In the capital of the country is St. Peter’s, the most magnificent
building of fully developed Renaissance. Beamanti, a Florentine, was
the architect, to whom the task of designing a cathedral to surpass any
thing existing in Europe, was committed by Pope Julius II. The project
had been entertained, and architects worked at it fifty years before; but
nothing satisfactory was done. A new design was now made, and the first
stone laid by the pope in 1506. Beamanti died in seven years, and six
architects, in succession, of whom Raphael was one, proceeded with the
work, without advancing it rapidly, for nearly half a century, during
which the design was again and again modified.
In 1646 Michael Angelo was appointed architect, and the last eighteen
years of his life were spent in carrying on the great work. He completed
the magnificent dome in all its essential parts, and left the church in
plan a Greek cross, _i. e._, one in which all the four arms are equal,
and the dome at the crossing. The boast is attributed to him that he
would “Take the dome of the Pantheon and hang it in the air.” And this
he virtually accomplished in the dome of St. Peter’s; a work of the
greatest beauty of design and boldness of construction. Unfortunately for
the symmetry of the structure, the nave was subsequently lengthened, the
existing portico built, and Bernini added the vast fore-court, lined by
colonnades, which now forms the approach, and sadly obstructs the view.
The exterior, seen from the front, is disappointing. The façade is so
lofty, and advances so far in front as to quite hide the lower part of
the dome.
To have an idea of the building, as Michael Angelo designed it, it is
necessary to go round to the back; and there, with the height and contour
of the dome fully seen, all its lines of living force carrying the eye
with them up to the elegant stone lantern that crowns the summit, some
conception of the hugeness and symmetry of this mountain of art seems
to dawn on the mind. But, from the best point of view, it is with the
utmost difficulty one can apply any scale of measurement to what, by its
vastness and perfection, is bewildering. The interior is most impressive.
The arrangements are simple. Passing the vast vestibule, there is the
nave of four bays, with two side aisles, and an immense central space,
over which hangs the great dome. There are transepts and a choir, each
with one bay, and an apse; and there are two side chapels.
Since this largest church in the world is divided into so few parts, all
of these must be of colossal dimensions. The piers are wonderful masses
of masonry, while the spaces spanned by the lofty arches and vaults are
prodigious. There is no sense of mystery felt about the interior. The eye
at once grasps it as a whole, but hours must be spent before an adequate
idea of its gigantic size is at all possible. The beauty of coloring
adds wonderfully to the effect. The interior of the dome especially,
and the drum on which it rests, are decorated in color throughout, in
excellent taste. The designs are simple, the light to show them is ample;
and though so rich, there is no impression of excessive decoration. The
connection between the dome and the rest of the building seems admirable;
and the spectator standing under its soaring vault has an impression of
vastness made by no other work of art.
In England the new order was introduced with a longer transition period.
For a generation or more the style was mixed. In many instances the main
lines are Gothic, while the details are partly Gothic and partly modified
Renaissance. This is true of such buildings as Knowle, Penshurst,
Hardwick, Hatfield, and many others.
England has churches that take rank among the best in Europe, especially
St. Paul’s, London, which has a world-wide celebrity as second only to
St. Peter’s. It falls short of its great rival in size and internal
effect; being almost wholly devoid of the artistic decoration, in which
St. Peter’s is so rich. But the exterior is far finer, and the building
is consistent with itself throughout. The plan of St. Paul’s is a Latin
cross, with well marked transepts, a large portico, and two towers at
the west entrance. An apse of small size forms the end of the eastern
arm, and of each of the transepts; a great dome covers the crossing.
The cathedral has a crypt raising the main floor considerably, and its
side walls are carried high above the aisle roofs, so as to hide the
clere-story windows from sight. A great dome, planted on eight piers,
covers the crossing. The skill with which the dome is made the central
feature of a pyramidal composition, whatever be the point of view; the
great beauty of the circular colonnade immediately below the dome; the
elegant outline of the western towers, and the unusual but successful
distribution of the great porticos, are among the most noteworthy
elements which give a charm to this very successful exterior. But no
verbal description can adequately present its excellence; nor will the
reader be fully satisfied with the meager account here given.
[B] In the present article on Gothic architecture the outline of the
excellent text-book by T. Roger Smith has been followed, but the extracts
have been abridged to the utmost limit that is consistent with clearness
in the presentation.