Pergola

A pergola is an outdoor structure consisting of columns that support a roofing grid of beams and rafters. This roofing grid may be left open or covered so as to create an area sheltered from the elements. Pergolas may be freestanding or attached to a house.

Pergolas, by contrast, are typically larger structures, often in every dimension (height, width, and length). Sometimes given greater architectural treatment, they may exhibit masonry columns, for instance. Their tops are more often flat. Traditional pergola design harks back to grand masonry pergolas of the Italian Renaissance. But the term, "pergola" is used more loosely now, and includes wooden structures (as in the photo).