Architecture for Kids

Virtual Tour of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome

2010-05-13T09:25:00.001-07:00

Beautiful!

Kings College Chapel & Organ

2010-04-26T15:40:00.001-07:00

Kings College Chapel & Organ, originally uploaded by Heaven`s Gate (John).

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T05:54:00.001-07:00

Saint Patrick, originally uploaded by Chez VH.

This lovely stained glass window can be found in the St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Palo Alto, California.

And a Great Sign Appeared in Heaven...

2008-12-05T07:26:00.000-08:00

DSC_1073, originally uploaded by Chez VH.

This lovely statue of Our Lady is from Mission Santa Ines in Solvang, California. According to the Mission Website, it's a statue of "Our Lady of the Rosary, an excellent Mexican Baroque period sculpture from the mid-18th century."

Old St. Peter's and the Sistine Chapel

2008-10-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

We just went to an exhibit on objects from the Vatican. They mostly had works of art having to do with St. Peter and the popes, but also about St. Peter's Basilica - both the old one (built by Constantine) and the new one (built during the Renaissance). We also got to talk to a nice volunteer who told us a lot about Old St. Peter's and the Sistine Chapel and answered our questions we had about them.

They had a neat model of the Old St Peter's at the exhibit - we found a drawing of it on the Internet (shown above with link to the site). I was excited to see it, because I never knew what it looked like and we were just reading about it yesterday. Old St. Peter's was built in the 300s at the place where St. Peter died, which was a Roman circus (it's not a circus with clowns and jugglers, it's more like the Colosseum - they might have chariot races and gladiator fights and things like that). Around 1450, the pope decided to take it down because it was falling apart. From 1475-1483 they built a chapel and when it was completed, the pope hired Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Rosselli, and Perugino to paint the walls on the sides of the chapel. They painted the ceiling blue with stars. In 1508, another pope, hired Michelangelo to paint frescoes of the twelve apostles on the ceiling. After he started the work, Michelangelo decided that he didn't like them and came up with a different idea that we can see today. He finished the frescoes in 1512.

The groundbreaking for the new St. Peter's Basilica was in 1506 and it was consecrated in 1626.

Side commentary on another favorite from the exhibit, as explained by my then seven year old daughter:

We saw the Mandylion. The frame was made only out of gold, silver and jewels. It had angels on each side - their wings were gold and their bodies were silver. The picture was of God's face. It was really neat.

NOTE: I've transferred this several-years-old post from a different blog as it relates here - my children helped piece together this info.

St. Peter's Basilica: Links

2008-10-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

History of St. Peter's Basilica from Catholic Encyclopedia
Tour of St. Peter's Basilica (this one has pictures)
Old St. Peter's Basilica (circa 300 AD - 1450 AD)
Building Big - St. Peter's Basilica
Pictures from St. Peter's Basilica
Vatican Museums Online - The Sistine Chapel

Mission San Juan Bautista

2008-07-01T20:49:00.001-07:00

San Juan Bautista, originally uploaded by Chez VH.

Happy Feast Day to Blessed Junipero Serra, founder of the California Missions.

The Beautiful Little Church at San Juan Capistrano

2008-05-26T12:07:00.000-07:00

Fray Junipero Serra

2008-05-26T10:55:00.001-07:00

Fray Junipero Serra, originally uploaded by Chez VH.

from Mission San Diego

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

2008-05-25T19:04:00.001-07:00

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, originally uploaded by Chez VH.

Tile picture at Mission San Carlos Borromeo (Mission Carmel)

St. Thomas Aquinas

2008-05-23T20:10:00.001-07:00

St. Thomas Aquinas, originally uploaded by Chez VH.

Stained glass window above the altar at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Palo Alto, California.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-22T22:09:00.001-07:00

The Lamb of God, originally uploaded by *clairity*.

Beautiful Outdoor Stations of the Cross

2008-03-21T13:56:00.001-07:00

Stairway to Station IX, originally uploaded by stuffle.

at Holy Hill in Hubertus, Wisconsin

"Heart in Stained Glass"

2008-03-11T05:25:00.001-07:00

heart in stained glass, originally uploaded by Mathieu Struck.

from Curitiba's Metropolitan Cathedral in Brazil

Basilica of Our Lady of Lourdes

2008-02-10T19:32:00.001-08:00

The Upper Basilica of Lourdes, originally uploaded by Lawrence OP.

View some more beautiful photos from Lourdes here.

Cardinal Ratzinger on Cathedrals

2008-02-09T08:40:00.000-08:00

Where the spirit is not alive, where it is not effective and does not reign, cathedrals become museums, memorials to the past whose beauty makes you sad because it is dead. That is the warning, as it were, which emanates from this cathedral celebration. Faith alone can keep cathedrals alive, and the question the one-thousand-year-old cathedral is asking us is whether we have the strength of faith to give it a present and a future. In the end, organizations for the protection of historical monuments do not preserve the cathedral, as imoprtant and commendable as they area - only the spirit which created it can do this.

Cardinal Ratzinger, A New Song for the Lord

Unit Study Information

2008-02-09T08:24:00.001-08:00

I'm currently working on adding the details from the original Heart and Mind Magazine Unit Study to this website. Please check out the sidebar for a growing table-of-contents.

Saint Paul Outside-the-Walls

2008-01-27T07:44:00.001-08:00

San Paolo Furi le Mura, originally uploaded by Lost Bob.

The Basilica of Saint Paul Outside-the-Walls is one of the four major basilicas of Rome. Friday was the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul. The Pope said a special Mass from this Basilica to celebrate that feast.

See more photos here

Read about the unearthing of St. Paul's tomb here.

You can find out a little more about the basilica (and its famous paintings of the popes) here.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine - Old Basilica

2008-01-03T21:51:00.001-08:00

Lady of Guadalupe Shrine, originally uploaded by Wallack Family.

Mexico City, Mexico

Arrival of the Three Kings - Stained Glass

2008-01-03T21:49:00.001-08:00

Inside the Cologne Cathedral, originally uploaded by Archangeli.

Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany

The Annunciation

2007-12-31T08:20:00.001-08:00

Stained Glass Window from St. Josaphat's, originally uploaded by Chez VH.

