Timeline

The Basilica of Our Lady of Lichen, Poland (2004)

2004-10-21T15:01:11Z

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lichen is located in Greater Poland in a village called Stary Licheń, near Konin.

The Sanctuary is Poland's largest church, the seventh largest in Europe and eleventh in the World. It was constructed between 1994 and 2004. The architect was Barbara Bielecka.

The Basilica is being built in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and receives a large number of pilgrims. It houses a 200-year-old painting known as the "Our Lady of Sorrows, Queen of Poland".

The church, rising 98 meters (central nave), 141,5 metres (church tower), is 120 metres long and 77 metres in width.

first inflatable church

2003-05-13T17:31:26Z

'The church, produced by Michael Gill of InnovationsUK.com Ltd in Sarisbury Green, near Southampton, was on display at the National Christian Resources Exhibition at Sandown Park Exhibition Centre in Esher, Surrey.'

thanks to the beeb

Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro (1989)

1989-10-21T14:44:06Z

The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro, also known as Basilique de Notre Dame de la Paix de Yamoussoukro, is a Roman Catholic church in Yamoussoukro, the administrative capital of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). Often ranked as the largest Christian church in the world, the basilica was constructed between 1985 and 1989 at a cost of $300 million, and was intentionally modeled after the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican City. The cornerstone was laid on August 10, 1985, and it was consecrated on September 10, 1990, by Pope John Paul II.

Contrary to popular belief, this particular basilica is not a cathedral. The nearby Cathedral of Saint Augustine is the principal place of worship and seat of the bishop of the Diocese of Yamoussoukro.

Guinness World Records lists it as the largest church in the world, having surpassed the previous recordholder, St. Peter's Basilica, upon completion. Our Lady of Peace has a greater surface, and a higher dome, than St. Peter's[1]. However, it also includes a refectory and a villa, which are not strictly part of the church, and it can accommodate 18,000 worshippers, compared to 60,000 for St. Peter's

While designed after the Vatican Basilica, architect Pierre Fakhoury constructed the dome to be slightly lower than the Basilica of Saint Peter but is ornamented with a larger cross on top. The finished height is 158 meters (518 feet). The basilica is constructed with marble imported from Italy and is furnished with 7,000 square meters of contemporary stained glass from France. Columns are plentiful throughout the basilica but are not uniform in style. There is enough space to seat 7,000 people in the nave with standing room for an additional 11,000 people. Apart from the basilica are two identical buildings each serving as rectory and private papal villa, respectively. The villa is reserved for papal visits, of which only one has occurred.

The basilica was met with some controversy globally when construction began. The lavishly-built basilica sits in the middle of the African bush in an impoverished city where only a minority of homes have running water and adequate sanitation. The cost of the basilica doubled the national debt of Côte d'Ivoire, but many of the country's Roman Catholics are proud of the church.

Côte d'Ivoire President Félix Houphouët-Boigny chose his birthplace of Yamoussoukro to be the future site of the new capital city of his country in 1983. As part of the plan of the city, the president wanted to memorialize himself with the construction of what he called the greatest church in the world. As construction was nearly completed, the president commissioned a stained glass window of his image to be placed beside a gallery of stained glass of Jesus and the apostles.

Pope John Paul II insisted as a condition of his attendance of the consecration that a hospital be constructed nearby. The Pope laid the founding stone for the hospital. The stone can be seen where he laid it as a lonely symbol in the middle of a nearby field, as the hospital has not been built.

basilica our lady of guadalupe

1976-10-18T09:56:25Z

the basilica is second only to the vatican in numbers of pilgrims

Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King (1929)

1929-10-20T11:48:02Z

The design proposed by Sir Edwin Lutyens for Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral is one of the great unrealised buildings of the 20th century. At a time when architects were rejecting historicism and tradition, Lutyens' cathedral drew inspiration from Byzantine and romanesque architecture, from the architecture of ancient Rome, from its revival during the Italian renaissance and from Christopher Wren's 'English renaissance'. Lutyens planned an awe-inspiring building of immense size. It would have dominated the Liverpool skyline, far outstripping Giles Gilbert Scott's Anglican cathedral in prominence.

Work was halted in 1941 because of the war, leaving parts of the crypt unfinished. By this time four million bricks and 40,000 cubic feet of granite had been laid and 70,000 tons of earth had been excavated--this was a building operation of enormous size even though it formed only a minute proportion of the projected structure. (4) After the war, the construction of the crypt was resumed under the direction of Adrian Gilbert Scott and the building was brought to a uniform level, leaving a vast paved floor slab above the crypt.

