As a follow-on from my previous post on churches, I present to you here, even more churches. From France and Italy to Germany and the United States, with a little Morocco and Japan thrown in, these buildings differ in their historical placement and architectural style but are united in how their varied forms evoke a sense of elegance, grandeur, and splendor.
New York Has My Heart
As with the aforementioned post, we begin this installment with the near and dear – New York state. The Dutch Reformed Church has stood in the village of Rhinebeck since 1808, having replaced the original structure that was erected in 1731. Its subdued, whitewashed façade is remarkable only in that 33 years ago, it bore witness to the matrimony of a certain two individuals who are particularly near to me – dear ole Mom and Dad.
A few miles down the road in Barrytown, NY, the Episcopal Church of St. John the Evangelist sits gingerbread sweet among lively summer flowerbeds. The structure is an example of Carpenter Gothic, or Rural Gothic, which became popular in the United States in the mid-19th century. Like many small churches in this style, it is constructed of wood rather than stone, with a steeply pitched roof and gables and Gothic-esque narrow, pointed windows. As a point of reference, imagine the house depicted in the pop culture icon painting by artist Grant Wood, American Gothic, which is based on an actual Carpenter Gothic house in Eldon, Iowa.
And as a point of comparison, we have the First Presbyterian Church of Hudson, which was constructed of limestone in 1837 in a simple Gothic style. As an interesting aside (and in keeping with the art connection), prominent Hudson River School artist Frederic Church helped to redecorate the sanctuary in a modified Byzantine style in 1890. While the sanctuary has since been re-redecorated and is unfortunately no longer around to view, visitors can get their Church fill at Olana, the artist’s former residence and now a state historic site and museum. As one of, if not my favorite Hudson River mansions, I couldn’t resist an Olana plug here.
The Cadet Chapel at the United States Military Academy, better known as West Point, is another fine example of a stony Gothic edifice. In this case, the structure blends Gothic Revival architectural elements with the imposing mass of a medieval fortress. Fitting, given West Point’s position as the country’s oldest continuously occupied military post, dating back to its days as a strategic site during the American Revolution.
Gothic Revival in Chicago
In a city known for superb architecture, there are bound to be a few standout churches. The University of Chicago’s Rockefeller Memorial Chapel in Hyde Park comes to mind – a 32,000 ton Gothic Revival chapel supported by structural steel and 56 concrete piers. The limestone exterior, though largely bare, is adorned with over one hundred stone sculptures that represent the sciences and humanities. A 207-foot tower houses a 72-bell carillon, the world’s second-largest instrument by mass.
Blocks away, the First Unitarian Church appears almost a scaled down version of its neighbor, its Neo-Gothic stone façade wrapped in cascades of green ivy. Dating from 1836, it is one of the oldest churches in Chicago, though the current structure was erected at its present-day site in 1925.
On busy Michigan Avenue in Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, we are treated to yet another ivy-clad neo-Gothic edifice, Fourth Presbyterian Church. In 1912 Ralph Adams Cram, the foremost Gothic Revival architect in the U.S., broke ground on Fourth Presbyterian while simultaneously continuing work on New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine. As mentioned in my previous post, St. John the Divine was famously never completed. While Cram did finish the sanctuary of Fourth Presbyterian in 1914, it was another prominent Chicago architect, Howard Van Doren Shaw, who designed the secondary structures like the parish house and cloister.
We return to Hyde Park for a building that takes a radical departure from the previous three Chicago churches we’ve seen. Though Saint Thomas the Apostle shares some elements with these – the draped ivy and select Gothic motifs – that is where the similarities end. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright student Barry Byrne, the church’s sandy yellow brick edifice incorporates elements from the Prairie School of design. Hailed as the first modern American church, it features a non-cruciform floor plan and no interior pillars or visible supports for the congregation’s uninterrupted viewing pleasure. Serrated walls, tall chevron windows, and terra cotta finials adorn the otherwise austere exterior.
