St. Marks vs. Notre Dame
St. Mark's Cathedral, built in 829AD, contains a plethora of different architectural and sculptural influences from throughout the centuries. Although it was built in the Byzantine era its style is rooted in the traditions of the Roman Empire (Demus). St. Mark's giant vaulted ceiling contains five large timber frame domes which each rest on a group of four piers. One large central dome is surrounded by four smaller domes in the pattern of a Greek cross (photo).
In order to support the base of the largest dome, four pendentives, or spherical triangles spring out…
