The Building Boom

One example of the new building boom fueled by the wealth of the commercial revolution is the grand cathedral complex at Parma. Begun in the second half of the twelfth century, it consisted not only of the cathedral (the Duomo) but also a bishop’s palace, baptistery, and freestanding bell tower. Most of the interior of the cathedral is today decorated with paintings from a later period, but we still have the original capitals (tops) of the pillars, which were carved by Lombard craftsmen. Here, on one of the capitals, a winged angel drives Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden. (Galleria Nazionale, Parma, Italy / Scala / Ministero per i Beni e le Attivita culturali / Art Resource, NY.)