HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE

Early
Christian
Architecture
THE FALL OF ROME
 EARLY CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE

the fall of rome

Emperor Nero
EARLY CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE

the fall of rome

 EARLY CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE

8 Reasons Why Rome Fell

1. Invasions by Barbarian tribes
2. Economic troubles and overreliance on slave labor
3. The rise of the Eastern Empire
4. Overexpansion and military overspending
5. Government corruption and political instability
6. The arrival of the Huns and the migration of the Barbarian tribes
7. Christianity and the loss of traditional values
8. Weakening of the Roman legions
geography
Judaea - Christianity started
(an eastern province of the
Roman Empire)

St. Peter and St. Paul - they

spread and carried
Christianity and other
missionaries to Rome (Centre
of the World-Empire.)

Early Christian Architecture was INFLUENCED

by Roman Architecture
 geological
The quarry of the ruins of roman buildings
influenced the style, both in regard to the
construction and decoration

Columns, Sculptures and Mosaics from

older building, were incorporated into
Basilican Churches
RUBBLE AND CONCRETE
BRICK OR STONE
MARBLES Building materials
 climatic
CONDITIONS

North Italy - temperate climate

Center Italy - genial and sunny
Southern Italy - almost tropical

 religion BELIEFS

The rise of Christianity inspired the

construction of Churches
313 A.D, Constantine has issued his Celebrated
decree from Milan.
323 A.D, Christianity became the
ESTABLISHED RELIGION of the Roman Empire.
3rd Century - 50,000 christians population -
The religion was TOLERATED but it was still
considered ILLEGAL
GREEK and ROMAN Architecture - to shelter
Gods
CHRISTIAN CHURCH - to shelter worshippers
sociAL CHARACTERISTICS &
BELIEFS socio-political

CHRISTIANITY - was a secret society

- considered dangerous and subversive
- Christianity was the religion of the lower ARCHITECTURAL
class until it became the recognized universal
religion of the Roman Empire.
CHARACTERISTICS
1. Simplicity in design
ACCEPTANCE OF THE CHRISTIAN
2. Coarseness in execution
RELIGION - single most important social
phenomenon
324 A.D, Constantine moved the capital
from Roma to Byzantium.
800 A.D, the POWER OF POPE has
increased in ROME - THE HOLY EMPIRE
OF ROME until 1806 A.D
building materials &
construction system
I. PLANS
Same style of Roman Basilicas
Big halls, Baths, Houses and temples - worshiping temples
Emergence of Bell Towers.
Emergence of Baptism.
II. walls
Used Rubble and concrete, faced with
BASILICA OF SAINT SABINA
plaster, brick or stone
Mosaic Decoration ALL'AVENTINO , ROME, ITALY
Less interest was paid to external
effect/building exteriors
DEDICATION OF SAINT SABINA
 Wooden Roofs have covered Naves
Iii. roofs
Aisle - Domed
Iv. openings Apse - Half domes

Arcades, Doors, Nitches and

windows were spanned by
SEMI CIRCULAR ARCH
Small openings
CLERESTORY windows used
in walls over the nave roof
 BASILICA OF SAINT SABINA
ALL'AVENTINO , ROME,

v. floors ITALY

Pavements - geometric patterns

- were formed largely of slices from
the old roman porphyry columns which were
worked into designs by connecting bands of
geometric inlay on a field of white marble
vi. columns

Used Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, or composite from ancient buildings

Carved Capitals are in acanthus leaf forms
vii. ornamentation &
christian art

HOW DID EARLY CHRISTIAN

ART DEVELOP?

