medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Without wishing in any way to demur from chris' observation, I would
also note that Italy, at least, often exhibits a more casual attitude
than one would see, say, in northern France towards the maintenance of
clean, uncluttered lines on the exteriors of its urban churches (as
opposed to the clutter of much smaller buildings built up against them
and usually now removed). Here are a couple of examples from churches
of the "gothic" persuasion:
San Domenico Maggiore, Naples, rear views:
http://www.napoletanita.it/foto/napoli49.jpg
http://www.interviu.it/cards/maggio1/na75.jpg
http://www.spaghettitaliani.com/Articoli4/PresepiNA04/DSC08617.JPG
Cathedral of San Nicola, Sassari, side views:
http://www.marroccu.it/provacarto7.htm
http://www.italiantourism.com/images/prew_2100000102778.jpg
(the lower floors of belltower are a holdover from a "romanesque"
predecessor)
same, aerial view (showing Spanish Colonial facade):
http://www.macomer.net/italia-cuba/sass1.jpg
Whereas from other perspectives, and especially upon entering through
what had been designed as their main entrance, these buildings have a
rather more typical appearance.
San Domenico Maggiore, Naples:
http://www.cecchelin.com/comuni/na_02.htm
http://www.theisohn.de/naples_200502/photos/photo_18.html
San Nicola, Sassari:
http://www.diocesi.sassari.it/internoduomo.html
This is a phenomenon clearly related to the usually plain exteriors of
Italian churches, even "gothic" ones. The clear lines are within,
whereas what's outside can over time be built upon or up against almost
_ad libitum_. It's the interiors that matter most.
Best again,
John Dillon
On Tuesday, December 20, 2005, at 11:59 am, chris crockett wrote:
> the building in question appears to be something of a Poster Child
> for an
> argument for the severe limitations --if not outright
> counterproductiveness--
> of many of our modren Constructs about middlevil architecture.
>
> the "Romanesque/Gothic" paradigm kinda works, sorta fairly well
> for a very,
> very small area of Northern France --where the new style
> originated (arguably
> as a regional "romanesque" style) in the second quarter of the
> 12th c.-- but
> increases in uselessness the farther one gets into the more
> marginal areas on
> the fringe of Civilisation, eg., England or Italy.
>
> c
>
> ------ Original Message ------
> Received: Mon, 19 Dec 2005 05:33:54 PM EST
> From: John Dillon <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [M-R] saints of the day 19. December
>
> > medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion
> and culture
> >
> > On Monday, December 19, 2005,at 3:43 pm, chris crockett wrote:
> >
> > > From: John Dillon <[log in to unmask]>
> > >
> > > > B.'s church is in two main parts, one from the twelfth
> century
> > > and the
> > > other, attached to the former at a slight angle, from the
> > > thirteenth.
> > >
> > > > And a plan of the interior (with illustrations that open
> when one
> > > clicks on the numbers) is here:
> > > > http://www.viedellidentita.it/risorsa1-interno.html
> > >
> > >
> > > what a bizarre plan, was my first thought, influenced by your
> > > analysis of it.
> > >
> > > clicking on "4" on the plan, however, makes it clear that this
> > > curiously large
> > > "transept" is "LA CAPPELLA DI SAN BERARDO", is a kind of
> > > appendage which
> > > grew like Topsy into the Baroque period.
> > >
> > > the 13th c. facade and portals are not all that unusual a
> feature,
> > > in a
> > > transeptless building.
> >
> > The bizarreness lies in the fact that the two structures (whose
> floors
> > are at noticeably different heights) are backed on to one
> another, with
> > the resulting two facades; also, that this has taken place at an
> odd
> > angle (for which latter there are several competing
> explanations). An
> > exterior view showing the join is here:
> > http://www.concapeligna.it/Comuni/TERAMO/image/davedere45.jpg
> >
> > Churches with transepts of course lend themselves more readily
> to the
> > creation of a second facade. So, e.g., Foligno's cathedral of
> San
> > Feliciano (discussed at "saints of the day", 24. January last),
> to say
> > nothing of churches with monumental facades on each transept
> (e.g.,
> > Chartres' cathedral of Notre Dame). Side doors in the nave can
> be
> > expanded and gussied up as well, as on the south flank of the
> cathedral
> > at Palermo:
> > http://tinyurl.com/69pt4
> >
> > Best again,
> > John
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