marbles : masses of 

 rich Corinthian col- 

 li m n s and arcades, 

 colored mosaics and 

 ornaments of antique 

 pattern, diversify its 

 wonderful facade — 

 the crowning glory of 

 the edifice — and from 

 the crossing springs a 

 huge dome that adds 

 both dignity and 

 height to its basilican 

 form. 



Within, swinging 

 pendulously among 

 the red granite col- 

 umns that support the 

 roof, is a beautiful 

 and famous old 

 bronze lamp, whose 

 fame is based upon 

 the gentle oscillations 

 that set Galileo to 

 thinking out the pen- 

 dulum. Incidentally, 

 this is not the lamp ; 

 it was an older one. 

 Not only did t h e 

 cathedral mark the 

 naval and maritime 

 achievements of Pisa, 

 but it also stood for a 

 magnificent beginning 

 of medieval Italian 

 architecture — a be- 

 ginning and a promise 

 which, unfortunately, 

 were never fulfilled. 



Photograph by Von Gloeden 

 VIRILE YOUTH AND WRINKLED AGL 



The folklore stories of the peasant patriarch stir the lively sense of 

 humor of the younger generation 



THE INDIVIDUALITY OF ITALIAN 

 GKNIUS 



How strange it seems to us today that 

 the great city-republics of Italy never 

 seem to have thought of permanent con- 

 federation, but only of conquest ! When 

 a temporary alliance was formed, as was 

 often the case, it was invariably for the 

 destruction or subjugation of some sister 

 city, and dissolved as soon as its purpose 

 was accomplished. This lack of Italian 

 unity in politics explains perfectly the 

 failure to develop a national style in 

 architecture. Such a development re- 

 quires the cooperation of a whole peo- 

 ple, working together sympathetically 

 toward a common end. as was the case 



in France during the development of the 

 Gothic. 



This never occurred in Italy, and so 

 whatever great architecture we find there 

 is the work of individual genius. But 

 however much architecture suffered from 

 the general disunity, exactly the opposite 

 occurred in painting and sculpture. These 

 are always the result of special personal 

 ability. Accordingly, the Italians, be- 

 cause of their strong individuality and 

 their political systems, which made them, 

 as individuals, able and eager to think for 

 themselves, rank as the foremost painters 

 the world has ever seen. 



About a century after the cathedral 

 was begun the baptistery was founded, a 



34i 



