. The Encyclopaedia Britannica; ... A dictionary of arts, sciences and general literature. buildingfound favour with the Romans. As many as twentybasilicas are recorded to have existed within the walls ofRome, erected at different periods, and bearing the namesof their founders, —Ahnilia, Julia, Sempronia, Ulpiaor Irajani, ifec. The basilicas were always placed in liemost frequented quarter of the city, in the immediatevicinity of a forum, and on its sunniest and most shelteredside, that the merchants and others who resorted thithermight not sufTer from the severity of the weather (Vitruv.
. The Encyclopaedia Britannica; ... A dictionary of arts, sciences and general literature. buildingfound favour with the Romans. As many as twentybasilicas are recorded to have existed within the walls ofRome, erected at different periods, and bearing the namesof their founders, —Ahnilia, Julia, Sempronia, Ulpiaor Irajani, ifec. The basilicas were always placed in liemost frequented quarter of the city, in the immediatevicinity of a forum, and on its sunniest and most shelteredside, that the merchants and others who resorted thithermight not sufTer from the severity of the weather (Vitruv.,De Architect., v. 1). Originally, the basilicas, like theRoyal Exchange in London and the Bourse at Antwerp,were unroofed, consisting of a central area surroundedsimply by covered porticoes, without side walls. Subse-quently, side walls were erected and the central space wascovered by a roof, which was generally of timber, thebeams being concealed by an arched or coved ceiling, orna-mented with lacunaria. Some basilicas { that of Max-entius or the Temple of Peace ) were Fio. 1.—BoMiJica at rnrtifo. I 4. Altar, a. 1I«U o( nnsllirn. 6. Tilbiinal. 3. Siitc allies, wirti galleries OTCr. | 6. Chalcidk-a. In plan the basilicas were large rectangular halls, tiielength of which, according to the rules laid down byYitruvius {ubi sup.), was not to be more than three times orless than twice its width. In any cases where, from thenecessity of the locality, the length exceeded these propor-tions, the excess was to be masked by the construction ofsmall apartments (chalcidica) at the further end, on bothsides of the tribunal. On each side of the central areawas one, or sometimes, as in the Ulpian and yEmiUaabasilicas, two rows of columns. These were returned ateither end, cutting off a vestibule at one extremity, and thetribunal or court proper, forming a kind of trancept. BASILICA 413 elevated above tlie nave, at the otLer. Above the aislesthus formed (porticus
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidencyclopaedi, bookyear1902