used the same artistic media

(frescos, mosaics, sculptures,
and illuminated manuscripts.)
as the surrounding pagan
culture.
Late Classical style and
adapted Roman motifs and
gave new meanings to what
had been pagan symbols.
Mosaic - used in Apse, triumphal arches,
over naves
- sometimes on columns and arches
Painting on walls - treated with strong
colors in a simple rough design
Fresco painting - method of painting
water-based pigments on freshly applied
plaster, usually on wall surfaces.
Paintings and symbols - religious
symbols as the fish (ikhthus), were not Fish and Loaves
borrowed from pagan iconography. This fish-and-loaves fresco—
iconography particular to Christians and
representative of the Eucharist—is found
in the Catacombs of San Callisto
 Jesus Healing a
Bleeding Woman
A typical depiction of Jesus for its time. This
fresco shows a clean-shaven man with short
hair. From the catacombs of Marcellinus and
Peter, c. 300–350.
 The Good Shepherd
A fresco from the catacombs of San
Callisto
 CHARACTERISTICS OF EARLY
CHRISTIAN CHURCH BUILDING
The house church
the basilica
the mausoleum
the criciform ground plan
HOUSE CHURCH
The First house church is where the disciples of Jesus met together in the ‘upper room’ of a house.
One of the Earliest Christian House Church
They discover a shrine to the god Mithras, a synagogue whose assembly room walls were
covered with painted biblical scenes
SHRINE TO THE GOD MITHRAS
basilica churches
A rectangular early Christian
medieval church, usually having a
nave with clerestories, two or four
aisles, one or more vaulted apses
and a timber roof

Many basilica churches were

erected out of fragments taken
from older buildings, and present a
curious mixture of columns, capitals,
others, especially those at Ravenna,
exhibit more care, and are noble
specimens of ancient and severe
architectural work
 parts of an early christian basilica
propylaeum - the entrance building of a sacred precint, whether church or imperial palace
atrium - a large open air or skylight covered space surrounded by arcades.
narthex the entrance hall or porch procedingthe nave of a church
nave - the central aisle of a basilica church, it extends from the entrance to the apse
side aisle - one of the corridors running parallel to the nave of a church and separated
from it by an arcade or colonnade
crossing - the area in church where the transept and the nave intersect
transept -in a cruciform church, the whole arm set at right angles to the nave.
apse - a recess, sometimes rectangular but usually semicircular, in the wall at the end of a
roman basilica or Christian church. The apse in the Roman basilica frequently contained
an image of the emperor and was the magistrate dispensed laws, it contained the
CATHEDRA or trone of the bishop and the altar .
bema - refer to raised area in a sanctuary. In jewish synagogues, where it is used for torah
reading during services, the term used is bima or bimah.
OLD ST. PETER'S BASILICA, ROME
typical
plan of
basilica
typical plan of basilica
semi-circular italian polygonal german
mausoleum
Monumental form of tomb
A mauseleum is a house of the dead,
although it is often as much as symbol as a
sepulchre
This term has been employed for large,
monumental, and stately tombs, usually
erected for distinguished or prominent
individuals
 MAUSOLEUM OF
CONSTANTIA AUGUSTA
latin cross and greek cross
terms usually refer to the shape of a church
Greek cross church has four arms having the
same length
Latin cross church has the arm of the
entrance longer that the other arms

ST. PETER CHURCH IN VATICAN

SS. MARTINA E LUCA

notable structures /
developments
the chief churches
the baptiseries
the chief churches
a. Church of Nativity, Bethlehem
is a basilica located in Bethlehem in the
West Bank, Palestine.
was founded by Constantine over the
traditional birthplace of Christ.

the grotto is the oldest site the basilica is the oldest

continuously used as a place of major church in the Holy
worship in Christianity Land.
b. Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem
is a church in the Christian Quarter of the Old City
of Jerusalem.
was built by Constantine over the tomb of Christ. the Golgotha
and Calvary
It has been an important pilgrimage destination where Jesus was
since the 4th century, and it remains the holiest crucified
Christian place in the world
it contains the two holiest sites in Christianity: the
Golgotha and Calvary and the tomb.

the tomb
(sepulcher) where
He was buried and
resurrected.
c. Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna
is a basilica church in Ravenna, Italy.
was erected by the Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great as
his palace chapel during the first quarter of the 6th century.
This Arian church was originally dedicated in 504 AD to "Christ
the Redeemer".

On the upper band of the left lateral wall are 13 small mosaics,
depicting Jesus' miracles and parables

on the right wall are 13 mosaics depicting the Passion and Resurrection.
d. Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna
is a church in Classe, Ravenna, Italy
consecrated on 9 May 549 by the bishop Maximian and dedicated to
Saint Apollinaris, the first bishop of Ravenna and Classe. Was built by
Emperor Justinian.
in 1996 it was inscribed with seven other nearby monuments in the
UNESCO World Heritage List
which described it as "an outstanding example of the early Christian
basilica in its purity and simplicity of its design and use of space and in
the sumptuous nature of its decoration".
The apse is lavishly
decorated with mosaics,
such as the Crux
Gemmata An image from the nave
or the center partr.

