The Srasburg Cathedral viewed from the front.

Strasburg Cathedral

The Srasburg Cathedral viewed from the front.

The Cologne Cathedral viewed from the front.

Cologne Cathedral

The Cologne Cathedral viewed from the front.

The Sainte Chapelle viewed from the front.

Sainte Chapelle

The Sainte Chapelle viewed from the front.

The Canterbury Cathedral viewe from the front.

Canterbury Cathedral

The Canterbury Cathedral viewe from the front.

The most remarkable campanile in the world is known everywhere as the "Leaning Tower of Pisa." Its construction was commenced in 1074, by the German architect, Wilhelm of Innsbruck. Its total height is 170 feet.

Pisa Cathedral

The most remarkable campanile in the world is known everywhere as the "Leaning Tower of Pisa." Its construction…

"Canterbury Cathedral, which was a key place during the contest with King John. In the quarrel with John of England the issue was not a matter of personal morality, but of Church authority. There was a dispute about the election to the Archbishopric of Canterbury, the most important church office in England. The monks of Canterbury chose one candidate and the king another, and then both parties appealed to the pope. Innocent rejected both candidates and proposed one of his own, Stephen Langton, a man in every way suitable for the office. John refused to submit, and the pope used against him the same means that had been employed to coerce Philip Augustus. He laid England under an interdict, and, though its effect was not so immediate as in France, it finally brought John to terms. Not only was John obliged to accept the pope's candidate, but he went so far as to surrender the kingdom of England to the pope and receive it back as the pope's vassal, paying in token of vassalage a sum of money each year."—Colby, 1899

Canterbury Cathedral

"Canterbury Cathedral, which was a key place during the contest with King John. In the quarrel with…

"Death of Becket. During the early years of the reign Thomas A. Becket, as the king's chancellor, had shown great zeal in his cause, but, being appointed archbishop of Canterbury in 1162, he devoted himself wholly to the interests of the church and the exaltation of his office, and became the most dangerous of the king's foes. the main point at issue between them was the trial of members of the clergy who had been guilty of crime. The civil courts had lost all authority over clerical offenders, who were tried by the church tribunals. But the latter bodies could inflict only spiritual penalties, and serious offenses often went without adequate punishment. In the Constitutions of Clarendon (1164) it was decided that ecclasiastics accused of crime must first be summoned before the king's justices, who were to determine whether the offense came within the jurisdiction of a secular or a spiritual court. Becket reluctantly agreed to this, as well as to other provisions seriously affecting the authority of the church, but soon afterwards sent to the pope and asked forgiveness for what he had done. The king's party was powerful, and Becket took refuge in France, but a few years later, through the aid of the pope and French king, was reinstated. On his return to England he angered the king by excommunicating the bishops who had taken sides against him. Henry, in a moment of rage, spoke some hasty words, which were construed by his attendants as a wish for the murder of Becket. They broke into the cathedral where the latter had taken refuge and killed him at the altar (December, 1170). Becket was now regarded as a martyr and a patron saint, and the king was finally obliged to make his submission to the papal representative and declar on oath his innocence of all complicity in the murder. Thus the apparent outcome of the struggle was unfavorable to the king, but in reality Henry gained the main object for which he had been working. The church courts no longer enjoyed such complete authority over criminal members of the clergy."—Colby, 1899

Death of Becket

"Death of Becket. During the early years of the reign Thomas A. Becket, as the king's chancellor, had…

"An arcade of small dimensions, such as a balustrade, formed by a series of little arches. Image: Arcature.- Cathedral of Petersborough, England."-Whitney, 1902

Arcature

"An arcade of small dimensions, such as a balustrade, formed by a series of little arches. Image: Arcature.-…

"An arcade of small dimensions, such as a balustrade, formed by a series of little arches. Image: Arcature.- Cathedral of Petersborough, England."-Whitney, 1902

Arcature

"An arcade of small dimensions, such as a balustrade, formed by a series of little arches. Image: Arcature.-…

"A Cathedral is the principal church of a diocese, and the Cathedral city is the seat of the bishop of the diocese, and his throne is placed in the Cathedral church, which is the parish church of the whole diocese. The distinction between Cathedral and collegiate churches consists principally in the see of the bishop being at the former. The governing body of a Cathedral is called the dean and chapter. The Cathedral of St. John the Divine (P. E.) in New York, will, when completed, be the most splendid structure of the kind on this continent."—(Charles Leonard-Stuart, 1911)

Cathedral of St. John the Divine

"A Cathedral is the principal church of a diocese, and the Cathedral city is the seat of the bishop…

Choir Chapel, 14th century. Cathedral of Mantes, France.

