Transept

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A rectangular space inserted between theapse andnave in the earlyChristian basilica. It sprang from the need of procuring sufficient space for the increased number ofclergy and for the proper celebration of the service. The length of the rectangle either equals the entire breadth of thenave, as in Santa Maria Maggiore and Santa Croce atRome, or it exceeds this breadth more or less, so that the transept extends beyond the walls of thenave. The transept, though, is not peculiar to the Roman basilica, as was for a long time believed; it is also to be found in the churches ofAsia Minor, as at Sagalassos. Beside this first form, in which theapse was directly united with the transept, there were to be found inAsia Minor andSicily, even in the early era, a number of churches of a second form. These were formerly considered to belong to themedieval period, because they were not fully developed until theMiddle Ages. This is the cross-shaped or cruciform church, over the origin of which a violent literary controversy raged for a long time. In the cruciform design the transept is organically developed from the structure. It contains three squares which in height and breadth correspond to that of the mainnave. Beyond the central square, called the bay, and connected with it is a fourth square, the choir, and beyond, and connected with the choir, is theapse; in this way the cruciform shape of the church is produced. The transept generally terminates towards the north and south in a straight line. Still there are a number of churches, especially inGermany, that end in a semicircular or triple conch shape. Strzygowski thinks he has found the model of this style of structure in the Roman imperial palace; this form of transept is found in as early a church as that of the Virgin at Bethlehem erected by Constantine. A favourite method in the Romanesque style was to construct smallapses opening into the transept to the right and left of the choir. In the churches of theCistercians and of themendicant orders these smallapses were transformed at a later date into numerouschapels, as at Santa Croce at Florence. the prototype of this design can also beproved to have existed in the East and the districts under its influence. The doubling of the transept, however, seems to have been peculiar to Western architecture; this type of transept appeared both in the Romanesque and in the Gothic periods, although the manner of producing it varied greatly. Many Romanesque churches are constructed at the west end the same as at the east, that is, the west end also contains a transept and choir. The earliest known church with this double transept is the eighth-century church of St-Riquier at Centula inFrance. The style was also adopted in the church ofSt. Pantaleon at Cologne (981), and almost at the same time by Mittelzell on the island ofReichenau in Lake Constance, and in many other churches. The west transept disappeared inGothic architecture, excepting that inEngland some of the greatcathedrals have a second, short transept added to the east choir, as atSalisbury.Gothic architecture also emphasized the choir by giving it in the largecathedrals threeaisles; in this way very beautiful vistas are produced. In the effort to gain large, well-lighted spaces the architecture of theRenaissance and the Baroque periods enlarged the transept and covered the bay with acupola which caused the transept to dominate the entire structure.

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