Europe's Great Sacred Buildings - 1 Quiz

Answer: Saint Olav

Nidaros Cathedral in the Norwegian city of Trondheim takes its name from the city by which modern Trondheim was known in ancient times. Work began in 1066 as a resting place for the remains of Norway's patron saint, Saint Olav. This cathedral is the largest medieval building in Scandinavia and is believed to have been built under the direction of masons from England as many similarities exist between this building and a number of contemporary cathedrals in England. Originally designed as a basilica, St Olav's Cathedral as it is also known was extended over a period of many years with the building reaching final completion in around 1300.

Over the centuries since its completion, Nidaros Cathedral has suffered much damage; a fire in 1531 left the nave in total ruin. Renovation work to return the cathedral to its former glory began in 1869 and was completed in 1969, the last decorative statue being restored to the cathedrals western facade in 1983. During this renovation work a number of ancient gravestones excavated from within the crypt bore inscriptions in the Old Norse language. Many of these relics have since been restored and can now be seen on display here.

Answer: Both are dedicated to Saint Patrick

Armagh, the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland, hosts two separate cathedrals, one Catholic and one Protestant. The Church of Ireland cathedral sits at the top of Sally Hill, the Catholic cathedral looking out from Sandy Hill on the other side of town. St Patrick founded his first stone church in Ireland on the site now occupied by St Patrick's Church of Ireland cathedral in the year 445. When St Patrick took possession of Sally Hill a deer with her fawn leaped from out of the bushes in front of them. Preventing his companions from killing the fawn, Patrick lifted the animal onto his shoulders and carried it to Sandy Hill, the site of the Catholic cathedral, the incident being commemorated in the lower portion of that cathedral's great east window. After the death of Patrick, the monastic settlement that had been established there became important as a seat of learning; by the twelfth century only those who had studied at Armagh were permitted to teach theology.

Saint Patrick's Catholic cathedral possesses a group of bells known as a carillon. Each bell is composed of copper alloyed with tin, the composition of each bell adjusted slightly to provide each one with its own unique sound. Unlike the more usual ring of bells, a carillon is able to play melodies, due to the number and the range of the bells. St Patrick's Church of Ireland cathedral possesses just eight larger bells in place of a carillon. Rung in precise patterns, known as changes, this style uses fewer bells to produce its scales. The bells in a change sustain more readily, their notes ringing out for longer, producing layers of sound.

Answer: Durham

The cathedral in Durham, perched high above the modern city, stands upon a rocky outcrop surrounded by a loop in the River Wear. The cathedral was originally built as a place of worship for a small community of Benedictine monks and today Durham Cathedral still claims some of the most intact surviving monastic buildings in England. Construction of the cathedral began in 1093 and, along with an earlier fort-like structure, formed the heart of the city. Durham also contains the shrine and relics of that most travelled of saints, Saint Cuthbert as well as the tomb of the Venerable Bede.

Durham Cathedral possesses a total of ten bells tuned to the key of 'D' within its central tower; the heaviest bell, a tenor, weighs 28cwt. Prior to the end of the seventeenth century the cathedral's bells were housed within its north-west tower before being relocated to their present home and in the last quarter of the twentieth century the cathedral's existing eight bells were augmented to ten with the addition of a further two bells in 1980. In 1986 Durham Cathedral was recognised as a site of both architectural and historical importance after being listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Answer: Westminster

One of the most recognisable buildings in the world, Westminster Abbey has been at the forefront in the history of England. Established as far back as 616 as a shrine to Saint Peter, construction work on the Abbey was begun in 1045 by King Edward 'The Confessor' as penance for failing to undergo a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and was completed by 1050. Benedictine monks first occupied the site upon which the abbey now stands in the middle of the tenth century and established a tradition of daily worship which continues today. The original buildings were constructed in the Romanesque style but rebuilt in the gothic style by King Henry III in 1245 work being completed in 1520 some 275 years later.

The Abbey has been used as the site of the coronation of English monarchs since 1066, the iconic coronation chair being made for King Edward I to enclose the Stone of Scone, which he brought from Scotland to the Abbey in 1296. The first records of bells at Westminster date from 1255 when just five were in situ but over the centuries the ring has been increased to a total of ten with the heaviest, a tenor, similar to the one at Durham, weighing in at 28cwt. Interestingly, reproductions of the ring of bells at Westminster Abbey have been reproduced by the famous Whitechapel Bell Foundry for installation at Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria, B.C, Canada and in the Old Post Office Tower in Washington D.C.

