Church Architecture

Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Amiens
Artist: Robert of Luzarches Thomas and Regnault de Cormont
1220-70 Architecture

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The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Amiens, also known as simply Amiens Cathedral, is a Catholic cathedral. The cathedral was built almost entirely between 1220 and c. 1270, a very short period of time for a Gothic cathedral, giving it an unusual unity of style. Amiens is an early example of the High Gothic period, and the Rayonnant style of Gothic architecture. The Rayonnant appeared in the triforiuum and clerestory, which were begun in 1236, and in the enlarged high windows of the choir, added in the mid-1250s

Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains
Artist: Henry Walter; Edward J. Schulte (renovation)
1841-45 Architecture

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The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains is a Catholic cathedral of the Latin Church in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It is dedicated to Saint Peter's imprisonment and liberation.

The church's cornerstone was laid on May 20, 1841, under the direction of then-bishop—later archbishop—John Baptist Purcell, and the church was formally dedicated on November 2, 1845, as the first large church west of the Allegheny Mountains. On June 29, 2020, Pope Francis conferred the title of minor basilica on St. Peter in Chains.

Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Denver)
Artist: Leon Coquard
1902-11 Architecture

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The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Denver of the Roman Catholic Church. The cathedral was raised to the status of minor basilica on Christmas Day 1979. On August 13 and 14, 1993 (for World Youth Day), Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass at the cathedral, one of only a few cathedrals in the United States so honored.

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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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