Romanesque Architecture of Western Europe from about AD 1000 to about the late 1100s. After Rome fell in 476, Roman culture was spread by the Christian church. By the end of the pre- Romanesque period, Roman stylistic elements had fused with elements from Byzantium and the Middle East, and from the Germans, the Celts, and other northern tribes in Western Europe. These various combinations created a number of local styles, called Romanesque, meaning
"in the manner of the Roman."

The term Romanesque was first given to this type of architecture in the 19th century due to it's similarties between the barrel vault and the Roman Arch.

An achievement of Romanesque architects was the development of stone vaulted building. Masonary vaulting was used in building Romanesque churches, using massive barrel vaults.
Buildings were usually made of stone often had wooden roofs. If they did have stone roofs, the walls had to be very thick in order to hold up the roofs, and could not have many windows, so the buildings were often very heavy and dark inside.

A major share of architectural activity was sponsored by the great monastic communities. The Cluniac order, at the peak of its power, played a primary role in the patronage of construction.