Sedilia
| Sedilia | |
|---|---|
| Type | Liturgical furniture |
| Material | Stone (limestone, clunch, or freestone) |
| Period/culture | 12th–14th centuries (with 19th-century revival) |
| Place | South wall of church chancels |
| Culture | Christian (primarily English and Western European) |
In church architecture, sedilia (plural of Latin: sedīle, 'seat') are built-in or freestanding structures specially provided for seating the officiating clergy during Mass. Their forms, decoration, and positioning have symbolic liturgical and social meaning.
In England they were typically made of stone, located on the liturgical south side of the altar – often within the chancel – and were integrated into the church building structure, often as recessed niches. Their development in England dates from the early 12th century, with their peak around mid-13th to mid-14th century. Elsewhere in Europe, sedilia were more often freestanding and made of wood. As moveable objects, their location and orientation within the church building did not carry the same symbolic importance as they did for English sedilia. Generally, European examples were simpler in form.