European Gothic: Not Only Notre-Dame Quiz

Answer: Sainte-Chapelle

The Sainte-Chapelle (Holy Chapel) was built in the mid-13th century, in the Rayonnant Gothic style, to house King Louis IX's collection of holy relics - which included Jesus Christ's Crown of Thorns. It was originally located in the courtyard of the royal palace known as Palais de la Citè, and - together with the former prison named La Conciergerie - is one of the oldest surviving parts of the palace. The chapel's appearance, both on the outside and the inside, was inspired the jeweled reliquaries made by skilled goldsmiths from Germany and the Netherlands, the stained glass windows replacing the rich gems and enamels that characterized those artifacts. The fifteen huge windows depict stories from the Old and New Testament, as well as the rediscovery of the relics. In spite of the damage inflicted on the building during the years of the French Revolution, which led to extensive restoration in the 19th century, almost two-thirds of the windows are authentic.

Of the three incorrect choices - all famous Paris churches - only the abbey church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés dates from the Middle Ages. The church of La Madeleine was built under Napoleon, in the early 19th century, while the scenic Sacré-Coeur Basilica on the hill of Montmartre was built in the late 19th century.

Answer: Rouen

With its 151-metre spire, the cathedral of Notre-Dame de l'Assomption (Our Lady of the Assumption) towers over the historic centre of Rouen, the capital of Normandy that, like Paris, lies on the River Seine. The cathedral, first established in the 7th century, was consecrated in 1063 in the presence of Duke William of Normandy, later known as William the Conqueror. The current building was begun in the 12th century, though it underwent many modifications throughout the centuries, due to fire, war and weather-related damage. The spire, originally erected in the Renaissance, was destroyed by fire in 1822 and rebuilt in cast iron - which gave the cathedral the distinction of tallest building in the world from 1876 to 1880. In the 1890s, Impressionist painter Claude Monet showed the cathedral at different times of the day and year; five of these iconic paintings can be viewed at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, and two at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

All the remaining choices are major French cities that boast medieval cathedrals, though Rouen is the only one found in the northern part of the country.

Answer: Milan

Dedicated to St Mary of the Nativity (Santa Maria Nascente), Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano) is the largest church in Italy (as St Peter's Basilica is located in the State of Vatican City), and the world's largest Gothic cathedral, with an interior surface of 11,700 m² (125937.7 sq ft). Construction of this massive church, which occupies the most central site of the Roman city of Mediolanum, began in 1386, under the rule of the Visconti family, and continued (albeit with frequent interruptions), until the last gate was inaugurated in 1965. The façade was completed in the early 19th century, as shown by some of he windows that markedly differ from the cathedral's French-inspired Rayonnant Gothic style. A gilded statue of the Virgin (affectionately called "Madonnina" by the Milanese) tops the 108.5-metre (356-ft) lantern spire; it is, like the cathedral itself, one of the symbols of this thriving city, Italy's financial capital.

All the other answers are major cities located in countries bordering France.

Answer: St Francis

The beautiful town of Assisi lies not far from the Umbrian regional capital of Perugia, another remarkable medieval city. Construction of the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi was begun in 1228, two years after the saint's canonization. The church, divided into Upper and Lower Basilica, is built in the side of a hill; a friary, the Sacro Convento, is also part of the complex.

A crypt was built in the 19th century underneath the Lower Basilica to house the remains of St Francis, who is also the patron saint of Italy (together with St Catherine of Siena).

The Basilica, designed by Maestro Jacopo Tedesco, fuses the Romanesque and Gothic styles, and is one of the founding examples of Italian Gothic religious architecture. The stately appearance of its exterior, however, almost pales in comparison with the beauty of the frescoes that decorate the interior of both levels - the work of some of the greatest artists of the Italian Middle Ages, such as Cimabue, Giotto, Simone Martini and Pietro Lorenzetti.

Answer: Castile

Now located in the autonomous community of Castile and León, in the Middle Ages Burgos was the capital of the Crown of Castile, and a major stop on the French Way, the most popular of the routes leading to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela. Construction of the imposing cathedral began in 1221: the design of the main façade was inspired by French Gothic. However, much of the church's modern appearance is due to the major work conducted in the 15th century, in which German architect Juan de Colonia (Johannes von Köln) was involved. The interior of Burgos Cathedral contains many artistic masterpieces from different ages. The hero Rodrigo Díaz, known as El Cid, was born in the town of Vivar, just a few miles from Burgos.