The Nativity - Stained Glass

2007-12-23T07:21:00.001-08:00

The Nativity, originally uploaded by *clairity*.

from the Cathedral of Saint Paul, Minnesota

Entrance to the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

2007-12-22T14:11:00.001-08:00

Israel-Bethlehem-church-Nativity-entrance, originally uploaded by nd_architecture_library.

Stained Glass Window from the Nativity Chapel

2007-12-20T11:40:00.001-08:00

DSCN1531, originally uploaded by seminarianvoitus.

at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama

Corinthian Column at Ephesus

2007-12-18T12:20:00.001-08:00

Corinthian column at Ephesus, originally uploaded by Adam Polselli.

Ionic Capitol from the Erectheion on the Acropolis in Athens

2007-12-17T06:16:00.001-08:00

_D2X0716, originally uploaded by conceptDawg.

The Parthenon - Doric Columns

2007-12-15T21:12:00.001-08:00

The Parthenon, originally uploaded by tsak_d.

The way I learned it (on a Rick Steves' program) - you can remember the chronological order of Doric, Ionic and Corinthian styles according to the number of syllables. The earlier ones are the simplest and the later ones more intricate. I'll try to find examples of the other two over the next few days.

Read more about the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian orders here.

Obelisk and Ramses II Statue, Luxor, Egypt

2007-12-14T07:16:00.001-08:00

Obelisk and Ramses II, originally uploaded by tonayo.

Unfinished Obelisk

2007-12-12T08:52:00.001-08:00

Unfinished Obelisk, originally uploaded by 1337Minx.

This is an interesting story we recently heard about on NOVA's Secrets of Lost Empires: Obelisk. It looks like the builders were attempting to make an obelisk about three times the size of any that have ever been found. It didn't work.

You can read more about this obelisk here.

The Feast of Our Lady of Loretto

2007-12-10T06:23:00.001-08:00

Mary's flying house I, originally uploaded by Nick in exsilio.

...the holy house of Nazareth — site of the birth of the Mother of God, of Her early education and of the Annunciation by the Angel Gabriel of the wondrous news of the Incarnation of the Son of God — had been found, transported miraculously, near Tersatz in Dalmatia (Yugoslavia) on May 10th of the year 1291. Between Tersatz and nearby Fiume, the residents of the region beheld one morning an edifice, in a location where never had any been seen before. After the residents of the region talked among themselves of the remarkable little house surmounted by a bell tower, and which stood without foundations on the bare ground, describing its altar, an ancient statue of Our Lady, and other religious objects which their wondering eyes had seen within it, another surprise came to astound them once more.

More information here

Minnesota Mom has a lovely photo of the house along with additional links.

Alice has a fun idea of making a candy cottage to commemorate this feast day.

Obelisk from St. Peter's Square

2007-12-09T12:04:00.001-08:00

St Peters Square with obelisk, originally uploaded by Gauis Caecilius.

The obelisk in St. Peter's Square originally stood in Nero's circus (where St. Peter was crucified) and it is inscribed with Latin letters, not hieroglyphics. It was brought to Rome from Egypt by Caligula in 40 AD. It was buried in obscurity for many centuries until Pope Sixtus V had it raised at its present site - requiring the work of 907 men, 75 horses and 40 winches.

(source: Saint Peter and the Vatican: The Legacy of the Popes Art Services International)

Architecture tidbit from the Pope's New Encyclical

2007-12-06T21:47:00.000-08:00

This is fascinating - I've never heard of it before...

In the arrangement of Christian sacred buildings, which were intended to make visible the historic and cosmic breadth of faith in Christ, it became customary to depict the Lord returning as a king - the symbol of hope - at the east end; while the west wall normally portrayed the Last Judgement as a symbol of our responsibility for our lives - a scene which followed and accompanied the faithful as they went out to resume their daily routine. (Pope Benedict XVI, Spe Salvi, 41)

Arch from the Pont du Gard Roman Aqueduct (France)

2007-12-06T05:17:00.001-08:00

View through the arch, originally uploaded by Peggy Archer.

According to the caption (click-through for the original) - "The Pont du Gard was built without mortar - the stones are just really well fitted." Wow.

More details here

Other Roman structures to be found in Nimes, France

Natural Arch-itecture

2007-12-04T14:32:00.001-08:00

Arch Rock, originally uploaded by jpwbee.

Arch Rock on Mackinac Island, Michigan

Roman Arch, Circa 80 BC

2007-12-03T12:56:00.001-08:00

Caligulas Arch 80 BC, originally uploaded by Tom's Shots.

"Caligula's Arch", Pompeii, Italy

Flying Buttresses of Notre Dame, Paris

2007-11-30T09:42:00.001-08:00

Close up on the flying buttresses of Notre Dame, originally uploaded by bods.

York Minster: Flying Buttresses

2007-11-29T20:37:00.001-08:00

York Minster flying buttresses, originally uploaded by the noggin_nogged.

Plimouth Plantation

2007-11-21T07:20:00.001-08:00

Plimouth Plantation, originally uploaded by transCam.

Blessed Sacrament Chapel at St. John Lateran

2007-11-09T07:59:00.001-08:00

Lateran Altar of the Blessed Sacrament, originally uploaded by Lawrence OP.

St. John Lateran in Rome

2007-11-09T07:57:00.001-08:00

Christ and the Lateran saints, originally uploaded by Lawrence OP.

Today is the Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran one of the four major basilicas in Rome.

Harlaxton Manor, Grantham, England

2007-11-05T13:58:00.001-08:00

Harlaxton at Sunset, originally uploaded by Scuddr.

The manor now houses a college campus. Read more about it on Wikipedia.

Thorne Miniatures, English Manor House

2007-10-30T10:07:00.001-07:00

Thorne Miniatures, English Manor House, originally uploaded by Lost in Scotland.

My daughter and I visited The Art Institute of Chicago yesterday. One exhibit that turned out to be an unexpected favorite was the Thorne Miniatures collection.

