Module 6 | Constantine & the Judeo-Christian Tradition

Altar

Tablelike structure in a Catholic church used in celebrating the Mass

Ambulatory

Passageway outside the nave that forms a walkway around the apse of a church

Apse

Large architectural niche facing the nave of a basilica or church, usually at the east end

Apsidiole

Small apse or chapel connected to the main apse of a church

Baldacchino

Canopy usually built over an altar

Basilica

Term used by early Christians to refer to their churches

Lunettes

Semicircular zone painted or sculpted above a window or doorway

Mandorla

Almond-shaped radiance of light surrounding a holy figure

Martyrium

Church, chapel, or shrine built over the grave of a martyr or on the site of a miracle

Narthex

Vestibule at the main entrance to a church

Nave

Central aisle of a church

Central-plan church

Standard design used in Eastern Orthodox Churches, with symmetrical chambers radiating from a central primary space

Chapel

Small chamber or separate building for worship

Choir

Area of a church or cathedral providing seating for the clergy

Clerestory

Row of windows piercing the nave walls of a basilica above the level of the side aisles

Colonette

Small, decorative column connected to a wall or pier

Compound pier

Pier with columns, pillars, or shafts

Drum

Cylindrical wall supporting a dome

Gable

Triangular part of a wall enclosed by the lines of a sloping roof

Jamb

Side of a doorway or window frame

Orant

Standing figure with arms upraised in a gesture of prayer

Parchment

Paper-like material made from bleached animal hides used in Medieval manuscripts

Pendentives

Triangular segments of a wall leading from the square base to the circular drum, among the supports for a dome

Transept

Either of the two parts forming the arms of the cross shape, projecting at right angles from the nave in a church

Triforium

Arcade running along the walls of a church above the nave, pierced by 3 openings per bay