File:A history of architecture in Italy from the time of Constantine to the dawn of the renaissance (1901) (14597922947).jpg

Identifier: historyofarchit02cumm (find matches)
Title: A history of architecture in Italy from the time of Constantine to the dawn of the renaissance
Year: 1901 (1900s)
Authors: Cummings, Charles Amos, 1833-1905
Subjects: Architecture
Publisher: Boston, New York, Houghton Mifflin and company
Contributing Library: PIMS - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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UE 45 the eleventh century it shared the common fate of the monasteries,and was sacked and burned by the invading Saracens, but wasrestored later in the same century. The church is remarkable chieflyfor its noble porch, a feature which I have mentioned in a previouschapter as of rare occurrence in the North of Italy, but of which sev-eral conspicuous examples still remain in the South. Of these noneis finer than the porch of San Clemente. (Fig. 267.) It consistsof three grand arches covering the whole breadth of the church andsomething more ; the central arch round, the others slightly pointed,supported on strong piers with jamb-shafts with Byzantine capitals;the archivolts in two orders, and covered, especially those of themiddle arch, with carving of moderate richness, but with little ornothing of the Byzantine character. The pier faces carry each anengaged column resting on the back of a grotesque beast, with capi-tals at the spring of the arches, and continued above to a light and
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Fig. 267. Casauria. Porch of S. Clemente. elegant string, which is carried across the front, and still farther tothe horizontal arched and decorated corbel-table which makes thecornice of the uncompleted faQade. The upper shafts spring fromthe back of monsters which rest on pedestals supported on the capi-tals of those below. This vertical division of the fagade by engagedshafts is unusual, and with the horizontal treatment of so much as iscomplete promised a composition of great interest. The three broadarches give entrance to a noble narthex in three square groined bays, 46 ARCHITECTURE IN ITALY from which three doorways open to the nave and aisles. Of thesethe central doorway is a most interesting example of Norman Byzan-tine sculpture. Two piers at the sides carry each two crowned fig-ures of kings in niches. Within these three orders of columns withlively sculpture carry three orders of archivolts, slightly horseshoein form. The tympanum is filled with reliefs in two ranges.^ The

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