sedile

In church architecture, sedilia (plural of Latin ''sedīle'', "seat") are seats, typically made of stone, located on the liturgical south side of the altar—often within the chancel—intended for use by the officiating priest, deacon, and sub-deacon during Mass. These seats are frequently recessed into the church wall.

History

Sedilia, usually a set of seats built in the south wall of a church chancel for the officiating clergy, owns a long history and regional features among British ecclesiastical architecture. Its development can be traced back to the early 12th century, and experienced a renaissance in the 19th century, whose peak was during the Gothic period in England.

Origins and early examples

The most primary sedilia appeared in the Romanesque period, usually as simple niches or stone benches. One of the most representative early examples is located in Kirkstall Abbey in West Yorkshire that was built in the end of the 1150s. This set includes a giant niche with, nearly 3 meters width, and internal liturgical furnishings like piscina and credence shelf. It demonstrates how early sedilia as one-piece structure on presbytery wall and equipped with decorative scalloped capitals and billet moulding

These early patterns own strong functions that provide seats for the celebrant, deacon and subdeacon during the Mass. Even though in this phase, sedilia were not just practice devices, their placement and decorative details all implied their symbolic meaning in classifying clerical hierarchy
. The form is rooted in Roman’s dado arcading, but it exceeded beyond its functional nature and became an unique artistic form. From the middle 13th century to the 14th century, sedilia had been presented in the shape of gables, sculptural appearance and shrine-like canopies. These forms can be considered to have symbolism meaning in Eucharistic theology and clerical hierarchy.

In the Decorated Gothic period from about 1250s to 1350s, sedilia received profound development in arts. Sedilia in this phase often owns micro architectural detailing like trefoil and quatrefoil spandrels, stiff-leaf foliage, sculpted gables and so on. This style aligns with the trend of sacred space and visual complexity that Gothic architecture highlights . Kempsey sedilia in 1260s and Heckington Church are exactly paradigms of such delicate treatment .

The development of sedilia in this period also got impacted by sponsorship. Wealthy clerical and lay patrons would like to individualized sedilia for presentation on their liturgical and aesthetic preferences. In churches of higher status like collegiate or minister churches, sedilia were often embedded into the old chancel structure to further highlight its continuously liturgical and symbolic significance.

Decline and Reformation

In the late flourishing of Perpendicular Gothic from 14th century to 16th century, sedilia’s popularity is gradually declining. Architecture styles in this period prefer to the unified surface and large scale of perpendicular elements, which is in conflict with sedilia’s styles like smallness and compartmentalization (Cameron, 2015, pp. 204-205). Therefore, the setting of sedilia in new churches in this period were rare to find, where the exiting sedilia would be covered or removed due to funerary monuments or wainscoting .

After the religious reform, the trend of decline was escalated. The methodological shift in the 16th century, especially the shortening of the quality of Mass sacrifice, made sedilia’s liturgical essence. Plenty of sedilia were destroyed, painted or changed for other functions, but a significant number of them were restored thanks to their structural unity .
In extremely less situations like Wymondham Abbey, the sedilia were restored or newly built after the disbandment, which was possibly due to continuous Catholic sympathies or conservative leadership .

Revival in the Nineteenth Century

In the Gothic Revival movement in the 19th century, sedilia were valued and rejuvenated mainly thanks to the advocacy of ecclesia like the Cambridge Camden Society. Affected by architects and theorists like A.W.N. Pugin, many repairers and church constructors managed to repair the liturgical structures in the Middle Ages, including new sedilia . In many cases, restorers in Victorian even “corrected” and filled up the seats, or enforced their decorations to match the medieval styles in their minds.
However, this revival also received some criticism. Some appreciated the return of medieval aesthetics and symbols, while others criticized the actions that adding up fake medieval elements into the churches without historical references. Even so, until the end of the 19th century, sedilia has reassured its status as one of the standard components of Anglican chancel design .

Legacy and Scholarship

Nowadays, sedilia have continued to attract academic attention and been valued as the artistic production of liturgies, architecture and aesthetics. Scholar James Alexander Cameron proposed that sedilia are not only practical components, but also should be valued as a genre of ecclesiastical art with pattern consistency and regional variation .
From the early single-niche pattern at Kirkstall to the elaborately sculptured sedilia at Belgrave and Heckington churches, the existing various of sedilia both present the medieval sculptors’ creativity, and demonstrate the long-lasting symbolic meaning of the priestly seat in British ecclesiastical convention.

