cathedral
cathedral [MC].A substantial church which contains a chair (cathedra) symbolizing the authority of a bishop. A place that contains a cathedral is known as a see (from the Latin sedes, ‘a seat’), and constitutes the administrative and spiritual focus of a diocese which is the territory over which a bishop exercises pastoral authority. Until the 11th century ad there was no common plan or form to a cathedral, which was more of a concept than a physical structure. Sees were established within monasteries or in non-monastic churches such as some minsters. From the 11th century ad cathedral churches become more standardized, grander, and more fixed as institutions. The main church containing the cathedra was usually accompanied by subsidiary buildings set within a close, the whole being termed a cathedral. Associated with the church as a place of Christian worship there were (and in some cases still are) meeting rooms, educational facilities, and private...
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