File:A history of architecture in Italy from the time of Constantine to the dawn of the renaissance (1901) (14784443855).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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ri, and in the three eastern apses at Trani. A remarkableinstance of this form of window employed, not in the apse, but inthe west front, is seen in the cathedral of Sessa, where, thethree doorways of the fagade being covered by the greatporch, the decoration usually given to the central doorway is trans- 1 The elephant appears also in the apse of Trani, in the cloisters of Benevento, andin the facade of Altamura, high up in the wall, carrying a short shaft which bears whatseems a sheep. THE SOUTHERN ROMANESQUE 61 ferred to a broadarched window di-rectly above it, inwhich the arch issurrounded by adecorated archivolt,and flanked by slen-der columns restingon crouching beastsof great size, andsupporting otherbeasts, from whichspring the cornicesof the gable whichsurmounts the arch.A very remarka-ble piece of decora-tion is seen in thischurch, in the cen-tral arch of the greatwestern porch. Thearch is enclosed be-tween two pairs ofsuperposed columns,of which the lowercolumns rest on the
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Fig. 278. Bari. Apse Window in Cathedral. capitals of the great piers of the arcade, and carry on their capitalsgrotesque beasts, upon which rest the smaller upper columns, whichalso are surmounted by beasts. The arch-head is enclosed withina broad smooth band of marble, quite without decoration, outside ofwhich is a sculptured archivolt which springs from two corbels bear-ing groups of figures on their faces. The archivolt is divided bysmall pilasters into compartments which make the voussoirs of thearch, and which are filled with groups of delicate figure sculptureillustrating scenes in the life of St. Peter. The sculptural decoration of windows is, however, by no meansconfined to the most important windows. Those of smaller size andin less prominent positions are frequently decorated with much rich-ness and with a peculiar disposition of the ornament. In the cathe-dral of Barletta, the single windows of the aisles consist of a narrowand high round-arched opening, surrounded by a cu

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