The Romanesque cathedral of St Martin in Lucca, Italy, was begun in 1063 by Bishop Anselm (later Pope Alexander II). Now the great apse with its tall columnar arcades and the fine campanile remain. Download high resolution version (657x843, 96 KB)The Cattedrale San Martino in Lucca, February 2005. ... Download high resolution version (657x843, 96 KB)The Cattedrale San Martino in Lucca, February 2005. ... Romanesque St. ... Lucca is a city in Tuscany, northern central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plain near (but not on) the Ligurian Sea. ... Alexander II, né Anselmo Baggio (d. ... This article is about an architectural feature; for the astronomical term see apsis. ... St. ...

The nave and transepts having been rebuilt in the Gothic style in the 14th century, while the west front was begun in 1204 by "Guidetto" (Guido Bigarelli of Como), and consists of a vast portico of three magnificent arches, and above them three ranges of open galleries enriched with sculpture. Full descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are found at the entry Cathedral diagram. ... See also Gothic art. ...

In the nave a little octagonal temple or chapel shrine contains the most precious of the relics of Lucca, a cedar-wood crucifix, carved, according to the legend, by Nicodemus, and miraculously conveyed to Lucca in 782. This is The Sacred Countenance (Volto Santo), as it is generally called, because the face of the Saviour is considered a true likeness. Christ is clothed in the colobium, a long sleeveless garment. The chapel was built in 1484 by Matteo Civitali (1436-1501), the most famous Luccan sculptor of the early Renaissance. Links to full descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are also found at the entry Cathedral diagram. ... Nicodemus (Greek: Νικόδημος) was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, who showed favor to Jesus. ...

labyrinth on the portico of the cathedral

The tomb of Ilaria del Carretto by Jacopo della Quercia of Siena, the earliest of his extant works (1406), is one of the earliest works showing the incipient Renaissance. Image File history File links Labyrinth_Lucca. ... Image File history File links Labyrinth_Lucca. ... Jacopo della Quercia (c. ... In the traditional view, the Renaissance is understood as an historical age that was preceded by the Middle Ages and followed by the Reformation. ...