Conspicuous examples of Italian Romanesque are the cathedral of Pisa, A.D. 1067-1118, with the Leaning Tower and the Baptistry ; S. Miniato at Florence; Genoa, 989-1199 and 1260; Pistoja, 1166- enlarged in the 13th century; and Monreale in Sicily. The Italian Gothic is exemplified very nobly by Milan Ca thedral, 1385-1418, and the cathedral of Flor ence, 1294-1462 (though here we must note that the octagonal dome, 138% feet in diam eter, was added by Brunelleschi and belongs to the Renaissance period). Other fine Gothic Italian cathedrals are Siena, 1243; Arazzo, 1278; Orvieto, 1290; Lucca, 1350; and Bo logna, 1390. Saint Mark's, Venice, 1063-1350, that wonder of Byzantine architecture is in the form of a Greek cross, of equal arms. The delicate sculpture in every part and "inex pressible color' Ruskin regarded as the char acteristics upon which, as he expressed it, ethe effects of Saint Mark's depend?' French Cathedrals and The two most famous French cathedral churches are here briefly described.
Pope Alexander III, being at the time a refu gee in France, laid the first stone of Notre Dame, Paris, in 1163. The northern transept and por tal were built in 1312 by Philip le Bel. Porte Rouge, on the north side, was erected in 1407 by the Duke of Burgundy, assassin of the Duke of Orleans, as expiation of his crime. But not until about 1714 was the choir completed as it now stands. The building is in the form of a Latin cross, with an octagonal east end. Two towers of equal height (204 feet) embellish the western facade. The spires have never been constructed. The length of the building is about 390 feet; its width at transepts 144 feet. It was the scene of the coronation of Napoleon on 2 Dec. 1804, and the wedding of the youthful Francis II and Mary,Queen of Scots. The capacity of the building is about 22,000 persons.
Reims (or Rheims) Cathedral was pro claimed long ago, by Charles VIII in 1484, The Noble Church among all those of the king dom?' The learned M. Demaison (see Bibli ography) writes: "Among all our Gothic churches I should not dare tq say that Reims ought to hold first place. It would be very puerile to desire to open thus a kind of argu ment and try to answer a question in respect to which every one has his preferences and personal tastes. But it is none the less true that in certain details the superiority of the cathedral at Reims can he asserted in a manner almost beyond dispute. Its lateral façades especially are of incomparable beauty.* With infinite regret we must change the tenses of this distinguished writer's verbs from present to past. The barbarous in vaders in the European War have utterly de molished the noble fame. The building had the form of the Latin cross and was 453 feet long. It contained a collection of 5,000 stat
ues. In it the French kings were crowned down to the time of Charles X. First of that brilliant succession, Philip Augustus, in 1179, was crowned in the old cathedral which was destroyed by fire, 6 May 1210. On 6 May 1211, the first stone was laid for the new edifice. For two centuries and more the builders toiled to produce a great church which should express the beliefs of their day in nobly as pinng lines and sculptural adornment of rare charm. And after the fire of 24 July 1481, the work of reconstruction and the works for the completion of the edifice went forward. The facade with its twin towers (263 feet), its rose-window, 120 feet in circumference, and the doorways with 530 statues, was of ma jestic beauty.
The principal Gothic cathedrals of France, besides Notre Dame of Paris and Notre Dame of Reims, are Leon, A.D. 1113-1200; Chartres, 1194-1260; Amiens, 1220-28; Rouen, 1202 20; Coutances, 1254-74; Beauvais, with the most lofty choir in Europe, rebuilt 1337 47 ; Bourges, 1190; Bayeux, with its 22 chapels. In addition there are (or were until the coming of the Germans), Chalons sur-Marne, 1248; Soissons, 1175-1312 (demol ished by the Germans) ; Meaux, 1170; Orleans, 13th century, reconstructed by Henry IV ; Rennes, 1180-1389; Saint Brienne, finished 1248; Tours, 1170-1550; Angers, 12th century; Laval, 12th to 16th century; Le Mans" 11th to 13th century; Le Nantes, 1434-1840; Clemont-Perraud, 1248; e Puy, 12th century; Verdun, 13th, 14th and 15th centuries; Saint Die, 13th, 14th and 18th centuries; Belley, 1413; Saint Fleur, 1396 1466; Limoges, 1273-1510; Tulle, 12th century; Sens, 1124-68; Moulins, 1465-1885; Nevers, 11th century (Romanesque); Troyes, 1208 1640; Lyons, 1107-1480; Autun, 1060-1178; Dijon, 1280i Grenoble, 11th, 12th, 16th cen turies (Gothic and Romanesque); Saint Claude, 1340-1726; and Besancon, 11th and 15th cen turies. Southern France boasts of Bordeaux, 13th and 14th centuries (Gothic); Agen, 12th and 16th centuries; Lucon, 13th and 17th cen turies (various styles); Angouleme, 12th cen tury (Romano-Byzantine) ; Perigueux, 1047 (Byzantine and Aquitaine) ; Poitiers, 1162 1379; Auch, 15th and 17th centuries; Bayonne, 1213; Tarbes, 12th and 14th centuries; Tou louse, 15th and 16th centuries; Carcassonne, 13th century; Albi, 1272-1512, one of the most original buildings in Europe; Cahors, Romano Byzantine' Perpignan, begun in 1324; Rodez, 1277 and 15th century; Avignon, 11th century; Nimes, 11th century; Valence, 1095; Viviers, 14th and 15th centuries; Aix, 13th and 15th centuries; Frejus, llth-13th century; and the modern La Major, Marseilles, 1852-93.