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French architecture consists of architectural styles that either originated inFrance or elsewhere and were developed within the territories of France.
The architecture ofAncient Rome at first adopted the externalGreek architecture and by thelate Republic, the architectural style developed its own highly distinctive style by introducing the previously little-usedarches,vaults anddomes. A crucial factor in this development, coined theRoman Architectural Revolution, was the invention ofconcrete. Social elements such as wealth and high population densities in cities forced the ancient Romans to discover new (architectural) solutions of their own. The use of vaults and arches together with a sound knowledge of building materials, for example, enabled them to achieve unprecedented successes in the construction of imposing structures for public use.
Notable examples in France during the period areAlyscamps inArles andMaison Carrée inNîmes. The Alyscamps is a largeRomannecropolis, which is a short distance outside the walls of the old town of Arles. It was one of the most famous necropolises of the ancient world. The name is a corruption of theLatinElisii Campi (that is,Champs-Élysées orElysian Fields). They were famous in theMiddle Ages and are referred to byAriosto inOrlando Furioso and byDante in theInferno.[1] The Alyscamps continued to be used well into medieval times, although the removal ofSaint Trophimus' relics to the cathedral in 1152 reduced its prestige.
The unification of theFrankish kingdom underClovis I (465–511) and his successors, corresponded with the need for the building of churches, and especially monastery churches, as these were now the power-houses of the Merovingian church. Plans often continued theRomanbasilica tradition, but also took influences from as far away as Syria and Armenia. In the East, most structures were in timber, but stone was more common for significant buildings in the West and in the southern areas that later fell under Merovingian rule. Most major churches have been rebuilt, usually more than once, but many Merovingian plans have been reconstructed from archaeology. The description inBishopGregory of Tours'History of the Franks of the basilica of Saint-Martin, built at Tours bySaint Perpetuus (bishop 460–490) at the beginning of the period and at the time on the edge of Frankish territory, gives cause to regret the disappearance of this building, one of the most beautiful Merovingian churches, which he says had 120 marble columns, towers at the East end, and several mosaics: "Saint-Martin displayed the vertical emphasis, and the combination of block-units forming a complex internal space and the correspondingly rich external silhouette, which were to be the hallmarks of the Romanesque".[2] A feature of the basilica of Saint-Martin that became a hallmark of Frankish church architecture was the sarcophagus or reliquary of the saint raised to be visible and sited axially behind the altar, sometimes in theapse. There are no Roman precedents for this Frankish innovation.[3] A number of other buildings, now lost, including the Merovingian foundations ofSaint-Denis,St. Gereon inCologne, and theAbbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris, are described as similarly ornate.
Architecture of a Romanesque style developed simultaneously in parts of France in the 10th century and prior to the later influence of theAbbey of Cluny. The style, sometimes called "First Romanesque" or "Lombard Romanesque", is characterised by thick walls, lack of sculpture and the presence of rhythmic ornamental arches known as a Lombard band. TheAngoulême Cathedral is one of several instances in which theByzantine churches ofConstantinople seem to have been influential in the design in which the main spaces are roofed by domes. This structure has necessitated the use of very thick walls, and massive piers from which the domes spring. There are radiating chapels around theapse, which is a typically French feature and was to evolve into the chevette. Notre-Dame inDomfront, Normandy is a cruciform church with a shortapsidal east end. The nave has lost itsaisle, and has probably some of its length. The crossing has a tower that rises in two differentiated stages and is surmounted by apyramidicalspire of a type seen widely in France and Germany and also on Norman towers in England. The Abbey of Fongombault in France shows the influence of the Abbey of Cluny. Thecruciform plan is clearly visible. There is a chevette of chapels surrounding the chance apse. The crossing is surmounted by a tower. The transepts end withgables.
