Trifora is a type of three-light
window
A window is an opening in a wall, door, roof, or vehicle that allows the exchange of light and may also allow the passage of sound and sometimes air. Modern windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparent or translucent ma ...
. The trifora usually appears in towers and belfries—on the top floors, where it is necessary to lighten the structure with wider openings.
Overview
The trifora has three openings divided by two small columns or
pilaster
In architecture, a pilaster is both a load-bearing section of thickened wall or column integrated into a wall, and a purely decorative element in classical architecture which gives the appearance of a supporting column and articulates an ext ...
s, on which rest three arches, round or acute. Sometimes, the whole trifora is framed by a further large arch. The space among arches is usually decorated by a coat of arms or a circular opening. Less popular than the
mullioned window
A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid sup ...
, the trifora was, however, widely used in the
Romanesque,
Gothic, and
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
periods. Later, the window was mostly forgotten, coming back in vogue in the nineteenth century, in the period of
eclecticism
Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories i ...
and the rediscovery of ancient styles (
Neo-Gothic
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...
,
Neo-Renaissance
Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th-century Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival architecture, Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival ar ...
, and so on). Compared to the mullioned window, the trifora was generally used for larger and more ornate openings.
Gallery
File:Rivalta Scrivia Abbazia Santa Maria Trifora.jpg, Abbazia di Santa Maria di Rivalta in Tortona
File:Stained glass window Constance Minster.JPG, Konstanz Minster
Konstanz Minster or Konstanz Cathedral () is a historical building in Konstanz, southern Germany, the proto-cathedral of the former Roman Catholic diocese of Konstanz (dissolved in 1821).
History
The first mention of a church in Konstanz dedi ...
File:Siena Palazzo Pubblico 20030813-349.jpg, Palazzo Pubblico
The Palazzo Pubblico (town hall) is a historic palace in Siena, Tuscany, in central Italy. Located on the Piazza del Campo, it is one of the principal architectural landmarks of the city's historic center. Construction began in 1297 to serve ...
in Siena
Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...
File:Pisa, cappella di sant'agata (dopo i restauri del 2022), esterno 09 trifora.jpg, Cappella di Sant'Agata in Pisa
Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...
See also
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Monofora
Monofora is a type of the single-light window, usually narrow, crowned by an arch, and decorated by small columns or pilasters.
Overview
The term usually refers to a certain type of window designed during the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque, ...
*
Bifora
The bifora or ''pifara'' was a Sicilian double reed instrument of the oboe family, related to the ancient shawm and particularly to the piffero of the northern Italian Apennines. Much larger than the piffero, and made in one piece, it was employ ...
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Quadrifora
*
Polifora
Polifora is a type of the multi-light window. It appears in towers and belfries on top floors, where it is necessary to lighten the structure with wider openings. The term ''polifora'' usually refers to the window with at least five parts.
Overv ...
*
Diocletian window
Diocletian windows, also called thermal windows, are large semicircular windows characteristic of the enormous public baths (''thermae'') of Ancient Rome. They have been revived on a limited basis by some neo-classical architecture, classical rev ...
References
* AA.VV. ''Enciclopedia dell'Architettura'', Garzanti, Milano 1996,
* Pevsner, Fleming e Honour, ''Dizionario di architettura'', Utet, Torino 1978 {{ISBN, 88-06-51961-1; ristampato come ''Dizionario dei termini artistici'', Utet Tea, 1994
Architectural elements
Windows