baldachin

bal·da·chin

noun \ˈbȯl-də-kən, ˈbal-\

plural baldachins or baldachinos

Definition of BALDACHIN

1

: a cloth canopy fixed or carried over an important person or a sacred object

2

: a rich embroidered fabric of silk and gold

3

: an ornamental structure resembling a canopy used especially over an altar

Variants of BALDACHIN

bal·da·chin or bal·da·chi·no \ˌbal-də-ˈkē-(ˌ)nō, ˌbäl-\

Origin of BALDACHIN

Italian baldacchino, from Baldacco Baghdad, Iraq

First Known Use: 1537

baldachin

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Baldachin, St. Peter's, Vatican City, by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, 1624–33—SCALA/Art Resource, New York

Freestanding canopy of stone, wood, or metal over an altar or tomb. The Italian term baldacchino originally referred to brocaded material from Baghdad hung as a canopy over an altar or throne. The characteristic architectural form consists of four columns supporting entablatures, which carry miniature colonnades topped by a pyramidal or gabled roof. Gian Lorenzo Bernini's famous bronze baldachin (1624–33) stands at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.