glossary
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Abacus
flat top of the capital of a column. -
Abbey
main or sole church built in conjunction with an abbey -
Abbey
a building inhabited by a community of monks or nuns governed by an autonomous leader -
Abutment
solid masonry placed to counteract the lateral thrust of a bridge, arch, or vault. -
Altar
A structure on which to place or sacrifice offerings to a deity. In a Christian church the altar is usually a stone table or slab on supports, on which the celebration of the sacrament takes place. -
Alure
a passage or gallery behind a parapet at the top of a wall of a fortification.
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Ambulatory
A semicircular or polygonal aisle. Often an ambulatory leads around the east end of the choir. -
Apse
the semi-circular termination of the east end of the chancel or chapel. -
Apsidiole
semi-circular chapel (in the transept or chancel) or secondary apse . -
Arcade
A series of arches supported by columns or piers. -
Arcature
series of small arcades topped by an arch. -
Arch
A carved structural member that spans an opening.
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Arch moulding
concentric arches set back from one another above a doorway or a window and topped by the archivolt. -
Architrave
the beam which extends across the top of the columns; it forms the lowest part of the entablature. -
Archivolt
set of arches rising above a doorway. In the Romanesque and gothic styles, the archivolt frames the tympanum, a richly sculpted panel. -
Arms of a transept
sections of the transept on each side of the crossing. -
Astragal
A small plain or ornamental moulding. -
Attic
A room, usually with sloping ceilings, just beneath the roof -
Avant-corps
part of a building which projects prominently from the main facade.