University of Virginia Library

123. PLAN OF ST. GALL

CRYPT OF THE CHURCH

AUTHORS' INTERPRETATION

Whatever the precise shape of the space designated
CONFESSIO it obviously could not have exceeded an area
confined to the north and south by masonry of the
Presbytery walls and to the west and east by walls separating
CONFESSIO from crossing and from the transverse arm of the
corridor crypt. It is also clear that the Crypt's two
longitudinal arms would have come to lie outside the masonry
of the Presbytery walls. To clear these walls they would
each, in construction, be moved outward by 2½ feet; but the
builder could have easily complied with this need, since the
Crypt arms were underground and the space invaded by their
outward displacement would not have diminished any
adjacent structure. The CONFESSIO surely must have been
covered with groin vaults because of the weight of the
superincumbent Presbytery floor with its high altar and
heavy loading from constant use.

In the plan shown to the right Ernest Born has subdivided the 40-foot
squares of crossing and Presbytery internally each into sixteen 10-foot
squares and the latter again (in the areas occupied by the crypt) each into
sixteen 2½-foot squares. Our reconstruction shows how easily and
convincingly the masonry of an actual building can be developed within the
framework of the grid that forms the conceptual basis of the Plan — masonry
and foundation solid enough to carry the load of the superincumbent walls
of the Church.

The CONFESSIO is here interpreted as an inner hall crypt of roughly 20 by
30 feet with a ceiling formed by six groin vaults each covering the surface
area of a 10-foot square (100 square feet).

In the interpretation illustrated here the gray tint indicates walls of the church above
in locations depicted on the original document, and the U-shaped crypt passage or
corridor is presumed to be covered with a barrel vault.