BASILICA. - The word b., which derives from the Greek (στού βασιλική), means in the Latin language a large hall for public or private use. From the beginning of the 4th century onward, the early Christian church too is called b. (A. Ferrua, I più antichi esempi di b. per «aedes sacra», in Archivio glottologico ital., 25 p. 142 ff.).
I. MEANING
In Christian usage the word b. has a threefold meaning: 1) B. maior or minor is an honorary title joined with certain rights, which is granted to the most distinguished churches. 2) B. means a determinate form of space, that is, a longitudinal interior of at least three naves, of which the central one is raised above the others enough to be able to have its own windows. Thus the various parts of the space are clearly separated and at the same time subordinated so as to constitute a single organism. The light proper to the central nave gives the basilical space its typical note of brightness and cheerfulness. The single-nave type is the so-called Hallenkirche. 3) B. is the name given to the early Christian church, and with this it implies a determinate architectural stylistic form of a given epoch. The spatial form of the b. is formed by the basilical style and constitutes an essential part of it; it is, however, also employed in all the other styles.
II. ORIGINE
It seems that the basilical origin of the Christian church must be placed toward the end of the 3rd and the beginning of the 4th century. Regarding this origin the most varied theories have been devised. The oldest made of the early Christian b. a copy of the b. forensis. Leon Battista Alberti had already expressed himself in this sense, and this was the common opinion until the publication of the De basilica libri tres (Brussels 1847) by Zestermann, who defended the originality of the early Christian b. and its derivation from the liturgical cult. Then followed the most varied theses on the architectural prototype of the b., some seeking it in the Egyptian hall of Vitruvius (Weingärtner), others in the constructions of the catacombs (Richter), in the fusion of the private hall with the cella trichora (Kraus) of the catacombs, in the fusion of the atrium with the tablinum of the Roman Pompeian house (Dehio, Lemaire), to mention only the best known.
Alongside these theories of a rather material derivation we always find followers of Zestermann as well, such as Witting and Liesenberg.
In fact the liturgy, as the principal purpose of the Christian b., was bound to leave its mark upon it. But even the more individual practical purpose works and achieves with architectural means and elements already known. With this, not only Zestermann's theory is to be rejected as too one-sided, but also the others, which take no account of the inspiring factor of the liturgy. In particular the derivation from the catacombs does not correspond at all either to the modern results of cemetery research or to the history of the early church. The theory of the Pompeian house could be seductive in plan, but not in reality. Moreover we know today that the Roman house of Pompeii is only one of the many types of Roman houses. How is it that the form of the early Christian basilica for the whole world derived precisely from little Pompeii? One last decisive argument against all too material derivations from a single prototype is the fact, increasingly well known, that the early Christian basilica, despite its typical and universal form, exists in as many forms and variations as there are regional forms, distinct throughout the vast Roman empire.
In reality the formation of the early Christian basilica is a complex phenomenon that derives from spiritual and material factors together, as Mothes already proposed. The spiritual factors are the special requirements of the liturgy and a certain aversion of the early Christian spirit to worldly pomp. Material factors are the individual architectural elements taken from the synagogue and from the profane architecture of both the East and the West, according to territorial circumstances; more than all, however, the profane basilica, whether forensic or private. From these elements the early Christian basilica developed as a new creation during the 4th century in its definitive form, unified in its general conception, yet at the same time differentiated according to the various provinces of the Roman empire.
III. DESCRIPTION
1) Entrance. - Normally it is preceded by an architectural element that both serves practically and symbolically interprets the passage from the profane world to the sacred precinct. The most developed form is the atrium (v.); it is often replaced by a simple portico, which in Syria develops into a towered facade. The portico, especially in its more enclosed form, is also called a narthex and was, in the discipline of the early Church, the place of penitents. Sometimes there is also a narthex inside the basilica, separated from the rest of the space by a colonnade or by lighter structures, which allowed the use of curtains.
2) The naves. - The body of the basilica is formed by the nave, or rather by the naves, which normally number three, but which can also rise to five (in North Africa even seven and more). Of the naves, the central one is considerably wider and taller than the others and has its own light, that is, it forms the basilical type of space described above. The three or more naves are therefore subordinate and run parallel as so many sacred ways toward the altar. The main walls of the nave are divided horizontally into three superimposed zones. At the bottom is the row of columns or piers; above it the wall of the nave, which often serves for figured decorations, and at the top the dense series of luminous windows, rigidly corresponding to the dark intercolumniations below. All these horizontal zones converge in perspective toward the altar, thus making this ideal center also the optical center of the space.
