Early Christian Study Guide

Question 1

When did Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire?

Answer 1

313 CE (This is one date you must know)

Question 2

When did the decline period of the Roman Empire start?

Answer 2

Around 400 CE (Another date you must know)

Question 3

What is the significance of the Council of Aachen (816)?

Answer 3

As an aftermath of the council, The Benedictine Rule was announced as the norm for monks and
nuns. Benedictine order celebrated manual labor. Encouraged people to put their bodies in
things that were useful for the society: to make, to produce, to be active, to eliminate
indulgences. The council brought discipline to the monasteries. In addition, a stronger
relationship between the church and the king was established.

Question 4

What was the Great Schism? What was its significance? When did it happen?

Answer 4

The official break between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. It took place in 1054
(Or mid 11th century). It is significant for the purposes of interior design history because we will later observe
different churches (Roman Catholic Church in Baroque period in Italy for example) starting to assert a unique
identity through its architecture and interior spaces.
(Likewise, The Reformation in 1517 is also significant because it will result in the rise of Protestantism. Why do
we care about this? Because the criticism of the Catholic Church will result in not only a different way of
thinking about Christianity but also architecture. In contrast to Catholicism, Protestantism produced an
understated architecture and interiors which relied on a much simpler design language (The most extreme
case is the Shakers which we will see later in the semester.)

Question 5

How was the feudal society structured?

Answer 5

The feudal society was divided into three sections termed “the three estate model.” At the top was the First
Estate: the Church (Clergy). The Second Estate was the Nobility (knights, kings). And lastly, the Third Estate
was the Peasantry. As there is a strong relationship between points of power and architecture, this gave away
important clues about the types of buildings built and their nature.

Question 6

What were the two main architectural planning models for early Christian
buildings?

Answer 6

1. Central planning with radial symmetry
2. Basilican model with bilateral symmetry

Question 7

What were the five major characteristics of Byzantine architecture?

Answer 7

• Richly decorated interiors with mosaics, colored marble
• Capitals carved in floral and abstract patterns
• Row of windows on the dome
• Flying buttresses
• Use of pendentives

Question 8

What were the two methods of transitioning from a square plan into
a dome used in early Christian architecture?

Answer 8

1. Squinch
2. Pendentive

Question 9

………..is a curved triangle of vaulting formed by the
intersection of a dome with its supporting arches.

Answer 9

Pendentive

Question 10

………….. is a straight or arched structure across an interior
angle of a square tower to carry a superstructure such as a dome.

Answer 10

Squinch

Question 11

What were the major characteristics of Romanesque architecture?

Answer 11

Cut stone construction
Use of arches, vaults (barrel or tunnel and groin), buttresses
Smaller windows
Stone roofs instead of wooden (barrel vaults over a long church nave)
Generally symmetrical plans
Less decorated exteriors and interiors compared to Gothic
Each significant space has a separate form which can be perceived from outside
Castles, churches, and monasteries
Shows regional characteristics
Use of stained glass

Question 12

What were the three major monumental building types of the early
Christian era? Why?

Answer 12

Churches and cathedrals
2. Abbeys and monasteries
3. Castles
Because the feudal society was structured based on the three estate
model. The clergy was at the top followed by nobility.