DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.29898#0592
556
EAELY CHRJSTIAN ARCHITECTURE.
Paet II.
even the best of our mediaeval cathedrals ; bnt when the Barbarians
began to bnild, they fonnd the square form with its straight lines
simpler and easier to construct. It thns happened that, long
before they became as civilised and expert as the Easterns were
when they commenced the task, the Westerns had worked the
rectangular form into one of considerable beanty, and had adapted
it to their ritual, and their ritnal to it. It thus became the sacred
and appropriate form, and the circular or domical forms were con-
sequently never allowed a fair trial in Western Europe.
Secular Buildings.
Yery few remains of secular buildings in the early Christian style
are now to be found in Italy. The palace of Theodoric at Ravenna,
though sadly mutilated, is perhaps the best and most perfect. In
all its details it shows a close resemblance to. that of Diocletian at
Spalato, but more especially so to the Porta Aurea and the most
___ richly and least classically decorated parts of
that edifice, but much intermixed with
mouldings and details which would seem to
belong to a later style.
Another building, though perhaps of
earlier clate, is that which is now called the
Palazzo delle Torre at Turin, and which still
retains the architectural orclinance of the
exterior of a Roman amphitheatre, but so
modified by common sense that the pilasters
are frankly accepted as purely decorative
features, having only a slight projection. A
similar style of work is found at Borcleaux
in what is known as the “ Palais Gallien,”
but which in reality is a fragment of an
amphitheatre built by the Emperor Gallienus
(260-268 a.d.). The example at Turin is
built with brick of large dimensions 15 in. by
11 in., which, coupled with its character and
style, has lecl M. Cattaneo to' ascribe it to
the 3rd or 4th century of our era; the
paucity of contemporary examples, however,
renclers it extremely difficult to trace the
exact history of the style at this age.
In so progressive an art as architecture it is always very difficult,
sometimes impossible, to fix the exact date when one style ends and
438. Palazzo delle Torre, Turin.
(From Osten’s 'Bauwerke in
der Lombtirdei.’)
EAELY CHRJSTIAN ARCHITECTURE.
Paet II.
even the best of our mediaeval cathedrals ; bnt when the Barbarians
began to bnild, they fonnd the square form with its straight lines
simpler and easier to construct. It thns happened that, long
before they became as civilised and expert as the Easterns were
when they commenced the task, the Westerns had worked the
rectangular form into one of considerable beanty, and had adapted
it to their ritual, and their ritnal to it. It thus became the sacred
and appropriate form, and the circular or domical forms were con-
sequently never allowed a fair trial in Western Europe.
Secular Buildings.
Yery few remains of secular buildings in the early Christian style
are now to be found in Italy. The palace of Theodoric at Ravenna,
though sadly mutilated, is perhaps the best and most perfect. In
all its details it shows a close resemblance to. that of Diocletian at
Spalato, but more especially so to the Porta Aurea and the most
___ richly and least classically decorated parts of
that edifice, but much intermixed with
mouldings and details which would seem to
belong to a later style.
Another building, though perhaps of
earlier clate, is that which is now called the
Palazzo delle Torre at Turin, and which still
retains the architectural orclinance of the
exterior of a Roman amphitheatre, but so
modified by common sense that the pilasters
are frankly accepted as purely decorative
features, having only a slight projection. A
similar style of work is found at Borcleaux
in what is known as the “ Palais Gallien,”
but which in reality is a fragment of an
amphitheatre built by the Emperor Gallienus
(260-268 a.d.). The example at Turin is
built with brick of large dimensions 15 in. by
11 in., which, coupled with its character and
style, has lecl M. Cattaneo to' ascribe it to
the 3rd or 4th century of our era; the
paucity of contemporary examples, however,
renclers it extremely difficult to trace the
exact history of the style at this age.
In so progressive an art as architecture it is always very difficult,
sometimes impossible, to fix the exact date when one style ends and
438. Palazzo delle Torre, Turin.
(From Osten’s 'Bauwerke in
der Lombtirdei.’)