30 Churches—Name That Country!

[B] Arizona, USA | Built into Sedona's red rocks, this chapel seems to grow from the desert itself. Completed in 1956, it proves modernist architecture and spirituality can coexist spectacularly.

[A] Spain | Zaragoza's baroque masterpiece supposedly marks where Mary appeared to St. James on a pillar. The building's so massive it has eleven domes, because apparently one wasn't impressive enough.

[A] Italy | Florence's duomo took 140 years to complete, mostly because Brunelleschi's dome design was so ambitious it required inventing new construction techniques. Renaissance showing off at its finest.

[C] Spain | The world's largest Gothic cathedral sits where a mosque once stood. Christopher Columbus is buried here, though they moved his body four times, making him history's most traveled corpse.

[B] Bethlehem | One of Christianity's oldest churches marks Jesus' traditional birthplace. The entrance door is deliberately tiny to prevent horseback raids, forcing even emperors to bow entering.

[D] Ethiopia | Carved entirely from volcanic rock in Lalibela, this underground church looks like it was 3D printed by angels. It's literally a church in reverse, carved down instead of built up.

[B] Slovenia | Perched on Lake Bled's island, reaching this church requires rowing or taking a traditional pletna boat. The 99 steps to the church supposedly grant wishes if the groom carries his bride up.

[D] Germany | Cologne Cathedral survived 14 WWII bombings while everything around it was destroyed. Allied pilots supposedly used it for navigation, proving even bombers respected Gothic architecture.

[A] Hungary | Budapest's largest church holds the mummified right hand of Hungary's first king. They parade it through the streets annually, making it Christianity's strangest hand-waving tradition.

[C] Iceland | Reykjavik's concrete church mimics basalt lava columns, taking 41 years to build. It's named after a poet-priest, proving Iceland values literature as much as lava.

[D] Italy | Milan's cathedral has more statues than any building worldwide—3,400 of them. Mark Twain called it "a poem in marble," though maintaining all that poetry costs millions annually.

[C] D.C., USA | This Gothic cathedral contains a moon rock and a Darth Vader gargoyle. Apparently even neo-Gothic architecture needs some space-age updates and pop culture references.

[A] England | Over 3,000 people are buried here including 17 monarchs and countless poets. It's basically Britain's most exclusive cemetery with really good acoustics.

[B] Malta | Valletta's baroque interior is so ornate it makes Versailles look minimalist. The floor contains 400 knights' marble tombstones, making it Christianity's fanciest graveyard flooring.

[A] Israel | This Jerusalem site supposedly hosted the Last Supper and Pentecost. It's been a church, mosque, and back again, proving sacred real estate is always complicated.

[D] France | French kings were crowned here for 1,000 years, making it monarchy's favorite venue. Joan of Arc attended Charles VII's coronation here, her greatest victory before things went badly.

[B] Russia | Built entirely without nails on Kizhi Island, this wooden church has 22 onion domes. Legend says the builder threw his axe in the lake declaring nothing could surpass it.

[C] Israel | Six Christian denominations share this Jerusalem church through an agreement so complex a Muslim family keeps the keys. Even the ladder placement is regulated by ancient treaty.

[D] Norway | This medieval wooden church features dragon heads like a Viking ship. Built around 1180, it proves Norwegians seamlessly merged pagan aesthetics with Christian architecture.

[C] Czech Republic | Prague Castle's Gothic centerpiece took nearly 600 years to complete. It houses Bohemian crown jewels shown publicly maybe once per decade, making them Christianity's rarest bling.

[B] Russia | Moscow's candy-colored onion domes supposedly made Ivan the Terrible blind the architect to prevent replication. Probably false, but it captures the building's unique insanity perfectly.

[A] France | This tidal island monastery becomes completely surrounded by water twice daily. Medieval pilgrims risked quicksand reaching it, proving faith historically required serious commitment.

[B] Vatican City | The world's largest church sits in the world's smallest country. Michelangelo designed the dome at age 71, proving retirement is just a suggestion for geniuses.

[D] France | Perched atop Montmartre, this Romano-Byzantine basilica stays white because the stone releases calcite when it rains. It's basically a self-cleaning church, which seems miraculous enough.

[A] Italy | Venice's Byzantine basilica contains enough gold mosaics to cover half a football field. The horses on the facade are actually ancient Greek bronzes stolen during the Crusades.

[C] France | This Gothic masterpiece has 176 stained-glass windows mostly original from the 13th century. They survived both World Wars by being removed and hidden, proving preservation requires planning.

[A] Israel | Nazareth's modernist church incorporates global Madonna artwork from different cultures. It's like the UN of Virgin Mary depictions, proving faith translates across artistic styles.

[D] Syria | The world's oldest known church building dates to 235 AD. Discovered in the 1930s, it contained the earliest Christian paintings, rewriting art history textbooks.

[C] Colombia | This Gothic church bridges a canyon 150 feet above a river. Built where a Virgin Mary apparition allegedly occurred, it's basically a spiritual suspension bridge.

[B] USA | New York's Neo-Gothic cathedral sits on Fifth Avenue's priciest real estate. They rejected a $300 million offer for the land, proving some things really aren't for sale.