Italian Gothic Architecture

The vivid Italian Romanesque, which fed on classic roots, received the French Gothic
style coldly. Since the basilica churches in early Christianity, the essence of Italian architecture
was reflected in the balance of proportions based on human scale. The vertical orientation and
skeletal structure that we found in the Gothic style in France, were strangers to Italy.
The only Gothic elements adopted by the Italian Gothic cathedral, were usually decorative
elements. Italian Gothic cathedrals generally have flat ceilings and relatively wide and low nave,
without triforium. The windows remain small, and the wall surface is large.
In the Italian Gothic cathedrals, there are certain structural elements, such as the pointed
arch, sheaves of columns, and sometimes crossed and ribbed vaults. However, the Italian
architects placed limits on the vertical symbolism.
The Gothic style that developed in Italy, is an independent style contrary to the spirit of the
French Gothic style. Byzantine style marble covered the exterior and interior walls of the
cathedrals, which were built in bricks, as seen in the cathedrals of Siena, Florence, and Orvieto.
The Cistercian monks, whose cathedrals put an emphasis on simplicity and modesty, were
the first who introduced the Gothic forms to Italy. Their influence can be seen in the small
windows and simple decoration.
The architectural character of the Gothic churches in Italy was largely inspired by the
ideologies of the new orders. In 1209, St. Francis founded the Franciscan Order in Assisi, and in
1215, St. Dominic founded the order of Dominicans in central France. These both orders
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advocated severe asceticism and absolute poverty, following the example of Jesus. In the 12
century, the Cistercians had already obeyed similar rules. From the ascetic ideal were born
rough-looking monasteries without ornament. Soon after, the simplicity of their buildings from
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the 13 century gave way to the rich architecture of Gothic cathedrals.
Giving up the pleasures of the world found a new meaning in the Franciscan and
Dominican orders. Compared to the Cistercian Order, for which the relinquishment of pleasures
of the world was interpreted as the retreat from the world, the Franciscan and Dominican
monasteries began to build monasteries and churches of their own, and settled in areas that suited
them best, in the cities, in the poor districts where they found fertile ground for their preaching.
Due to the importance of preaching for these orders, their churches were large and their
naves were broad as possible, to fit large audiences. The surface of the walls was decorated with
paintings, fresco cycles, which combined with the sermons, have been used as a visual aid for the
faithful. The vaulted choir, like in the Cistercian churches, was long and narrow, and ended with
a polygonal apse. The part designated for the faithful who were not part of the clergy, was
separated from the choir. Rarely a transept is found in these churches.
The orders that encouraged poverty were simple and with almost no ornaments. In their
churches, there were no towers, but only one small tower, a spire in the choir.
The Franciscan and Dominican orders were rivals and both sought to increase their
influence. While the Franciscans turned to the believers' feelings, the Dominicans emphasized
the intellectual approach to faith, which was reflected in their connection with the universities.
Compared to the Dominican structures, the Franciscan structures are simple looking.
In 1226, St. Francis decided to build a church expressing the sanctity of poverty. Rules were
set for building Franciscan churches, and they were the following: a vault in the choir only above
the altar, no statues, and a ban on building belfries. Likewise, according to the rules, the church
should be marked by a severe and simple look. The paintings on the walls, depicting the lives of
the saints, play an important role. They are not only decorative, but also teach the faithful,
reminding them the sermons.

The Church of St. Francis in Assisi

Immediately after the death of St. Francis in 1228, construction of his church began in
Assisi. It was the mother Church of the Franciscan Order, which opened a new era in architecture
and historic culture of Italy. The church was established as a burial structure for St. Francis of
Assisi (1181-1226) who in his death was announced a saint in Assisi. The church was dedicated
to him in 1253. According to the descriptions of his life in Christian literature, St. Francis lived
in poverty and humility with compassion for all creatures, giving up the pleasures of the world.
The church of St. Francis in Assisi was built on two levels with a nave and without side
aisles and transept and with polygonal choir. The lower floor was dim, being Romanesque in
style, and the upper one was the first example of Italian Gothic architecture. It is referred to as a
Gothic church because of the many Gothic elements found inside it such as the lines flowing
upwards, the much light entering into it, the pointed arches and ribbed vaults. All these elements
have made it a model for the architecture of Gothic churches all over Italy.
In fact, the spirit rising from the upper floor of St. Francis of Assisi is Romanesque rather
than Gothic. Instead of stained glass, there are cycles of paintings on the walls. Giotto (some
think that it is not his work) and others painted the cycle of paintings in this floor describing St.
Francis' life.
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The church's bell tower is from the 11 and 12 centuries and its style is Lombardian.
In recent years, an effort was made to restore the church building and its artistic treasures,
which were badly damaged by an earthquake.

