the Papacy in Rome, not to mention the autonomy instituted by the Eastern Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Empire (Bennett and Hollister, xv & 266). On a political standpoint, it was clear that religious strife that would establish dominance over Europe was as important as the clash of kingdoms and empires. As religious monarchy flourished in the name of the propagation of a certain religious denomination, independent nation states began to emerge as well. England was well underway in line with a monarchical leadership. The sacred monarchy carried by religious kingdoms in the Early Middle Ages evolved into a bureaucratic monarchy in the Central Middle Ages. Royal administration with a systematic distribution of powers was the one that England had adopted in the 11th century (Bennett and Hollister, 266). Though a secular state, the influence of the church was undeniable. Before the monumental rise of William I or most popularly known as William the Conqueror in 1066 (Bennett and Hollister, 267), his predecessor King Edward the Confessor sparked the establishment of what would come to be one of London’s most influential religious structures. King Edward, the last of the Anglo-Saxon kings of England, had an abbey constructed which the monarch consecrated in 1065. A few days after and at the dawn of 1066, King Edward died and was succeeded by a line of Anglo-Norman kings; the first of who was King William I. King Edward’s tomb was rightfully placed within the abbey – the monarch’s last but most important contribution to English history and architecture (Bennett and Hollister, A-2, and Mortimer ed., 139-143). Under the Anglo-Norman kings, King Edward’s abbey had not received much attention. The next significant stage for the abbey happened under the reign of King Henry III of the line of Plantagenet kings. In fact, the newly appointed Westminster Abbot William de Humez contributed to the construction of the church as an extension to King Edward’s abbey. In 1220, the abbot laid the foundation stone that spurred the creation of the Lady Chapel with the thirteen year-old King Henry III as its benefactor. The chapel immediately was used for the second coronation of the king. Thereafter, it was used as the constant venue for monarchical coronations in England (Lewis, 133-135). At this early stage, the abbey was considered as the premier location for both religious and royal ceremonies. The rebuilding of the abbey received huge support from the locals and the nobilities of the country. It was for the public’s high regard for the construction of the abbey that King Henry III declared himself as the primary patron of the Westminster project on July 26, 1245 (Lewis, 136). From 1245 onwards, the addition of a Lady Chapel introduced an idea for the construction of an abbey church. This was a far bigger project: it involved the addition of new shrines for English saints and the complex extension of the entire eastern end of the Westminster Abbey. The completion of the Lady Chapel would not be realized until the 15th century during the reign of King Henry VII. It houses an astounding 95 statues of saints and the tomb of Elizabeth I (Lewis, 137-138). The 11th, 12th and the 13th centuries were, indeed, monumental years for the narrative of the Westminster Abbey. The efforts and initiatives of King Edward the Confessor and King Henry III were the ones that influenced the magnanimity that the Westminster Abbey has. The small abbey was immediately transformed into a church of epic proportions. The origins of the abbey set the standards for architectural marvels, and relayed the rich history of the English monarchy, the people and their reverence for religion. The Architecture of Westminster Abbey: From Romanesque to Gothic Style From the brief narrative of Westminster Abbey’s origins, it can be said that the abbey had gone through drastic changes under King Edward the Confessor and King Henry III of the Central Middle Ages. Architecturally, the mentioned monarchs had exerted detailed regard for the interior and exterior design of the structure. In order to fully understand and interpret the architecture, the historical context should be used. In this case, the style and deign that Westminster Abbey possess could be better realized. Also from the narrative of the previous portion, the abbey that King Edward’s reign had produced was constructed in the Norman Romanesque style. The Romanesque was a definitive architectural feat during the Central Middle Ages. It was popular amongst various churches and cathedrals all over Europe. The abbey of King Edward, now the location of his tomb, included flat wooden ceilings with stone vaults, portals, windows and arcades. This included heavy walls, huge pillars and dark interiors that required extensive candle lighting to illuminate the area. In turn, the Romanesque style of this abbey was susceptible to any fire (Bennett and Hollister, 301-303). The general impact of the abbey’s Romanesque design influenced a feeling of austerity, organic unity and solidity. It implied that through architecture, the church had a firm authority over the various monarchies under its influence. With this, the religious, commoners and nobilities, were united in their faith. Indeed King Edward’s initiative for the abbey was both a devotion to the church and religion and an expression of the reverence that the English monarchy gave to the dominant religion in Europe during the Central Middle Ages. After King Edward’s throne had been passed to King Henry III, the style and design of the Westminster project was patterned after the standards of Gothic architecture. This is a very interesting notion because during the Central Middle Ages, the Romanesque and the Gothic architecture were the primary styles provided by the church as proponents for religious structures. Gothic architecture involves ribbed vaults and pointed arches, tall but relatively thin pillars, and towering stained glass with flying buttresses in the exterior. All of these remarkable traits provided high and thin walls and ceiling (see Figure 1). The flying buttresses provided exterior support for the