Three seats

During certain sections of the liturgy, especially the Gloria and Credo, the clergy sat in the three-seater (also known as the Levite's seat, bench, or celebrant's chair when Mass was celebrated with the roles of priest, deacon, and subdeacon. These three seats, known collectively as the ''sedilia'', are typically arranged side by side and recessed into the south wall of the chancel. They reflect the clerical hierarchy, with the priest occupying the highest and easternmost seat. Since the Second Vatican Council, the roles of deacon and subdeacon have been retained in the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite,, as outlined in the 1962 Roman Missal.''Sedilia'', Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved May 27, 2025, from https://www.britannica.com/technology/sediliaChurches Conservation Trust. "Learn about: Sedilia." Retrieved May 27, 2025, from https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/what-we-do/blog/learn-about-sedalia

Symbolism Meaning of Sedilia

Although sedilia were primarily designed for practical demands in Mass, in the whole medieval development, it carried multiple symbolism and theological meanings. These archaeological components usually are a set of three seats in the chancel for the priest, deacon and subdeacon, which reflects both clerical hierarchy and significant visual symbolism of liturgical orders.

English sedilia is gradually evolving from the primary and simple wall to structured and decorated architecture combination, which visually highlights clerical hierarchy of priest, deacon, and subdeacon
. This direction arrangement is stepped from east to the west, with both utility and symbolic meaning, which brings the hierarchy into the chancel architecture with ecclesiastical order.
Cameron argues that sedilia presents the preference of British artistic symmetry and recessed ornament, whose standard appearance may also carry some symbolic meaning through visual rhymes and similarity . The sedilia tends to be placed near the altar, integrating with dado arcading as one, reflecting a kind of ritual architectural language bringing a sense of sanctity and order. In many churches, the sadilia is the most delicate and magnificent part, showing its significance in rituals .

Further evidence is provided for sadilia’s symbolic functions with explanation of the painted art at Westminster Abbey. He pointed out that the figures in the Robert de Lisle Psalter are seemingly get impressed and influenced by the painted sedilia at Westminster, particularly in gestures, clothing and symbolic positioning. This performs that sedilia is not only a liturgical role, but also a visual patterns in religious authority and sincerity.

The appearance of decorations of sedilia further emphasized its symbolism. After the mid-13th century, triangular gables and structures like aedicules were used above the seats, which allowed the internal space of the churches to have significant micro architectural features. These elements highlighted the sacredness of the space around the clergy, visually deepening the idea of the chancel as a heavenly symbolized space. As Cameron proposed, these forms align with shrines, or reliquary-style architecture, transferring sedilia from pure seats to “tours de force of display”, meanwhile evoking the imagination of salvation and Heavenly Jerusalem .

The evolution of symbolic meaning was closely related to the changing development of theology, in particular to the emphasis on the doctrine of Real Presence in the Eucharist. The easternmost seat symbolizes the role of Christ, making up the whole sedilia structure as the demonstration of sacramental authority. Cameron pointed out that in some cases, canopies or gables directly placed above the celebrant’s seat are similar to altarpieces or reliquaries, making this seat itself equipped with a status as if a shrine .

In addition, as for sedilia’s position, it often embedded into the southern wall of the altar, as well as conveyed more profound spiritual meanings. Inside the churches symbolic geography, the southern part of the altar would be related to lights and authorities. This position elevated the sacred identity of the clergy who were seated beyond them. Sedilia’s common stepped design where the seats descend from east to west further demonstrates the spatial higher and lower distinctions and hierarchical orders, reflecting the level structure of the ecclesia .

Sedilia seldom appeared in figurative iconography, but its architectural forms often interacted with the more extensive visual aspects of churches. For example, at Heckington in Lincolnshire, sedilia were grouped into a sculptural system that includes the saints and canopy figures, allowing the clergy seated below to theologically and visually align with the celestial community above. It further intensified the clergy as the intermediaries between the earth and the divine.

Additionally, the aesthetic treatment of sedilia also follows the change of liturgies and artistic styles. Since the mid-13th century, the Rayonnant style preferred by Paris, France with delicacy, magnificence and small-scale have influenced the English sedilia designs. According to Camron’s analysis, the chase of micro-architectural complexity did not wrongly conceptualize liturgical furniture, especially objects related to sedilia, where they were not deemed as purely practical tools, but as theological components participating in the construction of sacred Mass dramas .

Comparative Architecture of Sedilia

Although Sedilia is often viewed as an example of English furniture, it belongs to a clerical tradition. In Europe, the forms, location and symbolic meanings are different. The development of Sedilia reflects the consideration of clerical principles, architecture styles and aesthetic of churches in the evolving process of church interiors during the Middle Ages.

