ROMANESQUE, ROMANO-BYZANTINE, LOMBARD, COMACINE -- style -- Perkins, Historical Handbook of Italian Sculpture

Speranza

THE FIRST TWO NAMES sufficiently denote their origin, but the two last demand explanation.

THAT OF LOMBARD, as appliedt to any art is an absolute MISNOMER, if supposed to be derived from the barbarous tribes who crossed the ALPS under ALBOINUS, king of the LOMBARDS or LONGOBARDS, reduced the greater part of ITALIA to subjection and ruled it for nearly two centuries, since they, like the GOTHS, were ignorant and unlettered.

It was not because the new style of architecture, which sprang up in ITALY during their dominion, originated with them, that the name of LOMBARD was applied to the manner of building then prevalent, but because the GREATER part of the southern as well as the NORTHERN Italian provinces were comprehended under the NAME of "LOMBARDIA".

The name of "COMACINE" was derived from a body of ITALIAN architects who built for the LOMBARDS, and kept art traditions alive while their rule lasted.

FOR TWENTY years after ALBOINUS and his followers overran the plains of LOMBARDIA, the

ISOLETTA COMACINA

-- an island in the Lake of COMO --

which held out against their power under FRANCIONE, an imperial partisan, contained numbers of FUGITIVES from all parts of ITALIA, amongst whom were many killed artists known as

the MAESTRI COMACINI -- a name afterwords changed into that of "CASARI" or "CASARII", builders of houses.

After they had submitted to the invaders (A. D. 590), their COLLEGE or guild was favoured by the LOMBARD kings.

Its members were affranchised, made citizens, and allowed certain important privileges, but there is no evidence that the LOMBARD KINGS did anything to protect arts, commerce, or industry before the reign of KING ROTARI (AD 636-652), whose code of laws contains special enactments for the protection of the MAESTRI COMACINI, and a recognition of their free jurisdiction in the name given to them of FREE-MASONS.