Early Christian Architecture

Early Christian Architecture
ART & ARCHITECTURE – II

Lecture 01
Tanjina Rahman Dristy
• The early Christian architecture started in two prominent locations centered at Rome &
Constantinople.
• Early Christian architecture occurred in Rome & in areas around Rome.
• From the two focal points early Christian architecture spread to other areas in the European &
Asian region.
Christianized area
Christianized area
Figure 01: zoning map

• Early Christian architecture may be taken to have lasted from about 300 to 600AD.
• The early Christian , as roman craftsman, continued old roman traditions.
• Highly-influence by Roman art & architecture.
• Their churches , modeled on roman basilicas, used old columns which by various devices were
Brought to a uniform height.
Roof & ceiling:

• Further
development of
trusses- king &
queen post
trusses.
Figure 02: Truss details

• The house church
• The atrium
• The basilica
• The bema
• The mausoleum: centrally- planned building.
• The cruciform ground plan: Latin or Greek cross.
House church:
• The first house church is where the disciples of Jesus met together in the “ upper room” of the
house. For the first three centuries of the church, known as early Christianity , Christians
typically met in homes, if only because intermittent persecution (before the edict of Milan in
313) did not allow the erection of public buildings. Clement of Alexandria, an early church
father, wrote of worshipping in a house. The dura-Europos church was found to be used as a
Christian meeting place in D 232, with one small room serving as a baptistery. At many points
in subsequent history, various Christian groups worshipped in homes, often due to persecution
by the state church or the civil government.
Figure 03: house church
Figure 04:
The Dura-Europos house church,

ca 232, with chapel area on right.
• When early Christian communities began
to build churches they drew on one
particular feature of the houses that
preceded them, the atrium , or courtyard
with a colonnade surrounding it. Most of
these atriums have disappeared.
S N
Figure 05:
Plan of The Basilica of San Clemente
(Rome) E
• Is a rectangular early Christian church, usually having a nave with clerestories, two or four
aisles, one or more vaulted apses, and a timber roof.
Basilica typical plan:
A. A apse
B.B’ secondary apse
C, High altar
G, transept
H, Nave
J.J’, aisles
Types of Apse
1. Semi- circular (Italian)

2. Polygonal (German)
3. Square (English)
4. Compound (French) Figure 06:
Interior of the Basilica in Pompeii
• A typical example of the early Christian church is S.Giovanni in Laterano Rome.
• It was the first church commission by Emperor Constantine.
• It was built as the Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome.
• It was remodeled several times.
• The church consists of a central nave flanked by two narrow isles and separated from them by
a monumental colonnade.
• The central nave rose above the isle roof, and the inner isle rose above the outer.
• The nave terminated at an apse.
• The structure was of brick faced concrete covered with simple trussed timber roof.
Clerestory
window
Apse
Isles
Nave
Transept
Figure 07:
S. Giovanni in Laterano ,Rome
Source: Sir Barnister Fletcher (1996)
• Old St. Peter's Basilica was the fourth century church begun by the
Emperor Constantine between 326 and 333 AD.
• It was of typical basilica Latin Cross form with an apsidal end at the
chancel, a wide nave and two aisles on either side.
• It was over 103.6 meters (350 ft) long and the entrance was preceded by
a large colonnaded atrium.
• This church had been built over the small shrine believed to mark the
burial place of St. Peter.
• It contained a very large number of burials and memorials, including
those of most of the popes from St. Peter to the 15th century. Since the
construction of the current basilica, the name Old St. Peter's Basilica has
been used for its predecessor to distinguish the two buildings.
Transept
Clerestory
window
Gatehouse
Fountain Atrium Narthex Side aisles

