Jump to content

Nave: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→‎Record-holders: I corrected a mistake. Longest cathedral in England is Winchester Cathedral.
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit
m Changed link for "Choir" to be to the architectural feature (aka the Quire), where the choir sits. Makes better sense in context.
 
(24 intermediate revisions by 20 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|Central part of a church}}
{{Short description|Central part of a church}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Other uses}}
{{For|the Hebrew name|Naveh (disambiguation){{!}}Naveh}}
{{Distinguish|Naveh (disambiguation)|Knave (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Distinguish|Knave (disambiguation){{!}}Knave}}
{{multipleimage
{{multipleimage
|title=Plan of a large Latin cross church with nave highlighted
|title=Plan of a large Latin cross church with nave highlighted
Line 10: Line 10:
|caption2= broader definition
|caption2= broader definition
}}
}}

[[File:Saint-Sulpice, Nave, Paris 20140515 1.jpg|thumbnail|The nave of the [[Church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris|Saint-Sulpice Church]] in Paris]]
[[File:Saint-Sulpice, Nave, Paris 20140515 1.jpg|thumbnail|The nave of the [[Church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris|Saint-Sulpice Church]] in Paris]]
[[File:The halls of sarrat church.jpg|thumb|The nave of the [[Santa Monica Parish Church (Sarrat)|Santa Monica Parish Church]] in [[Sarrat]], Philippines]]
[[File:VIEW OF NAVE LOOKING WEST - First African Baptist Church (circa 1865), 601 New Street, Beaufort, Beaufort County, SC HABS SC,7-BEAUF,28-5.tif|thumb|First African Baptist Church (1865) - View of Nave looking West.]]

The '''nave''' ({{IPAc-en|n|eɪ|v}}) is the central part of a [[church architecture|church]], stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the [[transept]]s, or in a church without transepts, to the [[chancel]].<ref name="Brit"/><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title= nave |work= Oxford Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture |page=518 |editor-first= James |editor-last= Stevens Curl |edition= illustrated |publisher= Oxford University Press |year=2006 |isbn= 9780198606789}}</ref> When a church contains [[Aisle#Church architecture|side aisles]], as in a [[basilica]]-type building, the strict definition of the term "nave" is restricted to the central aisle.<ref name="Brit">{{Cite encyclopedia |author= The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica |encyclopedia= Encyclopaedia Britannica |title= Nave |edition= online |publisher= Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. }}</ref> In a broader, more [[colloquial]] sense, the nave includes all areas available for the [[Laity#Christian laity|lay]] worshippers, including the side-aisles and transepts.<ref name="CathEnc">Cram, Ralph Adams. [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10724a.htm Nave]. The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. Accessed 13 July 2018</ref> Either way, the nave is distinct from the area reserved for the [[choir]] and [[Clergy#Christianity|clergy]].<ref name="Brit"/>
The '''nave''' ({{IPAc-en|n|eɪ|v}}) is the central part of a [[church architecture|church]], stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the [[transept]]s, or in a church without transepts, to the [[chancel]].<ref name="Brit"/><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title= nave |encyclopedia= Oxford Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture |page=518 |editor-first= James |editor-last= Stevens Curl |edition= illustrated |publisher= Oxford University Press |year=2006 |isbn= 9780198606789}}</ref> When a church contains [[Aisle#Church architecture|side aisles]], as in a [[basilica]]-type building, the strict definition of the term "nave" is restricted to the central aisle.<ref name="Brit">{{Cite encyclopedia |author= ((The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica)) |encyclopedia= Encyclopaedia Britannica |title= Nave |edition= online |publisher= Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. }}</ref> In a broader, more [[colloquial]] sense, the nave includes all areas available for the [[Laity#Christian laity|lay]] worshippers, including the side-aisles and transepts.<ref name="CathEnc">Cram, Ralph Adams. [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10724a.htm Nave]. The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. Accessed 13 July 2018</ref> Either way, the nave is distinct from the area reserved for the [[Choir (architecture)|choir]] and [[Clergy#Christianity|clergy]].<ref name="Brit"/>


==Description==
==Description==
Line 18: Line 20:


