Editing Basilica (section)

=== Basilica of Maxentius ===
[[File:RomaBasilicaMassenzioDaPalatino.JPG|thumb|Remains of the [[Basilica of Maxentius]] and Constantine in Rome. The building's northern aisle is all that remains.]]
[[File:Dehio 6 Basilica of Maxentius Floor plan.jpg|thumb|Floor plan of the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine]]
[[File:Konstantinbasilika Trier Innen.JPG|thumb|The 4th-century [[Aula Palatina|Basilica of Constantine]] at [[Trier]] was a palatine basilica, used for receiving Constantine's political [[Patronage in ancient Rome|clients]]. The apse windows are in fact smaller than the side windows, producing an optical illusion of still greater size and distance.]]

The 4th century [[Basilica of Maxentius]], begun by [[Maxentius]] between 306 and 312 and according to [[Aurelius Victor]]'s ''De Caesaribus'' completed by Constantine I, was an innovation.<ref name=":29" /><ref>Aurelius Victor, ''de Caesaribus'', {{Smallcaps|xl}}:26</ref> Earlier basilicas mostly had wooden roofs, but this basilica dispensed with timber trusses and used instead [[cross-vault]]s made from [[Roman brick]]s and [[Roman concrete|concrete]] to create one of the ancient world's largest covered spaces: 80 m long, 25 m wide, and 35 m high.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":29">{{Cite journal|last=Förtsch|first=Reinhard|year=2006|title=Basilica Constantiniana|url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/brill-s-new-pauly/basilica-constantiniana-e213290|journal=Brill's New Pauly|language=en}}</ref> The [[Vertex (geometry)|vertices]] of the cross-vaults, the largest Roman examples, were 35 m.<ref name=":29" /> The vault was supported on [[marble]] monolithic columns 14.5 m tall.<ref name=":29" /> The foundations are as much as 8 m deep.<ref name=":23" /> The vault was supported by brick latticework ribs ({{Langx|la|bipedalis|links=no}}) forming lattice ribbing, an early form of [[rib vault]], and distributing the load evenly across the vault's span.<ref name=":23" /> Similar brick ribs were employed at the [[Baths of Maxentius]] on the [[Palatine Hill]], where they supported walls on top of the vault.<ref name=":23" /> Also known as the {{Langx|la|Basilica Constantiniana|lit=Basilica of Constantine|label=none}} or {{Langx|la|Basilica Nova|lit=New Basilica|label=none}}, it chanced to be the last civic basilica built in Rome.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":29" />

Inside the basilica the central nave was accessed by five doors opening from an entrance hall on the eastern side and terminated in an apse at the western end.<ref name=":29" /> Another, shallower apse with niches for statues was added to the centre of the north wall in a second campaign of building, while the western apse housed a colossal [[acrolith]]ic statue of the emperor Constantine enthroned.<ref name=":29" /> Fragments of this statue are now in the courtyard of the Palazzo dei Conservatori on the [[Capitoline Hill]], part of the [[Capitoline Museums]]. Opposite the northern apse on the southern wall, another monumental entrance was added and elaborated with a [[portico]] of [[Porphyry (geology)|porphyry]] columns.<ref name=":29" /> One of the remaining marble interior columns was removed in 1613 by [[Pope Paul V]] and set up as an honorific column outside [[Santa Maria Maggiore]].<ref name=":29" />