After centuries of wars, regime changes and revolutions, 18th century Europe was re-establishing national borders and seeking national pride in every country. One way European nations built this pride was through the pursuit of national architectural styles. At the beginning of the 19th century, two attitudes arose regarding the search for a national historical style: pluralism and revivalism. Those who have a pluralist view believe that it is appropriate to build contemporary cities using different styles depending on the purpose of the building, for example a Gothic style church and a classical style bank building. Revivalists, on the other hand, believed that a nation should choose a shared style that was inspired by that particular nation's history. This led to disagreements in many European nations over which style would best fit their national history and spark pride among its citizens. Two distinct styles arose during this era, the light and highly decorated Gothic Revival and the simpler and more solid Romanesque Revival. Philosophy of Aesthetics and the Gothic Revival During this period, Enlightenment thinkers rationalized and codified everything, including architecture that related to the Greeks and the Renaissance. Romans, identified as classical revivals. At the same time, the new philosophy of aesthetics contradicted the Enlightenment and brought a different view on the arts and beauty, presented by thinkers such as Alexander Baumgarten, Edmund Burke, Immanuel Kant and William Gilpin, who sought answers about sensitivity or “responsiveness to stimulation of the senses.” Seen by many as a justification of the medieval revival and an opposition to Enlightenment theories that define the idea of ​​beauty around Vitruvius' emphasis on proportions...... middle of the document ......ition and political theories they went hand in hand with the people and as a result the Romanesque style was revived in the United States at about the same time as in Germany due to many German immigrants. (Kathleen Curran, The Romanesque Revival, USA, 2003. Pg. XXV) Its popularity was due in part to the fact that it was referential to history, while providing greater flexibility and variety than classical styles. The style was also cheaper than the more ornate Gothic Revival, largely due to the less decorated windows. The most influential architect of the nineteenth century was Henry Hobson Richardson (1838–1886), who designed public, educational, religious, private, and commercial buildings in the Romanesque style in several states of the United States. America eventually adapted the style to its own style through Richardsonian Romanesque, which had a rougher, more rustic stonework.