The Florentine Court lies between the Court of Ages and the Court of the
Universe, with the Palace of Transportation bounding it on the north and
the Palace of Manufactures on the south. Its eastern wall repeats the
rich decorative treatment of the Court of Ages, which it joins.



Court of the Universe
Through Three Great Arches

When one stands in the Court of the Four Seasons, facing east, two
splendid arches are seen framed by the Eastern Gateway of the Court. The
first, across the Venetian Court, is the Arch of the Setting Sun,
surmounted by its symbolic group of the Nations of the West. Across the
vast Court of the Universe, beyond the Fountains of the Rising and the
Setting Sun, is the triumphal Arch of the Rising Sun surmounted by its
symbolic group of the Nations of the East.

These magnificent modern expressions of the arches erected by the old
Romans to commemorate their triumphs were designed by McKim, Mead and
White, the architects of the Court of the Universe, and are richly
adorned with sculpture designed by various artists. In the attics are
carved appropriate inscriptions selected by Porter Garnett, which will
be found on succeeding pages.

There is an atmosphere of bigness about the Court of the Universe,
created not only by the architectural features, but by the symbolism of
the final meeting of the Nations of the World, made possible by the
completion of the Panama Canal.