In the East especially (though we know of three cases in Rome as well) we often find inserted between the colonnade and the windows the matroneum, that is, an upper story above the side naves open toward the central hall by means of a colonnade. The rectangular hall formed by the central nave was covered with a flat ceiling that further emphasized the austere simplicity of this sacred environment, sharply distinguishing it from the sumptuous profane basilicas and from the grandiose groin vaults of the thermal halls.
Sometimes, especially if there were five, the naves opened into a transept in the form of a vast quadrangular hall, connected with the central nave through a great arch, the so-called triumphal arch. In some regions, such as around the Adriatic and in Africa, the floor of the basilica was often in mosaic with figures, geometric ornaments and inscriptions.
3) The presbytery. - The central nave of the basilica opens, either directly or through the transept, into the apse, a semicircular or polygonal space, rarely square. The arrangement of this space varies greatly according to region. From Syria spread the custom of accompanying the apse with two side rooms, the prothesis and the diaconicon, which served as sacristies for the needs of worship. Elsewhere we find three parallel apses or a trefoil-shaped form. Generally the apse projects from the rear wall, sometimes however it does not appear on the outside.
At the back of the apse stood the bishop's cathedra, set against the wall between two rows of benches for the presbyters. In front of the apse, either immediately or at a relative distance, is the altar, the true center of the building of worship. The altar itself was surmounted by a ciborium. The space around the altar was reserved for the priests and clerics assisting at the liturgical functions and was therefore separated from the rest of the hall by decorated cancelli. The whole area was called the presbytery and later also the choir, from the group of singers who took their place there. Indeed, in order to have sufficient space for the singers, the cancelli often extended also over a part of the central nave. Thus originated the schola cantorum properly so called.
IV. THE BASILICA IN THE VARIOUS PROVINCES OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
1) Rome. - The architectural form of the early Christian basilica, despite its general unity, undergoes notable differences according to the various architectural regions. The classic Roman type of basilica, with its strong longitudinal tendency, is found here and there in the Roman Empire, but rarely outside Italy. Instead we find gradually a change from the Roman type toward an Eastern type with a centralizing tendency, which ends in the domed construction of the Byzantine age. Such elements occur, for example, in Africa, with the increase in the number of side aisles, with the colonnade running along the inner wall of the façade, with the two opposed apses and with the altar brought forward into the central nave. Similar and other elements are gathered in all the provinces of the eastern Mediterranean.
No city in the world has preserved for us so great a number of early Christian churches as Rome. It also teaches us the different forms that the Christian place of worship could take according to the various needs of ecclesiastical life. The care of the great Christian community of Rome made it necessary, already from the 3rd century, to divide the city into various "parochial" centers, which at the beginning of the 5th century numbered twenty-five, a number that then remained constant. These centers of worship and ecclesiastical administration of Rome were called tituli (v.). By reason of their function as a "parish," they were all inside the city, in contrast to the "cemeterial churches" which stood outside the walls, where alone, according to Roman law, burial places could be located. Thus Rome was surrounded by a crown of cemeterial churches, which arose there in the 4th century as a consequence of the cult of the martyrs (v. AD CORPUS). Besides the titular churches and the cemeterial churches, we also find among the Roman early Christian basilicas simply urban churches such as the Constantinian basilica of the Lateran, Holy Cross in Jerusalem and St. Mary Major, which arose with particular purposes and intentions. The principal cemeterial basilicas are: St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Sebastian, St. Lawrence, St. Agnes. Of the numerous titular churches we name among the most interesting: St. Martin ai Monti, St. Clement, St. Sabina, Sts. John and Paul, Sts. Quattro Coronati, St. Pudentiana, St. Anastasia, St. Chrysogonus.
In the 7th century a new kind of ecclesiastical building arose in Rome, linked to the deaconries, seats of charitable welfare organizations for the poor. In the following century these too had their own churches with their own liturgical service. The most famous of these deaconries is St. Mary in Cosmedin.
In the history of the early Christian basilica, Rome is unique as regards number, authenticity, preservation, and differentiation of types according to architectural form and ecclesiastical function, and cannot be compared with any other city in the world.
