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Photographer’s Note

One of the most appealing Italian churches of the Romanesque period is the Abbey of Pomposa, begun in the late ninth century on marshy land 50 miles southeast of Ferrara. It became popular with local dignitaries—including the Benedictine monk and musical reformer Guido d'Arezzo.

The interior of the three-aisle abbey is architecturally simple, with planar, almost shaved stone wall...topped by a wood-truss roof. The raised sanctuary level in the apse is the only structural accent. This purposeful simplicity provides the perfect background for the extraordinary frescoes that cover almost all available wall space. Painted in the 1350s by Iacopo da Bologna, they combine medieval primitiveness with Byzantine overtones— accents from nearby Ravenna. The walls depict Old and New Testament scenes; the apse shows Christ with the Blessed.

(G. E. Kidder Smith. Looking at Architecture)

The Pomposa bell tower shown in this picture is 48 meters high and given that it was initiated in 1063, stands over the even surrounding countryside for little less than 10 centuries...

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Additional Photos by Dario Marizza (dmarizz) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 290 W: 142 N: 459] (2390)
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