The Church of Santa Maria Novella

The Dominican church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence (1278-1360), which was built
in c.900 instead of the church of Santa Maria della Vigna, has set new standards for the
construction of churches in Italy. Here is adopted the ground plan of the Cistercian churches
where the nave and the side aisles are arranged with quadratic chapels, and the square choir with
a flat ceiling replaces the apse.
The only Gothic element that is prominent in the church is the crossed vaults in the nave,
highlighted by marbles in black and white. The pillars supporting the arcades are slender, and
half columns are attached to them. The lines flowing uninterrupted from the floor to the center
tops of the vaults contribute to the sense of verticality. The window flooding the eastern end of
the cathedral with light, displays another Gothic element in the church, but these windows are
round-arch shaped rather than pointed-arch shaped, which is more typical of the Gothic style.
The division of the wall is innovative and unique. Relatively high side aisles leave little
room for a clerestory. There is no indication of separation between the arcade and the wall above
it where oculi (round windows) are located instead of pointed Gothic windows which were
customary in France.
The faade of the church was built during the years 1439-1442 by Alberti.
The Church of Santa Croce

In 1295, Arnolfo Di Cambio (1245-1302) planned the Franciscan church of Santa Croce,
which was the largest Franciscan church in Florence (138 m in length and 39 m in width).
Construction took a long time and ended only in 1442. Vasari wrote in his book that Arnolfo Di
Cambio was widely considered the best architect in Tuscany. He built the outer walls of Florence
in 1284, churches, and many monasteries in the city.
Santa Croce combined Gothic style with Franciscan simplicity. Under the influence of the
Cistercian order, the Church of Santa Croce has a very simple basilica plan in which there is a
nave with two side aisles, transept, and a short polygonal choir much narrower than the nave.
Like in the design of churches from the early Christian basilica, the triumphal arch separates the
choir and the nave.
Octagonal pillars replace the complex pillars, which we found in Santa Maria Novella.
Here, influenced by local Tuscan tradition, the roof is built of wood and eliminates the need for
heavy pillars. The walls are full and there is no room for stain glass. The Gothic influence is
evident in the high inner space and the bright light that enters the church through the large group
of windows at the eastern end of the church.
Five rectangular chapels open on each side of the transept to the east. This is inspired by the
formula adopted by the Cistercians. The construction of chapels was financed by families of
bankers, who have established for themselves monuments in the form of frescoes of Giotto,
Gaddi, and other artists.
The Franciscans were well aware of the gap between the spiritual heritage of their founder,
which was based on the poverty and simplicity, and their association with wealth and power.
However, Santa Croce was built at great cost. The aspiration of the church is expressed in its
great dimensions, and its interior is clear and marked by simple decoration. The only decorative
elements are pilasters growing from the capitals of pillars and the dividing line between the
arcade and the clerestory, emphasizing the horizontal direction.
The faade of Santa Croce was restored during the years 1857-1863.

Siena Cathedral

Siena Cathedral was built by Arnolfo di Cambio during the years 1284-1299. The upper
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part of the cathedral was completed in the 14 century. The nave was initially designed in Siena
Cathedral (1245) as a transept of a larger cathedral, but because of the plague from 1348, the
original plan has never been completed.
The cathedral was built in Italian Gothic-style, and is part of the city plan. Its faade is
decorated with zebra-colored marble, and with no structural innovation. It was built at the same
time when Amiens Cathedral was built in France. The western faade was designed by Giovanni
Pisano (1250-1314), an artist who was familiar with the French architecture. We can see the
influence of the western Gothic faades on the faade of the Cathedral of Siena, but unlike them,
here there are no towers, such as in the French Gothic cathedrals. The arches of the gates on the
western faade are circular rather than pointed as we found in the French Gothic cathedrals.
Coating the church with black and white marble, and the separated bell tower were borrowed
from the Italian Romanesque heritage.
The three gates, which are at the same height, the gables, blind arcades, rose window and many
towers, make up the faade. Most of these elements serve for dividing the faade rather than for
functional purpose. The vertical and horizontal lines are designed in a balanced way, and
contribute to a sense of stability.

