Aedicula
Channel: all the knowledge of the universe PRINCIPIA
Date: 2021-12-06

Aedicula, by Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=2621 / CC BY SA 3.0

#Ancient_Roman_temples
#Architectural_elements
#Ancient_Roman_architectural_elements
Classical aedicula shrine from Lilybaeum The aedicula containing the tomb in which, according to Christian religious tradition, the
body of Jesus was buried Gothic facade of Exeter Cathedral, with rows of figures in aedicular or tabernacle frames above the door,
and two above the crenellations In ancient Roman religion, an aedicula （plural aediculae） is a small shrine, and in classical architecture
refers to a niche covered by a pediment or entablature supported by a pair of columns and typically framing a statue.
Aediculae are also represented in art as a form of ornamentation.
The word aedicula is the diminutive of the Latin aedes, a temple building or dwelling place.
The Latin word has been Anglicised as "aedicule" and as "edicule".
Many aediculae were household shrines （Lararia） that held small altars or statues of the Lares and Di Penates.
The Lares were Roman deities protecting the house and the family household gods.
The Penates were originally patron gods （really genii） of the storeroom, later becoming household gods guarding the entire house.
Other aediculae were small shrines within larger temples, usually set on a base, surmounted by a pediment and surrounded by columns.
In ancient Roman architecture the aedicula has this representative function in the society.
They are installed in public buildings like the triumphal arch, city gate, and thermae.
The Library of Celsus in Ephesus （2. c. AD） is a good example.
From the 4th century Christianization of the Roman Empire onwards such shrines, or the framework enclosing them, are often called by the Biblical term tabernacle, which becomes extended to any elaborated framework for a niche, window or picture.
As in Classical architecture, in Gothic architecture, too, an aedicula or tabernacle frame is a structural framing device that gives importance t...