Explore Religious Heritage Across Europe

The monastery of Sabiona (in German Kloster Säben) is the spiritual cradle of the entire Tyrol and is one of the oldest Christian monuments in the Alps. The current monastery’s building was founded in 1687 on a site used by bishops since the 6th century. Currently and for almost three hundred years, the monastery has been the seat of a community of Benedictine nuns, who are currently only 11 and live in seclusion.

The Sacra Capilla del Salvador is a church built in 1536 in Úbeda with a set of Renaissance buildings including a palace, a university and a hospital. It has become one of the most popular symbols of this city whose Renaissance monumental complex, along with that of Baeza, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003.

The Sacra di San Michele is a monastic complex perched on top of Mount Pirchiriano, 960 meters above sea level, one of the most beautiful examples of religious architecture in the Piedmont region. Founded in the 10th century, it became one of the main centers of Benedictine spirituality in Italy from the 12th to the 15th century. In 2018, the old monastery of Sacra suffered serious damage following a fire on the roof.

Roman Catholic Church All Holy Sacrament from 1938-39 in the style of Traditionalism (Delft School) based on Romanesque church architecture, designed by architect ir. H. Thunnissen of the architectural firm Thunnissen and Hendricks in The Hague in collaboration with J.Th. v. Rossem in Delft. The baptismal chapel on the northeast side, which is connected to the church by an intermediate section, dates from the sixties, as do the Stations of the Cross in mosaic. The glass-in-concrete of the chapel and the stations were designed by Pieter Wiegersma. The chapel itself was built by the Kerklaan company from Delfgauw based on a design by architect Hekker. To the left and right of the chancel are two statues, representing St. Joseph (patron of the church with church building in his hand) and St. Paul (with a sword and a scroll, symbolizing his letters). The altar furniture dates from 1976. To the left of the choir is a foundation stone from 1939 with the text: "Me Posuit JL Dankelman Decanus AD VIII KAI AUG MCMXXXIX.

Much less known than the Cathedral of Saint-Etienne, the Church of the Sacred Heart of Toulouse is one of those hidden treasures that the city offers only to the most curious. And with good reason! This church is actually "hidden" behind a row of buildings and more particularly behind a sort of portal building which is gable on the street.

The Sacro Monte dell'Addolorata complex began to be built when the first small church dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows was erected in 1709. Under the impulse of Franciscan preaching, in 1767 an emigrant from the village of Brissago, Antonio Francesco Branca financed the extension of the original building of worship with the addition of two new bays, the sacristy, as well as the house of the rector and the hospice for pilgrims, which form an architectural complex of three floors. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrows is composed of two buildings of different periods, the former chapel with a dome and the church of 1767. The interior is richly decorated according to the stylistic canons of the late 18th century with Baroque stuccoes by Visetti di Valsolda and frescoes by Orelli, executed in 1775.

The sanctuary of the Sacro Monte di Ossuccio was essentially completed in 1537, but its high bell tower was completed later in 1719. It stands on the Sacro Monte di Ossuccio, a sacred site dedicated to the Blessed Virgin of the Savior and part of the group of nine Sacred Mounts of Piedmont and Lombardy inscribed in 2003 by UNESCO on the World Heritage List.

In 2006, planning began for the construction of this temple, which is part of an ashram of the movement of Guru Babaji who lived in Haidakhand in the Himalayas. In 2011, construction actually began, and on July 2, 2012, the inauguration of this temple took place.

After the collapse of the original Romanesque church in Şaeș in 1802 the ruins were entirely removed and replaced with a neo-classical hall church with narrowed chancel and western bell tower, completed in 1820. The facades of tower and church show a subtle composition of pilasters and cornices. A pyramid roof covered with color glazed tiles caps the tower. On top of the pyramid a lantern is placed covered with metal sheets and decorated with garlands made of metal. The interior of the church appeals by its consistent original design and inventory. A remarkable detail is the entrance door, an empire jewel. The remains of the fortifications consist of parts of the curtain wall, a defense tower and a defense building. The latter is supposed to have served as a chapel during the construction of the new church. Unfortunately the total loss of this building must be faced because of its very bad condition. The church itself shows severe structural problems as well, that should be tackled in the near future.

The Sagene Church, consecrated in 1891, was designed by the architect Christian Fürst. It differs from other neo-Gothic brick churches of that time in Norway because Fürst was inspired by the German neo-Gothic by Johannes Otzen, of which the Heiligen Kreuz church in Berlin is an example.