Chapel

A small church, or an area or compartment in a church containing an altar dedicated to a particular saint. A prominent feature of many Romanesque churches is the addition of multiple "radiating" chapels. Churches during the Romanesque period were often in the relics business: the more relics they displayed, the more donations they received. Each of the chapels a church had would provide a site for each relic, often funded by a wealthy donor.Examples: France, Toulouse, St. Sernin, c. 1080-1120, Romanesque cathedral. see thumbnail to rightAn aerial view photograph of St. Sernin from one angle (the tower is of 1250 with its spire of 1478 belongs to the Gothic period) and from another angle in which one can see the exterior forms of the chapels.