A statue of an angel holding a mobile phone has been unveiled at St John’s Cathedral in the southern Dutch city of 's-Hertogenbosch. The cathedral features a lot of statues. Among them gargoyle like statuettes on the flying buttresses. [more inside]
posted by joost de vries on Apr 10, 2011 - 73 comments

World's first 'tree cathedral' takes root in Italy The remarkable work designed by Italian environment artist Giuliano Mauri [Italian Wikipedia link], who died last year, has been completed after months of work and presented as one of the initiatives marking the International Year of Biodiversity.
posted by aqsakal on Sep 2, 2010 - 27 comments

"All of which is a long way of saying that, to construct a new church of anatomical horror and to do so out of stone, as Al-Mehdari seems to be suggesting, is a fascinating idea. " - Body Baroque
posted by Artw on Sep 23, 2009 - 24 comments

Wearing an old-fashioned diving suit, William "Diver Bill" Walker worked in 14 feet of murky water beneath Winchester Cathedral, digging out the old timber and peat foundations and replacing them with bags of concrete cement and concrete blocks. Staying underwater six hours per day for five years (1906-1911), Diver Bill moved 25,800 bags of concrete and laid 114,900 concrete blocks, saving the Norman building from certain collapse. [more inside]
posted by chuckdarwin on Apr 9, 2008 - 38 comments

On November 14, 1940, German bombers flew through the skies for nine hours above Coventry, England in a raid that Winston Churchill probably didn't know about but if he did, did nothing to prepare for. The bombers dropped thousands of pounds of explosives and incendiaries that resulted in hundreds of deaths and huge destruction. Coventry, perhaps best known before the war for naked horseback riding and the manufacture of pretty-but-malfunction-prone automobiles, was also home to a grand cathedral, St. Michael's Church, one of the greatest cathedrals in England. The cathedral was nearly destroyed; the fire left behind little but debris and the still-standing outer walls and spire. [more inside]
posted by Shotgun Shakespeare on Jan 18, 2008 - 28 comments

Paul David Addis has been arrested once again. You may remember him as the man that set The Man on fire 4 days early. This time he went after Grace Cathedral. This is the second SF church to be hit by attempted/successful arson in the past week.
posted by drstein on Oct 29, 2007 - 42 comments

Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland has been in operation for 800-odd years. Needless to say, this has given the miners plenty of time to carve some pretty amazing things. More photos here and here. Videos here and here. Virtual tour here. Wikipedia.
posted by dersins on Aug 16, 2007 - 36 comments

Master Manole built the Curtea de Arges Monastery. According to legend, he couldn't complete the work without sacrificing someone dear to him, and his hubris upon completing the work lead him to a tragic end. It's a touching story, and now you can play the game.
posted by empath on Dec 18, 2005 - 6 comments

Don Justo's self built Cathedral This is no "model" cathedral and he is neither a qualified architect, nor engineer, nor bricklayer -- he is a farmer, ex monk and his vision. "metaphoric learnings for contemporary alternative initiatives"
posted by adamvasco on Aug 1, 2005 - 10 comments

Virtual tours of Salisbury Cathedral. Views and essays.
posted by plep on Sep 21, 2003 - 5 comments

Trio arrested in Virginia for alleged sex act in cathedral. Copulating couple and their radio commentator co-conspiritor violated sanctity of church. Maybe if he'd been an altar boy...
posted by runthegamut on Aug 19, 2002 - 51 comments

The Dark Side of the Washington National Cathedral. Is this real? If so, why would they put an icon of evil on the outside of this place, "intended for national purposes, such as public prayer, thanksgiving, funeral orations, etc.,and assigned to the special use of no particular Sect of denomination, but equally open to all."
posted by zanpo on Dec 20, 2001 - 22 comments