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{{Short description|Semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome}}
{{About|the architectural feature|the astronomical term|apsis|other uses|Apse (disambiguation)|the acronym APS|APS (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
[[File:Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe - Mosaic.jpg|thumb|Typical early Christian Byzantine apse with a hemispherical [[semi-dome]] in the [[Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe]]]]
[[File:Apse.png|thumb|Typical floor plan of a cathedral, with the apse shaded]]
In [[architecture]], an '''apse''' ({{plural form}}: '''apses'''; from [[Latin]] {{lang|la|absis}}, 'arch, vault'; from [[Ancient Greek]] {{lang|grc|ἀψίς}}, {{Transliteration|grc|apsis}}, 'arch'; sometimes written '''apsis'''; {{plural form}}: '''apsides''') is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical [[Vault (architecture)|vault]] or [[semi-dome]], also known as an ''[[exedra]]''. In [[Byzantine architecture|Byzantine]], [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]], and [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] [[Architecture of cathedrals and great churches|Christian]] [[church architecture|church]] (including [[cathedral]] and [[abbey]]) [[architecture]], the term is applied to a semi-circular or polygonal termination of the main building at the [[liturgical east and west|liturgical east]] end (where the [[altar]] is), regardless of the shape of the roof, which may be flat, sloping, domed, or hemispherical. Smaller apses are found elsewhere, especially in [[shrine]]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception: Floor Plan|url=http://www.nationalshrine.com/site/c.osJRKVPBJnH/b.4953557/k.7180/Upper_Church_Floor_Plan.htm|website=NationalShrine.com|access-date=27 August 2016|archive-date=9 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809205016/http://www.nationalshrine.com/site/c.osJRKVPBJnH/b.4953557/k.7180/Upper_Church_Floor_Plan.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Definition==
An apse is a semicircular recess, often covered with a hemispherical vault. Commonly, the apse of a church, [[cathedral]] or [[basilica]] is the semicircular or polygonal termination to the [[Choir (architecture)|choir]] or [[sanctuary]], or sometimes at the end of an aisle.

Smaller apses are sometimes built in other parts of the church, especially for [[Reliquary|reliquaries]] or [[shrine]]s of saints.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

==History==
The domed apse became a standard part of the church plan in the early Christian era.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://m.eb.com/topic/30854|title=Apse|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=10 July 2012}}</ref>

==Related features==
In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] tradition, the south apse is known as the [[diaconicon]] and the north apse as the [[prothesis (altar)|prothesis]]. Various ecclesiastical features of which the apse may form part are drawn together here.

===Chancel===
{{main|Chancel}}

The [[chancel]] (or sanctuary), [[orientation of churches|directly to the east]] beyond the [[choir (architecture)|choir]], contains the high altar, where there is one (compare [[communion table]]). This area is reserved for the clergy, and was therefore formerly called the "presbytery", from [[Greek language|Greek]] ''presbuteros'', "[[Elder (religious)|elder]]", {{citation needed|date=June 2014}} or in older and Catholic usage "priest".<ref>{{cite web |title=Where in the New Testament are Priests Mentioned |url=https://www.catholic.com/qa/where-in-the-new-testament-are-priests-mentioned |website=Catholic Answers |publisher=Catholic Answers |access-date=2018-09-01}}</ref>

{{anchor|Chevet}}

===Chevet-apse chapels===
{{Redirect|Chevet|the parish in England|Chevet, West Yorkshire}}
{{see also|Apse chapel}}

Semi-circular choirs, first developed in the East, which came into use in France in 470.<ref>Moss, Henry, ''The Birth of the Middle Ages 395-814'', Clarendon Press, 1935</ref> By the onset of the 13th century, they had been augmented with radiating [[apse chapel]]s outside the choir aisle, the entire structure of apse, choir and radiating chapels coming to be known as the ''chevet'' (French, "headpiece").<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/109871/chevet "Chevet"], ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode="packed">
Giulia1.JPG|Triple apse of [[Basilica di Santa Giulia]], northern Italy
Stouen2.jpg|East end of the [[abbey church of Saint-Ouen]], showing the ''chevet'', Rouen, [[Seine-Maritime]], France
Église Notre-Dame de la Dalbade (Interieur) - Voutes.jpg|A chevet apse vault, Toulouse, France
West Dean - St Marys Church - geograph.org.uk - 994828.jpg|Apsed chancel of St Mary's Church, [[West Dean, Wiltshire]], England
Monreale-bjs-3.jpg|The decorated apse of the [[Monreale Cathedral|Cathedral of Monreale]], [[Sicily]]
Manila Cathedral altar.jpg|The apse of [[Manila Cathedral]], Philippines
Jona (SG) - Busskirch St Martin IMG 9213 ShiftN.jpg|The apse of ''St. Martin'' church in [[Busskirch]], community [[Jona, Switzerland|Jona]], Switzerland
</gallery>
[[File:The Dome of the Church of St. Edward.jpg | thumb | right | The apse of the [[Church of St. Edward, Busto Arsizio]]]]

== See also ==
* [[Ambulatory]]
* [[Architectural development of the eastern end of cathedrals in England and France]]
* [[Byzantine architecture]]
* [[Cathedral architecture]]
* [[Church architecture]]
* [[Narthex]]
* [[Niche (architecture)|Niche]]
* [[Scarsella (architecture)|Scarsella]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
* [[Joseph Nechvatal]], "Immersive Excess in the Apse of Lascaux", ''Technonoetic Arts'' '''3''', no. 3, 2005.

== External links ==
{{Wiktionary}}
{{Commons category|Apses}}

* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Apse|volume=2|pages=231–232|first=Richard Phené|last=Spiers|author-link=Richard Phené Spiers}} This has a detailed description of examples in the early church.

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Arches and vaults]]
[[Category:Church architecture]]

Apse - Revision history

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