Flavian Dynasty’s founder was Emperor Vespasian. He began constructing the colosseum in Rome in AD 72. The construction was completed in AD 80, following the death of Vespasian. The site of a manmade lake served as the site for the mammoth amphitheater. The site was an integral part of huge park of Nero, which lay in Rome’s center. Golden House and the statue of Colossus were also included. Nero’s giant statue gave the structure its present name.

The building is elliptical in shape. It measures 188 m by 156 m. It stands at an impressive height of 48 meters. The Colosseum in Rome served as an accommodation fro 55,000 spectators. The building had close to 80 entrances. Four stories rise up from the ground level. Men belonging to lower social classes and women occupied the upper stories. Eminent citizens occupied the lowermost story.

There were several rooms beneath the ground. These rooms were replete with cages and mechanical devices. The cages were home to wild animals. Hoisting of the cages was possible. This made it possible for the animals to appear right in the center of the arena.

A huge awning, called velarium, covered the colosseum in Rome. This provided ample shade for the spectators. The awning saw attachment to tall poles situated on the colosseum’s top. Large ropes served as the anchor. Nearly 1,000 individuals were employed for the awning’s installation.

The colosseum in Rome was used by Emperors for the entertainment of the general public. Free games were held here. The games served as a symbol of prestige and power. Through the games, the popularity of the emperors grew by leaps and bounds. Games were conducted for the entire day. On some occasions, it was spread across several days.

Prior to the games, several comical acts were conducted. Exotic animals were also exhibited. Gladiators fought amongst themselves or with animals. The scenes were gory. The gladiators were generally slaves, condemned criminals, and prisoners of war. On certain occasions, Emperors and free Romans indulged in the action. Titus, who was the successor of Vespasian, held games that lasted for hundred days.

Attractions

I entered the cathedral through the Puerta de San Cristóbal from the south side that holds the burial chamber of Christopher Columbus who was originally buried in the cathedral of Havana. A monumental tomb acting as the Christopher’s final resting place was built herein in the Late Romantic style. Strangely, it is held upwards via the four big symbolic portrayals signifying the kingdoms of Leon, Castile, Aragon, and Navarra. However, a tour guide standing nearby said that the genuineness of the remains in Columbus’ tomb is undergoing DNA tests.

The huge church’s central nave is as high as 42 m, but is empty and its four aisles at the side are amazing. The flanking chapels are also big enough such that it seems that they can encompass a church. Though I could see gold everywhere, I could feel a general simplicity in its embellishment.

In the center, you will see a box-like choir that has ornate stalls belonging to the 15th century, which leads to the Capilla Mayor ruled by an outstanding masterpiece of Gothic retablo (altarpiece). The 45 episodes depicting the life of Christ carved in wood and decorated with gold is simply alluring. Some more wonders in the church are the stained glass windows of the 15th century and the iron screens (rejas) off the chapels.

Next, I saw the extravagant Sacristia Mayor that is the home of the treasury. What I could see on the exhibit were the silver reliquaries and monstrances; art pieces of Goya, Murillo, and Zurbaran; and a few skulls. What was most worthy was the keys to Fernando given by the Jewish and Moorish folk while giving the city. Here, an Arabic script on the metal reads: “May Allah render eternal the dominion of Islam in this city.”

Then, I went ahead towards the northeast corner that is the home of the domed Capilla Real (Royal Chapel) that originally hold the Royal Burial Chapel. However, do not expect it to be open anytime and on any day, which is uncertain. When I went, it was open wherein I could see the silver shrine holding the body of Fernando III (El Santo). On its sides, there are crypts of his wife, Beatrice of Swabia, and his son, Alfonso.

Built on the location of a previous mosque, the church has generously maintained the two parts of the mosque namely, the Moorish entrance court (Patio de los Naranjos) and the La Giralda – actually a Moorish minaret and now altered to be a bell tower. This bell tower is to the left of the Capilla Real. Do not miss the joy of climbing this tower and reach the top where the bell is the cathedral’s bell.