==Etymology==
==Etymology==
The term ''nave'' is from ''navis'', the [[Latin]] word for ''ship'', an early Christian symbol of the [[Christian Church|Church]] as a whole, with a possible connection to the "[[Ship of St. Peter]]" or the [[Ark of Noah]].<ref name="Brit"/><ref name="CathEnc"/><ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.jesuswalk.com/christian-symbols/ship.htm| title= Ship as a Symbol of the Church (Bark of St. Peter)| website= JesusWalk.com| access-date= 11 February 2015}}</ref> The term may also have been suggested by the keel shape of the [[Vault (architecture)|vaulting]] of a church. In many Scandinavian and Baltic countries a model ship is commonly found hanging in the nave of a church,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sidneyherald.com/archives/ship-hangs-in-balance-at-pella-evangelical-lutheran-church/article_9485d09f-e314-5f3e-b071-0cf8b2059dd7.html|title=Ship hangs in balance at Pella Evangelical Lutheran Church|date=10 June 2008|work= [[Sidney Herald]]| location= [[Sidney, Montana]] |access-date=3 January 2016}}</ref> and in some languages the same word means both 'nave' and 'ship', as for instance Danish ''[[wikt:skib|skib]]'', Swedish ''[[wikt:skepp|skepp]]'' or Spanish (''nave'').
The term ''nave'' is from ''navis'', the [[Latin]] word for ''ship'', an early Christian symbol of the [[Christian Church|Church]] as a whole, with a possible connection to the "[[Ship of St. Peter]]" or the [[Ark of Noah]].<ref name="Brit"/><ref name="CathEnc"/><ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.jesuswalk.com/christian-symbols/ship.htm| title= Ship as a Symbol of the Church (Bark of St. Peter)| website= JesusWalk.com| access-date= 11 February 2015}}</ref> The term may also have been suggested by the keel shape of the [[Vault (architecture)|vaulting]] of a church. In many [[Nordic countries|Nordic]] and [[Baltic states|Baltic]] countries a model ship is commonly found hanging in the nave of a church,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sidneyherald.com/archives/ship-hangs-in-balance-at-pella-evangelical-lutheran-church/article_9485d09f-e314-5f3e-b071-0cf8b2059dd7.html|title=Ship hangs in balance at Pella Evangelical Lutheran Church|date=10 June 2008|work= [[Sidney Herald]]| location= [[Sidney, Montana]] |access-date=3 January 2016}}</ref> and in some languages the same word means both 'nave' and 'ship', as for instance Danish ''[[wikt:skib|skib]]'', Swedish ''[[wikt:skepp|skepp]]'', Dutch ''[[wikt:schip|schip]]'' or Spanish ''nave''.


==History==
==History==
Line 25: Line 27:
The earliest churches were built when builders were familiar with the form of the Roman [[basilica]], a public building for business transactions. It had a wide central area, with aisles separated by columns, and with windows near the ceiling. [[Old St. Peter's Basilica]] in Rome is an early church which had this form. It was built in the 4th century on the orders of Roman emperor [[Constantine I]], and replaced in the 16th century.<ref name="CathEnc"/><ref name="Brit"/>
The earliest churches were built when builders were familiar with the form of the Roman [[basilica]], a public building for business transactions. It had a wide central area, with aisles separated by columns, and with windows near the ceiling. [[Old St. Peter's Basilica]] in Rome is an early church which had this form. It was built in the 4th century on the orders of Roman emperor [[Constantine I]], and replaced in the 16th century.<ref name="CathEnc"/><ref name="Brit"/>


The nave, the main body of the building, is the section set apart for the laity, while the [[chancel]] is reserved for the clergy. In medieval churches the nave was separated from the chancel by the [[rood screen]]; these, being elaborately decorated, were notable features in European churches from the 14th to the mid-16th century.<ref name="CathEnc"/><ref name="Brit"/><ref>{{cite encyclopedia| title= Rood screen| url= http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/509174/rood-screen| work= Encyclopædia Britannica| access-date= 11 February 2015}}</ref>
The nave, the main body of the building, is the section set apart for the laity, while the [[chancel]] is reserved for the clergy. In medieval churches the nave was separated from the chancel by the [[rood screen]]; these, being elaborately decorated, were notable features in European churches from the 14th to the mid-16th century.<ref name="CathEnc"/><ref name="Brit"/><ref>{{cite encyclopedia| title= Rood screen| url= https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/509174/rood-screen| encyclopedia= Encyclopædia Britannica| access-date= 11 February 2015}}</ref>


