Guía visual de la arquitectura en la Edad Media, 1

This volume continues in the wake of the work "Visual Guide to Architecture in the Ancient World". On this occasion, focused on a part of the Middle Ages. The historical period begins with the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the year 476, a certainty or conventionalism hardly discussed in the face of an always open debate regarding its end, for some 1453 (fall of Constantinople), for another 1492 (arrival of Columbus to America). In any case, it supposes at the same time a continuity and a radical change in an essential protagonist in architecture: the "house of God". The religious paradigm shift will incorporate complex terms encompassing a multitude of elements. The house of God, the basilica, the church or the mosque mark the architectural discourse that is based on centuries of construction techniques. Such an extensive period requires setting both spatial and temporal limits. The geographical spaces analyzed are located in Europe, Asia and Africa. Regarding chronology, the "Guide" begins in late antiquity to continue later with the early Christian world, Byzantium, "barbarian" and pre-Romanesque art forms and ends with Islamic architecture. Each of the elements that define the typological peculiarities of each architecture is analyzed in depth, presenting at the beginning of each block a general introduction that explains the spatiotemporal context, which will allow us to locate ourselves geographically and chronologically. We want to express our debt and gratitude to hundreds of authors who have enlightened us with their work and have made this work possible.