ROSONE. - A circular window decorated with tracery, generally situated on the façade of churches.
The use of strongly splayed circular openings, known as "oculi," in the sides and apse of churches is already noted in the Carolingian period; however, it is only at the beginning of the 12th century that they are adopted in the façades of northern Italy, together with large bifora or monofora windows, so that their importance is secondary both in terms of composition and lighting (S. Michele Maggiore, S. Pietro in Ciel d'Oro in Pavia, the cathedral of Chieri). In the second half of the same century, the type of rose window with a radiating arrangement of colonnettes begins to take shape, the first example of which is perhaps that of S. Maria Maggiore in Assisi, whose frame bears the date 1162, slightly preceding those of the Cistercian churches (Fossanova, Casamari, Valvisciolo, Chiaravalle della Colomba), in which the rose window constitutes one of the characteristic elements of the façade. This type continues into the early 13th century, sometimes inserted into the lunette of the portal (lower basilica of S. Francesco in Assisi) or structurally and decoratively linked to the windows (abbey church of S. Martino al Cimino) and retains the original form of a simple ring of colonnettes. In the Apulian cathedrals, the dimensions increase significantly, while in the decoration the motif of interlaced arches (Troia, Altamura) or trilobed arches (Ruvo) is introduced, and the frames become richer with the addition of decorative elements (cathedral of Bari). Sometimes the rose window is contained within a large discharging arch with visible archivolts, thus combining decorative and structural functions (cathedrals of Bovino and Troia); a system undoubtedly derived from French models.
But already in the first half of the century, especially in churches, the primitive form becomes more complex; the number of rings of colonnettes increases, often spiral, and the decorative motifs become more intricate, such as recurring circles and polylobes, while on the exterior the symbols of the Evangelists are placed to form frames (upper basilica of S. Francesco in Assisi, S. Pietro and S. Maria Maggiore in Tuscania, cathedrals of Assisi, Foligno, and Spoleto). Likewise, in churches with multiple portals, it is common to place a rose window above each, usually with the central one being larger and positioned higher (S. Pietro in Assisi, cathedrals of Assisi and Foligno, already mentioned, of S. Miniato, Volterra, and Todi); characteristic is the cathedral of Spoleto, in whose façade, alongside the main rose window, two smaller ones open, and three others along the slopes of the gable. This element also spreads to northern Italy, not only in Cistercian churches (S. Andrea in Vercelli) but also in others, reaching large dimensions but always with a simple ring of colonnettes (cathedral of Modena, cathedral and S. Antonino in Piacenza), sometimes paired in some Veronese churches (S. Fermo Maggiore, S. Zeno). Also notable is the superimposition of rose windows on the same vertical line in the façade (S. Paolo in Pistoia) and their adoption in the apses and transepts (S. Andrea in Vercelli, cathedral of Piacenza). This diffusion and increase in size are influenced by the general Gothic architectural tendency to enlarge window surfaces, reducing the masonry of the walls to mere load-bearing frameworks. This occurs particularly in France, where the rose window then acquires the value of a dominant element in the architectural organism of the façade: cathedrals of Poitiers, Carcassonne, Chartres, St-Remy, Amiens, Orléans, and Notre-Dame in Paris.
The 14th century generally continues the forms and arrangements of the previous century, with greater elegance in the tracery, almost like carvings, and favoring the polylobed arches characteristic of late Gothic style. Thus, in S. Maria di Collemaggio in L'Aquila and in the cathedral of Cremona, three rose windows appear in the façade, with the central one richer in multiple rings in the first church and a simple ring in the second; in the cathedrals of Lanciano and Bitetto, the rose window is inserted into a large arch with strongly projecting frames supported by small pilasters. The cathedral of Teramo has a singular arrangement, with the rose window inserted into the gable of the portal. A particular arrangement in some Umbrian and Tuscan churches (S. Caterina in Pisa, cathedrals of Orvieto and Carrara) is that of the rose window inscribed in a square decorated with panels and full-relief figures of saints or symbols in the corners, an arrangement that, except for the latter motif, is also found in the Collegiata of Monza.
In the 15th century, the use of the rose window becomes more sporadic in Italy, persisting mainly in Abruzzo, where the Gothic tradition lasts longer (S. Maria Assunta in Assergi, S. Maria della Tomba in Sulmona, S. Lucia in Magliano dei Marsi), while it is now almost exceptional in other regions (S. Luca in Cremona, Colleoni Chapel in Bergamo); it then almost entirely disappears in the second half of the century with the decisive prevalence of Renaissance forms, which replace it with a simple oculus with a frame. Perhaps the latest expression is found in S. Maria dei Miracoli in Venice (1483), where the motif of the inner circle and the two interlaced crosses denotes a calmer rhythm compared to the whirling Gothic decorative style.
The Palazzo Comunale in Piacenza may be cited as a wholly exceptional example, perhaps the only instance of the adoption of the rose window in civil architecture. - See pl. LXXXIV.
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