What Is an "Ionic Column"?

Definition:

Ionic is one of three column styles developed in ancient Greece. More slender and more ornate than the earlier Doric style, an Ionic column has scroll-shaped ornaments on the capital, or top.

Features of an Ionic Column:

• Stands on a base of stacked disks
• Shafts are usually fluted, but can be plain
• A pair of volutes (scroll-shaped ornaments) decorates the capital

Facts About Ionic Columns:

• First used in the mid-6th century BC
• Originated in Ionia, a region settled by Greeks who spoke the Ionian dialect

Architectural Styles that use Ionic Columns:

• Classical
• Neoclassical

Buildings With Ionic Columns:

• The Erechtheion at the Acropolis in Athens
• The Colosseum in Rome (Doric columns on the first level, Ionic columns on the second level, and Corinthian columns on the third level)
• Basilica Palladiana (Ionic columns on the upper level, Doric columns below)
• The Jefferson Memorial
• Union Station in Washington DC
• Rosehill Manor

Common Misspellings: ionac, ianic, onic, oinic