Architecture of cathedrals and great churches

Cathedrals,collegiate churches,andmonastic churcheslike those ofabbeysandpriories,often have certain complex structural forms that are found less often inparish churches.They also tend to display a higher level ofcontemporary architectural styleand the work of accomplished craftsmen, and occupy a status both ecclesiastical and social that an ordinary parish church rarely has. Such churches are generally among the finest buildings locally and a source of regional pride.Many are among the world's most renowned works of architecture. These includeSt Peter's Basilica,Notre-Dame de Paris,Cologne Cathedral,Salisbury Cathedral,Antwerp Cathedral,Prague Cathedral,Lincoln Cathedral,theBasilica of Saint-Denis,Santa Maria Maggiore,theBasilica of San Vitale,St Mark's Basilica,Westminster Abbey,Saint Basil's Cathedral,Antoni Gaudí's incompleteSagrada Famíliaand the ancient cathedral ofHagia SophiainIstanbul,now amosque.

Etchmiadzin Cathedralin Armenia, considered the first cathedral, traditionally believed to be constructed in 301 AD (current structure mostly from 483 AD)

Salisbury Cathedralfrom the East 1220–1380. An essay inEarly English Gothicwith the tallest spire inEngland

St. Basil's Cathedral,Moscow

The architecturally unique Basilica ofSagrada FamíliainBarcelonacombines structural elements of the traditional Gothic cathedral with a style drawing onArt Nouveau,local tradition and the imagination of its creator,Antoni Gaudí.

The earliest large churches date from Late Antiquity. AsChristianityand the construction ofchurchesspread across the world, their manner of building was dependent upon local materials and local techniques. Differentstyles of architecturedeveloped and their fashion spread, carried by the establishment of monastic orders, by the posting ofbishopsfrom one region to another and by the travelling of masterstonemasonswho served asarchitects.The successive styles of the great church buildings ofEuropeare known asEarly Christian,Byzantine,Romanesque,Gothic,Renaissance,Baroque,Rococo,Neoclassical,and variousRevivalstyles of the late 18th to early 20th centuries, and thenModern.Underlying each of the academic styles are the regional characteristics. Some of these characteristics are so typical of a particular country or region that they appear, regardless of style, in the architecture of churches designed many centuries apart.

Function

Among the world's largest and most architecturally significant churches, many were built to serve as cathedrals or abbey churches. The categories below are not exclusive. A church can be an abbey church and serve as a cathedral. SomeProtestantparish churches likeUlm Minsterhave never served as any of these; since theReformationmanyWestern Christiandenominations dispensed with theepiscopatealtogether and medieval churches lost, gained, or lost again their cathedral status, likeSt Giles', EdinburghorSt Magnus', Kirkwall.Some great churches of theMiddle Ages,such as Westminster Abbey, are former abbeys; others likeRipon CathedralandBath Abbeywere built as monastic churches and became cathedrals or parish churches in recent centuries; others again were built as parish churches and subsequently raised to cathedrals, likeSouthwark Cathedral.Some significant churches are termed "temples" or "oratories". Among theRoman Catholicchurches, many have been raised to the status of "basilica"since the 18th century.

Cathedral

Main article:Cathedral

Acathedralhas a specific ecclesiastical role and administrative purpose as the seat of abishop.The cathedral (Latin:ecclesia cathedralis,lit. 'church of thecathedra') takes its name from thecathedra,'seat' of the bishop, known as the episcopal throne. The wordcathedralis sometimes mistakenly applied as a generic term for any very large and imposing church.

The role of bishop as an administrator of localclergycame into being in the 1st century.It was two hundred years before the first cathedral building was constructed in Rome. With the legalizing of Christianity in 313 by theEmperor Constantine I,churches were built rapidly. Five very large churches were founded in Rome and, though much altered or rebuilt, still exist today, including the cathedral church of Rome,St Johnon theLateran Hilland thepapalSt Peter's Basilica on theVatican Hill,now theVatican City.

Thearchitectural formwhich cathedrals took was largely dependent upon theirritualfunction as the seat of a bishop. Cathedrals are places where, in common with other Christian churches, theEucharistis celebrated, theBibleis read, theliturgyis said or sung,prayersare offered andsermonsare preached. But in a cathedral, among denominations withepiscopalian church governance,these things are done with a greater amount of elaboration, pageantry and procession than in lesser churches. This elaboration is particularly present during importantliturgical ritesperformed by a bishop, such asconfirmationandordination.In areas with astate religionor anestablished churcha cathedral is often the site ofritualsassociated with local or nationalgovernment,the bishops performing the tasks of all sorts from the induction of amayorto thecoronationof amonarch.Some of these tasks are apparent in the form and fittings of particular cathedrals.

Cathedrals are not always large buildings and there are no prerequisites in size, height, or capacity for cathedrals to serve as such beyond those required to be a typical church. A cathedral might be as small as the historicNewport Cathedral,a late medieval parish church declared a cathedral in 1949. That said, size, height, capacity, and architectural prominence are all categories in which most cathedrals excel (at least comparatively within the municipal context of each building).

There exist a number of practical reasons for this:

• The cathedral was created to theglory of God.It was seen as appropriate that it should be as grand and as beautiful as wealth and skill could make it.
• As the seat of a bishop, the cathedral was the location for certain liturgical rites, such as the ordination of priests, which brought together large numbers of clergy and people.
• It functioned as an ecclesiastical and social meeting-place for many people, not just those of the town in which it stood, but also, on occasions, for the entire region.
• The cathedral often had its origins in a monastic foundation and was aplace of worshipfor members of a holy order who said the mass privately at a number of small chapels within the cathedral.
• The cathedral often became a place of worship and burial for wealthy local patrons. These patrons often endowed the cathedrals with money for successive enlargements and building programs.
• Cathedrals are also traditionally places ofpilgrimage,to which people travel from afar to celebrate certain importantfeast daysor to visit the shrine associated with a particular saint. An extended eastern end is often found at cathedrals where the remains of a saint are interred behind the High Altar.

• Cathedrals
• 
  Cathedral of Cajamarca,Peru
• 
  Cathedral of Christ the Saviour,Moscow,Russia
• 
  Saint-Stephen Cathedral,Metz,France

Collegiate churches

Main article:Collegiate church

Monastic churches

Main articles:Monastery,Abbey,andPriory

An abbey church is one that is, or was in the past, the church of amonastic order.Likewise afriary churchis the church of an order offriars.These orders includeBenedictines,Cistercians,Augustinians,Franciscans,Dominicans,Jesuitsand many more. Many churches of abbey foundation, are or previously were, part of a monastic complex that includes dormitories,refectory,cloisters,library,chapter houseand other such buildings.

In many parts of the world, abbey churches frequently served the local community as well as the monastic community. In regions such as theBritish Isleswhere the monastic communities weredissolved,appropriated,secularized,or otherwisesuppressed,the monastic churches often continued to serve as a parish church. In many areas ofAsiaandSouth America,the monasteries had the earliest established churches, with the monastic communities acting initially as missionaries to, and colonists of, indigenous people. Well-known abbey churches includeSanta Maria delle Grazie, Milan,Italy;Westminster AbbeyandBeverley MinsterinEngland,theAbbey of Saint-Étienne, CaenandAbbey of St-DenisinFrance,Melk AbbeyinAustria,Great LavraonMt Athos,and theMalate ChurchinManila.

