Covered all over with gold mosaic, the interior might
appear tolerable, such as we see partially applied at the
west end ; but then, it may be asked, what building of this
class would not look well if covered with mosaics on a gold
ground. The arches of the arcade are of an immense span,
and the nave-vaulting space, as usual in Italian work, is a
square — not a parallelogram, as with us — and the vaulting
of the aisles of course assumes the latter form, but with
the longer side stretching from east to west.
There is no triforium, and the clerestory is restricted

to a single bull's-eye window. The line, therefore, of the

wall rib comes most unpleasantly near that of the arcade,

and the whole effect is starved and mean.
288




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THE GOTHIC : FLORENCE

A gallery carried on machicolations, runs right along the
church at the springing of the vaulting, and as it is carried
round the pilasters which take the vaulting, it looks ex-
ceedingly clumsy. We find the same composition at Sta
Croce, except that there is a gabled roof of wood in that
church instead of vaulting, and the clerestory windows are
tall ones of two lights. Of this latter building, also attri-
buted to Arnolfo, an illustration is given, by the side of
that of the Duomo.
