Cologne Cathedral (German: Kölner Dom) is one of the best-known architectural monuments in Germany and has been Cologne's most famous landmark for centuries. This Cathedral is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Cologne. From 1880, when its spires were completed, until 1884 it was the World's tallest structure, losing its title at the completion of the Washington Monument in Washington DC. Cologne Cathedral remains the tallest Gothic structure in the world.

Construction of the gothic church began in the 13th century and took, with interruptions, more than 600 years to complete. The two towers are 157m tall, the cathedral is 144m long and 86m wide. The cathedral is dedicated to Saints Peter and Mary.

It was built on the site of a 4th century Roman temple, a square edifice known as the 'oldest cathedral' and commissioned by Maternus, the first Christian bishop of Cologne. A second church built on the site, the so-called "Old Cathedral", was completed in 818. This burned down on April 30, 1248.

The present cathedral was built to house the relics of the Magi, taken from Milan (Italy) by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa and given to the Archbishop of Cologne, Rainald of Dassel in 1164. The foundation stone was laid on August 15, 1248, by Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden. The choir was consecrated in 1322. After this initial rapid progress, construction work gradually came to a standstill, and by the year 1560, only a torso had been built. It was only with 19th century romantic enthusiasm for the Middle Ages and the commitment of the Prussian Court that construction work resumed in 1824 with the addition of the towers and other substantial parts of the cathedral, mostly according to surviving medieval plans and drawings. The completion of Germany's largest cathedral was celebrated as a national event in 1880, 632 years after construction had began. The celebration was attended by Emperor Wilhelm I.

The most celebrated work of art in the cathedral is the Sarcophagus of the Magi, a large gilded sarcophagus dating from the 13th century, and the largest reliquary in the western world. It is thought to hold the remains of the Three Wise Men, which bones and 2000 years old clothes were discovered at the opening of the shrine in 1864.

Aachen Cathedral.
The Aachen Cathedral, frequently referred to as the "Imperial Cathedral" (in German: Kaiserdom) of Aachen, is the oldest cathedral in northern Europe. Charlemagne began the construction of the Palace Chapel in 786. When he died in 814, he was buried in his own cathedral, and his bones are still preserved in a special shrine.

The cathedral obtained its present shape in the course of more than a millennium. The core of the Aachen cathedral is the Palace Chapel; being surprisingly small in comparison to the later additions, at the time of its construction it was the largest dome north of the Alps. Its fascinating architecture with Classical, Byzantine and Germanic-Franconian elements is the essence of a monumental building of great importance: for 600 years, from 936 to 1531, the Aachen cathedral was the church of coronation for 30 kings of the Holy Roman Empire. (This photo dates back to 1881; there is now a spire atop the right-most square tower)

The Aachen cathedral treasury displays sacred masterpieces of the late Classical, Carolingian, Ottonian and Staufian period - among them there are some unique exhibits like the "Cross of Lothair" the "Bust of Charlemagne" and the "Persephone sarcophagus". The Cathedral Treasury in Aachen is regarded as one of the most important ecclesiastical treasuries in northern Europe.

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, also called the Baltimore Basilica, was the first major religious building constructed in the nation after the adoption of the United States Constitution. As a co-cathedral, it is one of the seats of the ecclesiastical See of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore in Baltimore, Maryland. This Cathedral was built between 1804 and 1821, designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, the first Architect of the U.S. Capitol.

The Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, is located in Washington, D.C. It is a prominent basilica, honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary the Patroness of the United States. This Basilica is the largest church in the Western Hemisphere, located on Michigan Avenue in the northeast quadrant of the city on land donated by the Catholic University of America. Building began in 1920, and the church opened in 1959. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark on the National Register of Historic Places.

This church is not the official church of the United States since the U.S. does not have an official state religion. The Basilica is sometimes confused with the Washington National Cathedral, which is also a National Historic Landmark. The National Cathedral is an Episcopal Church chartered by Congress as the National House of Prayer and functions for funerals of Presidents, as recently seen for the Funeral Service for President Gerald Ford.

The Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception serves the adjacent Catholic University, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (closeby). There are numerous chapels and domes, decorated in mosaics, traditional Catholic images. The picture at the right shows the centerpiece of the Great Upper Church, depicting Christ in Majesty.

At 3,600 square feet and containing nearly 3 million tiles, it is one of the largest mosaics of Jesus in the world. It is designed in the Eastern Christian tradition of the Pantocrator, meaning the Ruler of All. The Basilica is built in the Romanesque style.

† St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York, NY - This is a very large Gothic Church in the middle of New York's midtown area, visited by 3 million people per year. Its windows were made by renowned artists in Chartres, France; Birmingham, England; and Boston, Massachusetts. The great Rose Window is the finest work designed by Charles Connick, the 20th Century genius in stained glass window design.

The Cathedral seats about 2,200 people. The exterior length is about 405 feet; the width is 274 feet, and the spires rise 330 feet from street level. The baldachin over the main altar is solid bronze.

The Archbishops of New York are buried in a crypt under the high altar. Their honorary hats, called galeros, hang from the ceiling over their tombs. There is a statue of the Pieta which is three times larger than the Pieta in St. Peter's, Rome.

The Cathedral has three organs. Records and CD's have been made of works played on these instruments.

Photo: Archdiocese of New York

† The Cathedral Church of Westminster, is dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, was designed in the Early Christian Byzantine style by the Victorian architect John Francis Bentley. The foundation stone was laid in 1895 and the building was completed eight years later.  The Cathedral is located in London, England, and can be reached from Victoria Street, Ashley Place, or Ambrosden Avenue. The building stands on land formerly owned by the Benedictine Order of the Catholic Church.
 

Notre Dame, Paris, France. A world famous Gothic Church in the heart of Paris, was begun in 1163 but did not reach completion until 180 years later in about 1345. The choir was completed in 1183, work was begun on the nave and completed c.1208, followed by the west front and towers c.1225-1250. A series of chapels were added to the nave during the period 1235-50, and to the apse during 1296-1330 (Pierre de Chelles and Jean Ravy). Transept crossings were built in 1250-67 by Jean de Chelles and Pierre de Montreuil (also the architect of the Sainte-Chapelle). The six-part rib vaults and the thin elements articulating the wall are typically Early Gothic. But in the 13th century, the interior was redone.

In the 20th Century, The Te Deum Mass for the Liberation of Paris, in August of 1944 was celebrated here, and in November 1970, the Requiem Mass for General de Gaulle was held in the Cathedral. Ten years later, in May 1980, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass in front of the Cathedral.

† St. Francis Seraph. "Invited to Cincinnati by Bishop John Baptist Purcell in 1844, the Franciscan friars, from the Province of St. Leopold, Tyrol, Austria, answered his call to help meet the needs of the great number of German Catholics who had been coming to the city since 1830. Bishop James F. Wood of Philadelphia consecrated St. Francis Seraph Church, the principal church of the Province of St. John the Baptist, on December 18, 1859." The Church and Friary are located at 1615 Vine Street (Liberty and Vine). The friars do much good in this area for the poor. The offices of St. Anthony Messenger Press are located almost adjacent (west of) the Parish. The Church and Friary are referred to, by the friars, as "The Motherhouse" - because this is where it all began. There is a strong Secular Franciscan presence and history in this Parish.

† Saint Bavo, was a Benedictine monk who lived from 589 to 654. His birth name was Alwin or Alewijn and he was born in Brabant in middle-Belgium. He had been married and had one daughter. He had at one time been a duke but his wife passed away and he decided not to remarry. He's often referred to as the "Hermit of Ghent." He was a native of Hesbaye and had quite a bit of influence on Catholicism in the Low Countries. He is patron saint for the Dutch diocese of Haarlem where a church is located with his name. And this Church is St. Bavo Cathedral, still an active Catholic parish. Of great interest is the organ of this Church, which has been featured in several organ repertoires by world-famous composers and organists. The organ has been restored recently. The Cathedral is an imposing building, and the last time I've visited there was in 1953, I believe, prior to the interior restoration.

