Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
M. Vogue's Restoration Of The Basilica Of Constantine.
been adorned by Constantine , Avas extremely magnificent , marble , gold , silver , and precious stones being lavished upon it ; while the Avhole hill was cut aAvay on all sides , so as to leave the rock in Avhich the tomb Avas excavated standing in the midst of a level court .
Round this monument Avas the hemicycle or semicircular court , which was adorned with twelve pillars , according to the number of the twelve apostles ; and this is the first portion of the building which M . Vogue shows to be still existing in the present church .
The rotunda of the edifice UOAV standing contains three small apses , one to the north , one to the south , and one to the Avest . NOAV if these three had been originally built for a circular church , their centres would have been on radii of the circleand the distance betvreen them Avould
, either have been equal , dividing the circle into three , or a fourth apse would have been added to theAvest ; but , on the contrary , the circumference of those to the north and south is on the diameter
of the rotunda , thus making the eastern Avails of these apses flush with the centre of the rotunda , making it evident that they were built for a semicircular edifice . Thus M . Vogue identifies the hemicycle Avith the rotunda of the present church , and in this theory he is borne out by the remains of Roman masonry found on the west AA all of the rotunda Avhich surrounded the
present traditional tomb in the time of Constantine . On the east side of this court was the basilica , and to the east of that the atrium ; if , therefore , the limits of this entrance-hall conlcl be fixed by the discovery of the position of the principal
entrance , the extent of Constantine's edifice Avould be satisfactorily determined ; and if the bounds of the basilica could be determined , it Avould be easy to restore the Avhole building , dividing it into church , atrium , and basilica . Nowin the ancient street of StStephento the east
, . , of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre , Dr . Schultz has discovered the remains of an ancient gateway . These relies consist of a mass of masonry , resembling the corner of a Avail , with a pilaster projecting from it , and of the remains of four pillars of grey Egyptian marble , having an intercolumniation of 2 metres , and a diameter
of about 60 centimetres . These M . Vogue considers , Avith great reason , to be the remains of the colonnade of the principal entrance of the atrium . the width of the whole building is giA r en by the diameter of the rotunda , and the length from east to west is confined between the principal door and the west wall of the rotunda ; the only thing , therefore , required to perfect the plan was the discovery of the limits of the atrium and basilica .
Now , about half-Avay between the first remains and the sepulchre itself , Avere found part of an ancient pier and arch , covered Avith rich mouldings . They appear to have formed the north-west angle of a quadrangle portico , a pilaster of beautiful work being attached to the south and east faces of the pier , and two others of much plainer appearance facing to the Avest and north ,
while four arches spring above , two being ornamented with rich mouldings , and spanning the space between this pier and the two next , on the west and north sides of the portico , and two others of less ornamental appearance connecting the pier with the Avail . From its architectural style , M . Vogue attributes this fragment to the time of Constantineand from its position it
, would naturally form the north-Avest angle of the atrium , thus facilitating the restoration of that building , and determining the limits of the basilica ; while from the span of the arches the distance betAveen the piers may readily be found , aud they can he all restored Avith some degree of certainty .
The description of the basilica itself is somewhat confused ; hut the general idea seems to be that of a five-aisled building , supporting a second order of pillars and a second story of galleries . The proportinus of this part of the edifice M . Vogue has restored from the Basilica of Bethlehem , giving the
same proportional width for the five walks , and the same intercolumniation for the pillars , of which the two inner rows were round , and the Wo outer were square pilasters . Thus has M . Vogue restored from a fragment of the chief entrance , from one pier of the atrium , and from
the Avail of the semi-circle , the Avhole plan of the basilica of Constantine , in a manner AA'hich fits perfectly Avith the conformation of the ground , with the description of Eusebius , and Avith all that we know of the architecture of the time of Constantine . The general plan of the building is similar to that of Bethlehem , of Avhich every pillar iu the five-aisled basilica still remains , together with tbe greater part of the
atrium , aud the semi-circle at the end of the basilica , which contains three apses similar to those of the Holy Sepulchre . This resemblance seems to give further proof of the correctness of M . Vogue's restoration , and from the similarity of some parts of the buildings , those parts Avhich are totalldestroyed iu the basilica of
Jeruy salem , may be safely inferred to have been similar to the corresponding structures in the basilica of Bethlehem , especially since the description of Eusebius would apply equally to either edifice ; on the other haud , the slight differences which are found will be but natural Avhen Ave consider the different
conformation of the ground , the superior magnificence of one building , and the different sites round which they Avere erected . Thus , although the height of the basilica and all the measurements of an elevation , can only be approximately ascertained , yet still enough remains of the
building to perfect the plan Avhich is of much greater importance . On arriving at the basilica from the broad agora , or market square of the city , round the principal gate , the pilgrim entered through a noble colonnade into an atriumwhich was filled by the multitudeand thence
, , into the basilica , or covered Avalk corresponding to the cloisters of the ancient temple ; thence he passed into the court of the Sepulchre , in the midst of Avhich rose a marble monument , in the form of a small chapel , adorned with pillars and shining with gold . The size aud proportions of the Avhole edifice were
very great , and even approached to those of the temple of Herod ; and Ave may Avell judge from the remains Jof the fresco aud arabesque , Irom the graceful forms and rich mouldings of the building of Bethlehem ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
M. Vogue's Restoration Of The Basilica Of Constantine.
been adorned by Constantine , Avas extremely magnificent , marble , gold , silver , and precious stones being lavished upon it ; while the Avhole hill was cut aAvay on all sides , so as to leave the rock in Avhich the tomb Avas excavated standing in the midst of a level court .
