Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, Spain.
“Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name." 2 Chronicles 6:9
Construction: 1882-present. The first stone was placed in 1882. It is composed of three facades dedicated to the Birth, Passion and Glory of Jesus and, when it is completed, it will have 18 towers: twelve for the apostles, four on the transept invoking the evangelists, one on the apse dedicated to the Virgin and the central tower in honor of Jesus. It is the iconic church of the city of Barcelona and is the apex of the architect with Catalan origins Antonio Gaudí.
Cathedral church of Milán (Duomo di Milano), Italy
“Take heed now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it.” 1 Chronicles 28:10
This beautiful work of architectural art is a cathedral that combines the Gothic, Neoclassical and Neo-Gothic styles and was built by Nicolás de Bonaventure, among others. Located in Milan, Italy, it is one of the largest Catholic churches of worship in the world and can accommodate 40,000 people inside. The construction was started in 1386 and completed in 1965. At the end of the 1480s, Leonardo da Vinci stayed there in the service of Ludovico Sforza, who between 1500 and 1510 finished the dome.
Saint Basil's Cathedral, Russia
“Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build a house for the Lord, the God of Israel.” 1 Chronicles 22:6
Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos (Virgen Mary in Greek) on the Moat is an Orthodox temple on the Red Square in Moscow. Its construction was ordered by Tsar Ivan the Terrible, and was carried out between 1555 and 1561. The legend says that Tsar Ivan left the architect Postnik Yakovlev blind in order to prevent him from coming up with a building that could surpass it, although it seems to be little more than an urban legend, since Yakovlev participated, after a few years, in the construction of the Kremlin in Kazan, Russia.
Las Lajas Sanctuary, Colombia
“Now Solomon purposed to build a temple for the name of the Lord, and a royal palace for himself.” 2 Chronicles 2:1
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rosary of Las Lajas is a temple and basilica for the Christian worship and veneration of Our Lady of Las Lajas, located in the city of Ipiales, Colombia. Built between 1919 and 1949, it belongs to the order of the Franciscan Sisters of Mary Immaculate and is in a neo-Gothic style. Religious services are done following the Roman rite. The oldest reference of its existence is in 1754, when the image of the Virgin of the Rosary was discovered by an indigenous woman with her young daughter.
Cathedral of Notre Dame
“Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.” 2 Chronicles 6:7
The Cathedral of Our Lady belongs to the Catholic cult and is one of the oldest buildings built in the Gothic style. Its construction began in 1163 and was completed in 1345. Dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, she witnessed several historical events, among which are the beatification of Joan of Arc in 1909 and the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte as emperor of France in 1804. In 1831, Victor Hugo wrote the romance Our Lady of Paris, the story of Quasimodo.