Editing Romanesque architecture (section)

===Politics===
[[Charlemagne]] was crowned by [[Pope Leo III]] in [[Old St. Peter's Basilica]] on Christmas Day of 800, with an aim to re-establishing the old [[Roman Empire]]. Charlemagne's political successors continued to rule much of Europe, with a gradual emergence of the separate political states that were eventually to become welded into nations, either by allegiance or defeat, into the [[Kingdom of Germany]] giving rise to the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. The invasion of England by [[William, Duke of Normandy]], in 1066, saw the building of both castles and churches that reinforced the Norman presence. Several significant churches that were built at this time were founded by rulers as seats of temporal and religious power, or places of [[coronation]] and burial. These include the [[Basilica of St Denis|Abbaye-Saint-Denis]], [[Speyer Cathedral]] and [[Westminster Abbey]] (where little of the Pre-Conquest church now remains).

At a time when the remaining architectural structures of the [[Roman Empire]] were falling into decay and much of its learning and technology lost, the building of masonry domes and the carving of decorative architectural details continued unabated, though greatly evolved in style since the fall of Rome, in the enduring [[Byzantine Empire]]. The domed churches of [[Constantinople]] and Eastern Europe were to greatly affect the architecture of certain towns, particularly through trade and through the [[Crusades]]. The most notable single building that demonstrates this is [[St Mark's Basilica]], [[Venice]], but there are many lesser-known examples, particularly in France, such as the church of [[Périgueux Cathedral|Saint-Front]], [[Périgueux]] and [[Angoulême Cathedral]].<ref name=OME>George Holmes, ed. ''The Oxford History of Medieval Europe''.</ref>

Much of Europe was affected by [[feudalism]] in which peasants held tenure from local rulers over the land that they farmed in exchange for [[military service]]. The result of this was that they could be called upon, not only for local and regional spats, but to follow their lord to travel across Europe to the Crusades, if they were required to do so. The [[Crusades]], 1095–1270, brought about a very large movement of people and, with them, ideas and trade skills, particularly those involved in the building of fortifications and the metal working needed for the provision of arms, which was also applied to the fitting and decoration of buildings. The continual movement of people, rulers, nobles, bishops, abbots, craftsmen and peasants, was an important factor in creating a homogeneity in building methods and a recognizable ''Romanesque style'', despite regional differences.

Life became generally less secure after the Carolingian period. This resulted in the building of castles at strategic points, many of them being constructed as strongholds of the Normans, descendants of the Vikings who invaded northern France under [[Rollo]] in 911. Political struggles also resulted in the fortification of many towns, or the rebuilding and strengthening of walls that remained from the Roman period. One of the most notable surviving fortifications is that of the city of [[Carcassonne]]. The enclosure of towns brought about a lack of living space within the walls, and resulted in a style of town house that was tall and narrow, often surrounding communal courtyards, as at [[San Gimignano]] in [[Tuscany]] and [[Bologna]] and [[Pavia]] in [[Lombardy]].<ref name=Toman1>Rolf Toman, pp. 114–17</ref><ref>Copplestone, pp. 188–89</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=vivipavia.it |title=Medieval towers |url=https://www.vivipavia.it/site/en/home/places-of-interest/scheda440.html |website=Vivi Pavia |publisher=Comune di Pavia |access-date=3 August 2023}}</ref>

In Germany, the [[Holy Roman Emperor]]s built a number of residences, fortified, but essentially palaces rather than castles, at strategic points and on trade routes. The [[Imperial Palace of Goslar]] (heavily restored in the 19th century) was built in the early 11th century by Otto III and Henry III, while the ruined Palace at [[Gelnhausen]] was received by Frederick Barbarossa prior to 1170.<ref name=Toman2>Rolf Toman, pp. 70–73</ref> The movement of people and armies also brought about the building of bridges, some of which have survived, including the 12th-century bridge at [[Besalú]], [[Catalonia]], the 11th-century Puente de la Reina, [[Navarre]] and the Pont-Saint-Bénézet, [[Avignon]].<ref>Rolf Toman, pp. 18, 177, 188</ref>

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File:London Tower (1).JPG|alt=A huge square tower of grey stone is seen beyond fortifications on the edge of a river.|The [[Tower of London]] (1078); [[William the Conqueror]] built the central [[White Tower (Tower of London)|White Tower]] as his stronghold and residence
File:Speyer---Cathedral---South-View---(Gentry).jpg|alt=An enormous cathedral, of red stone with green copper roofs, has a two tall towers framing an octagonal dome at each end of the building.|[[Speyer Cathedral]], Germany, begun by [[Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor]] in 1030, as an expression of imperial power and architectural innovation
File:Erice castle.jpg|alt=A castle with a tall narrow tower and walls topped by battlements stretches along the edge of a cliff covered in trees and palm trees|{{lang|it|Castello di Venere}}, [[Erice]] (12th–13th century), is one of many built by the [[Normans]] in [[Sicily]], Italy.
File:Panorama San Gimignano.jpg|alt=View of a small town on a hilltop surrounded by trees and vineyards. There are eight tall square towers rising from among the densely packed houses.|Many towns, such as [[San Gimignano]], were enclosed with walls, causing crowding and the building of tower houses
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