• St Peter was the most important of the basilica churches built by
Constantine.
•The church has a triple entrance gate leading to an atrium.
•The church like S. Giovanni discussed earlier is a five isles church.
•The Basilica had a wooden roof of interlocking rafters.
•The nave did not lead directly to the apse but instead ends in a transverse
space that is as high as the nave.
• The nave terminated in a triumphal arch that framed the curve o f the
Apse.
•Some of the early churches were built over the tomb of martyrs and are
known as Martyrium.
•St Peters is one of the earliest and most important of the Martyrium
churches.
•It was built over what was believed to be the tomb of Saint Pete r who
was a disciple of Jesus.
• This is the church of the
nativity Bethlehem.
• It was built at the place
where Jesus, is believed to be
born.
•Here we also find the
standard features of a
basilica church.
•These include:
-A central nave.
-2 isles on each side of the
nave.
Figure 08:
Church of Nativity, Bethlehem
Source: Trachtenberg & Hyman (1986)
• An apse at the head of the nave.
• An atrium before the entrance.
• The use of clerestory lighting.
• The most significant aspect of this church is a large octagon at its head covered by a conical
roof.
• This is the exact location where Jesus, IsaAlayhisalaam, was born.
• It is therefore a palace of pilgrimage for the Christians.
Figure 09: Plan

• This is the church of the holy sepulcher in Jerusalem.
• Afected by the constrain of site, it has a very short atrium
• It is a 5 isle church terminating at anave articulated by 12 columns.
• The side isles had a gallery on Top.
• The outer isles lead to a long
• Peristyle court closing in a curve.
Figure 10: Plan of holy Sepulcher Church, Jerusalem

Source: Trachtenberg & Human (1986)
• This was a church originally designed as a mausoleum
for Emperor Constantine’s Daughter.
• It was designed as a centralized monument.
• It is symmetrical in plan with a domed central space.
• The domed central space was ringed by an arcade
with 12 pairs of double colonnade.
• Beyond the arcade is an

encircling ambulatory.
• A barrel vault is used to
roof the ambulatory
• The lateran Baptistery was built by Emperor Constantine in A.D.
315.
• It was designed to mirror S. Constanza.
• The circular scheme of S. Constanza was in this church
changed to two octagonal Rings.
• A ring of Trabeated colonnade defined the central space
Figure 11: Lateran Baptistery, Rome

• It was built in A.D. 468 and was the first circular
church in Rome.
• It is the largest circular church, having diameter
of about 36 meters.
• The plan of the church blends the cruciform
with a circular plan.
• It has a huge central nave.
Figure 12: ST. Stefano Rotondo

Source: Great Architecture of the World
Figure 13: ST. Stefano Rotondo Interior View

Source: Trachtenberg & Hyrnan
• The central nave is encircled by ionic columns and is lit by 22 clerestory windows.
• An ambulatory surrounds the colonnade of the nave and opens to four chapels used to
define a cruciform shape
Lobed Alternative form Holy Apostle,
Milan AD 370
• This is basically a square form church with a central plan.

• It was built as the church of the imperial palace, when the
capital of the Western Empire moved to Milan.
• It had a square central space 23.5 meters wide extending in al
four directions.
• The central space was defined by a 2-storey columnar screen
supporting some half domes.
• Several subsidiary octagonal structures are grouped around
the main church Figure 14: Holy Apostles, Milan
• This church was laid out as a huge cross shaped structure.
• It has a single aisle nave opening through columnar
screens into its transept arms.
• Each of the arms terminate with a projecting portal hall.
• The building is a martyrium, holding relics of apostles in a
casket beneath the alter.
Figure 15: St Lorenzo , Milan


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Early Christian Architecture

ART & ARCHITECTURE – II

Figure 01: zoning map

Roof & ceiling:

Figure 02: Truss details

The Dura-Europos house church,

Basilica typical plan:

1. Semi- circular (Italian)

Fountain Atrium Narthex Side aisles

Figure 09: Plan

Figure 10: Plan of holy Sepulcher Church, Jerusalem

• Beyond the arcade is an

Figure 11: Lateran Baptistery, Rome

Figure 12: ST. Stefano Rotondo

Figure 13: ST. Stefano Rotondo Interior View

• This is basically a square form church with a central plan.

Figure 15: St Lorenzo , Milan

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