thumbnail|The nave of the [[Church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris|Saint-Sulpice Church in Paris]]

thumb|The nave of the [[Santa Monica Parish Church (Sarrat)|Santa Monica Parish Church in Sarrat, Philippines]]

The nave () 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. 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. In a broader, more colloquial sense, the nave includes all areas available for the lay worshippers, including the side-aisles and transepts. Either way, the nave is distinct from the area reserved for the choir and clergy. 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

The term nave is from , 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. 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, and in some languages the same word means both 'nave' and 'ship', as for instance Danish , Swedish , Dutch or Spanish .

History

thumb|A fresco showing Old St Peter's Basilica, built in the 4th century: the central area, illuminated by high windows, is flanked by aisles.

thumb|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.

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.

Record-holders

  • Longest nave in the world is in Spain: Basílica de la Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos, total; divided via added partition to not exceed that of St. Peter's in Rome
  • Longest nave in Denmark: Aarhus Cathedral,
  • Longest nave in England: Winchester Cathedral,
  • Longest nave in Ireland: St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, , externally
  • Longest nave in France: Bourges Cathedral, , including choir where a crossing would be if there were transepts
  • Longest nave in Germany: Cologne Cathedral, , including two bays between the towers
  • Longest nave in Italy: St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, , in four bays
  • Longest cathedral nave in Spain: Seville, , in five bays
  • Longest nave in the United States: Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York City, United States (Episcopal),
  • Highest vaulted nave: Beauvais Cathedral, France, , 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, Vatican City,

See also

  • Abbey, with architectural discussion and ground plans
  • Cathedral architecture
  • Cathedral diagram
  • List of highest church naves

References