HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE – IV

LECTURE 4

EARLY CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE

Lecture Contents :
Debadutta Parida
Architectural characteristics Asst. Professor
Relationship between architecture and religious practice
Old St. Peter’s
BMS SA
FEATURES

Growth of Christianity, effectively an underground Eastern mystery cult during the first three
centuries AD.

It was established as the state religion of the Empire under the successors of Constantine

SEQUENCE OF SOCIAL CHANGE

New administration set up within the framework of the Roman empire

Gradual split between Eastern and Western Empire in state and

church.

Political and economic breakdown of the West, ending in barbarian

invasions.
RELIGIOUS PRACTICE AND ARCHITECTURE – THE POLITICS OF CHANGE

Rome became Christian, and Christianity would take on the aura of Pre Constantine church
imperial Rome
Evolved from typical domestic architecture
The invention of the Christian church was one of the most brilliant Largest area was the baptistery – to initiate new members
solutions in architectural history Spatially inadequate

Major Challenge – What should be the physical form of a church?

Influence from Basilicas

Ideas which generated the form

Emphasis on interior – as opposed to the exterior as in Roman Temples

Need of exterior appearance to be visually meaningful

Buildings needed to convey authority of Christianity

EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH

The church building as grew out of a number of features of

the Ancient Roman period:

1. The house church

2. The atrium
3. The basilica
4. The bema
5. The mausoleum: centrally-planned building
6. The cruciform ground plan: Latin or Greek cross
OLD ST. PETER’S, ROME

Typical Basilica form, representing Roman Basilicas

No lavish decoration of exterior

Consisted of five aisles, a wide central nave and two smaller

aisles to each side, which were each divided by 21 marble
columns

110 m) long, built in the shape of a Latin cross, and had a

gabled roof which was timbered on the interior and which stood
at over 100 feet (30 m) at the center

Built over the historical site of the Circus of Nero

An early interpretation of the relative locations of the Circus Plan & view of Old St. Peter’s
of Nero, and the old and current Basilicas of St. Peter
thank you