Why did religious architecture change during the Romanesque period?
Why did religious architecture change during the Romanesque period? Larger churches were needed to accommodate the numerous monks and priests, as well as the pilgrims who came to view saints' relics. For the sake of fire resistance, masonry vaulting began to replace timber construction.
Why did Romanesque change to Gothic?
It was principally the development of the pointed arch which brought about the change that separates Gothic from Romanesque. This technological change broke the tradition of massive masonry and solid walls penetrated by small openings, replacing it with a style where light appears to triumph over substance.