The remaining options are all historic regions of Spain, though Castile is the only one located in the north of the country. The Spanish language is also known as Castilian.

Answer: Portugal

The Monastery of Batalha ("battle" in Portuguese), originally named Monastery of St Mary of Victory (Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória), is a Dominican convent located in the municipality of the same name, in central Portugal. As its name implies, the monastery was built to thank the Virgin Mary for the victory in the Battle of Aljubarrota (1385), in which the Portuguese forces defeated those of the King of Castile, confirming Portugal's independence. The Monastery of Batalha, of which construction started in 1386 and lasted over a century, is an example of Late Gothic architecture with French and English influences. Damaged by Napoleon's troops and subsequently abandoned, the convent was saved by the intervention of King Ferdinand II, who in 1840 started a restoration program that lasted well into the 20th century; it is now a national monument and a museum, and was inscribed in UNESCO's World Heritage list in 1983.

Of the remaining options, only Belgium was for a time a colonial power, but it is definitely not known for its wines or beaches!

Answer: King's College Chapel, Cambridge

Cambridge's famed King's College was founded by Henry VI in 1441, one year after its sister college in Eton. Construction of the chapel was started in 1446, and lasted until 1515; its large stained glass windows, however, were not completed until 1531. Noted for its impeccable acoustics, the chapel - which is a major tourist attraction, and one of the symbols of the city of Cambridge - is still actively used for worship, and also hosts concerts and other college events. The King's College Choir, also created by Henry VI, is one of the most renowned representatives of the English choral tradition; the choir has released numerous recordings of hymns, carols and other religious music.

The other options are all outstanding examples of English Gothic religious architecture, though considerably larger than King's College Chapel.

Answer: Albert Einstein

Located in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, Ulm lies on the Danube; Albert Einstein was born there in 1879. Despite its size, Ulm Minster (Ulmer Münster in German) is not a cathedral, as it has never been the site of a bishop. Construction started in 1377, but - as is often the case with such large buildings - was only completed in the late 19th century. From 1980 to 1901 the church was the tallest building in the world, owing to its 161.5-m (530-ft) steeple - which allows a panoramic view of the city and its surrounding area; until Barcelona's Sagrada Familia is complete, Ulm Minster will remain the tallest church in the world. The church miraculously escaped any major damage during the bombing that destroyed most of Ulm's medieval centre at the end of 1944.

All the remaining names refer to well-known scientists who also won the Nobel Prize in Physics in the first half of the 20th century. None of them, however, was born in Germany.

Answer: Budapest

Mattias Church (Mátyás-templom in Hungarian) lies at the heart of Buda's Castle District, the oldest part of the Hungarian capital of Budapest. The current building dates from the second half of the 14th century. Originally dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the church was later named after King Matthias I (Matthias Corvinus, 1443-1490), the enlightened ruler who brought the Renaissance to Hungary. Damaged in the 16th and 17th century, Matthias Church was extensively renovated in the second half of the 19th century, though the addition of ornate Neo-Romanesque and Neo-Gothic elements (including the diamond-patterned roof tiles and a massive sandstone pulpit) proved to be somewhat controversial. World War II inflicted more damage on this beautiful building, which was thoroughly restored in the second half of the 20th century and in the early 21st century.

The remaining cities are all European capitals, but none of them lies on the Danube.

Answer: Turku

Turku (Åbo in Swedish) was founded at the end of the 13th century, and its cathedral - like most of the city - was originally built of wood. The cathedral was expanded in the 14th and 15th centuries, using stone and brick as the main building materials, and largely rebuilt in the 19th cantury, after the damage sustained during the Great Fire of Turku (1827), in which 3/4 of the city were destroyed. The cathedral's solid, almost utilitarian style is typical of Finnish medieval church architecture. The tall steeple, which (like most of the interior) dates from the 19th-century reconstruction, rises over 100 m (328 ft) above sea level, and can be seen from a considerable distance. Turku Cathedral is the Mother Church of Finland's Lutheran Church and the seat of the Archbishop of Finland.

Of the remaining "T" cities, Tallinn is the capital of Estonia, Tromsø is in Norway, and Trier is in Germany.