ABSTRACT

The great characteristic of the Architecture of the Romans, was the combination of the arch and vault, with the Grecian column. The great church of St. Sophia, at Constantinople, was erected under the Emperor Justinian, about A. D. 637. A mixture of the Grecian and Roman Architecture, with new inventions, to which the unskilfulness of the architects gave rise. “The style of architecture in Germany, termed by some writers Byzantine and Romanesque, corresponds with the style in England which we term Norman, though in some respects they vary considerably. Of all the Romanesque varieties, that of the south of France appears to possess the most simplicity and plainness of decoration, and yet the greatest complication of plan. There is not only great beauty, but there are many other excellencies, worthy of imitation in the Romanesque or Lombard style; the best specimens evince great architectural skill, and consummate knowledge in the freemasons who are supposed to have been the builders.