Italian Gothic architecture

Italian Gothic architecture
Top: Siena Cathedral; center: Interior of Orvieto Cathedral; bottom: Milan Cathedral
Years active12th to 15th century
LocationItaly

Gothic architecture appeared in the prosperous independent city-states of Italy in the 12th century, at the same time as it appeared in Northern Europe. In fact, unlike in other regions of Europe, it did not replace Romanesque architecture, and Italian architects were not very influenced by it. However, each city developed its own particular variations of the style.[1] Italian architects preferred to keep the traditional construction methods established in the previous centuries; architectural solutions and technical innovations of French Gothic were seldom used. Soaring height was less important than in Northern Europe. Brick rather than stone was the most common building material, and marble was widely used for decoration.[2] In the 15th century, when the Gothic style dominated both Northern Europe and the Italian Peninsula, Northern Italy became the birthplace of Renaissance architecture.[1]

  1. ^ a b Watkin 1986, pp. 166–67.
  2. ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Western Architecture, Italian Gothic" (retrieved August 28, 2020)