Our guide to Christian architecture gives you an overview of the history of Christian religious architecture and serves as a reference guide for identifying defining architectural styles and how each style transformed over time.

Use our guide to learn about the history of Christian religious architecture and to identify its defining architectural styles.

In this Approach Guide, we explore the historical evolution of Christian religious architecture, with a particular focus on its Italian manifestations. We first examine the earliest forms of pre-Christian architecture, Greek and Roman “pagan”, and its influences (the Egyptian and Mycenaen civilizations). We then take a deeper look at the Christian architectural tradition and provide detailed profiles of Early Christian, Byzantine, Carolingian, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque church styles. For each style, we explore how it evolved over time, its influences, its characteristic design and structural elements, and quintessential examples.

This Approach Guide will be useful when visiting any Christian religious building, however, here are the most quintessential examples of Christian religious architecture (See a map of sites highlighted in this guide).

• Greek architecture. Athens, Turkey (Ephesus and Didyma), Sicily (Agrigento and Selinunte), Paestum (Italy
• Roman architecture. The best examples are found in Rome.
• Early Christian architecture. Rome, Milan, Jerusalem
• Byzantine architecture. Istanbul, Venice, Ravenna (Italy)
• Carolingian architecture. Corvey (Germany)
• Romanesque architecture. Conques (France), Milan, Pisa (Italy)
• Gothic architecture. Paris, Milan
• Renaissance architecture. Florence, Mantua (Mantova) (Italy)
• Baroque architecture. The best examples are found in Rome.

We hope you enjoy what we believe is a totally unique cultural guide to Christian architecture in Europe.

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