Ribbed Domes
Another lantern of interest is to be seen in southern France in the cathedral of Notre Dame-des-Doms at Avignon (probably cir. middle of twelfth century).[318] Here the transepts are narrower than the nave and in order to make the crossing square, a series of four arches has been thrown across between the spandrels of the nave and choir arches, Over the square thus formed is an octagonal lantern on squinches which in turn supports a circular dome with the unusual feature of a series of flat pilaster-like ribs along its-under surface. Such ribs are, of course, largely decorative and correspond to those found in the apses of many neighboring churches.[319] True ribbed domes were also used as a means of covering the crossing,[320] and this is but natural in view of the fact that such domes were quite frequently employed over circular churches, as for example Saint Sepulchre at Cambridge, and the Templar’s Chapel at Laon [(Fig. 55)],[321] while half domes of similar character appear over many apses of the Transitional period.[322]
Fig. 55.—Laon, Church of the Templars.