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66-397: The church is a national monument of Italy and one of the most important attractions of Sicily. Its size is 102 meters (335') long and 40 meters (131') wide. According to a legend, William II of Sicily fell asleep under a carob tree while hunting in the woods near Monreale. The Holy Virgin appeared to him in dream, suggesting him to build a church here. After removing the tree, a treasure

132-644: A cornice . There is a regular repetition of openings on each floor, and the centrally placed door is marked by a feature such as a balcony, or rusticated surround. An early and much copied prototype was the façade for the Palazzo Rucellai (1446 and 1451) in Florence with its three registers of pilasters . Roman and Greek orders of columns are used: Tuscan , Doric , Ionic , Corinthian and Composite . The orders can either be structural, supporting an arcade or architrave, or purely decorative, set against

198-510: A pediment and organised by a system of pilasters , arches and entablatures . The columns and windows show a progression towards the centre. One of the first true Renaissance façades was Pienza Cathedral (1459–62), which has been attributed to the Florentine architect Bernardo Gambarelli (known as Rossellino ) with Leone Battista Alberti perhaps having some responsibility in its design as well. Domestic buildings are often surmounted by

264-409: A porphyry sarcophagus contemporary with the church, under a marble pillared canopy, and the founder William II's tomb, erected in 1575, were both shattered by a fire, which in 1811 broke out in the choir, injuring some of the mosaics and destroying all the fine walnut choir-fittings, the organs and most of the choir roof. The tombs were rebuilt, and the whole of the injured part of the church restored

330-514: A few years after the fire. The present organ, revised in 1967 by Ruffatti, has six manuals and 102 stops. On the north of the choir are the tombs of Margaret of Navarre , wife of William I, and her two sons Roger and Henry, together with an urn containing the viscera of Saint Louis of France , who died in 1270. The pavement of the triple choir, though much restored, is a specimen of marble and porphyry mosaic in opus alexandrinum , with signs of Arab influence in its main lines. The mosaic pavement of

396-816: A massive precinct wall, crowned at intervals by twelve towers. This has been mostly rebuilt, and but little now remains except ruins of some of the towers, a great part of the monks' dormitory and frater , and the splendid cloister , completed about 1200. The latter is well preserved, and is one of the finest european cloisters now extant both for size and beauty of detail. It is about 2,200 m, with pointed arches decorated with diaper work , supported on pairs of columns in white marble , 216 in all, which were alternately plain and decorated by bands of patterns in gold and colors, made of glass tesserae , arranged either spirally or vertically from end to end of each shaft. The marble capitals are each carved with foliage, biblical scenes and allegories, no two being alike. At one angle,

462-460: A portico was added to the northern side, designed by Giovanni Domenico Gagini and Fazio Gagini , in Renaissance style , covered by a cross vault and featuring eleven round arches supported by Corinthian columns . In 1559 most of the internal pavement was added. The archiepiscopal palace and monastic buildings on the south side were of great size and magnificence, and were surrounded by

528-521: A question of practice, but also a matter for theoretical discussion. Printing played a large role in the dissemination of ideas. In the 15th century the courts of certain other Italian states became centres for spreading of Renaissance philosophy, art and architecture. In Mantua at the court of the Gonzaga , Alberti designed two churches, the Basilica of Sant'Andrea and San Sebastiano . Urbino

594-530: A section of entablature between the capital and the springing of the arch. Alberti was one of the first to use the arch on a monumental scale at the Basilica of Sant'Andrea, Mantua . Vaults do not have ribs. They are semi-circular or segmental and on a square plan, unlike the Gothic vault which is frequently rectangular. The barrel vault is returned to architectural vocabulary as at St. Andrea in Mantua. The dome

660-448: A square pillared projection contains the marble fountain or monks' lavatorium . The plan of the church is based on models of Clunian origin from northern France. The facade flanked by two towers. like the cathedral of Cefalù , while the large three-apse choir is similar to one of the first three-apse churches.. The basilican nave is wide, with narrow aisles . On each side, monolithic columns of grey oriental granite (except one, which

