Bk. VIII. Cn. II. CIECULAR CHURCHES. 313 11th century. Its general form is that of an extremely irregular octagon, about 60 ft. in diameter, in the centre of which stands a circlet of columns, some coupled, some single, supporting a semi- circular dome. The circumscribing aisle is covered with the usual intersecting ribbed vault of the 10th century, but the whole is so rude as scarcely to deserve mention except for its antiquity. At Brescia there are two circular churches : one, the Duomo Vecchio, may be anterior even to the Carlovingian era — Hiibsch ik iti3
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m ^^ ^ 748. Plan of the Duomo, Brescia. (From Hiibsch,) Scale 100 ft. to 1 iu. 749. Elevation of Duomo at Brescia. (From Hiibsch.) Scale 50 ft. to 1 in. ^^■■^^ 750. Section of Duomo at Brescia. (From Hiibsch.) Scale 50 ft. to 1 in. thinks it belongs to the 7th century. Whatever its date, it is one of the best preserved and most interesting churches of its class in the North of Italy. As will be seen from the plan, it is a large church, 125 ft. across over all, and is covered by a dome 65 ft. diameter internally, supported by eight piers of very plain design. The mode in which light is introduced into the central compartment illustrates the various tentative expedients by which the architects in that age
