Pre-Romanesque

This Carolingian oratory near Orléans was built in 806 by Bishop Theodulf, Charlemagne's adviser. Containing rare Byzantine mosaics, it is one of the oldest and most unique churches in France.

The Baptistère Saint-Jean in Poitiers dates from around 360, making it the oldest church in France and one of the oldest in the world. Enlarged in the 6th century and decorated with frescoes in the 12th century, it is now a museum.

Commissioned by Charlemagne in 786, this is the oldest cathedral in Northern Europe. A graceful Gothic choir was added to the Carolingian core in the 15th century. Inside are several major relics and early medieval artworks.

This ruined abbey with a well-preserved gatehouse is a rare and important survival of Carolingian architecture. Charlemagne attended its consecration in 774.

This church and active convent was built in the 9th century over the house of St. Cecilia, a 3rd-century martyr. It has a Byzantine apse mosaic upstairs and Roman excavations below.

This ancient monastic settlement in a spectacular natural setting was founded by St. Kevin, a hermit monk (d.618). Its extensive ruins include several churches and a graceful round tower.

This remote site on the Dingle Peninsula is home to impressive ruins of a 6th-century monastery and an important carved stone.

The Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island is a ruined Armenian cathedral dating from 921. Beautifully situated on Lake Van, the church is famed for its early medieval sculptures.

From 588 to 1100, this dramatic rocky island of the west coast of Ireland hosted the tiny beehive huts of hermit monks.