Early Christian

Early Christian (200-1025)

▪ The final phase of Roman architecture.
▪ Christianity became the state religion.
▪ House-churches, early venue for religious practices.
▪ Roman basilica form was adopted as the ground plan
for most churches: rectangular plan and a nave with
two side aisles.
▪ Basilican churches were constructed over the burial
place of a saint.
▪ Facades faced east.
BASILICA
San Clemente, Rome.

An early Christian church, characterized

by a long, rectangular plan, a high
colonnaded nave lit by a clerestory and
covered by a timbered gable roof.
Early Christian Basilica. San Clemente, Rome; 4th century AD. (Opus Grecanicum, glass mosaic decorations)
Main Parts of an Early
Christian Basilica

▪ Apse, sanctuary.

▪ Bema, stage for clergy

▪ Altar, under the

baldacchino

▪ Nave, central aisle

▪ Atrium, forecourt

▪ Narthex, for the

penitents

▪ Choir, enclosed by a
cancelli

▪ Ambo, pulpit
 1 apse 15 northern aisle, gospel side,
2 cathedra, bishop’s throne women’s side
3 synthronos, synthronon 16 southern aisle, epistle side,
(podium or benches) men’s side
5 bema, altar platform 17 side chapel
6 solea (raised floor, used by 18 sacristy, vestry, revestry,
the clergy) vestiary
7 choir screen 20 exonarthex
8 apsidiole (secondary apse) 21 belltower
10 choir, schola cantorum 22 cloister
11 cancelli 23 atrium, atrium paradisus,
12 gospel ambo paradise
13 epistle ambo 24 prothyron (space in front of the
14 nave entrance)

Early Christian Basilica. San Clemente, Rome; 4th century AD.

Plan of the old St. Peter’s; Rome, Italy.
Section and pictorial view of the old St. Peter’s. (Timber roof and use of Roman motifs.)
Baptistery
Baptistery, Ravenna.

A space, area or separate building of a

church or cathedral, containing a font
where baptism takes place.
Octagonal structure having fine mosaics
representing the baptism of Christ.
On a canonical sense…
▪A basilica is the name given to certain churches granted
special privileges by the pope or the Vatican.
▪The criteria are based on special spiritual, historical,
and/or architectural significance.
▪This is the highest permanent designation for a church
building.
Major basilica
Highest-ranking Roman Catholic
churches; Papal basilicas.

 Archbasilica of St. John in the

Lateran
 St. Peter's Basilica
 The Basilica of St. Paul Outside the
Walls
 Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
Minor basilica
There are 13 minor basilicas in the
Philippines as of 2015.
 Basílica Minore del Santo Niño, Cebu
 Basilica of the Black Nazarene,
Quiapo
 Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of
the Immaculate Conception, Manila
 Basilica of San Sebastian, Manila
 Basilica of Our Lady of Manaoag,
Pangasinan
 Byzantine
Architecture
The Eastern and Western Roman Empire.
Byzantine (300-1450)
▪ Circular or polygonal plans for churches, tombs, and
baptisteries.
▪ Characterized by masonry construction, round arches,
shallow domes carried on pendentives, and the
extensive use of rich frescoes, and colored glass
mosaics to cover whole interiors.
▪ Facades faced west.
19 basket capital; 20 dosseret and basket capital; 21 dosseret and trapezoidal capital.

Dosseret. A thickened abacus or supplementary capital set above a column capital to receive the thrust of an
arch; also called a pulvin, impost block or supercapital.

Byzantine capitals.
Basilica di San
Vitale
Ravenna, Italy.

A Byzantine centralized church.

Prime example of Byzantine architecture
in the West.
Basilica di San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy.
 1 apse
3 synthronos, synthronon
5 bema, altar platform
25 prothesis, pastophorium (niche
reserved for objects used in worship)
26 diaconicon, pastophorium (for the
keeping of garments and vessels)
27 ambulatory (ground floor)
28 gallery (upper level)
29 narthex

San Vitale, Ravenna, 526–547.

St. Mark’s Basilica; Venice, Italy. (Greek cross plan.)
St. Mark’s Basilica
Venice, Italy.

■ Greek cross plan

■ Golden mosaics (Church of Gold)
■ It lies at the eastern end of the
Piazza San Marco, adjacent and
connected to the Doge's Palace.
Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey, 532–537 AD, architect Anthemios of Tralles & Isidorus of Miletus.
Hagia Sophia
▪ “Sacred wisdom” in Greek.

▪ Constructed by Emperor Justinian;

designed by Anthemios of Tralles
and Isidorus of Miletus.

▪ The interiors were beautified by

richly colored marble pavements in
opus sectile or opus Alexandrinum.

▪ Used as a church, mosque, and

presently a museum.
Hagia Sophia
Spatial configuration.

A 30-meter square forms the center. At

the corners, piers rise up to support four
arches, between which are pendentives
that hold a dome scalloped with forty
ribs. Windows line the base of the dome,
making it seem to float.
 12 high altar
13 apse
2 arcade, cloister
15 parecclesion: side chapel
3 atrium paradisus: forecourt
16 pastophorium: clerical
4 cantharus, piscina:
chamber
fountain, font
17 prothesis: table/niche
5 exonarthex: outer vestibule
18 diaconicon: garments and
6 esonarthex: inner vestibule
vessels
10 navis media: nave
19 aisle
11 bema: altar platform
21 campanile: belltower
22 baptistery

Hagia Sophia (prior to addition of minarets), Constantinople (now Istanbul), Turkey, 532–537 AD, architect
Anthemios of Tralles & Isidorus of Miletus.
St. Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow, Russia. Designed by Postnik Yakovlev and Ivan Barma. (Most distinct features are
the bulbous-shaped domes and unusual details.)