According to the AIC Website:

The 68 Thorne Miniature Rooms enable one to glimpse elements of European interiors from the late 13th century to the 1930s and American furnishings from the 17th century to the 1930s. Painstakingly constructed on a scale of one inch to one foot, these fascinating models were conceived by Mrs. James Ward Thorne of Chicago and constructed between 1932 and 1940 by master craftsmen according to her specifications.

You can view the collections on the AIC website. (Click on "selected works" for a list).

"Old Bridge" (Carl Theodor Bridge), Heidelberg, Germany

2007-10-28T07:46:00.001-07:00

Old Bridge, originally uploaded by Colleen Curnutte.

Cattedrale di Monreale

2007-10-27T13:19:00.001-07:00

Cattedrale di Monreale, originally uploaded by malex.org.

Monreale Cathedral, Sicily

This picture was enhanced with a technique called HDR, which makes it look a little unreal, but highlights a lot of the beautiful detail.

Unearthing Herculaneum

2007-10-26T06:46:00.001-07:00

Herculaneum, originally uploaded by Rita Willaert.

The Forbidden City

2007-10-25T18:56:00.001-07:00

The Forbidden City, originally uploaded by stevecadman.

Beijing, China

House of St. Margaret Clitherow

2007-10-24T08:39:00.001-07:00

Keep Clear of this Window, originally uploaded by iwouldstay.

York, England

Read more about her here

Mission San Juan Capistrano

2007-10-23T07:26:00.001-07:00

San Juan Capistrano, California, originally uploaded by PoetaLibre.

Click here for a history of San Juan Capistrano Mission (San Juan Capistrano, California)

Click here to read about St. John Capistrano, whose feast is today.

Mission San Diego de Alcala

2007-10-22T11:39:00.001-07:00

Mission San Diego de Alcala, originally uploaded by bookish in north park.

Please keep the people of San Diego area and Southern California in general in your prayers as they struggle with terrible wildfires.

Here's a website on Mission San Diego designed especially for kids.

Ruins of Dunluce Castle, Antrim, Northern Ireland

2007-10-21T08:12:00.001-07:00

Dunluce castle, originally uploaded by Vitó.

Basílica de San José, Rosario, Argentina

2007-10-21T08:10:00.001-07:00

Basílica de San José, originally uploaded by pablodavidflores.

Ruins of St. Paul Cathedral, Macau

2007-10-20T06:18:00.001-07:00

Macau - St Paul Church 02, originally uploaded by betta design.

Built between 1582 and 1602, destroyed by fire during a typhoon in 1835.

More details at Wikipedia.

Saint Isaac's Cathedral, St. Petersburg, Russia

2007-10-19T08:46:00.001-07:00

St. Petersburg, Russia, originally uploaded by fluke42.

And here's a shot of the beautiful interior.

Saint Luke symbol in Stained Glass

2007-10-18T06:35:00.001-07:00

st. luke, originally uploaded by Sacred Destinations.

Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany

Mosaics in the Hagia Sophia

2007-10-16T20:32:00.001-07:00

john_chrysotom-ignatius_of_antioch--hagia_sophia, originally uploaded by mira d'oubliette.

depicting St. John Chrysostom and St. Ignatius of Antioch

You can read more about the Hagia Sophia here and here.

Exterior Shot of the Pantheon in Rome

2007-10-16T05:48:00.001-07:00

textures of The Pantheon, ancient Rome's best-preserved building, originally uploaded by permanently scatterbrained.

The Convent of St. Teresa in Avila, Spain

2007-10-14T18:24:00.001-07:00

Spain-Avila-church-S-Teresa, originally uploaded by nd_architecture_library.

This was built in the 1600s, over the site of the house where St. Teresa was born in 1515.

Here's a more recent photo of a beautiful statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel from inside this same Church.

St. Teresa was named a Doctor of the Church in 1970.

Favorite Architecture-Related DVDs

2007-10-13T13:48:00.001-07:00

Building Big with David Macaulay (PBS)

This series includes individual shows on Bridges, Dams, Domes, Skyscrapers and Tunnels. Your kids will learn lots about the science, history and art of large structures. A few small scenes may be frightening or disturbing to younger or more sensitive children.

David Macaulay: Castle, Cathedral, Roman City, Pyramid

This series based on David Macaulay's best-selling books. Wonderful background on how and why these structures were built. Some history problems and mature content. Better for older children, previewing recommended.

Footprints of God Series by Steve Ray (Catholic)

Informative and engaging tours of the Holy Land teach lots of history and theology. My younger kids love Steve's funny and memorable ways of explaining things and there's nothing like hearing these stories told from right where they happened - except, of course, visiting the sites in person. Titles include: Jesus: The Word Became Flesh, Mary: The Mother of God, Peter: Keeper of the Keys and Paul: Contending for the Faith. Some portions may be unsuitable for younger or more sensitive children.

NOVA: Secrets of Lost Empires (PBS)

These are fascinating projects undertaken by teams of experts and enthusiasts to reconstruct full-scale working replicas of historic structures (or parts of structures) to learn more about them and how they were built.

Titles include: Pyramid, Obelisk, Inca (rope bridge and stone wall), Colosseum, Stonehenge and Medieval Siege (trebuchets).

The series was not designed for children, though most of the content is suitable and quite accessible. Parental previewing (and editing) is recommended.

Rick Steves' Best of Europe (numerous titles)

These are fantastic tours of European Cities (with a touch of Turkey, Israel and Egypt thrown in) that cover history, architecture, culture, food and more. Definitely some history *issues* - but these have been great learning opportunities for our family. My older children's jaws dropped when he boldly stated that Jan Huss (a condemned heretic from the Middle Ages) is considered a hero in his country because "he stood up to authority while staying true to himself." Blech. We love these anyway. We watch them with our kids, discuss them and edit out some occasional bits of mature content. Previewing strongly recommended.

Visions of... Series (Titles include: England, Italy, Greece, France, Germany)

These are beautiful and interesting helicopter-view tours of each country, including scenic and architectural highlights and some stories. Mellow, but engaging.

