Monk and Nun is a style of roof similar to

imbrex and tegula The imbrex and tegula (plural imbrices and tegulae) were overlapping roof tiles used in ancient Greek and Roman architecture as a waterproof and durable roof covering. They were made predominantly of fired clay, but also sometimes of marble, br ...

, but instead of using a flat tile (tegula) and an arched tile (imbrex), two arched imbrex tiles are used. The top linking tiles are the ''monk'' tiles and the lower layer are the ''nun'' tiles. Mortar is often used under the ''monk'' tile to firmly attach it to the ''nun'' tile as well as providing an extra seal against entry of rain, but it is sometimes omitted. The origin of the name is unknown, but is also known as ''Priependach''. This style of roof was, along with imbrex and tegula, developed in ancient times, and is popular around the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on th ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

, and, during the Middle Ages it was also popular in Germanic Europe, but was later replaced by

Biberschwanz Roof tiles are designed mainly to keep out rain, and are traditionally made from locally available materials such as terracotta or slate. Modern materials such as concrete, metal and plastic are also used and some clay tiles have a waterproof g ...

("beaver tail") roofing, although is still occasionally used, particularly for old and sacred buildings (which would have originally had Monk and Nun roofs). In modern times this style is popular in the American southwest where it is called ''Pan and Cover'' or ''Mission Style''. An easier-to-install variant called ''S-Tile'' is essentially the synthesis of a pan tile and a cover tile. Saturday, 5 June 2021

Gallery

File:San Agustin roofs C.jpg, An example of Monk and Nun in San Agustin,

Gran Canaria Gran Canaria (, ; ), also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, an archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa which is part of Spain. the island had a population of that co ...

File:Mönch Nonne kalundborg P3180069.JPG, Another form of Monk and Nun roofing on a church in

Kalundborg Kalundborg () is a Danish city with a population of 16,211 (1 January 2022),Plaza de España,

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsul ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

References

Roof tiles Terracotta Ancient Roman pottery Ancient Roman architectural elements Roofing materials Ceramics of medieval Europe {{Architecture-stub