DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.29898#0583
Bk. II. Ch. III.
CIRCULAK CHURCHES.
547
As before observed (p. 540), tbe early Romanesque architects never
attempted to vault their rectangular buildings, but they clid fre-
quently construct domes over their circular edifices. But liere again
they did not make the outside of the dome the outline of their
buildings, as the Romans had always done before the time of Con-
stantine, and as the Byzantines and Saracens invariably clid afterwards ;
but they employed their vault only as a ceiling internally, and covered
it, as in this instance, with a false wooden roof externally. It may be
difficult to determine how far this was a judicious innovation ; but this
at least is certain, that it had as much influence on the development
of the Gothic style as the vaulting mania itself. In the 10th and
11th centuries many attempts were made to construct true roofs of
stone, but unsuccessfully ; and from various causes, which will be
pointed out hereafter, the idea was abandoned, and the architects were
forced to content themselves with a stone ceilimg, covered by a wooden
roof, though this became one of the radical defects of the style, and
one of the principal causes of the decay and destruction of so many
beautiful buildings.
Ravenna.
Ravenna possesses several circular buildings, almost as interesting
as those of the capital; the first being the baptistery of St. John
belonging to the original basilica, and consequently one of the oldest
Christian buildings of the place. Externally it is-a plain octagonal
building, 40 ft. in diameter. Internally it still retains its mosaic
and other interqal features added in the 5th century, which are
2 n 2
CIRCULAK CHURCHES.
547
As before observed (p. 540), tbe early Romanesque architects never
attempted to vault their rectangular buildings, but they clid fre-
quently construct domes over their circular edifices. But liere again
they did not make the outside of the dome the outline of their
buildings, as the Romans had always done before the time of Con-
stantine, and as the Byzantines and Saracens invariably clid afterwards ;
but they employed their vault only as a ceiling internally, and covered
it, as in this instance, with a false wooden roof externally. It may be
difficult to determine how far this was a judicious innovation ; but this
at least is certain, that it had as much influence on the development
of the Gothic style as the vaulting mania itself. In the 10th and
11th centuries many attempts were made to construct true roofs of
stone, but unsuccessfully ; and from various causes, which will be
pointed out hereafter, the idea was abandoned, and the architects were
forced to content themselves with a stone ceilimg, covered by a wooden
roof, though this became one of the radical defects of the style, and
one of the principal causes of the decay and destruction of so many
beautiful buildings.
Ravenna.
Ravenna possesses several circular buildings, almost as interesting
as those of the capital; the first being the baptistery of St. John
belonging to the original basilica, and consequently one of the oldest
Christian buildings of the place. Externally it is-a plain octagonal
building, 40 ft. in diameter. Internally it still retains its mosaic
and other interqal features added in the 5th century, which are
2 n 2