Early_Christian_Architecture.pdf.integral

Arch

1. Lecture by –Ar. Ketki Darp
The vast Roman Empire spanning from the main landsofItaly, Greece extendinguptoEngland & Franceinthe north,aswellas
encircled around the Mediterranean Sea confronting with Asia Minor & North Africa wassubjecttodismantling duetolackofcentral
power. ( GEOGRAPHICAL INPUT )
•Thevast empire was divided into Western & Eastern empires.
•The rich western province centered around Rome was obviously the target for invaders who destroyed the city. These confrontations
resultedinthe migrationofartisans, craftsmen, masonstoother developing countries–eastern province which were less hazardous.
•Duetothis fact theWPfaced discontinuationofconstruction tradition & caused overall deteoriationinbuilding skills.
•Onthe contrary, the eastern province which accepted the migrated population was provided with continuationofRoman structural
techniques.
•The western empire was centered around Rome while the Eastern empire flourished around Constantinople (currently, Istanbul), which
was strategically locatedontrade routebysea–connecting Asia & North AfricabyEurope.

2. •Christianity was born in Judea –a place in eastern province of the Roman empire, which spread towards the north & west
even against the backdrop of great opposition & ultimately accepted as state religion.
• The formulation phase of Christianity & its architecture can be considered from Constantine period (300 AD) to
Charlemagne (800 AD –French ruler).
• The development of Christian Architecture thus can be divided into the following phases:
In these phases, ARCHITECTURAL DEVELOPMENTEXPERIENCED the formulation phase, alterations & development in plans, profile
surroundings & concluded with imitation of classical structures & mannerism. The development of Christian architecture in general
proved beneficial in establishing new norms, new construction features, new materials, different types of façade treatments & also
versatile construction analysis.The phases proved beneficial not only for the religious architecture but also for secular, domestic,
commercial & Mediterranean development.
GEOLOGICAL INFLUENCESmay be said to have acted indirectly on Early Christian architecture for the ruins of roman building often
provided the quarry where obtained. This influenced the style, both as regards construction and decoration. Columns and other
architectural features, as well as fine sculptures and mosaics from older building, were incorporated into basilican churches of the new
faith.
North Italy has the CLIMATEof the temperate region of Europe . Center Italy is genial and sunny. Southern Italy is almost tropical.
This variety of climatic condition is sufficient to account for diversity of architectural features and treatment in the peninsula itself . The
climatic conditions in Roman provinces as Egypt , Syria, and North Africa where christianity was established were varied , and naturally
modified the style in those countries where the fiercer sun and hotter climate necessitated small windows and other Eastern features.

3. E v o l u t I o n o f c h u r c h f o r m s….

4. FROM AGORA TO BASILICAN CHURCH
• Greece –
• Agora (Assembly or gathering place)
• Served as a marketplace
• Rome –
• Forums –centre Roman public life
• Venue for public speeches, criminaltrials & gladiatorial matches.
• Basilica –part of Forum.
• Served as place for giving justice &transacting business.
• The layout of Basilicas was, byextension used for Christian churches,having
the same form.
A TYPICAL BASILICAN CHURCH
Commonest form of the early church.
Unlike the earlier Roman phase, the interiors were given more importance than exterior.
Rectangular hall, timber-roofed with coffers & richly glided ceiling (hiding the roof truss)
on nave.
Usually with one or two aisles to each side of the central nave separated by rows of rustic
marble columns, sometimes carrying flat entablatures & sometimes, rows of arches.
The width of aisles was half that of the central nave.
Apse at one end facing the principal entrances at the other end.
Bema / Transept –a raised platform where altar was placed & from where the clergy
officiated.
A courtyard (atrium) having a central fountain for ablutions & surrounded by
colonnaded ambulatory.

