Cupola

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Cupolas on the towers of Montefiascone Cathedral, Italy

In architecture, a cupola (Template:IPAc-en)<ref>Template:Cite Merriam-Webster</ref> is a relatively small, usually dome-like structure on top of a building<ref name="ARCHSEE">Template:Cite web</ref> often crowning a larger roof or dome.<ref name="AHD">Template:Cite American Heritage Dictionary</ref><ref name="WHATCUP">Template:Cite web</ref> Cupolas often serve as a roof lantern to admit light and air or as a lookout.

The word derives, via Italian, from lower Latin cupula (classical Latin cupella), Template:Etymology (Latin cupa), indicating a vault resembling an upside-down cup.Template:Efn

The cylindrical drum underneath a larger cupola is called a tholobate.

Background

The cupola evolved during the Renaissance from the older oculus. Being weatherproof, the cupola was better suited to the wetter climates of northern Europe. Template:Citation needed The chhatri, seen in Indian architecture, fits the definition of a cupola when it is used atop a larger structure.Template:Citation needed

Cupolas often serve as a belfry, belvedere, or roof lantern above a main roof. In other cases they may crown a spire, tower, or turret.<ref name="WHATCUP"/> Barns often have cupolas for ventilation.<ref name="barncupola">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Inc.1980">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Cupolas can also appear as small buildings in their own right.

The square, dome-like segment of a North American railroad train caboose that contains the second-level or "angel" seats is also called a cupola.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Template:Clear

White marble cupolas cap minarets at the Tomb of Jahangir in Lahore, Pakistan

White marble cupolas cap minarets at the Tomb of Jahangir in Lahore, Pakistan
The dome of Florence Cathedral with a roof lanternat the top

The dome of Florence Cathedral with a roof lanternat the top
Interior of cupola ceiling in the old Synagogue of Győr, Hungary.

Interior of cupola ceiling in the old Synagogue of Győr, Hungary.
Ribbed cupola crowns the minaret of the Mosque of Uqba, in Kairouan, Tunisia.

Ribbed cupola crowns the minaret of the Mosque of Uqba, in Kairouan, Tunisia.
Inside of Armenian Orthodox church cupola in Lviv, Ukraine.

Inside of Armenian Orthodox church cupola in Lviv, Ukraine.
View from the interior of the Cupola module on the International Space Station.

View from the interior of the Cupola module on the International Space Station.
Trompe-l'œil painting of a cupola in a church in Northern Italy (Brivio)

Trompe-l'œil painting of a cupola in a church in Northern Italy (Brivio)

File:Type 91 Ha-Go (Bovington 2016).jpg

The turret of a Japanese Type 91 Ha-Go light tank with its distinctive, bubble-shaped commander's cupola

On armoured vehicles

The term cupola can also refer to the protrusions atop an armoured fighting vehicle due to their distinctive dome-like appearance. They allow crew or personnel to observe, offering very good all round vision,<ref> Template:Cite web</ref> or even field weaponry, without being exposed to incoming fire. Later designs, however, became progressively flatter and less prominent as technology evolved to allow designers to reduce the profile of their vehicles.