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EARLY CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE

The Early Christian art, architecture, themes and structures designed for the worship of Christian occured in the
period soon after the death of Jesus. First three centuries A.D. were quite important for Christianity. In 326 A.D.
the Roman Emperor Constantine officialy recognized Christianity as the state religion and paganism was
replaced.
Christian worship demanded a different style of archtecture from the religious architecture of Greece and
Rome. The earlier temples served as houses for god, storehouses for treasures and for outdoor ceremonies.
The spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire led to a need for new churches.
Before this legal recognition of the new faith, Christian places of worship were rather inconspicuous and had no
fixed architectural form. Later, however, impressive buildings were erected in many parts of Roman Empire and
primarily in its major cities such as Milan, Rome, Ravenna or Constantinopole.
Early Christian builders adapted structures that had long been used in the Roman times the Roman basilica.
The Basilica was also preferred because the mass of population was one of the most important thing in those
days. It was also suitable for use as a church with no serious modification. Other advantage was that it could be
easily and quickly built for not so much money. Basilica became from the profane building to the sacral
building. The most common form of early christian churches had a rectangular hall with a timber trussed roof.
They used old columns whichby various devices were brought to a uniform height. Basilican churches is
rendered impressive and dignified by the long perspective of oft-repeated columns which carry the eye along
to the sanctuary. This is combined with the low height of the interior and it makes these churches appear
longer than they are in reality. The early churches had simple and functional design. Their architecture didnt
have a completely new style, but basically the usage of available Roman elements and forms accomodate the
needs. Variations in the characters of the early church reflected differences in local resources and traditions.
Early Christian builders had access to similar building materials and construction technology as the Roman
civilization. Buildings intended for Christian worship had to provide a path for the processional entry, exit od
the glory, an alter area where the clergy celebrates mass and a space for the segregation of the clergy from
congregation during the procession and communion. The emphasis was centerd on the act of Christian
worship. Most of the Early Christian churches had clerestory lighting. Clerestory Windows were developed to
give a light to the central parts of the interior. These Windows became a symbol of the transcedence and grace
of God.
There was an entrance into the Christian church through an atrium and narthex- entrance hall on its
short side. The narthex was always on the west side and the altar on east side. This orientation followed in
most later medieval churches. The interior division, similar to Roman division, includes the basilican hall, along
with it its nave with lower aisles and apse at the end. It was adopted as the standard structure in Christian
congregational worship. Other typical Early Christian churchs feature is transept ( form the the Middle Latin
transeptum transverse enclosure). This architectural space, extension to the north and south, meet the nave
at the crosiing. Transept creates across shape and its the part of the type cruciform (cross-like) basilica of the
Early Christian churches. The nave was used for a sitting of the clergy and aisles were for public, common
people. This central nave was covered with timber roof and with simple type of construction queen and king
post trusses. The wooden beams supported a gable roof. The narrower aisles on the sides were sometimes
vailted. Apse was used for the alter. It was usually domed and lined with imposing glass mosaics that were
appropropriate background of sanctuary. An " arch of triumph " was the entrance to the sanctuary with the
High Altar standing in the centre under its baldachino upheld by marble columns. The vista was rounded off by
an apse lined with marble slabs and crowned with a semi-dome en-crusted with glittering golden mosaics.
There was a possible courtyard or atrium in fornt of the early churches and a fountain in the center of atrium
rarely (baptism used them).

