84. GIOTTO'S TOWER AT FLORENCE
The most ancient belfries of the original provinces of France have great analogies with Byzantine monuments as to form, even when differing in detail. One of the most remarkable of these is the tower of St. Front at Périgueux, which seems to date from the first years of the eleventh century. It marked the sepulchre of the Saint, and apparently embraced two bays of the original three-aisled Latin church of the sixth century, evident traces of which have been discovered to the west of the great domed building of later times.
The tower of St. Front is composed of three square stories, diminishing on plan as they rise, and crowned by a conical dome, resting upon a circular colonnade, the columns of which vary in height and diameter, and owe their origin to Roman examples in the neighbourhood.[29]
[29] L' Architecture Romane, by Ed. Corroyer; Paris, Maison Quantin, 1887.
The influence of this remarkable building was very considerable. It served as a model to architects of the neighbouring provinces. The type was improved upon in the tower of the Abbey Church of Brantôme by the avoidance of the false bearings which mar the structure of St. Front, while at St. Léonard, near Limoges, a very original feature was superadded in the octagonal form of the crown or roof. The Auvergnat architects further perfected the construction by introducing internal piers for the support of the recessed walls of the upper stories, as at Puy.[30]
[30] Ibid. 1888.
It is worthy of note that, in spite of the importance given to these buildings, the space allotted to the bells themselves was comparatively limited, which seems to indicate that the towers were destined for other purposes than the reception of bells. In the eleventh century the tower bore the same relation to the cathedral or abbey as did the donjon to the feudal castle. It was, in fact, the symbol of power. As abbots and bishops enjoyed the same rights as the nobles, it will be readily understood that the costliness of such emblems would be governed solely by the resources of their authors. The number of towers built at about the same period in connection with cathedrals and abbeys, and the importance of such as were attached even to simple parish
churches may be explained if we consider them mainly as denoting the status of an enfranchised commune. The rivalries in connection with neighbouring towers undoubtedly had their origin in conditions such as these.
85. BAYEUX CATHEDRAL. TOWERS OF THE WEST FRONT
