Religious structure, Christian
Aachen Cathedral
The Aachen Cathedral dates from about 800 AD. The Emperor Charlemange himself had overseen the construction work, until it finally complied with his wishes.
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Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch
The former Lorsch Abbey, and notably its gatehouse, is one of the rare remaining buildings from the Carolingian era.
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Abu Mena
Abu Mena was a town, monastery complex and Christian pilgrimage center in Late Antique Egypt. It was built in remembrance of the martyr Menas of Alexandria, who died in 296 A.
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Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral has played an important role in the development of gothic architecture. It dates from the 13th century.
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Aquileia
The Archaeological Area of Aquileia covers one of the largest and wealthiest cities of the Early Roman Empire, and is considered the most complete example of an Early Roman city.
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Armenian Monastic Ensembles
The Armenian Monastic Ensembles in Iran are the only important vestiges of the diffusion of Armenian culture in this region.
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Assisi
Assisi, the Basilica of San Francesco and Other Franciscan Sites is an eclectic site that was inscribed on 5 cultural criteria.
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Asturian Monuments
The Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias are six pre-Romanesque constructions all dating from the 9th century.
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Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery
Bagrati Cathedral is the 11th-century cathedral church in the city of Kutaisi. The cathedral, now in ruins, has gone down as a masterpiece in the history of medieval Georgian architecture.
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Baroque Churches
The Baroque Churches of the Phillipines represent a fusion of European church design (baroque) and local construction techniques and decorations.
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Belem
The Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belem in Lisbon are two historical builidings that can be found in the famous harbour of Portugals capital.
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Benedictine Convent of St. John
The Benedictine Convent of St. John at Müstair is an ancient monastery with a exceptionally well-preserved heritage of Carolingian art.
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Bourges Cathedral
Bourges Cathedral is a cathedral dedicated to Saint Stephen. Construction on Bourges Cathedral began on in 1195, the same time as Chartres Cathedral.
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Boyana Church
The architecture of Boyana Church dates from late 10th and early 11th century. It's the eastern part of the current building, which also sees additions from mid-13th century and mid-19th century.
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Burgos Cathedral
The Burgos Cathedral is a cathedral in the French-Gothic style. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is famous for its vast size and unique architecture.
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Canterbury
The Canterbury WHS consists of three important monuments of religious history in England. They represent the introduction of Christianity to the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
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Cathedral of St. James in Sibenik
The Cathedral of Saint James in Sibenik is a Gothic-Renaissance construction built entirely from stone.
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Chartres Cathedral
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres is considered one of the finest examples in all France of the Gothic style of architecture.
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Church of the Ascension, Kolomenskoye
Kolomenskoye is a former royal estate situated several miles to the south-east of Moscow downtown, on the ancient road leading to the town of Kolomna (hence the name).
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Churches and Convents of Goa
The Bom Jesus Basilica and a few designated convents are designated a World Heritage Site. The Basilica holds the mortal remains of St.
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Churches of Chiloé
The Churches of Chiloé were placed on the list because of their unique form of wooden architecture and the mestizo culture they represent.
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Churches of Moldavia
The Churches of Moldavia are Byzantine churches with painted exterior walls.
The following individual churches are part of this site:
- Church of the Beheading of St John the Baptist, Arbore
- Church of the Assumption of the Virgin of the former Monastery of Humor
- Church of the Annunciation of the Monastery of Moldovita
- Church of the Holy Rood, Patrauti
- Church of St Nicholas and the Catholicon of the Monastery of Probota
- Church of St George, Suceava Suceava
- Church of St George of the former Voronet Monastery.
Read on: Churches of Moldavia
Churches of Peace
The Churches of Peace in Jawor and Swidnica are the largest timber-framed religious buildings in Europe and a symbol of religious tolerance from the 17th century.
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Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay
The Abbey of Fontenay is a Cistercian abbey founded by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux in 1118. Located in a small forested valley 60 kilometres northwest of Dijon, it achieved great prosperity in the 12th and 13th centuries.
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Cologne Cathedral
Justification for inscription: "The monument is of outstanding universal value being an exceptional work of human creative genius, constructed over more than six centuries and a powerful testimony to the strength and persistence of Christian belief in medieval and modern Europe.
