Early Christian Architecture (3rd - 7th century C.E.) Present St. Peter's Basilica
The introduction of color gave richness and glimmering mystery to the interiors. The mosaics which was the principle form of ornamentation, lined the domed apses generally represented Christ surrounded by apostles and saints. Usually made of glass. Fresco paintings usually in figure forms. The walls were lined with expensive marble.
Admired for its Renaissance sculpture as well as its fusion of Renaissance and Baroque architecture, the design, construction and decoration of Saint Peter's involved the greatest Old Masters of the day, including Alberti, Raphael, Bramante, Michelangelo, and Bernini.
Columns
Built out of travertine stone, Saint Peter's is 452 feet high, 730 feet in length, and 500 feet in width.
Openings and Roofs Arcades, doors and windows were usually spanned by semi-circular arches. Sometimes, segmental and horse-shoe arches can also be seen. The windows were usually small and grouped together. Timber roofs covered the central nave and king and queen post trusses were employed. The narrower side aisles were occasionally vaulted. Apse was usually domed and lined with beautiful glass mosaics, which formed a fitting background to the sanctuary.
Religion and Rituals
Moldings and Ornamentation
The various rituals that comprise Christian religious worship played a fundamental part in the evolution of the Christian place of worship. The initial choice of the Basilica was because of its easy adaptability to a Christian church. The design of the churches closely mirrors the rituals of the religion. Later when the practices changed, alternative church forms were developed.
Took inspiration from Roman orders - Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian and Composite. The carved capitals are governed by Roman pagan precedent in which acanthus leaf forms are an important part. An altered shape of capital was required to support the arch, a convex form being adopted.
Materials, Construction and Technology The early Christian period had access to the same building materials and construction technology as the Roman civilization. The material employed in the earliest buildings constructed around Rome was tuff, a volcanic rock of varying hardness, some soft enough to be worked with bronze tools. The use made of marble was mainly decorative. It was set in cement and applied in slabs to brick and concrete walls. It was used for pavements either in slabs cut and arranged in patterns or as mosaic.
Apostle from the Basilica of St. John.
The Santa Maria Church in Trastevere is a minor basilica that is one of the oldest churches in the whole of Rome. It has a very basic floor plan and wall structure and presents 22 granite columns with Corinthian and Ionic capitals. Its interior is filled with mosaics by Pietro Cavallini.
Symbolism
Symbolism also played an important role in the evolution of the form of the Christian Church. Spirituality and mysticism were integrated into the experience of the church spaces. The use of light and decoration to create fascinating interiors but function still dominated.
Done by Manvie Prusty 160823020