Thenave (/neɪv/) is the central part of achurch, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to thetransepts, or in a church without transepts, to thechancel.[1][2] When a church containsside aisles, as in abasilica-type building, the strict definition of the term "nave" is restricted to the central aisle.[1] In a broader, morecolloquial sense, the nave includes all areas available for thelay worshippers, including the side-aisles and transepts.[3] Either way, the nave is distinct from the area reserved for thechoir andclergy.[1]
The nave extends from the entry—which may have a separate vestibule (thenarthex)—to the chancel and may be flanked by lowerside-aisles[4] separated from the nave by anarcade. 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 highaltar.
The termnave is fromnavis, theLatin word forship, an early Christian symbol of theChurch as a whole, with a possible connection to the "Ship of St. Peter" or theArk of Noah.[1][3][5] The term may also have been suggested by the keel shape of thevaulting of a church. In manyNordic andBaltic countries a model ship is commonly found hanging in the nave of a church,[6] and in some languages the same word means both 'nave' and 'ship', as for instance Danishskib, Swedishskepp, Dutchschip or Spanishnave.
A fresco showing Old St Peter's Basilica, built in the 4th century: the central area, illuminated by high windows, is flanked by aisles.Late Gothicfan vaulting (1608, restored 1860s) over the nave atBath Abbey,Bath, England. Suppression of thetriforium offers a greater expanse ofclerestory windows.
The earliest churches were built when builders were familiar with the form of the Romanbasilica, 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 emperorConstantine I, and replaced in the 16th century.[3][1]
The nave, the main body of the building, is the section set apart for the laity, while thechancel is reserved for the clergy. In medieval churches the nave was separated from the chancel by therood screen; these, being elaborately decorated, were notable features in European churches from the 14th to the mid-16th century.[3][1][7]
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.[1]
By the 1300s, the maintenance and decoration of the nave of parish churches was the responsibility of the parishioners; the clergy were responsible for keeping the chancel in repair.[8]
Highest vaulted nave:Beauvais Cathedral, France, 48 m (157 ft), but only one bay of the nave was actually built; however, choir and transepts were completed to the same height.
^abcdefgThe Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Nave".Encyclopaedia Britannica (online ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
^Stevens Curl, James, ed. (2006). "nave".Oxford Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (illustrated ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 518.ISBN9780198606789.
^abcdCram, Ralph Adams.Nave. The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. Accessed 13 July 2018
