Temples, Caen

The great keep of Rochester Castle towers over the River Medway, dominating the skyline together with its striking twin, the magnificent cathedral. https://www.visitmedway.org/rochester-castle/

Liverpool Anglican Cathedral is Britain's biggest Cathedral and the 5th largest in Europe. The cathedral is free to enter, however the tower and audio tour is highly recommended. https://www.visitliverpool.com/things-to-do/liverpool-cathedral-p9023

Going back into the early Middle Ages, a wall defined an area surrounding the Cathedral, the close, whose center today comprises, along with the Cathedral, the recently redesigned Cathedral Square with the grandiose view onto the Romanesque west façade of the Cathedral and the Early Gothic Church of Our Lady. http://www.trier-info.de/english/cathedral-square-info

The Chapelle Saint-Léon was constructed in neo-Roman style on the site of the former castle keep. Consecrated in 1894, the chapel is dedicated to Pope Saint Leo IX. https://www.tourisme-alsace.com/en/253000969-The-Chapelle-Saint-Leon.html

This Protestant church was built between 1858 and 1868 on the site of a 12th-century church. Designed by J.B. Schacre, the church was built in the highly fashionable Neo-Gothic style. The stained-glass windows are from the original 12th-century church and are some of the most beautiful in the Upper Rhine region. Located on the Place de la Réunion, Saint-Etienne Temple is also a mecca of culture at the heart of the city with concerts, exhibitions and events, especially during Christmas period. https://www.tourisme-alsace.com/en/234004472-Temple-Saint-Etienne-Protestant-Church.html

A prodigy of the gigantesque and the delicate," as Victor Hugo claimed. Strasbourg Cathedral (1015-1439) is an absolute masterpiece of Gothic art. The 142 m high spire looks incredibly lightweight and made the Cathedral the highest edifice in all Christianity until the 19th century. https://www.tourisme-alsace.com/en/223007269-The-cathedral-of-Notre-Dame.html

An area devoted to exhibiting the work of amateur artists, particularly from Chambéry, of new exhibitors and Chambéry associations. The sale of works on the premises is prohibited. http://www.chambery-tourisme.com/noesit/!/fiche/vaugelas-chapel-104915

Directly on the market rises the Cathedral of St. Martin. Built in 975, it has suffered many fires, demolitions and rebuilding over the centuries. In addition to the grave monuments of the archbishops, the Romanesque St. Gotthard Chapel and the late Gothic cloister are especially noteworthy. https://www.mainz-tourismus.com/entdecken-erleben/geschichte-entdecken/kirchen-sakralbauten/dom-st-martin/

Departing from Chamonix, this famous rack and pinion railway brings you to the Montenvers site at 1913 m. An imposing panorama of the Mer de Glace glacier, the Drus and the Grands Jorasses. https://www.chamonix.com/montenvers-mer-de-glace,81,en.html

The basilica dates back to the days of Duke Liudolf of Swabia in the 10th century and is the only church in the world dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Alexander. In 982 Aschaffenburg – and therefore the former abbey – was incorporated into Mainz and the church and monastic college came to be a dominant factor in the Mainz archbishop's choice of residence. https://www.info-aschaffenburg.de/en/tourism/tourist-attractions.html

The Maison Carrée – the only fully preserved temple from Antiquity – has recently been restored. Inside you can watch the film the “Nemausus, the birth of Nîmes”, that presents the Imperial cult and the heroic past of Nîmes and its surroundings. http://ca.france.fr/en/discover/amphitheatre-nimes-maison-carree-tour-magne

Avignon has a magnficent urban landscape. The Rocher des Doms overlooks the city and the Rhône. Here there is an exceptional architectural group which includes the Pont d'Avignon (also known as Pont Saint Bénezet, the Ramparts, the Petit Palais, the Doms Cathedral and the massive walls of the Palace of the Popes, with four impressive towers in each corner. This unique architectural ensemble has been ranked as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The biggest Gothic palace in the world: tour 24 rooms! Museum space, priceless frescoes. Audioguide in 11 languages http://www.avignon-tourisme.com/Monuments-et-Patrimoine-culturel/AVIGNON/fiche-4615596-2.html

As with many early monasteries, it was refounded as an Augustinian abbey in the Norman 12th century. It possesses the best collection of 13th Century coffin lids with foliate lids, in the Province. http://www.visitardsandnorthdown.com/things-to-do/movilla-abbey

The building itself is Romanesque, giving it a lofty grandeur associated with that style; semi-circular arches and massive pillars, vast and high single windows, and possessing an uncluttered spaciousness. The Cathedral contains mosaics designed by Sir Charles Nicholson, as well as sculptures by Rosamund Praegar and Maurice Harding. http://visitbelfast.com/things-to-do/member/belfast-cathedral-1

"St. Kilian” is a prime example of the architectural style during the time of the Salian kings. It is the fourth largest Romanesque cathedral in Germany and is home to exquisite artifacts from many centuries. http://www.wuerzburg.de/en/visitors/must-sees/22690.Dom-St.-Kilian-cathedral.html

The sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso in Orselina above Locarno is the most famous place of pilgrimage in the Italian part of Switzerland. It is rooted in the ancient tradition of votive gifts. https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-in/interests/tips-for-city-breaks/interests-tips-cities/architecture-1/madonna-del-sasso-locarno.html

