Church Architecture

Braga Cathedral
1071 - mid 13th Century Architecture

The Cathedral of Braga ( Sé de Braga) is a Roman Catholic church in the northern city of Braga, Portugal. Due to its long history and artistic significance, it is also one of the most important buildings in the country.

The Diocese of Braga dates from the 3rd century AD, being one of the oldest in the peninsula and the center for the Christianisation of Gallaecia (Northwestern Iberia).

Saint Peter of Rates or of Braga, is traditionally considered to be the first bishop of Braga between the years 45 and 60. Tradition says he was a Jew that had recently died when Saint James the Great was in the area. The Apostle knowing him to be a man of intelligence and good will had him resurrected from the grave and ordained him to preach the glory of Christ. The same tradition holds that Peter of Rates was martyred while attempting to make converts to the Christian faith in northern Portugal. Bishop Martin of Dumio, a great religious figure of the time, converted the population to Catholicism around 550. Around 1071 the city was back in Christian hands, and the work was started to build a cathedral. The Cathedral of Braga was the first Portuguese cathedral, erected several decades before the founding of the country when it was part of the Kingdom of León. It was concecrated and dedicated to the Virgin Mary by Bishop Pedro in a solemn session on August 28, 1089.

The cathedral was the most important religious site in Iberia (before the founding of Santiago of Compostela and the reconquest of Toledo from Muslim hands) was an extremely powerful institution at the time and enjoyed a great degree of influence in the papal court.

Canterbury Cathedral
built 597 rebuilt 1070 - 77 rebuilt 1174 Architecture

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Canterbury Cathedral (Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Christ, Canterbury) is the cathedral of the archbishop of Canterbury, the leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Located in Canterbury, Kent, UK, it is one of the oldest Christian structures in England.

Catedral Basílica Del Pilar or Or Lady of the Pillar
1681 - 1872 Architecture

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Built in a beautiful Baroque style, the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, as it is known in English, it is a Catholic Church and one of Zaragoza, Spain's most popular attractions. While it was only erected in 1681, numerous chapels and churches have been built on the same spot, ever since the Mother of God was miraculously sighted on the banks of the Ebro in 40 AD. It is reputed to be the first church dedicated to Mary in history.

Local traditions and history of this basilica relate io the spread of Christianity in Roman Spain attributing to an apparition to Saint James the Great, the apostle who is believed by tradition to have brought Christianity to the country. This is the only reported apparition of Mary to have occurred before her believed Assumption.

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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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