central nave

The nave is the main body of the religious building, intended for the assembly of the faithful.
In the case of small churches, the nave is defined as a single room; for buildings of greater size and importance, the space is divided into several parts with a central nave or aisle and two or more side aisles, in this case divided by pillars or columns, which support the architraves or arcades. Already used in ancient times, both by the Greeks and the Romans, the nave in Romanesque and Gothic churches symbolically recalls the path that the faithful take to reach the altar.