TheSaint-Étienne located inCaen presents one of the best known Romanesquefacades of NorthernFrance, with three portals leading into the nave and aisles, and a simple arrangement of identical windows between the buttresses of the tall towers. Begun in the 1060s, it was a prototype for Gothic facades. The spires and the pinnacles, which appear to rise inevitably from the towers, are of the early 13th century. TheTrinité Church of Caen has a greater emphasis on the central portal and the arrangement of the windows above it. The decoration of the towers begins at a lower level to that at Saint-Étienne, giving them weight and distinction. The upper balustrades are additions in the Classical style. The facade ofLe Puy-en-Velay inHaute-Loire has a complex arrangement of openings and blind arcades that was to become a feature of French Gothic facades. It is made even richer by the polychrome brick used in diverse patterns, including checkerboard, also a feature of ceramic decoration of Spanish churches of this period. The profile of the aisles is screened by open arches, perhaps for bells. Angoulême Cathedral is another richly decorated facade, but here it is of dressed stone with sculpture as the main ornament. The manner of arrangement of the various arches is not unlike that at Le Puy-en-Velay, but forming five strong vertical divisions which suggests that the nave is framed by two aisles on each side. In fact, the church has no aisles and is roofed by domes. The figurative sculpture, in common with much Romanesque sculpture, is not closely integrated to the arched spaces into which it has been set.
AtAutun Cathedral, the pattern of the nave bays and aisles extends beyond the crossing and into the chancel, each aisle terminating in an apse. Each nave bay is separated at the vault by a transverse rib. Each transept projects to the width of two nave bays. The entrance has anarthex which screens the main portal This type of entrance was to be elaborated in the Gothic period on the transepts at Chartres.
French Gothic architecture is a style of architecture prevalent in France from 1140 until about 1500, which largely divided into four styles, Early Gothic, High Gothic, Rayonnant, Late Gothic or Flamboyant style. The Early Gothic style began in 1140 and was characterized by the adoption of thepointed arch and transition from lateRomanesque architecture. To heighten the wall, builders divided it into four tiers:arcade (arches and piers),gallery,triforium, andclerestorey. To support the higher wall builders invented theflying buttresses, which reached maturity only at High Gothic during the 13th century. Thevaults were six ribbedsexpartite vaults. Notable structures of the style include the East end of theAbbey Church of St Denis,Sens Cathedral,Notre-Dame of Laon, the West facade ofChartres Cathedral,Notre-Dame de Paris,Lyon Cathedral andToul Cathedral.
The High Gothic style of the 13th century canonized proportions and shapes from early Gothic and developed them further to achieve light, yet tall and majestic structures. The wall structure was modified from four to only three tiers: arcade, triforium, and clerestorey. Piers coronations were smaller to avoid stopping the visual upward thrust. The clerestorey windows changed from one window in each segment, holed in the wall, to two windows united by a smallrose window. Therib vault changed from six to four ribs. Theflying buttresses matured, and after they were embraced atNotre-Dame de Paris andNotre-Dame de Chartres, they became the canonical way to support high walls, as they served both structural and ornamental purposes. The main body ofChartres Cathedral (1194–1260),Amiens Cathedral, andBourges Cathedral are also representatives of the style.
Aside from these Gothic styles, there is another style called "Gothique Méridional" (or Southern Gothic, opposed to Gothique Septentrional or Northern Gothic). This style is characterised by a large nave and has no transept. Examples of this Gothic architecture would be Notre-Dame-de-Lamouguier inNarbonne and Sainte-Marie inSaint-Bertrand-de-Comminges.
During the early years of the 16th century the French were involved in wars in northern Italy, bringing back to France not just the Renaissance art treasures as their war booty, but also stylistic ideas. In theLoire Valley a wave of building was carried and many Renaissance chateaux appeared at this time, the earliest example being theChâteau d'Amboise (c. 1495) in whichLeonardo da Vinci spent his last years. The style became dominant underFrancis I (SeeChâteaux of the Loire Valley).
The style progressively developed into a FrenchMannerism known as theHenry II style under architects such asSebastiano Serlio, who was engaged after 1540 in work at theChâteau de Fontainebleau. At Fontainebleau Italian artists such asRosso Fiorentino,Francesco Primaticcio, andNiccolo dell' Abbate formed the FirstSchool of Fontainebleau. Architects such asPhilibert Delorme,Androuet du Cerceau,Giacomo Vignola, andPierre Lescot, were inspired by the new ideas. The southwest interior facade of the Cour Carree of theLouvre in Paris was designed by Lescot and covered with exterior carvings byJean Goujon. Architecture continued to thrive in the reigns ofHenry II andHenry III.