Chapel

Choir Chapel, 14th century. Cathedral of Mantes, France.

A type of fancy roman architecture.

Chevron Molding

A type of fancy roman architecture.

The Cathedral of Laon.

Laon

The Cathedral of Laon.

Architecture of Cathredals in England. Two bays of choir, interior, Peterborough Cathedral, Norman Style.

Bays of Choir

Architecture of Cathredals in England. Two bays of choir, interior, Peterborough Cathedral, Norman Style.

Architecture of Cathredals in England. Central Tower in the Norwich Cathedral, Norman Style.

Central Tower

Architecture of Cathredals in England. Central Tower in the Norwich Cathedral, Norman Style.

Architecture of Cathredals in England. A clustered pier at the Worcester Cathedral, Early English style.

Clustered Pier

Architecture of Cathredals in England. A clustered pier at the Worcester Cathedral, Early English style.

Architecture of Cathredals in England. Lancet-windows at the Chester Cathedral, Early English style.

Lancet Windows

Architecture of Cathredals in England. Lancet-windows at the Chester Cathedral, Early English style.

Architecture of Cathredals in England. A clustered pier at the Exeter Cathedral, Early English style.

Clustered Pier

Architecture of Cathredals in England. A clustered pier at the Exeter Cathedral, Early English style.

Architecture of Cathredals in England. One bay of the "Angel Choir," interior, Lincoln Cathedral, Decorated Style.

One Bay

Architecture of Cathredals in England. One bay of the "Angel Choir," interior, Lincoln Cathedral, Decorated…

Architecture of Cathredals in England. Geometrical tracery at Ripon Cathedral.

Tracery

Architecture of Cathredals in England. Geometrical tracery at Ripon Cathedral.

Architecture of Cathredals in England. French flamboyant tracery at Rouen Cathedral.

Tracery

Architecture of Cathredals in England. French flamboyant tracery at Rouen Cathedral.

Architecture of Cathredals in England. Flowing tracery at Wells Cathedral, Decorated Style.

Tracery

Architecture of Cathredals in England. Flowing tracery at Wells Cathedral, Decorated Style.

Architecture of Cathredals in England. Perpendicular window, West Front at Norwich Cathedral, inserted in a Norman wall.

Window

Architecture of Cathredals in England. Perpendicular window, West Front at Norwich Cathedral, inserted…

Architecture of Cathredals in England. Two bays of Nave, interior at Winchester Cathedral, Perpendicular Style.

Two Bays

Architecture of Cathredals in England. Two bays of Nave, interior at Winchester Cathedral, Perpendicular…

"Basket capital. Fro mthe Cathedral of Gurk." —D'Anvers, 1895

Basket Capital

"Basket capital. Fro mthe Cathedral of Gurk." —D'Anvers, 1895

"Clustered pillar from the nave of Wells Cathedral." —D'Anvers, 1895

Clustered pillar

"Clustered pillar from the nave of Wells Cathedral." —D'Anvers, 1895

"The Chapter-House, Salisbury Cathedral." —D'Anvers, 1895

Chapter-house

"The Chapter-House, Salisbury Cathedral." —D'Anvers, 1895

"Nave of Wells Cathedral." —D'Anvers, 1895

Nave

"Nave of Wells Cathedral." —D'Anvers, 1895

"Choir of Worcester Cathedral" —D'Anvers, 1895

Choir

"Choir of Worcester Cathedral" —D'Anvers, 1895

"Effigy of Robert of Normandy. In Gloucester Cathedral." —D'Anvers, 1895

Robert of Normandy

"Effigy of Robert of Normandy. In Gloucester Cathedral." —D'Anvers, 1895

"The Sleeping Children. By Chantery. In Lichfield Cathedral." —D'Anvers, 1895

Sleeping children

"The Sleeping Children. By Chantery. In Lichfield Cathedral." —D'Anvers, 1895

"1, Turret, St. Peter's Church, Oxford; 2, Turret, Rochester Cathedral; 3, St. Mary's Church, Cheltenham; 4, Bayeux Church, Normandy." — Chambers, 1881

Spire

"1, Turret, St. Peter's Church, Oxford; 2, Turret, Rochester Cathedral; 3, St. Mary's Church, Cheltenham;…

"Sectional compartment of the Nave of Lincoln Cathedral." — Encyclopedia Britanica, 1893

Lincoln Cathedral

"Sectional compartment of the Nave of Lincoln Cathedral." — Encyclopedia Britanica, 1893

"Sectional compartment of the Choir of Lincoln Cathedral." — Encyclopedia Britanica, 1893

Lincoln Cathedral

"Sectional compartment of the Choir of Lincoln Cathedral." — Encyclopedia Britanica, 1893

A cathedral with pointed towers.