7. Interiors were given more imp.
Coffers in the ceiling .
Apse
Bema / Transept Atrium
Exteriors .

8. A narthex –corresponding to entrance foyer, preceding the nave.
The nave & bema receive light from clerestory above the aisles & were pierced with windows.
Above aisles & between clerestory windows, the walls may be faced with marble, or mosaics made up from small tesserae of coloured
glass.
The nave terminates into a ‘triumphal arch’, perhaps having iridescent (brightlycoloured & changing) mosaics.
The semicircular walls of the apse ended into a dome, whose interiors had mosaics depicting narrative scenes from Bible or single
figures seen against stylised landscapes or plain gold grounds.
The flooring was of grey-white & black marble, inlaid with geometric patterns of coloured marble.
The columns, capitals & similar features from old Roman buildings were frequently reused to enhance the liveliness of the interiors.
In the new churches, arches were more often used to span between columns of a colonnade instead of flat entablatures.

9. Present day St. Peters in Vatican City –a rebuilding of a
totally different design & on a substantially enlarged scale.
Built over the historical site of the Circus of Nero under the
rule of Emperor Constantine I in c. 320AD
The original church survived without much change until
towards the end of 15th Century & the nave for another
century.Remains of old foundation are present below the
present flooring but details of atrium are obscure.
Dimensions: 110.0m long x 64.0m wide with double aisles
on both sides. The nave was divided from aisles by 22 varied
(size & colour), huge & antique marble columns with equally
varied capitals supporting the nave walls on a horizontal
entablature, while similar numbers of shorter columns
carrying arcades divided aisle from aisle.
It was built in the shape of Latin cross, with a gable roof,
timbered on inside & at 30.0m high at centre.
An atrium known as Garden of Paradise stood at the
entrance with5 doors.
The nave ended with an arch & the walls had parallel
windows each with frescos.
Basilica of Old St. Peters . Rome

13. A typical example of the early Christian
church is S. Giovanni in Laterano
Rome.
• It was the first church commissioned by
Emperor Constantine.
• It was built as the Cathedral of the
Bishop of Rome It was remodeled several times.
• The church consists of a central nave
flanked by two narrow isles and
separated from them by a monumental colonnade.
• The central nave rose above the isle
roof, and the inner isle rose above the
outer.
• The nave terminated at an apse. The structure was of
brick faced concrete covered with simple truss timber roof.
S. Giovanni in Laterano
church of the lateran
(AD 313-320)

14. Alternative Church Form
The rectangular basilica was not the only form adopted for the early church
•Alternative more centralized plans, with a focus on a central vertical axisrather than a
longitudinal horizontal one were also adopted occasionally. The centralized churches
were of two broad types.
•They were the completely circular church.
•These had a circular or octagonal space surrounded by an ambulatory. Examples of
these include Saint ConstanzaRome, the lateran Baptistery Rome and Saint Stefano
Rotondo.
The Baptistery of Constantine, Rome (A.D. 430–440) built near the
Lateran Church by Sixtus III, and not by Constantine to whom it is generally attributed,
is among the oldest of Italian baptisteries, of which it was probably the model.
•It is octagonal in shape according to plan.
• The roof is supported by a two-storeyed ring of eight porphyry and marble columns
taken from old pagan buildings, while in the centre is an old Roman bath of green basalt
converted into a font.

15. This was a church originally designed as a
mausoleum for Emperor Constantine’s daughter.
•It was designed as a centralized monument.
•It is symmetrical in plan with a domed central
space.
•The domed central space was ringed by an
arcade with 12 pairs of double colonnade.
•Beyond the arcade is an encircling ambulatory.
•A barrel vault is used to roof the ambulatory.
Round Alternative Form (St Constanza )

16. CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE (JERUSALEM)
•The Church of the Holy Sepulchre enjoys a rich history and has
extraordinarily distinguished artistic and architectural traits.
•It is revered as the site of the resurrection of jesus following his
crucifixion, his suffering and death. According to christian belief jesus
was buried (the sepulchre) in this church.
•When the first church was founded on this site during the Byzantine
period it included four elements: atrium, basilica, open courtyard and the
sepulchre or holy tomb.
•In AD 614 the Persians set fire to the church, badly damaging it; the
church was repeatedly thereinafter partially destroyed and repaired over
the next 400 years.
•Its present form is the result of several major reconstructions and
adaptations by the crusaders who built the Gothic choir and the tall
entance façade on one side .
•The basilica was shorter in relation to the its width and had galleries as
well as double aisles on each side

17. AnastasisRotunda