Floor Plan Of Early Christian Basilica

The basic characteristics of a basilica in terms of a place of worship are.

Floor plan of early christian basilica.

So it is important that we share a common vocabulary. The early christian basilica will form the foundation of much we know of christian church architecture. According to vitruvius who in this certainly agrees with greek authorities the usual construction of a basilica was the following. The ground plan was a parallelogram in which the width was not greater than one half of the length and not less than one third of it.

These structures were a new type now called the early christian basilica that provided the basic model for the development of church architecture in western europe. In the typical early christian basilica the columns separating the nave from the side aisles carried either arches or an entablature straight band of molding and above these was a blank wall supporting the timber roof of the nave. One or two side aisles. The earliest churches were based on the plan of the pagan roman basilica q v or hall of justice.

Because the nave rose considerably higher than the side aisles the wall that supported the nave roof stood above the level of the side aisle roofs and could thus be pierced at the top with windows to light the centre of the church. View down the nave toward the apse basilica of santa sabina c. Parts of an early christian basilica. Unfortunately none of them has survived in its original form but the plan of the greatest constantinian church st.

A rectangular ground plan divided longitudinally into three or five aisles by columns which support the roof. 2 atrium in early christian byzantine and medieval architecture the forecourt of a church. 1 propylaeum the entrance building of a sacred precinct whether church or imperial palace. Review the plan of old st.

Peter s in rome is known with considerable accuracy figs. 3 narthex the entrance hall or porch proceding the nave of a church. Peter s and glossary of terms included in my arth 109 site. The original constantinian buildings are now known only in plan but an examination of a still extant early fifth century roman basilica the church of santa sabina helps us to understand the essential characteristics of the early christian basilica.

As a rule enveloped by four colonnaded porticoes. The roof above the middle aisle the nave is raised above the adjacent aisles so that its supporting walls have openings for air and light. In this passage the throne in the middle is the altar the 24 elders sit in a circle around the throne instead of in a semi circle behind it and jesus in the role of the bishop sits on the altar instead of behind it because he is also the sacrifice.