A. Terminology and Definition (CT)
1. Profane Architecture (CT)
In the Italian Renaissance (A. Palladio [11. lib. III, cap. 20]) the term basilica was applied to multifunctional communal palaces that contained commercial and meeting spaces (basilicas in Vicenza, Padua, Brescia) thus echoing the function of the ancient Roman basilica as market hall, administrative space, and courthouse.