• Abbeys
• 
  The Romanesque Abbey Church of St Etienne,Nevers,France
• 
  The Gothic Abbey Church ofBatalha Monastery,Portugal
• 
  The BaroqueEinsiedeln AbbeyatEinsiedeln,Switzerland

Basilica

The meaning of "basilica" in architecture is discussed below; in the Roman Catholic ecclesiastical sense, a "basilica" is a title awarded by thepope,head of theCatholic Church,and recipient churches are accordingly afforded certain privileges. A building that is designated as a basilica might be a cathedral, a collegiate or monastic church, a parish church, or ashrine.The four so-called "Major Basilicas" are four churches of Rome of 4th century foundation,St John Lateran,Santa Maria Maggiore,St Peter's Basilica,and theBasilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls.There are 1,810 as of 2019churches in the world which are designated as "Minor Basilicas". The reason for such a designation is often that the church is a prominent pilgrimage site and contains the celebrated relics of asaint,or anotherrelic,such as a supposed fragment of theTrue Cross.These churches are often large and of considerable architectural significance. They include theBasilica of St Francis, Assisi;theChurch of the Nativity,Bethlehem;Santhome Church,Chennai;theSanctuary of Fátima,Portugal;Sheshan Basilica,Shanghai,theBasilica of the Immaculate ConceptioninManila,and theBasilica of Our Lady of GuadalupeinMexico City.

• Basilicas
• 
  Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi,Assisi,Italy
• 
  Basilica of St Josaphat,Milwaukee,United States
• 
  Basilica of St Giles,Bardejov,Slovakia

Origins and development of the church building

Main article:Church architecture

Plan ofOld St Peter's Basilica,showingatrium(courtyard),narthex(vestibule), centralnavewith doubleaisles,abemafor the clergy extending into atransept,and anexedraor semi-circularapse.

The church building grew out of a number of features of the Ancient Roman period:

• Thehouse church
• Theatrium
• Thebasilica
• Thebema
• Themausoleum– centrally planned building
• The cruciform ground plan – Latin or Greek cross

From house church to church

From the first to the early fourth centuries most Christian communities worshipped in private homes, often secretly. Some Roman churches, such as theBasilica of San Clementein Rome, are built directly over the houses where early Christians worshipped. Other early Roman churches are built on the sites of Christianmartyrdomor at the entrance tocatacombswhere Christians were buried. The first very large Christian churches were built in Rome and have their origins in the early 4th century, when withEdict of Milanthe emperorsConstantineandLiciniuscontinued the legalization of Christianity begun by their predecessorGalerius'sEdict of Serdica.Several of Rome's largest churches, notablySanta Maria MaggioreandSt John Lateran,have their foundation in the 4th century. The cathedral church of Rome is St John Lateran and not the more famousSt Peter's Basilica.St Peter's is also of 4th century foundation, though nothing of that appears above the ground.

Atrium

When Early Christian Communities began to build churches they drew on one particular feature of the houses that preceded them, theatrium,or courtyard with acolonnadesurrounding it.Most of these atriums have disappeared. A fine example remains at theBasilica of San Clementein Rome and another was built in the Romanesque period atSant'Ambrogio, Milan.The descendants of theseatriamay be seen in the large squarecloistersthat can be found beside many cathedrals, and in the huge colonnaded squares or piazze at the Basilicas of St Peter's in Rome and St Mark's in Venice and the Camposanto (Holy Field) atPisa Cathedral.

• 
  The atrium at theBasilica di San Clemente,Rome,with reused Ancient Roman columns
• 
  The Romanesque atrium at theBasilica of Sant'Ambrogio,Milan
• 
  A section of the enormous colonnade around thepiazzaofSt Peter's Basilica,Rome

Basilica

Early church architecture did not draw its form from Roman temples, as the latter did not have large internal spaces where worshipping congregations could meet. It was the Romanbasilica,used for meetings, markets and courts of law that provided a model for the large Christian church and that gave its name to the Christianbasilica. Both Roman basilicas and Romanbath houseshad at their core a large vaulted building with a high roof, braced on either side by a series of lower chambers or a widearcadepassage. An important feature of the Roman basilica was that at either end it had a projectingexedra,orapse,a semicircular space roofed with a half-dome. This was where the magistrates sat to hold court. It passed into the church architecture of the Roman world and was adapted in different ways as a feature of cathedral architecture.

The earliest large churches, such as the cathedral ofSt John Lateranin Rome, consisted of a single-ended basilica with one apsidal end and a courtyard, oratrium,at the other end. As Christianliturgydeveloped, processions became part of the proceedings. The processional door was that which led from the furthest end of the building, while the door most used by the public might be that central to one side of the building, as in a basilica of law. This is the case in many cathedrals and churches.

• 
  The AncientBasilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe,nearRavenna,Italy
• 
  The interior ofSant'Apollinare in Classe
• 
  The "bema" of theBasilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls,Rome
• 
  The nave ofBasílica of Saint Sofia,Sofia

Mausoleum

One of the influences onchurch architecturewas themausoleum.The mausoleum of a noble Roman was a square or circular domed structure which housed asarcophagus.Constantine the Greatbuilt for his daughterConstantinaa mausoleum which has a circular central space surrounded by a lower ambulatory or passageway separated by a colonnade.

This burial place became a place of worship,Santa Costanza,as well as a tomb. It is one of the earliest church buildings that was centrally, rather than longitudinally planned. Constantine was also responsible for the building of the circular, mausoleum-likeChurch of the Holy Sepulchrein Jerusalem, which in turn influenced the plan of a number of buildings, including that constructed in Rome to house the remains of the proto-martyrSaint Stephen,San Stefano Rotondoand theBasilica of San Vitalein Ravenna.

Ancient circular or polygonal churches are comparatively rare. A small number, such as theTemple Church,London were built during theCrusadesin imitation of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as isolated examples in England, France and Spain. In Denmark such churches in the Romanesque style are much more numerous. In parts of Europe there are also round tower-like churches of the Romanesque period but they are generally vernacular architecture and of small scale. Others, like Rotunda of St Martin atVyšehradin the Czech Republic are finely detailed.

The circular or polygonal form lent itself to those buildings within church complexes that perform a function in which it is desirable for people to stand, or sit around, with a centralised focus, rather than an axial one. In Italy the circular or polygonal form was used throughout the medieval period for baptisteries, while in England it was adapted forchapter houses.In France the aisled polygonal plan was adapted as the eastern terminal and in Spain the same form is often used as a chapel.

Other than Santa Costanza and San Stefano, there was another significant place of worship in Rome that was also circular, the vast Ancient RomanPantheon,with its numerous statue-filled niches. This too was to become a church and subsequently a Roman Catholic basilica and lend its style to the development of ecclesiastical architecture.

• Circular churches
• 
  TheMausoleum of Santa Costanza,Rome, was built as the tomb of theaugustaConstantina.(See interior below.)
• 
  Church of Saint George, Sofia,Bulgaria, built during the 4th century in the Roman city of Serdica.
• 
  Bjernede Kirke is one of several circularRomanesque churchesin Denmark.
• 
  Temple Church,London was inspired by the rotunda of theChurch of the Holy Sepulchre,Jerusalem and built by theKnights Templar.

