medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Dear George et al.,
I am perfectly willing to be corrected about Qal'at Si'man-- I was
basing my comment on old memories from grad school and a quick look at
the plan, and could easily be wrong.
Old St. Peter's [OSP], however, definitely had its altar in the west.
The altar was located above the supposed grave of Peter. There has been
a great deal of archaeological and archival scholarship on this church,
of course, but I don't think there is any doubt about its occidentation.
There is more of a question about early medieval structures thought to
be more or less closely patterned on OSP. Occidentation is generally
taken as a sign that the builders had OSP in mind, but each case demands
its own study.
The easiest access to the literature on OSP would probably be through
the scholarship of Richard Krautheimer.
In any case, the theological interpretation of standard church
structures was developed over time. Symbolism thought to be self-evident
in the thirteenth century may or may not have existed in the fourth or
fifth century.
best,
Genevra
Gyorgy Gereby wrote:
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> Dear Genevra,
>
> in your answer to Timothy, I am afraid I found a mistake in addition
> to a very interesting statement:
>
> 1. The Basilica of St. Simeon the Stylite (Qalat Simaan) did not have
> multiple naves to my knowledge (and autopsy). Out of the four
> buildings joined in the form of a cross the northern and the southern
> buildings were hostels for pilgrims (xenodochia), while the western
> was the monastery. Only the Eastern arm was a church, which can easily
> be identified by the then appropriate synthronos at the Eastern end of
> it (it is still clearly identifiable - I can send photographs, if
> needed). The pillar of St Symeon (surrounded by a probably iron cage)
> was in the center of the octagon in the middle.
> Therefore it does not count as a counterexample to the E-W orientation.
>
> 2. I find it tremendously interesting that you say Old St. Peter had
> its altar in the West. How do we know this was the case? I can't see
> it from the sketches of the floorplan I am familiar with. - And I must
> say I have seen quite a number of ancient churches from the St Titus
> in Gortys to the Holy Cross in Resafa - and invariably they had the
> altar towards the East. The orientation seems to have had a
> theological reason (or so I learned, but I am no expert in early
> Christian church architecture, pls correct me ) : the salvation leads
> towards the Light of Life, out of the Darkness of Death. This is why
> one enters the church from the West (often decorated with scenes of
> the Last Judgement awaiting for the world) and on entering looks
> towards the East (Christ, the Light of the World). In all these
> churches I saw, btw., there were pronounced openings on the wall above
> the altar (apse), presumably serving as physical channel for letting
> the light in (pretty dramatic, I suppose, during early morning
> liturgies). Or am I completely in the dark?
>
> 3. As for the variations in recent centuries (like in the case of the
> Roman Catholic chapel close to my parents' house in Budapest, built in
> the 70s) the theological reasons of the symbolism having fallen into
> oblivion (or being deliberately left aside as superstition or myth),
> anything could go (eg. in the case of this chapel the altar is to the
> Eastern side of a church oriented otherwise to the North - pretty
> strange sight as most pews are at an awkward angle to the altar).
>
> I'd love to learn more about this subject, doctissimi.
>
> Best,
>
> George
>
>
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