cathedral, stallum, chancel, lettner, tracery

cathedral

The main church in the residence of the prelate or chapter, who had the juristic authority of the bishop. The throne of the bishop and the stallums of the canon can also be found here.

RGY

stallum

Originally it meant decorated pews in cathedrals, where the priests (canons) sat on the longer sides of the chancel. In a figurative sense, it was a church honour (first of all that of the canon), together with the income.

RGY

chancel

A small part of churches separeated from the nave by a triumphal arch. It had a horse-shoe, semi-circular, later square or polygonal ground-plan. The altar was placed in the centre of this. The chancel is the scene of the service, separated from lain people. If the side-nave was around the chancel it is called chancel ambulatory, if chapels open from there, it is called chapel wreath.

SGY

lettner (German, Latin lectorium = from the word reading)

An element of monastery churches, which separated the places of monks from places of lain people. Its permanent part was the upper gallery with decorative representations (usually chosen from the theme of the Last Judgement or the Passio). From the 16th century they were pulled down.

SGY

tracery

It means stone bars of stone lace in Hungarian. It is a popular element of Gothic art, which became a permanent motif in architecture, handicraft industry (ceramics, products of smithery) and painting. The forms of rose windows were enriched by the different motifs of the ages (e.g.: arched triangle, arched square, clove, bladder).

SGY