Page:A History of Architecture in All Countries Vol 2.djvu/414

398 398 ITALIAN ARCHITECTUUE. Part II. of the civilization of the people. After the Christian era, a very similar succession of influences took place. First and most powerful was the Byzantine element, which forms the groundwork and main ingredient in all that follows. To this succeeded the Saracenic epoch: bright, brilliant, but evanescent. In the 11th century the Italian element resumed its sway under the banner of a few Norman adventurers, and in the guise of a Norman conquest sacerdotal Rome regained the inheritance of her imperial predecessor. In the Christian period, however, the elements were far from being so distinct as in those preceding it, for reasons easily understood. Every fresh race of masters found the island already occupied by a very numerous popula- tion of extremely various origin. The new-comers could do no more than add their own forms of art to those previously in use ; the consequence being in every case a mixed style, containing elements derived from every portion of the inhabitants. We have no means of knowing the exact form of the Byzantine churches of Sicily before the Arab invasion. All have either perished or are undescribed. The Saracenic remains, too, have all disappeared, the buildings generally supposed to be relics of their rule being now proved to have been erected by Moorish workmen for their Christian masters. With the Norman sway a style arose which goes far to supply all these deficiencies, being Greek in essence, Roman in form, and Saracenic in decoration ; and these elements mixed in exactly those proportions which we should expect. Nowhere do we find the square-domed plans of the Greek Church, nor any form suited to the Greek ritual. These having given place to the Roman basilica, and to an arrangement adapted to the rites of the Romish Church ; but all the work was performed by Greek artists, and the Roman outline was filled up and decorated to suit the taste and conciliate the feelings of the worshipjiers, who were conquered Greeks or converted Moors. Their fancy, too — richer and happier than that of the ruder races of the West — was allowed full play. An Eastern exuberance in design- ing details and employing colors is here exhibited, cramped a little, it must be confessed, by the architectural forms and the ritual arrange- ments to which it is applied, but still a ruling and beautifying ]irinciple thoughout. Among all these elements, those who are familiar with architectural history will hardly look for anything indicative of purely Norman taste or feelings. A mere handful of military adventurers, they conquered as soldiers of Rome and for her aggrandizement, and held the fief for her advantage : they could have brought no arts even if their country had then possessed any. They were content that their newly-acquired subjects should erect for them palaces after the beautiful fashion of the country, and that Roman priests should direct the building of churches suited to their forms, but