Saint Isaac's Cathedral or Isaakievskiy Sobor in Saint Petersburg, Russia is the largest cathedral in the city and was the largest church in Russia when it was built (101.5 meters high). It was dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, a patron saint of Peter the Great who had been born on the feast day of that saint. The church on St Isaac's Square was ordered by Tsar Alexander I, to replace an earlier Rinaldiesque structure. The cathedral took 40 years to construct, under Montferrand's direction, from 1818 to 1858.
Saint Isaac's Cathedral Postcard(PH Wish from Vera Masterkova)
The severe neoclassical exterior expresses a traditional Russian-Byzantine formula: a Greek-cross groundplan with a large central dome and four subsidiary domes. It is similar to Andrea Palladio's Villa La Rotonda, with a full dome on a high drum substituted for the Villa's low central saucer dome.
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Saint Isaac's Cathedral Wikipedia Entry
The Cathedral of San Fernando is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church located in San Antonio, Texas. The cathedral is also known as the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria y Guadalupe. The church was named for Ferdinand III of Castile, who ruled in the 13th century.
Cathedral of San Fernando Postcard(PH Wish from Karen Brzezinski)
The original church of San Fernando was built between 1738 and 1750. The walls of that church today form the sanctuary of the cathedral. The baptismal font, believed to be a gift from Charles III is the oldest piece of liturgical furnishing in the cathedral. In 1868, the cathedral was considerably enlarged in the Gothic style, the addition forming the existing nave. The carved stone Stations of the Cross were added in 1874. The striking stained glass windows were added in 1920.
SOURCE:Cathedral of San Fernando Wikipedia Entry
St. Patrick's Cathedral is a decorated Neo-Gothic-style Catholic cathedral located on the east side of Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets in midtown Manhattan. The cathedral is built of white marble quarried in New York and Massachusetts and can accommodate 2,200 people. The spires rise 330 feet (100 meters) from street level. The roof is made from slate from Monson, Maine.
St. Patrick's Cathedral Postcard
(Trade with Barbara Sussman)
The postcard also shows Lee Lawrie's colossal bronze statue of Atlas.
SOURCE:St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York Wikipedia Entry
Basílica Minore del Santo Niño, also called Basilica del Santo Niño and formerly known as the San Agustin Church, is a 16th century church in the heart of Cebu City. It is purportedly built on the exact spot where the image of the Santo Niño, a sculpture depicting Jesus as a black Holy Child, was found by Spanish conquistadors in 1565 preserved in a burned wooden box which was left behind during the 1521 Magellan expedition.
Basilica del Santo Niño Postcard 1
The church of Santo Niño de Cebu was founded by an Augustinian priest, Andrés de Urdaneta on April 28, 1565. The first church structure was built out of earth, hard wood and nipa in 1566 ordered by Fr. Diego de Herrera. In 1735, Fernando Valdés y Tamon, the Governor of Cebu, ordered the church to be constructed of hard stone. Construction was completed in 1739. In 1965, during the fourth centenary of the Christianization of the Philippines, Pope Paul VI elevated the church to the rank of minor basilica.
Basilica del Santo Niño Postcard 2
The stones were quarried from Capiz and Panay by an army of bancas. The molave wood came from the mountains of Talisay and Pitalo and was transported in bancas hired in Argao and Carcar. He used white stones to make the lime, with one banca transporting some 400 pieces of stones.
Basilica del Santo Niño Altar Postcard
The façade of the basilica is a blending of Muslim, Romanesque and neo-classical features. The façade is preserved in its original stone texture and natural color. The bell tower has two blind and open windows alternating in shape, ending up in triangular pinnacles with a circular disc crowned by balusters and a bulbous dome of Muslim influence. The arched main entrance is balanced by the side rectangular corners. A double-edged triangular pediment crowns the facade.
Basilica del Santo Niño Postcard 3
Basilica del Santo Niño Postcard 4
Saint Isaac's Cathedral Postcard(PH Wish from Vera Masterkova)
