Decani

Decani (Latin: "of the dean"; /dɪˈkeɪnaɪ/) is the side of a church choir occupied by the Dean. In English churches this is typically the choir stalls on the south side of the chancel. The opposite side is known as Cantoris.

Map of Desan

The association of the Dean with the south side has propagated from the Sarum (now Salisbury Cathedral) liturgical norm, a practise that then propagated through pre-Reformation England and Wales. There are some notable exceptions in the monastic cathedrals, where the senior cleric under the bishop was the prior; he often sat on the liturgical north. Hence, in Durham Cathedral, St Davids Cathedral, Carlisle Cathedral and Southwell Minster, decani is on the north.