in
Armenia, one of the oldest chapels in the world The earliest Christian places of worship were not dedicated buildings but rather a dedicated
chamber within a building, such as a room in an individual's home. Here, one or two people could pray without being part of a communion or congregation. People who like to use chapels may find it peaceful and relaxing to be away from the stress of life, without other people moving around them. in
Palermo, Italy (pictured), and the
Palatine Chapel in Aachen, two of the most famous palace chapels of Europe The word
chapel, like the associated word
chaplain, is ultimately derived from
Latin. More specifically, the word is derived from a
relic of
Saint Martin of Tours: traditional stories about Martin relate that while he was still a soldier, he cut his military cloak in half to give part to a beggar in need. The other half he wore over his shoulders as a "small cape" (). The beggar, the stories claim, was Christ in disguise, and Martin experienced a conversion of heart, becoming first a monk, then abbot, then bishop. This cape came into the possession of the
Frankish kings, and they kept the relic with them as they did battle. The tent which kept the cape was called the
capella and the priests who said daily
Mass in the tent were known as the
capellani. From these words, via
Old French, we get the names "chapel" and "chaplain". The word also appears in the
Irish language (Gaelic) in the
Middle Ages, as Welsh people came with the
Norman and
Old English invaders to the island of Ireland. While the traditional Irish word for church was (derived from
ecclesia), a new word,
séipéal (from
cappella), came into usage. In British history, "chapel" or "
meeting house" were formerly the standard designations for church buildings belonging to independent or
Nonconformist religious societies and their members. They were particularly associated with the pre-eminence of independent religious practice in rural parts of England and Wales, the northern industrial towns of the late 18th and 19th centuries, and centres of population close to but outside the
City of London. As a result, "chapel" is sometimes used as an adjective in England and Wales to describe members of such churches: for example in the sentence, "I'm Chapel."
Types of chapel • A
bridge chapel is a small place of Christian worship, built either on, or immediately adjacent to, a road bridge; they were commonly established during pre-Reformation mediaeval era in Europe. • A
castle chapel, in European architecture, is a chapel built within a castle. • A
parecclesion or parakklesion is a type of side chapel found in Byzantine architecture. • A
capilla abierta (open chapel) is one of the most distinct Mexican church construction forms, mostly built in the 16th century during the early colonial period. • A
proprietary chapel is one that originally belonged to a private individual. In the 19th century they were common, often being built to cope with urbanisation. Frequently they were established by evangelical philanthropists with a vision of spreading Christianity in cities whose needs could no longer be met by the parishes. Some functioned more privately, with a wealthy person building a chapel so that they could invite their favorite preachers. They are anomalies in the English ecclesiastical law, having no parish area, but being permitted to have an Anglican clergyman licensed there. Historically many Anglican churches were proprietary chapels. Over the years they have often been converted into normal parishes. • A
court chapel is a chapel as a musical ensemble associated with a royal or noble court. Most of these are royal (court) chapels, but when the ruler of the court is not a king, the more generic "court chapel" is used, for instance for an imperial court. • A
royal chapel is a chapel associated with a
monarch, a
royal court, or in a
royal palace. • A
school chapel is a chapel built in or associated with a school, historically found in
Anglican or Roman Catholic
public schools in
England and Wales ==Modern usage==