Explore Religious Heritage Across Europe

The Royal Basilica of Nuestra Señora de Atocha was first mentioned in the 7th century. It was not until the 16th century, when the hermitage was in a state of ruin, that Friar Juan Hurtado de Mendoza, confessor to Charles V, decided to reform it and transform it into a large church. Philip IV (1621-1665), a great devotee of the Virgin, proclaimed Our Lady of Atocha patroness of the royal family and the Spanish monarchy in 1643. During his reign, on 14 August 1652, the original church burned down and he ordered it to be completely restored. His successor Charles II commissioned Lucas Jordán to decorate the interior with paintings. During the Civil War, the convent and the church were burnt down, losing all the works of art, except for the image of the Virgin of Atocha, which had been hidden before. At Christmas 1951, the new church was inaugurated.

The kloyz was apparently built after the establishment of the court of Rabbi Itzhak Friedmann (1834-1896), a grandson of Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin, in Buhuşi (Bohosh) in 1866 (Streja A., and Schwarz L., "The Synagogue in Romania", The Hasefer Publishing House, 2009, p. 81б give a wrong date, 1840). The kloyz was built in the Neo-Baroque style as a small palace with the main entrance and the stairs from the courtyard. Four large semi-circular window decorated with architraves and keystones are located on each of the three facades of the building (except the western one). The building is decorated by rusticated decor, pilasters, and multilevel cornice. A semicircular niche flanked by pilasters marks the place of the Torah ark. The building was renovated in the 1980s, its prayer hall was completely repainted.

The Rebbe's Kloyz in Sadhora is a Hasidic synagogue built between 1864 and 1881. This Romantic Historicist building is still used as a synagogue.

The Red Church in Olomouc is a Neo-Gothic landmark designed by Franz Böhm and built in 1902, which served as a book store until 2019. After renovation, it will host cultural and educational events.

The mosque is located just outside the citadel within the Berat Castle. The basic dimensions were 9.9 to 9.1 meters and had a wooden roof. It was built with red bricks and limestone, hence the name.

The Red Synagogue (Great Beit Midrash) in Joniškis is an Ashkenazi synagogue built in brick in 1911. In the Soviet period the Red Synagogue was used for storage and later converted into a foundry with an apartment in the women's section. In the 1970s the former synagogue housed a youth club. The building's plan was altered; nevertheless, the façades remained almost unchanged, and the Torah ark and the details of interior painting were still extant. In 2007 the building lacked proper roofing; the western part was used as a temporary storage space. In 2008 plans were made for restoring the collapsed walls. The synagogue is now a museum.

With a beautiful tower and sober interior, the Redbadcherke in Jorwert is a fine example of a Romanesque church. The front church has recently been renovated. The church is also used as a base for Stifting Nijkleaster.

The Reform Synagogue in Bradford is an Ashkenazi synagogue built in 1880-81 by architects T.H. and F. Healey. The synagogue was rebuilt in 1956 and 2013. This stone building in the Neo-Moorish and Victorian style still serves as a synagogue.

The Church of the Reformation, which dates back to 1721-1733, is one of the few Calvinist churches in Latvia. The church is richly decorated with pilasters and surmounted by a small tower. After a fire, it was rebuilt in 1805 and the ground floor was converted into a warehouse. During the Soviet occupation, the building was converted into a recording studio.

The Reformed Church was completed in 1939 and consecrated the same year by Bishop Vince Medgyasszay. The interior paintings of the church were made by Ilona Biczó and her husband. They contain biblical motifs, mixed with elements of Hungarian folk painting. The church survived the bombings of World War II unscathed, but underwent a major renovation in 1988. Its two-manual electric organ was built by Albert Péter.