The Chapel in the Hills, a prominent Rapid City landmark, replicates the famous Borgund Stave Church in Norway, dating to the 12th century. The Rapid City chapel was built in 1969 as a tribute to the early Norwegian settlers in the region. The chapel replicates the traditional Norse stave architecture, characterized by vertical wooden posts and intricate woodcarvings. It is made entirely of wood and features a turf roof. The chapel’s interior features intricate woodcarvings that adorn the walls and ceilings, and its design reflects the rich cultural heritage of the Norwegian people. The chapel holds regular church services and often hosts weddings, concerts and other special events.
Chiesa di San Salvatore di Ognissanti or the Church of All Saints dates to the 1250s, but architect Bartolomeo Pettirossi rebuilt the church in Baroque-style around 1627. The Vespucci family attended the church, and Amerigo Vespucci is buried here. The church features 15th frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio and Sandro Botticelli, who is also buried in the church. Ghirlandaio created a fresco of the Last Supper in the refectory. The work may have influenced Leonardo da Vinci’s later work in Milan.
First Church is a prominent church in Dunedin and the city’s primary Presbyterian church. The current church, considered to be decorated Gothic style, stands on the stump of Bell Hill, a significant promontory that initially divided the heart of Dunedin in half. Dr. Thomas Burns, the brother of Scottish poet Robert Burns, laid the foundation stone in 1868, but the church was not completed until 1873.
Glasgow Cathedral, known as Cathair-eaglais Ghlaschu in Scottish Gaelic, is a historic parish church in Glasgow, Scotland, that belongs to the Church of Scotland. It is considered the oldest cathedral in mainland Scotland and the oldest building in Glasgow. The cathedral was once the seat of the Archbishop of Glasgow and, until the Scottish Reformation in the 16th century, it served as the mother church of the Archdiocese of Glasgow and the Province of Glasgow. The Bishop’s Castle, built in medieval times, once stood west of the cathedral until the 18th century. Saint Mungo, the patron saint of Glasgow, is honored at the cathedral, and his tomb lies in the Lower Church at the center of the building. The first stone cathedral was dedicated to Saint Mungo in 1136 in the presence of David I, and fragments of this structure have been found beneath the current cathedral, which was dedicated in 1197. The cathedral underwent significant rebuilding in the 13th century, and the University of Glasgow held its first classes in the cathedral’s chapter house after it was founded in 1451. Following the Reformation, the cathedral was partitioned to accommodate three separate congregations. However, in the early 19th century, there was a growing appreciation for the cathedral’s medieval architecture. Glasgow Cathedral has been Crown property since 1587 and under the state’s care since 1857. Today, it is the responsibility of Historic Environment Scotland, and the congregation is part of the Church of Scotland’s Presbytery of Glasgow.
Jesuit missionary Eusebio Francisco Kino founded Mission San Xavier del Bac in 1692. Kino, a Jesuit of Italian descent, often visited the area and preached to native residents. He began building a permanent mission around 1700, but the current building was constructed between 1783 and 1797 and is the oldest European structure in Arizona. The building features a white stucco and Moorish-inspired exterior with an ornately decorated entrance. Franciscans still actively run the church, unlike other Spanish missions in Arizona. The church, nicknamed “The White Dove of the Desert,” is on the Tohono O’odham Nation San Xavier Indian Reservation.
The Monastery of the Holy Spirit is located in the eastern Atlanta suburb of Conyers and is often referred to as “Georgia’s Most Remarkable Concrete Building.” The community was started on March 21, 1944, by 21 trappist monks who relocated to land donated by media mogul Henry Luce and the Archdiocese of Atlanta from Gethsemani Abbey in Kentucky. The Monastery itself was built between 1944 and 1949, the Monastery. A 17,000-square-foot Heritage Center, which opened in 2011, includes information about the history of the Monastery, a bonsai nursery and a café. Visitors looking to take home a piece of the experience need to stop by the gift shop or the bonsai nursery.
Workers began construction on Notre-Dame de Paris, which means “Our Lady of Paris,” in 1163. The famous Catholic cathedral, completed in 1345, is considered to be one of the best examples of French Gothic architecture in the world, not to mention its status as one of the world’s most famous churches. The cathedral served as the backdrop of Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel, “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.” A fire on April 15, 2019, heavily damaged the cathedral, but officials have vowed to rebuild the structure.
Old North Church is famous as the location where the message of “one if by land, two if by sea” was sent. In April 1775, Paul Revere told a trio of Boston patriots to hang two lanterns in the steeple to indicate British troops were approaching by sea. The church, built in December 1723, was inspired by the works of Christopher Wren, a British architect responsible for rebuilding London after the Great Fire.
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Old St Paul’s was built in 1865-66 and constructed from New Zealand native timbers. Rev. Frederick Thatcher designed the Gothic Revival structure, which served as the Diocese of Wellington of the Anglican Church between 1866 and 1964. The building was nearly demolished in the 1960s. However, a civic organization formed to save the structure from demolition.
Oratia Combined Church dates to 1872 and opened initially on land Queen Victoria granted to Waikumete Parish settlers. The current church opened in 1968.