Medieval naves were divided into bays, the repetition of form giving an effect of great length; and the vertical element of the nave was emphasized. During the Renaissance, in place of dramatic effects there were more balanced proportions.<ref name="Brit"/>
Medieval naves were divided into bays, the repetition of form giving an effect of great length; and the vertical element of the nave was emphasized. During the Renaissance, in place of dramatic effects there were more balanced proportions.<ref name="Brit"/>

By the 1300s, the maintenance and decoration of the nave of parish churches was the responsibility of the parishioners; the clergy were responsible for keeping the chancel in repair.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Parish Life in Mediaeval England |journal=Masterpieces of Catholic Literature in Summary Form | location=New York|publisher=Harper & Row|date=January 1965 |volume=2 |pages=42 |url=https://archive.org/details/masterpiecesofca0000unse_y9m6/page/n5/mode/2up}}</ref>


==Record-holders==
==Record-holders==
* Longest nave in world: [[Valle de los Caídos#Basilica,_cross_and_abbey|Basílica de la Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos]], {{convert|262|m|abbr=on}} total; divided via added partition to not exceed that of [[St. Peter's Basilica|St. Peter's]] in Rome<ref>{{cite web| url= https://www.feelmadrid.com/valleyofthefallen.html |title= The Valley of the Fallen|access-date= 11 November 2019}}</ref>
* Longest nave in world: [[Valle de los Caídos#Basilica, cross and abbey|Basílica de la Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos]], {{convert|262|m|abbr=on}} total; divided via added partition to not exceed that of [[St. Peter's Basilica|St. Peter's]] in Rome<ref>{{cite web| url= https://www.feelmadrid.com/valleyofthefallen.html |title= The Valley of the Fallen|access-date= 11 November 2019}}</ref>
* Longest nave in [[Denmark]]: [[Aarhus Cathedral]], {{convert|93|m|abbr=on}}
* Longest nave in [[Denmark]]: [[Aarhus Cathedral]], {{convert|93|m|abbr=on}}
* Longest nave in [[England]]: Winchester cathedral ,Winchester , {{convert|170|m|abbr=on}}
* Longest nave in [[England]]: [[Winchester Cathedral]], {{convert|170|m|abbr=on}}
* Longest nave in [[Ireland]]: [[St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin]], {{convert|91|m|abbr=on}}, externally
* Longest nave in [[Ireland]]: [[St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin]], {{convert|91|m|abbr=on}}, externally
* Longest nave in [[France]]: [[Bourges Cathedral]], {{convert|91|m|abbr=on}}, including [[Choir (architecture)|choir]] where a crossing would be if there were transepts
* Longest nave in [[France]]: [[Bourges Cathedral]], {{convert|91|m|abbr=on}}, including [[Choir (architecture)|choir]] where a crossing would be if there were transepts
* Longest nave in [[Germany]]: [[Cologne cathedral]], {{convert|58|m|abbr=on}}, including two bays between the towers
* Longest nave in [[Germany]]: [[Cologne cathedral]], {{convert|58|m|abbr=on}}, including two bays between the towers
* Longest nave in [[Italy]]: [[St Peter's Basilica]] in [[Rome]], {{convert|91|m|abbr=on}}, in four bays
* Longest nave in [[Italy]]: [[St Peter's Basilica]] in [[Vatican City]], {{convert|91|m|abbr=on}}, in four bays
* Longest cathedral nave in [[Spain]]: [[Seville]], {{convert|60|m|abbr=on}}, in five bays
* Longest cathedral nave in [[Spain]]: [[Seville]], {{convert|60|m|abbr=on}}, in five bays
* Longest nave in the [[United States]]: [[Cathedral of St. John the Divine]], [[New York City]], United States (Episcopal), {{convert|70|m|abbr=on}}
* Longest nave in the [[United States]]: [[Cathedral of St. John the Divine]], [[New York City]], United States (Episcopal), {{convert|70|m|abbr=on}}
* Highest vaulted nave: [[Beauvais Cathedral]], France, {{convert|48|m|abbr=on}}, but only one bay of the nave was actually built; however, choir and transepts were completed to the same height.
* Highest vaulted nave: [[Beauvais Cathedral]], France, {{convert|48|m|abbr=on}}, but only one bay of the nave was actually built; however, choir and transepts were completed to the same height.
* Highest completed nave: [[St. Peter's Basilica|Rome, St. Peter's]], Italy, {{convert|46|m|abbr=on}}
* Highest completed nave: [[St. Peter's Basilica]], [[Vatican City]], {{convert|46|m|abbr=on}}