Admission and Timings

• Jul-Aug: Mon-Sat 9:30 am – 4:30 pm; Sun 2:30 – 6:30 pm
• Sep-Jun: Mon-Sat 11 am – 5:30 pm; Sun 2:30 – 6:30 pm

The last entry is before 30 min. The admission fee along with the bell tower climb is €8 for adults, €2 for students under 26, and is free for all under 11. On Sundays, there is no fee.

My Visit

The Cathedral of St. John the Divine’s superlative credit of being the largest is seen in its each part right from its spacious nave that can hold 5000 devotees at a time to its tall dome such that it can contain another Statue of Liberty.

The church’s entrance doors are accessible via the five portals reached through the broad stairs from the Amsterdam Avenue side. Among the portals, the middle one is worth visiting that is named Portal of Paradise where you can see the stone carvings of St. John observing the Transfiguration of Jesus and 32 biblical figures. At the base of this portal, there are bronze doors that boasts the reliefs on which the left scene is from the Old Testament and the right one from the New Testament. If you want to see them, go on Easter and in October during the Feast of St. Francis, otherwise the doors remain closed. Do not miss to glance at the Great Rose Window over the doors, which is the largest stained-glass window in the nation.

Next, I visited the Episcopalian cathedral whose interior hugs a powerful intercultural view. At the rear of the choir, there are seven chapels namely, Ansgar, Boniface, Columba, Savior, Martin, Ambrose, and James; which are together called the Chapels of the Tongues. The names are so given as they are committed to the city’s ethnic groups who contributed their efforts to the cathedral.

In the Missionary Chapel, you will see a rotating genocide monument made to pay homage to the sufferers of the Ottoman Empire in Armenia, Holocaust, and in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Some similar honor was found in form of the FDNY memorial in the Labor Chapel, which marked 12 firefighters slain in 1966 and then 343 firefighters killed in the brutal event of September 11, 2001. Lastly, among the chapels, I worshipped the Saint Savior Chapel where a three-panel altar of bronze depict religious scenes and was the last carving of artist Keith Haring who died due to AIDS. There are even more chapels dedicated to the modern fields of sports, poetry, and AIDS.

In the main interior of the cathedral, the altar section has menorahs and Shinto pots, while the Barberini tapestries of the 17th century can be seen across the holy place. To its left, a traditional baptistery – a superb octagonal chapel stands wherein a polychrome frieze marks the legacy of the Dutch in New York.

Lastly, stroll around the Peace Fountain at the Amsterdam Avenue, which is a symbol of the victory of good over evil. This is evident from the scene where the angel Michael, the good power conquers over the bad force Satan, whose head seems to be hanging. Around the fountain, fanciful bronze portrays of animals are noticeable.

Festivals

The New Year’s Eve concert is the major attraction for the locals in the Cathedral of St. John, the Divine. Another great event is its annual Feast of St. Francis (Blessing of the Animals) in October. Herein, animals such as elephants, camels, cats, and dogs are taken in the interior for blessings.

Tip: For a best view of the sizey on West 112th Street, stand at Broadwa.

Spotted Differences

The guide started explaining the story behind the construction of the current marvel. He described that the architects wanted the new amazing structure to retain the glory of the original one, in the sense that they wanted it to resemble the old as maximum as possible. Therefore, they did every possible thing to know about the old monument. Despite lot of success in their goal, there were still two major differences between the old and the modern architecture.

According to him, the original cathedral was on the hill, while this one was built on a completely new base. Today, this region is the home of the Church of the Transfiguration, the Hall of Church Councils, the Hall of the Holy synod, many Dining Halls, a Patriarchal suite, and offices for the Cathedral staff. The other difference was that some of the modern technologies and materials were utilized during the new construction.

The Church

Being the largest cathedral in Russia, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior can accommodate 10,000 people. Along the main entry, there is a unique iconostasis – white-octahedral chapel. The key holy objects are the icon of Christ’s Birth, six original restored canvases, and the original throne of Apostolic Patriarchy Tychon in the main altar.

The immense structure of the new monument is made up of marble and granite wherein the massive doors of bronze are adorned with reliefs of the saints. In the interior, its walls ornately show the list of awards, battles, list of those slain and honored in the war with Napoleon in 1812. The Cathedral of Christ the Savior celebrates the Divine Intervention due to which Russia could defeat Napoleon. This makes the cathedral to be hold important from both the religious and historic points of view.

