Europe's Most Beautiful Cathedrals | Sacred Architecture & History

St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice with its ornate façade, golden mosaics, domes, and Gothic details.

St. Mark’s Basilica (Basilica di San Marco)

Venice's Byzantine-style cathedral on Piazza San Marco, famed for its gilded mosaics, the Pala d'Oro altarpiece and its nickname, the Church of Gold.

Santa Maria della Salute

A Baroque church at the mouth of the Grand Canal, built as a votive offering after a devastating plague and crowned by one of Venice's defining domes.

Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore

A Palladio-designed Renaissance basilica on its own Venetian island, with Tintoretto paintings and a bell tower overlooking St. Mark's Basin.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Ireland's largest cathedral, built on the spot where St. Patrick is said to have baptised converts, and the resting place of Jonathan Swift.

Christ Church Cathedral

Dublin's Viking-founded cathedral, home to Ireland's oldest surviving crypt and the tomb of the Norman lord Strongbow.

Florence Cathedral (Duomo di Firenze)

Florence's Gothic-Renaissance cathedral, crowned by Brunelleschi's dome, the largest brick dome ever built.

Basilica of Santa Croce

Florence's largest Franciscan church, known as the Temple of the Italian Glories for the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli.

Basilica of Santa Maria Novella

Florence's first great basilica, famed for Leon Battista Alberti's marble facade and Renaissance masterpieces by Masaccio, Giotto, and Ghirlandaio.

Basilica of San Lorenzo

Florence's Medici parish church, rebuilt by Brunelleschi in the 1400s, known for its unfinished façade and Renaissance art inside.

Medici Chapels

The Medici family's mausoleum in Florence, combining Michelangelo's New Sacristy with the marble-and-gemstone Chapel of the Princes.

Frauenkirche

Munich's Gothic-brick cathedral, famous for its twin green domes, medieval devil's footprint, and sweeping views from the south tower.

St. Peter’s Church

Munich's oldest parish church, nicknamed Alter Peter, offering Baroque art, a jeweled saint's relics, and a tower climb with panoramic city views.

St. Stephen’s Basilica

Budapest's largest church holds the Holy Right Hand relic and a dome terrace with sweeping city views.

Matthias Church

A Gothic masterpiece atop Buda Castle Hill, famed for its colorful tiled roof, royal coronations, and sweeping Danube views.

Saint Michael and Saint Gudula Cathedral

Belgium's national cathedral, a Gothic landmark that has hosted royal weddings and state funerals for centuries.