Apse facts for kids

Typical early Christian Byzantine apse

In architecture, the apse (from Latin apsis: "arch, vault") is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome. It is similar to another form known as an exedra. In Romanesque, Byzantine and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral and church architecture, the term is applied to a semi-circular or polygonal termination of the main building. This is usually at the liturgical east end (where the altar is). It is also regardless of the shape of the roof, which may be flat, sloping, domed, or hemispherical.

Images for kids

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  Typical floor plan of a cathedral, with the apse shaded

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  Triple apse of Basilica di Santa Giulia, northern Italy

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  East end of the abbey church of Saint-Ouen, showing the chevet, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France

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  A chevet apse vault, Toulouse, France

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  Apsed chancel of St Mary's Church, West Dean, Wiltshire, England

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  The decorated apse of the Cathedral of Monreale, Sicily

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  The apse of Manila Cathedral, Philippines

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  The apse of St. Martin church in Busskirch, community Jona, Switzerland

See also

In Spanish: Ábside para niños