726-577: A triangular or segmental pediment. Openings that do not have doors are usually arched and frequently have a large or decorative keystone. Windows may be paired and set within a semi-circular arch. They may have square lintels and triangular or segmental pediments , which are often used alternately. Emblematic in this respect is the Palazzo Farnese in Rome, begun in 1517. In the Mannerist period

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792-547: A wall in the form of pilasters. During the Renaissance, architects aimed to use columns, pilasters , and entablatures as an integrated system. One of the first buildings to use pilasters as an integrated system was in the Old Sacristy (1421–1440) by Brunelleschi. Arches are semi-circular or (in the Mannerist style) segmental. Arches are often used in arcades, supported on piers or columns with capitals. There may be

858-401: Is of cipolin marble) support eight pointed arches much stilted. The capitals of these (mainly Corinthian ) are also of the classical period. There is no triforium , but a high clerestory with wide two-light windows, with simple tracery like those in the nave-aisles and throughout the church, which give sufficient light. The other half, eastern in two senses, is both wider and higher than

924-528: Is the Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence by Filippo Brunelleschi (1377–1446). During the High Renaissance, concepts derived from classical antiquity were developed and used with greater confidence. The most representative architect is Donato Bramante (1444–1514), who expanded the applicability of classical architecture to contemporary buildings. His Tempietto di San Pietro in Montorio (1503)

990-587: Is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance architecture followed Gothic architecture and was succeeded by Baroque architecture and neoclassical architecture . Developed first in Florence , with Filippo Brunelleschi as one of its innovators,

1056-884: Is used frequently, both as a very large structural feature that is visible from the exterior, and also as a means of roofing smaller spaces where they are only visible internally. After the success of the dome in Brunelleschi's design for Florence Cathedral and its use in Bramante's plan for St. Peter's Basilica (1506) in Rome, the dome became an indispensable element in church architecture and later even for secular architecture, such as Palladio's Villa Rotonda . Roofs are fitted with flat or coffered ceilings. They are not left open as in Medieval architecture. They are frequently painted or decorated. Doors usually have square lintels. They may be set with in an arch or surmounted by

1122-417: Is usually not the case in architectural history. The bleak economic conditions of the late 14th century did not produce buildings that are considered to be part of the Renaissance. As a result, the word Renaissance among architectural historians usually applies to the period 1400 to c.  1525 , or later in the case of non-Italian Renaissances. Historians often use the following designations: During

1188-644: The Divine Comedy , Dante places William II in Paradise. He is also referred to in Boccaccio 's Decameron (tale IV.4, where he reportedly has two children, and tale V.7). William was nicknamed "the Good" only in the decades following his death. It is due less to his character than to the cessation of the internal troubles that plagued his father's reign and the wars that erupted under his successor. Under

1254-504: The Florence Baptistery and Pisa Cathedral . Italy had never fully adopted the Gothic style of architecture. Apart from Milan Cathedral , (influenced by French Rayonnant Gothic), few Italian churches show the emphasis on vertical, the clustered shafts, ornate tracery and complex ribbed vaulting that characterise Gothic in other parts of Europe. The presence, particularly in Rome, of ancient architectural remains showing

1320-736: The Loggia and Odeo Cornaro in the garden of Alvise Cornaro . In southern Italy, Renaissance masters were called to Naples by Alfonso V of Aragon after his conquest of the Kingdom of Naples . The most notable examples of Renaissance architecture in that city are the Cappella Caracciolo , attributed to Bramante, and the Palazzo Orsini di Gravina , built by Gabriele d'Angelo between 1513 and 1549. The Classical orders were analysed and reconstructed to serve new purposes. While

1386-614: The Palazzo Medici Riccardi (1444–1460) in Florence. Internal walls are smoothly plastered and surfaced with lime wash . For more formal spaces, internal surfaces are decorated with frescoes . Courses, mouldings and all decorative details are carved with great precision. Studying and mastering the details of the ancient Romans was one of the important aspects of Renaissance theory. The different orders each required different sets of details. Some architects were stricter in their use of classical details than others, but there

