Visita Iglesia: Tracing The Pilgrim's StepsIn Europe Part Two

Town-hopping from one historic place to another in Europe has given me the opportunity to appreciate not only the local colors but at the same time the wonderful architecture of the place, especially its churches and cathedrals. More than just the structural beauty, the story behind every building is equally astounding.

1. Messina, Sicily, Italy - I happened to walk around town all by myself and I found my way to the Doumo of Messina. This historic Cathedral boasts its very tall bell tower which every noon time sounds the alarm with a spectacular show of moving statues adorning the bell tower and the church. Inside the church are huge statues of Christ's apostles. The park right outside the Cathedral is beautiful as well, with locals gathering to talk with friends or find some private moment with a book and a cappuccino in a nearby restaurant.




2. St. Peter's Basilica - I found myself truly blessed when I had the opportunity to visit Rome and stand at St. Peter's Square with Pope Benedict XVI himself giving a papal audience to pilgrims from around the world. Rome is rich with beautiful churches and cathedrals. St. Peter's of course is its crown jewel. I was able to go inside and see for itself the beautiful Basilica which is the resting place of the first pope himself, St. Peter. It is definitely a sight to behold.




3. St. Mark's Cathedral, Venice, Italy - Venice is definitely one of those must-go places in Europe. Famous for its waterways and gondolas, Venice is also known for its architecture and churches, the most famous being the St. Mark's Cathedral. This historic cathedral houses the body of St. Mark, one of the disciples of Christ and believed to be one of the four Gospel writers. The line was long when I visited St. Mark's square so I made myself content by just admiring the beautiful facade and the murals outside the Cathedral. Besides, there a lot of things to see and enjoy right outside the Square.




4. Talinn, Estonia - I have visited quite a few Orthodox Churches while I was in Scandinavia but among the few that I have visited, I found the one in Talinn as the most beautiful. What I love about Orthodox churches are their beautiful icons and murals that make both the worshiper and cynic transcend from the mundane to something divine. In one of the Orthodox churches that I visited, I was lucky to even witness an Orthodox baptism happening inside the Church.



It is said that when one visits for the first time a church or Cathedral, one must light a candle, say 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and 1 Glory Be and his or her wish comes true. I don't know if that works exactly but having been given the opportunity to travel and visit these amazing and historical places is already a wish come true.

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Comments

Oh how timely was your St. Peter's Basilica visit! Out of all these sites, that basilica's the one I'm interested in visiting. I believe St. Peter was crucified upside down, am I correct?
Bluesolstice said…
Yes, he was upon his request. :-)
Id love to see these basilicas and one great opportunity for you to do visita englisia there, thanks for this.
Sionee said…
yeah.. really a wish come true! I wish to see those places, too! ganda! :)
Nancy said…
Any dream place we get to set foot in is a dream come true. But being in a historic, wonderful place like this is more than just it.
Someone commented on my page why old churches specially here in the phil seems to be part of tourism,, sbi q nman hey look at the designs, age, and the history inside... Kasaysayan na yan,,, and the history seems incomplete w/o religion
Lady Patchy said…
one of my dream destination aside from Israel. ganda ng place talaga.
Michi said…
though i'm not a catholic, i love to visit different churches because of the unique designs.
Hazel said…
Those domes could send me dreaming all day.
Sining Factory said…
Great churches. The architectures are different from each other. I love them all especially the one in Talinn, Estonia.
fbalgos said…
These churches serve their purpose well for the Catholic Church..
These Edifice are a delight!
juanderfulpinoy said…
It is said that when one visits for the first time a church or Cathedral, one must light a candle, say 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and 1 Glory Be and his or her wish comes true.- I agree with you , This is what i normally do. It feels good when your prayers heard.
Anonymous said…
I'm not a Catholic but I really love to visit churches like these.
ralph said…
the place is simply spectacular. Yahweh bless.
Admin said…
how i wish to visit very solemn and great beautiful churches! i miss doing the visita iglesia ...
Violy said…
I went to Italy also more than a year ago and included in our Italy tour we visited churches in rome to Vatican to assisi to Florence , Padua to Venice I'm a catholic Pero nag-sawa talaga ako sa dami ng churches to visit, nung Milan na backout na ako. Hehe so sorry o Lord... ;-) but their church architecture are really amazing.. My favorite is the one in Assisi. ;-)
Gil Camporazo said…
Hahaha! No malice please. I chuckled for the comment of Gay Mitra-Emami. I have no idea on how St. Peter was martyred in his time.

Visita Iglesia has the finest and the best designs a church has. The architectural designs are amazing.
wow!!! what an amazing works of architecture!!! This what makes Europe a perfect place for arts and the like
julie said…
These churches and infrastructures reminds me of Dan Brown books which I actually love. If only I would be given a chance to visit Europe soon. Thanks for sharing.
i wanna go pilgrimage too, together with my honey and family ...
Amor Envina said…
nice photos!

one of the places I wanted to visit...
Unknown said…
2nd to the last church, I want to visit and take photos of. The architecture is so nice!
Hanep naman sa Visita Iglesia! I hope to visit Tallinn and St. Peter's when I go to Europe next month. Sana okay ang panahon.
stacy said…
wow I want to try doing that someday too!
Cha said…
Practice What You Preach

Lakbayin ang Pilipinas! Promote local tourism! We have beautiful churches all over the Philippines waiting to be explored.

http://travel-on-a-shoe-string.blogspot.com/2010/10/angry-christ.html
Bluesolstice said…
Hello Cha, yup, there are definitely many beautiful churches all over the Philippines, most of which I have already visited. ;-)
admin said…
I don't fancy Italy to visit, but I love their history. My husband been in Italy many times. He wants me to take there one day.

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