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{{Short description|Christian place of prayer and worship}}{{hatnote group|{{Other uses}}{{redirect|Chapels|the hamlet in Cumbria|Kirkby-in-Furness}}}}{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}File:St Paul’s Cathedral Chapel of St Michael & St George, London UK - Diliff.jpg|thumb|Chapel of St Michael and St George at St Paul’s CathedralSt Paul’s Cathedral(File:Apsidal chapels.png|thumb|Schematic rendering of typical “side chapels” in the apse of a cathedral, surrounding the ambulatory)A chapel (from ) is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type of these. Second, a chapel is a place of worship, sometimes interfaith,WEB,www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/18/pentagon.chapel.islam/, Muslim prayers welcome at Pentagon chapel, CNN, 3 March 2016, 7 March 2016,www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/18/pentagon.chapel.islam/," title="web.archive.org/web/20160307215949www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/18/pentagon.chapel.islam/,">web.archive.org/web/20160307215949www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/18/pentagon.chapel.islam/, live, that is part of a building, complex, or vessel with some other main purpose, such as a school, college, hospital, palace or large aristocratic house, castle, barracks, prison, funeral home, cemetery, airport, or a military or commercial ship.WEB,www.newadvent.org/cathen/03574b.htm, CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Chapel, www.newadvent.org, 10 April 2005, 9 March 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210309142301/https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03574b.htm, live, Third, chapels are small places of worship, built as satellite sites by a church or monastery, for example in remote areas; these are often called a chapel of ease. A feature of all these types is that often no clergy were permanently resident or specifically attached to the chapel.For historical reasons, chapel is also often the term used by independent or nonconformist denominations for their places of worship in England and especially in Wales, even where they are large and in practice they operate as a parish church.WEB, Wakeling, Christopher, Nonconformist Places of Worship: Introductions to Heritage Assets,content.historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/iha-nonconformist-places-of-worship/heag139-nonconformist-places-of-worshipi-iha.pdf/, Historic England, 28 March 2017, August 2016,web.archive.org/web/20170328195437/https://content.historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/iha-nonconformist-places-of-worship/heag139-nonconformist-places-of-worshipi-iha.pdf/, 28 March 2017, dead, BOOK, Jones, Anthony, Welsh Chapels, 28 March 2017, 1996, National Museum Wales, 9780750911627,books.google.com/books?id=k6zjuTAnuzcC, en, The earliest Christian places of worship are now often referred to as chapels, as they were not dedicated buildings but rather a dedicated chamber within a building. Most larger churches had one or more secondary altars which, if they occupied a distinct space, would often be called a chapel. In Russian Orthodox tradition, the chapels were built underneath city gates, where most people could visit them; a famous example is the Iberian Chapel.Although chapels frequently refer to Christian places of worship, they are also found in Jewish synagogues and do not necessarily denote a specific denomination. In England—where the Church of England is established by law, interdenominational or interfaith chapels in such institutions may be consecrated by the local Anglican bishop. Chapels that are not affiliated with a particular denomination are commonly encountered as part of a non-religious institution such as a hospital, airport, university or prison.NEWS, Multi-faith Spaces: Symptoms and Agents of Religious and Social Change, University of Manchester,www.manchester.ac.uk/mfs, Chris, Hewson, 1 January 2010, 14 September 2012, Many military installations have chapels for the use of military personnel, normally under the leadership of a military chaplain.WEB, Royal Army Chaplains’ Department,www.army.mod.uk/chaplains/chaplains.aspx, www.army.mod.uk, The British Army, 28 March 2017, en,www.army.mod.uk/chaplains/chaplains.aspx," title="web.archive.org/web/20170319155149www.army.mod.uk/chaplains/chaplains.aspx,">web.archive.org/web/20170319155149www.army.mod.uk/chaplains/chaplains.aspx, 19 March 2017, dead, dmy-all,

History

File:Crviz 2015 jun pic 25.JPG|thumb|The Tsrviz Chapel in ArmeniaArmeniaThe 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/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.File:Chapelle Palatine.jpg|thumb|The Cappella Palatina in Palermo, Italy (pictured), and the Palatine Chapel in AachenPalatine Chapel in AachenThe word chapel, like the associated word chaplain, is ultimately derived from Latin.WEB,www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chapel, Definition of CHAPEL, www.merriam-webster.com, 31 December 2018, 1 January 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190101002843/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chapel, live, 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 (wikt:ecclesia|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 regions 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 the members of such churches: for example in the sentence “I’m Chapel.“{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

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 posa (Posa chapel) is an architectural feature of the monastery-ensembles of Mexico in the 16th century, consisting of four vaulted quadrangular buildings located at the ends of the atrium outside them.{{clarify|date=December 2019}}
• 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.WEB,www.churchsociety.org/aboutus/managed/Properties_StJamesChurch.htm, Church Society - About - Our Work - St James’ Church, 2008-10-15, dead,www.churchsociety.org/aboutus/managed/Properties_StJamesChurch.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20080509160507www.churchsociety.org/aboutus/managed/Properties_StJamesChurch.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20080509160507www.churchsociety.org/aboutus/managed/Properties_StJamesChurch.htm, 9 May 2008, dmy-all, 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.