Round this monument Avas the hemicycle or semicircular court , which was adorned with twelve pillars , according to the number of the twelve apostles ; and this is the first portion of the building which M . Vogue shows to be still existing in the present church .
The rotunda of the edifice UOAV standing contains three small apses , one to the north , one to the south , and one to the Avest . NOAV if these three had been originally built for a circular church , their centres would have been on radii of the circleand the distance betvreen them Avould
, either have been equal , dividing the circle into three , or a fourth apse would have been added to theAvest ; but , on the contrary , the circumference of those to the north and south is on the diameter
of the rotunda , thus making the eastern Avails of these apses flush with the centre of the rotunda , making it evident that they were built for a semicircular edifice . Thus M . Vogue identifies the hemicycle Avith the rotunda of the present church , and in this theory he is borne out by the remains of Roman masonry found on the west AA all of the rotunda Avhich surrounded the
present traditional tomb in the time of Constantine . On the east side of this court was the basilica , and to the east of that the atrium ; if , therefore , the limits of this entrance-hall conlcl be fixed by the discovery of the position of the principal
entrance , the extent of Constantine's edifice Avould be satisfactorily determined ; and if the bounds of the basilica could be determined , it Avould be easy to restore the Avhole building , dividing it into church , atrium , and basilica . Nowin the ancient street of StStephento the east
, . , of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre , Dr . Schultz has discovered the remains of an ancient gateway . These relies consist of a mass of masonry , resembling the corner of a Avail , with a pilaster projecting from it , and of the remains of four pillars of grey Egyptian marble , having an intercolumniation of 2 metres , and a diameter
of about 60 centimetres . These M . Vogue considers , Avith great reason , to be the remains of the colonnade of the principal entrance of the atrium . the width of the whole building is giA r en by the diameter of the rotunda , and the length from east to west is confined between the principal door and the west wall of the rotunda ; the only thing , therefore , required to perfect the plan was the discovery of the limits of the atrium and basilica .
Now , about half-Avay between the first remains and the sepulchre itself , Avere found part of an ancient pier and arch , covered Avith rich mouldings . They appear to have formed the north-west angle of a quadrangle portico , a pilaster of beautiful work being attached to the south and east faces of the pier , and two others of much plainer appearance facing to the Avest and north ,
while four arches spring above , two being ornamented with rich mouldings , and spanning the space between this pier and the two next , on the west and north sides of the portico , and two others of less ornamental appearance connecting the pier with the Avail . From its architectural style , M . Vogue attributes this fragment to the time of Constantineand from its position it
, would naturally form the north-Avest angle of the atrium , thus facilitating the restoration of that building , and determining the limits of the basilica ; while from the span of the arches the distance betAveen the piers may readily be found , aud they can he all restored Avith some degree of certainty .
The description of the basilica itself is somewhat confused ; hut the general idea seems to be that of a five-aisled building , supporting a second order of pillars and a second story of galleries . The proportinus of this part of the edifice M . Vogue has restored from the Basilica of Bethlehem , giving the
same proportional width for the five walks , and the same intercolumniation for the pillars , of which the two inner rows were round , and the Wo outer were square pilasters . Thus has M . Vogue restored from a fragment of the chief entrance , from one pier of the atrium , and from
the Avail of the semi-circle , the Avhole plan of the basilica of Constantine , in a manner AA'hich fits perfectly Avith the conformation of the ground , with the description of Eusebius , and Avith all that we know of the architecture of the time of Constantine . The general plan of the building is similar to that of Bethlehem , of Avhich every pillar iu the five-aisled basilica still remains , together with tbe greater part of the
atrium , aud the semi-circle at the end of the basilica , which contains three apses similar to those of the Holy Sepulchre . This resemblance seems to give further proof of the correctness of M . Vogue's restoration , and from the similarity of some parts of the buildings , those parts Avhich are totalldestroyed iu the basilica of
Jeruy salem , may be safely inferred to have been similar to the corresponding structures in the basilica of Bethlehem , especially since the description of Eusebius would apply equally to either edifice ; on the other haud , the slight differences which are found will be but natural Avhen Ave consider the different
conformation of the ground , the superior magnificence of one building , and the different sites round which they Avere erected . Thus , although the height of the basilica and all the measurements of an elevation , can only be approximately ascertained , yet still enough remains of the
building to perfect the plan Avhich is of much greater importance . On arriving at the basilica from the broad agora , or market square of the city , round the principal gate , the pilgrim entered through a noble colonnade into an atriumwhich was filled by the multitudeand thence
, , into the basilica , or covered Avalk corresponding to the cloisters of the ancient temple ; thence he passed into the court of the Sepulchre , in the midst of Avhich rose a marble monument , in the form of a small chapel , adorned with pillars and shining with gold . The size aud proportions of the Avhole edifice were
very great , and even approached to those of the temple of Herod ; and Ave may Avell judge from the remains Jof the fresco aud arabesque , Irom the graceful forms and rich mouldings of the building of Bethlehem ,