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1452-621: The Palladian arch was employed, using a motif of a high semi-circular topped opening flanked with two lower square-topped openings. Windows are used to bring light into the building and in domestic architecture, to give views. Stained glass, although sometimes present, is not a feature. External walls are generally constructed of brick, rendered, or faced with stone in highly finished ashlar masonry, laid in straight courses. The corners of buildings are often emphasized by rusticated quoins . Basements and ground floors were often rusticated , as at

1518-697: The Quattrocento, sometimes known as the Early Renaissance, concepts of architectural order were explored and rules were formulated. The study of classical antiquity led in particular to the adoption of Classical detail and ornamentation. Space, as an element of architecture, was used differently than it was in the Middle Ages . Space was organised by proportional logic, its form and rhythm subject to geometry, rather than being created by intuition as in Medieval buildings. The prime example of this

1584-576: The Sforza , the Castello Sforzesco was built. Venetian Renaissance architecture developed a particularly distinctive character because of local conditions. San Zaccaria received its Renaissance façade at the hands of Antonio Gambello and Mauro Codussi , begun in the 1480s. Giovanni Maria Falconetto , the Veronese architect-sculptor, introduced Renaissance architecture to Padua with

1650-643: The Staufer dynasty his reign was characterised as a golden age of peace and justice. His numeral is contemporary and he himself used it. William was born in Palermo to William I and Margaret of Navarre . At the age of twelve his father died, and he was placed under the regency of his mother. In 1171 he was declared adult and until then the government was controlled first by the chancellor Stephen du Perche (1166–1168), cousin of Margaret, and then by Walter Ophamil , archbishop of Palermo , and Matthew of Ajello ,

1716-464: The 15th century. Conversely, there was no call for enormous sporting fixtures and public bath houses such as the Romans had built. The plans of Renaissance buildings have a square, symmetrical appearance in which proportions are usually based on a module. Within a church, the module is often the width of an aisle. The need to integrate the design of the plan with the façade was introduced as an issue in

1782-495: The Good , was king of Sicily from 1166 to 1189. From surviving sources William's character is indistinct. Lacking in military enterprise, secluded and pleasure-loving, he seldom emerged from his palace life at Palermo. Yet his reign is marked by an ambitious foreign policy and a vigorous diplomacy. Champion of the papacy and in secret league with the Lombard cities, he was able to defy the common enemy, Frederick Barbarossa . In

1848-477: The Mannerist style was Michelangelo (1475–1564), who frequently used the giant order in his architecture, a large pilaster that stretches from the bottom to the top of a façade. He used this in his design for the Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome. Prior to the 20th century, the term Mannerism had negative connotations, but it is now used to describe the historical period in more general non-judgemental terms. As

1914-603: The Norman realm, was possibly taken that William might devote himself to foreign conquests, or aiming to prevent Tancred, Count of Lecce , an illegitimate cousin of William, to claim the throne. Unable to revive the African dominion , William directed his attack on Ayyubid Egypt , from which Saladin threatened the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem . In July 1174, 30,000 men were landed before Alexandria , but Saladin 's arrival forced

1980-483: The Renaissance style quickly spread to other Italian cities. The style was carried to other parts of Europe at different dates and with varying degrees of impact. Renaissance style places emphasis on symmetry , proportion , geometry and the regularity of parts, as demonstrated in the architecture of classical antiquity and in particular ancient Roman architecture , of which many examples remained. Orderly arrangements of columns , pilasters and lintels , as well as

2046-403: The Renaissance view of architecture is Filippo Brunelleschi, (1377–1446). The underlying feature of the work of Brunelleschi was "order". In the early 15th century, Brunelleschi began to look at the world to see what the rules were that governed one's way of seeing. He observed that the way one sees regular structures such as the Florence Baptistery and the tiled pavement surrounding it follows

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2112-596: The Sicilians to re-embark in disorder. A better prospect opened in the confusion in Byzantine affairs which followed the death of Manuel Comnenus (1180), and William took up the old design and feud against the Byzantine Empire. Dyrrhachium was captured (11 June 1185). Afterwards while the army (allegedly 80,000 men including 5,000 knights) marched upon Thessalonica , the fleet (200 ships) sailed towards

