Britton, John: The architectural antiquities of Great Britain: represented and illustrated in a series of views, elevations, plans, sections, and details, of ancient English edifices ; with historical and descriptive accounts of each (Band 5) (1835)

MR. CRESY ON THE BAPTISTERY AT PISA. 39

decT^ tll0Se Writ6rS who attribute the origin of the Pointed style to the gradual
Ital 1116 °^ ^6 ^*rec*an orders, some have ascribed the invention to the architects of
Ant' middle a»es' Mr- Smirlce> in 1805> communicated to the Society of

lfiuaries a drawing of a window in the Cathedral of Messina, in Sicilv •
another of • • .

vvind compartments of the Baptistery at Pisa; and a third of some of the

cit WS °^ ^6 Cloister of the Campo-Santo, adjoining the cathedral in the same
" GothngmVingS fl°m Whi°b' t0gether

with an account of some remains of
Ic Architecture in Italy," were published in the fifteenth volume of the
o ogia. « Baptistery of Pisa," says Mr. Smirke, " was built from the
^ & s of Dioti Salvi, in the year 1152. It is satisfactorily ascertained not to
build"^6611 a'terec* fr°m tne or'gmal design." Dr. Milner observes that this
With °0ns'sts " °f what we should call Roman and Saxon work, intermixed
the ^r°Cke*ed pediments and pinnacles, such as were not in use amongst us till
lrteenth century."34 Sir Henry Englefield expresses doubts as to the an-

Sl ity of some of the ornaments ; and adduces four reasons to show that they
Were si//

^sequent additions to the original structure,
that S" Unn' n0t sa,:'sne(^ on this point, wrote to a friend at Pisa ; who replied,
Hons] gni°r Antonio Toscanelli, an eminent architect, and other persons, " unani-
" th ^ ^ ^^Sa'howed all posterior introduction;" lie further states that they found
i • 01 '"inal plans and sketches of the baptistery, and the Campo-Santo. in the

OneS°f PiS'd'"

tion r.^8 Statement °f Mr. Gunn and Signior Toscanelli, the following observa-
h's fe]jaVe been made by Mr. Edward Cresy, architect, who, in conjunction with
on]y ^°w"traveller, Mr. Taylor, examined this building minutely and critically
drawin >• °T years back. These gentlemen also made elaborate measured
and I h S °^ Phins, sections, views, &c. of the baptistery, the Campo-Santo, &c. ;
will give^th^16^ ^e *nc'uce^ to Polish them. On such a controverted point I

t< jn 6 Words of my intelligent and valued friend Mr. Cresy.
archit ^ ^Uartei'ly Review for June, 1822, are some observations upon the
engao-6^tUre °^ ^e ""ddle ages, which are calculated to mislead those who have
Particul "* study °f this interesting subject. That portion of the remarks is
•rchite a^U(^ed to, in which Mr. Gunn, by the assistance of the learned
eCt' ^0ScaQelli, has ascertained, beyond a doubt, that the Baptistery at Pisa

" Treatise on Ecclesiastical Architecture," p. 69.