Bema

Main article:Bema

As numbers of clergy increased, the small apse which contained the altar, or table upon which thesacramental breadand wine were offered in theriteofHoly Communion,was not sufficient to accommodate them. A raised dais called abemaformed part of many large basilican churches. In the case of St Peter's Basilica and St Paul's Outside the Walls in Rome, this bema extended laterally beyond the main meeting hall, forming two arms so that the building took on the shape of a T with a projecting apse. From this beginning, the plan of the church developed into the so-calledLatin Crosswhich is the shape of most Western Cathedrals and large churches. The arms of the cross are called thetransept.

Latin Cross and Greek Cross

Planof the Renaissance St Peter's Basilica, showing elements of both central and longitudinal plan.

Many of the earliest churches ofByzantiumhave a longitudinal plan. AtHagia Sophia,Istanbul, there is a central dome, framed on one axis by two high semi-domes and on the other by low rectangular transept arms, the overall plan being square. This large church was to influence the building of many later churches, even into the 21st century. A square plan in which the nave, chancel and transept arms are of equal length forming aGreek cross,the crossing generally surmounted by a dome became the common form in theOrthodox Church,with many churches throughout Eastern Europe and Russia being built in this way. Churches of the Greek Cross form often have anarthexor vestibule which stretches across the front of the church. This type of plan was also to later play a part in the development of church architecture in Western Europe, most notably inBramante's plan forSt Peter's BasilicaandChristopher Wren'sdesign forSt Paul's Cathedral.

Most cathedrals and great churches have a cruciformgroundplan.In churches of Western European tradition, the plan is usually longitudinal, in the form of the so-calledLatin Crosswith a longnavecrossed by a transept. The transept may be as strongly projecting as atYork Minsteror not project beyond the aisles as atAmiens Cathedral.

Architecture

A schematic plan showing the elements and orientation that are common to many churches

Architectural forms common to many cathedrals and great churches

Note-The list below is compiled fromBanister Fletcher.Because of the diversity in the individual building histories, not all the characteristics pertain to every building.

Axis

As described above, the majority of cathedrals and great churches are cruciform in shape with the church having a defined axis. Theaxisis generally east/west with external emphasis upon the west front, normally the main entrance, and internal emphasis upon the eastern end so that the congregation faces the direction of the coming ofChrist.As it is also in the direction of the rising sun, the architectural features of the east end often focus on enhancing interior illumination by the sun. Not every church or cathedral maintains a strict east–west axis, but even in those that do not, the terms East End and West Front are used.Many churches of Rome, notably St Peter's Basilica, face the opposite direction.

• 
  The ByzantineChurch of the Holy Apostles,Athens,shows aGreek Crossplan with central dome and the axis marked by thenarthex(transverse vestibule).
• 
  Pisa Cathedralfrom the "Leaning Tower"shows theLatin Crossform, with projectingapse,foreground and free-standingbaptistryat the west.
• 
  Southwark Cathedral,London,shows strongly projectingtransepts,long eastern end and the central tower common in Britain.

Nave

The majority of cathedrals and large churches of the Western European tradition have a high widenavewith a loweraisleseparated by an arcade on either side.Occasionally the aisles are as high as the nave, forming ahall church;this is mostly a German type.Many cathedrals have two aisles on either side.Notre-Dame de Parishas two aisles and a row of chapels.

In the case of a centrally planned church, the major axis is that between the main door and the altar.

Transept

Thetranseptforms the arms of the church building. In English cathedrals of monastic foundation there are often two transepts.The intersection where the nave and transept meet is called thecrossingand is often surmounted by a small spire called aflèche,a dome or, particularly in England, a large tower with or without a spire.

Vertical emphasis

There is generally a prominent external feature that rises upwards. It may be a dome, a central tower, two western towers or towers at both ends as atSpeyer Cathedral.The towers are often topped by aspire.Often towers rise above the main entrance at the west front, or they may be placed centrally, or at the east end, but spires were unusual at the west end beforeJames Gibbs's innovative and much-copiedSt Martin-in-the-Fields,London, in the 1720s.The towers may be finished with pinnacles or spires or a small dome.

• Three ancient cathedrals dominating townscapes which have retained medieval scale
• 
  Lincoln Cathedral,England,has two west towers and a huge crossing tower topped for 200 years by the world's tallest spire.
• 
  Bamberg Cathedral,Germany, has a tower at each corner, topped by spires which rise from gables and are called "rhenish helms".
• 
  Florence Cathedral,Italy, has a free-standingcampanileand the largest dome built before the 19th century.

West front

The façade or "west front" or in some cases termed the (westwork), is the most ornate part of the exterior, with the processional doors, often three in number, and often richly decorated with sculpture, marble or stone tracery.The façade often has a large window, sometimes a rose window or an impressive sculptural group as its central feature.

In the Western European tradition, there are frequently paired towers framing the façade. These towers have their origin in a tradition practiced at theChurch of the Holy Sepulchrein Jerusalem. DuringHoly Weekthe faithful would process along theWay of the Cross,leading to the Basilica, which in Early Christian times consisted of a domed shrine over the site of the tomb, and a "porch" which had a staircase on either side, supported by a small tower, by which the procession entered and exited. These towers were adopted symbolically, particularly inRomanesque architecture,as corner turrets. They flourished inNormanandGothic architectureas large towers, reaching their height of magnificence atCologne Cathedral,where they were not completed until the late 19th century.

• 
  The polychrome façade ofSiena Cathedral,Italy, has Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic elements.
• 
  Notre Dame de Paris,has a Gothic west front in which verticals and horizontals are balanced.
• 
  The Renaissance façade ofSant'Andrea della Valle,Rome,is a two tiered temple with paired columns.
• 
  The Spanish Baroque west front of the RomanesqueCathedral of Santiago de Compostela
• 
  The Gothic west front ofCologne Cathedralwas not completed until the 19th century.
• 
  Russian Revivalfaçade ofThe Cathedral of Peter and Paulwith polychrome details, tented roofs and domes
• 
  The Neoclassical façade ofVilnius Cathedral,Lithuania,with its pediment and columns...

East end

Main article:Architectural development of the eastern end of cathedrals in England and France

The east end is the part of the building which shows the greatest diversity of architectural form. At the eastern end, internally, lies the sanctuary where the altar of the cathedral is located.

• Early ChristianandByzantine– A projecting semi-circular apse.
• Romanesque – A rounded end. It may be a lower apse projecting from a higher square end, usual in Italy, Germany and Eastern Europe. In France and England the chancel terminated in a high eastern end of semi-circular form, surrounded by anambulatory.While common in France, in England this form has only been retained without significant change atNorwich Cathedral.
• France, Spain, German and Eastern European Gothic – The eastern end is long and extends into a high vaulted apsidal end. The eastern aisles are continued around this apse, making a lower passage orambulatory.There may be a group of projecting, radiating chapels called achevet.
• English Gothic – The eastern ends show enormous diversity.Canterbury Cathedralhas an apsidal end with ambulatory and projecting chapels. No English Cathedral prior to the 19th century has a fully developedchevet.In the some, notablyLincoln Cathedral,the east end presents a square, cliff-like form while in most this severity is broken by a projectingLady Chapel.There are also examples of the lower aisle continuing around the square east end.