Some churches also provided burial spaces for the dead. Burial places known as catacombs were one of the
most typical architectural structures in Early Christian architecture. They were located beneath churches.
Funerals were held in either individual shelf tombs or private family chambers.
Other architetectural structures were open-air cemeteries.
Typical architectural elemnts:
All openings (doors, Windows or arcades) were either spanned by a lintel or spanned by a semicircular arch,
which often lay right on the capitals with no entablatures. Windows were small and were filled with marble,
slabs or alabaster.
Walls in Early Christian architecture were constructed in accordance with Roman methods of using concrete or
rubble, covered with brick, plaster or stone mosaic. Decoration on the walls was mostly interior ( horizontal or
vertical mosaic bands)and sometimes exterior (plain brick walls).
Columns differ both in design and size as they were often taken from earlier Roman building, which had either
been destroyed or fallen into ruins. Obviously early Christian builders used materials and ornaments of the
pagan Romans and big effect was obtained though the details of the details of the design were not inevitably
homogeneous. All the fine marble columns such as Doric, Ionic or Corinthian in the churches of Rome were
taken from ancient Roman buildings.
Mouldings were in rough variations of old Roman styles and the carving, though rich in general effect, is crude.
The technique of the craftsmen had gradually declined during this period. Enrichments were incised on
moulding in low relief and the acanthus ornament became more conventional in its form.
As regards ornaments, the introduction of colour provided richness and glimmering into interiors. The domed
apses mosaics represented Christ surrounded by apostels and saints in general. The arch of triumph, which
separated the nave from the bema, was ornamented with appropriate subjects long friezes of figures line the
wall above nave arcades and the wall spaces between the clear-story windows had usually
mosaics illustrating the Christian history or a doctrine. The figures are treated in strong colours on a gold
background in a bold and simple design that fits well the position. The method of execution is coarse and bold
and no attempt was made at neatness. The colored pavements were largely formed of slices from old Roman
porphyry or marble columns in which Christ appears surrounded by prophets, saints and martyrs.
The examples of the Early Christian churches
Basilica type:
Until the end of Middle Ages the big sample of basilica type church was the church of Gods tomb. It was built
at the beginning of 326 A.D. in Jeruzalem. While entering the church people had to go through the funeral
rotunda. The funeral rotunda had a 2-storey gallery. Then there was an atrium with a columnar gallery. The
basilica had 5 aisles.
S. Giovanni in Laterano was built around the year 315 A.D. and was redesigned several times. Materials which
were used for building this church were brick, concrete and timber. Timber was used for trusses as
a construction of roof. This building is divided into a central nave linked by two aisles, that are narrower, as
almost every typical Christian church. Division between the nave and aisles is the monumental colonade.
The other typical example of Christian architecture is the St. Peters church located in Rome. The whole bulding
was completed in 333 A.D. This basilica was built by the emperor Constantine. The interior was, as well as in
the other churches, divided to the central nave and two aisle on the sides. They were separated by the
colonnade. Three entrances lead from the atrium into the St. Peters church. The central nave didnt end at the
apse but instead it has a transverse space which had the same height as the central nave. Then there was an
apse where the altar was placed. Under the altar we can find the tomb St. Peter. The entire floor plan the St.
Peters church look like a crucifix. The building had a wooden roof consisted of inerlocking rafters. This church
is one of the earliest churches built over the tomb of martyrs.
The other church is the Church of St. Sabine on Aventine in Rome. The church was built in 422-432 A.D. This
rectangular type church belongs to one of the most well.preserved examples of Roman architecture. The
corinthian columns divide the central nave and narrower and lower aisles on the side. There are big surfaces of

the walls in the gallery. These walls are intemittent by windows that are enclosed with circular arches. The roof
construction include the wooden stool. As in each typical basilica the main nave terminates at the apside where
the altar is placed. The whole apside is decorated with mosaic decoration. This building is really simple and very
well lighted.
Alternative church types:
In the early years of Christianity, the alternative church types were common in the Eastern and Western
Roman Empires. Later the basilica became more popular and famous form of the church in the West. The
centralized alternative form became more popular in the Eastern empire.
We know two types of the centralized churches and those are the lobed or four-lobed type and the completely
circular form. The lobed or four-lobed church is set within an overall pentagon or square. The circular
churches had a round or octagonal space surrounded by an ambulatory. Typical examples are the lateran
Baptistery in Rome, Saint Stefan Rotunda or Saint Constanza in Rome. Characteristic examples of the lobed or
four-lobed forms are St. Lorenzo in Milan or the Holy Apostle in Milan.
Examples of round alternative church type:
The Lateran Baptistery is characteristic alternative church form. It was built in 315 A.D. by the emperor
Constantine. The church has a plan of two octagonal rings. Each ring has a colonnade and it defines the central
space.
Other typical alternative circular church type is the church St. Constanza. This building was originally designed
as a mausoleum for the emperor Constantines daughter. It has a symmetrical floorplan with domed central
space. The central space was ringed by an arcade with 12 pairs of double colonnade and beyond this colonnade
there is an ambulatory. The ambulatory is roofed by a barrel vaulted roof structure.
The church St. Stefano Rotunda was built in 468 A.D. This church was the first one and the largest church with
a round plan in Rome. The plano f the building blends the cruciform with a circular floorplan. There is a huge
central nave in the middle which is a part of the St. Stefano Rotunda. I tis encircled by ionic columns. We can
find there many clerestory windows that allow the sunlight penetrate into the interior. There are four chapels
that define the cruciform shape .
The basilica San Vitale is othe central church type with an octagonal floorplan. I tis located in Ravenna. The
basilica was built in 522 547 A.D. for the emperor of Eastern Roman Empire Justinian.
Examples of lobed alternative church type:
St. Lorenzo located in Milan is an early Christian church. It was a martyrium and it was used for storing relics of
apostles in a casket placed underneath the altar. It has a huge cross-shaped structure. The whole building is
divided into a single aisle nave which was opened through columnar screens into its transept wings. The
transept wings ended at a projecting portal hall.
Other example is the Holy Apostle in Milan. It was built in 370 A.D. as the church of imperial palace. This
building was essentialy a church form of a square central floorplan. The main central space was defined by a 2level columnar screen that supported some half domes. There are also some subsidiary octagonal structures
which are placed around the main church.

SOURCES:
Dejiny architektry (Od antiky po sasnos): Jan Gympel, SLOVART, Bratislava 2008, pg.: 14,15

http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/arth212/early_christian_basilica.html
http://www.phs.poteau.k12.ok.us/williame/APAH/readings/Early%20Christian%20Architecture,%20APAP.pdf

http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Early-Christian-Art-Architecture-afterConstantine.pdf
http://www.2shared.com/document/7cs1h7GX/Early_Christian_Art_Architectu.html
http://opencourseware.kfupm.edu.sa/colleges/ced/arc/arc110/files%5CLecture_Slides_Module_8_ECB.pdf

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