A project for a smaller domed building by Adrian Gilbert Scott was put forward but soon abandoned, and in 1959 a competition was held for a cathedral in a 'modern' style on the site. The present building, by Sir Frederick Gibberd, was opened in 1967. Built on a centralised plan in accordance with the new liturgical requirements, it is entirely different in its architectural language, materials and philosophy.

Lutyens' design can be reconstructed from the many surviving drawings. It can also be partially experienced in the crypt, where the massive vaulted spaces, constructed of brick (and intended to be faced in granite), inspire the feelings of mystery that Lutyens envisaged for the main interior. But the best way to understand his conception is from the great wooden model in the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool (Fig. 2). The model illustrates, as no drawing could, the complexity and sophistication of Lutyens' conception. It is the most elaborate architectural model attempted in Britain in the 20th century and the most ambitious British architectural model of any century, after the 'Great Model' of Sir Christopher Wrens rejected design for St Patti's Cathedral. It is an exemplar of a tradition that has now been superseded and whose techniques have largely been lost.

The Cathedral would have been far and away the largest church on earth... go Scousers!

Sandham Memorial Chapel, Burghclere (1927)

1927-10-21T10:07:37Z

Sandham Memorial Chapel is in the village of Burghclere, Hampshire, England. It is a Grade I listed 1920s decorated chapel, designed by Lionel Pearson to house war paintings. The chapel surrounded by lawns and orchards, with views of Watership Down. It is now run by the National Trust and is open to the public.

The chapel is mainly known for its murals by the 20th-century English artist Stanley Spencer from Cookham, inspired by his experience of World War I. He was influenced by Giotto’s Arena Chapel murals in Padua, Italy. The murals took five years to complete and are considered to be amongst his finest work.

Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourviere (1896)

1901-12-13T20:45:52Z

The Basilica Notre-Dame de Fourvière is a basilica in Lyon. Built between 1872 and 1896, its unusual design draws from a variety of architectural influences. It features fine mosaics, superb stained glass, and a crypt of Saint-Joseph. Perched atop the Fourviere hill, the basilica looms impressively over the city and may be seen from many vantage points. -wiki

I add that its also like an architectural reconstruction of one of Moreau's paintings...

Gaudi - Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

1901-12-13T20:45:52Z

"La Sagrada Família (Catalan, 'The Holy Family') is a massive Roman Catholic basilica under construction in Barcelona. Construction began in 1882 and its formal title is Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família. Antoni Gaudi worked on the project for over 40 years, devoting the last 15 years of his life entirely to this endeavour." Source: wikipedia

Dome of the Basilica of San Gaudenzio, Novara (1878)

1901-12-13T20:45:52Z

Completing an unfinished Basilica, Alessandro Antonelli added this humungous 122metre high dome to the existing building...

Smonly Convent and Cathedral, St Petersburg (1748)

1901-12-13T20:45:52Z

The Smolny Cathedral was meant to be the main church of a convent to house Elisabeth, daughter of Peter the Great, who had been banned from ruling the country and therefore decided to become a nun. But as soon as her predecessor was overthrown during a coup carried out by the royal guards, she decided to forget the whole idea of a stern monastic life and happily accepted the offer of the Russian throne. The blue and white Smolny Cathedral is one of the most fabulous works of Bartolomeo Rastrelli (the creator of the Winter Palace, the Grand Catherine Palace in Pushkin, the Grand Palace in Peterhof, and other major landmarks). The cathedral is the centerpiece of the convent, built by Rastrelli in 1748-64. When Elisabeth's reign came to a close, the funding for the convent had quickly ran out, so Rastrelli was unable to build a huge bell-tower that was planned and to finish the interior of the Cathedral. The building was finished only in 1832-35.

Wies Kirche, Wies (1745)

1901-12-13T20:45:52Z

The pilgrimage church of Wies (German: Wieskirche) is an oval rococo church, designed in the late 1740s by Dominikus Zimmermann, who spent the last eleven years of his life in a nearby dwelling. It is located in the foothills of the Alps, the Steingaden municipality of the Weilheim-Schongau district, Bavaria, Germany.

In 1738 tears were seen on a dilapidated wooden figure of the Scourged Saviour. This miracle resulted in a pilgrimage rush to see the sculpture. In 1740 a small chapel was built to house the statue, but it was soon realized that the building would be too small for the number of pilgrims it attracted, and thus Steingaden Abbey decided to commission a separate shrine. Many people who have prayed in front of the statue of Jesus on the altar have claimed that people have been miraculously cured of their diseases, which has made this church even more of a pilgrimage site.

Construction took place between 1745 and 1754, and the interior was decorated in stuccowork in the tradition of the Wessobrunner School. "Everything was done throughout the church to make the supernatural visible. Sculpture and murals combined to unleash the divine in visible form"[1]. The church, commonly regarded as Zimmermann's final masterpiece, was secularized in the beginning of the 19th century. Subsequently, protests of local farmers saved this jewel of rococo architecture and design from being sold and demolished. The Wieskirche was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983 and underwent massive restoration in 1985-91.