• Four forms of east end
• 
  TheAbbey of San Salvatore,Italy, has three simpleapses
• 
  The Church of St Nicola,Kungur,Russia, has an apse and wideambulatory.
• 
  Tours Cathedral,France, has a highapse,ambulatoryandchevetof radiating chapels with flyingbuttresses
• 
  Lincoln Cathedral,England,has the cliff-like, buttressed east end usual in English Gothic churches

External decoration

The external decoration of a cathedral or large church building is often both architectural and pictorial. Decorative architectural devices includecolumns,pilasters,arcading,cornices,moldings,finialsandtracery.The forms taken by these features is one of the clearest indications of the style and date of any particular building. Pictorial elements may include sculpture, painting and mosaic.

Sculpture is the predominant pictorial decorative element in most regions where buildings are of stone construction. In the great medieval churches of France, Spain, England and much of Germany, figurative sculpture is found adorning façades and portals.

Churches of brick, such as those of much of Italy, are often adorned withmosaics,inlays,inset marblefriezesand free-standing statues at the roofline. Mosaics were a particular feature of Byzantine architecture and are the main form of adornment of manyOrthodoxchurches, both externally and internally.

The most common theme in the decoration, both external and internal, of any church, is thesalvationof humankind byJesus Christ.The decorative scheme often functions as aPoor Man's Bible,warning the church-goer that, in Biblical terms, the just rewards for his sinful nature is death, and that only through Jesus can forgiveness and redemption be gained. The scheme typically starts outside the church, on the west front, with the portrayal ofChrist the Judgeabove thelintelof the main door. In Romanesque and Gothic buildings, this is usually a sculptural group, and may entail a whole scene of theLast Judgementwith details of souls being weighed and rewarded, or dragged down toHellbydemons.In those churches in which painted rather than sculptured decoration prevails, theLast Judgementis often located on the interior of the west end, rather than the exterior.

Section references:Banister Fletcher,Wim Swaan,Larousse.

• 
  The Gothic façade ofOrvieto Cathedralis veneered with polychrome marble, and set, like a reliquary, with colorful mosaics and free-standing statues of marble and bronze.
• 
  The Gothic transept façade ofWestminster Abbey(13th and 19th centuries) is decorated with layers of architectural details such as tracery, arcading and figurative carving.
• 
  The Baroque façade of theCathedral of Cadizcontrasts dynamicarchitectural formswith precise Classical details and careful placement of free-standing sculpture.
• 
  TheRussian Revivalfaçade of theChurch of the Savior on Bloodis of red brick decorated with mosaics, glazed tiles and architectural ornament, particularly the ogee arches known askokoshniks.

Internal features

Nave and aisles

The main body of the building, making the longer arm of the cross, where worshippers congregate, is called thenave.The term is from the Latin word for ship. A cathedral is symbolically a ship bearing thepeople of Godthrough the storms of life. In addition, the high wooden roof of a large church is similarly constructed to thehullof a ship.

The nave is braced on either side by lower aisles, separated from the main space by a row of piers or columns. The aisles facilitate the movement of people, even when the nave is full of worshippers. They also strengthen the structure by buttressing the inner walls that carry the high roof, which in the case of many cathedrals and other large churches, is made of stone. Above the roof of the aisle are theclerestorywindows which light the nave.

In some large churches, particularly late Medieval churches, there are two aisles on either side of nave. Other churches have a single aisle and a row of chapels on either side. In some churches, particularly in Germany, the aisles are almost as high as the nave, forming a "hall church". In this case, because there is no clerestory, the aisle windows are often very tall, to admit light to the nave.

• Three forms of nave and aisles
• 
  The nave ofOrvieto Cathedral,Italy, has two stages: arcade and simpleclerestorywindows separated by acornice.
• 
  MedievalLincoln Cathedral,England,has three stages: arcade, gallery and clerestory, united by vertical shafts.
• 
  The BaroqueSchöntal AbbeyatSchöntal,Germany, is ahall churchwith nave and aisles rising to about the same height.

Crossing and transept

Thecrossingis the point in a church at which the transept intersects the nave. This point is often marked externally by a tower or dome and internally by the piers and arches that are required to bear the weight of such a structure. The interior of the dome or tower may be one of the major architectural features of the interior of the church. In a centrally planned church such as Hagia Sophia, and typical of many Orthodox churches, the major interior space of the building is roofed by the dome.

The transept is symbolic of the arms of the Cross, but also provides space for congregation and for additional chapels. Transept chapels are often dedicated to a particular saint, or to a particular aspect in the life and ministry of Christ, such as theNativityor theResurrection.In some English cathedrals there is often a second transept containing chapels, to facilitate the saying of theDivine Officeby clergy each day.

• 
  ByzantineHagia Eirene,Istanbul,has a dome onpendentives.
• 
  RomanesqueHildesheim Cathedralhas a simple flat roof over the crossing, which is common in most Romanesque churches.
• 
  GothicRouen Cathedralhas alanterntower with ribbed vault.
• 
  NormanEly Cathedralhas a Gothic octagon supported on wooden hammer beams.
• 
  Church of the Theotokos of the Sign, Dubrovitsy,has an elaborate Rococo variation on the Russiantented roof.
• 
  The 18th centuryPantheon, Paris,has a dome on arotunda.

Chancel, choir and presbytery

In a church in which part of the body of the church extends beyond the transept, then this extension is architecturally termed the "chancel",for which the stricter definition includes only thechoirand the sanctuary with the high altar, but in the common wider definition includes the whole eastern arm beyond the crossing.This architectural form is common inNormanandGothic architecture.The choir, where it exists, normally contains thechoir stalls,and the "sanctuary" and the "cathedra" (bishop's throne). The architectural "choir" is sometimes termed the "quire" to differentiate it from thechoirof singers. In the Middle Ages these were all clergy, or boys in an attachedchoir school,and the chancel (strictly defined) was the area occupied by officiating clergy, with few lay intrusions. In cathedrals thecanonsand other priests sat in the choir, as did the monks in monastic churches.

In those English cathedrals with two transepts, there is a further area beyond the choir which is called thepresbytery.This is where the priests or monks could make their private devotions (and is not to be confused with the general sense of a room to the side where the clergy put on their vestments, or a Catholicclergy house). Often there are many additional chapels located towards the eastern end of a cathedral or abbey church. The chief among these is typically theLady Chapelwhich is dedicated to theVirgin Mary.

• 
  The Norman choir atPeterborough Cathedral,England
• 
  Brick Gothic at the Cathedral of Ss. Peter and Paul,Gliwice,Poland
• 
  The Gothic choir atAmiens Cathedral,France
• 
  The choir and papal altar ofSt Peter's Basilica,Rome

Altar

The altar in the Roman Catholic church is the center of the church where the sacrifice on the cross is made present in sacramental form.Secondarily in the Catholic church, and primarily in other Christian denominations, the altar is a table on which is laid theBlessed Sacramentof bread and wine for consecration by a priest prior to use in the rite ofCommunion.The main altar in a church is located in a designated space called the "chancel"or" sanctuary "(" holy place "). The word has passed into modern English with an altered meaning because a criminal who could gain access to this area without capture was thereby given thesanctuary of the church.Many churches have an additional altar placed further forward in the church, as well as altars in chapels. The altar of a Catholic church may be made of stone, often marble. In mostProtestantchurches altars are of wood, symbolic of the table of theLast Supperrather than of a sacrificial altar, and may be called theCommunion table.