The cathedral is enclosed in two-storey galleries wherein the frescoes depict religious and historical characters and episodes. They are particularly dedicated to the Russian history and the War of 1812. On the first floor, the marble plank marks the members of the War of 1812. On the other hand, the frescoes in the second storey exhibit different historical events and figures who contributed to the decisions of the Orthodoxy Church or the nation’s history.

In the main building, you will come across three altars out of which the middle one is dedicated to the Birth of Our Lord and the remaining two, in the balcony of the second floor, are devoted to Saints Nicholas and Alexander Nevsky. The side altar in the northern zone is devoted to Prince Alexander Nevsky who protected the Emperor Alexander I, who in turn, made Alexander II vowed to build the Cathedral. On the other hand, the southern wing of the gallery temple of Nicholas who protected Emperor Nicholas is worth visiting.

Off the main cafeteria hall is the gallery worth a look even from outside. I am saying this because the rule is that no visitors are permitted in the gallery with an exception of the small excursion group.

Magnificent Views

The tactical location of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior offers you some ideal views from the height of 40 m. You can have the panorama of the central Moscow – the Kremlin and Zamoscvorechje and a glimpse of streets and avenues.

Tip

Women are required to cover their head. Do not take mobiles or cameras within the cathedral.

However, my thought of it being a fortress was true as it was originally a defensive one after a holy war against the impious Cathars by the Catholic Church.

My Visit

The Albi Cathedral is erected from solid brick with lancet windows, which ends at the west in a huge tiered and squared belfry. The tower with spherical cornered ramparts is crowned with a new octagonal area. It seems as broad as a nave. By the roof edges, you can see the white stone gargoyles of the 19th century. Further, forming its exterior part is the vast south porch with an old round tower and the intricate Gothic baldaquin above the south gate.

Talking about the Albi Cathedral’s interior, the religious art dominate its walls, dome, and side chapels and there are no side aisles. The choir is in an elaborate screen, while the pillars hold a myriad of sculptures. The 15th century choir screen is worth noticing due to its skilled carvings and painted statues – 33 Old Testament figures, 15 New Testament figures including 12 apostles (the Virgin, John the Baptist, and St. Paul), 70 angels, and 2 emperors (Constantine and Charlemagne above the north and south entry). What makes them so unique and attractive is the fine sculpting with minute details leading to good expressions and look.

Among all the decorations, the most alluring one is the grand mural of The Last Judgment on the spherical west wall of the nave. It is an exemplary work piece of the Late Middle Ages split into vertical and horizontal sections: the Blessed on the left, the Ruined on the right, Heaven on the top, the Resurrection of the Dead below, and Hell at the bottom. Note that there is no portrayal of Christ in Majesty, which is common to other similar medieval depictions. Incorporating the theme of the Seven Deadly Sins (left to right) – Pride, Envy, Wrath, Greed, Gluttony, Lust, and Sloth; you can see the underworld with many horrible demons and suffering humans. Other murals on the walls of the nave are also well decorated and have been rebuilt often.

In the Albi Cathedral, the frescoes of the dome form the largest Italian work whose backdrop is the deep blue sky. All of them collectively exhibit many patterns, pastoral episodes, and prime figures and events of both the Testaments. Out of these, the two zones are devoted to St. Cecilia, the patroness.

I could spot a myriad of side chapels beneath the painted buttresses out of which one holds a polychrome copy of St. Cecilia’s body belonging to Santa Cecilia in Rome. One more that I should mention here is the Chapel of the Holy Cross towards the north. The most exciting feature of this edifice is that was holding a remnant of the True Cross, now destroyed. Doesn’t matter if you can see it, but you feel lucky to be at such sacred places!

The founder of the cross from Jerusalem is the Mother of the Emperor Constantine, St. Helena, both of whose stories are shown on the walls. Further, images of Cardinal John Joffrey and his nephews Helion and John are depicted kneeling with Jerome, Cecilia, and John the Evangelist respectively.