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Congonhas
The story behind this WHS is the story of two remarkable men: the Portuguese immigrant Feliciano Mendes and the sculptor Aleijadinho.
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Convent of Christ in Tomar
The Convent of Christ in Tomar is a combination of a castle and a convent, used by the Knights Templar.
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Convent of St. Gall
The Convent of St. Gall was inscribed because of its great influence on the development of monastic architecture and is considered to be a typical example of the large Benedictine monastery.
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Durham Castle and Cathedral
Durham Castle and Cathedral overlook a bend in the Wear river, crossecting the old university town of Durham.
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Echmiatsin and Zvartnots
The Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots are two prime examples of Armenian church design.
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Ferapontov Monastery
The Ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery is a Russian-Orthodox monastic complex dating from the 15th-17th centuries, and its interior is considered one of the purest examples of Russian medieval art.
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Flemish Béguinages
The Beguines were women who entered into a life dedicated to God without retiring from the world. In the 13th century they founded the béguinages, enclosed communities designed to meet their spiritual and material needs.
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Franciscan Missions in the Sierra Gorda
The Franciscan Missions in the Sierra Gorda of Querétaro are examples of the mid-18th century second phase of evangelization of Mexico.
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Gammelstad
Gammelstad Church Town is situated near the city of Luleå, at the northern end of the Gulf of Bothnia.
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Haghpat and Sanahin
Haghpat and Sanahin are two monasteries in the Debed Canyon, in the Lori-region of North Armenia. Their oldest structures date back to the 10th century.
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Hildesheim
St. Mary's Cathedral was built between 1010 and 1020 in Romanesque style. It follows a symmetrical plan with two apses, that is characteristic of Ottonic Romanesque architecture in Old Saxony.
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Holy Trinity Column
The Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc is a work of art celebrating the power and glory of the Roman Catholic Church.
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Island of Pátmos
Historic Centre (Chorá) with the Monastery of Saint John "the Theologian" and the Cave of the Apocalypse on the Island of Pátmos is a Greek Orthodox monastery founded in 1088.
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Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba
The Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba are religious, educational and agricultural developments by the Society of Jesus between 1604 and 1767.
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Jesuit Missions of the Chiquitos
The Jesuit Missions of the Chiquitos consist of six towns which were founded as reductions by Jesuits in the 17th and 18th century and survived as a living heritage.
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Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis
The Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis are the archeological remains of towns created by the Jesuit Order.
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Jesuit Missions of Trinidad and Jesus
The Jesuit Missions of La Santisima Trinidad de Parana and Jesus de Tavarangue are two examples of small colonies established by Jesuit missionaries in Paraguay throughout the 17th and 18th century.
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Kalwaria Zebrzydowska
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, south of Krakow, is a landscape park and a pilgrimage site. The layout was designed by Feliks Zebrowski in 1604.
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Kiev
Kiev's Saint Sophia Cathedral was designed to rival the Saint Sophia of Constantinople. Prince Yaroslav the Wise built it to commemorate the victory over the Pechenegs (Asian nomadic tribes) and to glorify Christianity.
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Kizhi Pogost
The Kizhi Pogost is an enclosure that holds two 18th-century wooden churches and an octagonal bell tower.
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Kremlin and Red Square
Both the Red Square and the seat of government Kremlin are located at the heart of Moscow.
The city of Moscow was founded in 1156 as a seat for the czars.
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Lalibela
The rock-hewn churches of Lalibela are exceptionally fine examples of a long-established Ethiopian building tradition.
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Luther Memorials
Eisleben and Wittenberg are two towns in eastern Germany that bear testimony to the Protestant Reformation.
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Maulbronn Monastery
Maulbronn is the best preserved medieval Cistercian monastery complex in Europe. It is separated from the town by fortifications.
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Medieval Monuments in Kosovo
Medieval Monuments in Kosovo consists of four Serbian Orthodox Christian churches and monasteries built in the 13th and 14th centuries.
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Meteora
The Meteora or 'columns of the sky' are a group of monasteries built on spectacular natural sandstone rock pillars in central Greece.
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Modena
The Cathedral, Torre Civica and Piazza Grande in Modena are sublime examples of 12th century, early Romanesque art.
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Monasteries of Daphni, Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni of Chios
The Monasteries of Daphni, Hossios Luckas and Nea Moni of Chios are masterpieces of the 'second golden age of Byzantine art'.