Materials for Studying Bridges

2007-10-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

Building Big with David Macaulay: Bridges (DVD)

Bridges of the World Coloring Book (Dover Publications)

London Bridge is Falling Down! Illustrated by Peter Spier

Our Amazing Bridges Architecture Kit (Poof Slinky)

The Brooklyn Bridge by Elizabeth Mann

Bridges by David Miller

Bridge Building Software (build and test your own bridges - free download)

Ken Burns' Brooklyn Bridge (PBS DVD)

House in Fatima, Portugal

2007-10-13T09:11:00.001-07:00

Portugal Fatima, originally uploaded by Fr Antunes.

The White House

2007-10-12T08:17:00.001-07:00

The White House, originally uploaded by Molas.

On this day in 1901, Theodore Roosevelt gave the White House its current name - it used to be called "the Executive Mansion".

The White House Historical Association has a lot of interesting photos and historical data on their website.

Frauenkirche - Dresden, Germany

2007-10-11T06:49:00.001-07:00

Dresden - Frauenkirche Inside II, originally uploaded by chop1n.

This Lutheran Church was leveled during the bombing of Dresden in the last days of World War II. Its reconstruction was completed only in the last few years. More details here

UPDATE: Matthew at the Shrine of the Holy Whapping has just posted on this church with a number of amazing photos.

Obelisk Detail

2007-10-10T10:00:00.001-07:00

Obelisk Detail, originally uploaded by Jungle_Boy.

A close-up shot of the Egyptian obelisk outside St. John Lateran in Rome.

Abbey of Saint-Denis, Paris

2007-10-09T03:52:00.001-07:00

Paris : Saint Denis, originally uploaded by benidormone.

This site is the burial place of many French monarchs. Saint Denis (whose feast is today) was a bishop of Paris who was martyred around 250 AD.

Tomb of Christopher Columbus, Seville Cathedral

2007-10-08T07:09:00.001-07:00

Tomb of Christopher Columbus, Seville Cathedral, originally uploaded by Mary Loosemore.

Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral

2007-10-07T04:15:00.001-07:00

Rosary Cathedral, originally uploaded by artbabee.

in Toledo, Ohio

Saint Bruno Church Interior, Lyon, France

2007-10-06T09:39:00.001-07:00

Nef de St Bruno, originally uploaded by JaHoVil.

St. Francis Church, Sacramento, California

2007-10-05T06:53:00.001-07:00

St. Francis Church, Stained Glass 2, originally uploaded by *clairity*.

I *think* these are images of three great founders of religious orders: St. Benedict (Benedictines), St. Dominic de Guzman (Dominicans) and St. Ignatius Loyola (Jesuits). Interesting that they are found in the church of St. Francis!

The Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi (St. Francis), Assisi, Umbria,Italy.

2007-10-04T07:52:00.001-07:00

The Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi (St. Francis), Assisi, Umbria, Italy., originally uploaded by JL2003.

Also see this online tour of notable sites in Assisi.

Happy Feast of St. Francis!

The Basilica of Saint Therese, Lisieux, France

2007-10-01T08:17:00.001-07:00

The Basilica of Saint Therese, Lisieux, originally uploaded by pjryan3.

Also see pictures of the house where St. Therese lived in Lisieux (click on "Sanctuary" and then "Theresian places").

St. Josaphat Basilica, Milwaukee, WI

2007-09-16T16:46:00.001-07:00

St. Josaphat Basilica, originally uploaded by Jaedub.

Today our family visited this beautiful basilica, built by Polish immigrants in the early 20th century. It's incredibly beautiful. My children were completely in awe!

The parish website includes an extensive photo gallery - of the including photos of the basilica (inside and out) and some amazing photos taken during construction.

Check it out here

Google Sketch-up

2007-06-10T07:01:00.000-07:00

Google Sketch-up looks like a fun way to play around with 3-D drawings of buildings. My daughter, who has just finished a year of computer techincal drafting, is playing around with it right now. I'll have her report more on it later.

Hat-tip to Melissa Wiley at The Lilting House for the awesome tip (she has a few more details in her post)!

Great Buildings of Ancient Rome

2007-06-02T19:04:00.001-07:00

General Links:

The Arch: Glory of the Architecture of Rome

Individual Buildings:

The Colosseum
(70-82 AD)
Rome, Italy

Hadrian’s Villa
(118-133 AD)
Tivoli, Italy

Great site for exploring the extensive ruins - lots of photos!

The Pantheon
(120-124 AD)
Rome, Italy

Porta Nigra
(2nd Century AD)
Trier, Germany

Brief description of how Porta Nigra was constructed
Brief history of structure

Recommended Reading:

Ancient Rome: Monuments Past and Present by R.A. Staccioli
City by David Macaulay
Pompeii: Monuments Past and Present by A. De Franciscis

Stained Glass Windows

2007-06-02T13:35:00.001-07:00

Recommended Resources from Dover Publications:

Cathedral Stained Glass Coloring Book
Stained Glass Windows Coloring Book
Create Your Own Tiffany Windows
Art Nouveau Windows
Stained Glass Window Designs of Frank Lloyd Wright
Chartres Stained Glass Windows Postcards

Related Links:

Medieval Stained Glass Windows from Esslingen, Germany
Stained Glass Photography
Tiffany Windows at the Met
Explore Medieval Stained Glass Windows at California State University's World Images Kiosk
Stained Glass Exhibition at the Getty

Crafts:

Create Your Own Stained Glass Window

Major Bridges of the World

2007-06-02T08:40:00.000-07:00

General Links:

The World's Greatest Bridges

Free Bridge Building Software from West Point (this is very detailed, educational and a lot of fun!)