2178-617: The building are clearly Florentine in style, particularly the inner courtyard, but it is not known who the designer was. Ferrara , under the Este , was expanded in the late 15th century, with several new palaces being built such as the Palazzo dei Diamanti and Palazzo Schifanoia for Borso d'Este . In Milan , under the Visconti , the Certosa di Pavia was completed, and then later under

2244-422: The church consecrated at the presence of Pope Clement IV . In 1178 Pope Lucius III established the archdiocese of Monreale and the abbey church was elevated to the rank of cathedral . The archbishops obtained by the kings of Sicily a wide array of privileges and lands in the whole Italian peninsula. In 1270 Saint Louis IX, King of France , brother of King Charles I of Naples , was buried here. In 1547-1569

2310-512: The church, but by guilds representing the wealth and power of the city. Brunelleschi's dome at Florence Cathedral, more than any other building, belonged to the populace because the construction of each of the eight segments was achieved by a different quarter of the city. As in the Platonic Academy of Athens , it was seen by those of Humanist understanding that those people who had the benefit of wealth and education ought to promote

2376-455: The early Renaissance, Venice controlled sea trade over goods from the East. The large towns of Northern Italy were prosperous through trade with the rest of Europe, Genoa providing a seaport for the goods of France and Spain; Milan and Turin being centres of overland trade, and maintaining substantial metalworking industries. Trade brought wool from England to Florence, ideally located on

2442-770: The enormous Florence Cathedral dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary did no honour to the city under her patronage. However, as the technology and finance were found to complete it, the rising dome did credit not only to the Virgin Mary, its architect and the Church but also to the Signoria , the Guilds and the sectors of the city from which the manpower to construct it was drawn. The dome inspired further religious works in Florence. The development of printed books,

2508-778: The hand of Byzantine Princess Maria for William yielded no fruit and led to his breaking up with Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Comnenus in 1172. In the same year the death of Henry, Prince of Capua marked a potential succession crisis: it was said that William II had Constance, the last legitimate heir to the throne, appointed heir and sworn fealty in 1174, but she remained confined in her monastery. In 1174 and 1175 William made treaties with Genoa and Venice and his marriage in February 1177 with Joan , daughter of King Henry II of England and Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine , marks his high position in European politics. Although Joan produced no surviving heir, William showed no intention to annul

2574-562: The marriage. In July 1177, William sent a delegation of Archbishop Romuald II of Salerno and Count Roger of Andria to sign the Treaty of Venice with the Emperor. In 1184, he released 30-year-old Constance from convent, engaged her to the Emperor's son, the future Emperor Henry VI to secure the peace, and married her off on January 1186, causing a general oath to be taken to her as his heir presumptive . This step, of great consequence to

2640-559: The mid 15th century and gained momentum in the 16th century, reaching its peak in the Baroque period. The construction of the Sistine Chapel with its uniquely important decorations and the entire rebuilding of St. Peter's Basilica , one of Christendom's most significant churches, were part of this process. In the wealthy Republic of Florence , the impetus for church-building was more civic than spiritual. The unfinished state of

2706-466: The nave was completed in the 16th century, and has disks of porphyry and granite with marble bands intermingled with irregular lines. Two Baroque chapels were added in the 17th and 18th centuries, which are shut off from the rest of the church. The bronze doors of the mosaic-decorated portal on the left side was executed by Barisano da Trani in 1179. William II of Sicily William II (December 1153 – 11 November 1189), called

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2772-403: The nave. It also is divided into a central space with two aisles, each of the divisions ending at the east with an apse. The roofs throughout are of open woodwork very low in pitch, constructionally plain, but richly decorated with colour, now mostly restored. At the west end of the nave are two projecting towers, with a narthex (entrance) between them. A large open atrium , which once existed at

2838-509: The new style of architecture spread out from Italy, most other European countries developed a sort of Proto-Renaissance style, before the construction of fully formulated Renaissance buildings. Each country in turn then grafted its own architectural traditions to the new style, so that Renaissance buildings across Europe are diversified by region. Within Italy the evolution of Renaissance architecture into Mannerism, with widely diverging tendencies in

2904-413: The obvious distinguishing features of Classical Roman architecture were adopted by Renaissance architects, the forms and purposes of buildings had changed over time, as had the structure of cities. Among the earliest buildings of the reborn Classicism were the type of churches that the Romans had never constructed. Neither were there models for the type of large city dwellings required by wealthy merchants of

