of San Giovanni, Florence. Cloisters often have an array of elaborately twisted columns, and fanciful decoration in mosaic tiles as at the Romanesque cloister of the Ancient Basilica of St Paul's Outside the Walls, Rome. The large churches and cathedrals of Southern Italy and Sicily were influenced by Norman architecture, as at Trani Cathedral and Bari Cathedral in Apulia. Churches in Sicily were influenced by Islamic architecture, in the employment of the pointed arch as at Monreale Cathedral and Palermo Cathedral. Notable buildings Pisa Cathedral and complex. Tuscany Baptistery of Florence, Tuscany Basilica of San Miniato al Monte, Tuscany Santa Maria della Pieve, Arezzo Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, Milan, Northern Italy Basilica of San Michele Maggiore, Pavia, Northern Italy Basilica of San Zeno, Verona, Northern Italy Modena Cathedral, Northern Italy Ancona Cathedral, Northern Italy San Vittore alle Chiuse, Genga. Parma Cathedral and complex, Northern Italy Trani Cathedral, Apulia Bari Cathedral, Apulia Basilica di San Nicola, Apulia Palermo Cathedral, Sicily Monreale Cathedral, Sicily Cefalù Cathedral, Sicily Romanesque churches in France Influences Monastic tradition was a major influence on church architecture with the Abbey Church of Cluny, founded 910 AD, being the largest church in the world at that time. The foundation of the Cistercian Order in 1098 introduced a simplicity of design and austerity of ornament. Particularly in the south, the existence of Roman structures such as the Pont du Gard played a part in the development of storied arcades and other structural forms. Building stone was readily available, including high grade limestone suitable for fine carving. For much of the period Normandy were comparatively large and powerful political unit, and developed consistent styles that affected much of northern France. South of the Loire Valley churches showed considerable diversity of architectural form and are often without aisles. The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain led to the establishment of four pilgrim routes through France, and the establishment of many religious houses along the routes. Crusade and pilgrimage brought contact with Islamic and Byzantine architecture that influenced the forms of a number of churches such as Saint-Front, Périgueux. The development of ribbed vaulting at Saint-Etienne, Caen, and the adoption of a number of new techniques within a single influential building, the Abbey of Saint-Denis, led to the early employment of the Gothic methods of construction and style from 1140 onwards. A great many abbey churches, some of which are now cathedrals