2) Ravenna and the Adriatic region. — A true architectural center alongside Rome was Ravenna, favored by political circumstances as the seat of Theodoric and then of the Byzantine exarch. Relations with Byzantium would also determine the form of the Ravennate basilicas and of those around the Adriatic. The polygonal apse is flanked by the próthesis and the diacónicon, and is generally illuminated by large windows. Instead of the atrium we often find a large portico. The use of the pulvinus above the capitals, and the plastic and mosaic decoration likewise reveal the Byzantine style. The group of Ravenna deserves special attention for the outstanding artistic value of its works. The basilicas preserved for us are St. John the Evangelist, St. Agatha and St. Peter Major (today St. Francis), founded in the 5th century, St. Apollinaris in Classe and St. Apollinaris Nuovo, founded in the 6th century.
The influence of Ravenna extended over the Adriatic-Dalmatian coasts. For the period from the 5th to the 7th century, special mention should be made of the basilica of Sts. Felix and Fortunatus at Vicenza, the basilicas of Aquileia, of Grado, of Trieste and in particular that of Parenzo. In Austrian territory we find remains of ancient basilicas at Duel near Villach and at St. Peter im Holz. At Salona we should note the remains of two basilicas connected within the city, one of which is in the form of a cross, and of two others in the nearby cemeterial zone of Marusinac. The double basilica is a special phenomenon of these regions, as is also the use of very rich mosaic floors.
3) Constantinople and the Balkans. — At Constantinople the basilica properly so called soon gave way to the Byzantine solution of the place of worship with a central domed space. Only the basilica of St. John of Studius has remained to us, but even this is not of the basilical spatial type, but of the Hallenkirche type. The influence of Byzantium also cut short the development of the basilica in the Balkan countries, at least from the 6th century onward. From the 4th to the 6th century, however, we find today in Greece alone sixty early Christian basilicas, divisible into three principal types: namely longitudinal basilicas, basilicas of almost square plan in the complex of the three naves, and basilicas with a transept. We often find the matronea above the side aisles. The narthex is indispensable and developed in various forms, while the atrium has only three colonnaded sides. Almost all the sanctuaries of pagan worship were transformed into basilicas, either new or inserted into the ancient temple; thus Olympia, Delphi, Eleusis, Epidaurus, Dodona, etc. Special mention deserves the basilica of St. Demetrius at Thessalonica.
Romania too has preserved remains of many small early Christian basilicas, especially in Dobruja, at Tropaeum, Troesmis and Dolojman.
4) Asia Minor. — The basilical form of the place of worship developed in Asia Minor until the 6th century, when it was set aside by the Byzantine domed form. The basilica in these regions shows many variants. Alongside the flat ceiling we also find the barrel vault. The narthex is often double, inner and outer; the apse may be semicircular, polygonal or, and this is a special element, horseshoe-shaped horse-shoe shaped; it may project or be set into the rear wall, flanked or not by a próthesis and diacónicon. Here too we find galleries over the side aisles and sometimes the façade widened by two low towers. Important monuments are at Ephesus the basilica of the Virgin and that of St. John, the sanctuary of St. Thecla near Seleucia, the basilicas of Meriamlik, Rusāfah, Korykos and Binbirkilissa. Armenia produces an original type of domed building, but also knows the longitudinal form as a hall with barrel vaults or as a Hallenkirche with three aisles on pillars.
# 5) Mesopotamia.
- The ecclesiastical architecture of western Mesopotamia follows the type developed in Syria, while in its eastern part it creates an architectural form very different from the generic type of the early Christian basilica, deriving it from the Assyro-Babylonian temple and the Sassanid palace. Especially in the mountainous region of the Tūr 'Abdīn we find two types of churches; the first consists of a long rectangular hall oriented east-west, with a semicircular apse and a narthex along the south side; the second, on the other hand, has a transverse chamber with a triple bēma (that is, an apsidal presbytery with próthesis and diacónicon) and a narthex.