Cathedral

A cathedral with pointed towers.

"Ground-plan of durham Cathedral." — Chambers' Encyclopedia, 1875

Durham Cathedral

"Ground-plan of durham Cathedral." — Chambers' Encyclopedia, 1875

"In architecture, an ornamental finishing, either carved in stone, or of tiles running along the top of a wall, or the ridge of a rood. Crest-tiles, or Crease-tiles, are frequently in the form either of small battlements or Tudor flowers, as in the accompanying illustration from Exeter Cathedral." — Chambers' Encyclopedia, 1875

Crest-Tiles

"In architecture, an ornamental finishing, either carved in stone, or of tiles running along the top…

A gothic cathedral located in Paris, France. Viewed from the southeast.

Notre Dame

A gothic cathedral located in Paris, France. Viewed from the southeast.

Cross section of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (historically Constantinople). The Greek name Hagia Sophia means "Holy Wisdom." It is known as Ayasofya in Turkish.
<p>The building was originally constructed as a church between A.D. 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Empire under Mehmed the Conqueror, who ordered the building be converted into a mosque. It was closed in 1931 and reopened as a museum in 1935. This important milestone in the history of architecture was the world's largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years. It also greatly influenced the design of Ottoman mosques, including the nearby Blue Mosque.

Hagia Sophia

Cross section of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (historically Constantinople). The Greek name Hagia Sophia…

"Tournai Cathedral." &mdash; The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

Tournai Cathedral

"Tournai Cathedral." — The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

"Plan of Amiens Cathedral. A, Apsidal aisle. B B, Outer aisles of choir. F G, Transepts. H, Central tower. I J, Western turrets. M, Principal or western doorway. N N, Western side doors. P Q, North and south aisles of choir. R R R, Chapels. T U, North and south aisles of nave." &mdash; Winston's Encyclopedia, 1919

Amiens Cathedral

"Plan of Amiens Cathedral. A, Apsidal aisle. B B, Outer aisles of choir. F G, Transepts. H, Central…

"Plan of Wells Cathedral. A, Apse or apsis. B, Altar, altar-platform, and altar-steps. D E, Eastern or lesser transept. F G, Western or greater transept. H, Central towers. I J, Western towers. K, North porch. L, Library or register. M, Principal or western doorway. N N, Western side doors. O, Cloister yard or garth. P Q, North and south aisles of choir. R S, East and west aisles of transept. T U, North and south aisles of nave. R R, Chapels. V, Rood screen or organ loft. W, Altar of Lazy chapel." &mdash; Winston's Encyclopedia, 1919

Wells Cathedral

"Plan of Wells Cathedral. A, Apse or apsis. B, Altar, altar-platform, and altar-steps. D E, Eastern…

This fresco by Correggio is of St. John sitting and writing next to a black hawk. The fresco can be found hanging over the doorway of San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma.

St. John the Evangelist

This fresco by Correggio is of St. John sitting and writing next to a black hawk. The fresco can be…

This view of Florence shows the Duomo (cathedral) on the right and Giotto's Campanile (tower) on the left.

Florence

This view of Florence shows the Duomo (cathedral) on the right and Giotto's Campanile (tower) on the…

All Saints Cathedral at Albany.

All Saints Cathedral

All Saints Cathedral at Albany.