walls and ceiling. Gothic churches created the illusion of stone ceiling resting on glass walls. If austerity and unity was the message of the Romanesque, the Gothic manifested a defiance of gravity. This meant that the churches rose from the ground, having lost their earth-bound qualities, and were determined to reach the heavens. Hence, height was an important aspect in the structure (Bennett and Hollister, 303-305). In the case of the Westminster Abbey, both the Romanesque and Gothic styles were used. This was unusual at that time because only one of the two were often used for a single structure. Presently, the Westminster Abbey is officially recognized as a Gothic church because majority of the structure’s physical attributes were constructed with accordance to this style. By observing the Westminster Abbey’s exterior, the Gothic sense can be seen. The west front of the abbey possesses two magnanimous towers, each of which contains a series of pointed arches and tall pillars that conform to the standards of the mentioned style (see Figure 2). At the north side of the abbey, flying buttresses stretch to the church walls for support. Respective pointed pillars that point towards the heavens (see Figure 3) house these buttresses. In the interior of the Westminster Abbey, the nave, for example, is one of the most exceptional displays in the church. The true essence of the Gothic design can be seen in the towering pillars of the church. On the walls, an array of tall stained glass attests to the magnificent artwork of the medieval era. The pointed arches of each window seem to imply that every part of the church desires to reach the heavens (see Figure 4). Hence, the church’s interior is lit from every side, reflecting the various colours provided by the stained glass. In one of the many chambers within the Westminster Abbey, the former Lady Chapel, which bears the tomb of King Edward the Confessor, was subject to a Gothic rebuilding after its Romanesque origins in the 11th century (Lewis, 164-167). What is remarkable in this chapel is the Gothic application to the Romanesque standards. According to several accounts, King Henry III through a royal writ in 1258 ordered for the Lady Chapel to be torn down. This was to remodel of the Gothic standards initiated by the monarch when he took over the Westminster project in 1245. The rebuilding of the Lady Chapel underwent a lengthy process. The first and second phases of King Henry III’s project ended in 1269. At that point, the Romanesque naves of the Lady Chapel in the eastern portion of the church were retained until 1375 when the Gothic prescription of the 13th century was finally applied to the whole of the church (Lewis, 164-165): pointed arches were constructed, high pillars were adopted, and intricate Cosmati designs were used for King Edward’s highly adorned tomb (Binski, 13-14) (see Figure 5). A splice between the dominant Gothic style and the remnants of the Romanesque of King Edward was manifested for almost a century. However, King Henry III as a monarch of the Plantagenet line had a more personal and substantial reason for the Gothic rebuilding of the church. He asserted for the completion of the Gothic style because he wanted to establish a divine kingship that would continue the leadership of the Anglo-Saxon kings. King Henry III was simply determined to continue the legacy of King Edward, where he was bold enough to detach from the Capetian tradition of separating the royal burial rites to the inaugural rites (Lewis, 170). Therefore, this creates the immediate fusion of the monarchical, divine duties of the king, as what happened to King Edward who was canonized as a saint after his death, and his burial place considered as a holy place of worship. With this context, King Henry III had officially instituted a divine kingship – a monarch that was considered as God’s vicar on earth. It is with such principle that he saw the Gothic rebuilding of the Westminster Abbey as an ideological project, not only conformity to religious standards, but also an official deification of the king (Lewis, 170-171). Conclusion: Westminster Abbey and the Influence of History to Architecture It is clear that historical influences had been the key points in the architectural design of the Westminster Abbey. With the narrative of the beginnings of the abbey during the 11th to the 13th century, important historical figures such as King Edward the Confessor of the Anglo-Saxon kings and King Henry III of the Plantagenet kings were the key monarchs who sparked the continuous construction of the abbey. It cannot be denied that the dominant church influence of the Central Middle Ages and the effort of the monarchs to religious conformity played a significant role in the moulding of the architectural design of the structure. By analysing the physical attributes of the Westminster Abbey, the primary architectural styles of the Romanesque and the Gothic were applied in the church structure. When the historical context is concerned, the former, which was applied for King Edward’s Lady Chapel, ushered in the feel of austerity and unity through its remarkable features; the latter, on the other hand, introduced King Henry III’s Gothic style which instituted a feel of limitless desire to reach the heavens. Delving into the deeper analysis of Westminster Abbey’s Gothic exterior and interior designs, King Henry III’s literal break-off from the Capetian tradition and his bias to the notion of the divine monarch forced him to transform King Edward’s Romanesque chapel and allowed him to manifest a holy kingship over England. Works Cited Bennett, Judith M. and C. Warren Hollister. Medieval Europe: A Short History. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2006. Print. Binski, Paul. “The Cosmati at Westminster and the English Court Style”. The Art Bulletin March, 1990: pp. 6-34. Print. Lewis, Suzanne. “Henry III and the Gothic Rebuilding of Westminster Abbey: The Problematics of Context”. Traditio, 1995: pp. 129-172. Print. Mortimer, Richard (ed.). Edward the Confessor: The Man and the Legend. New York: The Boydell Press, 2009. Print. Appendix Read More