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Monastery of Alcobaça
The Monastery of Santa Maria d'Alcobaça, north of Lisbon, was founded in the 12th century by King Alfonso I.
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Monastery of Batalha
The Monastery of Batalha (Santa Maria da Vitória na Batalha) is a Dominican monastery and one of the best and original examples of Late Gothic architecture in Portugal.
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Monastery of Geghard
Geghard monastery dates mainly from the 13th century, although its origins are much older (< 4th century).
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Monastery of Horezu
The Monastery of Horezu is considered to be a masterpiece of "Brâncovean" style, known for its architectural purity and balance, the richness of its sculpted detail, its treatment of religious compositions, its votive portraits, and its painted decorative works.
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Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay
Mont Saint-Michel is a rocky tidal island in Normandy, roughly one kilometre from the north coast of France at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches.
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Mount Athos
Mount Athos lies on a peninsula in the Aegean Sea.
Reasons for inclusion are many (as this is a mixed heritage), but include being the spiritual centre of the orthodox world and combining natural beauty with architectural creation.
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Mtskheta
Mtskheta was a capital of the Georgian Kingdom of Iberia during the 3rd century BC - 5th century AD. Here Georgians accepted Christianity in 317 and Mtskheta still remains the headquarters of the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church.
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Notre-Dame Cathedral in Tournai
The building of the Cathedral of Tournai lasted from 1146 until 1325. At first, a Romanesque cathedral was built because Tournai had become seat of a bishopry.
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Novodevichy Convent
Reason for including the Novodevichy Convent is that it is the most outstanding example of the so-called ‘Moscow Baroque’ style of architecture.
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Painted Churches in the Troödos Region
The Painted Churches in the Troödos Region are 9 Byzantine churches and monasteries in the Troödos Mountains.
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Pannonhalma
The Benedictine monastery of Pannonhalma was founded in 996. It was the first Hungarian monastery, Hungary still being primarily a pagan culture at the time.
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Petäjävesi Old Church
The cruciform church of Petäjävesi is an impressive example of northern wooden architecture, like the other WHS Urnes Stave Church and Kizhi Pogost.
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Pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuk
The Pilgrimage Church at Zelena Hora was designed by the Czech-Italian architect Jan Blazej Santini Aichl, who delivered a masterpiece out of a combination of gothic and baroque styles.
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Pilgrimage Church of Wies
The Pilgrimage Church of Wies is considered a masterpiece of Bavarian Rococo. It was constructed between 1745 and 1754 by the brothers Johann Baptist und Dominikus Zimmermann.
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Pisa
The Tuscan town Pisa (an hour by rail from Florence) used to have a fleet that reigned the Mediterranean Sea.
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Poblet Monastery
Poblet Monastery is one of the largest and most complete Cistercian abbeys in the world. It dates from the 12th century.
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Popocatepetl monasteries
There are several monasteries near the Popocatépetl volcano in central Mexico which were built in the 16th century by members of the Franciscan, Dominican and Augustinian orders.
Read on: Popocatepetl monasteries
Porec
The Episcopal Complex of the Euphrasian Basilica in the Historic Centre of Porec contains of the basilica, atrium, baptistery, and episcopal palace, which are outstanding examples of religious architecture.
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Qadisha Valley
The Qadisha or Holy Valley was added to the list of World Heritage Sites because it is one of the most important early Christian monastic settlements in the world.
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Ravenna
The Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna are a unique collection of mosaics and monuments from the 5th and 6th centuries.
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Reichenau
The Monastic Island of Reichenau holds the influential Benedictine Abbey, which was founded in 724 by the itinerant Saint Pirmin.
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Reims
The World Heritage in Reims consists of the Notre Dame cathedral, the Palais du Tau and the former Abbey of Saint Remi.
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Rila Monastery
The Rila Monastery is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. At the heart of this monastery's history is the story of the medieval hermit Ivan.
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Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo
The Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo are a group of monolithic churches, chapels and monasteries hewn out of solid rock.
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Roskilde Cathedral
Roskilde Cathedral is made of red brick in the Gothic style, and dates from about 1280. Since then each century has added its own extensions in various styles.
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Route of Santiago de Compostela
The Route of Santiago de Compostela comprises over 1800 historic buildings on the Christian pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
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Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
The Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France represent several sites related to the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Western Spain, a part of the Way of Saint James.
