A narrow opening or window in a medieval church wall, typically allowing those outside or in a side chapel to see the main altar or holy relics.
From Greek 'hagios' (holy) + 'skopeein' (to view/observe), literally 'holy viewer,' named for its function in allowing worship or relic viewing from restricted locations.
Hagioscopes reveal medieval architecture's clever solutions—pregnant women or lepers couldn't enter the main church but could peek through these 'squints' to participate in Mass from their side chapels.
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