ABSTRACT
Over a hundred years of experimentation and gradual evolution lie behind the churches just discussed.Indeed, Romanesque as a whole is an extension and refinement of architectural ideas that date from the Early Christian era. The series of interiors in a sequence in time exhibits the creative interaction of geographical areas in the formation of mature High Romanesque architecture. Like the Tournus upper narthex, the nave of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert reveals the simple yet powerful forms of Romanesque prior to Cluny III and Conques and Toulouse. The series of interiors in a sequence in time exhibits the creative interaction of geographical areas in the formation of mature High Romanesque architecture. The evolution of Romanesque from archaic, experimental forms to mature or High Romanesque can be seen in the exteriors of four monuments. One of the hallmarks of the first Romanesque style is the simple wall arcade or arched corbel table ornamenting exterior cornices.
