The conquests of the Moors introduced a fresh
style of architecture into Europe after the eighth century—the Moorish or Saracenic. This style accompanied the spread of Mahommedanism after its rise in Arabia in the seventh century. The edifices erected by the Moors and Saracens in Spain, Egypt, and Turkey are distinguished, among other things, by a peculiar form of the arch, which forms a curve constituting more than half a circle or ellipse. A peculiar flowery decoration, called arabesque, is a common ornament of this style, of which the building called the Alhambra (q.v.) is perhaps the chief glory.
The Germans were unacquainted with architecture until the time of Charlemagne. He introduced into Germany the Byzantine and Romanesque styles. Afterwards the Moorish or Arabian style had some influence upon that of the Western nations, and thus originated the mixed style which maintained itself till the middle of the thirteenth century. Then began the modern Gothic style, which grew up in France, England, and Germany. Its striking characteristics are its pointed arches, its pinnacles and spires, its large buttresses, clustered pillars, vaulted roofs, profusion of ornament, and, on the whole, its lofty, bold character. Its most distinctive feature, as compared with the Greek or the Egyptian style, is the predominance in it of perpendicular or rising lines, producing forms that convey the idea of soaring or mounting upwards. Its greatest capabilities have been best displayed in ecclesiastical edifices. The Gothic style is divided into four principal epochs: the Early Pointed, or general style of the thirteenth century; the Decorated, or style of the fourteenth century; the Perpendicular, practised during the fifteenth and early part of the sixteenth centuries; and the Tudor, or general style of the sixteenth century. This style lasted in England up to the seventeenth century, being gradually displaced by that branch of the Renaissance or modified revival of ancient Roman architecture which is known as the Elizabethan style, and which is perhaps more purely an English style than any other that can be named.
The rise of the Renaissance style in Italy is the greatest event in the history of architecture after the introduction of the Gothic style. The Gothic style had been introduced into the country and extensively employed, but had never been thoroughly naturalized. The Renaissance is a revival of the classic style based on the study of the ancient models; and having practically commenced in Florence about the beginning of the fifteenth century, it soon spread with great rapidity over Italy and the greater part of Europe. The most illustrious architects of this early period of the style were Brunelleschi, who built at Florence the dome of the cathedral, the Pitti Palace, &c., besides many edifices at Milan, Pisa, Pesaro, and Mantua; Alberti, who wrote an important work on architecture, and erected many beautiful churches; Bramante, who began the building of St. Peter's, Rome, and Michael Angelo, who erected its magnificent dome. On St. Peter's were also employed Raphael, Peruzzi, and San Gallo. The noblest building in this style of architecture in Britain is St. Paul's, London, the work of Sir Christopher Wren.
Since the Renaissance period there has been no architectural development requiring special note. In buildings erected at the present day some one of the various styles of architecture is employed according to taste. Modern
dwelling-houses have necessarily a style of their own as far as stories and apartments and windows and chimneys can give them one. In general the Grecian style, as handed down by Rome and modified by the Italian architects of the Renaissance, from its right angles and straight entablatures, is more convenient, and fits better with the distribution of our common buildings, than the pointed and irregular Gothic. But the occasional introduction of the Gothic outline and the partial employment of its ornaments has undoubtedly an agreeable effect both in public and private edifices; and we are indebted to it, among other things, for the spire, a structure exclusively Gothic, which, though often misplaced, has become an object of general approbation and a pleasing landmark to cities and villages. The works most characteristic of the present day are the large bridges, viaducts, &c., in many of which iron is the sole or most characteristic portion of the material.
A few words may be added on the architecture of India and China. Although many widely-differing styles are to be found in India, the oldest and only true native style of Indian ecclesiastical architecture is the Buddhist, the earliest specimens dating from 250 B.C. Among the chief objects of Buddhist art are stupas or topes, built in the form of large towers, and employed as dágobas to contain relics of Buddha or of some noted saint. Other works of Buddhist art are temples or monasteries excavated from the solid rock, and supported by pillars of the natural rock left in their places. Buddhist architecture is found in Ceylon, Tibet, Java, &c., as well as in India. The most remarkable Hindu or Brahmanical temples are in Southern India. They are pyramidal in form, rising in a series of stories. The Saracenic or Mohammedan architecture afterwards introduced into India is, of course, of foreign origin. The Chinese have made the tent the elementary feature of their architecture; and of their style any one may form an idea by inspecting the figures which are depicted upon common chinaware. Chinese roofs are concave on the upper side, as if made of canvas instead of wood. (For further information see Greek, Roman, Gothic, English, French, Russian Architecture; and Building, Fine Arts, Arch, Column, Aqueduct, Corinthian, Doric, Ionic, Theatre, &c.)—Bibliography: J. Ruskin, Seven Lamps of Architecture; E. A. Freeman, History of Architecture; Viollet-le-Duc, How to build a House; J. T. Micklethwaite, Modern Parish Churches; H. H. Statham, Architecture for General Readers and Critical History of Architecture; J. Fergusson, History of Architecture in all Countries; F. M. Simpson, A History of Architectural Development; Cyclopedia of Architecture.