LATIN CROSS PLAN

An architectural plan for a church that is shaped like the cross on which Christ wascrucified, the central event in the Christian story of salvation. Latin cross plans are composed of anave, usually flanked by aisles, chapels, or both, atranseptthat serves as the arms of the cross, and anapsewhere the main altar is placed. Some Latin cross churches also have a narthex, a vestibule that precedes the nave. TheCouncil of Trentdeclared that the Latin cross plan was the best suited to the liturgy of the mass as it allowed all focus to be placed on the altar where the ceremonies take place. As a result, architects active in the early years of theBaroqueera rejected the Renaissance experiments with thecentral plantype and instead built longitudinal churches, as advocated by the council.