French Baroque is a form ofBaroque architecture that evolved in France during the reigns ofLouis XIII (1610–43),Louis XIV (1643–1714) andLouis XV (1714–74). French Baroque profoundly influenced 18th-century secular architecture throughout Europe. Although the open three wing layout of the palace was established in France as thecanonical solution as early as the 16th century, it was thePalais du Luxembourg (1615–20) bySalomon de Brosse that determined the sober and classicizing direction that French Baroque architecture was to take. For the first time, thecorps de logis was emphasized as the representative main part of the building, while the side wings were treated as hierarchically inferior and appropriately scaled down. The medieval tower has been completely replaced by the central projection in the shape of a monumental three-storey gateway.
Probably the most accomplished formulator of the new manner wasFrançois Mansart, credited with introducing the full Baroque to France. In his design forChâteau de Maisons (1642), Mansart succeeded in reconciling academic and baroque approaches, while demonstrating respect for the gothic-inherited idiosyncrasies of the French tradition.Maisons-Laffitte illustrates the ongoing transition from the post-medievalchateaux of the 16th century to the villa-like country houses of the eighteenth. The structure is strictly symmetrical, with an order applied to each story, mostly inpilaster form. The frontispiece, crowned with a separate aggrandized roof, is infused with remarkable plasticity and the whole ensemble reads like a three-dimensional whole. Mansart's structures are stripped of overblown decorative effects, so typical of contemporary Rome. Italian Baroque influence is muted and relegated to the field of decorative ornamentation.
The next step in the development of European residential architecture involved the integration of the gardens in the composition of the palace, as is exemplified byVaux-le-Vicomte (1656–61), where the architectLouis Le Vau, the designerCharles Le Brun and the gardenerAndré Le Nôtre complemented each other. From the main cornice to a low plinth, the miniature palace is clothed in the so-called "colossal order", which makes the structure look more impressive. The creative collaboration of Le Vau and Le Nôtre marked the arrival of the "Magnificent Manner" which allowed to extend Baroque architecture outside the palace walls and transform the surrounding landscape into an immaculate mosaic of expansive vistas.
Rococo developed first in the decorative arts and interior design.Louis XIV's succession brought a change in the court artists and general artistic fashion. By the end of the old king's reign, rich Baroque designs were giving way to lighter elements with more curves and natural patterns. These elements are obvious in the architectural designs ofNicolas Pineau. During theRégence, court life moved away fromVersailles and this artistic change became well established, first in the royal palace and then throughout French high society. The delicacy and playfulness of Rococo designs is often seen as perfectly in tune with the excesses ofLouis XV's regime.
The 1730s represented the height of Rococo development in France. Rococo still maintained the Baroque taste for complex forms and intricate patterns, but by this point, it had begun to integrate a variety of diverse characteristics, including a taste for Eastern designs and asymmetric compositions. The style had spread beyond architecture and furniture to painting and sculpture. The Rococo style spread with French artists and engraved publications. It was readily received in the Catholic parts of Germany,Bohemia, and Austria, where it was merged with the lively German Baroque traditions.
The first phase of neoclassicism in France is expressed in the "Louis XVI style" of architects likeAnge-Jacques Gabriel (Petit Trianon, 1762-1768); the second phase, in the styles calledDirectoire and "Empire", might be characterized byJean-François Chalgrin's severe astylarArc de Triomphe (designed in 1806). In England the two phases might be characterized first by the structures ofRobert Adam, the second by those of SirJohn Soane. The interior style in France was initially a Parisian style, the "Goût grec" ("Greek style") not a court style. Only when the young king acceded to the throne in 1771 didMarie Antoinette, his fashion-loving Queen, bring the "Louis XVI" style to court.
From about 1800 a fresh influx of Greek architectural examples, seen through the medium of etchings and engravings, gave a new impetus to neoclassicism that is called theGreek Revival. Neoclassicism continued to be a major force inacademic art through the 19th century and beyond - a constant antithesis toRomanticism orGothic revival - although from the late 19th century on it had often been considered anti-modern, or even reactionary, in influential critical circles. By the mid-19th century, several European cities - notablySt Petersburg,Athens, Berlin, andMunich - were transformed into veritable museums of Neoclassical architecture. By comparison, the Greek revival in France was never popular with either the State or the public. What little there is started withCharles de Wailly's crypt in the church of St Leu-St Gilles (1773–80), andClaude Nicolas Ledoux'sBarriere des Bonshommes (1785-9). First-hand evidence of Greek architecture was of very little importance to the French, due to the influence ofMarc-Antoine Laugier's doctrines that sought to discern the principles of the Greeks instead of their mere practices. It would take until Laboustre'sNeo-Grec of the second Empire for the Greek revival to flower briefly in France.
