ABSTRACT
Introductiont Itbasoftenbeensaid,withregardtothefortunesof FrenchGothicarchitectureintheItalianpeninsula,that theItaliansneverreallyaccepteditexceptasadecorativesystemwhichtheyappliedinasuperficialmanner towindows,facades,ortowhateverelementsthey wishedtobringinlinewithcurrentfashion-andthat eventhen,theytendedtoaltertheborrowedformsand toblendthemwithclassicalelementsinaneclectic mixturealltheirownwhichwasnottrulyGothic. Furthermore,thisreluctancetoadopttheFrench Gothicstructuralsystemhasbeenlargelyperceivedas bornofincomprehensionandhasbeenlinkedtothe earlierfailureofLombardmasonstograspthepossibilitiesinherentinthepointedarchandtheribvault,of whichtheyweremakingampleuseintheRomanesque period,andtoexploitthesefeaturestodevelopthe samestructuralsystemasdevelopedinNorthern France.Inshort,theItaliansareseenashaving "missedtheboat'.1
