9. STAIRS AND STEPS OF THE CHURCH
A few instructions should be given regarding the stairs and steps needed to reach the church when it is built on an elevated site.
If the site on which the church is to be built is elevated above the level ground so that a staircase of several steps is required, the staircase, proportionate in width to the size of the church, will be built in marble or at least in strong stone, with as many steps as are needed for a convenient ascent. Care must however be taken that they are uneven in number, and that every three or five steps there is a landing of about three cubits in size, depending on how steep [the staircase] is, to make the ascent easier.
If the ascent is so long that it requires several flights of steps, care must be taken that these flights are odd in number too. Every single step will be eight ounces high and about one cubit or a bit more wide, according to the type of structure.{1}
(d) AEM, 1958.
NOTES
Chapter IX, p. 122
- Barocchi draws attention to Cataneo’s solutions for the aesthetic of the approach to churches according to position and size.
If a temple is above five, seven, or nine stairs, it is gratifying to the eye (VII, v). A church having five naves should be set at a height of nine steps (VII, iii). If it is a cruciform plan designed for a small city, then the church should stand at an elevation of five steps (VIII, iv).