What rooms were inside a medieval cathedral?
Medieval cathedrals throughout western Europe were most often designed so that the outer walls form the shape of a cross (called a cruciform structure). The cross was divided into three main sections: the nave, the transept, and the alter. The top of the cross (which holds the alter) is always supposed to face east toward the rising sun to represent the coming of Christ. The nave forms the base of the cross structure. This is the area where the secular (non-ecclesiastic) population would gather to hear mass. Usually, the main entrance to the cathedral is situated on the western end of the nave, while a rood screen would have separated the secular people from the ecclesiastic on the eastern side. Along the northern and southern sides of the nave are aisles which usually hold artwork or sculptures donated to the cathedral. The transept forms the arms of the cross and again separates the nave from the alter. The alter is located within the top of the cross structure and tends to vary in d
