Hungary, Byzantium, Italy: Architectural Connections in the 11th Century

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    Abstract (may include machine translation)

    During the second half of the 11th century a new stylistic tendency appears in the Hungarian Kingdom which can be characterized as a kind of Byzantinism. The ecclesiastical and political connections between Hungary and Byzantium were strong at that time which inspired previous scholarship to interpret this architectural tendency as a sign of a direct Byzantine influence on the Hungarian Kingdom. However, an investigation here of the centrally planned churches (Feldebrő and Szekszárd, both of which were Benedictine abbeys) will exclude a direct Byzantine connection; instead, relevant Italian parallels can be found.

    The same argument can be made for the stone carvings of these buildings. During this period, a specific sculptural style was flourishing in Hungary which can be characterized with palmette friezes and capitals decorated with acanthus spinosa. While the first is almost unparalleled (the only known example outside of Hungary is in Lund), the second was in use in the Adriatic region, especially at Aquileia and Venice, and spread towards Dalmatia as well as in Padua and Verona. Thus, decisive stylistic elements of the period prove that Hungarian art of the period was determined by Italian connections and was not under direct Byzantine influence.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationRomanesque and the Mediterranean
    Subtitle of host publicationPatterns of Exchange Across the Latin, Greek and Islamic Worlds c.1000-c.1250
    EditorsRosa Maria Bacile, John McNeill
    Place of PublicationLeeds
    PublisherRoutledge Taylor & Francis Group
    Pages193-203
    Number of pages11
    ISBN (Electronic)9781351191074
    ISBN (Print)9781909662803
    StatePublished - 2017

    Publication series

    NameThe British Archaeological Association Conference Transactions

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