DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.29899#0055
Bk. II. Ch. IX.
HOLY SEPULCHRE.
35
founcl at Little Maplestead (Woodcut dSPo. 847), Zara (Woodcut
ISTo. 486), in the churches of the Temple in London, of St. Sepulchre
at Cambridge, and elsewhere. In all these instances it consists of a
circular nave leading to a rectangular choir terminated by an apse.
Though primarily sepulchral in its origin, it is used in all these
places without any reference to its original destination, and had
become a recognised form of Christian church for the ordinary purposes
of worship.
Though containing so many objects of interest, the church itself is
not large, measuring 245 ft. long internally, exclusive of the crypt and
chapel of the cross, which
being at a much lower level
must have formed a crypt
utider the nave and aisles of
the basilica.
So far as can be judged
from the information which
remains to us, the style
(before the fire of 1808, after
which the Rotunda was
entirely rebuilt) was tolerably
homogeneous throughout.
The transept, now converted
into a choir, and the apse,
which, though commenced in
1103, were not completed
before 1169, show progress in
style. All the constructive
arches in this part of the
building are pointed—but
the decorative portions still
retain the circular form.
Owing to its situation,
and its being so much encumbered by other buildings, the only part
of the exterior which makes any pretension to architectural magni-
ficence is the Southern double portal, erected apparently between
the years 1140 and 1160. This is a rich and elegant example of
the style of ornamentation prevalent in Sicily and Southern Italy
in the 12th century, but among its most elaborate decoration, are
two rich cornices of classical date, built in unsymmetrically as string-
courses, amongst details belonging to the time of the Crusades.
From their style these cornices undoubtedly belong to the age of
Constantine, and are probably fragments of some ancient buildings.
At an earlièr age such fragments would probably have been more
extensively used up ; but in the 12th century the archilects had
HOLY SEPULCHRE.
35
founcl at Little Maplestead (Woodcut dSPo. 847), Zara (Woodcut
ISTo. 486), in the churches of the Temple in London, of St. Sepulchre
at Cambridge, and elsewhere. In all these instances it consists of a
circular nave leading to a rectangular choir terminated by an apse.
Though primarily sepulchral in its origin, it is used in all these
places without any reference to its original destination, and had
become a recognised form of Christian church for the ordinary purposes
of worship.
Though containing so many objects of interest, the church itself is
not large, measuring 245 ft. long internally, exclusive of the crypt and
chapel of the cross, which
being at a much lower level
must have formed a crypt
utider the nave and aisles of
the basilica.
So far as can be judged
from the information which
remains to us, the style
(before the fire of 1808, after
which the Rotunda was
entirely rebuilt) was tolerably
homogeneous throughout.
The transept, now converted
into a choir, and the apse,
which, though commenced in
1103, were not completed
before 1169, show progress in
style. All the constructive
arches in this part of the
building are pointed—but
the decorative portions still
retain the circular form.
Owing to its situation,
and its being so much encumbered by other buildings, the only part
of the exterior which makes any pretension to architectural magni-
ficence is the Southern double portal, erected apparently between
the years 1140 and 1160. This is a rich and elegant example of
the style of ornamentation prevalent in Sicily and Southern Italy
in the 12th century, but among its most elaborate decoration, are
two rich cornices of classical date, built in unsymmetrically as string-
courses, amongst details belonging to the time of the Crusades.
From their style these cornices undoubtedly belong to the age of
Constantine, and are probably fragments of some ancient buildings.
At an earlièr age such fragments would probably have been more
extensively used up ; but in the 12th century the archilects had