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                                                                      		   GENOA  DUOMO
                                                                      
                                                                            Cathedral of Genoa. Most singular, as having the utmost delicacy of
                                                                      detail engrafted on a mingling of one Norman and early
                                                                      French with Romanesque.  The three main doors are almost
                                                                      pure Norman in their plan:  only their shafts are set in
                                                                      front of a sloping wall instead of innnooks;  but above the
                                                                      rolls are carried on touched by zigzag mouldings, or long
                                                                      teeth, of the severest Norman cast.  The  capitals are for
                                                                      the most part of the peculiar early French knob leaved
                                                                      springing bell;  but instead of the heavy contours of
                                                                      Dijon, their leaves are cut through and through into a
                                                                      transparent chasing, which I can compare to nothing but
                                                                      the wrought silver of the strada degli d’Orefici  These
                                                                      capitals are the most exquisite I have ever seen for deli-
                                                                      cacy of effect on the eye from below;  perfect filigree
                                                                      while yet their simplicity of general form is never sacri-
                                                                      ficed I think they lose somewhat in dignity and power;  but
                                                                      it is a new form of management of this capital, worth the
                                                                       most attentive study.
                                                                       There capitals are set on shafts - some slender and like
                                                                      rocks some, at least two - of the most graceful wave of
                                                                      white alabaster - like a rolling wave - properly a spheri-
                                                                      cal spiral that like that of Raffaelle’s beautiful gate,
                                                                      others with stems twined round them and throwing off knots
                                                                      at intervals with great boldness and yet formality - all
                                                                      finished with consummate

[Version 0.05: May 2008]