Fun and Learning About Bridges

Famous Bridges:

Pons Fabricius (a.k.a. Ponte Fabricio)
(62 BC)
Rome, Italy
(Tiber River)

Pont du Gard
(19 BC)
Nimes, France

Official website (click on U.K. flag to read in English)
Great site with descriptions and very detailed photos

Ponte Milvio

(109 AD)

Rome, Italy

(Tiber River)

Well known for Constantine's "In This Sign You Shall Conquer" at the Battle of Milvian Bridge, October 28, 312

Ponte Vecchio
(1345)
Florence, Italy

Structurae - Ponte Vecchio
Brief History of the Bridge

Rialto Bridge
(1591)
Venice, Italy

Rialto Bridge photos

Iron Bridge
(1781)
Coalbrookdale, England

Iron Bridge at Coalbrookdale (lots of photos)
Building Big Page
Ironbridge Gorge Museum

Brooklyn Bridge
(1869-1893)
New York City, New York, USA

Brooklyn Bridge Website

Forth Bridge
(1884-1889)
Firth of Forth, Scotland

Glass, Steel and Stone page on the Firth Bridge

Tower Bridge
(1886-1894)
London, England

Tower Bridge Exhibition

Golden Gate Bridge
(1933-1937)
San Francisco, California, USA

http://www.goldengate.org/

Great Churches of North America

2007-06-02T08:24:00.001-07:00

Saint Joan of Arc Chapel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
www.marquette.edu/chapel/
This medieval chapel, abandoned in France and moved to the United States in the 1920s, is believed to be the only medieval building in the Western Hemisphere still used in its original capacity. St. Joan of Arc is believed to have worshiped in this chapel.

Old Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
(1690-1709)
near Mexico City, Mexico

A new basilica was constructed in the 1970s because this old basilica was damaged in a bombing in the 1920s and was sinking.

California Missions
Also See:
Lesley Rice's California Missions Unit Study from Heart and Mind Magazine

San Xavier del Bac
(1783-1797)
near Tucson, Arizona
Official website

Notre Dame de Montreal
(1824-1879)
Montreal, Canada
www.patrimoine-religieux.qc.ca/bndmtl/bndmtle.htm

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
(1920-1959)
Washington, D.C.
www.nationalshrine.com

Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
(1974-1976)
near Mexico City, Mexico
(holds 10,000-40,000 people!)

"I wish that a temple be erected here quickly, so I may therein exhibit and give all my love, compassion, help, and protection. Because I am your merciful mother, to you, and to all the inhabitants on this land and all the rest who love me, invoke and confide in me; to listen there to their lamentations, and remedy all their miseries, afflictions and sorrows. And to accomplish what my clemency pretends, go to the palace of the bishop of Mexico, and you will say to him that I manifest my great desire, that here on this plain a temple be built to me." Words of Our Lady to Juan Diego

www.sancta.org/basilica.html

Great Churches of Europe

2007-06-02T08:23:00.001-07:00

Pantheon
(120-124 AD)
Rome, Italy

An ancient Roman temple that was converted to a Church in the 7th Century. It is considered by many to be the best-preserved of all ancient Roman buildings.

http://www.romeguide.it/MONUM/ARCHEOL/pantheon/the_pantheon.htm EOL/pantheon/the_pantheon.htm

Mont Saint-Michel
(8th-19th centuries)
Brittany, France

Medieval Art and Architecture Site
Photo Collection

St. Mark’s
(1063-1094)
Venice, Italy

www.basilicasanmarco.it/eng/index.bsm

Santiago de Compostela
(1077-1747)
Santiago, de Compostela, Spain

A major site of pilgrimage for many centuries.

www.starharbor.com/santiago/
www.red2000.com/spain/santiago/photo.html

Information on the ancient pilgrimage route which has experienced a surge in interest in recent years: www.caminodesantiago.me.uk/

Pisa Cathedral
(1063-1118 and 1261-1271)
Pisa, Italy

Also home of the more famous leaning tower of Pisa

www2.art.utah.e du/cathedral/pisa.html

Historic photos of the Pisa Cathedral from the Notre Dame Architecture Library

Official Tower Website

Saint Chapelle
(1246-1248)
Paris, France

architecture.relig.free.fr/chapelle_en.htm

Chartres Cathedral
(1194-1260)
Chartres, France

http://web.kyoto-inet.or.jp/org/orion/eng/hst/gothic/chartres.html

Brief history and photos

Notre Dame de Paris
(1163-1250)
Paris, France

www.cathedraledeparis.com/EN/0.asp

Cathedral of Cefalu

(1131-1267)
Cefalu, Sicily

Cathedral of Cefalu

Santa Maria del Fiore
13th-14th Centuries)
Florence, Italy

www.mega.it/eng/egui/hogui.htm

St. Paul’s Cathedral (Anglican)
(1675-1710)
London, England

Melk Abbey
(1702-1740)
Melk, Austria

www.stiftmelk.at/englisch/pages_melk/TourismusEN.html

Church of Saint Mary
(1860)
Mosta, Malta

www.visitmalta.com/mosta-dome

Basilica of the Sacre Couer
(1870-1914)
Paris, France

This basilica has offered Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament since 1885.

Official website
Brief history of the Basilica

Basilica of Lourdes

(1883-1889)

Lourdes, France

"Go, tell the priests to come here in procession and to build a chapel here." Our Lady to St. Bernadette

http://www.lourdes-france.com/

Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima
(1928)

Fatima, Portugal

Guide to the Shrine
Official Shrine Website

Great Churches of the Holy Land

2007-06-02T08:22:00.000-07:00

The Church of the Nativity
Bethlehem

This church dates from the time of Constantine
www.pef.org.uk/Bethlehem.htm

Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre
Jerusalem, Israel

www.christusrex.org/www1/ofm/TSspmain.html
www.jerusalemiloveyou.com/jerusalem%20holysep.html

The Church of the Visitation
Ein Karem, near Jerusalem
www.christusrex.org/www2/baram/B-baptist.html

Great Churches of Asia

2007-06-02T08:21:00.002-07:00

Manila Cathedral
Manila, The Philippines

www.manilacathedral.org
www.philippines-travel-guide.com/manila-cathedral.html

Oura Catholic Church
Nagasaki, Japan

http://web-japan.org/atlas/architecture/arc25.html

St. Basil’s Cathedral (Russian Orthodox)

(1555-1560)
Moscow, Russia

Great Churches of Africa

2007-06-02T08:21:00.001-07:00

Church of Our Lady of Peace
Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast

The Largest Catholic Church in the World
http://campus.udayton.edu/mary//questions/yq/yq75.html

The Four Major Basilicas of Rome

2007-06-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

These four churches are so important to Catholic faith and history that we have feast days commemorating their dedications. They each dates back to the early church, though most of their structures have been destroyed and rebuilt numerous times over the centuries.

