A cavetto is an architectural moulding profile shaped as a concave quarter circle, also known as a hollow moulding or cove. It is one of the fundamental profiles in classical architecture and serves as a transitional element between two surfaces, such as between a wall and ceiling or as part of a cornice.
Form and Origin
The cavetto profile takes the shape of an inward-curving quarter circle. It transitions a vertical surface smoothly into a horizontal one, creating a gentle visual connection. The name derives from the Italian “cavetto,” a diminutive of “cavo” (hollow).
In Egyptian architecture, the cavetto was one of the most distinctive decorative elements. The Egyptian cavetto cornice crowned virtually every temple building, featuring a large outward-leaning cavetto profile often decorated with vertical ribs representing stylised palm leaves bending over the edge of the structure. This motif became so closely associated with Egyptian sacred architecture that it served as a visual marker of religious buildings.
In Greek and Roman architecture, the cavetto became part of the classical system of moulding profiles. It is distinguished from related profiles such as the scotia (a deeper concave curve), the cyma recta, and the cyma reversa (both S-shaped profiles). Within the classical orders of columns, the cavetto appears as a component of column bases and entablature cornices.
Application
In contemporary construction, the cavetto profile continues to be used, often in simplified form:
- As a cove moulding at the junction of wall and ceiling
- As a component of cornices and facade mouldings
- In plaster and gypsum profiles for interior finishing
- In the restoration of historic buildings
The cavetto profile is also common in furniture making and woodworking, where it is applied as a router or plane profile on moulding strips, skirting boards, and edges. Modern CNC machinery allows precise reproduction of cavetto profiles in a range of materials including timber, stone, plaster, and composites.
Related terms
- Cornice
- Scotia
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