Cistercian architecture

E415271

Cistercian architecture is a monastic architectural style characterized by simplicity, austerity, and functional design, developed by the Cistercian order in medieval Europe.

All labels observed (3)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (88)

Predicate Object
instanceOf architectural style
monastic architecture
aimsToSupport communal monastic living
contemplative life
liturgical prayer
appliedToBuildingType abbey church
chapter house
cloister
dormitory
monastic grange
refectory
associatedWith Cistercian spirituality
associatedWithRule Rule of Saint Benedict
developedBy Cistercian Order
linked to: Cistercians
developedInCentury 12th century
13th century
developedInPeriod High Middle Ages
developedInRegion Burgundy
England
France
Germany
Iberian Peninsula
Italy
medieval Europe
hasCharacteristic austere exterior facades
austerity
balanced proportions between church parts
careful control of natural light
central bell-cote or modest tower
chapter house adjacent to cloister
cloister as organizing element
didactic simplicity aimed at contemplation
dormitory aligned with church
emphasis on acoustics for chant
emphasis on communal spaces over individual cells in early period
emphasis on durability and low maintenance
emphasis on horizontality
emphasis on light and proportion
functional design
functional separation of monastic spaces
geometric clarity
influence from early Gothic structural forms
integrated water management systems
integration of church and cloister
lack of superfluous ornament
limited use of color in decoration
limited use of towers
liturgical functionality guiding design
mill and workshop buildings as part of complex
minimal figurative sculpture
orientation of church on east–west axis
plain glass windows
rectangular choir terminations in early examples
refectory placed perpendicular or parallel to cloister walk
reflects ideals of poverty and humility
regular modular planning
ribbed vaults
rural and secluded siting
self-sufficient monastic layout
separate lay brothers’ quarters
simple capitals
simple gable roofs
simplicity
standardized abbey layout
standardized church plans across regions
stone vaulting over wooden roofs where possible
structural honesty
transition from Romanesque to Gothic forms
unadorned column shafts
uniformity of design
use of local building materials
use of pointed arches
whitewashed interiors
hasNotableExample Abbey of Clairvaux
linked to: Clairvaux Abbey

Abbey of Cîteaux
linked to: Cîteaux Abbey

Abbey of Sénanque
linked to: Abbaye de Sénanque

Alcobaça Monastery
Fontenay Abbey
Fountains Abbey
Le Thoronet Abbey
linked to: Le Thoronet

Maulbronn Monastery
Poblet Monastery
Rievaulx Abbey
influenced Gothic architecture
later monastic architecture in Europe
influencedBy Benedictine monastic tradition
Bernard of Clairvaux’s aesthetic principles
reform ideals of Cîteaux

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (12)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Fossanova Abbey architecturalStyle Cistercian architecture
Kirkstall Abbey architecturalStyle Cistercian architecture
Hailes Abbey architecturalStyle Cistercian Gothic
linked to: Cistercian architecture
Fountains Abbey architecturalStyle Cistercian Gothic
linked to: Cistercian architecture
Cymer Abbey knownFor Cistercian architecture
subject linked to: Cistercian abbey (Cymer Abbey)
Cymer Abbey architecturalStyle Cistercian Gothic
subject linked to: ruined abbey (Cymer Abbey)
linked to: Cistercian architecture
Valle Crucis Abbey hasArchitecturalStyle Cistercian architecture
Pontigny Abbey architecturalStyle Cistercian architecture
John Pawson influencedBy Cistercian architecture
Glenluce Abbey architecturalStyle Cistercian Gothic
linked to: Cistercian architecture
Cîteaux Abbey partOf Cistercian architecture heritage
linked to: Cistercian architecture
Inch Abbey architecturalStyle Cistercian Gothic
subject linked to: Inch Abbey (nearby)
linked to: Cistercian architecture