The pavements of the Cosmati

The designs of the Italian Cosmati architecture are most evident on the pavements of churches, and can be categorized into two patterns, the guilloche and quincunx. Guilloche and quincunx are interlaced serpentine motives used to decorate the axis. In the guilloche pattern, roundels are arranged in a linear manner, whereas in quincunx, four disks surround a central disk. Both the patterns incorporate geometric patterns, of fractal nature, between bands and roundels, and in interstices between the bands and the borders. These patterns use tiles cut into various geometric shapes.