Church Architecture

St. Mark's Basilica
built 829–c. 836 rebuilt 1063–1094 Architecture

Saint Mark’s Basilica (Basilica di San Marco a Venezia) is a world famous Byzantine cathedral in Venice’s St. Mark’s Square, sometimes known as Chiesa d’Oro or “Church of Gold." St. Mark’s Basilica was originally founded in 828 AD, after the relics of the patron saint Mark the evangelist were brought, or reportedly stolen, from Alexandria. At that time it was a temporary building forming part of the palace of the Doge Giustiniano Particiaco.

Saint Mark’s Basilica has undergone a series of transformations, first being built as a permanent church in 832 only to be burnt down in 976 as part of a rebellion. Although the church was rebuilt in 978, it was actually a construction project commenced in 1063 under the auspices of Domenico Contarini which formed the basis of the current form of Saint Mark’s Basilica.

In 1094 It was dedicated to Saint Mark. Since that time, Saint Mark’s Basilica has undergone a series of changes, both in terms of its architecture and social stature. Numerous people have added to and enhanced St Mark’s Basilica over the years, bringing pieces from around the world which have contributed to its grandeur.

From a religious perspective, St Mark’s Basilica was a state church until 1807, when it became the seat of the Patriarch of Venice and, on the subsequent orders of Napoleon, the city cathedral.

St. Mary Cathedral Basilica (Galveston, Texas)
Artist: Theodore Eugene Giraud, with later addition by Nicholas J. Clayton
1842-48 Architecture

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St. Mary Cathedral Basilica is a Catholic church situated in Galveston, Texas. It is the primary cathedral of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and the mother church of Catholics in Texas, as well as a minor basilica. It started as a small wooden-framed building in Galvestan in 1842 and was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Because St. Mary Cathedral was the first Catholic cathedral in the state of Texas, and the original Diocese of Galveston encompassed the entire state, it has the distinction of being the mother church of all the Catholic dioceses in Texas.

St. Mary Cathedral was named a Texas state historic landmark in 1968 and a national historic landmark in 1973. In 1979, in recognition of the cathedral's importance to the community and the state of Texas, as well as the historical impact it had on Catholicism in the state of Texas, Pope John Paul II elevated St. Mary Cathedral to the status of a minor basilica

St. Mary's Cathedral (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
Artist: Pease and Barber
1891-1898 Architecture

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St. Mary's Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. It is the seat of the Diocese of Colorado Springs. The property on which St. Mary's sits was purchased for $3,100 in 1888.

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When we think of Christian architecture, we may picture towering cathedrals with intricate stained-glass windows, but the roots of this style are much more humble. The earliest Christian structures were not grand, but rather simple house churches. As Christianity grew, its places of worship grew in size and intricacy.

The transition from early Christian to medieval architecture paralelled societal and religious changes. The Romanesque style, characterized by its rounded arches and massive walls, was followed by the Gothic style with its pointed archs, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses.

Christian architecture has created some of the world’s most iconic structures. These buildings all share a common thread: they are physical manifestations of the Christian faith.

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