hagioscope

A hagioscope is an architectural feature in Christian churches, named from the Greek words hagios, meaning holy, and skopos, meaning watcher or viewer. It refers to a small opening in a wall, screen, or rood screen that provides a view of the sanctuary from another part of the building, such as a side chapel or the nave. The term hagioscope is often used in scholarly contexts, while the term squint is more common in general architectural history.

Hagioscopes are especially characteristic of medieval European church design, appearing in Romanesque and Gothic buildings. They may be cut as narrow slits, or formed as arched openings set in a screen or wall between the nave and the chancel, choir, or sanctuary. Some examples are modest, while others incorporate moldings or decorative canopies. The openings were deliberately oriented to offer a direct line of sight to the altar and the liturgical action.

Functionally, hagioscopes served to permit certain viewers—such as worshippers in a side chapel, patrons, or clergy stationed in an adjoining space—to observe the rite at the altar without entering the sanctum. They also accommodated spaces with multiple altars or chapels within a single church, enabling concurrent or discreet participation in the liturgy. Over time, some hagioscopes were altered, blocked, or repurposed, while others survive as visible remnants of medieval liturgical practice.

See also related terms such as squint (architecture), which describes similar openings. Hagioscopes stand as architectural witnesses to medieval approaches to space, visibility, and ritual access within churches.