St. John Lateran

The first basilica was dedicated on this site in the early 300s. From that time until the 1300s, it was the principal residence of the popes. It is still officially the seat of the Patriarch of Rome. The current church dates from the 17th century.

www.newadvent.org/cathen/090146.htm

The Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran is celebrated on November 9
www.catholicculture.org/lit/calendar/day.cfm?date=2005-11-09

St. Mary Major

This is the only one of the patriarchal basilicas to retain its original structure, although it has been embellished and added on to over the centuries. It is believed to be the oldest church in the west dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The lovely legend of Our Lady of the Snows is associated with the construction of this church.

www.vatican.va/various/sm_maggiore/index_en.html

The Feast of the Dedication of St. Mary Major is celebrated on August 5
www.wf-f.org/StMaryMajor.html

St. Peter’s Basilica

This building replaced “Old St. Peter’s Basilica”, a Romanesque structure begun by Constantine in 323 on the site of the crucifixion of St. Peter. The obelisk which stands in the middle of St. Peter’s square originally stood in Nero’s circus, having been brought to Rome in 40 AD by Caligula and was thus witness to the deaths of numerous Christian martyrs, including St. Peter. It was moved to its current location in 1586. The present Basilica was constructed between 1506 and 1667.

www.stpetersbasilica.org
www.newadvent.org/cathen/13369b.htm

St. Paul Outside the Walls

The site of St. Paul’s martyrdom, originally outside the city of Rome. A first, rather small, basilica was built by Constantine around 320. A larger basilica, built in 390, was destroyed by fire in 1823. The current basilica is intended to replicate the original structure.
www.newadvent.org/cathen/13369a.htm

Saint Paul’s tomb was unearthed below this church in 2006. Read more here…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6219656.stm
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/12/061211-saint-paul.html

The Feast of the Dedication of the Churches Sts. Peter and Paul is celebrated on November 18 www.catholicculture.org/lit/calendar/day.cfm?id=323

Sacred Architecture

2007-06-02T07:58:00.000-07:00

“Good architecture is the art of building beautifully and expressively.” The Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913

“Mankind was never so happily inspired as when it made a cathedral.”
Robert Louis Stevenson

“The beauty of the cathedral does not stand in opposition to the theology of the cross, but is its fruit.” (Cardinal Ratzinger, A New Song for the Lord)

Great cathedrals and basilicas of the past have survived the trials of history to stand as witness to the faith and devotion of those who have gone before us. They are catechisms that teach the faith in a unique way. One small example of the imagery that shines in these structures is the Rose window in the South transept of Chartres Cathedral in France. It includes four panels depicting four men each carrying a man on his shoulders. They symbolize the four evangelists being carried on the shoulders of the great prophets.

Materials intended especially for children:

*Cathedral by David Macaulay (be on the lookout for an error on the first page – the author mistakenly claims that Catholics worship relics of the saints.)

California Missions Coloring Book (Dover)

Cathedrals of the World Coloring Book (Dover)

+*Saint Joseph Messenger (monthly Catholic children’s magazine ) includes frequent articles on sacred buildings [website]

Cathedral Stained Glass Coloring Book (Dover)

Stained Glass Windows Coloring Book (Dover)

Chartres Stained Glass Windows Postcards (Dover)

Other materials:

*Great Cathedrals by Bernard Schutz (gorgeous coffee table type book)

+In Tiers of Glory: The Organic Development of Catholic Church Architecture Through the Ages by Michael S. Rose

+Heaven in Stone and Glass: Experiencing the Spirituality of the Gothic Cathedrals by Robert Barron

+A New Song for the Lord: Faith in Christ and Liturgy Today by Cardinal Ratzinger
The chapter entitled “Built from Living Stones” is provides a beautiful theology of the cathedral based upon The First Letter of Peter: “Come to Him, to that living stone, rejected by men but in God’s sight chosen and precious; and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

+Saint Peter and the Vatican: The Legacy of the Popes (Art Services International)

Online Resources:

+The Catholic Encyclopedia Online has lots of searchable information on Sacred Architecture and great Churches around the World.

Gothic Architecture Lesson Plan

Article on Minor Basilicas in the U.S.
www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=244

The Shrine of the Holy Whapping
http://holywhapping.blogspot.com/

Great Buildings of the Ancient World

2007-06-02T07:54:00.003-07:00

Ancient Egypt

Temple of Amun, Karnak, Egypt (1530-323 BC)
http://touregypt.net/featurestories/templeofamun.htm

*Pyramid by David Macaulay

Ancient Israel
Israel: Past and Present by D. Bahat

Ancient Greece

Palace of Knossos, (1700-1380 BC), Knossos, Crete
Citadel of Mycenae, (14th-12th Centuries BC), Mycenae, Greece
The Parthenon (447-432 BC), Athens, Greece
Theater at Epidauros, (4th Century BC) Epidauros, Greece
Ancient Greece: The Famous Monuments Past and Present

Great Buildings of South America

2007-06-02T07:54:00.001-07:00

Machu Picchu (late 15th century AD), Peru
Opera de Arame, (1992) Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

Great Buildings of Oceania

2007-06-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

Sydney Opera House
print-out model of the Sydney Opera House

Great Buildings of North America

2007-06-02T07:52:00.000-07:00

Temple of the Inscriptions
Mexico

Cliff Dwellings of Mesa Verde
Colorado, USA

http://www.visitmesaverde.com/park/history.cfm

The Statue of Liberty
New York City, USA
(1870-1885)

Empire State Building
(1929-1931)
New York City, USA

Hearst Castle
(1919-1930)
San Simeon, California

Capitol Building
(1793-1874)
Washington DC, USA

Great Buildings of Europe

2007-06-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

Stonehenge (2700-2000 BC), Wiltshire, England
Santa Sophia (532-537 AD), Istanbul, Turkey
Tower of London (1078-1097), London, England
Louvre Museum (12th Century), Paris, France
Alhambra, Granada, Spain (1238-1358)
Globe Theatre, (1599 – burned down in 1613, rebuilt in 1990) London, England
Kronborg Castle (1585-1699), Elsinore, Denmark
Palace of Versailles (1668-1710), Paris, France
Castle Howard (1699-1726), Yorkshire, England
Castle Neuschwanstein, (1869-1892), Bavarian Alps, Germany