2970-508: The ordered Classical style provided an inspiration to artists at a time when philosophy was also turning towards the Classical. In the 15th century, Florence and Venice extended their power through much of the area that surrounded them, making the movement of artists possible. This enabled Florence to have significant artistic influence in Milan , and through Milan, France . In 1377,

3036-641: The promotion of civil peace and order were seen as the marks of citizenship. This led to the building of structures such as Brunelleschi's Hospital of the Innocents with its elegant colonnade forming a link between the charitable building and the public square, and the Laurentian Library where the collection of books established by the Medici family could be consulted by scholars. Some major ecclesiastical building works were also commissioned, not by

3102-626: The pursuit of learning and the creation of that which was beautiful. To this end, wealthy families—the Medici of Florence, the Gonzaga of Mantua, the Farnese in Rome, the Sforzas in Milan—gathered around them people of learning and ability, promoting the skills and creating employment for the most talented artists and architects of their day. During the Renaissance, architecture became not only

3168-590: The rediscovery of ancient writings, the expanding of political and trade contacts and the exploration of the world all increased knowledge and the desire for education. The reading of philosophies that were not based on Christian theology led to the development of humanism through which it was clear that while God had established and maintained order in the Universe, it was the role of Man to establish and maintain order in Society. Through humanism, civic pride and

3234-673: The return of the Pope from the Avignon Papacy and the re-establishment of the Papal court in Rome, brought wealth and importance to that city, as well as a renewal in the importance of the Pope in Italy, which was further strengthened by the Council of Constance in 1417. Successive Popes, especially Julius II , 1503–13, sought to extend the Papacy's temporal power throughout Italy. In

3300-651: The revival of interest in this period. Erwin Panofsky , Renaissance and Renascences in Western Art , (New York: Harper and Row, 1960) The Renaissance style was recognized by contemporaries in the term "all'antica" , or "in the ancient manner" (of the Romans). Historians often divide the Renaissance in Italy into three phases. Whereas art historians might talk of an Early Renaissance period, in which they include developments in 14th-century painting and sculpture, this

3366-535: The river for the production of fine cloth, the industry on which its wealth was founded. By dominating Pisa , Florence gained a seaport, and became the most powerful state in Tuscany. In this commercial climate, one family in particular turned their attention from trade to the lucrative business of money-lending. The Medici became the chief bankers to the princes of Europe, becoming virtually princes themselves as they did so, by reason of both wealth and influence. Along

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3432-603: The same target capturing on their way the Ionian islands of Corfu , Cephalonia , Ithaca and Zakynthos . In August 1185, Thessalonica fell to the joint attack of the Sicilian fleet and army and was subsequently sacked. The troops then marched upon the capital, but the army of the emperor Isaac Angelus , under the general Alexios Branas , defeated the invaders on the banks of the Strymon (7 November 1185). Thessalonica

3498-531: The strong Saladin to retire from before Tripoli in the spring of 1188. In November 1189 William died at Palermo , leaving no children, although Robert of Torigni records a short-lived son in 1181: Bohemond, who was named Duke of Apulia. After his death Norman officials led by Matthew of Ajello supported his cousin Tancred to succeed him, instead of Constance, in order to avoid German rule. Renaissance architecture Renaissance architecture

3564-553: The trade routes, and thus offered some protection by commercial interest, moved not only goods but also artists, scientists and philosophers. The return of the Pope Gregory XI from Avignon in September 1377 and the resultant new emphasis on Rome as the center of Christian spirituality, brought about a surge in the building of churches in Rome such as had not taken place for nearly a thousand years. This commenced in

3630-538: The use of semicircular arches, hemispherical domes , niches and aediculae replaced the more complex proportional systems and irregular profiles of medieval buildings. The word "Renaissance" derives from the term rinascita , which means rebirth, first appeared in Giorgio Vasari 's Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects , 1550. Although the term Renaissance

