Ottonian architecture flourished from the 10th­11th centuries and drew
inspiration from Carolingian and Byzantine architecture.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ]
Compare and contrast Ottonian architecture with its Carolingian predecessor.
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
Ottonian architecture first developed during the reign of Otto the Great (936­975) and lasted until
the mid­11th century. Surviving examples of this style of architecture are found today in Germany
and Belgium.
Ottonian architecture was inspired by Carolingian andByzantine architecture and
foreshadows Romanesquearchitecture in some of its features.
Ottonian religious architecture diverges from the model of the central­plan church, drawing
inspiration instead from the longitudinally­oriented Roman basilica.
The Ottonians adopted the Carolingian double­ended variation on the Roman basilica,
featuring apses at both ends of the nave rather than merely one.
TERMS [ edit ]
apse
A semicircular projection from a building, especially the rounded east end of a church that
contains the altar.
capital
The uppermost part of a column.
nave
The middle or body of a church, extending from the transepts to the principal entrances.
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Originally a ducal family from Saxony, the
Ottonians (named after their first king
Otto I the Great) seized power after the
collapse of Carolingian rule in Europe and
re­established the Holy Roman Empire.
Ottonian architecture first developed
during the reign of Otto the Great (936 ­
975 C.E.) and lasted until the mid­
11th century. Surviving examples of this
style of architecture are found today in
Germany and Belgium.
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Ottonian architecture chiefly drew its inspiration from both Carolingian and Byzantine
architecture and represents the absorption of classical Mediterranean and Christian
architectural forms with Germanic styles. In some of its features, it foreshadowed the
development of Romanesque architecture which emerged in the mid­11th century. It is
remarkable for its balance and mathematical harmony­­a true reflection of the high regard in
which the Ottonians held the mathematical sciences.
Barring a few examples that were influenced by the octagonal Palatine Chapel built by
Charlemagne in Aachen, Ottonian religious architecture tends to diverge from the model of
the central­plan church, drawing inspiration instead from the Roman basilica, which
typically consisted of a long central nave with an aisle at each side and an apse at one end.
The Ottonians adopted the Carolingian double­ended variation on the Roman basilica,
featuring apses at both ends of the church rather than merely one.
One of the finest surviving examples of Ottonian architecture is St. Cyriakus Church in
Gernrode, Germany, constructed between 960­965. The central body of the church has the
nave with two aisles sided by two towers characteristic ofCarolingian architecture, but it also
displays novelties anticipating Romanesque architecture, including the alternation
of pillars and columns (a common feature in later Saxon churches), semi­blind arcades in
galleries on the nave, and column capitals decorated with stylized leaves ofacanthus and
human heads .
Church of St. Cyriakus, Gernrode
St. Cyriakus is one of the few surviving examples of Ottonian architecture and combines Carolingian
elements with innovations that anticipate Romanesque architecture.