The sanctuary is often separated from the body of the church by railings and screens, and, in the case of Orthodox andByzantine Catholicchurches, by aniconostasiswhich forms a complete visual as well as physical barrier. The sanctuary is usually the most ornately decorated part of a church, creating a visual focus towards the altar. This might be done in several ways. There might be a carved or paintedaltarpiece,a large carved screen called a reredos, or a structure called aciboriumwhich form a canopy over the altar. In English churches that have a square eastern end, a very largestained glass"east window" often fills the wall behind the altar; examples still with medieval glass includeYork Minster,Gloucester CathedralandSt Margaret's, Westminster.

• 
  The Gothic RevivalreredosatEly Cathedral,England, with east window behind
• 
  The Baroque altarpiece at St Nicolaus Basilica,Bochnia,Poland.
• 
  The Neo-Baroqueciboriumin theCatedral Nueva,Cuenca,Ecuador
• 
  Tapestry byGraham SutherlandinCoventry Cathedral,England
• 
  ContemporaryIconostasisin theUkrainian Greek Catholic Church,ChicagoUnited States

Choir stalls and organ

The term "choir" is used in two distinct ways in relation to cathedrals. It firstly means thechoirof "choristers", often men and boys, that sing at the services; in medieval cathedrals, and sometimes still, the boys from a specialchoir school.It is also the term used for thatsection of the churchwhere the choir sits and stands to sing in services. In a cathedral or large church, there may be fixed seating in this area, calledchoir stallswhich also provided seating for the cathedral clergy and some congregation. The choir stalls are often richly carved and decorated. The bishop's throne orcathedrais often located in this space. The choir may be separated from the nave by a highly decorated screen of wood or stone.

The organ which provides music and accompanies the choir may be located on the screen, or may be in the gallery above the choir, or in a transept. Some churches have an organ loft at the west end of the church. These are usually a later addition to medieval churches; large examples hadportative organs,often several.

• 
  Organin theAlmudena Cathedral,Madrid,Spain
• 
  Thechoirstalls,screen andlecternofAlbi Cathedral,France
• 
  A choir practising inNorwich Cathedral,England

Font, lectern and pulpit

Towards the western end of the nave stands the font, or water basin at which the rite ofBaptismis performed. It is placed towards the door because the Baptism signifies entry into the community of the church. Standing to the front of the nave is a lectern from which theHoly Scriptureis read. In many churches this takes theform of an eaglewhich supports the book on its outstretched wings and is the symbol ofJohn the Evangelist.

The third significant furnishing of the nave is the pulpit or rostrum from which thesermonis preached and the biblical readings are expounded. Thepulpitmight be of marble or wood, and may be a simple structure or represent a highly elaborate carved sermon. It is often decorated with the winged figures of a man, a lion, a bull and an eagle, representing theGospelwriters, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

• 
  Font atSalamanca Cathedral,Spain
• 
  Lectern atBeverley Minster,England
• 
  Ambofor reading theGospelatSant'Apollinare Nuovo,Ravenna
• 
  Pulpitat the Church of St Laurentius,Lokeren,Belgium
• 
  Pulpit atSarajevo Cathedral,Bosnia and Herzegovina

Decoration

Main article:Poor Man's Bible

The internal decorative features of a cathedral or great church might follow a carefully conceived scheme which might continue the theme begun on the west front. There are many examples which give evidence of this, and include themosaicvaults of Orthodox churches, thestained glasswindows of Medieval churches and the sculptural schemes of Baroque churches. However, in many other cases, any unified scheme has been lost with the vagaries of the building's history.

Despite losses and changes of direction, the over-riding aim in the decoration of church interiors is to convey the message of theGospels.To this end, many churches have, in their decorative schemes, elements of aPoor Man's Bible,illustrating aspects of theLife of Christand other related narratives, with the aim of educating the viewer. Among these representations are theStations of the Crossand theCrucifixwhich was traditionally suspended from the chancel arch, or placed on aroodscreen at the entrance to the quire. Other figurative representations include sculptures or pictures of saints and prophets, which are the common subject of the panel paintings on theiconostasisof Orthodox Churches.

The symbolism used in ancient churches is not always easy for modern people to read. Virtues and vices may be represented by small figures with particular attributes, or by animals that were thought to embody a particular quality. A common example is thepelicanwhich was thought to peck its breast to feed its young on the blood, thus representing the love of Christ for the Church.

The decorative scheme generally culminated at the altar, where there would be a paintedaltarpieceor sculpturedreredos,or it would be framed by a stained glass window, or an apsidal mosaic.

• 
  The interior ofVologda Cathedral,Russia, is painted with murals.
• 
  Monreale Cathedral,Sicily,is decorated with mosaics in the Byzantine manner.

Architectural style

Early Christian

The period of architecture termed Early or Paleo-Christian lasted from the first Christian Church buildings of the early 4th century until the development of a distinctly Byzantine style which emerged in the reign ofJustinian Iin the 6th century, foundation ofConstantinopleby Constantine in 330 CE. Some of the earliest Christian churches were constructed by theArsacid dynasty of Armenia,where kingTiridates IIIconverted to Christianity in 301. The smallaislelessKasagh BasilicaatAparanin theKingdom of Armeniais traditionally dated to the 4th or 5th century.

Large Early Christian churches generally took the form of aisled basilicas with an apse.Among the early larger churches in Rome the Basilica ofSanta Maria Maggiorehas retained much of its original internal arrangement, its vast basilical proportions, its simple apsidal end, its greatcolonnadesupporting a straightcornicerather than arches and some very earlymosaicdecoration.Santa Sabina,also in Rome, exemplifies the simplicity of architectural decoration that characterized many of the early Christian basilicas. Other important churches of this period are the two ancient circular churches of Rome, The Basilica ofSanta CostanzaandSan Stefano Rotondo.These churches are marked by their formal application of the Roman architectural orders in their columns, withIoniccapitalssupporting the lintel at Santa Maria Maggiore, Corinthian andCompositecapitals at Santa Sabina and Santa Costanza, and all three orders at San Stefano. At Santa Costanza the thick brick walls of the central tambour are supported on slim elegant columns that are paired to give extra strength, each pair supporting a small section of cornice from which the arches spring.

A number of Rome's churches have retained Early Christian mosaics. Those at Santa Costanza are similar to mosaics and painted decoration found in public and domestic interiors, being largely geometric or floral, but close examination reveals much Christian symbolism in the choice of motives. One of the most extensive decorative schemes from the period to have remained at least partially intact is that at Santa Maria Maggiore, where the proscenium of the apse is decorated with stories of theInfancy of Jesusdrawn from theGospel of Matthew.

TheAnchiskhati Basilicais the oldest church inGeorgia,dating from the 6th century.

Where churches of Early Christian foundation remain, they are mostly considerably altered, are badly deteriorated and no longer viable, or are roofless ruins, a state which almost overtook San Stefano, prior to a renovation in the 15th century. The 4th centuryChurch of the NativityinBethlehemwas rebuilt by Justinian I after a fire in the 6th century, but appears to have retained much of its original form, including its massive Roman colonnades. The ConstantinianChurch of the Holy Sepulchre,on the other hand, was demolished under the order of theFatimid caliphAl-Hakimin 1009 so that what stands today is a total reconstruction.

TheEuphrasian Basilicain Poreč, Croatia, was founded in 360 on the site of a house church and retaining part of its Roman pavement. Although renovated and decorated in the late 6th century, the church has retained Early Christian features, including the atrium. Several Early Christian churches exist in Syria and Armenia, mostly in a ruined state. These show Roman rather than Byzantine architectural features, but have a regional character distinct from those of Rome.

