ABSTRACT
We know of hundreds of buildings on the island of Cyprus constructed during the Frankish regime, many of which have survived and bear witnesses to the development of an architectural culture at that time. Thanks to its coherence and architectural beauty, St Nicholas in Famagusta in particular demands the art historian’s attention (Plate 1, and see also Figures 7.6 and 7.7). Its architectural value is now even more important than ever, since the original Gothic masonry of the majority of European cathedrals of this period has been altered and restored to the point where the original elements are difficult to identify. But although the ravages of time have taken their toll, St Nicholas has remained almost untouched.1
