The Cathedrals Of Pisa Siena And Florence

The construction techniques and concepts of the cathedrals of Pisa, Siena and Florence are examined in detail, based on new data and using a methodological architectural diagnostics approach. New detailed surveys, carried out using often advanced tools, together with direct and in-depth inspections to examine all parts of the buildings, have enabled us to identify the building phases and the different construction techniques used over time. The information thereby acquired also formed the basis for a new interpretation of the archival documents. Accordingly, the problems encountered and the solutions adopted in the three cathedrals have been understood: in Pisa the construction of the elliptical dome above the rectangular crossing consisting of six thin pillars below; in Siena the design changes from the first system in the 13th century to the ‘Duomo Nuovo’, and the structural adaptations following earthquakes; the specific construction solutions adopted in Florence during the instability encountered in the construction of the large vaults of the basilican body. The comparison of the three buildings in terms of architectural and construction solutions also revealed unexpected relationships between the construction events of Siena’s Duomo Nuovo and the solutions then used in the large basilican body of Santa Maria del Fiore. The methodology employed has led to an understanding of the actual structure of the three cathedrals, an essential basis for a correct evaluation of the state of conservation of the churches for any restoration work. The book is aimed at scholars of architecture and ancient building structures, graduate and postgraduate students, and architects and engineers who plan architectural conservation and strengthening works for historical buildings.

This is a collection of two volumes covering the History of Art and its relationship with human development, religion and cultures. Volume One starts from the early civilisations and the origins of art in early artifacts, the kingdoms of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt, Eastern Mediterranean and the empire in China. It continues onto the sixteenth century, taking in Classical Greece and Rome; Byzantine Art, the Carolingian Empire, explain to the rise of Islamic African Art and the development of India Art around the religions of Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, as well as Chinese Art of Taoism and Confucianism. Much of art in the medieval age was influenced by the conquests, religion and faith as well as gothic and Italian City State art. The early renaissance of the fifteenth century is heavily steeped in the history of Florence and the Papacy as well as the princes and merchants of northern Europe; compassing Venetian art at the end of the sixteenth century. Volume Two continues until the twentieth century, looking at the themes of power and image in the European courts as well as the Muslim Courts. The strength of the Catholic church influences the Roman and Baroque art developments of the seventeenth century, as well as expeditions to the Americas, Spain and the Netherlands. The frivolity and extravagance dominates eighteenth century art with the arrival of Rococo and a return to neoclassicism, which moved to romanticism in the nineteenth century and the freedom of realism, impressionism, and the new materials of the industrial revolution in the twentieth century. Both volumes contain an index of names and places.

Religion in Modern Europe examines religion as a form of collective memory. This is a memory held in place by Europe's institutional churches, educational systems, and the mass media - all of which are themselves responding to rapid social and economic change. Europe's religious memory is approached in the following ways: as vicarious-a particularly European characteristic, as precarious-especially among young people, and as it is portrayed by the media. The memory may fragment, be disputed, and in extreme cases, disappear. Alternatives may emerge. The challenge for European societies is to affirm healthy mutations in religious memory and discourage others. The book also examines the increasing diversity of Europe's religious life. European Societies Series Series Editor: Colin Crouch Very few of the existing sociological texts which compare different European societies on specific topics are accessible to a broad range of scholars and students. The European Societies series will help fill this gap in the literature, and attempt to answer questions such as: Is there really such a thing as a 'European model' of society? Do the economic and political integration processes of the European Union also imply convergence in more general aspects of social life, like family or religious behaviour? What do the societies of Western Europe have in common with those further to the east? This series will cover the main social institutions, although not every author will cover the full range of European countries. As well as surveying existing knowledge in a way that will be useful to students, each book will also seek to contribute to our growing knowledge of what remains in many respects a sociologically unknown continent.

The 14th century in Italian art is a very rich one, and Professor White's book gives architecture equal weight with painting and sculpture. The story of the Gothic style and the prehistory of the Renaissance is given: all the facts are related, but also the works of art are described with insight and for their own sakes, and not simply as data for fitting into schemes and theories. Among the great names are those of Arnolfo di Cambio, the Pisani, Cavallini, Cimabue, Duccio, Giotto, Simone Martini, and the Lorenzetti; among the buildings S. Croce, S. Maria Novella, the cathedral and the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, and the cathedrals of Siena, Orvieto, and Milan, as well as churches, castles, and civic buildings from the Val d'Aosta to Sicily. The third edition of this work includes colour illustrations and incorporates textual revisions and an updated bibliography.

This companion volume to a BBC series of the same name delves into eight famous pieces of art.