Modern usage

File:Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart Georgetown University.jpg|thumb|Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart, a Catholic chapel on the campus of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.File:Capel Salem, Pwllheli.jpg|thumb|Capel Salem, a nonconformist chapel in PwllheliPwllheliWhile the word chapel is not exclusively limited to Christian terminology, it is most often found in that context. Nonetheless, the word’s meaning can vary by denomination, and non-denominational chapels (sometimes called “meditation rooms“) can be found in many hospitals, airports, and even the United Nations headquarters. Chapels can also be found for worship in Judaism.“Chapel” is in particularly common usage in the United Kingdom, and especially in Wales, for Nonconformist places of worship;Also known, perhaps disparagingly, as Ebenezers – {{oed | Ebenezer}} and in Scotland and Ireland for Roman Catholic churches. In England and Wales, due to the rise in Nonconformist chapels during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, by the time of the 1851 census, more people attended the independent chapels than attended the state religion’s Anglican churches.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}} (The Anglican Church does not function as the established church in Scotland.)In Roman Catholic Church canon law, a chapel, technically called an “oratory”, is a building or part thereof dedicated to the celebration of services, particularly the Mass, which is not a parish church. This may be a private chapel, for the use of one person or a select group (a bishop’s private chapel, or the chapel of a convent, for instance); a semi-public oratory, which is partially available to the general public (a seminary chapel that welcomes visitors to services, for instance); or a public oratory (for instance, a hospital or university chapel).Chapels that are built as part of a larger church are holy areas set aside for some specific use or purpose: for instance, many cathedrals and large churches have a “Lady chapel” in the apse, dedicated to the Virgin Mary; parish churches may have such a Lady chapel in a side aisle or a “chapel of Reservation” or “Blessed Sacrament chapel” where the consecrated bread of the Eucharist is kept in reserve between services, for the purpose of taking Holy Communion to the sick and housebound and, in some Christian traditions, for devotional purposes.Common uses of the word chapel today include:File:Christ the King Chapel (Christendom College) - 2.jpg|thumb|Christ the King Chapel on the campus of Christendom CollegeChristendom College

• Side-chapel – a chapel within a cathedral or larger church building.
• Lady chapel – really a form of side chapel, but notable separately as such chapels are common in the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. They are dedicated to the veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
• Ambassador’s chapel – originally created to allow ambassadors from Catholic countries to worship whilst on duty in Protestant countries.
• Bishop’s chapel – in Anglican and Roman Catholic canon law, bishops have the right to have a chapel in their own home, even when travelling (such personal chapels may be granted only as a favor to other priests)
• Chapel of rest – not a place of worship as such, but a comfortably decorated room in a funeral director’s premises, where family and friends can view the deceased before a funeral.
• Chapel of ease – constructed in large parishes to allow parishioners easy access to a church or chapel.
• College chapel - located on college or university campuses that are or were once affiliated with a religion
• Multifaith chapel – found within hospitals, airports and universities, etc.; often converted from being exclusively Christian.
• Summer chapel – a small church in a resort area that functions only during the summer when vacationers are present.
• Wayside chapel or country chapel – small chapels in the countryside
• Military chapel – U.S. military bases often have chapels designated for use by varying denominations. As no specific denomination or faith is the “owner”, such a site is commonly referred to as a chapel instead of a church, mosque, or synagogue. Service members can often receive services for nondenominational Christian, Roman Catholic, Islamic, and Jewish faiths, as well as information for other services in the local area.
• Wedding chapel – a venue for weddings.
• Funeral chapel – a venue for funerals at a funeral home, cemetery or crematorium.

