DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.29899#0528
508
POKTUGUESE ARCHITECTURE.
Part II.
been so had it been completed, is the tomb-honse which Emanuel the
Fortunate commenced for himself at the east end of the church.
Similar chapels at Burgos and Murcia have already been noticed, but
this was to have surpassed them all, and if completed would have been
the most gorgeous mausoleum erected during the Middle Ages.
It is curious to observe how the tradition of the circular tomb-
house behind the altar remained constant in remote provinces to the
latest age. The plan of this
church is virtually that of
St. Martin at Tours, of St.
Benigne at Dijon (Woodcuts
ISTos. 575, 577), and of other
churches in Aquitania. Tt
is easy to see how by
removing the intermediate
walls this basilica would
become a chevet church,
complete except for the
clifference in the span of the
two parts. Had the mauso-
leum been finished, the wall
separating it from the church
would not improbably have
been removed.
The plan of this tomb-
house is interesting as being
that of the largest Gothic
dome attempted, and as
showing how happily the
Gothic forms adapt them-
selves to this purpose, and
how easily any amount of
abutment may be obtained
in this style with the utmost
degree of lightness and the
most admirable play of per-
968. Plan of the Obureh at Batolh^ (From Murphy.) gpective . indeed n0 construC-
tive difficulties intervene to
prevent this dome having been twice its present diameter (65 ft.) ; in
which case it woukl have far surpassed Sta. Maria del Fiore and all
the pseudo-classical erections that have since disfigured the fair face
of Europe.
Generally speaking, neither the proportions nor the details of this
church are good ; it was erected in a country where the principles of
Gothic art were either misapprehended or unknown, and where a
POKTUGUESE ARCHITECTURE.
Part II.
been so had it been completed, is the tomb-honse which Emanuel the
Fortunate commenced for himself at the east end of the church.
Similar chapels at Burgos and Murcia have already been noticed, but
this was to have surpassed them all, and if completed would have been
the most gorgeous mausoleum erected during the Middle Ages.
It is curious to observe how the tradition of the circular tomb-
house behind the altar remained constant in remote provinces to the
latest age. The plan of this
church is virtually that of
St. Martin at Tours, of St.
Benigne at Dijon (Woodcuts
ISTos. 575, 577), and of other
churches in Aquitania. Tt
is easy to see how by
removing the intermediate
walls this basilica would
become a chevet church,
complete except for the
clifference in the span of the
two parts. Had the mauso-
leum been finished, the wall
separating it from the church
would not improbably have
been removed.
The plan of this tomb-
house is interesting as being
that of the largest Gothic
dome attempted, and as
showing how happily the
Gothic forms adapt them-
selves to this purpose, and
how easily any amount of
abutment may be obtained
in this style with the utmost
degree of lightness and the
most admirable play of per-
968. Plan of the Obureh at Batolh^ (From Murphy.) gpective . indeed n0 construC-
tive difficulties intervene to
prevent this dome having been twice its present diameter (65 ft.) ; in
which case it woukl have far surpassed Sta. Maria del Fiore and all
the pseudo-classical erections that have since disfigured the fair face
of Europe.
Generally speaking, neither the proportions nor the details of this
church are good ; it was erected in a country where the principles of
Gothic art were either misapprehended or unknown, and where a