The churches of this era, inspired by Roman architecture (thus the name romanesque), are charaterized by round arches, barrel-vaulting and large walls, a simple but heavy style…
France is nonetheless extremely diverse: it concentrates a wealth of scenery, regional identities each with their own particular joie de vivre defined by cultural and historic differences.
During the Middle Ages the fortress style of the romanesque buildings was refined and improved by French masons and architects. The first Gothic buildings appeared in the late 12th with the rebuilding of the Basilica Saint Denis…