The first airport chapel was created in 1951 in Boston for airport workers but grew to include travelers. It was originally Catholic, but chapels today are often multifaith.NEWS, Cadge, Wendy, As you travel, pause and take a look at airport chapels,theconversation.com/as-you-travel-pause-and-take-a-look-at-airport-chapels-87578, 12 January 2018, The Conversation (website), The Conversation, 3 January 2018, 13 January 2018,web.archive.org/web/20180113092923/https://theconversation.com/as-you-travel-pause-and-take-a-look-at-airport-chapels-87578, live,

Notable chapels

File:Rilski.jpg|thumb|right|The old premises of St. Ivan Rilski ChapelSt. Ivan Rilski Chapel{| class=“wikitable sortable“! Chapel !! Year !! Location

Bethesda Methodist Chapel, Hanley>Bethesda Methodist Chapel	align=“center”		Hanley, Staffordshire, England

Boardwalk Chapel >	1945	align=“center” | The Wildwoods, New Jersey, United States

Brancacci Chapel >	1386	align=“center”	Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence>Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, Italy

Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford >	1160–1200	align=“center”	Christ Church, Oxford>Christ Church, a college of the University of Oxford. This dual role as cathedral and college chapel is unique in the Church of England.HTTP://WWW.CHCH.OX.AC.UK/CATHEDRAL >TITLE=CATHEDRAL | CHRIST CHURCH, OXFORD UNIVERSITY	ACCESS-DATE=4 MARCH 2016	ARCHIVE-DATE=5 MARCH 2016, live,

Chigi Chapel >	1507–1661	align=“center” | Church of Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome, Italy

Contarelli Chapel >	1585	align=“center” | Church of San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome, Italy

Duke Chapel >	1932	align=“center” | Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States

Eton College Chapel >	1440 – {{Circa		Eton College, Eton, Berkshire, England

Chapelle expiatoire >	1824	align=“center” | Paris, France

Gallus Chapel >	1330–1340	align=“center” | Greifensee ZH, Switzerland

Heinz Memorial Chapel >	1938	align=“center” | University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Henry VII Chapel >	1503	align=“center” | Westminster Abbey, London, England

Chapel of the Holy Shroud >	1694	align=“center” | Turin, Italy

King’s College Chapel, Cambridge>King’s College Chapel	align=“center”		King’s College in the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England

King’s College Chapel, London>King’s College Chapel	align=“center”		King’s College, London, England

Lancing College Chapel >	1868	align=“center”	Lancing College, Lancing, West Sussex>Lancing, West Sussex, England

Llandaff Oratory >	1925	align=“center”	KwaZulu-Natal>Van Reenen, South Africa

Magi Chapel >	1459–1461	align=“center” | Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Florence, Italy

Medici Chapel (Michelangelo)>Medici Chapels	align=“center”		Church of San Lorenzo, Florence, Italy

Niccoline Chapel >	1447–1449	Align=“Center” | Apostolic Palace, Vatican City

Notre-Dame du Haut >	1955	align=“center” | Ronchamp, France

Palatine Chapel, Aachen>Palatine Chapel	align=“center”		Aachen Cathedral, Aachen, Germany

Cappella Palatina>Palatine Chapel	align=“center”		Palazzo dei Normanni, Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Cappella Paolina>Pauline Chapel	align=“center”		Apostolic Palace, Vatican City

Pazzi Chapel >	{{Circa		Church of Santa Croce, Florence, Italy

Pettit Memorial Chapel >	1907	align=“center” | Belvidere, Illinois, United States

Queen’s Chapel >	1623	align=“center” | St James’s Palace, London, England

Chapelle Rouge >	15th century BC	align=“center” | Karnak, Egypt

Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence >	1951	align=“center” | Vence, France

Chapel of the Rosario, Puebla>Rosary Chapel	align=“center”		Puebla City, Puebla, Mexico

Rosslyn Chapel >	1440	align=“center” | Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland

Rothko Chapel >	1964	align=“center” | Houston, Texas, United States

Royal Chapel of Granada >	1517	align=“center” | Granada, Spain

Royal Palace of Madrid#Royal Chapel>Royal Chapel	align=“center”		Royal Palace of Madrid, Spain

Royal Chapel (Sweden)>Royal Chapel, Sweden	align=“center”		Stockholm Palace, Sweden

Chapelle royale de Dreux >	1816	Align=“center” | Dreux, Eure-et-Loir, France

St. Aloysius Chapel >	1884	align=“center” | Mangalore, India

St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle>St George’s Chapel	align=“center”		Windsor Castle, England

Chapel of Saint Helena, Jerusalem>Chapel of Saint Helena	align=“center”		Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

St. Ivan Rilski Chapel >	2003	align=“center” | Livingston Island, Antarctica

St. Joan of Arc Chapel >	15th century	align=“center” | Relocated to Marquette University, Milwaukee, United States

St. Paul’s Chapel (Manhattan)>St. Paul’s Chapel	align=“center”		New York City, United States

Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall >	654	Align=“center” | Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex, England

St Salvator’s Chapel >	1450	align=“center”	University of St Andrews>St Andrews University, St Andrews, Scotland

Sainte-Chapelle >	1246	align=“center” | ÃŽle de la Cité, Paris, France

Cappella Sansevero>Sansevero Chapel	align=“center”		Naples, Italy

Sassetti Chapel >	1470	align=“center” | Church of Santa Trinita, Florence, Italy

Scrovegni Chapel >	{{Circa		Padua, Italy

Sigismund’s Chapel >	1519	align=“center” | Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland

Sistine Chapel >	1473	align=“center” | Apostolic Palace, Vatican City

Skull Chapel >	1776	align=“center” | Kudowa, Silesia, Poland

Slipper Chapel >	1340	align=“center” | Norfolk, England

Chapel of the Snows >	1989	Align=“center” | McMurdo Station, Ross Island, Antarctica

Tabernacle Chapel, Morriston>Tabernacle Chapel	align=“center”		Morriston, Swansea, Wales

Chapelle de la Trinité >	1622	align=“center” | Lyon, France

University Chapel >	1867	align=“center” | Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia, US

Chapels of Versailles >	17th–18th centuries	align=“center” | Palace of Versailles, France

Gallery

{{cleanup-gallery|date=January 2024}}{{Clear}}File:Telleri kabel.jpg|Teller Chapel in Tartu, EstoniaFile:Little Chapel op Guernsey.JPG|The Little Chapel, GuernseyFile:St-Sixte 1x.JPG|Chapelle Saint-Sixte d’Eygalières, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence, FranceFile:StDimitriosChapeliontheBeach.jpg|St. Dimitrius Chapel on the beach of Olympiaki Akti, GreeceFile:Kent UMC chapel.jpg|Methodist Chapel in Kent, Ohio, United StatesFile:Confederate Memorial Chapel interior (8371750859).jpg|Confederate Memorial Chapel, Richmond, Virginia, United StatesFile:Vassar Chapel Interior.jpg|Vassar Chapel Interior, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New YorkFile:Heinz Memorial Chapel, interior.jpg|Interior of Heinz Chapel, University of PittsburghFile:Heiligendamm Waldkapelle 2010-05-17 043.jpg|Forest chapel in Heiligendamm, Bad Doberan, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, GermanyFile:Chapelle Sainte-Anne, Varennes.jpg|Processional Chapel in Varennes, QuebecFile:Turvey Abbey, chapel interior - geograph.org.uk - 1199808.jpg|Turvey Abbey, chapel interiorFile:Little Chapel Steinfurt-Borghorst at night.jpg|Open Chapel in Steinfurt, GermanyFile:Eton College Chapel - August 5, 2007.jpg|Eton College Chapel in Eton College, EnglandFile:Avon Old Farms School - chapel interior.jpg|Avon Old Farms School - the chapelFile:Chapel in the Wood, Strawberry Hill 01.jpg|Chapel in the Wood, Strawberry Hill House, near LondonFile:Armenian Cathedral Deir Ez Zor.jpg|Chapel in the Armenian Cathedral Deir Ez ZorFile:0901 Kaplica Gotycka Police ZPL.JPG|Gothic Chapel (15th century) in The Chrobry Square, Police, PolandFile:Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks - East end - geograph.org.uk - 351924.jpg|Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks, London, largely rebuilt after bombing in 1944File:La Cappella degli Scrovegni.JPG|Cappella degli Scrovegni in Padua, ItalyFile:Mirochòwò - kaplica z 1740 roku.JPG|Chapel in Mirachowo, Kashubia (bd. 1740)File:17 03 180 chapel.jpg|Chapel at Callaway Gardens in holiday resortFile:Schlosskapelle Burgmuseum Alte Burg Meersburg-1.jpg|German castle chapelFile:17 22 185 chapel.jpg|Memorial Chapel at Lake JunaluskaFile:Palacio da Alvorada Chapel.JPG|The modernist presidential chapel (left) at the Palácio da Alvorada, the official residence of the President of BrazilFile:Crematorium Chapel - geograph.org.uk - 455822.jpg|Funeral chapel at Woodlands Crematorium, Scarborough, England

See also

• Castle chapel
• Chapel (music)
• Church (building)
• Meeting house
• Sacri Monti
• Corpse road
• Railroad chapel car
• Capilla abierta
• Capilla posa

References

{{reflist}}

External links

• {{commons-inline}}
• EB1911, Chapel, 5, x,
• Russian chapels photo gallery

{{Authority control}}