The Florence Baptistery
People often try to imitate a finished product if it has become popular. When this is done after several years it is considered a revival. Usually the artist or patron has a purpose such as modeling after a powerful culture or religious significance. They may slightly change or mix other styles to make the best of past and present. In Florence Italy there stands a baptistery. It resides west of the Florence Cathedral, which was modeled after the baptistery. The Cathedral began in 1296 by Arnolfo di Cambio. Although the two resemble each other, they are considered to be from two different styles. The Baptistery of S. Giovanni is categorized as Romanesque while the cathedral is considered Gothic. The exterior of the cathedral doesn't appear to be Gothic, it's the interior that is. The baptistery possesses an octagonal structure with an extension to the west. This extension was originally an apse. There are doors to the north, south, and east sides. All of the doors are decorated with beautiful sculptures. The first doors were done by Andrea Pisano and set the standards for the next to come. The second set, the first done by Lorenzo Ghiberti, were originally hung on the east end, but were soon moved to the north side
Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, New York A large motivation to the revival of classical architecture was Countess Matilda of Tuscany. She was born in 1046. Her family had the richest estate in Italy. After the death of her father and her two old siblings she obtained the entire estate at the age of 17. Her mother soon married to have allies. She was very well educated and fluent in French, Italian, German, and Latin. As she grew older, Matilda donations to local churches expressed her faith in Christianity. Her mother's ideas had a great effect on Matilda. She became an avid supporter of the papacy. Historians have said she possessed the 'Roman-mindedness' to keep the revival alive. With her help the baptistery's style survived after the dark ages. Matilda also helped strengthen the economy of Florence. Macmillian Publishers Ltd. Groves Dictionary Inc., New York 1996 Howard, Seymour Antiquity Restored, Essays of the Afterlife of the Antique
Some common words found in the essay are:
San Giovanni, Ghiberti Italian, German Latin, Piazza Giovanni, Height Roman, Baptistery Giovanni, Vitale Lorenzo, Greeks Romans, , Matilda Tuscany, classical style, classical architecture, roman architecture, inc york, dictionary inc york, roman building, baptistery roman, late roman, revival classicism, sculptures doors, lorenzo ghiberti, inc york 1996, groves dictionary inc, ltd groves dictionary, publishers ltd groves,
Approximate Word count = 1579
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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