548 



CIVIL ARCHITECTURE. 



their ori- 



Hhtory. trrwge perpendicular pressure*, and the strength of lin- 



' Uh from ptihr to pillar, and for this their fine marble 



fofSl^i quarnVs afforded a material which removed all difficul- 



' U t*r*. They had, it i< true, the principle of arches in the 



ttcUfc. cOMtrocUoa of their timber roofs ; but this was render- 



ed an emsy tak, by introducing range* of pillars in the 



iotide of the cell*. The architect, therefore, instead of 



studying the principles of geomt-trical construction, di- 



reeled hu whole attention to that magnificence, which 



conuttrd in the magnitude and masterly execution of 



cotnutt and sculptures. 



Tbe outline* of the Greek architecture, excepting 

 the roof, were all horizontal or perpendicular ; those of 

 the Gothic were perpendicular, or tapering upward*, as 

 the pointed arch, the pinnacle, or spire ; and those were 

 generally constructed with stones of very small dimen- 

 SM*. In the spire of Salisbury, which (besides thc 

 tower) is 180 feet high, the walla are only seven inches 

 Conjecture thick. It is not improbable, that this pyramidal form 

 was brought from the East or from Egypt, or copied 

 from some Roman remairs; as there are instances, be- 

 sides the Egyptian pyramids and beautiful obelisks, of 

 the Romans finishing their mausoleums or sepulchres 

 with small pyramid. There is one of this shape near 

 Torracina, on the confines of the ecclesiastical state, on 

 thc side of the highway leading to Naples. It was dis- 

 covered by Perro Ligorio in 1 57:*. It seemed to him fully 

 * old a* the Appian way, to which it was adjoining. 

 Parallel of the Ancient Architecture itith the Modern, by 

 Rowland Freirt. 



Thee spires, one of the most striking features in 

 Gothic architecture, are, in their purest and most per- 

 fect form*, peculiar to England. The finest are those 

 which are lofty, contained within small angles, and which 

 have not their outlines broken by any ornament. In dif- 

 ferent parts of England there are many very beautiful 

 J ^ spites ; but the mott lofty are those at Salisbury, Gran- 

 Uuun, and Coventry. 



Revival if Raman Architecture. 



While, during the latter part of the 15th and begin- 

 ning of the 16th century, the ornamental Gothic was car- 

 ried to luxuriantextravagancein England, the ancient Ro- 

 man architecture began to occupy the attention of men of 

 talents in Italy. In 1016, Bu.cheto, a Greek of the island 

 of Duh'chio, constructed the cathedral of Pisa with 

 marble columns and a dome. He had many disciples, 

 and was reckoned the founder of modern architecture in 

 Europe. Early in the 15th century, Filippo Bruniles- 

 chi, a Florentine, bora in 1377, whose ardent and origi- 

 nal mind led him to study, and form his taste from the 

 remains of ancient buildings at Rome, undertook and 

 completed the cathedral of Florence with an octagonal 

 cupola of great dimensions, which a convocation of the 

 architect* of that age ( 1 '_'(), had pronounced impracti- 

 cable. (SrcPlatcCLXXlIl.) The completion of this 

 edifice, thc example of the other excellent works in 

 which he was employed, and thc perusal of the writings 

 of Vitruviu*, created a general diipotiti ;n to this style of 

 cture. This was increased by the treatise De Re 

 &<:ficatona, which was shortly after published by Leon 

 Battiita Albcrti, a learned canon of the metropolitan 

 church of Florence, born in 1 398, who alto practited archi- 

 tecture. Hi* principal performance is reckoned the new 

 work* fad embellishments of the church of St Franci* 

 These circumstances were preparatory- to 

 undertaking which fixed the epoch of the re- 

 id gave to the Christian world a temple, which, 

 a ngii*j<Jc mid variety of parts, fr eurpas-cd every 



Spirwat 



-.-.. 





Pl*T 



tLXXJII. 



