Baroque Architecture
Below is an illustrated index of the 27 Baroque Architecture profiled on Sacred Destinations so far. For photo credits, please see corresponding articles.
This 18th-century Baroque and Rococo church built by the Asam brothers leaves no surface undecorated.
This elegant Flemish Baroque church originally served as the center for the beguines (lay sisters) who lived in houses clustered around it. Its facade is considered one of the most beautiful in Belgium.
Built in 1905, this impressive basilica has been called the "Protestant St. Peter's." The crypt contains tombs of Prussian royals and you can climb up to the dome.
Founded in 1904, the Bode Museum contains a wealth of art and artifacts from the Byzantine and Medieval periods, primarily from Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, France and Spain.
This hilltop sanctuary is an important Catholic pilgrimage site that also offers interesting architecture and fantastic views.
The main shrine of St. Teresa in Ávila, this 17th-century convent stands on the site of Teresa's birth and contains her relics.
Originally built in 1708, the German Cathedral was completely destroyed by fire during World War II. The cathedral was rebuilt and reopened in 1996 as a museum of German history.
A small chapel on the Appian Way, this marks the spot where St. Peter, fleeing persecution, saw the risen Christ and asked, Domine quo vadis? ("Lord, where are you going?").
The important Catholic shrine of Our Lady of Einsiedeln includes the relics of a saint, a miraculous Black Madonna statue, and a Benedictine monastery. Einsiedeln is also home to the world's largest nativity scene.
Called the "spiritual center of Central America" by Pope John Paul II, the Basilica of Esquipulas attracts many pilgrims to its miraculous statue of the Black Christ carved in 1595.
Depicting religious as well as secular scenes, Oberammergau's frescoed houses are exceptional examples of this unique art form that can be seen throughout the Bavarian Alps.
Martin Luther was a choir boy at St. George's Church and later preached here 1521; Bach was baptized here in 1685.
Originally built in the 16th century, this church is notable for its intricately carved facade, one the finest examples of Baroque-Mestizo architecture in the Americas.
The highest abbey in the world (4,400 feet), the Benedictine monastery of Marienberg was founded in 1150.
Nestled in a charming little square, the second of Central Madrid's royal Hapsburg monasteries contains a fascinating relics room.
Hiding behind a very plain facade is one of the city's richest interiors. The chapels are Baroque masterpieces; one is the world's most expensive chapel. Many relics are on display, including pieces of the crown of thorns and Jesus' crib.
A small village in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, San Andrés Xecul is home to a brightly-painted Catholic church adorned with a fascinating array of Mayan, Christian and agricultural images.
Dedicated to both John the Evangelist and John the Baptist, St. John Lateran is the cathedral of Rome and one of its four major basilicas. It includes a fine 13th-century cloister.
Built in the 17th century, this Jesuit Baroque church contains the relics of Madrid's patron saint, San Isidro, and his wife, Santa María de la Cabeza.
Too often overlooked by non-pilgrims, this basilica near St. John Lateran includes the private chapel of St. Helen (Constantine's mother) and displays impressive relics from the Holy Land.
This grand Baroque basilica houses the small Porziuncola, a chapel restored by St. Francis and the place where St. Clare took her vows, as well as the humble cell in which St. Francis died.
A 15th-century church filled with Renaissance and Baroque art by masters such as Raphael, Caravaggio, and Bernini.
One of the most well known churches in Venice, this Baroque church at the entrance to the Grand Canal houses a precious Byzantine icon and works by Titian and Tintoretto.
Medieval pilgrims walked for months to arrive at Santiago Cathedral, home of the relics of St. James. Architecturally, the highlight is the 12th-century Portico de la Gloria, overflowing with carvings.
This huge - at one time the largest in Paris - Late Baroque church is located in the fashionable neighborhood of Saint-Sulpice.
St. Peter's is the oldest church in Zürich and boasts the largest clock face in Europe.
This massive Gothic cathedral is brimming with art treasures, including several El Grecos, a 10-foot-high gilded monstrance, and carved altarpieces that stretch to the ceiling.