6) Syria. - An architectural center of particular importance is undoubtedly Syria. Special conditions of the building material and regional traditions have, especially in southern Syria, formed a type of basilica of notable monumentality. Masonry in blocks of stone often led to the use of strong pillars at wide intervals. Thus the space presents a heavier and more solemn rhythm. Sometimes the lack of wood forced the construction of the ceiling in slabs of stone laid over transverse arches. With this element the typical division of the central space of the basilica into horizontal zones is changed into a series of vertical spatial blocks, an evident prelude to the spatial conception of medieval architecture. The plastic decoration of the outer wall with superimposed small columns, pilasters, little arches, etc. can also be interpreted as a prelude to pre-Romanesque forms. Also important is the form of the choir, normally composed of an apse placed between próthesis and diacónicon, a form that radiated from Syria almost everywhere. Monumental too is the solution of the façade, that is, of a two-story portico with two squat lateral towers. The principal monument of ancient Syria is the sanctuary of Qal'at Sim'ān, erected around the column of the famous ascetic Simeon. Other notable basilicas are those of Dēr Turmānīn, Qalb-Laozeh, Ruwejḥah and Tafḥah.
7) Palestine. - In the Holy Land there arose, as is natural, sumptuous basilicas already through the work of Constantine on the sacred sites of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The form differs little from the classic Roman type. Often various buildings are joined into a single complex, for which a kind of propylaea serves as the entrance. The apse generally shows the Syrian solution. Of special importance was the great five-aisled basilica on Golgotha joined to the Anastasis, that is, the sanctuary over the sepulchre of Our Lord. Substantially preserved even today is the basilica of the Nativity at Bethlehem, also five-aisled. Remains of other buildings are found, besides St. Stephen and the basilica of Gethsemane in Jerusalem, at Emmaus, Mambre, Gerasa, on Mount Nebo and on the lake of Genezāret (the basilica of the multiplication of the loaves).
8) Egypt. - In Egypt we find two different types: one rather classic Roman and the other rather Oriental. The apse undergoes the most varied forms and is sometimes richly decorated with small columns in the interior, as in the basilicas of the White Monastery and the Red Monastery near Sēhāg. The most monumental complex is the sanctuary of St. Mena at Abū Minā with two basilicas and various other buildings. Other remains are found at Dendera, Bāwīt, Luxor, Old Cairo.
9) North Africa. - To the importance of the African provinces, in antiquity, for ecclesiastical life there naturally corresponded a vast building activity, of which numerous and important monumental testimonies have come down to us, especially in present-day Tunisia and Algeria. The architectural form of the African basilica is distinguished from the Roman one by a complex of elements which, as was already mentioned above, express a more centralized and with this also more orientalizing spatial conception. The aisles increase to five, seven and even nine, a phenomenon that logically also leads to lateral entrances. The form of the apsidal complex is very varied, but the Syrian one prevails. In Tunisia two opposed apses are also often found. The altar stands toward the end of the main aisle at a notable distance from the apse. The atrium is often replaced by a narthex with lateral entrances. The columns of the nave are sometimes paired. Of the preserved remains there are to be noted for Cyrenaica and Tripolitania the basilicas of Sabretha, Leptis Magna, Ptolemais and Apollonia; for Tunisia five of the basilicas of Carthage: that is, that of Damous el-Karita, of Dermech and of Bir-Foutha, the basilica Majorum and the basilica of St. Cyprian. Then also those of Feriana, el-Kef, Haidra, Sbiba, Segermes, Thelepte, Sheita. Of Algeria there are to be named among others the basilicas of Orléansville, Tipaza, Djemila, Timgad, Henchir-Deheb.
10) Spain, France, Germany. — The early Christian buildings of these regions follow in general lines the Roman architectural form. On the other hand the number of monuments preserved to us is relatively scanty, partly because of the new constructions that have arisen and partly also because of the deficiency of studies and excavations on the subject. For Spain there are to be cited especially Tarragona (Cathedral), Merida, Vega del Mar. In France remains of early Christian buildings are found at Marseilles (St. Victor), Vienne (St. Peter), Lyons (Cathedral). Germany possesses in the cathedral of Trier an ancient architectural core of square form, of which, however, it is not entirely certain whether it was from the beginning a building of worship. Remains of early Christian constructions have also been found at Cologne (St. Gereon, St. Ursula, St. Severin), Bonn and Xanten.