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Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy
The nine Sacri Monti (Sacred Mountains) of northern Italy are groups of chapels and other architectural features created in the late 16th and 17th centuries and dedicated to different aspects of the Christian faith.
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Saint Catherine Area
Saint Catherine's Monastery at the mouth of an inaccessible gorge at the foot of Mount Sinai is one of the oldest continuously functioning Christian monasteries.
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Saint-Savin sur Gartempe
The Romanesque Abbey Church of Saint-Savin sur Gartempe, constructed in the mid 11th century, contains many beautiful 11th- and 12th-century murals which are still in a remarkable state of preservation.
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San Millán
San Millán de la Cogolla is a sparsely populated municipality in La Rioja, which is famous for its twin monasteries, Yuso and Suso.
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Santa Maria de Guadelupe
The Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Guadalupe was the most important monastery in Spain for more than four centuries.
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Santa Maria delle Grazie
Santa Maria delle Grazie is a Renaissance church in Milan built by Guiniforte Solari between 1466 and 1490 on a commission by Dominican monks.
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Skellig Michael
Skellig Michael, also known as Great Skellig, is a steep rocky island about 15 kilometres west of the coast of County Kerry, Ireland.
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Solovetsky Islands
The Solovetsky Islands (Solovki) are an archipelago situated north of St. Petersburg. There are about 100 islands, inhabited by only 1400 people.
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Speyer Cathedral
Speyer Cathedral (Dom in German) was inaugurated in 1061. Thirty years before, Emperor Koenraad II gave the order to build it.
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Stari Ras and Sopocani
Stari Ras was one of the first capitals of the medieval Serbian state of Raška. was founded between 8th and 10th centuries and got deserted sometime in the 13th century.
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Studenica Monastery
The Studenica monastery is one of the largest and richest Serb Orthodox monasteries. The monastery is best known for its collection of 13th- and 14th century Byzantine-style fresco painting.
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Transylvanian villages
The Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania date from the 13th to the 16th century. Transylvanian villages were often organised around a fortified church.
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Trebíc
The Jewish Quarter and St. Procopius Basilica of Trebic bear witness to the coexistence of and interchange of values between the Jewish and Christian cultures from the Middle Ages until the Second World War.
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Trinity Sergius Lavra
The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is the most important Russian monastery and the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church.
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Urnes Stave Church
The Urnes Stave Church (ca 1050) is the oldest of its kind in Norway. Between the 11th and 14th century about 1200 Stav-churches arose in Scandinavia.
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Vall de Boi
The Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí are nine Early Romanesque churches, making it the site of the densest concentration of Romanesque architecture in Europe.
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Vatican City
Most famous monument within this small city state is of course the San Pietro Basilica. Until 1989 this was the biggest cathedral in Christianity (now it is surpassed by his replica in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast).
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Vézelay
Vézelay is principally noted for Vézelay Abbey (Basilica of St. Magdalene), sited here since the 9th century.
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Westminster
The full name of the entry is "Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret's Church". Westminster Palace is the Seat of Government and includes the famous Clock Tower Big Ben.
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White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal
The White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal embraces eight medieval limestone monuments of Zalesye.
They are:
- Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir (1158-60, 1185-89);
- The Golden Gate in Vladimir (1158-64, with later modifications);
- The Cathedral of Saint Demetrius in Vladimir (1194-97);
- The castle of Andrew the Pious in Bogolyubovo (1158-65, with later modifications);
- The Church of the Intercession on the Nerl in Bogolyubovo (1165);
- The Suzdal Kremlin with the Nativity Cathedral (1222-25, built up in the 16th century);
- The Monastery of Saint Euthymius in Suzdal (mostly 16th century);
- The Church of Boris and Gleb in Kideksha (1152, with later mofifications).
Read on: White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal
Wooden Churches of Maramures
The Wooden Churches of Maramures in Northern Transylvania are a selection of eight examples of different architectural solutions from different periods and areas.
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Wooden Churches of Southern Little Poland
The Wooden Churches of Southern Little Poland are medieval Roman Catholic Gothic churches built in the horizontal log technique.
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Wooden Churches of the Slovak Carpathians
The Wooden Churches of the Slovak part of Carpathian Mountain Area are examples of local religious architecture.
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