RCC Final Exam Term

Central Plan Church

round or polygonal domed structures, parts are of equal or almost equal dimensions around the center

Ambulatory

central walkway surrounded by a round spaces

Tesserae

Greek, "cube." A tiny stone or piece of glass cut to the desired shape and size for use in forming a mosaic.

Basilica

In Roman architecture, a rectangular church plan with an entrance usually on long side, for legal and other civic proceedings. In Christian architecture, a church somewhat resembling the Roman basilica, usually entered from one end and with an apse at the other.

Nave

The central area of an ancient Roman of a church separated from aisles by piers or columns.

Side Aisles

aisles to the side of the nave

Transept

The part of a church with an axis that crosses the nave at a right angle.

Crossing

the space in a cruciform church formed by the intersection of the nave and the transept

Apse

A recess, usually semicircular, in the wall of a building, commonly found at the east end of a church.

Clerestory

The fenestrated part of a building that rises above the roofs of the other parts. In Roman basilicas and medieval churches, clerestories are the windows that form the nave's uppermost level below the timber ceilings or the vaults.

Icon

A portrait or image; especially in Byzantine churches, a panel with a painting of sacred personages that are objects of veneration. In the visual arts, a painting, a piece of sculpture, or even a building regarded as an object of veneration.

Iconoclasm

the destruction of religious or sacred images

Tempera

A technique of painting using pigment mixed with egg yolk, glue, or casein; also, the medium itself.

Iconostasis

Greek, "icon stand." In Byzantine churches, a screen or a partition, with doors and many tiers of icons, separating the sanctuary from the main body of the church.

Theotokos

Greek, "she who bore God." The Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus

Greek Cross

a type of central plan with four arms of equal length; similar to a plus sign

Quincunx

an arrangement of five things in a square or rectangle with one at each corner and one in the middle

Cloisonne

A decorative metalwork technique employing cloisons; also, decorative brickwork in later Byzantine architecture.

Animal Interlace

a decorative style characterized by intricate patterns of interwoven animal forms, often seen in metalwork, jewelry, and manuscript illuminations

Gripping Beasts

a Viking motif of grotesque, intertwined animals

Stave Church

type of medieval wooden church built using a construction technique where the main supporting pillars are called "staves"

Mozarabic

referring to the Christian Culture of Northern Spain during the time Islamic caliphs ruled Southern Spain

Equestrian Portrait

portrait of a person on horseback

Holy Roman Empire

An empire established in Europe in the 10th century A.D. consisting of varying complex of lands in western and central Europe ruled by the Holy Roman emperor

Carolingian Renaissance

Revival of book making, Adoption of roman architectural Forms, Creation of imperial imagery

Carolingian Miniscule

the alphabet that Carolingian scribes perfected, from which the the modern English alphabet was developed.

Reliquary

a container for holding relics

Pilgrimage

a journey to a sacred place

Monasticism

religious practice in which monks live together in a monastery set apart from the secular community of town

Abbey

A religious community under the direction of an abbot (for monks) or an abbess (for nuns).

Cloister

A monastery courtyard, usually with covered walks or ambulatories along its sides.

Ogival Arch

a pointed Gothic arch

Lancet Windows

In Gothic architecture, a tall narrow window ending in a pointed arch

Rose Window

a circular stained-glass window

Trefoil

a cloverlike ornament or symbol with stylized leaves in groups of three

Triforium

In a Gothic cathedral, the blind arcade gallery below the clerestory; occasionally, the arcades are filled with stained glass

Altarpiece

a panel, painted or sculpted, situated above and behind an altar

Tempera

A technique of painting using pigment mixed with egg yolk, glue, or casein; also, the medium itself.

Christian Humanism

in the Renaissance, an emphasis on education and on expanding knowledge (especially of classical antiquity), the exploration of individual potential and a desire to excel, and a commitment to civil responsibility and moral duty

Commune

a communal living situation where artists work together to create art