Mosaic panel of
The west front Constantine IV granting
privilege to the Ravennate
or façade. church.
e. Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, rome
is a Major papal basilica as well as one of the Seven
Pilgrim Churches of Rome and the largest Catholic
Marian church in Rome, Italy.
was built by Pope Sixtus III
The original architecture of Santa Maria Maggiore was
classical and traditionally Roman perhaps to convey
the idea that Santa Maria Maggiore represented old
imperial Rome as well as its Christian future.

the apse area of Interior of the

The apse of the The Borghese Chapel
Santa Maria basilica: view down
basilica
Maggiore. the nave towards the
Detail of the external high altar Pauline Chapel dome Altar of Sistine
façade of the apse on frescoes, by Guido The center view of
Chapel and Oratory
the north-west of the Reni the basilica
of the Nativity
church
f. Basilica of St. Stephen in the Round on the Celian Hill, rome
an ancient basilica and titular church in Rome, Italy
Commonly named Santo Stefano Rotondo
the church is Hungary's "national church" in Rome, dedicated to both Saint Stephen, the
first Christian martyr, and Stephen I, the sanctified first king of Hungary who converted
to Christianity and promoted it in his kingdom
is the largest circular church in existence with a diameter of 64 meters.
. It is the most ancient example of a central plan church in Rome.

plan of the church

g. Saint George salonica, Thessaloniki, greece
is a church in Thessaloniki, Macedonia
Greece

Named after Saint George

was a Christian church, later a mosque
is now the Greek Orthodox Church of
Agios Giorgios, better known as the
Church of the Rotonda.
cylindrical structure was built in 306 on
the orders of the tetrarch Galerius.
H. Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, ROME
also known as the Papal
Archbasilica of Saint John

[in] Lateran, Saint John

Lateran, or the Lateran
Basilica
is a major basilica.
It is a double aisled
basilica but had lost its
original Early Christian
character due to
alterations.
It is the oldest and ranks
first among the 4 major
basilicas in Rome
Founded in 324, it is the
oldest public church in the
city of Rome, and the
oldest basilica of the
Western world.
I. Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, ROME
one of Rome's
four major

papal basilicas
was built over
the grave of St.
Paul and was
the largest
basilica until
St. Peter’s was
completed in
1626
founded by
the Roman
Emperor
Constantine
over the burial Plan of the fourth-
century basilica
place of Paul
of Tarsus
J. Papal Basilica of Saint Lawrence outside the Walls, ROME
was built over
the grave of
martyr St.
Lawrence
a Roman
Catholic Minor
papal basilica
and parish
church, located
in Rome, Italy.
The Basilica is
one of the Seven
Pilgrim Churches
of Rome and
one of the five
"papal basilicas"
(former
"patriarchal
basilicas")
K. church of Saint Agnes Outside the Walls, ROME
was founded
by
Constantine
over the grave
of St. Agnese
church is built
over the
Catacombs of
Saint Agnes,
where the
saint was
originally
buried, and
which may still
be visited from
the church
Minor Basilica in
the Philippines
Basílica Minore del Santo Niño, Cebu
commonly known as Santo Niño Basilica
basilica in Cebu City in the Philippines
that was founded in 1565 by Fray
Andrés de Urdaneta and Fray Diego de
Herrera
the oldest Roman Catholic church in the
country, allegedly built on the spot
where the image of the Santo Niño de
Cebú was found during the expedition of
Miguel López de Legazpi.
Basilica of the Black Nazarene, Quiapo
known canonically as the Parish of Saint John the Baptist
and also known as Quiapo Church
a prominent basilica in the district of Quiapo in the city of
Manila, Philippines.
The basilica is famous home for the Black Nazarene, a dark
statue of Jesus Christ said to be miraculous
Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate
Conception, Manila
also known as the
Manila Cathedral
miraculous
located in Intramuros
dedicated to the
Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin
Mary as the Patroness of
the country
Basilica of San Sebastian, Manila
It is the church of the
Parish of San Sebastian,
and also a Shrine of
Nuestra Senora del
Monte Carmelo, or Our
Lady of Mount Carmel.
Completed in 1891, San
Sebastian Church is noted for
its architecture.
An example of the
Gothic Revival
architecture in the
Philippines, it is the only
steel building church in
the Philippines.
was designated as a
National Historical
Landmark in 1973[4] and
as a National Cultural
Treasure in 2011.
Basilica of Our Lady of Manaoag, Pangasinan
located on top of a hill in the town, has been
canonically affiliated with the Papal Basilica of
Saint Mary Major in Rome since June 2011
The Augustinians built the first Chapel of Santa
Monica (the original name of Manaoag) in 1600
was officially declared a Basilica in 2015.
Our Lady of Peñafrancia Basilica Minore and National Shrine
Archdiocese of Caceres
Balatas Road, 4400 City of Naga
Minor Basilica and Parish of St.
John the Baptist

