EARLY CHRISTAIN

1. EXAMPLES OF
EARLY CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE :
(CHURCHES ,MONASTERIES, BAPTESTERIES)
PRESENTATION BY:
PRADNYA INAMDAR

2. St. Peter’s Basilica
 Old St. Peter's Basilica dates from the 4th century 300 AD.
Construction of the present basilica began on 18 April 1506
and was completed on 18 November 1626.
 It was of typical basilical form, a wide nave and two aisles on
each side and an apsidal end, with the addition of
a transept or bema, giving the building the shape of a tau
cross
 The atrium of rectangular court formed an imposing
approach.
 This church had been built over the small shrine believed to
mark the burial place of St. Peter, though the tomb was
"smashed" in 846 AD.] It contained a very large number of
burials and memorials, including those of most of the popes
from St. Peter to the 15th century.

3.  a wide central nave and two smaller aisles
to each side, which were each divided by
21 marble columns, taken from earlier
pagan buildings.
 An atrium, known as the "Garden of
Paradise", stood at the entrance and had
five doors which led to the body of the
church; this was a sixth-century addition.
 the site was outside the boundaries of the
ancient city, the apse with the altar was
located in the west so that the basilica's
façade could be approached from Rome
itself to the east. The exterior, unlike
earlier pagan temples, was not lavishly
decorated.

5. MONASTERY
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6. ST. CATHERINEMONASTERY
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7. CHURCHOF HOLY SEPULCHRE, JERUSALEM
 Jerusalem is considered holy for Christians primarily
because Jesus was born and crucified in those areas.
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher .
 The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is one of the key
sites that Christians consider sacred and in some cases
make pilgrimage to those sites
 It is also considered as the place where Jesus was
eventually buried.
 Today, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is the
headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of
Jerusalem.
 It was damaged by Persians and Muslims but was
rebuilt by Crusaders.

8. THE CHURCH OF NATIVITY,
BETHLEHEM (330 A. D)

9.  THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY OR
BASILICA OF THE NATIVITY, IS A
BASILICA LOCATED IN BETHLEHEM
IN THE WEST BANK.
 IT WAS FOUNDED BY CONSTANTINE
AT THE BIRTH PLACE OF JESUS
CHRIST.
 IT CONSISTS OF AN ATRIUMS AND
LARGE-SIZED NAVE.
 TWO AISLES FORMED, TWO ROWS
OF MONOLITHIC CORINTHIANS
COLUMNS ABOUT 6M IN HEIGHT.

10. Site and layout
 The centrepiece of the Nativity
complex is the Grotto of the
Nativity.
 The core of the complex
connected to the Grotto
consists of the Nativity itself.
 OUTER COURTYARD
 BASILICA OF NATIVITY
 GROTTO OF NATIVITY

11. S. MARIA MAGGIORE, ROME (432
A. D)

12.  THE BASILICA OF MAGGIORE IS THE MOST
CONVENIENT SINGLE SOURCE OF EARLY
CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE, YET FOUND.
 IT WAS BUILT BY POPE SIXTUS - III
 IT IS A LITTLE SUBTERRANEAN BUILDING OF
HARDLY 13M IN LENGTH
 IT IS A SINGLE AISLE HALL WITH BEAUTIFUL
IONIC COLUMNS IN MARBLE.

13. Architecture
 The athenian marble columns
supporting the nave are even
older.
 And either come from the first
basilica or formed another
antique Roman building.

14. Interior
 The mosaic found in S. Maria
Maggiore are of the oldest
representation of the virgin mary
in christian Late Antiquity.
 These mosaic gave historian
insights into artistic, religious &
social movement during this time.

15. S
BAPTISM :
REBIRTH INTO NEW LIFE
BAPTISTERY AT NOCERA
ORTHODOX BAPTISTERY RAVENNA

16.  SEPARATE BUILDINGS USED ONLY FOR THE
SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM WERE A FEATURE OF
EARLY CHRISTIANITY.
 FOR THIS RITEROMAN CIRCULAR TEMPLES WERE
OCCASIONALLY USED
 FOR THIS, THESE BUILDINGS HAD TO BE OF
CONSIDERABLE SIZE
 BUT AFTER 6TH CENTURY WITH THE
INTRODUCTION OF BAPTISMTHE BAPTISTERY
WAS REPLACED BY A FONT IN THE CHURCH.
 WHEN CIRCULAR ROMAN TEMPLES WERE
MODIFIED TO MEET THE NEW REQUIREMENTS,
THESE HAD TO BE ENLARGED.

17.  IT WAS DIFFICULT TO COVER THE ENCLOSED AREA WITH ONE ROOF
SUPPORTED ONLY BY OUTSIDE WALLS, &THEREFORE ROMANS USED
INTERNAL COLUMNS ATTACHED TO THE WALLS IN A DECORATIVE WAY
 EARLY CHRISTAINS USED COLUMNS CONSTRUCTIVELY TO SUPPORT THE
CENTRAL ROOF AND SURROUNDED THE WHOLE WITH ONE STOREYED
AISLE ENCLOSED BY OUTER WALL WHICH SUPPORTED LOWER ROOF

18. ORTHODOX BAPTISTERY, RAVENNA:
 ALSO KNOWN AS NEONIAN
BAPTISTERY.
 (AFTER BISHOP NEON)
 RICHLY DECORATED WITH MARBLE,
STUCCO &MOSAICS
 LARGE FONT IN CENTRE
 OCTAGONAL WITH INTERNAL WALL
ARCADES, BLIND ARCHES
 BISHOP NEON REPLACED WOODEN
CEILING WITH DOME

19. 1. HIERARCHY IN DECORATION :
-CONCENTRIC CIRCLES RISE TO HIGHER POINTS
2. LOWEST (GROUND)LEVEL:
-INSCRIPTIONS FROM PSALMS & GOSPELS
RELATED TO BAPTISM
MOSAIC RINGS ABOVE PENDENTATIVES

20. THE BAPTISTERY, NOCERA
 IT IS 24.4 M IN DIAMETER AND HAS A RING OF
THIRTY ANTIQUE COLUMNS, IN PAIRS,
SUPPORTING THE DOME WHICH IS COVERED
EXTERNALLY BY A WOODEN ROOF.
 A BARREL VAULTED AMBULATORYENCIRCLES THE
CENTRAL DOMED AREA.
 IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BUILDING IS AN
OCTAGONAL FONT WITH 8 COLUMNS AND STEPS
DESCENDING INTO IT.

21. SECTION