Grecian and Roman work of a similar description. Under 

 Julius II. Bramante, a native of the duchy of Urbino, 

 born in 144I-, having been distinguished by his talents in 

 various architectural works at Rome, under Pope Alex- 

 ander VI. was employed first to design the great theatre 

 between the old Vatican and Belvidcre, and afterwards 

 the plan for St Peter's church ; (See Plate CLXXIV.) 

 and that magnificent structure was carried on under the 

 direction of Raphael de Urbino, the friend, some say the 

 relation, of Bramante. liuklasjc Poru/.zi, Fratir Jo- 

 hannus Jocundm, Antonio Sangallo, Michael Angclo, 

 Buonarruti, Guilio Romano, and Giacomo Baro/./.i, 

 known by the name of Vignola, from a place in the Mo- 

 denese, where he was born in 1507, the.* eminent men 

 planned and conducted many churches and palaces ; and 

 Vignola, from his elaborate publications, and fruitful yet 

 sober invention, has been not improperly styled the le- 

 gislator of architecture. 



During the pontificate of Leo X. architecture, sculp- 

 ture, and painting, were greatly encouraged. Andrea 

 Palladio, born at Vicenza 1508 ; Sebastian Serlio, who 

 flourished in Lombardy about 1530 ; and Vicenza Sca- 

 mozzi, born at Vicenza in 155<J, all cultivated the ancient 

 style with great success ; more especially Palladio, whose 

 unwearied and faithful labours in examining tike remains 

 of ancient structures, combined with the taste and skill 

 with which he transfused their style into the numerous 

 edifices for which he was architect, and his able treatise 

 published in 1570, have obtained for him the title of the 

 restorer of Roman architecture. The reputation which he 

 early acquired, afforded him numerous opportunities of 

 constructing works of various descriptions, and of great 

 magnificence. Of these, the theatre at Vicenza, and the 

 Villa Capra, or Rotunda, (see Plate CLXXVlI.)are fine 

 specimens of his genius and skill, and justify his title to 

 the appellation of the Raphael of Italian architects. 



France was not hasty in adopting the Roman manner 

 as revived in Italy. It was not till the 17th century, 

 that St Louis de la Rue St Antoine was constructed 

 from a design executed at Rome by Vignola, the front 



and cupola of the Invalids by Mansart, andSt Genevieve, 



(> \ i -I* * i 



now the pantheon,) with its magnificent portico, by 



SoufHet, are reckoned thc best specimens. The south- 

 east front of the old Louvre by Claude Perrault, con- 

 sisting of a colonnade of thc Corinthian order 400 feet in 

 length, possesses great simplicity, and produces a noble 

 effect. The gallery of the Thuilleries 1300 feet in length, 

 is uncommon and striking. The observatory is grand 

 and imposing ; and the fountain Crenelle is very beauti- 

 ful. The palace at Versailles is more remarkable for its 

 magnitude than good taste ; there is a great monotony in 

 it, and the ornaments are trifling and crowded. The Bri- 

 tish museum, built upon the model of French palaces, 

 by Monsieur Pouget, is an evidence, that the roof is 

 much too predominating a feature. See Plate CLXXXI. 



In Germany, this Roman style made no progress. 

 Even at Vienna, in the church of St Charles Borromeo, 

 the best work of John Bernard Fischers, there is little 

 merit. In the church of the imperial convent at Molck 

 in Austria, he has been more successful. See Dallaway, 

 Obterv. 



Towards the middle of the 16th century, and near the 

 close of the reign of Henry the VIII. Holbein introdu- 

 ced Roman architecture into England ; but his labours did 

 not extend beyond porticos and portal*. St James's pa- 

 lace in Westminster, opposite to Whitehall, and Wilton 

 house, contained specimen.? of his work;. 



After him, John of Padua built thc palace of thc 

 Protector Somemt cm the bank of thc river Thames, 



HUtory. 



?~~ Y ~~ / 

 Bram-Ulle> 



PI-ATI 

 CLXXIV. 



Architect* 

 of * l l '- 

 '"'* 



His works. 



CLXXVII. 



p rancei 



' 



Church 

 of the In- 'r 

 vali da by 

 Mansart. 

 St Gene, 

 vievc by 

 Seufflet. 

 Perraul 

 builds ti 

 sou tli froi 

 of the 

 Louvre. 



Versailles. 





Museum. 

 PLATE 



Fi, c ; ierfc 



