Nave  

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

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In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" (Medieval Latin navis, "ship") was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting. The nave of a church, whether Romanesque, Gothic or Classical, extends from the entry — which may have a separate vestibule, the narthex — to the chancel and is flanked by lower aisles 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.

Record-holders

• Longest nave in Denmark: Aarhus Cathedral, Template:Convert.
• Longest nave in England: Winchester Cathedral, Winchester (Anglican), Template:Convert.
• Longest nave in Ireland: St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, Template:Convert (externally).
• Longest nave in France: Bourges Cathedral, Template:Convert, including choir where a crossing would be if there were transepts.
• Longest nave in Germany: Cologne cathedral, Template:Convert, including two bays between the towers.
• Longest nave in Italy: St Peter's Basilica in Rome, Template:Convert, in four bays.
• Longest nave in Spain: Seville, Template:Convert, in five bays.
• Longest nave in the United States: Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York City, United States (Episcopal), Template:Convert.
• Highest vaulted nave: Beauvais Cathedral, France, Template:Convert high but only one bay of the nave was actually built but choir and transepts were completed to the same height.
• Highest completed nave: Rome, St. Peter's, Italy, Template:Convert high.
• Highest completed vaulted nave: Cathedral of Milan, Italy, Template:Convert high.

See also

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