a spire as a
terminal.

[Illustration: FIG. 51.--THE CATHEDRAL AT FLORENCE. WITH GIOTTO'S
CAMPANILE. (BEGUN, 1298; DOME, 1420-1444; CAMPANILE BEGUN,
1324.)]

Our illustration (Fig. 52) shows the west front and campanile of the
Cathedral at Siena, an exceedingly good specimen of the beauties and
peculiarities of the style. This building was commenced in 1243. The
plan is simple but singular, for the central feature is a six-sided
dome, at the crossing of the nave and transepts; and some ingenuity
has been spent in fitting this figure to the arches of the main
avenues of the building. The interior is rich and effective; the
exterior, as can be seen by the illustration, is covered with
ornament, and the front is the richest and probably the best designed
of all the cathedral fronts of Central Italy. The strongly-marked
horizontal lines of cornices, arcades, &c., the moulded gables, the
great wheel-window set in a square panel, and the use of marble of
various colours, are all points to note. So is the employment of the
semicircular arch for the doorways of this thoroughly Gothic building.
The campanile is a good example of that feature, except that instead
of the rich window which usually occupies the belfry stage, or highest
storey, two storeys of small lights have been formed. The
introduction of angle turrets is not very usual, and it here supplies
a deficiency which makes itself felt in other campaniles, where the
junction of tower and spire is not always happy.

[Illustration: FIG. 52.--CATHEDRAL AT SIENA. WEST FRONT AND
CAMPANILE. (FACADE BEGUN 1284.)]

Gothic churches of importance can be found in many of the cities and
towns of Central Italy. None are more remarkable than the singular
double church of St. Francis at Assisi, with its wealth of mural
paintings and stained glass, and the cathedral at Orvieto (Fig. 53)
with its splendid front.

In Rome, so rich in specimens of the architecture of many styles and
times, Gothic could find no footing; the one solitary church which can
be claimed as Gothic may be taken as an exception. And south of the
Capital there lies a considerable tract of country, containing few if
any examples of the style we are considering.

_Southern Italy._

Southern Italy is conveniently grouped with Sicily, but the mainland
is deficient in examples of Gothic buildings. The old towns of Apulia
indeed, such as Bari, Bitonto and Brindisi, possess an architecture