Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/352

 292 Sloan's Architectural Review and Builders' Journal. [Nov, When Gian' Galeazzo endowed the Duomo, he included in his donations the marble quarries of La Gandoglia on the Simplon road, beyond the Lago Mag- giore, and of the product of these quar- ries the building is entirely constructed. Time gives to this marble a fine warm yellow tint. In addition to Heinrich Ahrler, archi- tect-projector, a multitude of architects, of more or less note, devoted their time and genius, or talents, varying with the man, to this glorious pile. The masonic brethren of " Gamodia," Hammerer, Brunelleschi, Simone de Ursinigo, Bra- mante, Bramantino, Csesare Csesariano, Yicenzo Sevegno, Guiseppe Meda, An- gelo Siciliani, Galeazzo Perngini, Pelle- grino Pellegrini, Martin Basso, Gabrio Busea, Melchiotte Megliavacca. Dome- nico Lonati, Gio. Maria Olgiati, Giac- como Soldati, Fabio Mangoni, Carlo Buzzi, Girolamo Quadro, and others. With all his genius and aspiration, when the corner-stone was laid, Ahrler — far better fated than he of Cologne Cathe- dral — must have thought pensively of the far distant completion that himself could never hope to see. Yet much less alteration of design has occurred here than five hundred years, or fifteen human generations, would warrant ; and, if, hap- ly, and happily, in the years to come, the west front shall be re-erected, in grand. pointed fashion, the spirit of the master- architect, already gratified beyond most human hope, can contemplate this re- splendent and resounding Gothic an- them with the most ineffable delight. " This cathedral is remarkable for the extreme lightness of its construction. Around the roof and sides are 4600 niches, most of which are already occu- pied by statues, as the remainder will be. The building is also adorned with more than a hundred beautiful spires, giving the exterior the appearance of a forest of marble. In the interior every thing is of the most imposing and gor- geous description, and the eye wanders almost overpowered by the multitude of elegant and grand objects claiming attention. The floor is formed of marble of different colors, disposed in various patterns ; paintings by the most cele- brated masters adorn the walls ; and the groups of figures presented by the resplendent windows are of a size and boldness probably unequaled in the world." The principal dimensions of the cathe- dral, omitting fractions, are as follows : English feet. Extreme length 486 Breadth of the body 252 Between the transept ends .... 288 Width of the nave, from centre to centre of the columns, which is double the width of the aisles, measured in the same way. . 63 Height of the crown of the vault- ing, in the nave, from the pave- ment 153 Height from the pavement to the top of the statue of the Madon- na, which crowns the spire. . 355 Just beyond the entrance, the pave- ment, which is a mosaic of red, blue and white marble, is marked by a meridian line laid down by the astronomers of Brera in 1786. The sun's rays, passing through a small aperture in the roof, cross it, of course, at high noon. The ground-plan of the Duomo is a Latin Cross, terminated by an apse, or tribune, in the form of five sides of an octagon. The body is divided into a nave and four aisles, by four ranges of colos- sal clustered pillars, with nine inter- columniations. The transepts and the chancel end are divided into three aisles. There is no triforium gallery, nor any division corresponding with it. The vaultings of the roof spring directly from the pillars, whence arises an ap- pearance of great loftiness. Fifty-two pillars, each formed by a cluster of eight shafts, support the pointed arches on which rests the roof. The total height of each pillar of the nave and chancel is eighty feet. The diameter of the shaft