Pious in Paris
We move now to a landmark that is near and dear to humanity’s collective heart, more so than ever since its recent brush with disaster. The storied Notre Dame. As this beloved icon needs no introduction, I’ll only note that these photos were taken prior to the 2019 fire that destroyed the cathedral’s roof and iconic spire. These images serve as a reminder that buildings are living things that are created, destroyed, altered, and restored throughout their lifetime as our relationship to them change and evolve. One day in the not too-distant future, photographs will capture the cathedral transformed anew, and the images here will become mementos of a version of Notre Dame that exists only in images.
Another well-know Paris landmark, the Sacre Coeur, or more formally, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, sits atop the perennially favorite Montmartre neighborhood. In contrast to the grey stone and elongated forms of the Gothic structures that have dominated here thus far, the Sacre Coeur is built in the Romano-Byzantine style from a type of limestone called travertine. This stone reacts to rainwater and releases a white substance called calcite, which gives the Basilica its celestial white cast.
Steps from the Pantheon, the older and less trafficked Saint-Étienne-du-Mont overlooks the Left Bank from its perch on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève. Built over a protracted period from 1492 to 1626, the church is an interesting mashup of architectural styles. The 17th century façade blends Renaissance décor with a three-level structure characteristic of the Middle Ages, plus a high Gothic pinnacle thrown in for good measure.
Elsewhere en France…
In Lyon, France’s “second city”, the Jardin Archéologique offers a clear view of the north wing of the Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste. The garden is a historical monument that contains 4th-16th century ruins of the Saint Etienne and Sainte Croix churches, including the partially preserved nave and apse of Sainte-Croix, as well as the baptistery and original tank of Saint-Etienne.
On a hill opposite Saint-Jean-Baptiste, the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière presides over Lyon, pervading the cityline from so many vantage points. The 19th century neo-Byzantine minor basilica is actually composed of two churches built on top of one another. The upper church consists of three naves and Gothic arches adorned with ornate mosaics in blues and gold supported by intricately carved marble columns.
But as far as well-known landmarks that dominate their cityscape go, the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel takes the cake. Over the course of its thirteen-century history, the site has served many and varied purposes, from its origination as a Benedictine monastery to a fortress for the Duchy of Normandy, to a prison for refractory priests and full circle to a contemporary monastic residence and UNESCO World Heritage Site. The abbey has undergone many reconstructions and restorations since its construction began in the 10th century and incorporates Romanesque and Gothic styles as a result. The slender towers that rise out of the ponderous granite of the abbey are made delicate by the hulking medieval fortifications into which the edifice is built.
Approximately 500 miles due East, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Strasbourg in the capital of Alsace is a lovely example of Late High Gothic architecture. It was built in the 12th century on the site of a Romanesque basilica using sandstone from the Vosges mountains. Its 142-meter high bell tower made it the tallest building in the world from 1647 to 1874, as well as one of a few examples of Gothic construction with only one, not two, towers. And thanks to Strasbourg’s historical and cultural ties to nearby Germany, the Cathedral gets a nice dose of holiday cheer from Christmas lights that festoon the streets each year.
Christmas in Berlin
Of course, the real Christmas markets are just across the border. Here, the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, or Gedächtniskirche, marks the symbolic center of West Berlin. Built between 1891-95 in a Neo-Romanesque style, the church sustained heavy damage from allied bombing during the second World War. It has been preserved as a partial ruin and now stands as an anti-war memorial to peace and reconciliation and the center of one of Berlin’s 60-plus annual Christmas markets.
Just down the road, under the same gloomy winter sky, St. Mary’s Church also benefits from a little Christmas cheer. Floating in a rain-streaked plaza, its brick Gothic façade stands in contrast to the domed Neo-Renaissance Berlin Cathedral looming in the distance. Like the Gedächtniskirche, both St. Mary’s and the Berlin Cathedral were badly damaged during World War II but were restored in subsequent years and remain Berlin’s second oldest and largest church, respectively.