Orvieto Cathedral

The cathedral of Orvieto (1290-1500), also designed by Arnolfo di Cambio, was built
under the patronage of the Pope. The faade of the cathedral was designed by Lorenzo Maitani in
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the 14 century, drawing inspiration from the Cathedral of Siena. The picturesque impression of
the faade is achieved by colorful mosaics.
Figure columns of the typical French Gothic gate, have never been adopted by the Italians. Here,
instead of these, Romanesque forms of architectural sculpture cover the wall's surface. Lorenzo
Maitani (in c.1320) covered the wide pilasters between the gates, with reliefs of whose existence,
the believers were aware, only when they got close to it. On the southernmost pilaster is
displayed the torture of the damned reminiscent of the faades of the Romanesque churches
where the Last Judgment is depicted in sculpture.
Here, as in Santa Croce, the church roof was built of wood.

Milan Cathedral
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Extraordinary Gothic cathedral is the Cathedral of Milan in Italy (1386 to the 15
century) whose character is closer to that of the French Gothic cathedrals. The construction
entrepreneur Gian Galeazzo Visconti (1351-1402) was the sole ruler, the first Duke of Milan
after the murder of his uncle in 1385. Under his rule, there was a time of prosperity which was
considered a golden age of Milan, and he built a cathedral designed to compete with the great
Gothic cathedrals. Milan Cathedral had been
the largest church in Europe until the church of San Peter's in Rome was rebuilt. Local
builders of Milan Cathedral encountered difficulties during the
construction, and consulted with French and German builders who were more familiar with
Gothic construction principles. It became a cosmopolitan cathedral made by Italian, French, and
German architects, a fact, which justifies, in this case, the name of the style known as
"International Gothic".
In Milan Cathedral plan, there are a nave with two side aisles on each side, transept with side
aisles, and polygonal choir with an ambulatory reminiscent of the great northern cathedrals. In
the faade of the cathedral can be seen a clear geometric division, introducing the internal
division with the nave flanked by the side aisles.
This cathedral, which is stranger to Italy in its character, is "the most Gothic" of all Italian
cathedrals. Pillars made of sheaves of columns support pointed vaults, barely lit by small
windows on the top floor. In this church can be found the effect of the decorative flamboyant
style. Like the gothic cathedrals built in France, the cathedral's contours fit the space around
them, and create an impression of melting in space by using delicate leaves that grow out of
them.
As mentioned earlier, Gothic architecture had classical roots. A drawing of the Cathedral of
Milan, which was drawn by Cesariano, shows the connection between the structure of the Gothic
cathedral and the method of Plato's triangles, and thus presents the relations between Gothic style
and antiquity.
Civil Gothic Building in Italy

When the early cities became self-governing communities, the main building in the city
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was the city hall, which, first appeared in the 12 century and many such buildings were built in
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the 13 century. In France, only in the late 15 century there were many municipal buildings.
Until this period, residents usually gathered in churches and monasteries to discuss their matters.
The most typical town hall in the cities of France was a two - story building. The first floor was a
large hall usually designed for public meetings, court proceedings, etc. On days of public
celebrations, or during an emergency, citizens would be called by the bell tower of the city hall,
whose sound was heard throughout the city.
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Major cities in Lombardy and Tuscan, for the most part, built their city halls in the 12
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century (Pisa in 1162), and expanded them in the 13 century. In several cities, the Roman forum
site survived as a square, and provided a suitable platform for a municipal palace. Such
continuity can be found in Todi and Assisi.