Shrine of La
Virgen
Milagrosa de
Badoc
Diocese of
Laoag
Brgy. Balatong,
Badoc, Ilocos
Norte
 BAPTISERIES
These are separate buildings used only for the sacrament of
baptism during Easter, Pentecost and Epiphany.

A space, area or separate building of a church or cathedral

containing a font where baptism takes place. It usually is an
octagonal structure having fine mosaics representing the
baptism of Christ.
Baptisery of Constantine, Rome

in Fonte.
It is the oldest monumental Baptistery, whose title is S. Giovanni
It was built in the 4th century by Constantine
The Baptisery, Nocera
a Christian baptismal building that was erected by the Ostrogothic King Theodoric
the Great between the end of the 5th century and the beginning of the 6th century
A.D.
Orthodox Baptisery, Ravenna, Italy
the Orthodox Baptistery is quite small. The building
has an octagonal shape and was built of reused
Roman bricks, like so many other buildings in
Ravenna from the same period.
 tombs
Christian’s objection to cremation led
to the building of monumental tombs
which were an expression of the faith
in immortality and memorial to the
dead
Tomb of Galla Placida, Ravenna
a Late Antique Roman building in Ravenna, Italy, built between 425 and 450
was added to the World Heritage List together with seven other structures in Ravenna in 1996
Despite its common name, the empress Galla Placidia (d. 450) was not buried in the building, a
misconception dating from the thirteenth century;[3] she died in Rome and was buried there
has an interior finish of entirely mosaic
Santa Constanza, Rome
was erected by Constantine for his daughter Constantia
is a round building with well preserved original layout and mosaics.
Tomb of Theodoric, Ravenna
It was inscribed with seven other "Early Christian Monuments
and Mosaics of Ravenna" buildings as one of the UNESCO
World Heritage Sites in 1996.
" the significance of the mausoleum lies in its Gothic style and
decoration, which owe nothing to Roman or Byzantine art,
although it makes use of the Roman stone construction
technique of opus quadratum, which had been abandoned four
centuries before" and in the fact that "it is the only surviving
example of a tomb of a king of this period."
 CATACOMBS
These are a network of subterranean chambers
and galleries used for burial purposes by the
Mediterranean people, especially the early
Christians. The word catacomb was derived
from the Latin ad catacumbas meaning “at the
hollows”
 Catacomb of Callixtus
most notable for containing the Crypt of the Popes (Italian: Cappella dei
Papi), which once contained the tombs of several popes from the 2nd to
4th centuries.
 Other
terminologies:
Ambulatory – a passageway arounf
the apse of church

Antepodium – a seast behid the

choir reserved for the clergy
Bema – a stage reserved for the
clergy

Chevet – the apse, ambulatory and

radiating terminal of a church
Clerestorey – an upper stage in the
church with windows above the
adjacent roof

Clergy – priest with the religious

elders
Dais – a raised platform reserved for
the seating of speakers and
dignitaries

Oratory – a small private chapel

furnished with an altar and a crucifix
Reredos – an ornamental screen or
wall at the back of the altar

SANCTUARY - Preceded by the “ arch

of triumph “ with a high altar in the
center standing free under its
baldachino upheld by marble columns .
SEPULCHER - tomb or a receptacles
for relics especially in the
Christian altar

Transept – the portion of the church

crossing the main axis at the right angle
forming a cruciform plan
Tribune – a slightly elevated platform
or dais for the speaker

Triforium – roof over the aisles below

the clerestory
references

to be continue...