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge sharply and often doubly toothed. Outline - oval or egg-shaped, or inversely egg-shaped; always one-sided. Apex - taper-pointed. Base - rounded, or slightly heart-shaped, rarely pointed. Leaf/Stem - about one quarter inch long. Buds - smooth. Leaf - usually two to five inches long, and one and a half to two and a half wide; somewhat downy when young, afterward roughish below; above, either rough in one direction, or (especially if taken from the ends of the long branches) smooth and shining. Ribs - prominent and straight. Bark - of the branches not marked with "corky ridges"; branchlets, smooth. Seeds - flat egg-shaped or oval, winged and fringed all around. Last of May.  Found - northward to Southern Newfoundland; southward to Florida; westward to the Black Hills of Dakota. Toward the western and southwestern limits it is found only in the river-bottom lands. General Information - One of the very noblest of American trees, eighty feet or more in height, and of strong and graceful proportions. The trunk divides at a slight angle into two or three arching limbs, and these again into many smaller curving and drooping branches. The trunk and the larger branches are often heavily fringed with short and leafy boughs. The tree is widely cultivated. Streets planted with it become columned and arched like the aisles of a Gothic cathedral. The wood is hard, and very tough from the interlacing of its fibers. It is used in making saddle-trees and for wheel-hubs, and is now largely exported to England to be used in boat- and ship-building. One day I found four men in a stone quarry, working with iron bars and rollers over a heavy flat slab. They were moving the stone slowly up a narrow plant into their cart. "John, " I said, "I would not think that board could hold a stone of such weight two minutes. Is it hickory?" "No sir, " said John, " that's an elm plank; it can't break." It did not break. It was one of the woods which the Deacon used in building his famous "one-hoss shay": So the deacon inquired of the village folk Where he could find the strongest oak, That count n't be split nor bent nor broke, - That was for spokes and floor and sills; He sent for lancewood to make the thills; The cross-bars were ash, from the straightest trees; The panels of whitewood, that cuts like cheese, But lasts like iron for thing like these; The hubs of logs from the Settler's Ellum; - Last of its timber, - they could n't sell 'em, Never an axe had seen their chips, And the wedges flew from between their lips, Their blunt ends frizzled like celery-tips;" --Oliver Wendell Holmes

Genus Ulmus, L. (Elm)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge sharply and often doubly toothed. Outline - oval or egg-shaped, or…

"The choir of Canterbury Cathedral was destroyed by fire four years after Thomas Becket was murdered there." -Breasted, 1914. The image is of the choir rebuilt by Henry II.

Cathedral Choir

"The choir of Canterbury Cathedral was destroyed by fire four years after Thomas Becket was murdered…

The architecture in Pisa: a cathedral, baptistry, and Leaning Tower.

Pisa

The architecture in Pisa: a cathedral, baptistry, and Leaning Tower.

The cross section of the Amiens Cathedral. (E) triforium, (F) clerestory.

Amiens Cathedral

The cross section of the Amiens Cathedral. (E) triforium, (F) clerestory.

The cathedral and bell tower in Florence, Italy built by Brunelleschi.

Cathedral and Bell Tower

The cathedral and bell tower in Florence, Italy built by Brunelleschi.

King David's Arm-chair was designed in the 13th century. The Arm-chair was made from a relief portal of a cathedral in Auxerre, France.

King David's Arm-Chair

King David's Arm-chair was designed in the 13th century. The Arm-chair was made from a relief portal…

This Renaissance lectern came from the Pisa Cathedral in Italy. It was made of marble with an Eagle design.

Renaissance Lectern

This Renaissance lectern came from the Pisa Cathedral in Italy. It was made of marble with an Eagle…

The gothic architecture of Westminster Abbey, the great church in London, England.

Westminster Abbey

The gothic architecture of Westminster Abbey, the great church in London, England.

"Germany's most beautiful cathedral, Cologne." -Foster, 1921

Cologne Cathedral

"Germany's most beautiful cathedral, Cologne." -Foster, 1921

Salisbury Cathedral (From the Meadows), a painting by John Constable exhibited in 1831.

Salisbury Cathedral (From the Meadows)

Salisbury Cathedral (From the Meadows), a painting by John Constable exhibited in 1831.

The outstanding geologic features of the park are the ancient sedimentary beds of red and white sandstones, conglomerates and limestone that were deposited horizontally, but have now been tilted vertically and faulted by the immense mountain building forces caused by the uplift of the Pikes Peak massif.

Cathedral Spires in the Garden of the Gods, Colorado

The outstanding geologic features of the park are the ancient sedimentary beds of red and white sandstones,…

An illustration of Cathedral Rock located near Niagara Falls.

Cathedral Rock

An illustration of Cathedral Rock located near Niagara Falls.

St. Louis, Missouri's cathedral as pictured in 1874.

Church

St. Louis, Missouri's cathedral as pictured in 1874.

Whitby Abbey is a ruined Benedictine abbey sited on Whitby's East Cliff in North Yorkshire on the northeast coast of England. It was founded in 657 AD by the Anglo-Saxon King of Northumbria, Oswy as Streoneshalh.

The Ruins of Whitby Abbey

Whitby Abbey is a ruined Benedictine abbey sited on Whitby's East Cliff in North Yorkshire on the northeast…

St Asaph Cathedral, (Welsh: Eglwys Gadeiriol Llanelwy) at St Asaph, Denbighshire, north Wales, is sometimes claimed to be the smallest Anglican cathedral in Britain.

St. Asaph Cathedral

St Asaph Cathedral, (Welsh: Eglwys Gadeiriol Llanelwy) at St Asaph, Denbighshire, north Wales, is sometimes…