Vatican City, Italy Although the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican is just one of three official residences of the Pope, it is the one which most pilgrims to Rome are familiar with. Adjacent to St. Peter’s Basilica, it is one of Europe’s most magnificent residences, on par with Buckingham Palace in London or the Royal Palace of Madrid. It is also the world’s single greatest … [Read more...]
CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA DELLE GRAZIE
Milan, Italy The Church of Santa Maria Delle Grazie is a former 15th century Dominican Convent. Heavily damaged by Allied bombs during World War II, this church and convent might have been condemned to the dustbin of history if it wasn’t for the presence of a certain curiosity which is painted on the wall of the old convent refectory: Leonardo DaVinci’s The Last Supper, one … [Read more...]
GUTENBERG MUSEUM
Mainz, Germany In the mid-15th century, Johannes Gutenberg, an innovative citizen of Mainz in Germany, invented the world’s first moveable-type printing press. Sixteen years later, Gutenberg produced his magnum opus, and one of the most famous books in history: the Gutenberg edition of the Holy Bible. According to the records of his studio, one hundred and eighty volumes … [Read more...]
BRITISH LIBRARY
London, England The British Library in London is one of the world’s largest repositories of books and knowledge. It is not surprising to find, therefore, that its absolutely immense collection includes a number of extremely rare and priceless Christian writings; and among these may be the rarest and most priceless of all: the Codex Sinaiticus, the oldest complete copy of … [Read more...]
ISRAEL MUSEUM
Jerusalem, Israel The Israel Museum is the national museum of the State of Israel and possibly the world’s greatest religious museum. A sprawling world-class complex, no other museum in Israel, or perhaps in the entire Middle East (with the possible exception of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo) boasts so large or diverse a collection. Designed to capture the immense, … [Read more...]
HAGIA SOFIA OF ISTANBUL
Istanbul, Turkey Of the original five great patriarchates of Christianity, that of Byzantium was the last to form and, for many years, was the least important. This situation changed dramatically in the 4th century when Constantine not only legalized Christianity but also moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Byzantium. Almost overnight Byzantium became the most … [Read more...]
XI’AN BEILIN MUSEUM
Xi’an, China Because of the complete triumph Islam in the Middle East in the early Middle Ages, it is easy to forget that in its early centuries, Christianity had spread throughout much of Asia. By the 5th century it was a major, if not the predominant, religion of Mesopotamia and Persia, and Christian missionaries had penetrated into India and China even before the Prophet … [Read more...]
HOLY LAND EXPERIENCE
Orlando, Florida The Holy Land Experience, located in the midst of Orlando’s theme-park belt, is a living museum of sorts dedicated to recreating life in Jerusalem as it might have been during the late Second Temple period. Although it has been criticized for ‘Disney’-fying Christianity and the life of Christ, it nevertheless offers a fascinating and unique window into the … [Read more...]
HEADQUARTERS OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
New Haven, Connecticut Ever since its inception, Christianity, and the Catholic Church in particular, has inspired the creation of countless religious organizations, the vast majority of which seek to carry out the work which Jesus of Nazareth charged all Christians with. These have come in many forms, from monastic orders to missionary societies to charitable … [Read more...]
SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER & MUSEUM OF TOLERANCE
Los Angeles, California In the aftermath of World War II, when the full extent of the Holocaust became known, an immense effort was made by the Allies and governments all over Europe to bring the perpetrators to justice. These early manhunts and prosecutions peaked at the Nuremburg Trials, when most of the major surviving Nazi figures were tried and, in many cases, executed. … [Read more...]
