With their special lighting conditions, the interiors of churches are always a great challenge. On the one hand, the room should be displayed as naturally as possible, on the other hand, one has to struggle with extreme differences in brightness. At the same time, colorful glass windows produce colored light reflections on the walls, which appear completely unnatural in the picture.
In addition to the religious aspect, churches are always an expression of zeitgeist, art and power. While the powerful were able to afford the best builders and artists of their time, there were also communities in small towns and villages that left us with evidence of great art. If a religion or its affiliates were repressed, the respective places of worship were in many cases further used and adapted to the new religion. Here you will also find examples of former churches that are now used as mosques or in other ways.
Lucca is a town that is somewhat atypical for Tuscany. While most of the villages were built on a hill, Lucca is completely flat. Surrounded by a 4km long city wall, large parts of the historical townscape have been preserved. The Chiesa di San Mi...
Dome in Cefalu (Sicily), UNESCO World Heritage. Under Roger II. construction began in 1131. The last major additions were made in 1471. The mosaic in the apse, created from 1148 onwards by Byzantine artists from Constantinople, is the central eye-...
After an earthquake in 1693 Noto was rebuilt about 6km away. From 1694 onwards, this included the new cathedral, whose baroque façade was completed in 1770. 200 years later, the building became dilapidated. Heavy rainfall in March 1996 led to the ...
The Basilica of Santi Maria e Donato on the island of Murano near Venice dates back to the 7th century. After several rebuilds it received its present form in the 12th century. The marvellous mosaic flooring, which was extensively restored between...
Built in the middle of the 14th century, this is the oldest church in Vilnius. After severe damage in World War II, it was restored from 1948 to 1957. Today it serves the Russian Orthodox community as a church.
Construction of the Gothic church Notre Dame du Sablon began at the beginning of the 15th century and lasted for more than 100 years. The colourful glass windows from the 19th and 20th centuries are very impressive.
San Domenico is a single nave church building from the 13th century. Its walls are richly decorated with frescoes made by local artists up to the 15th century. The most important work of art is the cross floating above the altar, created by Cimabu...
