The ambulatory is a nave that is located around the main altar of a church.
The Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ), in its dictionary, points out that the etymology of the term ambulatory is not clear. The concept is used in the field of architecture , especially in relation to the Gothic and Romanesque styles .
The nave that, in a temple , is located around the main altar is called an ambulatory. The ambulatory, in this way, is surrounded by the apse . It should be noted that the notion can refer to an individual ship or a group of them.
The ambulatory in its context
To understand precisely what an ambulatory is, it is necessary to pay attention to other related elements. The first thing to keep in mind is that the ambulations are part of the temples : constructions that are intended for a cult .
A nave is called a space that, in a building, runs lengthwise, between arches or walls. In the specific case of the ambulatory, it is surrounded by the apse : a semicircular sector where the presbytery and the altar are located.
The ambulatory is a sector that became popular in Romanesque architecture between the 11th and 13th centuries . Over time it also spread to Gothic art . In any case, today ambulatories can be found in churches of different styles.
The Cathedral of Burgos is a religious building that has an ambulatory.
Its purpose
The birth of the ambulatory is linked to an eminently practical use. Its development is associated with the popularity of certain devotional sites that received a huge number of pilgrims .
In this context, thousands of believers came to certain churches with the aim of venerating various relics. Thus, aiming to facilitate the transit of these people, this type of corridors were created, which are also known as ambulatories .
Thanks to the ambulatories, the faithful had the possibility of worshiping the relics without affecting the normal development of the ceremonies that could be officiated at that same moment in the church in question.
It is interesting to note that the ambulations were structured in different ways. They are usually raised as an extension of the side naves .
Examples of ambulatories
As you can see, the ambulations are associated with pilgrimages . Especially around the 9th century , a fervor was generated in places such as Santiago de Compostela ( Spain ) and Mont Saint-Michel ( France ), making it necessary to contribute to the circulation inside the temples.
Several churches on the Camino de Santiago (such as San Martín de Tours and Santa Fe de Conques ) thus have ambulatories. These naves also appear in the Cathedral of Segovia and in the Cathedral of Burgos , to mention other cases .
An Argentine company
Grupo Girola , finally, is a company that has its headquarters in the City of Buenos Aires ( Argentina ). The company is dedicated to installing and marketing advertising spaces that are located on public roads.
According to its own data, its products have an impact on 16,000,000 inhabitants. Every week, around 5,400,000 people come into contact with them. The Girola Group's offer includes posters, curtains, billboards and other advertising resources that aim to reach a mass audience.