• Early Christian churches in Rome
• 
  The AncientBasilica of Santa Sabina,Rome(circa 425) has a typical basilical plan with a high semi-circularapse.
• 
  Internally, Santa Sabina appears little changed since Early Christian times.
• 
  TheBasilica of San Stefano Rotondo,Rome(circa 470) has lost the outer of its threearcadesbut retains the ancient core of the structure.

• Early Christian church interiors
• 
  TheBasilica of Santa Maria Maggiore,Rome.Its foundation dated by tradition to a miraculous snowfall in 352. Ancient mosaics are incorporated into Baroque decorations.
• 
  TheMausoleum of Santa Costanza,Rome(circa 350)
• 
  The Early Christian apse mosaic ofSanta PudenzianainRomehas been retained despite later renovations.

Byzantine

Ravenna,on the eastern coast of Italy, is home to several vast churches of basilica plan dating from the age of theEmperor Justinian(6th century CE).San Apollinare Nuovois in plan similar toSanta Maria Maggiore,but the details of the carvings are no longer in the classical Roman style. The capitals are like fat lacy stone cushions. Many of themosaicsare intact.

In the same town stands the uniquely structured, centrally planned, and domed church ofSan Vitale,of the same date. Its main internal space is 25 m across. The central dome is surrounded by eight apsidalsemi-domeslike the petals of a flower.There is a complex arrangement of curving arcades on several levels which gives a spatial effect only equalled by the Baroque church ofSanta Maria della Salutebuilt a thousand years later a few miles north inVenice.San Vitale was to be imitated in the 9th century in a simplified form byCharlemagneatAachen,Germany.

In Venice stands San Marco's, one of the world's best known Byzantine-style churches, dating mainly from the 11th-century and decorated over many centuries but maintaining its centrally planned Byzantine form. It is calledSt Mark's Basilica,not because it is of basilical shape, but because it has been awarded that title. It has aGreek Crossplan, a large dome being surrounded by four somewhat smaller ones. Its decoration, both inside and out, is typical of the Byzantine period in its lavish use ofmosaicsandpolychromemarbleveneers.

• Byzantine building spanning six centuries
• 
  Hagia Sophia,Istanbul
• 
  TheBasilica of San Vitale,Ravenna
• 
  Basilica of Saint Sofia,Sofia
• 
  TheBasilica of San Marco,Venice

• 
  Hagia Sophia,though used as amosque,retains some ancient mosaics.
• 
  The apse ofSan Vitaleshowing the 6th century mosaics
• 
  The Monastic Church ofHosios Loukas,Greece
• 
  The glowing blue and gold mosaics ofSan Marco's,Venice

Romanesque

After the decline of theRoman Empire,the building of large churches in Western Europe gradually gained momentum with the spread of organised monasticism under the rule ofSaint Benedictand others. A huge monastery atCluny,only a fraction of which still exists, was built using a simplified Roman style, stout columns, thick walls, small window openings and semi-circular arches. The style spread withmonasticismthroughout Europe. The technique of building high vaults in masonry was revived. A treatment of decoration evolved that had elements drawn from local Pre-Christian traditions and incorporated zig-zags,spiralsand fierce animal heads. The typical wall decorations were paintedfrescomurals.Romanesque building techniques spread to England at about the time of theNorman conquest.

Representative of the period areAbbaye aux Hommes(the Abbey of the Men) inCaen,France;Worms Cathedralin Germany, the Cathedral ofPisawith its famous leaning campanile (bell tower), theCathedral of Cefalù,Modena CathedralandParma Cathedralin Italy, andDurham CathedralandPeterborough Cathedralin England.

• 
  Saint-Georges de Boscherville Abbey,France, has a square tower over the crossing. The westernpinnaclesare in the Gothic style.
• 
  Speyer Cathedral,Germany, from the east, shows the apse projecting from achancelframed by towers, with an octagonal dome over the crossing.
• 
  Pisa Cathedral,Italy, has a free-standingcampanileand presents a harmony of polychrome and arcades.

• Romanesque interiors
• 
  San Miniato al Monte,Florence,has basilical form, open timber roof and decoration of polychrome marble and mosaic.
• 
  TheChurch of St. Philibert, Tournus,has tall circular piers and is roofed withtransverse archessupporting a series of barrel vaults.
• 
  Vézelay Abbeyhas clusters of vertical shafts rising to support transverse arches and a groin vault. The east end is Gothic.
• 
  The nave ofPeterborough Cathedralis in three stages supporting a rare wooden ceiling retaining its original decoration.

Gothic

Main article:Gothic architecture

By the mid 12th century many large cathedrals and abbey churches had been constructed and theengineeringskills required to build high arches, stone vaults, tall towers and the like, were well established. The style evolved to one that was less heavy, had larger windows, lighter-weight vaulting supported on stone ribs and above all, the pointed arch which is the defining characteristic of the style now known as Gothic. With thinner walls, larger windows and high pointed arched vaults, the distinctiveflying buttressesdeveloped as a means of support. The huge windows were ornamented with stone tracery and filled withstained glassillustrating stories from theBibleand thelives of the saints.

Buildings representative of this period includeNotre Dame,Paris;Chartres Cathedral,Reims Cathedral,Rouen Cathedral,Strasbourg Cathedralin France,Antwerp Cathedralin Belgium,Cologne Cathedralin Germany,St Stephen's CathedralViennain Austria,Florence Cathedral,Siena Cathedral,Milan CathedralandSan Lorenzo Maggiore, Naplesin Italy,Burgos Cathedral,Toledo CathedralandLeon Cathedralin Spain,Guarda Cathedralin Portugal,Salisbury Cathedral,Canterbury CathedralandLincoln Cathedralin England.

• Four of the best known Gothic Cathedrals
• 
  Notre-Dame de Paris
• 
  Cologne Cathedral,Germany
• 
  Canterbury Cathedral,England
• 
  Milan Cathedral,Italy

• Three Gothic interiors
• 
  Bourges Cathedral,France
• 
  Salisbury Cathedral,England
• 
  Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, Florence

Renaissance

Main article:Renaissance architecture

In the early 15th century a competition was held inFlorencefor a plan to roof the central crossing of the huge, unfinished GothicFlorence Cathedral.It was won by the artistBrunelleschiwho, inspired by domes that he had seen on his travels, such as that ofSan Vitalein Ravenna and the enormous dome of the Roman period which roofed thePantheon,designed a hugedomewhich is regarded as the first building of the Renaissance period. Its style, visually however, is ribbed and pointed and purely Gothic. It was Renaissance (a rebirth) in its audacity and the fact that it looked back to Roman structural techniques.

Brunelleschi, and others like him, developed a passion for the highly refined style ofRoman architecture,in which the forms and decorations followed rules of placement and proportion that had long been neglected. They sought to rediscover and apply these rules. It was a time of architectural theorising and experimentation. Brunelleschi built two large churches in Florence demonstrating how the new style could be applied,San Lorenzo's andSanto Spirito.They are essays in the Classical, with rows of cylindrical columns,Corinthiancapitals,entablatures,semi-circular arches and apsidal chapels.