Bibliography23 works
2) Regional bibliography (without the monographs on individual monuments). — Rome: J. P. Kirsch, Die römischen Titelkirchen im Altertum, Paderborn 1918; Chr. Huelsen, Le chiese di Roma nel Medio Evo, Florence 1927; R. Krautheimer, Corpus basilicarum christianarum Romae. Le b. cristiane antiche di Roma (sec. IV-IX), Vatican City 1937 (in course of publication); R. Vieillard, Recherches sur les origines de la Rome chrétienne, Macon 1941; M. Armellini, C. Cecchelli, Le chiese di Roma dal sec. IV al XIX, Rome 1942. — Ravenna and the Adriatic region: C. Ricci, Ravenna, Bergamo 1902; Ch. Diehl, Ravenna, Paris 1903; W. Gerber, Altchristliche Kultbauten Istriens und Dalmatiens, Dresden 1912; R. Egger, Frühchristliche Kirchenbauten im südlichen Noricum, Vienna 1916; E. Dyggve and J. Brøndsted, Recherches à Salone, Copenhagen 1928. — Constantinople and the Balkans: R. Netzhammer, Die christlichen Altertümer der Debrudscha, Bucharest 1918; G. A. Sotiriu, Αὐτολογηματικοί βασικοί τὴς Ἐλόδος, Athens 1931; A. M. Schneider, Byzanz. Vorarbeiten zur Topographie und Archäologie der Stadt, Berlin 1936. — Asia Minor: J. Strzygowski, Kleinasien, ein Neuland der Kunstgeschichte, Leipzig 1903; H. Rott and K. Michel, Kleinasiatische Denkmäler, ibid. 1908; W. M. Ramsay and G. L. Bell, The Thousand and one Churches, London 1909;
I. Keil and A. Wilhelm, Denkmäler aus dem rauhen Kilikien, Manchester 1931
Mesopotamia: C. Preusser, Nordmesopotamische Baudenkmäler altchristlicher und islamischer Zeit, Leipzig 1911; G. Bell, Churches and Monasteries of the Tur 'Abdin and neighbouring Districts, Heidelberg 1913; U. Monneret de Villard, Le chiese della Mesopotamia, in Orientalia Christiana Analecta, 128 (1940). — Syria: M. de Vogüé, La Syrie centrale. Architecture civile et religieuse du Ie au VIIe siècle, Paris 1865-1877; H. Gluck, Der Breitund Langhausbau in Syrien, Heidelberg 1914; H. W. Beyer, Der syrische Kirchenbau, Berlin 1925; H. Cr. Butler, Early Churches in Syria, New York 1929. — Palestine: M. de Vogüé, Les églises de la Terre Sainte, Paris 1860; E. Mader, Altchristliche Basiliken und Lokaltraditionen in Südpalästina, Paderborn 1918; C. Watzinger, Denkmäler Palästinas, Leipzig 1935; B. Bagatti, Edifici cristiani nella regione del Neba, in Riv. di Arch. Crist., 13 (1936), pp. 101-42. — Egypt: A. Butler, The Ancient Coptic Churches of Egypt, Oxford 1884; W. de Bock, Matériaux pour servir à l'archéologie de l'Égypte chrétienne, Petrograd 1901; E. S. Clarke, Christian Antiquities in the Nile Valley, Oxford 1912. — North Africa: St. Gsell, Les monuments antiques de l'Algérie, Paris 1901; P. Gauckler, Basiliques chrétiennes de Tunisie, ibid. 1913; I. Sauer, Der Kirchenbau Nordafrikas in den Tagen des hl. Augustinus, in Aurelius Augustinus, Festschrift der Görresgesellschaft, Cologne 1930, pp. 243-300. — Spain, France, Germany: V. Lamperez y Romea, Historia de la arquitectura cristiana española en la edad media, Madrid 1930; J. Hubert, L'art pré-roman (Les monuments datés de la France), Paris 1938; N. Irsch, Der Dom zu Trier, Düsseldorf 1931. — Engelbert Kirschbaum
V. LITURGY AND CANON LAW
In modern ecclesiastical language a distinction between major basilicas and minor basilicas has been officially introduced. The major basilicas, also called patriarchal, are four: 1) the basilica of the Savior on the Caelian, the cathedral church of Rome, "head of the City and of the World," commonly called that of St. John Lateran because of the special veneration in which Sts. John the Baptist and John the Evangelist are held there; near it until the 14th century there was also the patriarchium, that is, the habitual residence of the pope, of his clergy and of his curia; 2) the basilica of St. Mary Major on the Esquiline, which Sixtus III in the 5th century adorned with great splendor of mosaics in in memory of the Council of Ephesus (431); to these two great urban basilicas are added the other two, which are cemeterial and therefore extra-urban, erected over the tombs of the apostles, namely: 3) the basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican; 4) the basilica of St. Paul on the Via Ostiense.