Palazzo Vecchio

In Italy, the cities, which were separate governmental entities, constantly fought each
other and naturally, the town hall took a shape of a castle. Elegance was sacrificed for the sake of
security. Palazzo Vecchio (literally: "old palace" or "ancient palace") (1299-1310) the
government building in Florence, which was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio, is a clear example
of this.
Originally, a palace was built in this site in 1200, but was destroyed in 1235. The new City
Hall construction began in 1299. The municipal palace symbolized the power and influence of
the family that built it. During this period rival families tried to rise above each other in their
accomplishments, and the new palace was named after its predecessor, Palazzo Vecchio, which
was perceived as a victory for the Uberti family whose palace was demolished to make room for
the new palace and the piazza della Signoria, where it was built.
This building, where the authorities were located, was prominent throughout the city. It was
built of local stone in a shape of a jagged box with a high tower, and with an inner courtyard. Its
fortified appearance is achieved by a coarse rustication (rough surface made of squared block
masonry, with clearly seen joints) on the exterior wall. The jagged appearance at the top of the
structure and tower reinforces the sense of fortification.
At the top of the tower, there was an open room on stilts, with a bell, by which the rulers
appealed to the residents to gather in case of emergency to protect their city. The tower that was
originally built was considered inadequate, and in 1310 was replaced by a tower built on the
basis of the existing tower. In its severe form, Palazzo Vecchio heralds the Renaissance palace.

Palazzo Publico in Siena

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In Siena, the town hall (Palazzo Pubblico) (City Hall today) (1297 15 century) which
was the seat of the ruler (podest) and of the council, has a fortified look like Palazzo Vecchio,
but it looks a bit richer. It is found in the city's main square - Piazza del Campo. Red bricks
typical of Siena, were used for building it, and travertine stone was used for building its base.
The lower floors were built during the years 1297-1309, and the upper floor was added in the
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15 century, but kept the style of the lower floors. The tower here is taller than that of the town
hall of Florence. Blind arcade on the ground floor shows the activity of trade at the site.
 The windows with stone bars were used as a source of inspiration for other civilian
buildings that were built later in Siena.

The Duke's Palace in Venice

In Venice, which was very strong and calm, as exemplified by its nickname,
"serenissima" (in Italian, literally "the most serene"), one could build a Gothic public building,
without the fortified character which we found in Florence. This city has developed a unique
style combining Byzantine grace and wealth with western gothic elements. An example of such a
successful integration can be seen in the Doge's Palace - Palazzo Ducale, whose faade faces the
water. The building was built by the architects Giovanni and Batolomeo Buon during the years
1309-1424 after being rebuilt several times since the ninth century, and had a great impact on
civil architecture in Venice.
The palace was the seat of the Duke and at the same time, there were in the palace many
political and social institutions. It is a building rich in decoration, built around a large rectangular
courtyard with three wings. Facing the fourth side, is St Mark's Cathedral.
The building looks like a box, about 152 m in length. On the ground floor, there is a portico
with pointed arcades supported by large round pillars. Originally, they stood on the stylobate
above three steps. Today they grow from the floor without a base. Above this floor, on the second
floor there are arches with columns decorated with great care. Over these both floors, which are
completely open arches, the upper floor is massive and its wall is coated with polychromic
marble creating ornaments in pink and shades of gray. This floor, with its windows placed in
irregular order, appears to be floating above the two floors below. The design of the windows
combines Muslim influences with local tradition. On the roof there are delicate ornaments.
In the corner of the palace is displayed in high relief drunken Noah, beside a winding tree
trunk whose branches cast a shadow on him. Noah is supposed to lie under a tree, but the space
does not allow it because the relief is part of the corner's pillar and arcade, which are integrating
with the architectural structure.

Ca d'Oro Palace in Venice

Another palace in Venice, which reflects the peaceful life in the city of Venice, is Ca
d'Oro, meaning "Golden House". This name was given to it, because originally, many
architectural decorations in the faade were covered with gold. It was a gesture of extravagance
without parallel even in the Doge's palace, which was the seat of government in the quiet
Republic.
Ca d'Oro was designed by Giovanni Buono in 1430. The man who commissioned it was
the noble Marino Contarini. The Gothic character of the building is reflected in the lace-like
skeletal structure, which occupies much of the faade of the building, and the pointed arches
with the quadrefoil (four-leaf)-like shapes, which are typical of Gothic style.
Apart from the Gothic character, we can find in Ca d'Oro Byzantine elements in the capitals
of columns in the arcades, and Romanesque elements in the architectural decoration.