Architektur (Italienische Kathedralen, Gotischer Stil - Italian Gothic Cathedrals) 1. Grundriss (Ground plan) 2. Choransicht des Doms zu Mailand (Choir view of Milan Cathedral) 3. Grundriss des Doms zu Florenz (Ground plan of Florence Cathedral) 4. Glockenthurm Daselbst (Bell Tower There) 5.Dom zu Orvieto (Cathedral of Orvieto) 6.Althar im Or San-Michele zu Florenz (Altar in Or San Michele in Florence) 7.Grabmal der Scaliger zu Verona (Tomb of the Scaliger family in Verona)

Description

This engraving demonstrates the aesthetic and constructive aspects of late medieval/Gothic cathedral architecture in Italy, particularly those that differ from northern Gothic architecture on the European continent. The Milan Duomo, in the upper left corner of the engraving, is one of the most magnificent vertical structures built south of the Alps. Its façade, adorned with numerous slender pinnacles, constitutes an impressive example of Gothic architecture. Although the aesthetic intensity of the exterior architecture draws nearer to northern French Gothic, its choice of materials (marble) and sculptural surface treatment techniques are considered the pinnacle of the visual language that defines Italian Gothic. Orvieto Cathedral, in the upper right, is notable for its polychrome marble façade and stone and glass mosaics. With its gold-ground ornamentation and rhythmic patterns, it is one of the finest examples of Italian Gothic façades. The central plan drawings (the ground plan of the Florence Duomo) demonstrate that in Italian Gothic architecture, space is founded on a sculptural central balance. The choir and the main space beneath the dome are the primary focal points that define the building's spatial identity. Giotto's campanile in Florence demonstrates the development of bell towers as independent, monumental vertical structures in Italian Gothic architecture.