Answer: Cologne

The cathedral at Cologne gives this German city one of the most distinctive silhouettes in the world. One of the most important sites for pilgrimages in Europe, construction on the cathedral began in 1248 with the first foundation stone being laid by Konrad von Hochstaden, the Archbishop of Cologne at that time. Over the 632 years that it took to complete, its architects remained faithful to the vision of its original medieval builders, working rigidly to the original medieval blueprints. Built and decorated in the High Gothic architectural style, the cathedral's liturgical appointments include an enormous black limestone slab upon which the high altar is located, beautiful oak choir stalls carved between 1308 and 1311, a number of painted medieval choir screens dating from 1332 and the largest existing, original series of early fourteenth century stained glass windows in Europe. The Shrine of the Magi which was constructed between 1180 and 1225 and which is located within the cathedral's choir is the largest reliquary in Europe.

Cologne Cathedral contains many works of art including the Gero-Kreuz or Gero Crucifix, the largest and oldest carved depiction of the crucifixion in northern Europe, which dates back to the late 10th century and which is now sited within the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Other important and irreplaceable works of art within the cathedral include the Altarpieces of St. Clare and St. Agilolphus which date back to circa 1350-1400 and 1520 respectively, amongst many others. Surprisingly, it was not until 1996 that Cologne Cathedral was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Answer: Basilica

With an exterior richly decorated with green, pink and white marble and surmounted by its Renaissance dome, the Gothic edifice dedicated in honour of Santa Maria del Fiore or Saint Mary of the Flowers, has dominated the skyline of the Tuscan city of Florence for centuries. Florence's cathedral is built on the site of the older Church of Santa Reparata, the 7th century remains of which can be visited in this building's crypt. Work began on Santa Maria del Fiore towards the end of the thirteenth century under the direction of architect and sculptor Arnolfo di Cambio, with its dome added during the fifteenth century from a design by engineer Filippo Brunelleschi; statues to both men can be found outside the cathedral looking up at their masterpiece. Consecrated by the church whilst still unfinished, the cathedral remained in this state until the 19th century.

Unlike many buildings of its type, Santa Maria del Fiore for all its decoration on the outside is somewhat plain on the inside. On the inside and above the entrance to the cathedral is the clock designed in 1443 by the mathematician and painter Paolo Uccello. A pioneer, like Brunelleschi, in the use of perspective in art, Uccello designed his clock to conform to the 'Ora Italica' a system of timekeeping in which the last hour in the 24 hour cycle ended with that day's sunset. The greatest artwork in Santa Maria del Fiore are the frescoes, 'The Last Judgement', attributed to the artist Giorgio Vasari and painted between 1572 and 1579 but now believed to have been painted by his student Frederico Zuccari. Although Santa Maria del Fiore is usually referred to as a cathedral it is, in fact, a basilica - a building of only slightly less importance than a cathedral.

Answer: The Ninety-Five Theses

Luther's intention was simply to start an academic debate within the church and so the ninety-five theses were written in Latin. Unfortunately for Luther, they were quickly translated into German using the newly invented Gutenberg printing press technology, and rapidly disseminated. What was to begin a debate led to the German Reformation and to centuries of unrest and war.

Although not one of the most attractive buildings featured here, All Saint's Church at Wittenberg in the state of Saxony-Anhalt in the east of modern Germany, is of immense historic importance; also known as the Schloßkirche, the Reformation Memorial Church or just simply as Wittenberg, it was built in very quick time. Construction work on both the castle and its associated church began in 1490 and was completed in 1509, a staggeringly short period for this type of building! Sadly the original doors upon which Luther nailed his theses were destroyed by fire in 1760 as a result of a bombardment by the French during the Seven Years War. The lost doors were replaced with a pair of bronze doors in 1858, both of which bear the Latin text of the theses engraved upon them. Although Martin Luther died in his home town of Eisleben, he is buried beneath the floor of the Schloßkirche, his final resting place being marked by a bronze plaque that was sited there in 1892. Of other interest at the Schloßkirche is the main stained glass window which features images of the Adoration of the Magi, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection and Pentecost, all of which are based on woodcuts by the German master, Albrecht Dürer.

