parvis

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

parvis
    n 1: a courtyard or portico in front of a building (especially a
         cathedral)

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Parvis \Par"vis\, Parvise \Par"vise\, n. [F. parvis, fr. LL.
   paravisus, fr. L. paradisus. See {Paradise}.]
   A court of entrance to, or an inclosed space before, a
   church; hence, a church porch; -- sometimes formerly used as
   place of meeting, as for lawyers. --Chaucer.
   [1913 Webster] Parvitude