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Carthusian Monastery

Carthusian Monastery

Leuven, BE

The first stone of the monastery was laid down in 1489 by Margarete van York (Margaret of York), the widow of Karel de Stoute (Charles the Bold). The build took until 1530, but the first Carthusian monks arrived in 1491. At the beginning of the 18th century, severe war devastation and financial distress made the monastery obliged to rent out some of its land. In 1773, the congregation had to sell some of their grounds again. The abbey gave shelter to Austrian military troops in 1779 and a part of the complex got damaged due to an explosion of some of their ammunition. In 1783, monastic orders in the Southern Netherlands were abolished. The abbey was sold and repurposed as an ammunition depot. A second explosion in 1793 caused extensive damage to the buildings. In 1806, the church was demolished and the site was used by farmers and gardeners throughout the 19th century. In 1912, the monastery was bought by Armand Thiéry (1868-1955). He organized a restoration and sold the abbey in 1917 to the Capuchins. They renovated the grounds and a second restauration was conducted from 1968 until 1976.

Cartmel Priory

Cartmel Priory

Cartmel, GB

Cartmel has been described as 'the medieval jewel among Lancashire churches.' It makes a lasting impression on the visitor, overshadowing the village as it does and giving an idea of the way early priories must have dominated their surroundings. It was founded as a priory for Augustinian canons in around 1189 and also served as a parish church, which saved it from outright destruction during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1530s.

Casale Monferrato Cathedral

Casale Monferrato Cathedral

Casale Monferrato, IT

The Cathedral of Casale Monferrato is one of the most important Lombard Romanesque cathedrals in Piedmont. It was consecrated on 7 January 1107 by Pope Paschal II, on the site where a temple dedicated to Jupiter already existed in the 1st century AD. Burnt down in 1215, it was extensively restored in the 1850s by the architect Count Edoardo Arborio Mella (1808-1884).

Castelfranco Veneto Cathedral

Castelfranco Veneto Cathedral

Castelfranco Veneto, IT

The present Cathedral of Castelfranco Veneto dates back to the 18th century and was built to a design by Francesco Maria Preti, who was inspired by the forms of the Basilica del Redentore in Venice. In order to build it, it was necessary to demolish the old church of Santa Maria Assunta, a Romanesque monument that housed the original Costanzo Chapel, for which Giorgione's altarpiece was designed in the 16th century. The present façade was built in 1892-1893, designed by Pio Finazzi.

Castellaneta Cathedral

Castellaneta Cathedral

Castellaneta, IT

The church of Santa Maria Assunta is the cathedral of Castellaneta. The original church, dedicated to the town's patron saint, Saint Nicholas, was built in the second half of the 11th century and rebuilt in the 14th century in the Apulian Romanesque style with the new dedication to Saint Mary of the Assumption. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the building was renovated and restored in Baroque style, which almost completely erased all traces of the original church.

Castle Chapel of Saint Saturnin

Castle Chapel of Saint Saturnin

Fontainebleau, FR

This magnificent chapel was built by the architect Philippe Delorme in the 16th century. It is the royal chapel of the Château de Fontainebleau. The interior walls are covered with impressive paintings made under Henri IV. Under Napoleon I, in 1807, it became the library of the castle. This is the function it retained until 1851.

Castle chapel

Castle chapel

Oslo, NO

The castle chapel is located in the royal palace in Oslo. It was founded when King Charles XIV John laid the foundation stone of the castle on 1 October 1825. It is the only room that bears the monogram of Charles XIV John. However, the room was not completed until 1844. The architect of Linstow Castle sent his drawings for the church hall and the choir in 1837 and was clearly inspired by the German architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel.

Castle Church

Castle Church

Chemnitz, DE

The Castle Church was built in its first form as early as the 12th century as part of a Benedictine abbey complex. The present church is a reconstruction in late Gothic style from the early 16th century. In 1540 the monastery was dissolved during the Reformation. In 1945 the helmet of the church spire was severely damaged, as well as other parts of the church. The damaged spire helmet was demolished and replaced with the present lower finish between 1946 and 1949. The restoration of the interior took place from 1950 to 1957.

Castle Church

Castle Church

Interlaken, CH

The history of the castle church, the Protestant parish church of Interlaken, begins in the 12th century with the construction of a convent dedicated to St. Augustine. The monastery was abolished in 1484 and the church closed a little later in 1528 with the Reformation. It was not until the middle of the 19th century that the building regained its use as a church. In poor condition at the beginning of the 20th century, the church was rebuilt in the neo-gothic style in 1909-11.

Caţa Fortified Church

Caţa Fortified Church

Cața, RO

A pier basilica, easily recognizable by its main features, constitutes the core of the fortified church in Caţa. Inside, the pillars with arcades are a typical Romanesque construction to connect the side aisles to the nave. On the northern clerestory two uncovered false windows can be seen. The Romanesque chancel as well as the apse were rebuilt during the 15th century in Gothic style. The cross vault collapsed 1894 together with the western tower and it was replaced later on by a flat ceiling. The tower was never rebuilt. The massive fortified curtain wall dating back to the 15th century still preserves four of initial six defence towers. The pentagonal “priest’s tower” offers views over the garden of the parish house. The assembly was provided with a second defence wall with outer bailey as early as the 17th century. Its northern side was demolished in 1884 and in 1937 for using the resulting material to build the school and the community hall.

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