Early Christian and Byzantine Architecture

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE

Influences of Christian Archie. :-GeographicalThe position of Rome as he center of a world wide empire was an important factor .All roads lead to Rome and Christianity to become universal .

GeologicalThe quarry of the ruins of roman buildings influenced the architectural treatment of the style , both in regard to construction and decoration .

ReligionHistory presents no phenomenon so striking as the rise of Christianity, which spread so rapidly that in a very short period it was diffused throughout the whole civilized world.

CharacteristicsRoman temples which were now rendered

useless for their original purpose were utilized for the new faith and in addition new churches built on the model of the old roman basilicas and formed of columns and other features from pagan buildings were erected , these are known as basilican churches.

Basilican churches were often situated over the entrances to their former hiding places or crypts and were constructed in columns of different orders and sizes which were made to an uniform height by the addition of new pieces of stone or double bases.

EARLY CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE

Early Christian meeting places were actually set-up in preexisting apartments or homes These locations were known as titilus Most were rebuilt into full scale

churches Best known early Christian

architecture are the burial places, known as catacombs Early Christians were quite poor Burial was provided in individual “shelf”

tombs or private family chambers Usually located beneath churches

BACKGROUNDRoman Empire – 3rd CenturyChristianity

EARLY CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE

TitulusCatacombsMartyria

Vault , Dome , Arches

VaultA roof In the form of an arch or a series of arches, typical of churches and other large , formal buildings..

DomeA rounded vault forming the roof of a building or structure typically with a circular base

ArchesA curved symmetrical structure spanning an opening and typically supporting the weight of a bridge , roof , or a wall about it.

Squinches :-

It is a construction filling in the upper angles of square room so as to form a base to receive an octagonal or spherical dome

Building Domes

They used triangular transition features from four massive support piers to a drum and then to the shallow dome above.

1)The latter diameter was sometimes used and the sides of the dome cut off vertically so that the square was perfectly covered but the result was imperfect dome.

2) To secure a perfect dome the byzantine builders conceived the idea of slicing the imperfect dome off horizontally just above the arches made by vertical cutting .

3)The triangular segments of the original dome are the pendentives .

Arches

Segmental Corbelled Pointed

The Basilican Church of S. Clemente , ROMECharacteristics Location :- Rome Affiliation :- Roman

Catholic Const. :- 1108-1123 Dimensions:- 45*25*13 M Dedicated to pope

clement 1

Basilican church of S. Paul . ROME

Characteristic Location :- Rome, Italy Const. :- 4th cent –

1823 A.D. Dimensions :-

150*80*30M Founded by:- Emperor

Constantine 1

Basilican church of S . Maria ROME

Characteristics

Location :- Rome , ITALY

Affiliation :- Roman Catholic church

Dimensions:- 92*80*75M

Leadership:- Santos Abril Castello

S . Stefano Rotondo , ROME

Characteristics Location :- Rome , Italy Affiliation :- Roman catholic Leadership:- Friedrich wetter Dimension :- 80*45*20M

Details Christian Architecture

PlanThe early Christians adopted the Basilican model for their churches but in addition the halls, baths ,dwelling -houses, and even the pagan temples were used for places of worship.An isolated circular church, used as a baptistery,1 was generally attached to the chief Basilica or cathedral.

Walls:-These were still constructed according to theRoman methods, rubble or concrete walling being used, facedwith plaster, brick, or stone. Mosaic was used internally, andsometimes externally on the west facades for decorative purposes.

Openings :-Doors, windows, and niches were generallyspanned by a semicircular arch, the use of the lintel being dispensedwith. The window openings were small

Roofs. Wooden roofs, covered the centralnave, simple forms of construction such as King and Queen post trusses being employed.. These roofs were ceiled in some ornamental manner

Columns : They are often of differentdesign and size, being mostly from earlier Roman buildings whichhad fallen into ruins &kt were purposely destroyed. It was naturalthat the early Christian builders, not being good craftsmen themselves,should use in their buildings the materials and ornamentswhich had been left by the pagan Roman.

BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE

New Symbolic Architecture 500 AD Western Empire in ruins Shift to Byzantine Architecture Christianity based on worship of “Otherworldly” things

Ideal Church Central plan and dome Circular dome over square plan

Pendentive Domes “Sail Vault” Spherical triangles

Introduction Byzantine architecture

was a continuation and refinement of Roman styles and techniques.

The basilica plan continued in use – as in the Church of S. Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna.

The Flourishing's :-Click icon to add picture

At its height, the Byzantine empire covered an area from Rome through southeastern Europe and Asia Minor, down to Egypt and across North Africa.

The Byzantine empire hoped to preserve Greek and Roman culture and also strongly influenced the first Russian state. As Russia traded with the Byzantine empire, the Byzantines influenced both Russian and eastern European development.

By 330, the emperor Constantine, had built a new capital city in Constantinople on the site of the Greek city Byzantium. The Byzantine empire arose from this site.

The Byzantine empire reached its peak under the emperor Justinian. Justinian was a autocratic ruler, or single ruler with complete authority.

Byzantine Architecture Example :-

Hagia Sophia Location : Istanbul ,

Turkey Dimensions : 82 x 73 x

55 m Style of construction :

Byzantine King const. :- Justinian

Internally covered with mosaics and marble pillars .

Contains two floors centered on a giant nave that has a great dome ceiling along with smaller domes towering above.

In its 1400 years of life span it has served itself as Cathedral , mosque and now as museum.

Hagia Sophia

Plan :- Byzantine churches are all

distinguished by a great central square space covered with a dome, supported by means of pendentives, shown in On each side extend short arms, forming a Greek cross, which with the narthex and side galleries make the plan nearly square The narthex was placed within the main walls.

Details Byzantine Architecture Column Walls Openings

In the earlier buildings, these were taken fromancient structures, which not being so numerous in the East as inthe neighborhood of Rome, the supply was sooner exhausted ;and thus there was an incentive to design fresh ones. Capitalssometimes took a form derived from the Roman Ionic or Corinthian types

These were often constructed of brick. Internally,all the oriental love of magnificence was developed, marblecasing and mosaic being applied to the walls ; hence a flattreatment and absence of moldings prevailed. Externally thebuildings were left comparatively plain, although the facadewas sometimes relieved by alternate rows of stone and brick, invarious colors.

Doors and windows are semicircular headedbut segmental and horse- shoe/ arched openings aresometimes seen.The windows are small and grouped togetherPortions of the windows are occasionally filled with thin slabsof translucent marble

Byzantine ornamentation of capitals

Printing Capital Carving CapitalEmbossing Capital

Byzantine Art :

o Byzantine artists also developed Mosaics, pictures or designs formed by inlaid pieces of stone or other materials. Mosaics often displayed religious themes.

In the area of art, the Byzantine empire made great contributions. Icons were images of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and others. These icons were supposed the create the sense that the holy person was actually present.

Emperor Justinian became known for his collection of ancient laws known as Justinian’s Code. This written set of laws became the basis today’s international laws.

Hippodrome Held 60,000

spectators Wild chariot races and

circus acts Site of the Nika revolt in

532 C.E. Hippodrome comes

from Greek words meaning “horse” and “racecourse”