Lesser-known facts about the father of modern science
The stunning Baroque high altar of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, Austria, was built over seven years from 1641 to 1647.
The interior of the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal ranks among the most dramatic of any of the world's religious wonders. Providing an eye-popping backdrop for the altar is the sanctuary, decorated in blue, red, purple, silver, and gold.
St. Stephens Basilica in Budapest is the most important church building in Hungary. The gilded marble sanctuary over the altar depicts scenes from St. Stephen's life.
Rome's Santa Cecilia in Trastevere dates back to the 5th century. Under the ciborium that shelters the main altar is a glass case enclosing the white marble sculpture of the Roman martyr St. Cecilia.
One of the most famous Catholic shrines in the world, St. Peter's Basilica is blessed with one of the most celebrated altars. It features the baldacchino, a pavilion-like structure crafted from bronze by Italian sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini, which stands beneath the dome and above the altar.
Ottawa's Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica features another outstanding interior embellished with three altars, each sculpted from wood and covered with gold leaf and decorated with precious stones.
The magnificent high altar of St. Michael's Church in Munich, Bavaria, frames a vivid painting of St. Michael the Archangel fighting Lucifer.
Completed in 1710, Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece is one of London's, indeed the world's, great landmarks. The interior is enlivened by an altar of white Sicilian marble set at the east end of the cathedral. Over this looms a high altar and baldacchino, a canopy of state.
An austere exterior belies the beauty within St. Anne's Church in Vienna. The vibrant frescos adorning the ceiling and high altar are the work of noted Viennese painter Daniel Gran.
Budapest's Matthias Church stands in the heart of Buda's Castle District. Historically significant as a venue for some of the country's most important events, the church is appreciated for its medieval architecture, including the opulently decorated neo-Gothic main altar.
Uspenski Cathedral in Helsinki is a Nordic gem of a religious building. The cathedral altar is famous for its wall of rare and valuable iconostasis, a series of religious paintings set behind the altar and separating the nave from the sanctuary.
St. Emmeram's Cathedral in Nitra is the oldest diocesan church in Slovakia: the upper church dates back to 1355. Housed in the Nitra Castle precinct, the cathedral is cherished for its red, green, and white marbled surface and gilt stucco interior decoration that matches the walls and the altars.
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart, commonly known as the Sacré-Cœur, is a much-loved Paris landmark. The interior showstopper is the huge mosaic of Jesus Christ above the altar. It is among the largest mosaics in the world!
A riot of Baroque ornamentation greets visitors to Madrid's Church of Saint Anthony of the Germans. The astonishingly detailed high altar and three side altars belong to the 18th century and were commissioned by the last Habsburg kings of Spain.
Completed in 1493, the Cathedral of Saint Mary in Toledo features a jaw-dropping retable that rises to almost ceiling height above the altar. This extraordinarily florid altarpiece remains one of the finest examples of Gothic master craftsmanship found anywhere.
Among the largest churches in the world as well as the largest Gothic church, Seville Cathedral houses one of the finest altarpieces in the world, a masterpiece created by Flemish sculptor Pierre Dancart called the Retablo Mayor. Dancart spent 44 years carving the gilded high altar, which features scenes from the Old Testament, the life of Christ plus images of saints.
Porto, Portugal's second city, is the location of the country's most prominent Gothic monument, the Church of Saint Francis. The interior's focal point is the Baroque altarpiece, which in fact is a remnant of the first Saint Francis church, replaced after 1383 by the present structure.
Badly damaged during the Second World War, Berlin Cathedral underwent extensive reconstruction, work that saw the original building's beautiful interior carefully recreated, the focus of which is the gilded altar set under the cathedral's huge dome.
Better known as the Chiesa di San Salvatore di Ognissanti, this church in Florence is the final resting place of the famous Early Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli. Another celebrated artist, Giotto, painted his celebrated 'Madonna and Child Enthroned with Angels' for the high altar.
A favorite Amsterdam landmark, Saint Nicholas Basilica is visited by thousands of citizens for the crown of Maximilian I set above the high altar, which is a symbol seen throughout the Dutch city.
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine in Florida was completed in 1797. However, its congregation, established in 1565, is the oldest Christian congregation in the contiguous United States. The cathedral's elegant roof truss system and its exposed decorated timbers are set over a simple but eye-catching altarpiece.
Visitors to the late 17th-century Lucerne Jesuit Church have to pass through a set of filigree iron gates to reach the altar of Switzerland's first Baroque church north of the Alps.
The Church of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Budslau enshrines the icon of Our Lady of Budslau, widely venerated throughout the Czech Republic.
Also referred to rather confusingly as the Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat, this Benedictine abbey located above Rio de Janeiro is famed for its interior of ornate gold leaf gilding, with which the altar positively drips.
St. Conan's Kirk church in the village of Loch Awe features a nave and chancel built of local stone. The semi-circular apse with pillars, arches, and stained-glass windows fringe a simple wooden altar. Sometimes less is more!
Sources: (Britannica) (Walks in Rome)
See also: The most beautiful churches in the world
Another one of the world's great ecclesiastical wonders, St. Mark's Basilica in Venice is full of masterworks of medieval art. The high altar, loomed over by the grand Dome of Immanuel, is complemented by several side altars in the transept.
Easily overlooked but always worth a diversion, Maria Krönung Church on Lake Traunsee in Upper Austria greets visitors with its magnificent high altar replete with rich figurative decoration.
The oldest and most significant religious site in Ecuador, the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco positively dazzles with lavishly decorated altarpieces and pulpits. The main altarpiece shines under a sky-blue dome.
Standing in the heart of Rome, the Church of St. Louis of the French was consecrated in 1589. It's named for being chosen as the burial place for a number of higher prelates and members of the French community of Rome. The church's Contarelli Chapel is famous for containing three paintings by Caravaggio, commissioned as decoration for the chapel's altarpiece.
The extraordinary 14th-century marble high altar and exquisitely detailed Arch of St. Donatus in Arezzo Cathedral, Tuscany, is one of the church's rarest and most cherished of ecclesiastical treasures.
The highlight of any visit to a church or cathedral is often its altar. These hallowed platforms are invariably enriched by decorative works of religious art known as high altars. Likely set in a sanctuary, the altar is the most sacred site in any religious building, designed as it is for the presentation of religious offerings. It's therefore no surprise why these places of ritual are so richly decorated, with some altarpieces considered among the rarest and most valuable of religious artifacts. So, where in the world can you admire the most dazzling altars?
Click through and embark on a pilgrimage.
The most dazzling altars in the world
Ecclesiastical wonders you need to see
LIFESTYLE Religion
The highlight of any visit to a church or cathedral is often its altar. These hallowed platforms are invariably enriched by decorative works of religious art known as high altars. Likely set in a sanctuary, the altar is the most sacred site in any religious building, designed as it is for the presentation of religious offerings. It's therefore no surprise why these places of ritual are so richly decorated, with some altarpieces considered among the rarest and most valuable of religious artifacts. So, where in the world can you admire the most dazzling altars?
Click through and embark on a pilgrimage.