We Interrupt Our Regular Programming
We now substitute Christmas trees and Christkindlmärkte for palm trees and bazaars in the bustling Moroccan city of Marrakech. The 12th century Koutoubia Mosque in Djemaa el Fna square is the largest in Marrakech with a minaret that can be seen from many parts of the city. The minaret is the oldest of the three Almohad minarets remaining in the world and is a point of architectural inspiration within the region and beyond. Characteristic decorative motifs and geometric design stand out in teal ceramic tiles, pointed merlons, and scalloped keystone arches.
Rivaling the likes of Koutoubia Mosque and the Strasbourg Cathedral in age, the Osu Kannon Temple in the Nagoya prefecture of Japan was built during the Kamakura Period (1192-1333) in a neighboring prefecture before being moved to its current site in 1612. The 20th century reconstruction that stands in Osu today is home to over 15,000 classic Japanese and Chinese texts, including the oldest copy of the oldest existing record of Japan’s history and sacred text of the Shintō religion, the Kojiki.
In Busan, South Korea, a thin veil of mist rises to reveal an ancient temple nestled in a forested grove of wisteria at the base of Geumjeongsan Mountain. This is Beomeosa Temple, one of the most important temples in the region and the head temple of the Buddhist Jogye Order. Despite its idyllic setting, the site served as a point of defense against invading Japanese armies during the Imjin War (1592-1597). This, in part, explains why none of the original buildings of the 7th century complex remain. The current 17th century reconstructions, raised on platforms and roofed in clay tiles, are representative of Joseon Dynasty temple architecture.
Italian Medley
Originally built in the 12th century, the Genoa Cathedral, or Cathedral of Saint Lorenzo, has since undergone numerous modifications, including the addition of a 13th century Genoese Gothic façade and a 16th century bell tower and dome. Its façade is unmistakable in its alternating horizontal bands of marble and slate studded with decorative motifs. Clustered colonettes supporting Corinthian capitals add to the multi-faceted surface that calls to mind fine mother of pearl inlay.
To a lesser degree, this variability can be seen in the pale striations of the Verona Cathedral. The Romanesque double-level porch, Lombard bands, and tall Gothic windows add visual interest to the pallid façade. A bronze-cast blue-robed angel, arms outstretched in a sign of welcome, gestures towards the open door.
A more overtly striking example of this dissonance is seen in the bisected façade of the Basilica of San Petronio. A wall of red and white marble, adorned in ornate high Gothic style, is met suddenly by a shelf of brick. These rough, brown blocks rise row after row to form the upper half of the façade. Given the abrupt transition, it is unsurprising to learn that the basilica, originally intended to be the largest in the world, was never finished. Even so, this schizophrenic beauty clocks in as the fourth largest church in Italy and the sixth largest in Europe.
Venice’s Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, on the other hand, tells a story that is unified, regular, and regal. It commands a prominent position from a raised platform on a wedge of land where the Grand Canal empties into the San Marco basin. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary in 1681, its construction is replete with symbolism, with the basilica’s dome representing Mary’s crown, the vast interior her womb, and its eight sides the eight points of her symbolic star. And of course, it wouldn’t be Venice without a few gondolas thrown in for maximal tourist appeal.
We close things out with another iconic landmark and architectural medley, St. Mark’s Basilica in glittering, teaming St Mark’s Square. After the original church burned down, it was rebuilt in 1063 in opulent Byzantine style. Over the centuries, the basilica has absorbed Western and Eastern architectural styles, as Venetian ships returning from the East brought back architectural prizes – a frieze here, a column there. The exterior is composed of three registers – a lower register made up of five arched portals supported by marble columns, an upper register of mosaic lunettes, and a Gothic roofline topped by five Byzantine domes. A proliferation of exterior and interior gilded mosaics have rightly earned St Mark’s the nickname of “Chiesa d’Oro”.
Thus concludes a (near) exhaustive inventory of my current portfolio of church photos. As evidenced by the volume of images across the two posts, my camera lens seems to gravitate towards buildings of an ecclesiastical nature. That said, perhaps a third installment will be in the works at some point in the future… Can I get a hallelujah!
Jennifer says:
Great article! Enjoyed the read and gorgeous pictures.