Church architectural changed dramatically throughout the medieval period.
Architecture played an important part in the worship of medieval Christians. The most important sacred building type of medieval Europe was the church. The church's architectural design was a powerful expression of the congregation's worship, and there were a number of notable features in churches of this era.
Romanesque
Romanesque architecture, also known as Norman architecture, thrived in European churches from 1000 to 1200. Romanesque churches were built with simple tools, such as axes and chisels, and Saxon laborers without advanced building skills. Romanesque building introduced the art of stone vaulting to replace the wooden-beamed roofs of earlier churches. They built elaborate doorways at the church entrances, decorating with concentric arches, vaulted ceilings and thick walls. Romanesque decorations were drawn from many Pre-Christian traditions, including spirals, fierce animal heads and zigzags.
Gothic
Gothic architecture was named by its Renaissance critics, who found it tasteless and barbaric. The Goths were a Germanic tribe that took over Italy after the fall of Rome. Gothic churches were built all over Western Europe from 1200 to 1500, with the exception of Italy, which did not fully adopt the Gothic style.
Gothic churches are notable for major structural innovations: The pointed arch and flying buttress. The pointed arch made the church more flexible in its dimensions because, unlike the round arch, it did not need to be as wide as it was tall. A buttress is part of the wall that has to be thickened for reinforcement. The flying buttress allowed the nave walls to be much thinner than before, which enabled the churches to install large canvasses of stained glass. Gothic churches are also recognizable by their Crockets, which are small decorations that resemble buds.
Stave
Stave churches were constructed in Northern Europe during the Romanesque/Gothic period. They comprise rectangular wooden frame with four posts, or staves, that bear the structural weight at each corner. Stave churches are known for their multi-tiered roofs. Most of the surviving examples of Stave churches are found in Norway.
Byzantine
The Hagia Sophia is the most famous work of Byzantine architecture. It has the typical Byzantine contrast between the plain exterior and grand mosaics on the inside. Byzantine churches had a centralized basilica plan with a large central dome, often encircled by smaller domes or half-domes. The domes forced a more circular floorplan, rather than the typical rectangular plan. Byzantine architecture was ultimately replaced in the West by Gothic and Romanesque styles, but it had a great influence on the development of Islamic architecture in the East.
