The Church of the Holy Sepulchre houses the purported tomb of Jesus, and the spot of his resurrection. That part of the church is under the control of the Greek Patriarch of Jerusalem.
The Bayeux Tapestry was the medieval equivalent of a newspaper, or at least a speech by a politician. It tells the story in pictures and words of the rationale and the history behind the Norman Conquest of England. In fact, William the Conquerer, the Norman duke who defeated the English King Harold at the Battle of Hastings and assumed the throne of England, had the thing done only a couple of years later so he could explain to everyone his side of what happened and how a French guy ended up as King of England.
The Dome of the Rock, built on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is one of the holiest sites of the Muslim faith. Muslims believe this is where Muhammad ascended into … Read more
2014 was our biggest year of traveling yet. We visited 19 countries, including a long driving trip in the western United States. We saw, in order, the United States, Belgium, … Read more
When it comes to church art (and other interesting stuff) it’s hard to beat the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence. For quality and quantity, it’s far more important than … Read more
We were in the Verona Cathedral at night. Consequently, the light inside was even dimmer than normal in an old church. So, I almost missed this amazing feature of the … Read more
If you said that St. Peter’s Basilica is the Pope’s “home church” in Rome, you’d be wrong. In fact, the Pope’s chair (cathedra in Latin, hence the English word cathedral) … Read more
There’s a lot of debate about the Vasari paintings that cover Florence. I think the safest thing to say about Giorgio Vasari was that he was a better businessman than … Read more
Travel, at its best, is a lot like the our best college days: sit back and take in a ton of information from people who know what they are talking … Read more
The winged lion is the symbol of both Saint Mark the Evangelist and the city of Venice. You see it pretty much everywhere. There is some dispute of the origin … Read more
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