History of mediæval art . s {Fig. 371).Examples are to be foundin the smallest towns. Pa-latial dwellings are, howev-er, most frequent in Venice,where a character of greatindividuality was developedin the facades, the scantground available for build-ing having led to a crampedarrangement of the , the attractions ofthe lagoons and canals in-duced the citizens to placethe chief rooms towards thefront, where the artistic dec-oration was thus naturallyconcentrated. The greatdepth of the buildings ren-dered large and numerous windows necessary, and led to the adop-tion of a peculiar
History of mediæval art . s {Fig. 371).Examples are to be foundin the smallest towns. Pa-latial dwellings are, howev-er, most frequent in Venice,where a character of greatindividuality was developedin the facades, the scantground available for build-ing having led to a crampedarrangement of the , the attractions ofthe lagoons and canals in-duced the citizens to placethe chief rooms towards thefront, where the artistic dec-oration was thus naturallyconcentrated. The greatdepth of the buildings ren-dered large and numerous windows necessary, and led to the adop-tion of a peculiar system of tracery by which the apertures weremultiplied. A similar method of design has been noticed in thecloisters and palaces of Southern Italy, but the great advance in thenorth of that country is evinced by a comparison of the clumsinessand rudeness of Campanian structures with the perfect proportionsand elegant refinement of Venetian facades. The culture of North-ern Italy was of the greatest promise for the Fig. 371.—Street View in Siena. 582 THE EXTENSION OF GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE. SPAIN. The remaining countries of the Occident were less independentin regard to the Gothic style. A certain degree of receptivenessin this respect is everywhere observable, and a higher architecturaldevelopment takes the place of the former rudeness and helpless-ness ; but the beginnings were always due to the influence of foreigndesigners, and it was long before the native artisans had attainedsufficient training to carfy on the work without such and Germany provided the masters,—the former for Spainand the Western Netherlands, Germany for the countries borderingit on the north and east. Christian Spain, after the beginning of the thirteenth century,no longer stood so entirely in an attitude of defence. The Christiankings, who had hitherto but rarely been united, rose against theirMoorish enemies with one accord, defeating them in the battle ofLas Navas de Tolos
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