Imagine that you are a medieval pilgrim entering a church to view the sacred relics displayed in the chapels that radiate from the apse. Entering from one end of the transept, what would you want to find to reach your destination?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The pilgrim would want to find the ambulatory, which is a covered walkway that leads around the apse and provides access to the chapels where the sacred relics are displayed. The west portal is the main entrance to the church, but it would not necessarily lead directly to the chapels with the relics. The narthex is the entrance area of the church, and the clerestory is a high windowed section of the nave, neither of which would provide direct access to the chapels where the relics are kept.

Imagine That You Are a Medieval Pilgrim Entering a Church