Romanesque

Significant expressions of Romanesque are to be found in Piedmont. Above all in architecture, this is the art that continued the great building traditions of Rome, following the depression of the Dark Ages. The buildings erected after 1000 still reveal hesitant engineering, with a static quality that emphasizes the walls while the openings allowing light to enter are sparse and small. The master masons, stonecutters and sculptors came from the lakes: the Campionesi from Lugano and the Comacini from Como. These craftsmen spread the language of the renaissance of the art of building. Lombardy led the way in Europe, with nearby Piedmont imitating pace and style, although the assertion of Romanesque was tardy, interspersed with Gothic style features. Important examples are Casale cathedral, Vezzolano abbey and the sturdy Consolata belfry.