---+-------+--------------------------+------------------------------- 1. | 805 | Magister Natalis | A Lombard, employed at Lucca | | | to build a church and make | | | a canal. | | 2. | 900? | M. Johannis de Menazio | Built the church of S. Giacomo | | (and many other Masters | at Pontida. | | from Como) | | | | 3. | " | A "famous Magister" | Worked at S. Zeno at Verona, | | from Como (name not | and built S. Zeno at Pontida. | | given) | | | | 4. | " | M. Adami | Sculptured the capitals in the | | | atrium of S. Ambrogio at | | | Milan. ---+-------+--------------------------+------------------------------- We may safely say that Charlemagne, who was more a warrior than a man of æsthetic tastes, had no influence whatever on Italian architecture; neither the form nor the symbolism was changed by him. The Italians were always conservative, and clung to old traditions. The Roman basilica, and not the Eastern mosque, still continued to be the plan of the Italian church. Ricci asserts that by the end of the eighth century all imitation of Oriental architecture had disappeared from Italian churches. It was not the same, however, with the ornamentations, in which the frozen Byzantine forms became vitalized under hands less technically skilful, but more natural. [Illustration: DOOR OF A CHAPEL IN S. PRASSEDE, ROME. _See page 83._] [Illustration: PLUTEUS FROM S. MARCO DEI PRECIPAZI, NOW IN S. GIACOMO, VENICE. _See page 84._] Charlemagne did not even alter the Longobardic laws, and he certainly did not interfere with the freedom and privileges of the Comacines or _Liberi Muratori_. In fact he ratified the Lombard code (the laws of Rotharis and Luitprand), only adding a few others which are known as _Capitolari_. They do not, however, refer specially to our _Magistri_, but to jurisprudence in general. The older laws still held good for the Comacines, and they went on building their Basilican churches, which were at the same time classic in form, solid in style, and fanciful in decoration--a curious and characteristic mixture. But Charlemagne certainly patronized the Comacines, and not only employed them himself, but sent them to restore Roman churches for Pope Adrian, and to fortify Florence. The early Carlovingian churches in Italy have so much analogy with the Longobardic ones, that it is very difficult to distinguish precisely to which era certain churches belong.