234 



CHURCH 



NT 



ST 



Church : 



C, Choir; N, Nave 

 N T, North Transept 

 S T, South Transept. 



from which the Gospels and Epistles were read to 

 the worshippers assembled round the three open 

 sides. Such an arrangement may still be seen in 

 the ancient basilica of San Clemente in Rome. 



In other instances the apse is lengthened east- 

 wards so as to provide additional space. An ex- 

 ample of this plan occurs at 

 S. Apollinare in Classe, near 

 Ravenna. In the Basilican 

 churches the nave remained as 

 at first, a long simple hall, 

 with side aisles in which the 

 congregation assembled, the 

 men on one side, and the 

 women on the other. Mean- 

 while in the East the use of 

 the dome had caused the in- 

 troduction of a variety of 

 Elans, and in particular the 

 jrm of the Greek cross, which 

 was conveniently roofed by a 

 large central dome and four 

 subsidiary domes over the four 

 arms of the cross. This plan 

 suggested the transept or 

 portion with high roof at right angles to the nave; 

 and it is easy to see how the wide space in the 

 Basilican churches between the nave and apse, 

 in which stood the altar, might also be enlarged 

 so as to form a transept. The above is what 

 actually happened in the south of France. The 

 Venetian merchants introduced the above Greek 

 domed design at Perigueux, where they had repro- 

 duced in the llth century a copy of St Mark's 

 of Venice ; and we find in the churches of that 

 district a transept introduced from an early period, 

 having several apses to the east, and side aisles like 

 the nave. 



It was especially necessary in the churches of the 

 monasteries that there should be ample accommoda- 

 tion for the monks in the portion of the church set 

 apart for them. This probably led to the lengthen- 

 ing of the choir, but in the earlier Cistercian 

 churches, although the transept is introduced, there 

 is no projection to the east except the central and 

 side apses. But when the plan of the ' cross ' 

 church, however it may have been invented, had 

 been developed, the idea speedily claimed attention, 

 and its symbolical significance recommended its 

 adoption. It is remarkable, however, that during 

 the growth and development of the early Gothic 

 style in the reign of Philip Augustus, when most of 

 the cathedrals and churches of northern France 

 were rebuilt, they were almost all constructed 

 without transepts, the object apparently being to 

 concentrate the attention on the one important 

 point, the high altar. It was in the monastic churches 

 that the transept was chiefly developed. 



Along with this, another feature, which had first 

 been introduced in the south, was worked out and 

 perfected by the northern architects viz. the carry- 

 ing of the aisle round the apse, so as to convert the 

 latter from being a simple half-cylinder, roofed with 

 a semi-dome, into a circular or octagonal east end, 

 supported on a screen of pillars, behind which was 

 the surrounding aisle, with its radiating chapels, 

 while the upper part of the apse was carried up the 

 full height of the choir, which it terminated with 

 a brilliant east end. Mr Fergusson supposes that 

 this ' chevet,' or splendid eastern termination of 

 French Gothic churches, was the result of the 

 absorption of a circular edifice into the church. 

 There is no doubt that the church owes several of 

 its features to this system of absorption. Origin- 

 ally the group of ecclesiastical buildings consisted 

 of the church or basilica, at the west end of which 

 was an atrium or open court, having a circular or 

 octagonal baptistery opening from it opposite the 



door to the church. In Germany the atrium was 

 roofed in and became part of the church, while the 

 western baptistery was also absorbed into the one 

 chief edifice, and became the western apse so com- 

 mon in that country. But it had also been cus- 

 tomary to build occasional churches of a circular 

 form in imitation of the church of the Holy 

 Sepulchre at Jerusalem. In Germany and else- 

 where a choir was added to these for the use of the 

 clergy, but in France the circular church was re- 

 tained by the clergy as the choir, and a nave was con- 

 structed in connection with it for the people. The 

 fine effect of the circular termination was thus seen, 

 and had only to be seen to be immediately adopted. 

 Besides the chapels radiating from the 'chevet,' 

 numerous others were gradually introduced, extend- 

 ing beyond the aisles ; the height of the main struc- 

 ture was increased, and great windows were in- 

 serted in the clerestory, till the interior presented a 

 glowing vision of rich colour and endless variety of 

 perspective. 



Such was the growth of the Christian church 

 during the middle ages, and such is the general 

 form it still retains in Roman Catholic countries, 

 notwithstanding the great changes of style through 

 which it has passed from the 13th to the 19th 

 century. Since the Reformation a new form 

 of church has been introduced. The ancient tradi- 

 tions were no longer held sacred by Protestants, 

 and a style of building adapted to the new 

 mode of service was called for. Hence arose the 

 arrangements of the numerous churches designed by 

 Sir C. Wren, Gibbs, and others during the 17th and 

 18th centuries. These consist of a great hall with a 

 gallery running along the two sides and west end, 

 with a large window or apse at the east end. Dur- 

 ing the present century the plan of the medieval 

 church has frequently been again resorted to, both 

 in England and the United States ; but among 

 Presbyterians, Independents, and many others, the 

 modern plan of a hall designed with galleries so as 

 to contain a numerous congregation, having the 

 pulpit placed in the most prominent position, is 

 still the most generally used. 



The following table shows the comparative size 

 of some of the great churches of the world, giving 

 in feet their total length, breadth at transept, and 

 height of spire or tower or dome : 



Length. Transept. Spire. 



St Peter's, Rome 700 500 435 



Cathedral of Florence 530 323 380 



Milan Cathedral 500 284 400 



Cologne Cathedral 445 282 515 



Strasburg Cathedral 354 . . 474 



Antwerp Cathedral 500 180 460 



Amiens Cathedral 442 194 223 



Notre Dame, Paris 400 150 204 



St Paul's, London 510 282 404 



St Sophia's, Constantinople 246 .. 183 



Canterbury Cathedral 530 124 235 



York Minster 524 222 213 



Westminster Abbey 500 189 199 



Salisbury Cathedral 474 229 404 



Glasgow Cathedral 319 .. 225 



St Patrick's Cathedral, New York . 332 174 328 



Churches vary of course in accordance with their 

 importance and size. The largest are the metro- 

 politan and cathedral churches, then the con- 

 ventual, the collegiate, and the parish churches ; 

 but although they vary in magnitude and richness, 

 they are all constructed on the same principles, and 

 follow one idea. 



The annexed ground-plan of Durham Cathedral 

 shows the various parts of one of the most perfect 

 medieval structures in England, with the names 

 attached to the different portions, which will be 

 described under their respective headings. See 

 AISLE, APSE, BASILICA, CLERESTORY, TRIFORIUM, 

 &c. Plans, sections, or other illustrations of other 

 important churches will be found at BYZANTINE 

 ARCHITECTURE, GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE, LOM- 



