History of mediæval art . -erected with the adoption of a vaulted con-struction throughout. Its ceilings of masonry did not entirely pro-:ect it from other conflagrations in 1137 and 1191, but the piers 286 ROMANIC ARCHITECTURE. and walls remained intact, although the vaults at present existingwere executed after the last-named date. The architectural charac-ter of the edifice is primitive and rude, but certainly substantial anddignified {Fig. 163). The Cathedral of Speyer, which is but littlemore recent, is of a much finer design, and certainly deserves to beconsidered as the most important m
History of mediæval art . -erected with the adoption of a vaulted con-struction throughout. Its ceilings of masonry did not entirely pro-:ect it from other conflagrations in 1137 and 1191, but the piers 286 ROMANIC ARCHITECTURE. and walls remained intact, although the vaults at present existingwere executed after the last-named date. The architectural charac-ter of the edifice is primitive and rude, but certainly substantial anddignified {Fig. 163). The Cathedral of Speyer, which is but littlemore recent, is of a much finer design, and certainly deserves to beconsidered as the most important monument of the Romanic style,at least in Germany, from its grand dimensions as well as from itsingenious and effective construction and details {Figs. 161 and 162).At the death of the founder of the building, the Emperor Con-rad II., 1039, only the crypt had been completed, and the con-secration which is known to have taken place in 1061 probably hadreference only to the choir, as the structure was not finished until. Fig. 161.—Plan of the Cathedral of Speyer. the twelfth century. The plan, however, by which the piers wereintended to serve as supports of the main vault is certainly refera-ble to the eleventh century, and in view of the slight difference inage between this building and the Cathedral of Mayence {Fig. 163), itis reasonable to ascribe the far greater perfection of the former to theartistic ability of its architect, rather than to any appreciable ad-vance in the development of the style. The impost cornices of thepiers, carried around upon all sides, the pilasters, continued to thespring of the main vault, the columns of semicircular plan engagedto these strips and providing the impost for the transverse arches,the arcades in relief above the clerestory windows, the third smallwindow at the top of each compartment, etc., though exhibiting theprimitive and uncertain design of an innovation, are unquestionableevidences of originality and entire emancipation fr
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