There is something magical in the echo of your steps as you step on the silence of a cathedral.
A strange emotion with the smell of a candle, a secret language camouflaged by the echoes of their prayers, a shadow that flutters restlessly among the folds of polished masonry for centuries.
Because perhaps it is his frank longing for eternity that makes visiting a cathedral such a delightfully disturbing experience. Europe is the cradle of cathedrals, and that is why we have chosen ten famous churches in the world so that you become mystical for a good cause.
1. Chartres Cathedral (France)
The hunters of legends will enjoy the beautiful interpreting the many symbols of this jewel of the Gothic, especially in its north facade. Built-in record time, in 1220 it already looked in all its splendor and was an example to follow for all European Cathedrals.
Loaded with mystery since the publication by Louis Charpentier of the book The enigma of the Cathedral of Chartres has a good handful of corners where you can match the magic of the stonemason brothers.
That apparently they were not alone in its construction: astronomers, geometers, tilers, and glass-makers combined their knowledge for the greater glory of the temple.
The fact that he has a tower of his mother and another of his father adds a lot of morbidity to fans of conspiracy theories but in reality, what most overwhelms is his enormous crypt. Do not leave without visiting it.
2. Cathedral of Santiago DE Compostela (Spain)
Whether or not his holy bones are in the crypt of the Cathedral, the truth is that the tomb of such stone beauty is the tomb of the Apostle Santiago.
The same that made the small town of Compostela the final destination of the initiatory pilgrimage worldwide known as his Way, that of Santiago.
A route that follows in the footsteps of the stars of the Milky Way, and serves as an umbilical cord between the Iberian Peninsula and the Old Continent. A trip that nobody comes back to be the same.
Something similar happens when you look up and face the Pórtico de la Gloria face to face and foolishly you begin to decipher the virguerías of the Puerta del Obradoiro, to finally look for the Puerta del Perdón with the penalty of the one who abandons an impossible love.
Once inside the procession of visual impacts continues its course and to entertain both the festival of emotions the Botafumeiro will be responsible for recording in your memory the desired and elusive smell of hope.
3. Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral, Reykjavik, (Iceland)
It is definitely weird. Especially if we look for it by Cathedral C. Another thing is that pure strange is unforgettable. But he is also young and has a long way to go to enter the history books with as many pages as his European sisters.
Perhaps, this sample of how a cathedral was understood in the mid-twentieth century, is the most beautiful artistic expression of the cold that Iceland has ever created.
Snowy and overwhelming say they intend to emulate the Icelandic landscape, and perhaps that is why it has used for everyone, faithful or not, because this cathedral of an unpronounceable name also functions as an Observatory, do not stop climbing to the top.
4. St. Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow (Russia)
Of colors. To counteract the sober chromatic monotony of a city that, despite having lived intensely the cult of red, in architecture, it sings without complexes a song to the whole palette of the grays.
The Cathedral belongs together with the Kremlin, the Tower of the Savior and the Church of St. John the Baptist to the very photographed Kremlin Square, a mandatory stop for everyone who passes through Moscow.
Planted before the playful and colorful onion-domes of the monument and ready for the photo, the exhibitionist opulence of the czars will be inadvertently frozen.
Yes, the famous Tsar Ivan the Terrible, is the one who commissioned the construction of this unforgettable work that laid his last bricks at the end of the 16th century.
Actually, its full name is the Cathedral of the Intersection of the Virgin of the Mound but it is so cold in winter that for short it is simply known as the Cathedral of St. Basil.
5. St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna (Austria)
In the heart of the cosmopolitan and varied Vienna, the colorful mosaics of the roofs of St. Stephen’s Cathedral stand out, a powerful mix of styles, from late Romanesque to Baroque, unable to go unnoticed.
When you enter the temple you will be surprised by its ethereal quality, of almost intuited walls, but remember that they are there and that everything has a reason for being, starting with its decorative elements.
All have a symbolic translation, but they certainly highlight the dark gargoyles that they say scare away evil spirits.
Take a few turns below their dreadful heads and frighten once and for all your worst guys, including a special prayer for those who do not remember at that time.
6. Canterbury Cathedral (Great Britain)
Canterbury Cathedral, whose effect seems to have just come out of the tales of the same name, is one of the most ancient and famous of Great Britain and surely at first glance, its sober and balanced structure, reminds you of the building of the Houses of the London parliament.
It is the focus of the Anglican religion, that created by Henry VIII to be able to divorce, and a beautiful example of how the English knew how to interpret the Gothic, as always in their own way, back in the eleventh century.
In its history there is a black chapter, having served as a framework for the beheading of the priest Thomas Becket, today a national glory. But despite her encounters and disagreements with fate, she remains the queen of the British Cathedrals.
7. Cologne Cathedral, (Germany)
The bombings of World War II, which so viciously destroyed the flirtatious city of Cologne, had the good taste or bad aim of preserving at least the structure of this slender sample of German Gothic that was so conscientiously built throughout the centuries -from 1248 to 1880- Although wounded, today completely renovated, it is the most visited monument in the country.
187 meters of watermarks that for a long time held the title of “tallest building in the world.” Look to see if you are lucky and get to hear the ringing of Der Dicke Pitter, in dialect the bell of Peter the Fat, undoubtedly one of his most celebrated curiosities.
8. Milan Cathedral, (Italy)
It is not really known if the Cathedral was built so that centuries later it would be defended by an army of luxury stores or if the selected boutiques of Milan grew around the monument for the greatest glory of all.
The truth is that it is impossible to disassociate one thing from the other. Be that as it may, the stonemason teachers had an excellent vision of the future because from the time of the Romans the geographical point where Il Duomo is located appeared as the center of the city in its plans.
This extensive work of Gothic architecture began its public journey in 1075 when a devastating fire swept through an ancient Basilica. Its magnificent walls are capable of housing 40,000 souls and its choir is one of the largest in the world.
9. La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona (Spain)
Alternative as the city, so much that it does not even have the title of Cathedral, but for us, it has been won, and also for the more than 3 million souls that make it the most visited monument in Spain.
Visionary as the great Gaudí, who improvised during its construction, and that when he died in 1926 he had left only one tower raised – today there are six – letting the end of his masterpiece be put by others.
Therefore, the Sagrada Familia, the greatest exponent of modernist architecture, is still under construction, as life, and as history, allowing each era to add a stone of manners to its increasingly long legend.
10. Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris (France)
The attraction of equilibrium finds its maximum expression of beauty in the Gothic example of Notre Dame DE Paris.
White and cozy, the smooth harmony of its curves immediately guides other collectors of postcards that, before this vision and almost by reflection, begin to think from how many different angles the photo that encumbers him in his social gatherings can throw.
In the heart of the Ila DE la Cite, the restless traveler is in luck. There are many points of view to immortalize one of the oldest Gothic cathedrals in Europe – its first stones date from 1163 – and also many details to keep in the retina, starting with its menacing gargoyles.
If you like heights, do not hesitate to process the 387 steps necessary to poke your head in its 69-meter-high towers. You will understand why Napoleon chose this Cathedral to star in his coronation here.
Summary:
These places of petition are no longer an image of Christianity alone. They have evident critical and besides are known for their splendid structure. Thu-sly, on the off chance that you visit both of these urban systems, do set aside some push to visit these holy places as well. These are no ifs, ands or buts the most celebrated spots of affection on the planet.
