s of the fourteenth century. It led to a gate
of the city. Until the seventeenth century it was the duty of the
Dominicans to defend Porta Ploce; the Franciscans defended Porta Pile;
and the cathedral canons Porta Pescheria. One hundred soldiers were
selected monthly from the various ranks, and were divided into two bands
for alternate nightly police; twenty-seven more were told off to defend
nine selected points against external attack. The lesser towers belonged
to patrician houses who were responsible for their defence, whilst the
greater and more exposed were looked after by the State. The Dominicans
were first established in 1225, in S. Giacomo in Peline, a small,
roughly constructed church high on the hill, which has a
fourteenth-century Madonna over the altar. Tradition says that S.
Dominic himself established the community. The present church was
building in 1297, and was consecrated in 1306. The portions which
survived the earthquake of 1667 are the south door with the apse of the
chapel close to it, the main apse, and the sacristy. This last is the
ancient church of the Assumption, given to the Dominicans in 1253 by the
Palmotta. The convent was built in 1348. The church has a long nave with
a horizontal wooden roof and a polygonal apse. The choir was once
vaulted. There are two side altars in recesses rather behind the
high-altar. Above them are restored pictures by Nicolaus Raguseus. To
the right the centre panel is filled by a figure of S. Nicholas in a
shell-headed niche; on the right are SS. Mary Magdalene and James; on
the left, SS. John the Baptist and Stephen. The panels are round-headed,
and the sky fills the space behind the figures with their gilded nimbi.
On S. Stephen's dalmatic are patterns in gold; S. Nicholas's chasuble is
of gold with patterns on it. In the picture to the left the Madonna is
seated on the crescent moon holding the Child, and surrounded by
cherubs; on her right are S. Biagio holding the city, and S. Paul; on
her left, S. Thomas Aquinas holding a church, and S. Augustine. There is
a good deal of gold used in the draperies, and the ground is gold. Both
these pictures are very decorative. The high-altar-piece is a Venetian
Madonna and Child, with SS. Dominic and Clara. On the north wall is a
picture ascribed to Titian, parts of which may be from his hand, but it
has been restored. It represents S. Biagio with a crozier, holding the
town; S. Mary Magdalene in ecstasy, with long hair