File:Architecture in Italy, from the sixth to the eleventh century; historical and critical researches (1896) (14593900739).jpg

Identifier: architectureinit00catt (find matches)
Title: Architecture in Italy, from the sixth to the eleventh century; historical and critical researches
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Cattaneo, Raffaele, 1861-1889
Subjects: Architecture Architecture
Publisher: London : Unwin
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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d crosses, amongpalms and bunches of grapes. On the other is a trunk fromwhich issues a series of spirals symmetrically distributed, and,like certain ones of S. Maria-in-Trastevere, they are a grossimitation of those of S. Maria-in-Valle, of Cividale, or of theciborium of Bologna. Among the spirals there are birdschiselled in the most primitive fashion. On the terrace above the atrium of the basilica of S. MariaMaggiore, among the fine mosaics that adorn the old facade,are two little round quadrilobed windows whose lights arecut out of slabs of marble covered with ornaments in theItalian-Byzantine style. Fleury, who has noticed them, tookthem for parapets ; but I, after a careful examination, recog-nised in them four archivolts of a ciborium, adorned with braids,cords, lilies, spindles, and curled caulicules. At S. Agnes-beyond-the-Walls, along the great staircase,fragments of the coarsest Italian-Byzantine style are also to beseen. The most considerable presents an arcade of braiding
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the-Walls, Eoine— End of theVllltli Century. T90 supported by coarse pillars, in the upper part ofwhich is a curved cross, and, in the lower part,a rude rosette inscribed in a circle formed ofseveral ribbons knotted at equal distances.Vine-leaves and grapes fill up the gaps. From this epoch until the eleventh centurythe Roman Forum must have been encircledby a thick ring of churches in the formationof which the old temples and the spacious p^^ gg.—Paiapet ofbasilicas were very serviceable. It is certain s. Agnes-beyondthat the extensive excavations effected in ourtimes in the very heart of the grandest empirethat ever existed, have brought to light aconsiderable num-ber of Italian-By-zantine sculptures,which, withoutdoubt, once formedpart of neigh-bouring churches.F ragme nts ofparapets, pilasters,capitals, abaci,crosses, &c., nowrest alongside ofthe marvelloussplendours of an-cient pagan Art todemonstrate by astrong and singularcontrast the mostprofound decadenceof Christian

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