Plural of basilica; large, formal public buildings in ancient Rome with a rectangular plan, or churches built in this style.
From Latin 'basilica', derived from Greek 'basileus' (king). Roman civic and later religious structures named for their royal grandeur.
Roman basilicas were the ancient world's answer to modern shopping malls—they were centers of commerce, law, and public gathering where you could conduct business, settle disputes, and just see and be seen!
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