The Armenian Cathedral of Saints James in Jerusalem:

This chapter is devoted to a great monument of Mediterranean culture – the Armenian cathedral of Saints James in Jerusalem – specifically to its patronage and to the origins of its architecture. Sources for the cathedral can be found in Armenian and Eastern Christian buildings, while a number of motifs that are used belong squarely within a Latin tradition. It has been suggested that Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem (1131–61) and Armenian on her mother’s side, was instrumental in commissioning the cathedral and that her role was instrumental in facilitating a process of cultural exchange. The study concludes that Melisende was important, though not so much in ensuring the inclusion of significant Armenian national features in the building, but by effectively inserting an Armenian cathedral into the wider panoply of Latin and pan-European art. ¹ It also seems clear that the cathedral architect’s method of combining different architectural ideas came about as the result of instructions from the patron.