From the 11th to the 13th century, in Europe, the Romanesque style emerged, the first international, which grouped together a large part of the essence of expressions such as Roman, Byzantine, Pre-Romanesque, Germanic and Arabic. It emerged, almost simultaneously, in Italy, Germany, France and Spain, with the peculiarity of having different characteristics in each of these territories. It was part of a time of spiritual renewal and material prosperity, so the construction of numerous churches had become common; For this reason, it was characterized by being an entirely religious art.
The term was used, for the first time, in 1820, to encompass the entire artistic period that succeeded ancient art and that preceded Gothic art, similar to how the Romance languages were the successors to Latin; Despite this, the term "Romanesque art" came to designate only the artistic period between the 11th and 12th centuries. Similarly, the events surrounding the establishment of Romanesque art as the predominant one during this time were quite clear: the expansion of certain customs throughout Europe, the spread and consolidation of Christianity, and the beginning of the Reconquest.
Romanesque architecture has considerable exponents throughout the old continent; However, the Catalan and French churches are always seen as those with the most artistic identity. Spanish churches, on the other hand, are characterized by having squared or polished stone vaults, with headboards adorned with Lombard arches or bands, in addition to the existence of sculptural pillars that support the structure; French also stands out with buildings such as the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe abbey.
