User:Ageorge7303/Latin cross

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Many medieval churches are designed using the Latin cross plan. When looked at from above, it takes the shape of a Latin cross. A Latin cross plan contains a nave, transept, apse, and narthex.

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A Latin cross plan is a floor plan found in many Christian churches and cathedrals. When looked at from above or in plan view it takes the shape of a Latin cross (crux immissa). Such cruciform churches were very common in the west during the Romanesque period. The ideal church plan tended to be symmetrical around a central point during the Renaissance. The longer arm of the Latin cross plan is the nave, which runs on an east-west axis and traditionally contains aisles or chapels. The transept crosses the nave, running north-south, and can be the same width as the nave, or extend further on both sides to create a more pronounced cross shape. The east end is the apse, which traditionally contains the choir, chancel, or presbytery. Many also have a narthex at the west entry.

* Add picture of Latin Cross Plan layout*

Examples of Latin Cross Plan Churches

 * Old St. Peter's Basilica is a cathedral in Rome, Italy, that was consecrated in 326 AD
 * Chartres Cathedral is a cathedral in Chartres, France, that was constructed between 1194 and 1220
 * Siena Cathedral is a cathedral in Siena, Italy, that was completed between 1215 and 1263
 * Cologne Cathedral is a cathedral in Cologne, Germany, that began construction in 1248, but was halted in 1590, unfinished until 1880
 * Notre-Dame is a cathedral in Paris, France, that was largely completed by 1260
 * Florence Cathedral is a cathedral in Florence, Italy, that was structurally completed in 1436