"Talking about organs, the organ tradition of St. Sulpice dates back a long time. From the mid 16th century we can observe the presence of an organist. Then the well known Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers and Louis-Nicolas Clerambault follow. But these organists served the first parish church of St. Sulpice. The current church building, built during the mid 18th century according to the design of the architect Chalgrin, contains the monumental organ case (also designed by Chalgrin) that we can admire to this day (left). This case originally contained an instrument built in 1781 by Clicquot, with five manuals, 64 stops, and a Montre of 32 ft. The organ was considered one the finest organs of the French kingdom, along with those of Saint-Martin de Tours and Notre-Dame de Paris. Thanks to the talent of its organist, Nicolas Sejan, the instrument became celebrated throughout Europe. See console at right.

During the 19th century, the famous organ builder Aristide Cavaille-Coll constructed a new instrument that conserved much of the previous organ, with the intention of realizing the union of the "older art with the new." Thus the Grand-Orgue of St. Sulpice, one of the three "100 stop" European organs accompanied by Ulm Cathedral (Walcker) and Liverpool Cathedral (Willis), rapidly became admired throughout the world. Professor Adolphe Hesse of Breslau, a noted performer of Bach who had visited the organ just after its completion, wrote: "I must declare that of all of the instruments that I have seen, examined, and played, that of St. Sulpice is the most perfect, harmonious, largest, and really the master work of modern organ building."

In 1863, the brilliant virtuoso Lefebure-Wely was nominated organist. He was succeeded in 1870 by Charles-Marie Widor who was only 26 years old. Nominated with the title as a "temporary organist," he was never given the official title of "titular" during his 63 year presence at St. Sulpice! He resigned on the 31 December 1933, handing the post over to Marcel Dupre, another great figure in the organ world. Dupre died during the afternoon of the Pentecost in 1971 after playing for the mass that morning. He was succeeded by his student, Jean-Jacques Grunenwald, another great musician who would only hold the post for ten years. These artists, with high regard for Cavaille-Coll's work, had left the instrument intact; such was not the fate of many of his other instruments, which more or less have been modified during the first half of the 20th century. From St. Sulpice website

  † St. Mary's Basilica, Covington, Kentucky

One of the most beautiful stained glass windows in USA is found in St. Mary's Basilica in Covington, KY. The Cathedral's north transept window is the world's largest church stained glass window, measuring 67 feet in length by 24 feet wide. It presents the early fifth century Ecumenical Council of Ephesus that proclaimed Mary as the Mother of God.

There are two massive rose windows, masterly combinations of design and color that measure 26 feet in diameter. The rose window at the rear of the church (13) features a papal tiara center and the window above the main organ (4) features the Alpha and Omega symbols. The windows in the lower level of the apse, behind the altar, portray five miracles which relate the compassion of Christ for people in time of trouble.

This photo needs no introduction. It is St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.  It is believed that Emperor Constantine began construction in 324 A.D. on a great basilica at this same spot. In the mid-15th century it was decided the building should be rebuilt. The basilica in itself is an artwork composed of many valuable artistic elements. Construction started under Pope Julius II in 1506 and was completed in 1615 under Pope Paul V. Donato Bramante was to be the first chief architect. Many famous artists worked on the "Fabbrica di San Pietro" (as the complex of building operations were officially called). Michelangelo, who served as main architect for a while, designed the dome. After the death of Julius II building was halted until Pope Paul III asked Michelangelo to design the rest of the church. After Michelangelo's death his student Giacomo della Porta continued with the unfinished portions of the church. Carlo Maderno became the chief architect later on, and designed the entrance.

St. Peter's Basilica, Colonade, Obelisk, and surrounding buildings (Author unknown)
 

 † Churches personally visited by Fred Schaeffer SFO, webmaster of this website.