The cathedral, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, was converted and expanded changed in the 11th, 12th and 14th centuries and rebuilt after its destruction in the fifties. World-famous are the 1000-year-old rose bush at the apse and the masterful Bernwardinian bronze casts: double-winged Erztür (1015) and Christussäule (1020). http://www.hildesheim.de/staticsite/staticsite.php?menuid=167&topmenu=4

The World Heritage Committee included on its list the Basilica and other sites important to the Franciscan Order, due to the fact that they represent an amalgamation of masterpieces stemming from creative human genius http://www.italia.it/en/travel-ideas/religion-and-spirituality/st-francis-and-the-basilica-in-assisi.html?h=assisi

One of the most important examples of Renaissance art in northern Germany. The chapel was founded in the 15th century, and soon after the Reformation – some time between 1565 and 1576 – it was entirely refurbished by Duke William the Younger. http://www.celle.travel/celle-palace/palace-chapel.html

Arbroath Abbey is famously associated with the Declaration of Arbroath of 1320, which asserted Scotland's independence from England.Parts of the abbey church and domestic buildings remain, notably the gatehouse range and the abbot's house. https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/arbroath-abbey-p247571

Inspired by the Muscovite style, it has a very richly decorated interior with many icons, murals and carved woodwork as well as an iconostasis of embossed metal. The primary vocation of this site being a place of worship, certain rules must be respected. http://en.nicetourisme.com/nice/80-cathedrale-orthodoxe-russe-patriarcat-de-moscou

With the conquest of the city of Lleida in 1149, the Templars received various properties in compensation for their assistance during the siege, including Gardeny Hill. The earliest reference to the Gardeny Command dates from 1156, the first commander being listed as Brother Pere de Cartellà, a figure who had been actively involved in the city siege. http://www.turismedelleida.cat/viure-a-lleida-en/el-castell-de-gardeny

Ribe Cathedral is visible for miles across the flat landscape, and it is amazing to think that travellers have been met by this sight since the middle of the 13th century when it was completed. Ribe Cathedral is the oldest cathedral in Denmark. http://www.visitribe.com/ln-int/ribe-cathedral-gdk610468

The construction of the apse in the Cathedral of Vicenza had begun in 1482 to the design of Lorenzo da Bologna, but in 1531 it was still unfinished. Early, temporary, roofing was erected in 1540, as a result of the possibility that Vicenza might host the Church Council which in the end was held at Trent. http://www.officeoftourism.org/europe/italy/Veneto/vicenza.asp

The structure that really dominates Pilsen is the Cathedral of St. Bartholomew. Its building started together with foundation of the city and it was completed at the beginning of the 16th century. The cathedral is a national monument as well as housing the argillite statue on the main altar - the famous Pilsen Madonna. http://www.pilsen.eu/tourist/visit/the-best-from-pilsen/st-bartholomew-s-cathedral/st-bartholomews-cathedral.aspx

The Old Cathedral is in the Romanesque style with the outstanding Gallo Tower. Inside this temple, the construction of which began at the end of the 12th century, is the San Martín or Oil Chapel. The main reredos, which dates from the 15th century and was created by several painters with Dello Delli at the head, is also worthy of note. http://www.spain.info/en_IN/que-quieres/arte/monumentos/salamanca/catedrales_de_salamanca.html

The Campo dei Miracoli in Pisa, or the Square of Miracles, was proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO 25 years ago. The square is not located in the center of the city as you might imagine but to the north-west of the fortified wall, almost out of the town; there probably wasn’t enough space to use at the time the project got underway so this is the site decided upon. Since the times of the Etruscans, the three structures found in the piazza have been considered central to religious life, symbolizing the main stages of a human’s life https://www.discovertuscany.com/pisa/piazza-dei-miracoli.html

Built between 1070 and 1093 on the remains of a Roman temple the Sé has had many facelifts over the years. The present day styling is a mixture of the Gothic and Baroque. Inside is a museum with a collection of relics https://www.travel-in-portugal.com/attractions/braga-cathedral.htm

The Medici Chapels form part of the monumental complex of San Lorenzo. The church of San Lorenzo was the official church of the Medici from their period as private residents in their palace in Via Larga (now via Cavour), becoming their mausoleum up to the time of the extinction of the line. https://www.visitflorence.com/florence-churches/medici-chapels.html

The Duomo in Siena lies in a piazza above the Piazza del Campo, a great Gothic building filled with treasures by Pisano, Donatello and Michelangelo as well as frescoes by Pinturicchio. https://www.discovertuscany.com/siena/siena-churches/duomo.html

Looming 102 meters over the Piazza del Campo, the elegant, sleek tower to the Palazzo Pubblico is the third tallest in all of Italy. Built from red brick, as a symbol of its affinity to the “commoner” the tower is 87 meters tall of brick and the remaining is a white travertine, most probably to make it visually more prominent. https://www.discovertuscany.com/siena/tower-of-mangia.html

Seen from far, the towers of the cathedral are a reference point for those visiting the city of Viseu.The current cathedral was built next to an ancient Swabian-Visigoth temple possibly dating back to the 10th century during which the city was the capital to a large territory between the Douro and Mondego rivers. http://www.centerofportugal.com/viseu-cathedral-se/

The Cathedral of St Barbara, a jewel of the Late Gothic period and one of the four cathedral-type buildings in Bohemia, was incribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List together with the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady and St John the Baptist and the historical centre of Kutná Hora. http://destinace.kutnahora.cz/d/cathedral-of-st-barbara