Something Beautiful

Kolner Dom

The great cathedral of Cologne, Germany.

The entrance, closer-up. 

Church, Faroes

I find myself quite taken with this photo of a small church in the Faroe Islands, between Iceland and Norway.

Churches in the Faroe Islands

Be prepared to be impressed - Churches in the Faroe Islands.   

This page drew my attention to these islands, and then I searched out the page with the churches.  The Faroes are closer to Scotland and Norway, but they belong to Denmark. 

Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome

Not sure where the best page is on Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome's only Gothic church.  But these two make a good beginning --

Paradox Place

Sacred Destinations . 

Western Facade, Notre Dame de Paris

This is pretty nifty -- the three portals of Notre Dame Cathedral's western (main) facade.   Choose a point you want to see closer up, and click on it! 

Notre-Dame de Paris

Not surprisingly, the world-famous Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris has quite a wonderful website.   

First, there is an interactive floorplan, with not only 14 photos but also 10 panoramas of different parts of the cathedral. 

** If you have time for only one glimpse of this entire site, please choose the Autel principal , or main altar, in the center of the floorplan, where it says "Transept." **

* * *

The cathedral is still an active house of worship, and thus offers numerous opportunities for prayer and meditation.   

For that very reason you can listen to several selections of sacred music here -- 

Magnificant du Ton Peregrin (children's choir, great organ) (words)

Magnificat du Ton Royal (soprano, baritone, organ)

Alma Redemptoris Mater (soprano, organ)  (words)

Ave Maris Stella (soprano, organ) (words)

Ave Regina Caelorum (soprano, organ)  (words)

Regina Caeli (baritone, organ) (words)

Salve Regina (baritone, organ ) (words)

Salve Regina (choir only)

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San Miniato

Today is Sunday and therefore time to go to church.  Here is the exterior, and here the interior, of the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte, just outside Florence, Italy.    And now the interior again, but this time in black and white.

Bonus:  A rather astonishing statue in the cemetery behind the basilica. 

Boyle Abbey, Co. Roscommon

The ruins of Boyle Abbey are found in Co. Roscommon, Ireland.     You can read a bit about it in this brief Wikipedia entry. 

I love the old Cistercian monastery ruins in Ireland, of which Boyle Abbey is a particularly fine example. 

And I have long loved, in particular, this marvelous stone which apparently once decorated its walls.   Magical!   

Church ruins, Aran Islands

The ruins of a very old church at Kilronan, on the island of Inishmore, in the Aran Islands, Ireland. 

A slightly different view of the same church.   

And a broader view of the cemetery surrounding it. 

Small churches

On Sundays I try to post (when I do post) something at least a little church-y.   I was charmed by these four  small churches and expect you will be too.

It's probably not the smallest, but the Mekeel's Corners Chapel, near which I once lived, is small and appealing. 

And far be it from me to omit mention of these eight tiny houses of worship on the Aran Islands, Ireland.