The Church of San Giacomo di Rialto in the Medieval Era
abstract
The Venetian church San Giacomo di Rialto is one of the oldest surviving medieval structures on the Lagoon today. Constructed around the year 1000, it follows a ‘Greek cruciform’ or cross-in-square architectural layout which was predominantly developed in the territories of the Byzantine Empire during the High Middle Ages (1000-1204). This paper examines the significance of the architecture of San Giacomo. This paper details the history of the construction of the church and subsequently its importance in the physical, ideological, and cultural construction of medieval Venice. In this paper I evaluate the difference between Eastern and Western architecture in the Medieval Mediterranean and how San Giacomo exemplifies or challenges both styles.
Keywords: Romanesque • High Middle Ages • San Giacomo di Rialto • Medieval • History of Venice • Basilica • Medieval architecture • Byzantine • Venice • Greek cruciform