Archivolt

An archivolt (or voussure) is an ornamental moulding or band following the curve on the underside of an arch. It is composed of bands of ornamental mouldings (or other architectural elements) surrounding an arched opening, corresponding to the architrave in the case of a rectangular opening. The word is sometimes used to refer to the under-side or inner curve of the arch itself (more properly, the intrados). Most commonly archivolts are found as a feature of the arches of church portals. The mouldings and sculptures on these archivolts are used to convey a theological story or depict religious figures and ideologies of the church in order to represent the gateway between the holy space of the church and the external world. The presence of archivolts on churches is seen throughout history, although their design, both architecturally and artistically, is heavily influenced by the period they were built in and the churches they were designed for. The word originates in the Italian (or French) equivalents of the English words arch and vault. Archivolts are usually found as a part of a church portals, on the underside of the arches above the tympanum, bracketing the lintel and ending on the jamb columns, each archway usually has several layered archivolts. While this basic structure and placement of archivolts is usually present, the specific artistic features of archivolts change frequently as a result of when and where they were designed and what kind of church they are a feature of. The shape of the arch is an example of this, in Gothic portals a pointed archway is iconic, while in Romanesque portals a rounded archway is to be expected. These rounded and pointed features are also seen inside the church, where Gothic churches have pointed vaults, and Romanesque churches have rounded ones. Archivolts first became a feature on the entrance of churches in France and Spain during the Reconquest. They are believed to have evolved as a compressed version of the nave of a church, the moldings of the layered arches depicting a theological journey from outside the church to the sacred atmosphere inside it.