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St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City
On the bones of St. Peter, tradition holds, the world's largest church took shape in the hands of Italy's great Renaissance and baroque artists. Bernini created the altar's towering bronze baldachin, along with much of the basilica's breathtaking decoration. The travertine-stone cathedral—mother church to all Roman Catholics—can hold 50,000 worshipers.

Cathedrals

See pictures of cathedrals (including Notre Dame, St. Peter's Basilica, Washington National Cathedral, and more) in this travel photo gallery from National Geographic.

Published December 28, 2009