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  • Early Christian and Byzantine Architecture

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    Prachi Pande
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    This document provides historical background on early Christian churches and introduces some key aspects of Byzantine architecture. It notes that early churches often had clerestory windows to provide interior lighting and became a symbol of God's grace. One example is the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, the first church commissioned by Emperor Constantine. The document then discusses how Byzantine architecture developed the use of pendentive domes, allowing circular domes to sit atop square buildings. A prime example is Hagia Sophia, which demonstrated the architectural innovations of the Byzantine era.

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    This document provides historical background on early Christian churches and introduces some key aspects of Byzantine architecture. It notes that early churches often had clerestory windows to provide interior lighting and became a symbol of God's grace. One example is the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, the first church commissioned by Emperor Constantine. The document then discusses how Byzantine architecture developed the use of pendentive domes, allowing circular domes to sit atop square buildings. A prime example is Hagia Sophia, which demonstrated the architectural innovations of the Byzantine era.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    17 views50 pages

    Early Christian and Byzantine Architecture

    Uploaded by

    Prachi Pande
    This document provides historical background on early Christian churches and introduces some key aspects of Byzantine architecture. It notes that early churches often had clerestory windows to provide interior lighting and became a symbol of God's grace. One example is the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, the first church commissioned by Emperor Constantine. The document then discusses how Byzantine architecture developed the use of pendentive domes, allowing circular domes to sit atop square buildings. A prime example is Hagia Sophia, which demonstrated the architectural innovations of the Byzantine era.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 50

    Historical Background

    Location
    Barbarian Invasions
    • Most of the early churches had
    clerestory lighting
    • Clerestory windows were
    developed to give light to the
    central part of the interior
    • Gradually, the clerestory windows
    became a symbol of the
    transcendence and grace of god
    • 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
    27
    28
    Byzantine Architecture
    Domes and Domes on Pedentives
    • Byzantine architecture gave us the pedentive domes and
    the dome on pedentives
    • The pendentive dome and the dome on pendentives
    provided the Byzantine architects with a unique way of
    adjusting the circular form of a dome roof to a square or
    polygonal plan
    • This type of dome was invented by the Romans but was
    seldom used by them
    • It was the Byzantine builders who used it to create
    dramatic interiors
    • In the Pantheon in Rome, the Dome roof had to be
    supported by a circular plan
    • The walls of the plan had to be thick to counterbalance
    the forces from the Dome
    BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE
    HAGIA SOPHIA
    41

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