Great Buildings of Africa and Asia

2007-06-02T07:50:00.000-07:00

The Great Ziggurat at Ur
(2125-2025 BC)
Iraq

Treasury at Petra
(1st Century AD)
Petra, Jordan

www.brown.edu/Departments/Anthropology/Petra/

Temple at Borobudur
(8th-9th Centuries)
Java, Indonesia

www.borobudur.tv

Angkor Wat
(12th century)
Angkor, Cambodia

www.angkorwat.org

Krak des Chevaliers
(12th-13th centuries AD)
Syria

www.pbase.com/azlin/syria
http://www.syriagate.com/Syria/about/cities/Homs/krakdeschevalier.htm

The Great Wall of China

www.travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall/

The Great Wall by Elizabeth Mann

The Imperial Palace/Forbidden City
(15th Century AD)
Beijing, China

Castle of the White Heron
(1601-1609)
Himeji, Japan

http://web-japan.org/atlas/architecture/arc16.html

Taj Mahal
(1632-1648)
India

www.taj-mahal.net

Potala Palace
(1645-1694)
Lhasa, Tibet

www.pbase.com/dominicyeung/potala_tibet
www.china.org.cn/english/kuaixun/74941.htm

Amber Fort
(16th – 17th Century)
Amber, India

www.normankoren.com/India_04_6.html

Dusit Maha Prasad
(18th Century)
Bangkok, Thailand

www.hellosiam.com/html/Bangkok/Bangkok%20-%20Grand%20Palace.htm

Petronas Towers
(1998)
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

www.petronastwintowers.com.my

Taipei 101
Taipei, Taiwan

www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=100765

General Resources on Great Buildings

2007-06-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

Great Buildings Online: www.greatbuildings.com

Great Buildings

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“Noble life demands a noble architecture for noble uses of noble men. Lack of culture means what it has always meant: ignoble civilization and therefore imminent downfall.” – Frank Lloyd Wright

*Amazing Buildings by Philip Wilkinson (Dorling Kindersley)
Wonderfully illustrated book of famous buildings from around the world with lots of details and great cut-aways.

*Architecture: The World’s Greatest Buildings Explored and Explained by Neil Stevenson

*Buildings that Changed the World by Klaus Richard and Bernhard Graf

*Castles by David Macaulay

*A Child’s History of Architecture by V.M. Hillyer (Calvert School)

Great Buildings Online

Heritage Memo Game (memory game with great buildings and other famous sites around the world - available from Montessori Services )

A History of Architecture by Sir Banister Fletcher
A hefty tome, unlikely to be read cover-to-cover within a homeschool setting, but wonderful for its numerous historical drawings (including floorplans), comparisons of architectural styles and features an extensive glossary.

The World’s Greatest Royal Palaces by Marcello Morelli (VMB Publishers)

History and Writing

2007-03-09T16:58:00.000-08:00

Every great building has a story and provides us with a tangible connection to events of the past. Along with the more artistic side of architecture appreciation, research saints and historical figures who are associated with each of the buildings and how their connection came about. Create a page about one of these stories for each building studied.

Pope Benedict XVI wrote:

“That we pray in the same churches in which our predecessors have been bringing their petitions and hopes before God over the centuries is not irrelevant. In St. Ludger’s Church in Munster it has always moved me deeply to know that this was the place where Edith Stein struggled with her vocation. And this is just a tiny excerpt from the history of faith and prayer and the history of sinners and saints preserved in our great old churches. They are also an expression of the identity of faith throughout history, an expression of the faithfulness of God which reveals itself in the unity of the Church.”

Writing/composition assignments can be designed to coordinate with these studies. Fictional narratives would also be appropriate.

Dig Deeper… Research the Church’s definitions of “major basilica”, “minor basilica”, “patriarchal basilica” and ”cathedral”. Explain each designation in detail.

Art

2007-03-09T16:56:00.000-08:00

Art appreciation is a natural part of this study because building is a form of art. Round Buildings, Square Buildings, and Buildings That Wiggle Like a Fish by Philip M. Isaacson makes an enjoyable and helpful introduction. Students can also make sketches of famous buildings and architectural styles and features for their notebooks. The following books may help:

How to Draw Buildings by Ian Sidaway
Draw 50 Buildings and Other Structures: The Step-by-Step Way to Draw Castles and Cathedrals, Skyscrapers and Bridges, and So Much More... by Lee Ames

Beautiful Architecture coloring books from Dover Publications are a great supplement to this study and recommended throughout this study…

British Castles
Castles of the World
Famous Buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright
Lighthouses of the World
The Medieval Castle
Traditional Houses from Around the World
The Victorian House
And more

Dover also offers cut-and-assemble cardstock books for creating replicas of a number of famous structures, including the Krak de Chevaliers and Caernarvon Castle in Wales.

Alternative Study Ideas

2007-03-09T08:21:00.000-08:00

Instead of an architecture notebook (particularly appropriate for the younger set), make an architecture “lapbook” (see www.lapbookladies.com).

Alternatively, information from this unit study could be simply used to supplement history or geography studies. I recommend a geography binder (with dividers for each continent) or a history binder (organized in a timeline fashion, with dividers for each century). We use zip-up binders continue adding material to the same binders over the course of many years.

Making an Architecture Notebook

2007-03-09T08:15:00.000-08:00

Use a half-inch binder that allows you to insert a cover sheet. Have your children design a cover with illustrations of favorite buildings, styles or other related things. It can be done on the computer with pictures from the Internet or hand-illustrated.

Use at least five sheet-protector dividers (so the student can design a cover sheet for each section) for each notebook to cover the following topics:

Vocabulary Treasure Hunt

Bridges

Great Buildings of the Ancient World

Great Buildings Around the Wrold

Sacred Architecture

Sub-dividers for the Great Buildings and Sacred Architecture sections (organized according to continent) can be made by illustrating a sheet of cardstock and using Post-It Brand index tabs for each section.