The classical triple sedilia with each arched seats equipped with individual frameworks design, which is rare in Europe. Such inner-embedded seats appeared at the end of the 12th century, originally as simple niches like Kirkstall Abbey, later evolving as delicate and elaborate micro-architectural features in the Gothic ages. In contrast, plenty of Abby in Europe tend to offer movable wooden chairs or benches for officiating clergy without the same deeply integrated presentation.

To support such architectural diversity, many visual records are offered of sedilia at English churches, including Chatham, Tilty and Rochester, which were shot before repair or decoration, presenting its diversity in integration with surrounding features like ornament, materials and piscina .

In England, the classical sedilia often shows as three stone niches in the south wall of the church. The setting was famous between the 13th century and to 14th century especially in English parish churches as a distinctive standard. The sedilia is not only functional, but also a part of the church building. The style is consistent with blind dado arcading in the big churches.

In contrast, sedilia in Europe is simpler and more flexible, usually seen as a moveable wood seat and a single niche. Some sedilia is seen as stone and wood armchairs. For example, in Johanneskirche, Germany, it has a wooden sedilia with carved figurative elements created in the early 14th century, and in Boppard and Ennetach, it has witnessed the cubicle-like wooden sedilia influenced by the Florid Gothic style . The seating is usually set interdependent and close to the form of furniture rather than architecture, reflecting flexible liturgical arrangement.

In England, sedilia differs as in churches. In great churches like Westminster Abbey, wooden sedilia takes the lead as the aisle chancels without adjacent walls are adopted. While in churches in the suburb areas, embedded stone format is often taken. Although we have few wooden sedilia in England parish regions, some evidence from the 15th century shows that the sedilia was designed for simple and practical purpose without stone materials, like in Sheffield Cathedral and Much Hadham . A distinctive difference is the architecture language. Sedilia lack ergonomic elements like armrests and back supports enjoyed by thrones and stalls. Its holy and functional expressions rely more on architectural vocabulary like arches, gables and moulding.

Furthermore, sedilia is usually located in the north of the altar, which has rooted tradition both symbolically and liturgically. For example, even though the sedilia is usually located beside the Epistle, the piscinae for baptism can be located anywhere in churches. The difference reflects Sedilia’s distinctive status in English settings .

All in all, the development of sedilia has become a focus of research on England and Europe churches’ differences in design, culture and architecture. In England, sedilia has evolved as a distinct genre of microarchitecture embedded into the stone, which differs from the seats like furniture in Europe. They reflect the different ritual requirements of the architecture aesthetics and construction practices.

Function, location and types

The location of the three seats is the south wall (right side, epistle side) of the chancel near the high altar. Here the oldest, niche-shaped three seats made of stone in the bond of the chancel wall are still preserved. In later examples, the turret architecture of the canopies above the seats takes on a life of their own. From the 14th century onwards, it was predominantly wooden furniture whose constructions formally approximate those of the choir stalls with their side walls, rear walls and roofing. But in contrast to these, three-seaters usually have no row of desks and no folding seats. In rare cases, three seats were not erected as Levite chairs for the liturgical actors, but rather as seats of honor and are then more likely to be found at the western end of the chancel.

