Latin cross
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6e/Cruz.svg/100px-Cruz.svg.png)
ALatin crossorcrux immissais a type ofcrossin which theverticalbeam sticks above thecrossbeam,[1]giving the cross four arms. Typically the two horizontal and upper vertical arm are the same length, although sometimes the vertical is shorter, however the lower vertical arm is always much longer than any other arm.[2]
If displayedupside downit is calledSt. Peter's Cross,because he wasexecutedon this type of cross.[3]When displayed sideways it is calledSt. Philip's cross for the same reason.[3]
Many medieval churches are designed using the Latin cross plan. When looked at from above, it takes the shape of a Latin cross. A Latin cross plan primarily contains a nave, transept, apse, and narthex.
History
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/PK_Karachi_asv2020-02_img61_Gora_Cemetery.jpg/138px-PK_Karachi_asv2020-02_img61_Gora_Cemetery.jpg)
In a broad sense, the Latin cross is used to represent all ofChristianityandChristendom,given that it teaches thatJesussacrificed himself for humanity upon it, atoning for the sins of the world.[4][5]It is especially used among the denominations ofWestern Christianity,including the Roman Catholic tradition and several Protestant traditions, such as Lutheranism, Moravianism, Anglicanism, Methodism, and Reformed Christianity, as well as by Anabaptists, Baptists, and Pentecostals.[6]In certain periods, such as during the 16th centuryEnglish Reformation of the Anglican Church,the Latin cross was disfavored by a minority of theologians such asNicholas Ridley,though in the overall history of the Western Christian Churches, this was short-lived.[7]
Cruciform Churches
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/Cathedral_schematic_plan_en_vectorial.svg/403px-Cathedral_schematic_plan_en_vectorial.svg.png)
A Latin cross plan is afloor planfound in many Christianchurchesandcathedrals.[8]When looked at from above or inplan viewit takes the shape of a Latin cross (crux immissa).[9]Suchcruciformchurches were very common in theWestduring theRomanesqueperiod.[2]The ideal church plan tended to be symmetrical around a central point during theRenaissance.[10]The longer arm of the Latin cross plan is thenave,which runs on an east–west axis and traditionally containsaislesorchapels.[10][11]Thetranseptcrosses the nave, running north–south, and can be the same width as the nave, or extend further on both sides to create a more pronounced cross shape. The east end is theapse,which traditionally contains the choir,chancel,or presbytery.[11]Many also have anarthexat the entry.[9]
Examples of Cathedrals with a Latin Cross Plan
[edit]- Old St. Peter's Basilicais a cathedral in Rome, Italy, that was consecrated in 326 AD[12]
- Chartres Cathedralis a cathedral in Chartres, France, that was constructed between 1194 and 1220
- Siena Cathedralis a cathedral in Siena, Italy, that was completed between 1215 and 1263
- Cologne Cathedralis a cathedral in Cologne, Germany, that began construction in 1248, but was halted in 1590, unfinished until 1880
- Notre-Dameis a cathedral in Paris, France, that was largely completed by 1260
- Florence Cathedralis a cathedral in Florence, Italy, that was structurally completed in 1436
In computer systems
[edit]Theglyphhas aunicodecode point:U+271D✝LATIN CROSS
Similar marks
[edit]- U+2628☨CROSS OF LORRAINE
- U+2020†DAGGER
- U+2021‡DOUBLE DAGGER
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Herbert Norris,Church Vestments: Their Origin and Development(Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2002), p. 128
- ^abCurl, James Stevens(2015)."Cross: Latin" in Oxford Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.Oxford University Press. p. 213.ISBN978-0-19-860678-9.Retrieved5 May2020.
- ^abJoyce Mori,Crosses of Many Cultures(Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Publishing, 1998), p. 32
- ^Johns, Catherine (1 February 2013).The Jewellery Of Roman Britain: Celtic and Classical Traditions.Routledge. p. 66.ISBN978-1-135-85111-8.
- ^Apostolos-Cappadona, Diane (14 May 2020).A Guide to Christian Art.Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 231.ISBN978-0-567-68514-8.
- ^Hryniuk, Margaret; Korvemaker, Frank (1 October 2014).Legacy of Worship: Sacred Places in Rural Saskatchwan.Coteau Books. p. 5.ISBN978-1-55050-598-6.
Latin cross and is most often found on Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican churches. The more elaborate Eastern cross includes a small horizontal bar near the top and a slanted bar near the base. It is most often seen on Orthodox churches.
- ^Nicholas Ridley,A Treatise on the Worship of Images,written before 1555.
- ^St. Peter's in the Vatican,ed. William Tronzo (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005), p. 275
- ^abLilian H. Zirpolo,Historical Dictionary of Baroque Art and Architecture(Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2010), p. 314
- ^ab"Western architecture - Early Renaissance, Italy, 1401-95 | Britannica".britannica.Retrieved2023-12-03.
- ^ab"Architecture of Gothic Medieval Cathedrals".people.wou.edu.Retrieved2023-12-03.
- ^"Roma: Caput Mundi".mediakron.bc.edu.Retrieved2023-12-02.