The Noble Beauty of Polychrome Marble Designs in Church Architecture - A Brief Visual Survey

Chiesa S. Pietro, Massa d'Albe, Abruzzo

We have spoken here before on more than one occasion about the beauty of polychrome marbles in ecclesiastical architecture. Rather than go over the topic again, today I thought we would just do a little virtual 'sight-seeing' as a kind of visual meditation on the particular beauty of this tradition. I will however comment that it often strikes me that this is a style or ornamentation that has greater potentialities for our own time, one that could be borrowed from in a much greater way than it currently is in contemporary forms of traditional church architecture. While some of these forms, particularly where church pavements are concerned, can be very complex and ornate, many of these designs are quite simple, involving the use of rectangular and circular geometric shapes. In that regard, it is a style that could be readily adopted by modern church architects and designers. 

So with all of that in mind, let's simply breathe in the beauty of these timeless designs that exude noble beauty and simplicity.

San Crisogono, Rome

Detail of Cosmatesque pavement in the Cathedral of S. Lorenzo, Viterbo

Detail of Cosmatesque pavement, Aix-la-Chapelle, Aachen, Germany

Ambo of S. Lorenzo fuori le mura, Rome

Basilica of S. Elia, Castel Sant'Elia

Detail of the cosmatesque pavement of the Cathedral of S. Maria Maggiore in Civita Castellana

San Clemente, Rome

Ss. Nereo e Achilleo, Rome

San Clemente, Rome

Ambo, Chiesa S. Pietro, Masse d'Albe 

St. John Lateran

Cappella Palatina, Palermo, Sicily

S. Cesareo, Terracina

San Vitale, Ravenna

San Vitale, Ravenna

S. Lorenzo fuori le mura, Rome

Confessio, San Giorgio al Velabro

Lateral view of the altar of the Basilica of S. Francesco, Assisi 

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