Geography

2007-03-09T07:51:00.000-08:00

I recommend printing out or drawing a map for each of the notebook sections (and sub-sections) on great structures for marking the location of each structure. Free printable maps can be found at www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/

Becoming acquainted with great buildings around the world is a great way to study geography.

Here are some of the buildings we have featured on this blog, organized by country or continent:

Africa
Asia
Australia
Brazil
Canada
Egypt
England
Europe
France
Greece
Holy land
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Mexico
North america
Oceania
Peru
Rome
Russia
South america
Spain
Turkey
U.S.

Architectural Engineering (Math and Science)

2007-03-09T07:43:00.000-08:00

*The Art of Construction; Projects and Principles for Beginning Engineers and Architects by Mario Salvadori (Chicago Review Press)

This is an incredibly engaging and informative beginner's guide to how architecture works and a great opportunity to see science and math applied to real life. It includes simple building projects and experiments to demonstrate architectural princilpes.

*Building Big with David Macaulay (DVD Set from PBS Video) and Building Big (book) by David Macaulay

This series includes individual shows on Bridges, Dams, Domes, Skyscrapers and Tunnels. Your kids will learn lots about the science, history and art of large structures. A few small scenes may be frightening or disturbing to younger or sensitive children.

Roman Arch Blocks (available from Michael Olaf)

The arch is an amazing and very essential aspect of architecture. This block set demonstrates the concept in a fun and memorable way - a great learning activity for preschoolers (and their older siblings!) that they will enjoy again and again.

Unbuilding by David Macaulay

This book, written in 1980, is somewhat painfully outdated since the fall of the World Trade Center, but is nevertheless a fascinating look at the "how" of architecture through a fictional story in which an oil tydcoon from the Middle East purchases the Empire State Building, disassembles it, and relocates it to the Arabian Desert.

NOTE: The Bridge segment of this study (and of the notebook) is particularly conducive to the study of science and math. Make individual pages with illustrated examples of each of the major types of bridges: post-and-beam, suspension, truss, cantilever and cable-stayed.

Vocabulary

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Start by setting up a Vocabulary Treasure Hunt in the first section of your architecture notebook. Put a copy of the word list in the binder and have your student get acquainted with the terms. Have them keep an eye out for these words over the course of this study and mark down where they found the term.

Depending on their age and ability, they can write out definitions as they come across them or look them up in a dictionary. Set a goal to find a certain number of the words and offer a treat or prize for reaching it.

Dig Deeper: Make individual pages that illustrate and define each vocabulary word for your notebook.

Architectural Glossary (watch for these words in the recommended books and movies – treating it like a “treasure hunt” would be fun! – if you’re looking them up in a dictionary, keep in mind that some of these have non-architectural meanings as well):

Ambulatory
Arcade
Arch
Baldachino
Basilica
Buttress
Capital
Choir
Clerestory
Cloister
Compression
Dome
Eaves
Embrasure
Entablature
Façade
Finial
Frieze
Fresco
Gargoyle
Keystone
Mezzanine
Minaret
Mosaic
Narthex
Nave
Necropolis
Niche
Obelisk
Parapet
Piazza
Pinnacle
Portcullis
Portico
Pyramid
Rampart
Reredos
Rose Window
Sacristy
Span
Spire
Steeple
Tension
Tracery
Transept
Turret
Vault
Ziggurat

A very helpful glossary of Architectural Terms relating to Sacred Architecture, go to www.catholicliturgy.com and click on “Art and Architecture” and then “Architecture Features”.

Caveats

2007-03-09T07:35:00.000-08:00

Most architecture books available today are written by non-Catholics and may contain biases against the Church. Though I've screened out a number of problematic books and skimmed all of these recommended books for problems, I was unable to verify every word of every book - particularly the large coffee table books - which are of interest primarily for th eir beautiful pictures and basic dates and other facts. Please supervise your children in their studies and double-check any facts that don't sound right.

An asterisk (*) indicates a resource that our family especially loves. A cross (+) designates Catholic sources. A few of the books are out of print or too expensive for most families to own, but I've included our favorites among these anyway, because you might be able to find them at your library or through a used book source.

Recommendations for Study

2007-03-09T07:32:00.000-08:00

Architects fall into two major categories - design architects (those who plan what a building will look like) and architectural engineers (those who make the structure work according to the design). In this study, we'll try to include a fair amount of both disciplines as well as a general cultural appreciation of the subject matter. I would suggest organizing your study according to the interests of your child - have them study each area of this unit, but allow them to dig deeper into their favorite areas.

This unit can be studied on its own over the course of three or four weeks or you can dedicate one day a week to architecture for an entire year. I wouldn't expect to use all of the materials listed here. If you find yourself short on time, I would suggest focusing on the Architectural Engineering segment, the Sacred Architecture segment and one other segment of high interest to the students. Other segments - particularly Great Buildings of the Ancient World - could be studied at a different time.

Architecture, Culture and the Sacred (Alicia's Intro)

2007-03-09T07:28:00.000-08:00

When I was a child, I didn't have much exposure to great architecture, but I remember being thrilled by reading about the Cliff Dwellings of Mesa Verde in my otherwise-hated Social Studies book: the only thing, in fact, that I now remember from six years of Social Studies textbooks.

Hearing even the name of the old Church where my grandparents were married in San Francisco in the 1920s - St. Paul of the Shipwreck - gave me a certain thrill; a connectedness to the past, a sense of mystery and the Sacred. Now I know enough to make further connections. That Church was Maltese and St. Paul was shipwrecked in Malta during his missionary journeys. What a fascinating thing to commemorate!

Architecture, like history, is filled with great stories - and children love stories! I believe children have a great capacity for mystery and a sense of the sacred. Instead of dull Social Studies textbooks that they will remember with loathing, why not give them a sense of beauty and the mystery of culture and the great things of the past?

I want our children to see in Sacred Architecture a manifestation of God's love. Though it is often argued that money spent on Church Architecture would be better spent on the poor, it is often the poor who are most in need of beautiful churches as a place of peace and refuge.