crypt

In architecture, a vaulted structure under a church used for burial. The first crypts were subterranean chapels in the catacombs. They were most common between the 6th and 13th centuries. One of the best examples is that of the cathedral at Glasgow, Scotland.

In England there are good examples under the cathedrals of Canterbury, St Paul's, Winchester, Worcester, Hereford, and Gloucester. Crypts are not, however, limited to churches. Remains of secular crypts are found all over Europe. There are good surviving examples in many German town halls, some of which are decorated, as at Bremen.