e now… true praise of God… Charon” (Norton, 1306,1308, 1311) illustrate that Dante combines the two forms of literature, yet Dante still keeps this a Christian because this work chronicles Dante’s journey through realms of Christian afterlife – Hell, Limbo, and Heaven. (Matthews, 234)The influence of Christianity in architecture can best be described in the context of the church – which dominated art and architecture in the Middle Ages. (Matthews, 235) When Constantine controlled Rome, the basic form of the church was called a basilica. (Matthews 180) While basilicas varied, the basic shape consisted of a long hallway, “with an apse, or curved wall at the eastern end. Two rows of parallel columns usually divided into a central area, or nave and two side aisles. (Matthews 180) Later, in the High Middle Ages, the Cathedral emerged. Two styles of cathedral were the Romanesque and Gothic. Of these types, the Romanesque was the first. The Romanesque received its name and style from ancient Roman buildings and churches of the Early Middle Ages – the Church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in Vzelay, France s an excellent example. (Matthews, 236) The typical Romanesque church consisted of small windows and heavy walls and the floor of the building was in a cruciform shape to symbolize the cross. The Romanesque style also divided the nave into separate sections called bays. “Each bay is framed by a pair of rounded arches… the ceiling of each bay is a groin vault – a Roman building technique.” (Matthews 237)The second type of church was the Gothic style. The Gothic style emerged when church leaders wanted to make the church more evident in urban life. They demanded higher windows and taller churches. Thus, builders needed to discard the heavy look of the Romanesque style. The ribbed vault, a masonry roof with a framework of arches or ribs that reinforce and decorate a va...
