7 Beautiful Reasons To Visit The Cathedral Basilica Of St. Louis – TravelAwaits

St. Louis is home to the Gateway Arch, St. Louis-style ribs, a population that consumes more barbecue sauce than any other in the nation, and two historic Catholic cathedrals. St. Louis was founded by immigrants from France, Ireland, and Germany and named for St. Louis IX of France, a king of great faith. These immigrants brought their faith to their new homeland, and as a result, Catholicism has deep roots in the Gateway City.

The original cathedral, also named for St. Louis but often referred to as the Old Cathedral, is located near the Mississippi River and the Gateway Arch. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis is the New Cathedral. The groundbreaking took place in 1907. Today, the structure looms large with its distinctive, green-tiled dome rising 217 feet. The building is reminiscent of some of the finest churches around the world: the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, St. Marks Basilica in Venice, and St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City.

The exterior is Romanesque in design, but the interior is Byzantine, with its hallmark domes and mosaics. The floor plan of the church resembles a cross, with the narthex, nave, and sanctuary making up the long part of the cross and the east and west transepts forming the crossbar.

As you open the hand-carved outer doors that are 14 feet high and 8 feet wide, prepare to be amazed. The cathedrals interior is a work of art in keeping with tradition. In the early days of the Church, many of the faithful were illiterate. Paintings and mosaics depicted Bible stories, the crucifix reminded them of Jesuss suffering and death, and statues of the saints honored holy men and women of the past and kept their memory alive.

Here are just a few reasons to visit the magnificent Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.

Originally posted here:
7 Beautiful Reasons To Visit The Cathedral Basilica Of St. Louis - TravelAwaits