Tours, France The current Basilica of St. Martin of Tours is, depending on how you count, at least the sixth church built over the tomb of this popular French saint. Martin, along with his contemporary Hilary of Poitiers, was instrumental in the establishment of Christianity in Western Europe, as well as halting the spread of Arianism. The current incarnation of this church … [Read more...]
BASILICA OF ST. AUGUSTINE
Rome, Italy The Basilica of St. Augustine in Rome is easily dismissed as a footnote lost amid a veritable sea of Catholicism’s greatest churches. In any other city in the world it would be counted among the most venerated of churches as it houses the relic of St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine of Hippo. In addition to its religious importance, it is one of Rome’s most … [Read more...]
CHURCH OF ST. HILARY THE GREAT
Poitiers, France The Church of St.Hilary the Great was built in honor of the one of the earliest and most important French Christian figures, Hilary of Poitiers, who was pivotal in the spreading of Christianity into Northwestern Europe. Although constructed nearly seven centuries after his death, Hilary’s tomb was moved within, and the church became an important stop on the … [Read more...]
CATHEDRAL OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY
Dubrovnik, Croatia Since ancient times, the Dalmatian Coast has long marked the border between the Roman Catholic West and the Greek Orthodox East and later the Ottoman Islamic East. This made Dubrovnik a critical waystation for Catholic pilgrims enroute to the Holy Land. Furthermore, Dubrovnik was one of the major Maritime Republics active during the Renaissance. Therefore … [Read more...]
BASILICA OF ST. LAWRENCE OUTSIDE THE WALL
Rome, Italy The Basilica of St. Lawrence Outside the Walls, so-called because of its location outside the old city walls, is one of the great churches of Rome. Although overshadowed by St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican, as well as by St. Paul Outside the Walls and St. John in Lateran, it is nevertheless a beloved and popular pilgrimage destination. Aside from its … [Read more...]
CONVENT OF THE JACOBINS
Toulouse, France Few cities in Western Europe boast a religious history as tumultuous as that of Toulouse in Southern France. As home to a long succession of heretical movements, Toulouse experienced more inter-Christian religious strife than almost any other city in Europe prior to the Protestant Reformation. However, the destruction that the city regularly incurred … [Read more...]
CATACOMBS OF ROME
Rome, Italy In the search for early Christian architecture, there is virtually nothing left above ground that was constructed prior to the 4th century that is not now a ruin or renovated beyond recognition. To find Christianity’s oldest intact architectural achievements, one must look below ground, to the ancient burial places known as Catacombs. Although such underground … [Read more...]
HISTORIC ANGLICAN CATHEDRALS OF LONDON
London, England While Canterbury Cathedral is the seat of the Anglican Church and the mother church of all denominations within the Anglican Communion, it is Westminster Abbey, and to a lesser extent St. Paul’s Cathedral, that are the public faces of the Church of England. Westminster Abbey, classified as a Royal Peculiar, has been the unofficial church of the English … [Read more...]
CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL
Canterbury, England Canterbury Cathedral is the headquarters of the Anglican Church and for most of the Middle Ages it was also England’s greatest pilgrimage shrine. Interestingly, Canterbury is neither England’s first Christian city (Glastonbury), nor is its Cathedral the most impressive (Winchester Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral) or famous (Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s … [Read more...]
MOTHER HOUSE OF THE MISSIONARIES OF CHARITY
Kolkata, West Bengal From its outside appearance, the Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata is one of the least likely pilgrimage destinations imaginable. But considering the history of its founder, perhaps this is fitting. It is very likely that this austere building may eventually come to be the most popular Christian site in Asia. It is certainly one … [Read more...]
