EARLY

CHRISTIAN
ARCHITECTURE
History
313 - 800 A.D. Christianity moved from Judea to Rome;
became the official religion of the Roman Empire
Two Historic Events
 The Edict of Milan C.E. 313 (state religion)
Edict of Milan, proclamation that permanently established religious toleration
for Christianity within the Roman Empire. It was the outcome of a political
agreement concluded in Mediolanum (modern Milan) between the Roman
emperors Constantine I and Licinius in February 313.

Transfer of power from Rome to Constantinople C.E.

330
Religion
 Christianity

Geography and Geology

Roman ruins served as quarries from which materials
were obtained
Architectural Character
DESCRIPTION: Construction was highly influenced by
Roman art and architecture; purpose of the Christian
church was to serve worshippers

2 Building Types
Early Christian Basilica – Rectangular building with an
apse for the altar at one end.
Martyrium – Circular building

(Baptistery or mausoleum)
MATERIALS:
made use as much as possible the materials from old
Roman temples which had become useless

ROOF AND CEILING:

simple timber roof of king and queen post trusses;
vaulted or domed

Architectural Character
DECORATION:
did not use bulky Roman

construction methods; an architectural

abstraction of the ideal Christian,

simple and plain on the outside, but

with a soul glowing and beautiful within.

(richly decorated interior space and neglecting the

exterior)
ORRIENTATION:
Facade faced West

Priest stood behind altar facing East

Architectural Character
EXAMPLE :
BASILICAN CHURCHES:
based on ancient Roman basilicas; erected over the burial place of the saint to whom it was
dedicated

Old St. Peter’s, Rome (erected by Constantine near

the site of St. Peter’s martyrdom)
PARTS:
ATRIUM – open colonnaded court in
front of and attached to a Christian
basilica
NARTHEX – a porch or vestibule of a
church, generally colonnaded or
arcaded and preceding the nave
NAVE – part of the church between the
chief entrance and the choir,
demarcated from aisles, by piers and
columns
AMBULATORY – a passageway
around
the apse of a church, or for
circumambulating a shrine
APSE – a vaulted semi-circular or
polygonal termination, usually to a
chancel or chapel
PARTS:
BEMA – raised stage for the clergy at
the east end
AISLE – part of the church, parallel to,
and divided by piers or columns from,
the nave, choir or transept
CHOIR – part of the church where the
choir sits; normally the west part of the
chancel (loosely applied to mean as
chancel)
CHANCEL - that part of the east end of a
church in which the main altar is
placed; reserved for clergy and choir
AMBO – where the Gospel and epistle
was read
TRANSEPT - part of a cruciform church
whose axis crosses at right angles the
axis running from the chief entrance
through the nave to the apse
CHURCH COMPLEX
BELFRY/CAMPANILE – a bell tower,
either attached to a church or standing
alone

BAPTISTERIES:
a separate building or part of a church in which the Sacrament of Baptism is administered
during Easter, Pentecost and Epiphany; with the advent of infantbaptism, it was replaced by
the Font

Baptistery of Constantine, Rome

TOMBS:
burial up to the end of the 4 century took place in the Catacombs outside Rome; Christians
th

objected to cremation and insisted burial on consecrated ground

Tomb of Galla Placidia, Ravenna

Earliest tomb in cruciform plan; sarcophagi still remain in the arms of the cross