DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.29898#0557
Bk. II. Ch. II.
BASILICAS.
521
The third five-aisled basilica, that of St. John Lateran, differs in
no essential respect from those just clescribed except in dimensions ;
it covers about 60,000 ft., and consequently is inferior in this respect
to the other two. It has' been so completely altered in modern times
that its primitive arrangements can now hardly be discerned, nor
can their effect be judged of, even assuming that they were peculiar to
it, which, however, is by no means certain.
Like the other two, it appears to have been originally erected by
Constantine, who seems especialiy to have affected this five-aisled form.
The churches which he erected at Jerusalem and Bethlehem both have
this number of aisles. From the similarity which exists in the design
of ali these churches we might easily restore
this building, if it were worth while. Its
dimensions can easily be traced, but beyond
this nothing remains of the original erection.
Of those with three aisles by far the
finest ancl most beautiful is that of S. Maria
Maggiore, which, notwithstanding the compara-
tive smallness of its dimensions, is now perhaps
the best specimen of its class remaining. In-
ternally its dimensions are 100 ft. in wiclth by
250 to the front of the apse; the whole area
being about 32,000 ft. : so that it is little
more than half the size of the Lateran church,
and between one-third and one-fourth of that
of the other two five-aisled churches.
Notwithstanding this, there is great beauty
in its internal colonnade, all the pillars of
which are of one design, and bear a most
pleasing proportion to the superstructure. The
clerestory too is ornamented with pilasters ancl
panels, making it a part of the general design;
and with the roof, which is panelled with con-
structive propriety and simplicity combined
with sufficient richness, serves to make up a whole which gives a far
better and more complete idea of what a basilica either was originally,
or at least might have been, than any other church at Rome. It is
true that both the pilasters of the clerestory and the roof are moclern,
and in modern tirnes the colonnade has been broken through in two
places ; but these defects must be overlooked in judging of the whole.
Another defect is that the side-aisles have been vaulted in modern
times, and in such a manner as to destroy the harmony that should
exist between the different parts of the building. In striving to avoid
the defect of making the superstructure too high in proportion to the
columns, the architect has made the central roof too low either for the
I. Plan of S. Maria Maggiore.
Scale 100 ft. to 1 in.
BASILICAS.
521
The third five-aisled basilica, that of St. John Lateran, differs in
no essential respect from those just clescribed except in dimensions ;
it covers about 60,000 ft., and consequently is inferior in this respect
to the other two. It has' been so completely altered in modern times
that its primitive arrangements can now hardly be discerned, nor
can their effect be judged of, even assuming that they were peculiar to
it, which, however, is by no means certain.
Like the other two, it appears to have been originally erected by
Constantine, who seems especialiy to have affected this five-aisled form.
The churches which he erected at Jerusalem and Bethlehem both have
this number of aisles. From the similarity which exists in the design
of ali these churches we might easily restore
this building, if it were worth while. Its
dimensions can easily be traced, but beyond
this nothing remains of the original erection.
Of those with three aisles by far the
finest ancl most beautiful is that of S. Maria
Maggiore, which, notwithstanding the compara-
tive smallness of its dimensions, is now perhaps
the best specimen of its class remaining. In-
ternally its dimensions are 100 ft. in wiclth by
250 to the front of the apse; the whole area
being about 32,000 ft. : so that it is little
more than half the size of the Lateran church,
and between one-third and one-fourth of that
of the other two five-aisled churches.
Notwithstanding this, there is great beauty
in its internal colonnade, all the pillars of
which are of one design, and bear a most
pleasing proportion to the superstructure. The
clerestory too is ornamented with pilasters ancl
panels, making it a part of the general design;
and with the roof, which is panelled with con-
structive propriety and simplicity combined
with sufficient richness, serves to make up a whole which gives a far
better and more complete idea of what a basilica either was originally,
or at least might have been, than any other church at Rome. It is
true that both the pilasters of the clerestory and the roof are moclern,
and in modern tirnes the colonnade has been broken through in two
places ; but these defects must be overlooked in judging of the whole.
Another defect is that the side-aisles have been vaulted in modern
times, and in such a manner as to destroy the harmony that should
exist between the different parts of the building. In striving to avoid
the defect of making the superstructure too high in proportion to the
columns, the architect has made the central roof too low either for the
I. Plan of S. Maria Maggiore.
Scale 100 ft. to 1 in.