3696-493: The vice-chancellor. In 1168, du Perche was overthrown by a coup, while the revolts claimed that William was murdered and du Perche planned to have his brother marry Constance , aunt of William who was confined to Santissimo Salvatore, Palermo as a nun from childhood due to a prediction that "her marriage would destroy Sicily", to claim the throne, despite the existence of Henry, Prince of Capua brother of William. An effort by Bertrand II , archbishop of Trani , to negotiate

3762-407: The west, is now completely destroyed, having been replaced by a Renaissance portico by Giovanni Domenico and Fazio Gagini (1547–1569). The main internal features are the vast (6,500 m; 70,000 sq. ft.) glass mosaics , executed in Byzantine style between the late 12th and the mid-13th centuries by both local and Venetians masters. The tomb of William I of Sicily (the founder's father),

3828-444: The work of Filippo Brunelleschi , but he was never able to carry this aspect of his work into fruition. The first building to demonstrate this was Basilica of Sant'Andrea, Mantua by Leone Battista Alberti . The development of the plan in secular architecture was to take place in the 16th century and culminated with the work of Palladio . Façades are symmetrical around their vertical axis. Church façades are generally surmounted by

3894-535: The work of Michelangelo , Giulio Romano and Andrea Palladio , led to the Baroque style in which the same architectural vocabulary was used for very different rhetoric. Outside Italy, Baroque architecture was more widespread and fully developed than the Renaissance style, with significant buildings as far afield as Mexico and the Philippines . Italy of the 15th century, and the city of Florence in particular,

3960-497: Was also a good deal of innovation in solving problems, especially at corners. Mouldings stand out around doors and windows rather than being recessed, as in Gothic architecture. Sculptured figures may be set in niches or placed on plinths. They are not integral to the building as in Medieval architecture. The leading architects of the Early Renaissance or Quattrocento were Filippo Brunelleschi , Michelozzo and Leon Battista Alberti . The person generally credited with bringing about

4026-467: Was an important centre with the Ducal Palace being constructed for Federico da Montefeltro in the mid 15th century. The Duke employed Luciano Laurana from Dalmatia , renowned for his expertise at fortification. The design incorporates much of the earlier medieval building and includes an unusual turreted three-storeyed façade. Laurana was assisted by Francesco di Giorgio Martini. Later parts of

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4092-572: Was at once abandoned and in 1189 William made peace with Isaac, abandoning all the conquests. He was now planning to induce the crusading armies of the West to pass through his territories, and seemed about to play a leading part in the Third Crusade . His admiral Margarito , a naval genius equal to George of Antioch , with 60 vessels kept the eastern Mediterranean open for the Franks , and forced

4158-504: Was directly inspired by circular Roman temples . He was, however, hardly a slave to the classical forms and it was his style that was to dominate Italian architecture in the 16th century. During the Mannerist period, architects experimented with using architectural forms to emphasize solid and spatial relationships. The Renaissance ideal of harmony gave way to freer and more imaginative rhythms. The best known architect associated with

4224-457: Was found in its roots, whose golden coins were used to finance the construction. It is more likely that the church was part of a plan of large constructions in competition with the then bishop of Palermo, Walter Ophamil , who had ordered the large Cathedral of Palermo . The construction of Monreale, started in 1172, was approved by Pope Alexander III with a bull on 30 December 1174. Works, including an annexed abbey, were completed only in 1267 and

4290-658: Was home to the Renaissance. It is in Florence that the new architectural style had its beginning, not slowly evolving in the way that Gothic grew out of Romanesque , but consciously brought to being by particular architects who sought to revive the order of a past " Golden Age ". The scholarly approach to the architecture of the ancient coincided with the general revival of learning. A number of factors were influential in bringing this about. Italian architects had always preferred forms that were clearly defined and structural members that expressed their purpose. Many Tuscan Romanesque buildings demonstrate these characteristics, as seen in

4356-545: Was used first by the French historian Jules Michelet , it was given its more lasting definition from the Swiss historian Jacob Burckhardt , whose book The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy , 1860, was influential in the development of the modern interpretation of the Italian Renaissance . The folio of measured drawings Édifices de Rome moderne; ou, Recueil des palais, maisons, églises, couvents et autres monuments (The Buildings of Modern Rome), first published in 1840 by Paul Letarouilly, also played an important part in

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