How did Lombard sculpture combine Germanic, Mediterranean, and Byzantine influences?

Lombard sculpture, which emerged following the invasion of Italy in 568, represents a distinct synthesis of cultural traditions. It combined the Germanic artistic heritage brought by the Lombards with enduring Mediterranean influences and increasing elements of Byzantine style.1

The integration of these influences manifested in several key ways:

• Germanic and Mediterranean Blend: While the Lombards propagated Germanic art, their sculpture—seen in stone plaques for choir screens, altars, and sarcophagi—retained a strong Mediterranean foundation.1
• Ornamental Evolution: Lombard artisans blended abstract, interlaced motifs characteristic of Germanic traditions with Byzantine elements. This resulted in highly stylized, ornamental stone carvings where figures and vegetation became nearly unrecognizable, functioning more as decorative "stone writing" than realistic representation.1
• Byzantine Integration: Byzantine influence became particularly evident in the incorporation of standing figures of saints within decorative schemes, such as those found in the 8th-century Tempietto at Cividale del Friuli.1
• Mediums: These stylistic combinations were applied not only to stone but also to stucco work, as seen in structures like the monastery of San Salvatore at Brescia.21