The early christian basilica will form the foundation of much we know of christian church architecture.
Floor plan of early christian basilica.
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.
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.
Ancient christians found a glorified version of their church s floor plan in revelation 4 2 4.
2 atrium in early christian byzantine and medieval architecture the forecourt of a church.
The plan generally included a nave q v or hall with a flat timber roof in which the crowd gathered.
Peter s and glossary of terms included in my arth 109 site.
3 narthex the entrance hall or porch proceding the nave of a church.
View down the nave toward the apse basilica of santa sabina c.
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.
A rectangular ground plan divided longitudinally into three or five aisles by columns which support the roof.
Review the plan of old st.
1 propylaeum the entrance building of a sacred precinct whether church or imperial palace.
Peter s in rome is known with considerable accuracy figs.
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.
According to vitruvius who in this certainly agrees with greek authorities the usual construction of a basilica was the following.
Church in architecture a building designed for christian worship.
Parts of an early christian basilica.
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.
So it is important that we share a common vocabulary.
Unfortunately none of them has survived in its original form but the plan of the greatest constantinian church st.
As a rule enveloped by four colonnaded porticoes.