Page:History of Architecture in All Countries Vol 1.djvu/369

 Bk. IV. Ch. Y. TRIUMPHAL ARCHES. 337 Unfortunately its sculptures are so much destroyed by time and vio- lence that it is not easy to speak with certainty as to their age ; but more might be done than has hitherto been effected to illustrate this important monument. At Rheims there is an arch which was probably much more mag- nificent than this. When in a perfect state it was 110 ft. in width, and had three openings, the central one 17 ft. Mide by 40 ft. high, and those on each side 10 ft. in width, each separated by two Corinthian columns. From the style of the sculpture it certainly was of the last age of the Iioman Empire, but having been built into the walls of the city, it has been so much injured that it is difficult to say what its original form may have been. Besides these there is in France a very elegant single-arched gate- way at St. Remi, similar to and probably of the same age as that at Beneventum ; another at Cavallon, and one at Carpentras, each with 217. Porte St. Andre at Autuu. (Frum Laboriie's " Mominiens de la France.) one arch. There is also one with two similar arches at Langres; and one, the Porta Nigra at Besangon, which shows so complete a transi- tion from the Roman style that it is difficult to believe that it does not belong to the Renaissance. There still remains in France another class of arches, certainly not triumphal, but so similar to those just mentioned that it is difiicult to separate the one from the othei-. The most important of these are two at Autun, called respectively the Porte Arroux and the Porte St. Andre, a view of which is given in Woodcut No. 217. Each of these has two central large archways for carriages, and one on each side for foot-passengers. Their most remarkable peculiarity is the light arcade VOJ.. I. — 22