Examples of sedilia

File:Piscina and Sedilia - St Mary's Church - North Stoke - geograph.org.uk - 632366.jpg, Thirteenth-century Early English piscina and sedilia, St. Mary's, North Stoke, West Sussex
File:St.Agatha's,Sedilie.jpg, Twelfth-century sedile at Coates, West Sussex
File:Piscina and sedilia at Lincluden Abbey.jpg, Fifteenth-century piscina and sedilia, Lincluden Collegiate Church, Dumfries and Galloway
File:Ardfert cathedral sedilia 2015.JPG, Sedilia at Ardfert Cathedral, County Kerry
File:Sedilia - geograph.org.uk - 623354.jpg, A six-seater sedilia of c1200 in the Priory church of Deeping St James, Lincolnshire
File:Westerwolde Ter Apel - Boslaan - Klooster in - Canons' church - Sedilia 01 ies.jpg, Sedilia in the Canons' church, Klooster Ter Apel, Boslaan in Ter Apel, Netherlands
File:The Gothic sedilia in the chancel of Kilfenora Cathedral.jpg, Gothic sedilia in the chancel of Kilfenora Cathedral, County Clare
File:Sedilia - geograph.org.uk - 360852.jpg, Fourteenth-century sedilia at Heckington, Lincolnshire
File:St Mellitus, Church Road, London W7 - Piscina and sedilia - geograph.org.uk - 1716624.jpg, Early twentieth-century sedilia, St Mellitus Church, Hanwell, London W7
File:St Mary, Bletchingley - Sedilia - geograph.org.uk - 984212.jpg, 15th-century Gothic sedile, St Mary's, Bletchingley
File:Sedilia, paneel en zijwang - Utrecht - 20234569 - RCE.jpg, An ornately carved panel on sedilia at St. Willibrord's Church, Utrecht
File:Sedilia Alsike church Knivsta Sweden.jpg, Free-standing sedile or chair with desk in Alsike Kyrka, Knivsta, Sweden
File:Piscina and Sedilia Deddington Oxfordshire England.jpg, alt=C13 stone piscina and sedilia , in the church of St. Peter and Paul, Deddington, Oxfordshire, England., C13 stone piscina and sedilia , in the church of St. Peter and Paul, Deddington, Oxfordshire, England.
File:Great haseley oxon st peters sedilia.jpg, alt=Piscine and Sedilia in the St Peter's church at Great Haseley, Oxfordshire, England. March 2025., Piscine and Sedilia in the St Peter's church at Great Haseley, Oxfordshire, England. March 2025.
File:Great milton oxon st mary the virgin sedilia.jpg, alt=Piscine and stepped Sedilia at the C13 church of St. Mary the Virgin, at Great Milton, Oxfordshire, England. March 2025., Piscine and stepped Sedilia at the C13 church of St. Mary the Virgin, at Great Milton, Oxfordshire, England. March 2025.
File:St-Mary-The-Virgin-Henley-On-Thames.jpg, alt=Sedilia in the south wall of the chancel at St. Mary the Virgin church at Henley On Thames, Oxfordshire, England. January 2025., Sedilia in the south wall of the chancel at St. Mary the Virgin church at Henley On Thames, Oxfordshire, England. January 2025.

Conservation and Restoration

The conservation and restoration of sedilia have become an increasingly important issue of church heritage management. Although many of them are well restored, some of them have been badly damaged due to wear, structural alterations and poorly documented interventions.

Reformation and the Dissolution of the Monasteries

During the period, many sedilia have been repurposed, hidden or removed. Some churches in the later Middle Ages were rebuilt to add chapels, which tended to destroy the embedded sedilia in the 13th century.

In some cases, the upper part of sedilia was dismantled and the lower was reserved and added with wooden additions , like Upchurch in Kent. In other places, sedilia was added with doors to hide the stonework like in All Saints, Hereford. It shows the idea of viewing sedilia as redundancy after the 16th century .

Victorian period

During the Victoria period, the Gothic Revival activated people’s new interest in sedilia to view it as a part of churches in medieval ecclesiastical architecture. Many architects like George Gilbert Scott have conducted wide repair to sedilia including Gloucester and Ripon. However, these efforts receive criticism. For example, in Gloucester Cathedral, Scott admitted that the repair had been done based on the existing evidence and his own judgement, which reveals the limitation of available documents at the time .

Modern conservation

The modern conservation aims to maintain the structural stability and the historical integrity. The current principle is to emphasize minimal intervention, reversibility and material compatibility. For example, in the early 19th century Roman cement was used to repair sedilia in Southwell Minster, which were revealed and repaired after being hidden behind oak screens for years .

At Beverley Minster, a notable set of wooden sedilia dating from the 1340s was subjected to unusual conservation treatment in the 19th century. In 1876, the seats were submerged in a tank to remove remaining traces of medieval paint—an invasive method that would not align with modern conservation ethics. Nevertheless, small traces of gilding survived, underscoring the fragility of original surfaces and the importance of careful handling. At Beverley Minster, a wooden sedilia built in 1340 had received unprecedented repairs in the 19th century. In 1876, the sedilia was soaked in water to remove the medieval paint. The invasive management is unaccepted at present.

Recent projects urge for involvement from the community and adaptive heritage strategies . The programs between 2006 and 2015 include careful stone change, mortar re-pointing and restoration of the color glass. The sedilia and piscina on the south church wall were paid more attention (Martin, 2025). The programs dealt with weathering damage, glass stability and indoor dampness, taking the standard techniques of appropriate heritage, including limewash, phosphor bronze ferramenta and clush repairing . The programs show the current best practice in the field of heritage conservation.

References

Bibliography

* James Alexander Cameron, "From Hole-in-the-Wall to Heavenly Mansions: The Microarchitectural Development of Sedilia in Thirteenth-Century England", in Jean-Marie Guillouët and Ambre Vilain (eds.), ''Microarchitectures médiévales. L'échelle à l'épreuve de la matière'', Paris, INHA/Picard, 2018 ( ISBN 978-2-7084-1042-8).

; Attribution

External links

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Church architecture