At the very heart of cities and villages, churches, cathedrals and basilicas have shaped the landscape in Europe to a great extent. Their architecture bears witness to the skills of craftsmen and the mystic fervor that led to their building. It reveals essential details about their architecture and historical meaning.

Thanks to books and films like The Da Vinci Code and its sequel, Angels and Demons , interest in secret religious symbols has never been greater. This carefully researched guide takes the reader into some of the world's most famous churches, decoding messages that are hidden in plain sight-in stained-glass windows, statuary, patterned flooring, ornamentation, and even the bu...(展开全部)

At the heart of Gothic cathedrals, the threshold between nave and sanctuary was marked by the choir screen, a partitioning structure of special complexity, grandeur and beauty. At once a canopy for altars, a stage for performance, a pedestal for crucifixes and reliquaries and a ground for spectacular arrays of narrative and iconic sculptures, the choir screen profoundly shaped ...(展开全部)

At the heart of Gothic cathedrals, the threshold between nave and sanctuary was marked by the choir screen, a partitioning structure of special complexity, grandeur and beauty. At once a canopy for altars, a stage for performance, a pedestal for crucifixes and reliquaries and a ground for spectacular arrays of narrative and iconic sculptures, the choir screen profoundly shaped ...(展开全部)