The Cathedral

To step inside a Gothic cathedral is to step inside the visual essence of the Christian faith—a world filled with vaulted ceilings that direct the visitor's gaze toward heaven, stone sculptures that bring to life both the blessings of salvation and the horrors of damnation, and stained glass windows that illustrate powerful religious stories in dazzling bursts of color. Since the Christianization of Europe in the 4th century, cathedrals have served as Centers of ecclesiastical authority. Marvels of architectural genius and innovation. Places to instruct communities about cherished Christian values and lessons. Sites of political, cultural, intellectual, and economic importance. Whether they're located in the heart of a major city or on the outskirts of a rural town, cathedrals possess a spiritual, artistic, and historical grandeur that deserves to be experienced and felt by Christians and non-Christians alike. But rather than travelling around the world to get just a cursory, groun