The Baptist Cathedral Comparison

While comparing the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, otherwise known as the Duomo, and the Saint John the Baptist Cathedral, or the Savannah Cathedral, one will find that the two are from precisely different realms nevertheless have many similarities, through style, magnitude, and art. The Duomo is located in Florence, Italy while Saint John the Baptist Cathedral is located in Savannah, Georgia. However, such a distance between the two does not hinder the fact that each both have the same basic bones of a cathedral and share many similarities. By comparing and contrasting these two pieces of architecture one can find an appreciation for each of their respective styles.

Historically each of these cathedrals have a rich story. However, the

As they are both in a variation of Gothic style, they began with the same frameworks. The original plan for the Duomo is nearly identical to the current floor plan of the Savannah Cathedral, the basic Gothic wide nave with two aisles one each side. At the front of the Cathedral are several radiating chapels, in the case of the Savannah Cathedral there are three. As for the Duomo there are five just off the apse. One aspect that these cathedrals share is the use of arches and columns, which is consistent with the Gothic Renaissance style. When viewing a photo of the interior of these churches, aside from the size difference, it is difficult to differentiate the two. The style of the multitude of arches is ribbed and pointed, whereas later styles would prefer rounded arches. The multitude columns within the building are more slender and defined than earlier Roman styles would be bulkier, these thinner columns lead to beautiful stained glass windows in both cathedrals. The difference in style is that the Savannah Cathedral, which is French Gothic, has two towers on the front facing wall that are much taller than the center. This is apposed to the Duomo that has a towering center. These two cathedrals have staggeringly similar styles specifically when it comes to the interior columns and arches, however, are

The Duomo is known for it’s dome, this fact is quite obvious considering the fact that its name essentially translates to dome. This dome was revolutionary for the time, and is the largest brick dome to exist. For centuries domes were used in order to represent the heavens, this is no exception. Having the largest and most impressive dome is yet another way to show the wealth and holiness of the city of Florence to the architects of the time. The Savannah Cathedral has a similar effect with its towering spires that were added in 1896. The later style switches from the use of domes to spires in order to point towards a higher place. While they are different, these two aspects have similar effects. They are meant to impress and give a further illusion of