videos + essays
Durham Cathedral
Spiral columns, carved zig-zags, round arches—at Durham, the rhythmic Anglo-Norman Romanesque pulses with life.
The Colosseum
Gladiators, animal hunts, and executions: learn about the Colosseum, a monumental gift to the Roman people.
Museums and politics: the Louvre, Paris
Art museums and politics have a long and complex relationship; nowhere is this more apparent than the Louvre.
Medieval synagogues in Toledo, Spain
These eclectic buildings embody the close ties between Muslim, Jewish, and Christian cultures in medieval Spain.
Church of São Francisco de Assis, Ouro Preto, Brazil
Ouro Preto was a remote yet cosmopolitan town where gold supported both artists and architects.
The Meenakshi Temple at Madurai
This legendary complex draws thousands of visitors per day. Its bewildering spaces delight—and overwhelm—the eye.
Huis ten Bosch (House in the Woods)
Built for nobility and now home to royals, this palace has a checkered past. It held art, then political prisoners.
El Escorial, Spain
The severe exterior of this palace complex belies its highly decorative interior, once filled with art.
Christopher Wren, Saint Paul’s Cathedral
Like a phoenix, this church rose from the ashes. Wren’s enormous dome was the first of its kind in England.
The Basilica of San Clemente, Rome
Rome’s pagan and Christian pasts merge at San Clemente, where a mosaic advertises the power of the Western Church.
Altneushul, Prague
In the “Old New Synagogue,” desks surround a Torah plaform. Text outweighs image—only plants ornament the space.
Temple of Athena Nike on the Athenian Acropolis
Don’t overlook this stunning, little temple, often called the pearl of the Acropolis.
