You will find this great work of art that Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to paint by Ludovico il Moro, from 1496 to 1498, in the refectory of the Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, outside the church a door, on your right, will lead you into it.
The Last Supper painted by Leonardo da Vinci is ingeniously devised as an expansion of the perspective of the space in which it is set (1495-1497). It is one of the most famous works of art in the world, and has long been an icon of Western civilization.
The Last Supper - Leonardo da Vinci (zoomify)
The scene portrays the moment in which Jesus tells his disciples that one of them is about to betray him. The Last Supper is included in the UNESCO’s World Heritage list. On the opposite wall there is a Crucifixion dating of the same period by Giovanni Donato Montorfano.
The Last Supper - detail
The Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie is one of the most striking monuments of Lombard Renaissance. The Church was built between 1466 and 1490 under the direction of Guiniforte Solari, only subsequently in 1492 the apsidal part was added by Bramante. In the refectory of the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, ancient premises of the Court of the Inquisition, one of the absolute masterpieces of history is kept: Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper.
The fame of the building is also due to the tribune of the apsyidal part on today’s Via Caradosso, added in 1492. The inside of the church with a double series of side chapels highlights the Solari’s Gothic background just as the arcades on the two rows of columns. The vaults bear frescoed decorations dating from the birth of the building, rediscovered after they had been hidden in 600.
Santa Maria delle Grazie - exterior
The inside of the church with a double series of side chapels highlights the Solari’s Gothic background just as the arcades on the two rows of columns. The vaults bear frescoed decorations dating from the birth of the building, rediscovered after they had been hidden in 600.
Notre Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris), also known as Notre Dame Cathedral, is a Gothic, Roman Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. Notre Dame de Paris is widely considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in France and in Europe.
Notre Dame de Paris façade (zoomify)
It is the cathedral of the Catholic archdiocese of Paris: it contains the “cathedra”, or official chair, of the Archbishop of Paris, André Cardinal Vingt-Trois.
Notre Dame de Paris façade detail
Here you can see a detail of the high resolution image of the facade.
It was restored and saved from destruction by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, one of France’s most famous architects. The name Notre Dame means “Our Lady” in French, and is frequently used in the names of Catholic church buildings in Francophone countries. Notre Dame de Paris was one of the first Gothic cathedrals, and its construction spanned the Gothic period. Its sculptures and stained glass show the heavy influence of naturalism, unlike that of earlier Romanesque architecture.
Notre Dame de Paris - altar
Notre Dame de Paris was among the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress (arched exterior supports). The building was not originally designed to include the flying buttresses around the choir and nave. After the construction began and the thinner walls (popularized in the Gothic style) grew ever higher, stress fractures began to occur as the walls pushed outward. In response, the cathedral’s architects built supports around the outside walls, and later additions continued the pattern.
Notre Dame de Paris - interior
The cathedral suffered desecration during the radical phase of the French Revolution in the 1790s, when much of its religious imagery was damaged or destroyed. During the 19th century, an extensive restoration project was completed, returning the cathedral to its previous state.
The St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral is located at the Treurenberg hill in Brussels, Belgium. In French, it is called Cathédrale Saints-Michel-et-Gudule and in Dutch Sint-Michiels- en Sint-Goedelekathedraal, usually shortened to “Sint-Goedele”.
St. Michael and Gudula Cathedral - exterior
In 1047, Lambert II, Count of Leuven founded a chapter in this church and organized the transportation of the relics of Saint Gudula, housed before then in Saint Gaugericus Church on Saint-Géry Island. The patron saints of the church, archangel St. Michael and the martyr St. Gudula, are also the patron saints of the city of Brussels.
St. Michael and Gudula Cathedral - central nave
In the thirteenth century, the cathedral was renovated in the Gothic style. The choir was constructed between 1226 and 1276. The façade was completed in the mid-fifteenth century.
It is an archiepiscopal cathedral of the Archbishop of Mechlin-Brussels, the Primate of Belgium, currently Archbishop André-Mutien Léonard. It is located in the national capital and therefore often used for Catholic ceremonies of national interest, such as royal marriages and state funerals.
The Protestant Kaiser William Memorial Church (Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche) is located in Berlin on the Kurfürstendamm in the centre of the Breitscheidplatz.
Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtnis Church at dusk
The original church on the site was built in the 1890s. It was badly damaged in a bombing raid in 1943. The present building, which consists of a church with an attached foyer and a separate belfry with an attached chapel, was built between 1959 and 1963. The damaged spire of the old church has been retained and its ground floor has been made into a memorial hall.
Original Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtnis Church
The new church was designed by Egon Eiermann and consists of four buildings grouped around the remaining ruins of the old church. The initial design included the demolition of the spire of the old church but following pressure from the public, it was decided to incorporate it into the new design.
New Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtnis Church
The new buildings are constructed of concrete, steel and glass. The walls of the church are made of a concrete honeycomb containing 21,292 stained glass inlays. The glass, designed by Gabriel Loire, was inspired by the colours of the glass in Chartres Cathedral. The predominant colour is blue, with small areas of ruby red, emerald green and yellow. The church is 35 metres in diameter and 20.5 metres high with a capacity of over 1,000. Because of the distinctive appearance of the new buildings, it is sometimes nicknamed “Lippenstift und Puderdose” (the lipstick and the powder box) by Berliners.
(St. John Lateran) San Giovanni in Laterano is the oldest and ranks first among the four patriarchal churches of Rome; it is the head of all churches throughout Rome and the world. Originally the palace of Constantine, it was later adapted to serve as the church of the Pope. The arch-Basilica was built later on the site of the original church and is known as St. John Lateran or the Lateran Basilica, and is dedicated to St. John the Baptist.
San Giovanni in Laterano - square
The top of the facade boasts huge statues of Christ and the Apostles. In the five-arched portico, there are as many doors, the last on the right being the Holy Door, which is accessible only every 25 years, during Jubilee years. This church has survived two fires and a terrorist attack.
This is Rome’s cathedral; it’s here that the pope officiates in his capacity as bishop of Rome. The towering facade dates from 1736 and was modeled on that of St. Peter’s Basilica. The 15 colossal statues (Christ, John the Baptist, John the Evangelist, and the 12 Apostles of the church) look out on the sea of dreary suburbs that have spread from Porta San Giovanni to the lower slopes of the Alban Hills.
San Giovanni in Laterano - high altar
The Papal Altar in this church is reserved for the Pope and only he can celebrate mass from this pulpit. The residence of the Popes until 1309 is also here (The Lateran Palace) and was rebuilt by Domenico Fontana in 1586. In the piazza is an ancient obelisk, dated to the 15th century BC, and parts of Nero’s Aqueduct.
San Giovanni in Laterano - sanctuary and apse
The cathedral itself is located outside of the Vatican City boundaries, territorially located within the city of Rome in the Italian Republic. However it has been granted a special extraterritorial status as a property of the Holy See.
Cologne Cathedral (German: Hohe Domkirche St. Peter und Maria) is a Roman Catholic church in Cologne, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne, and is under the administration of the archdiocese of Cologne. It is renowned as a monument of Christianity, of German Catholicism in particular, of Gothic architecture and of the continuing faith and perseverance of the people of the city in which it stands. It is dedicated to Saint Peter and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The cathedral is one of the world’s largest churches and the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe.
Kölner Dom (cologne cathedral) west facade
With a total surface area of almost 7000 m2, the west façade of the Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral) is the largest ever church façade created. Its form, with its two imposing 157 metre spires crowned with magnificent filigree spires, can be traced back to a medieval architectural drawing known as Facade Section F, a parchment document drawn in the year 1280, almost one hundred years before work actually commenced on the building of this facade In 1360. Work on the spires was not however completed until 1880. Despite a richness verging on excess of detailed shapes and decorative details, the facade is nonetheless based on a very clearly visible and simple structure.
Cologne Cathedral interior of nave and central aisle
More panoramas of the Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral), one of the best-known architectural monuments in Germany, and Cologne’s most famous landmark, described by UNESCO as an “exceptional work of human creative genius” can be found in Arounder Cologne.
The Asinou Church in Cyprus is a 12th Century structure dedicated the Virgin Mary. The church is situated in the village of Asinou. It features frescoes from the 12th Century and later periods that have been called the grandest examples of Byzantine mural painting on the small island. In all, there are more than 100 paintings in the Asinou Church.
Asinou Church Cyprus - narthex
The main paintings depict the life of Jesus Christ. These works of art include the portrayal of The Last Supper and the Crucifixion. Other paintings, housed on the lower levels in the church, encompass paintings of individual saints. Lastly, the church is home to a wide variety of paintings of the Virgin Mary and stories from her life.
The Church of Our Lady of Asinou
The modest structure boasts a common church design of the 12th Century. It is made up of a rectangular nave covered by a barrel vaulted dome. Primarily, it was built with mud mortar. Needless to say, the church has been victim to frequent collapses and has undergone more then one reconstruction. The church sits near (5 kilometers) Nikitari, bordering the Nicosia-Troodos road. It is approximately 20 kilometers north of Kakopetria. Visitors are encouraged to request the assistance of the Nikitari village priest when traveling to the church. The priest can escort visitors through the church.
The Temppeliaukio church located in the heart of Helsinki is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city; half a million people visit it annually. Maintaining the original character of the square is the fundamental concept behind the building.
Temppeliaukio church exterior
The idiosyncratic choice of form has made it a favorite with professionals and aficionados of architecture. Construction began in February 1968, and the rock-temple was completed for consecration in September 1969.
Temppeliaukio church interior
The interior was excavated and built into the rock, but is bathed in natural light entering through the glazed dome. The church is used frequently as a concert venue due to its excellent acoustics. The acoustic quality is ensured by the rough, virtually unworked, rock surfaces. The back wall of the altar is a majestic rock wall, originally created by a withdrawing glacier.
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