The greatest cathedral building of the age was the rebuilding of St Peter's Basilica in Rome, the combined work of the architectsBramante,Raphael,Sangallo,Madernoand surmounted byMichelangelo's glorious dome, taller but just one foot narrower than the one that Brunelleschi had built a hundred years earlier inFlorence.The dome is both an external and an internal focus. The chancel and transept arms are identical in shape, thus recalling the Greek Cross plan of Byzantine churches. The nave was, in fact, an addition.

Pope Julius IIcould command the greatest artists of his day as designers. (The role of architect had not yet become a separate one from painter, sculptor or builder.) The product of these many minds is a massive, glorious and unified whole.

• Renaissance churches of Italy
• 
  Basilica of Sant'Andrea,Mantua
• 
  St. Peter's BasilicawithMaderno's façade andMichelangelo's Dome.
• 
  Basilica of San Giorgio,Venice

• 
  San Lorenzo,Florence
• 
  Sant'Andrea,Mantua
• 
  St. Peter's Basilica,Rome
• 
  San Giorgio Maggiore,Venice

Baroque

By the time that St Peter's was completed, a style of architecture was developed by architects who knew all the rules that had been so carefully recovered, and chose to break them. The effect was a dynamic style of architecture in which the forms seem to take on life of their own, moving, swaying and undulating.The nameBaroquemeans 'mis-shapen pearl'.

There are many large churches,abbeys,andbasilicasbuilt in this style, but few cathedrals in Western Europe, the most notable exception beingSt Paul's Cathedralin London. St Paul's is an unusual cathedral in that it was designed by a single individual and completed in a short time. The architect wasSir Christopher Wrenand the building replaced the ancient cathedral which burnt down in theGreat Fireof 1666. It is in the Baroque style, but it is a very controlled and English sort of Baroque in which Wren creates surprising and dramatic spatial effects, particularly in his use of the dome, which, likeBrunelleschi's dome in Florence, spans not only the nave but also the aisles, opening the whole centre of the church into a vast light space.

In Russia, for the most part, the Baroque style was overlaid as architectonic features on the essentially Byzantine forms used for church construction. Many churches were built in this style, notably theCathedral of the DormitionatSmolenskand the Cathedral of the Presentation atSolvychegodsk.In the design of many churches the Byzantine arrangement of tented roof or onion dome is replaced with a larger dome, usually on a tall, often polygonal, tambour.

Many European cathedrals have baroque features, high altars, façades and chapels. The façades ofSantiago de Compostela,Jaén Cathedral and Valladolid Cathedral in Spain was rebuilt at this time. The Baroque style was carried by the Spanish and Portuguese to South and Central America, to the Philippines and to Goa in India where it was to become the prominent style of building for churches large and small. Both in the Americas and the Philippines, large Baroque churches often have a proportionally very wide façade which seems stretched between the towers. The intensely ornate decoration both in Spain and the Americas is calledChurrigueresque.

• Baroque Europe
• 
  Santa Maria della Salute,Venice(1631)
• 
  St Paul's Cathedral,London,(1670–1710) uses a motif of paired columns to create dynamic interplay of spaces
• 
  St. Paul's Cathedral,Mdina(1696–1705)
• 
  Karlskirche,Vienna,(1716–37)

• Baroque interiors
• 
  Santa Maria della Salute,Venice(1631)
• 
  San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane,Rome(1634–47)
• 
  St Paul's Cathedral, London
• 
  The chancel of theBasilica of Our Lady of Mercy,Barcelona.
• 
  The chancel ofEvora Cathedral,Portugal,(1718–1746)

• Eastern Orthodox Baroque churches
• 
  Smolny Cathedral fromSmolny ConventinSaint Petersburg,Elisabethan Baroquestyle
• 
  Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral (Kazan),an example ofNaryshkin Baroque
• 
  The interior of the Saint PetersburgPeter and Paul Cathedral,Petrine Baroque
• 
  St Clement's Church, Moscow,Moscow Baroque
• 
  Cathedral of the Theotokos of the Sign inTyumen,Siberian Baroque

Rococo

The Rococo style is a late evolution of Baroque architecture, first apparent in French domestic architecture and design. It is distinguished by the asymmetry found within its decoration, generally taking the form of ornate sculpturedcartouchesor borders. These decorations are loosely based on organic objects, particularlyseashellsand plant growth, but also on other natural forms that have an apparent "organised chaos" such as waves of clouds.The churches that are thus decorated may have strongly Baroquearchitectural formbut a general lightness and delicacy of appearance, sometimes described as "playfulness". A number ofpilgrimage churchesin Bavaria, Germany, are of this style, most notably theBasilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers(Vierzehnheiligen) near Bamberg byJohann Balthasar Neumann,the master and arguably the originator of the style. This combines a relatively staid exterior with a dynamic internal plan and an exquisitely orchestrated decorative scheme of painted ceiling and figurative sculpture, all set in a diverse array of gilded Rococo cartouches. Externally, the façade has a rippling surface, and rises with increasing ornateness to fanciful cupolas that are a hallmark of the churches of Bavaria and much of central and Eastern Europe.

Perhaps the most remarkable large-scale example of Rococo church building was theDresden Frauenkirche,recently rebuilt after its almost total destruction inWorld War II.The entire structures embodies a dynamic, surging motion which combines with a delicacy of architectural detail that is typical of the Rococo style. This church is dominated by its bell-shaped cupola which imitates in form those to be found on countless church towers in the region, but recreated here not in wood sheathed with metal, but as a mighty masonry dome.

• Rococo churches
• 
  TheBasilica of the Vierzehnheiligen,Germany
• 
  The restoredFrauenkirche,Dresden,Germany
• 
  Abbey of Saint Gall,St. Gallen,Switzerland

• 
  The altar of the Seven Holy Helpers,Vierzehnheiligen,Germany
• 
  The Abbey Church atBirnau,during a wedding
• 
  Pilasters, cornice and vault ofSt Anne's Church,Kraków,Poland

• International Baroque and Rococo
• 
  Havana Cathedral,Cuba,(1748–77)
• 
  TheChurch of Saint Francis of AssisiinOuro Preto,Brazil(1766)
• 
  The Church of San Juan,Manila,Philippines(1774)
• 
  TheMonastery of San Francisco,Lima,Peru(1774)

Revivals

Main article:Revivalism (architecture)

The 18th and 19th centuries were a time of expansion andcolonisationby Western Europeans. It was also a time of much Christian revival and in England, a considerable growth in theRoman Catholic Church.There was also much industrialisation and the growth of towns. New churches and cathedrals were needed. The Medieval styles, and particularly Gothic, were seen as the most suitable for the building of new cathedrals, both in Europe and in the colonies.

Cathedrals in theGothic Revival styleincludeLiverpool Anglican Cathedralin England, theNew Cathedral, Linzin Austria, theCathedral of St John the Divinein New York andSt Patrick's Cathedral, Melbournein Australia.

Not all of the cathedrals that are in a revivalist style are Gothic.Westminster Cathedral,the seat of the Roman CatholicArchbishop of Westminster,is an eclectic design of predominantly Byzantine style withpolychromewalls, domes and a very tall Italian-stylecampanile.Mary, Queen of the World Cathedralin Canada is aRenaissance revivalbuilding based on St Peter's, Rome.

