Constantine the Great, who had encouraged the erection of houses of
Christian worship in Rome and other parts of Italy, exerted a marked
influence on architecture when he removed the seat of empire from Rome to
Byzantium, and called the new capital Constantinople. He rebuilt the city
that was almost in ruins, though not deserted. The people were largely
of the Greek race, and had Greek ideas of architecture. Hence a new
development of the church building differing somewhat from the style of
the basilicas soon showed itself.
In Byzantium buildings of most original design sprang up, founded, it
is true, on Roman originals, but by no means exact copies of them. The
most difficult problems of construction, particularly of roofs, were
successfully met and solved.
What course the art ran during the two centuries between the refounding
of Byzantium and the building of Santa Sophia, we can only infer from
its outcome. But it is certain that to attain the power of designing
and erecting so great a work as Santa Sophia, the architects of
Constantinople must have greatly modified and improved the Roman practice
of building vaults and domes.
The first church dedicated to Santa Sophia by Constantine was burnt
early in the reign of Justinian; and, in rebuilding it, his architects
succeeded in erecting one of the most famous buildings in the world,
and one which is the typical and central embodiment of a distinct and
strongly marked, well-defined style. Its distinctive feature is the
adoption of the dome in preference to the vault, or timber roof, as the
covering of the walls. In this grand edifice, one vast flattish dome
dominates the central space. This dome is circular in form and the space
over which it is placed is square, the sides of which are occupied by
four massive semi-circular arches of 100 feet span each, springing from
four vast piers, one at each corner. The triangular spaces in the corners
of the square, so enclosed, and the circle or ring resting on it, become
portions of the dome, each just sufficient to fit on one corner of the
square, and the four uniting at their upper margin, to form a ring. From
this ring springs the main dome that rises to a height of 46 feet, and is
107 feet in clear diameter. Externally this church is less interesting,
but its interior is of surpassing beauty, and is thus eloquently
described by Gilbert Scott: “Simple as is the primary ideal, the actual
effect is one of great intricacy, and of continuous gradation of parts
from the small arcades up to the stupendous dome which hangs with little
apparent support, like a vast bubble, over the centre; or, as Procopius,
who witnessed its erection, said, ‘as if suspended by a chain from
heaven.’” The type of church of which this magnificent cathedral was the
great example, has continued in eastern Christendom to the present day
with but little variation. Between Rome and Constantinople, well situated
for receiving influences from both those cities, was Ravenna,—and there
a series of buildings, all more or less Byzantine, was erected. The
most interesting of these is the church of San Vitale. It recalls Santa
Sophia, and its structure, sculpture, carving and mosaic decorations are
equally characteristic and hardly less famous.
We need only mention one other magnificent specimen of this style
of architecture, more within the reach of ordinary travelers, and
consequently better known. It can be studied easily by means of almost
numberless photographic representations—St. Marks, at Venice. It was
built between the years 977 and 1071, it is said, according to a design
obtained from Constantinople.