Attique

Attique is a term with multiple related meanings in architecture, archaeology, and geography, used in French to describe both an architectural feature and the region of Attica in Greece, along with its cultural associations.

In architecture, an attique is the upper storey of a building, typically small in height and set beneath the roof. It is often used for storage or mechanical rooms, and may be left unfinished or clad with material distinct from the lower floors. The attique can also denote a decorative zone above the main cornice—a shallow projecting band or wall that sometimes carries inscriptions or sculptural panels on neoclassical façades.

In classical studies and art history, Attique (attique in French) refers to the historic region around Athens, as well as the people, dialect, and material produced there. Attic Greek is the dialect associated with classical Athenian literature. Attic pottery and sculpture describe works made in Attica, notably in Athens, from the 7th through the 4th centuries BCE; these works have been influential in the development of Western art.