Predella

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A platform or step on which an altar stands
2. The base or support found beneath a religious altar, often part of a larger structure
3. A structure typically located under an altar in church architecture, serving both functional and decorative purposes

Etymology: In Italian, "predella" is the step or footstool, and the word came to name the raised platform at the base of an altar, the ledge where the altar's ornamental panel sits. The English term was borrowed from Italian, and the Italian word itself traces back to "pretil," a term from Lombardic, the Germanic language once spoken in northern Italy. The original idea was simply a small step or sill, a practical support rather than an art object. Over time the word came to be applied to the decorative panel painted or carved on that base, so the same name now covers both the platform and the artwork set upon it.

Synonyms: altar step, altar base, retable