Identifier: cu31924081258430 (find matches)
Title: Mediaeval Sicily, aspects of life and art in the middle ages
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Waern, Cecilia, 1853-
Subjects: Art Art, Medieval
Publisher: London, Duckworth & co
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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nce come to be known as the Martorana. About one hundred and fifty years later it wasagain too small, and an improvement and enlarge-ment, greatly lauded by contemporaries, wascontrived (as in town houses nowadays) by throw-ing down a wall and roofing over what had becomea useless old courtyard, i.e. the atrium. They hadthe sense, nevertheless, to save and make use of theold columns and capitals, two mosaic panels fromthe old fa9ade and the fine carved door of Saracenicwork. More old columns were bought (in August1688) froxn other churches, two from Sant Antonio,three from Sta. Catterina all Olivella. One ofthese shafts was of granite and was sawed in fourto provide bases for the others. In 1633-36 the need for a larger choir was felt,and was obtained—we can almost hear them discussit—by pulling down the cramping semicircular wallof the old Greek apse, which simply had to go.Some of the tessera of the mosaics were actually usedin an attempt at imitation in one of the embrasures146
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Di. < o< THE MARTORANA of the new cappellone. In the eighteenth centurythere were further changes, principally redecorationwith marble inlays in the gorgeous fashion of theday. Finally the top (cupola) of the bell-towerwas taken down after an earthquake in 1726, whena skilful architect who saw it done wept tears ofrage at the folly of destroying the top instead oflooking after the foundations. Other alterationsand additions have been left unmentioned forbrevity. The task taken over by the Governmentrestorers in 1866 was not, it must be admitted, aneasy one. We shall begin our study with this campanile.It is evident, I think, that the tower still in situ isthe tower of many columns described by ibnJubair, and not dating from the thirteenth century,as has been suggested, on the score of a certainlikeness to the west turrets of the cathedral. It ishardly conceivable that the tower of many columnsseen by ibn Jubair should be replaced by anothertower of many columns (the one we see)

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