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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture Timothy-- The east-west axis is of course the normal one for the congregation and altar, and an important minority of churches has the altar in the west rather than the east, beginning with Old Saint Peter's. Could the alignment of this axis with the transept rather than the nave have to do with the proportions of the particular site? If a 'Latin cross' plan was desired and the long dimension was available only north-south, the arrangement you describe could have been a practical solution. In any case, it keys into a tradition of church plans with multiple naves in lieu of transepts, as at Qal'at Si'man (Syria). Best, Genevra Kornbluth > > Timothy J. Johnson wrote: > >> Colleagues, >> >> I am currently doing research on a 19th century church in St. >> Augustine, Florida, called Memorial Presbyterian Church. It was built >> in a Romanesque-Byzantine style with Moorish influences. Set out in >> the form of a Latin cross, the axis of the church runs from north to >> south but the community uses the east entrance and the pulpit and >> altar are in the west end of the transept. The architectural plans >> indicate this was the intent for the sanctuary from the beginning >> despite the fact that the main entrance and facade are on the south >> end of the church. Many of you have visited and studied medieval >> churches throughout Europe. Have you ever encountered a church were >> the pulpit and altar were in the transept and the congregational >> seating was adjusted accordingly? Thanks in advance for any >> assistance you might provide me. ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html