Baroque

This 18th-century Baroque and Rococo church built by the Asam brothers leaves no surface undecorated.

This important Catholic shrine includes the relics of a saint, a miraculous Black Madonna statue and a Benedictine monastery. Einsiedeln is also home to the world's largest nativity scene.

This grand Baroque basilica houses the small Porziuncola, a chapel restored by St. Francis and the place where St. Clare took her vows, as well as the humble cell in which St. Francis died.

Dedicated to both John the Evangelist and John the Baptist, St. John Lateran is the cathedral of Rome and one of its four major basilicas. It includes a fine 13th-century cloister.

Often overlooked by non-pilgrims, the Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme is located just down the road from St. John Lateran in Rome. It includes the private chapel of St.

One of Vienna's greatest buildings, commissioned by the emperor in 1715 in thanks for an answered prayer. The splendid Baroque edifice was also intended to glorify the Habsburg Empire.

This grand Renaissance church is the headquarters of the Jesuits and has served as the model for Jesuit churches everywhere. It contains famous ceiling frescoes and the tomb of St. Ignatius, the order's founder.

The elegant Church of the Society of Jesus rivals Cusco's cathedral in grandeur. Like the cathedral, it was also built on the site of an important ancient palace, that of the Inca Huayna Cpac.

This church near the train station is acclaimed as Switzerland's finest example of Protestant church building. Dating from the 1720s, the church has a fine Baroque interior.

The Cathédrale St-Sauveur in Aix was built from the 5th century to the 15th century. Its many highlights include an ancient baptistery, a lovely cloister, and Nicolas Fromen's Burning Bush Triptych.

Melk Abbey was originally a palace, and it shows. Home to a Benedictine community from the 11th century to the present day, the current Baroque ensemble was built in 1736.

An impressive example of Baroque architecture, the Abbey of St. Florian is built around the grave of its namesake, the patron saint against fire and flood.