Cantabria, Spain The Santo Toribia De Liebana Monastery, tucked quietly away in a northern corner of Spain, has long harbored one of Christianity’s most coveted artifacts: the largest extent piece of the True Cross that Jesus was crucified upon. Although critics have expressed pessimism at the authenticity of the True Cross as early as the 4th century AD, there is little … [Read more...]
Archives for June 2014
STATUE OF CHRIST THE REDEEMER
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil The nation of Brazil boasts the world’s largest Catholic population it as well as the world’s most famous Catholic icon: the Statue of Christ the Redeemer. Standing upon the crown of Corcovado Mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro, the statue has become the most recognized and famous symbol of Christianity in all of Latin America. So spectacular is the … [Read more...]
BASILICA OF OUR LADY OF PEACE
Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast The city of Yamoussoukro in the Ivory Coast is the unlikely home to one of the world’s record-setting Christian structures. In this small city, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, you will find the world’s largest church by some standards: the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace. Loosely modeled on St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, it features the largest … [Read more...]
SEDLEC OSSUARY
Kutna Hora, Czech Republic When the Black Plague swept through Bohemia in the 14th century, it left in its wake tens of thousands of dead bodies and a number of innovative Cistercian monks with a lot of time on their hands. The ensuing six centuries of labor resulted in what is without a doubt one of the most macabre holy shrines in Christendom: the Sedlec Ossuary. Here, … [Read more...]
PAPAL PALACE
Avignon, France In 1309 AD, Pope Clement V moved the Papal residence from Rome in Italy to Avignon in France, initiating what many Catholics refer to as the Babylonian Captivity, a sixty-eight year period when the Bishop of Rome did not reside in Rome. Although the Papacy was in Avignon for barely seven decades, its presence transformed the tiny town into a major … [Read more...]
STAVE CHURCH OF URNES
Luster, Norway When Christianity arrived in Scandinavia, it found a land rich in lumber and people highly skilled in carpentry and woodworking. When the first churches began springing up throughout the Scandinavian countryside, the people adopted the local styles and created one of the most unique forms of Christian architecture: the stave church. Throughout the Middle … [Read more...]
MONASTERIES OF METEORA
Kalampaka, Greece If the monasteries of Mount Athos are the spiritual heart of the Orthodox Church in Greece, than those of Meteora are its architectural heart. Less than one hundred miles away from Mount Athos, the monastic community of Meteora is somewhat more isolated than the former but infinitely more welcoming to pilgrims and tourists. Moreover Meteora’s … [Read more...]
ROCK CHURCHES OF NEW JERUSALEM
Lalibela, Ethiopia While the Church of St. Mary of Zion in Axum may be Ethiopia’s holiest site, the Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela are by far the more amazing and interesting. This collection of eleven churches was carved from the living rock near the city of Lalibela by the orders of the Ethiopian King of the same name. While these spectacular shrines are not unique to … [Read more...]
ABBEY OF MONT-ST-MICHEL
Mont-St-Michel, France The Abbey of Mont-St-Michel is one of the most amazing architectural and engineering achievements of the Middle Ages. A magnificent edifice perched on the top of an immense rock jutting out of the sea off the northern coast of France; it is one of the most awe-inspiring constructions on Earth. That said, Mont-St-Michel is something of a puzzle. On … [Read more...]
MEZQUITA MOSQUE CATHEDRAL
Cordoba, Spain The Mezquita of Spain is one of Christianity’s greatest architectural oddities. That is because it is, in fact, a converted mosque. But not just any mosque; it was built by the Umayyads during their occupation of Spain, and was at the time of its construction the largest and grandest mosque in the world outside of Mecca. After the Reconquista of Cordoba in … [Read more...]