From the early 17th century to the 1830s the French possessed huge tracts of territory inNorth America, theCaribbean,French Guiana,Senegal andBenin. This empire included the richest colony in the world, Saint-Domingue (Haiti) and France's largest landmass inNouvelle-France (nowQuebec). From 1604, French colonists and government engineers built massive, expensive buildings on the model of Versailles and the grand palaces, townhouses, and churches of Paris in places likeQuebec City, Cap-Francois (nowCap-Haitien),Martinique,Guadeloupe,Saint-Louis, Senegal,Gorée Senegal, and French Guiana. The most palatial were theChateau St. Louis in Quebec city, the Government building in Cap-Francois, the Governor's mansion inCayenne, and the church (now cathedral) in Cap-Haitien (nowOur Lady of the Assumption Cathedral, Cap-Haïtien). The French also built extensive structures inLouisiana, especially inNew Orleans and plantation countryDestrehan Plantation, although very little survives today from the French period. Nevertheless, French-style buildings were built there for a long time, as they were in post-colonial Haiti, notably theSans-Souci Palace ofKing Henry Christophe.[4]
During the mid-19th century whenNapoleon III established theSecond Empire, Paris became a glamorous city of tall, imposing buildings. Many homes were embellished with details such as pairedcolumns and elaboratewrought iron cresting appeared along rooftops. But the most striking feature borrowed from this period is the steep, boxymansard roof. You can recognize a mansard roof by itstrapezoid shape. Unlike a triangulargable, a mansard roof is almost vertical until the very top, when it abruptly flattens. This singular roofline creates a sense of majesty, and also allows more usable living space in the attic. In the United States, Second Empire is aVictorian style. However, you can also find the practical and the decidedly French mansard roof on many contemporary homes.
AnotherParisian style,Beaux-Arts originated from the legendaryÉcole des Beaux Arts (School of Fine Arts). Flourishing during the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was a grandiose elaboration on the more refinedneoclassical style.Symmetricalfaçades were ornamented with lavish details such as swags, medallions, flowers, and shields. These massive, imposing homes were almost always constructed of stone and were reserved for only the very wealthy. However a more 'humble' home might show Beaux Arts influences if it has stonebalconies and masonry ornaments. Many American architects studied at the École des Beaux Arts, and the style strongly influenced United States architecture from about 1880 to 1920.
Some renowned modernist and contemporary French designers and architects include:
French style can vary from being very modern to rustic and antique in appearance.
One of the most distinctive characteristics of many French buildings is the tall second story windows, oftenarched at the top, that break through thecornice and rise above theeaves. This unusual window design is especially noticeable on America's examples ofFrench Provincial architecture. Modeled after country manors in theFrench provinces, thesebrick orstucco homes are stately and formal. They have steep hipped roofs and a square, symmetrical shape with windows balanced on each side of the entrance. The tall second story windows add to the sense of height.
InNormandy and theLoire Valley of France, farm silos were often attached to the main living quarters instead of a separate barn. After World War I, Americans romanticized the traditional French farmhouse, creating a style known as French Normandy. Sided withstone, stucco, or brick, these homes may suggest theTudor style with decorative half timbering (vertical, horizontal, and diagonal strips of wood set in masonry). The French Normandy style is distinguished by a round stone tower topped by a cone-shaped roof. The tower is usually placed near the centre, serving as the entrance to the home. French Normandy and French provincial details are often combined to create a style simply called French Country or French Rural carved orembossed onmouldings, sconces, andbanisters.
French Colonial is a style of architecture used by theFrench during colonization. Many former French colonies, especially those in Southeast Asia, have previously been reluctant to promote their colonial architecture as an asset for tourism; however, in recent times, the new generation of local authorities has somewhat 'embraced' the architecture and advertise it.[5]
French Creole architecture is anAmerican Colonial style that developed in the early 18th century in theMississippi Valley, especially inLouisiana. French Creole buildings borrow traditions from France,the Caribbean, and many other parts of the world such as Spanish, African, Native American, and other heritages. French Creole homes from the Colonial period were especially designed for the hot, wet climate of that region. Traditional French Creole homes had some or all of these features:
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