File:Medieval architecture, its origins and development, with lists of monuments and bibliographies (1912) (14597408349).jpg

Identifier: medievalarchitec01port (find matches)
Title: Medieval architecture, its origins and development, with lists of monuments and bibliographies
Year: 1912 (1910s)
Authors: Porter, Arthur Kingsley, 1883-1933
Subjects: Architecture, Medieval Architecture, Medieval Architecture
Publisher: New Haven, Yale University Press
Contributing Library: University of Connecticut Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Connecticut Libraries

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tinued theorders to the ground. The exact time at which these various improvements weremade it is impossible to state with precision. According to Comm.Rivoira, who speaks very convincingly, the rib vault was intro-duced in the aisles of the non-basilican church of S. Flavianoat Montefiascone in Umbria — a building erected in the year1032, as is known from an inscription still extant. If these vaultsare really a part of the original construction, they must certainlybe considered the earliest rib vaults known, although it is a littlesurprising to find them so far to the south, in a district belong-ing rather to the Tuscan than the Lombard school, and onenoted throughout the Romanesque period for its lack of struc-tural progress. At all events, we may assume that about this time rib-vaulted aisles came into use, and that there ensued twentyor thirty years of hesitation and experiment before any attempt I have not had the opportunity of examining this important monument on the spot.202
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Ii.i,. in:!. —Iluii i.f S. Mi.li.-lc, Iavia. il-n.iii Dartein) HISTORICAL CONDITIONS was made to vault the main body of the church. A large vaultis not easy to build, especially for unskilled workmen, and inall the Romanesque schools we find the same period of timidityand hesitation before the vault was finally thrown across thenave. The single-aisled church of S. Nazzaro Maggiore, Milan,which seems to have been rebuilt immediately after a fire in 1073,was undoubtedly planned from the foundations for a rib vault.It may, therefore, be held as established that rib-vaulted naveswere in use by 1075. The famous nave of S. Ambrogio, Milan,probably dates from about this time. That this was one of theearlier vaulted naves to be erected is shown by the fact thatthe builders had not yet acquired sufficient skill to dare to raisetheir vault on a clearstory. This feature is consequently omittedand the main vault is buttressed by the vaults of the triforiumgalleries (111. 92, 106, 119). At this

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