Early Christian Architecture

BICOL STATE COLLEGE OF APPLIED SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY
CITY OF NAGA
ACTIVITY 16
C
H
EA RLY
I
S
T
I
A
HIOA111A
ARCHITECTURE
N
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE
ARCH. IAN KENNETH ORASA

UAP
JENZ HOPE NOVELA

BSA-1C
EARLY
CHRISTIAN
ARCHITECTURE
Early Christian art and architecture, often known as Paleochristian art, is

art created by Christians or under the patronage of Christians dating back to
the early centuries of Christianity. The rapidly rising Christian population, now
subsidized by the state, necessitated the construction of larger and grander
public structures for worship than the primarily private gathering places they
had been using, which were often in or among household buildings, in the
fourth century. Pagan temples were used for their original functions for a long
time, even after Christians eschewed deserts, at least in Rome, until the 6th or
7th century, when some were converted to churches. This happened earlier
somewhere else. Temple architectural formulas were unsuitable, not only
because of their pagan overtones, but also because pagan cult and sacrifices
took place beneath the open sky in the presence of the gods, with the temple
serving as a windowless background, holding the cult figures and the treasury.
Early Christian architecture was primarily influenced by the most

flourishing forms of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. After thousands of
years of development, classical architecture had achieved its pinnacle. The
usage of Greek and Roman architectural styles has become popular without
regard for its original meaning. Early Christian art and architecture used Roman
aesthetic themes and gave previously pagan symbols new significance. The
peacock, Vitis vinifera vines, and the "Good Shepherd" were among the themes
used. Early Christians also established their own imagery; images like the fish,
for example, were not taken from pagan iconography. This gave architects
more leeway in terms of design. Unique designs for churches, on the other
hand, were made exclusively for them. The construction of a dome on top of a
polygon was one of the few architectural innovations that early churches
accomplished.
The recognized conventional style of the basilica was the suitable model
at hand when Emperor Constantine I desired to remember his imperial
devotion. The name basilica originally indicated anything kingly or lordly. A
rectangular ground plan divided longitudinally into three or five aisles by
columns that support the ceiling are the main characteristics of a basilica in
terms of a place of worship. The ceiling over the central aisle (the nave) is
elevated above the other aisles, allowing air and light to flow through its
supporting walls. Beyond the rectangular plan, a partial dome protrudes.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY
CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE
THE HOUSE CHURCH
A house church or home church

is a label used to describe a
group of Christians who
regularly gather for worship in
private homes. The group may
be part of a larger Christian
body, such as a parish, but some
have been independent groups
that see the house church as
the primary form of Christian
community.
THE ATRIUM
An atrium is, in church

architecture, a colonnaded
forecourt to the church. The
term originally referred to a
similar open court in a Roman
house.
THE BASILICA
A Roman Catholic church given

ceremonial privileges that is an
oblong building ending in a
semicircular apse used in
ancient Rome especially for a
court of justice and place of
public assembly. an early
Christian church building
consisting of nave and aisles
with clerestory and a large high
transept from which an apse
projects
THE MAUSOLEUM
A mausoleum is an external
free-standing building
constructed as a monument
enclosing the interment
space or burial chamber of a
deceased person or people.
A mausoleum without the
person's remains is called a
cenotaph. A mausoleum may
be considered a type of
tomb, or the tomb may be
considered to be within the
mausoleum.
THE LATIN AND GREEK CROSS
Most cathedrals and great

churches have a cruciform
ground plan. In churches of
Western European tradition,
the plan is usually
longitudinal, in the form of
the so-called Latin Cross
with a long nave crossed by
a transept. The transept may
be as strongly projecting as
at York Minster or not
project beyond the aisles as
at Amiens Cathedral.
ARCHBASILICA OF SAINT JOHN LATERAN
CATHEDRAL OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC
DIOCESE OF ROME
The church consists of a central nave flanked by two narrow aisles and separated from them by
a monumental colonnade.
The central nave rose above the isle roof, and the inner isle rose about the outer part.
The nave terminated at the apse.
The structure was of a brick faced concrete with simple trussed timber roof.
ST. PETER'S BASILICA

BASILICA SANCTI PETRI
The church has a triple entrance gate leading to an atrium.
The basilica had a wooden roof with interlocking rafters.
The nave did not lead directly to an apse but instead, end in a transverse space that is high as
the nave.
BAPTISTERY OF CONSTANTINE
ROME
The roof is supported by two-storeyed ring of eight porphyry and marble columns taken from
old pagan building while in the center is an old Roman bath of green basalt converted into a
front.
Alternative church form - Alternative more centralized plans, with a focused on a central vertical
axis rather than longitudinal horizontal one.
PARTS OF A BASILICA
Propylaeum- the entrance building of a sacred precinct, whether church or
imperial palace.
Atrium- in early Christian, Byzantine, and medieval architecture, the forecourt

of a church; as a rule enveloped by four colonnaded porticoes.
Narthex- the entrance hall or porch proceding the nave of a church.
Nave- the great central space in a church. In longitudinal churches, it extends

from the entrance to the apse (or only to the crossing if the church has one)
and is usually flanked by side aisles.
Side Aisle- one of the corridors running parallel to the nave of a church and
separated from it by an arcade or colonnade.
Crossing- the area in a church where the transept and the nave intersect.
Transept- in a cruciform church, the whole arm set at right angles to the nave.
Note that the transept appears infrequently in Early Christian churches. Old St.
Peter's is one of the few example of a basilica with a transept from this period.
The transept would not become a standard component of the Christian
church until the Carolingian period.
Apse- a recess, sometimes rectangular but usually semicircular, in the wall at

the end of a Roman basilica or Christian church. The apse in the Roman basilica
frequently contained an image of the Emperor and was where the magistrate
dispensed laws. In the Early Christian basilica, the apses contained the
"cathedra" or throne of the bishop and the altar.
Nave elevation- term which refers to the division of the nave wall into various
levels. In the Early Christian basilica the nave elevation usually is composed of
a nave colonnade or arcade and clerestory.
Clerestory- a clear story, i.e. a row of windows in the upper part of a wall. In
churches, the clerestory windows above the roofs of the side aisles permit
direct illumination of the nave.

Early Christian Architecture

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Early Christian Architecture

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Early Christian Architecture

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

BICOL STATE COLLEGE OF APPLIED SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY

ARCH. IAN KENNETH ORASA

JENZ HOPE NOVELA

Early Christian art and architecture, often known as Paleochristian art, is

Early Christian architecture was primarily influenced by the most

THE HOUSE CHURCH

A house church or home church

An atrium is, in church

A Roman Catholic church given

THE LATIN AND GREEK CROSS

Most cathedrals and great

The nave terminated at the apse.

ST. PETER'S BASILICA

The church has a triple entrance gate leading to an atrium.

The basilica had a wooden roof with interlocking rafters.

Atrium- in early Christian, Byzantine, and medieval architecture, the forecourt

Narthex- the entrance hall or porch proceding the nave of a church.

Nave- the great central space in a church. In longitudinal churches, it extends

Apse- a recess, sometimes rectangular but usually semicircular, in the wall at

You might also like