• 19th and 20th-century Revivals of classical styles
• 
  Kronstadt Naval Cathedral,Saint PetersburgRussia, (1903—1913) in theNeo-Byzantine style
• 
  St. Michael's Cathedral,Qingdao,China, (1931–34) in the German Romanesque style
• 
  St Patrick's Cathedral,Melbourne,Australia, (1858–97) in the Gothic style
• 
  Sacred Heart Cathedral,Delhi,India, (1929–30s) in the English Baroque style

• 
  Church St. Pankraz atAnholt,Germany, in the Romanesque style
• 
  Truro Cathedral,England,in the Early English Gothic style
• 
  St. Andrew's Cathedral,Sydney,Australia, in the Perpendicular Gothic style
• 
  Notre-Dame de Québec Cathedral,Quebec City,Canada, in the Italian Baroque style

Modern

In the 20th century, building in the Medieval style continued, but in a stripped-down, cleanly functional form, often in brick. A fine example isGuildford Cathedralin England. Another isArmidaleAnglican Cathedral inAustralia.

After World War II traditionalist ideas were abandoned for the rebuilding of the bombed cathedral in Coventry. The old cathedral was actually a largeparish churchthat had been elevated to cathedral status. Its glorious spire fortunately escaped severe damage. The 20th centuryCoventry Cathedral,of alternating slabs of masonry and stained glass attempts to capture symbolically the sense of an old cathedral church, without attempting to reproduce it.Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedralis the 20th century's answer to the centrally planned church, a vast circular structure with the sanctuary at the centre.

• 20th-century Modernism
• 
  TheBasilica of Our Lady of Altagracia,Dominican Republic
• 
  Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral,by SirFrederick Gibberd,1967
• 
  Tokyo Cathedral,Japan
• 
  Cathedral of Brasília,Brazil

• 
  Interior of theCathedral of Chillán,Chile.
• 
  Interior of theCathedral of Brasília,Brazil
• 
  Interior of theCathedral of Christ the Light,Oakland,California
• 
  Interior of theChrist CathedralinGarden Grove, California

Post Modern

As with otherPostmodernmovements,postmodern architectureformed in reaction to the ideals ofmodernismas a response to the perceived blandness, hostility, and Utopianism of the Modern movement. While rare in designs ofChurch architecture,there are nonetheless some notable examples as architects have begun to recover and renew historical styles and "cultural memory" of Christian architecture. Notable practitioners includeSteven J. Schloeder,Duncan Stroik,and Thomas Gordon Smith.

Thefunctionaland formalized shapes and spaces of themodernistmovement are replaced by unapologetically diverseaesthetics:styles collide, form is adopted for its own sake, and new ways of viewing familiar styles and space abound. Perhaps most obviously, architects rediscovered the expressive and symbolic value of architectural elements and forms that had evolved through centuries of building—often maintaining meaning in literature, poetry and art—but which had been abandoned by the modern movement.

• Post Modern Churches
• 
  Cathedral of Saint Sava,Belgrade,Serbiais modelled on the ancient Byzantine Church of Hagia Sophiasee above
• 
  The interior of theBasilica of Our Lady of Licheńclearly draws from classical forms ofWestern Europeanchurch architecture.
• 
  TheBasilica of Our Lady of PeaceinYamoussoukro,Ivory Coast; built in 1989–1990.

See also

• Sacred architecture
• Church architecture
• Medieval architecture
• List of regional characteristics of European cathedral architecture
• Architecture of the medieval cathedrals of England
• Lists of cathedrals
• The Reformation and its influence on church architecture

Architectural styles (chronological order)

• Early Christian art and architecture
• Byzantine architecture
• Eastern Orthodox church architecture
• Romanesque architecture
• Gothic architecture
• French Gothic architecture
• Renaissance architecture
• Baroque architecture
• Victorian architecture
• Polish Cathedral style architecture

Architectural features

• Architectural development of the eastern end of cathedrals in England and France
• Cathedral diagram
• Clerestory
• Rose window
• Triforium
• Vault

Decorative features

• Ablaq
• Gargoyle
• Grotesque
• Labours of the Months
• Stained glass
  • British and Irish stained glass (1811–1918)
• Tree of Jesse

References

• Banister Fletcher,A History of Architecture on the Comparative method,2001, Elsevier Science & Technology,ISBN0-7506-2267-9
• Batsford, Harry and Fry, Charles,The Greater English Church of the Middle Ages,1944 (2nd edn), Batsford
• Nikolaus Pevsner,An Outline of European Architecture,1964, Pelican Books, ISBN
• Rolof Beny,Peter Gunn,The Churches of Rome,1981, Simon and Schuster,ISBN0-671-43447-0
• Brittain-Catlin, Timothy,Churches,2008, Collins, ISBN 9780007263066
• T. Francis Bumpus,The Cathedrals and Churches of Belgium,1928, T. Werner Laurie Ltd, ISBN
• Alec Clifton-Taylor,The Cathedrals of England,1967, Thames and Hudson,ISBN0-500-20062-9
• Alain Erlande-Brandenburg,The Cathedral: The Social and Architectural Dynamics of Construction,2009 (new paperback edition), Cambridge University Press
• Giovanni Fanelli,Brunelleschi,1980, Becocci, ISBN
• John Fleming,Hugh HonourandNikolaus Pevsner,The Penguin Dictionary of Architecture,3rd edn, 1980, Penguin, ISBN 0140510133
• Paul Frankl/Paul Crossley,Gothic Architecture,2001 (2nd revised edition), Yale University Press
• Andre Grabar,The Beginnings of Christian Art,Thames and Hudson, 1967, ISBN
• John Harvey,The Gothic World, 1100–1600,1950, Batsford, ISBN
• John Harvey,English Cathedrals,1961, Batsford, ISBN
• Howard Hibbard,Masterpieces of Western Sculpture,1966, Thames and Hudson, ISBN
• Rene Huygheeditor,Larousse Encyclopedia of Byzantine and Medieval Art,1963, Paul Hamlyn, ISBN
• François Icher,Building the Great Cathedrals,1998, Harry N. Abrams,ISBN0-8109-4017-5
• James Lees-Milne,Saint Peter's,1967, Hamish Hamiliton, ISBN
• Pio V. Pinto,The Pilgrim's Guide to Rome,1974, Harper and Row,ISBN0-06-013388-0
• Gerald Randall,Church Furnishing and Decoration in England & Wales,1980, London: B. T. Batsford Ltd.,ISBN0-7134-3382-5;New York: Holmes and Meier Publishers,ISBN0-8419-0602-5
• John Summerson,Architecture in Britain, 1530–1830,1983, Pelican History of Art,ISBN0-14-056003-3
• Wim Swaan,The Gothic Cathedral,1988, Omega Books,ISBN978-0-907853-48-0
• Wim Swaan,Art and Architecture of the Late Middle Ages,Omega Books,ISBN0-907853-35-8
• Tim Tatton-Brown, John Crook,The English Cathedral,2002, New Holland Publishers,ISBN1-84330-120-2
• Rolf Toman,editor,Romanesque – Architecture, Sculpture, Painting,1997, Konemann,ISBN3-89508-447-6
• Watkin, David,A History of Western Architecture,1986, Barrie & Jenkins,ISBN0712612793
• Christopher Wilson,The Gothic Cathedral: The Architecture of the Great Church 1130–1530,1992 (2nd Edition), Thames and Hudson
• Yarwood, Doreen,The Architecture of Europe,1987 (first edn. 1974), Spring Books,ISBN0600554309

External links

Byzantine

• St Mark's Basilica–[1]