Church of St Nicolas, Praha (1735)

1901-12-13T20:45:52Z

St. Nicholas Church at the Old Town Square was designed by Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer and completed in 1735, replacing an earlier parish church, mentioned in records dating back as early as 1273.

But, it wasn't until 1901, when the Krenn House was demolished, that its beautiful white façade became visible from the rest of the square.

This famous Baroque church, decorated with sculptures by Antonín Braun, simply gleams in its corner of the Old Town Square, hit by the sun during the day and lit by strong white lights at night.

The interior design of St. Nicholas was inspired by the chapel of St. Louis-des-invalides in Paris. The delicate stucco decoration was executed by Bernardo Spinetti, and the frescos are by Peter Adam the Elder.

In 1781, decoration inside the church was removed after emperor Josef II ordered the closure of all monasteries without a social function.

From 1870 to 1914, St. Nicholas became Russian Orthodox. And, during the second World War, Czech army units were stationed here - artists who otherwise would have had to go to the front, were set to work by a colonel to restore the church. After the war, the church was handed over to the Czech Hussite movement.

Classical concerts are held at St. Nicholas at the Old Town Square throughout the year.

St. Francis Xaverský church - Slovakia

1901-12-13T20:45:52Z

St. Francis Xaverský Church in Trencin, Slovakia was founded by the Jesuits in 1649.

After a fire in 1708, Krištof Tausch produced the paintings during 1711 – 1713.

Sant'Andrea Al Quirinale, Rome (1658)

1901-12-13T20:45:52Z

Sant'Andrea al Quirinale is the church of the Jesuit seminary on the Quirinal Hill in Rome.

It was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini over two decades (1658-1678). The site previously hosted a 16th century church, San Andrea a Montecavallo. The new building was commissioned by Pope Alexander VII and Cardinal Camillo Pamphilj. It is considered one of the finest examples of Roman Baroque architecture, embedding art into the structure in an often seamless combination. Bernini considered it his only perfect work. In his late years, his son recalls, he spent hours sitting in the interior and looking at the polychrome marbles, gilded and bleached stuccoes, and light plays.

Oval in shape, with the entrance and high altar on the short axis of the ellipse, it has a semicircular porch decorated by the arms of its Pamphilj patron. The stucco decoration was designed by Bernini and executed by Antonio Raggi and others between 1661 and 1666, with puttoes and cherubims under the windows. A Martyrdom of Saint Andrew (1668) by Borgognone stands on the high altar.

Santa Maria Della Pace, Rome (Bramante1500-Pietro Da Cortona1656)

1901-12-13T20:45:52Z

The current building was built on the foundations of the pre-existing church of Sant'Andrea de Aquarizariis[1] in 1482, commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV. The church was rededicated to the Virgin Mary to remember a miraculous bleeding of a Madonna image there in 1480. The author of the original design is not known, though Baccio Pontelli has been proposed.

In 1656-1667 Pope Alexander VII had the edifice restored by Pietro da Cortona, who also added the famous Baroque façade projecting from its concave wings: this, devised to simulate a theatrical set, has two orders and is entered by a semi-circular pronaos with paired Doric columns. The church presses forward almost to fill its tiny piazza; several houses had to be demolished by Pietro da Cortona to create even this miniature trapezoidal space.

The interior, which can be reached from the original fifteenth-century door, has a short nave with cruciform vaulting and a tribune surmounted by a cupola. Carlo Maderno designed the high altar (1614) to enframe the venerable icon of the Madonna and Child.

Raphael began to fresco the four Sibyls receiving angelic instruction (1514) above the arched doorway leading to an inner chapel, commissioned by Agostino Chigi, the papal banker. [2]. The Deposition over the altar is by Cosimo Fancelli.

The second chapel on the right, the Cesi Chapel, was designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, and has a very fine Renaissance decoration on the external arch by Simone Mosca, as well as two small frescoes, the Creation of Eve and the Original Sin by Rosso Fiorentino.

The first chapel on the left (Ponzetti Chapel) has noteworthy Renaissance frescoes by Baldassarre Peruzzi, who is better known as an architect. The second chapel has marble taken from the ruins of the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus.

The tribune has paintings by Carlo Maratta, Peruzzi, Orazio Gentileschi, Francesco Albani and others.

The main feature of the church is however the Bramante cloister. Built in 1500-1504 for Cardinal Oliviero Carafa, it was the first work of Donato Bramante in the city. It has two floors, the first with arcades on pilasters, the second with arcades on pilasters and columns.