(Ist. Gab. Fot. Naz.)
In Christian antiquity the Lateran was served during the week by the suburban bishops, while the other three were served in turn by the clergy attached to the titular churches of Rome. The same was true of the cemeterial church of St. Lawrence at Verano, on the Via Tiburtina, which was for that reason, and is in some way still, placed on a par with the four patriarchal basilicas. Throughout the Middle Ages the basilicas of St. Paul and St. Lawrence were entrusted to the Benedictine monks, who built their monasteries beside them; in the other three, on the other hand, a chapter of canons was established, each presided over by one of the cardinals with the title of archpriest; in them a college of penitentiaries was also erected, entrusted in the 16th century to the Friars Minor for the Lateran, to the Dominicans for St. Mary Major, and to the Jesuits for St. Peter (replaced in the 18th century by the Conventual Friars Minor); they have the task of hearing confessions there as minor penitentiaries under the authority of the Cardinal Major Penitentiary. In the major basilicas, including that of St. Lawrence, the high altar is reserved to the pope, so that no one may celebrate there without his permission, which moreover is granted quite rarely, unless the celebration takes place in the presence of the pope himself. By special privilege Pius IX, with a brief of 3 August 1855, granted to the Congregation of the Canons Regular of the Lateran the right to celebrate at the papal altar on the feast of St. Lawrence in the basilica of the same name; this privilege was later restricted to the abbot general of the same Congregation by a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites of 11 July 1920. At St. Paul's, by privilege of Innocent III (bull of 13 June 1903), reconfirmed by Benedict XV (rescript of 14 January 1920), the ordinary abbot "pro tempore" celebrates at the papal altar on 25 January, the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. On 30 June, a papal chapel, an archbishop assistant at the Throne celebrates at the altar of the confession by privilege of Gregory XVI (1841). A further prerogative of the major basilicas is the Holy Door, which the pope at St. Peter's and the cardinal archpriests at St. John's and St. Mary Major open and close in the Holy Year. At St. Paul's, where there is no archpriest, it is opened and closed by a cardinal delegated by the pope, who is ordinarily the cardinal dean. The anniversary of their dedication is celebrated throughout the Church. Outside Rome, the patriarchal basilicas are the churches of St. Francis (bull Fidelis Deus, 4 March 1754, of Benedict XIV) and of St. Mary of the Angels (bull Omnipotens ac misericors Deus, 11 April 1909, of Pius X) in Assisi.
Minor basilicas throughout the Middle Ages were, in Rome, the churches of St. Lawrence in Damaso and of St. Mary in Trastevere; subsequently various other churches became such by custom and by privilege, as recently those of Sts. Ambrose and Charles al Corso and of St. Anthony on the Via Merulana. According to the discipline in force, no church may hold the title of basilica except by apostolic concession or by immemorial custom (canon 118 of the CIC); and churches outside Rome may also obtain it.
The granting of the title is subject to special conditions: 1) antiquity, size and artistic or religious value of the church; 2) sufficient clergy for the sacred functions; 3) adequate revenues for the expenses of worship; 4) abundance of sacred furnishings and sacred relics; 5) that the church be solemnly consecrated. The privileges that accompany the title are: the umbrella, the tintinnabulum and the cappa magna for the canons. The umbrella is shaped like a great cone with alternating bands of purple and gold, surmounted by a globe topped by a gilded cross. The two colors are those of the city of Rome. A first mention of this umbrella is found in the Ordo XV, n. 153, where D'Amelius relates that at the canonization of St. Bridget (7 October 1391) all the canons went to meet the pope at the door of St. Peter's with the cross, the cappa, the umbrella and the tintinnabulum (PL 78, 1361). Already at that time the tintinnabulum was the inseparable companion of the umbrella. It consists of a pole that rests against the chest of the one who carries it. The upper part is made of well-worked wood, in the middle of which a bell is hung, and to its clapper a cord is tied which makes it ring from time to time. Above the bell is a kind of icon, on which are painted on one side the patron saint of the basilica and on the other an image of the Lord or of some saint. Another privilege of minor basilicas is the violet cappa magna, which is worn over the rochet where there is a cathedral or collegiate Chapter. In summer the cotta is substituted for the cappa. - See Plates LXIII-LXIV.
