Catholic Art and Architecture

Art gives form to the truth of reality and bears a certain likeness to God's activity in what he has created. (CCC 2501) The Catholic Church has always been a great patron of the arts.  It has enabled the creation of great works like Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, Ghiberti's golden baptistery doors, the Giotto's murals of St. Francis.  Even in the "dark ages" it was the Church that made possible the building of the European cathedrals and the painting of illuminated manuscripts. 

Explore the connection between beauty, holiness, and art. Learn why churches are full of symbolic art and why icons are not properly referred to as paintings.  Discover why beautiful churches still matter and every thing else about the legacy of art and architecture in the Catholic Church.