relics - Remains of the body of a saint, or clothing or other objects associated with a saint.

reliquary - A container for holding relics.

Nave: The central area of an ancient Roman basilica or of a church, demarcated from aisles by piers or columns.

Side Aisles: The portions of a basilica flanking the nave and seperated from it by a row of columns or compound piers of alternating form.

apse - A recess, usually semicircular, in the wall of a building, commonly found at the east end of a church.

ambulatory - A covered walkway, outdoors (as in a church cloister) or indoors; especially the passageway around the apse and the choir of a church.

A paint made of pigment ground in oil, usually linseed oil. 

- slow drying

- does not mix well

- can add much detail

- very good for painting reflective surfaces

- stark transitions from light to dark

- might have been invented to paint skin

Painting on lime plaster, either dry (dry fresco, or fresco secco) or wet (true, or buon, fresco). In the latter method, the pigments are mixed with water and become chemically bound to the freshly laid wet lime plaster.

Also, a mural painting executed in either method.

Perspective: A method used to present an illusion of the three-dimensional world on a two dimensional surface.

Atmospheric Perspective: Suggestion of depth through dimunition of color tone and intensity; increased haziness, and often blueness in the distance (that is, the imitation of atmospheric effects).

Linear Perspective: The use of parallel lines converging on a vanishing point on the horizon and the reduction of size of elements according to the geometric scheme.