Answer: True

Often thought of as a cathedral, the strangely beautiful building commonly referred to as Sagrada Familia is actually just a church; albeit an impressively large one! Still unfinished at the time of writing, this building in the Art-Nouveau style, dominates the skyline of the Catalan city of Barcelona. It was originally intended to be built as a simple neo-gothic style church which had been designed by architect Francesco de Paula Villar and building work, which began in 1882, was funded through public subscriptions. By 1884 the celebrated architect, Antoni Gaudi, had taken over and changed the project completely. Gaudi worked on this building for forty years; right up until his death in 1926 after he had been involved in a collision with a tram, his remains are interred within the crypt at Sagrada Familia. Building work was interrupted by the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1935 and although the building remained intact, many of its original plans were destroyed. During 1950 building work recommenced but an estimate as to when this fine building will be completed range from between 2017 and 2026.

The eighteen towers of Sagrada Familia are rich in Christian symbolism. The large central tower represents Christ himself with the four that surround it the gospels. The tower surmounted by the large star above the apse, a recess at the eastern end of the type of building, represents Christ's mother, Mary and the remaining twelve for each one of the disciples. It the exterior is a sight to behold, its interior space is breathtaking having an almost organic feel to the stonework and all bathed in an eerie coloured light that needs to be seen to be believed. If you ever find yourself in Barcelona, a visit to Gaudi's masterpiece is a must.

Answer: Rouen

Rouen, known as the City of a Hundred Spires, contains many fine examples of religious architecture and the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen is the finest. Possessing the highest spire in all of France, which was erected only as recently as 1876, it rises to 490 feet above the city skyline. The first cathedral at Rouen was destroyed by the invading Normans who went on to replace it with a building of their own; Duke William of Normandy being present at its consecration in 1063, but all that remains of that building today is the crypt. The cathedral was rebuilt in 1145 in the early gothic style that was beginning to appear, its design being based on the Basilica of Saint-Denis in Paris. In 1200 the cathedral was almost totally destroyed by fire with only the Saint-Romain Tower and the Nave surviving but within fifty years the cathedral had been rebuilt in the now more familiar mature 13th century High Gothic style.

During the 15th century an interesting tower appeared, a tower known as the Tour de Beurre or Butter Tower. Towers of this nature were often funded by the wealthy members of a city's population in return for being able to continue to eat butter during Lent. A number of beautiful paintings of Rouen Cathedral by the great impressionist painter, Claude Monet, can be seen on display at the Museé d'Orsay in Paris.

Answer: Truro

Cornwall had its own Bishop at St Germans until the end of the 10th Century. Held in conjunction with the diocese firstly at Crediton and then at Exeter, the Cornish diocese ceased to be a separate entity in 1050. Over 800 years later in 1877 the Cornish Diocese was established once again at Truro after over thirty years of lobbying, a Parliamentary Bill establishing the Diocese of Truro once again was passed on the 11th of August 1876; surprisingly, the Diocese of Truro covers Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly around twenty-eight miles west of Land's End and two parishes in west Devon. Bodmin had been a serious rival for the site of Cornwall's new cathedral, with the original See of St Germans and the vicar of St Columb also making claims. Eventually the site chosen in Truro was where the old Parish Church of St Mary's once stood. Building a new cathedral in the centre of an existing town gave rise to many issues; a number of existing properties on the northern side of the site had to be purchased from their owners and then demolished. Visitors to Truro Cathedral are often surprised at how close it is to the business and residential buildings that surround it.

Installed in 1887, Truro Cathedral possesses the only completely original organ still in regular use in the United Kingdom, having not had so much as an organ stop replaced since its installation. This instrument consists of 207 pipes ranging in size from tiny pipes a little larger than a pencil to the largest which measure thirty-two feet in length. Installed whilst the cathedral was still only half built it was shipped from the manufacturers in London by barge around the channel coast to Lemon Quay, Truro's old dock just a stone's throw from the cathedral. It was thanks to the tireless efforts of Edward White Benson, the first Bishop of the new Diocese that Cornwall now has its own cathedral.