COENACULUM

When I first saw reference to the word Coenaculum, it was in the credits for a charming photo of an arched room used as a greeting card. (Eighth Day Books, Wichita)My friend wanted something like this for her wedding invitations. I created her own arched scene, shown above, then pursued the history of a room claiming to be the 'upper room' of Christ's last supper. A long-time student of architecture, I just could not accept that the room could have had such styling, much less be so ornate! Well, the research bore out my misgivings....

Coenaculum

coenaculum: Coenaculum, the term applied to the eating-room of a Roman house in which the supper (coena) or latest meal was taken.

"The building identified as the Coenaculum or the Cenacle is a small, two-storey structure within a larger complex of buildings on the summit of Mount Zion. The upper storey was built by the Franciscans in the 14th century to commemorate the Last Supper. [...] The present Chapel of the Coenaculum was built by the Franciscans on their return to the city in 1335. The ribbed vaulting of the ceiling is typical of Lusignan or Cypriot Gothic." ~from the Jewish Virtual Library a Division of the American Israeli Cooperative Enterprise.
Scholarly detailed article from the Biblical Archeology Review is reprinted on the
site of the Century One Foundation.

http://www.centuryone.org/apostles.html

The Biblical Archeology Society, which published the Review, is a resource as well http://www.bib-arch.org/