HISTORY OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE-II

CONTENT

Part 1: Part 2:
General Influences Discussion Points

❖Geographical ❖ Architectural character

❖Geological ❖ Building materials and
❖Climate construction system
❖Religious ❖ Comparative analysis
❖Social
❖Historical
Part 3:
Example Buildings
Timeline ………..
The following is a time line of events for the Early Christian period:-

❖ 29 A.D. Passing of Isa(AS) and beginning of Christian Religion.

❖ 286 A.D. Emperor Diocletian reorganizes the Roman Empire splitting it

into two; the Eastern and the Western part.

❖ 313 A.D. Emperor Constantine recognizes the Christian religion and

adopts it as a state religion.

❖ 324 A.D. Emperor Constantine reunited the Roman Empire with a new
capital.

❖ 364 A.D. Rome finally splits into two; the Western and Eastern Empire.
Social Characteristics & Beliefs….
❖ The single most important social phenomenon of the Early Christian
period was the spread and acceptance of the Christian religion.

❖ During the period from the first century to the third century after the
death of Jesus, Christianity was a secret society.

❖ It was considered dangerous and subversive by the government.

❖ Christians met secretly in tombs and private houses.

❖ Gradually, however, it spread and became widely accepted in Asia

minor and in Rome itself.

❖ By the third century, Rome had a population of 50,000 Christians.

❖ The religion was tolerated but it was still illegal.

 Architectural Characteristics….

• With Christianity widely accepted as a state religion in Rome it was

necessary for architecture to respond to the demands of the religion for
worship space.

• Mode of worship was the most important determinant of the form of the
church.

• The requirements include:-

 A path for processional entry and exit of the clergy
 An altar area, where the clergy celebrate mass
 A space for the segregation of the clergy from the congregation during
procession and communion
 Burial space.
 Introduction…..

The term early Christian architecture refers to the architecture of the early
Christian churches of the roman era

•This is further divided into two types; the basilica church and the alternative
church plans.

•With Christianity accepted as a state religion in Rome and expanding in

influence, it became necessary for architecture to respond to the space
demands of the new religion.

•A building used for Christian worship had to provide a path for the
processional entry and exit of the clergy, an alter area, where the clergy
celebrated mass, a space for the segregation of the clergy from congregation
during the procession and communion.
 Basilica Church Type
• The early churches were generally simple and functional in their design.

• The emphasis was centered on the act of Christian worship.

• The architecture of the church that developed was not a completely new style,
but the use of available Roman forms to satisfy a new program need.

• The form chosen for the early church was the Roman basilica.

• It was suitable for use as a church with no serious modification and it could be
easily and rapidly built at low cost.

• The Basilica was also preferred because of the emphasis on participation in

mass.
• The most common form of the early churches had a rectangular hall with a
timber trussed roof.

• It also had one or two isles on each side of a central nave and an apse at one
end facing the principal entrance located at the other end.
 A TYPICAL BASILICAN CHURCH
❖ Commonest form of the early church.
❖ Unlike the earlier Roman phase, the interiors were give
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. Plan of a typical EC Basilica
 FROM AGORA TO BASILICAN CHURCH

Plan of a typical EC Basilica

Plan: Forum of Trajan with Basilica Ulpia View of a typical EC basilica - church
❖ A narthex – corresponding to entrance foyer, preceding the nave.
❖ The nave & bema received 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 (brightly
coloured & 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.
Basilica Church Type
 S. Giovanni in Laterano (AD 313-320)
• A typical example of the early Christian
church is S. Giovanni in Laterano
Rome.
• It was the first church commission 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 trussed-
timber roof.
S. Giovanni in Laterano (AD 313-320)
 S. Peters, Rome (AD 333)

• St Peter was the most important

of the basilica churches built by
Constantine.
• The church has a triple entrance
gate leading to an atrium.
• The church like S. Giovanni
discussed earlier is a five isles
church.
• The Basilica had a wooden roof
of interlocking rafters.
• The nave did not lead directly to
the apse but instead ends in a
transverse space that is as high
as the nave.
S. Peters, Rome (AD 333)
S. Peters, Rome (AD 333)
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 axis

rather than a longitudinal horizontal one were also adopted occasionally.

•The centralized churches were of two broad types.

•There 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.
Baptistery Church
Form
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.
Baptistery Church Form

OCTAGONAL BAPTISTERY
Round Alternative Form (St Constanza)

•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.

Christianity had its birth in Judaea , an eastern province
of the roman emprite, spread and carried by St.Peter,
St.Paul and other missionaries to Rome, as the center of
the World – Empire.
Early Christian architecture at Rome was
influenced by, and was the logical outcome of,
existing Roman architecture, modified in other
parts of the empire according to the type already
recognized as suitable for the geographical
situation of those countries, such as Syria, asia
minor , north Africa, and Egypt
 GEOLOGICAL

Geological influences
may 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.
300 AD 800 AD 1200 AD 1500 AD 1700 AD

EARLY CHRISTIAN & BYZANTINE ROMANESQUE GOTHIC RENAISSANCE

• In these phases, architectural development

experienced 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.
• Examples for Early ChristianArchitecture:
• St. Clemente,Rome
• St. Peters (Old), Rome
 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, criminal
trials & gladiatorial matches.
• Basilica – part of Forum.
• Served as place for giving justice &
Basilica Ulpia
transacting business.
• The layout of Basilicas was, by Basilica Amelia
extension used for Christian churches,
having the sameform.
EXAMPLE 1 – ST. PETERS (OLD), ROME
(C. 320-330 AD)
 BASILICA OF ST. PETERS (OLD), ROME
❖ 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 with
5 doors.
❖ The nave ended with an arch & the
walls had parallel windows each
with frescos.
 AISLE
TRANSEPT

AISLE
APSE ATRIUM
(DETAILS UNCERTAIN)

NAVE

ALTAR

AISLE

AISLE

Plan of Old St. Peters Basilica, Rome (c.320)

Mausoleum of
Honorius Rotunda of S.
Andrew -
PreConstantinian
EXAMPLE 2 – ST. CLEMENTE, ROME
(Early 12 th Century)
• St. Clemente Basilica, Rome

Colosseum

St. Clemente
 ST. CLEMENTE, ROME
❖ First Basilica - Dedicated to Pope St. Clemente I.

❖ Dimensions: 45.0 m x 25.0 m with width of nave as 13.0 m.

❖ Most interesting example of the continued Roman use of early basilican plan until well into
Romanesque period.
❖ The present day (Roman Catholic
minor basilica) church is actually a
3-tiered complex of buildings:
o Lower part – 2 structures: 1st
century house of a Roman
noble & a 2nd century pagan
temple dedicated to God
Mitra.
o Middle part – 4th century
(c.380 AD) Old church
dedicated to St. Clemente.
o Top part – Early 12th century
(c.1100 AD) Romanesque
church – replica of the earlier
church.
St. Clemente, Rome
Plan & Section

NARTHEX AISLE

NAVE

AISLE

1 – Apse 2 – Portico 3- Central Atrium 4 – Men’s Aisle

5 - Ladies Aisle 6 – Choir with Gospel & Epistle Ambo 7 - Altar
ST. CLEMENTE, ROME