== See also ==
== See also ==
Line 51: Line 55:
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


{{subject bar|portal1=Architecture|portal2=Christianity|commons=yes|commons-search=Category:Naves}}
{{Subject bar|portal1=Architecture|portal2=Christianity|commons=yes|commons-search=Category:Naves}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Church architecture]]
[[Category:Church architecture]]

Latest revision as of 19:05, 18 May 2024

For other uses, see Nave (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Naveh (disambiguation) or Knave (disambiguation).

Plan of a large Latin cross church with nave highlighted
strict definition
broader definition
The nave of the Saint-Sulpice Church in Paris
The nave of the Santa Monica Parish Church in Sarrat, Philippines

The nave (/neɪv/) is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel.[1][2] When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type building, the strict definition of the term "nave" is restricted to the central aisle.[1] In a broader, more colloquial sense, the nave includes all areas available for the lay worshippers, including the side-aisles and transepts.[3] Either way, the nave is distinct from the area reserved for the choir and clergy.[1]

Description

[edit]

The nave extends from the entry—which may have a separate vestibule (the narthex)—to the chancel and may be flanked by lower side-aisles[4] separated from the nave by an arcade. If the aisles are high and of a width comparable to the central nave, the structure is sometimes said to have three naves. It provides the central approach to the high altar.

Etymology

[edit]

The term nave is from navis, the Latin word for ship, an early Christian symbol of the Church as a whole, with a possible connection to the "Ship of St. Peter" or the Ark of Noah.[1][3][5] The term may also have been suggested by the keel shape of the vaulting of a church. In many Nordic and Baltic countries a model ship is commonly found hanging in the nave of a church,[6] and in some languages the same word means both 'nave' and 'ship', as for instance Danish skib, Swedish skepp, Dutch schip or Spanish nave.

History

[edit]
A fresco showing Old St Peter's Basilica, built in the 4th century: the central area, illuminated by high windows, is flanked by aisles.
Late Gothic fan vaulting (1608, restored 1860s) over the nave at Bath Abbey, Bath, England. Suppression of the triforium offers a greater expanse of clerestory windows.

The earliest churches were built when builders were familiar with the form of the Roman basilica, a public building for business transactions. It had a wide central area, with aisles separated by columns, and with windows near the ceiling. Old St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is an early church which had this form. It was built in the 4th century on the orders of Roman emperor Constantine I, and replaced in the 16th century.[3][1]

The nave, the main body of the building, is the section set apart for the laity, while the chancel is reserved for the clergy. In medieval churches the nave was separated from the chancel by the rood screen; these, being elaborately decorated, were notable features in European churches from the 14th to the mid-16th century.[3][1][7]

Medieval naves were divided into bays, the repetition of form giving an effect of great length; and the vertical element of the nave was emphasized. During the Renaissance, in place of dramatic effects there were more balanced proportions.[1]

By the 1300s, the maintenance and decoration of the nave of parish churches was the responsibility of the parishioners; the clergy were responsible for keeping the chancel in repair.[8]

Record-holders

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Nave". Encyclopaedia Britannica (online ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
  2. ^ Stevens Curl, James, ed. (2006). "nave". Oxford Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (illustrated ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 518. ISBN 9780198606789.
  3. ^ a b c d Cram, Ralph Adams. Nave. The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. Accessed 13 July 2018
  4. ^ "Nave". Answers.com. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  5. ^ "Ship as a Symbol of the Church (Bark of St. Peter)". JesusWalk.com. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  6. ^ "Ship hangs in balance at Pella Evangelical Lutheran Church". Sidney Herald. Sidney, Montana. 10 June 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  7. ^ "Rood screen". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  8. ^ "Parish Life in Mediaeval England". Masterpieces of Catholic Literature in Summary Form. 2. New York: Harper & Row: 42. January 1965.
  9. ^ "The Valley of the Fallen". Retrieved 11 November 2019.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nave&oldid=1224491111"