Cupola

For other uses, see Cupola (disambiguation). Not to be confused with Copula.

In architecture, a cupola (/ˈk(j)uːpələ/) is a relatively small, usually dome-like structure on top of a building often crowning a larger roof or dome. Cupolas often serve as a roof lantern to admit light and air or as a lookout.

The word derives, via Italian, from lower Latin cupula (classical Latin cupella), from Ancient Greek κύπελλον (kúpellon) 'small cup' (Latin cupa), indicating a vault resembling an upside-down cup.

The cylindrical drum underneath a larger cupola is called a tholobate.

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