A vestibule, porch, or entrance structure attached to the front of a church building.
From 'fore-' (before/in front of) and 'church,' directly describing the architectural feature that precedes entry into the main church body. Used in architectural and ecclesiastical contexts.
Medieval forechurches weren't just architectural—they were liminal spaces where not-quite-admitted people waited: penitents, catechumens, and the dying who couldn't enter the sacred space.
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