Architecture - Churches, Cathedrals

• The Alhambra, Grenada, Spain — multiple views of the building; dated 1338-1390. Open access provided free of cost by Columbia University.

• Saint Ambrogio, Milan, Italy — internal and external panoramic views provided free of cost by Columbia University.

• Amiens Cathedral, France
  • Interior and exterior still photos, drawings, computer graphics, and flash animation provided free of cost by Columbia University. Click thumbnails to view photos. https://mcid.mcah.columbia.edu/art-atlas/mapping-gothic/amiens-cathedrale-notre-dame
  • Extensive archive of still images provided with open access. http://www.romanes.org/Amiens//index.html

• Architecture and sculpture of medieval France. A wealth of photographic images of Gothic and Romanesque architecture, sculpture, and stained glass in France is available with open access at the University of Pittsburgh website in art history, courtesy of Alison Stones, who holds the copyright for use. The site is alphabetized by place name, it is searchable, and it also contains pictures for locations in medieval England. http://www.pitt.edu/~medart/menufrance/mainfran.html

• Assisi, Italy — Interior and exterior interactive, panoramic views of Church of Saint Francis of Assisi (San Francesco). Open access provided free of cost by Columbia University. Scroll to the right to view links to images.

• Autun, France — Cathédrale Saint-Lazare
  • 360 degree panoramas, texts, charts, and historical maps. Open access provided free of cost by Columbia University and Vassar College. https://mcid.mcah.columbia.edu/art-atlas/mapping-gothic/autun-cathedrale-saint-lazare
  • Still images provided free of cost by Romanes. http://www.romanes.com/Autun/

• Benedictine abbey church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine at Vézelay in Burgundy, France, is a magnificent achievement in the architecture and sculpture of the Romanesque period. It was a well-known site of pilgrimage because it was thought to hold the relics of Mary Magdalen. This website, also a subset of the art history home page at the University of Pittsburgh, offers open access to 81 images, with descriptions, and it is searchable. Copyright limitations apply. http://digital.library.pitt.edu/v/vezelay/

• Boeotia, Greece — Interior and exterior panoramic views of Hosios Lukas. Open access provided free of cost by Columbia University. Slide scroll bar to the right to view images.

• Bourges Cathedral
  • Interior and exterior panoramic views of the cathedral provided free of cost by Columbia University.
  • Still images available with open access by Romanes. http://www.romanes.org/Bourges//index.html

• Canterbury, England — a beautifully preserved monument to Gothic art and architecture. It was the major site of pilgrimage in Britain during the Middle Ages, and Chaucer made it the focus of The Canterbury Tales.
  • Interior and exterior interactive, panoramic views of the Canterbury Cathedral provided free of cost by Columbia University. Slide scroll bar to the right to view images.
  • Open access to all aspects of the Cathedral, including a virtual tour of the exterior and interior. http://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/visit/tour/

• Sainte-Chapelle, Paris
  • Interior panoramic views of the Royal Chapel. Open access provided free of cost by Columbia University.
  • Still images provided free of cost by Romanes. http://www.romanes.com/Paris/Sainte_Chapelle/

• Chartres: The Cathedral of Notre Dame is among the best preserved of the major French cathedrals, with extensive programs of sculpture and stained glass.
  • This website, a subset of the home page of art history at the University of Pittsburgh, offers open access to an archive of 3061 digital photographs of the Cathedral; descriptions of each image are included, and the database is searchable. Copyright restrictions apply. http://images.library.pitt.edu/c/chartres/
  • 360 degree panoramas, texts, charts, and historical maps. Open access provided free of cost by Columbia University and Vassar College. https://mcid.mcah.columbia.edu/art-atlas/mapping-gothic/chartres-cathedrale-notre-dame
  • Still images provided free of cost and with open access by Romanes. http://www.romanes.com/Chartres/

• Saint-Denis, Paris
  • A Village of the Middle Ages – topographical maps, 3D renderings, and a guided virtual tour provided free of cost and with open access.
  • 360 degree panoramas, texts, charts, and historical maps. Open access provided free of cost by Columbia University and Vassar College. https://mcid.mcah.columbia.edu/art-atlas/mapping-gothic/saint-denis-basilique
  • Still images available with open access on Romanes. http://www.romanes.com/Saint_Denis/

• Durham, UK
  • 360 degree panoramas, texts, charts, and historical maps. Open access provided free of cost by Columbia University and Vassar College. http://mappinggothic.org/building/2152
  • Interior and exterior panoramic views of the Durham Cathedral. Open access provided free of cost by Columbia University. Slide scroll bar to the right to view images.https://mcid.mcah.columbia.edu/art-atlas/mapping-gothic/durham-cathedral

• St. Etienne, Caen — 360 degree panoramas, texts, charts, and historical maps. Open access provided free of cost by Columbia University and Vassar College. https://mcid.mcah.columbia.edu/art-atlas/mapping-gothic/caen-eglise-saint-etienne-abbaye-aux-hommes

• Florence, Italy
  • Interior and exterior panoramic views of the Baptistery of Saint John (San Giovanni), Cathedral (Duomo), Santa Maria Novella, and Santa Croce; Open access provided free of cost by Columbia University. Slide scroll bar to the right. https://mcid.mcah.columbia.edu/collection/panoramas-world-architecture

• Gloucester Cathedral, UK
  • 360 degree panoramas, texts, charts, and historical maps. Open access provided free of cost by Columbia University and Vassar College. https://mcid.mcah.columbia.edu/art-atlas/mapping-gothic/gloucester-cathedral

• Gothic Architecture of France and England — database of images (including 360 panoramas), texts, charts, and historical maps includes Canterbury, Notre Dame, and Amiens. Open access provided free of cost by Columbia University and Vassar College. https://mcid.mcah.columbia.edu/art-atlas/mapping-gothic

• Istanbul, Turkey
  • Chora Monastery — still images; interactive, panoramic photos; a glossary; and 3D animations of the building’s interiors. Open access provided free of cost by Columbia University. http://www.columbia.edu/cu/wallach/exhibitions/Byzantium/html/building_icon.html
  • Hagia Sophia — 360 virtual tour https://www.openculture.com/2021/08/360-degree-virtual-tours-of-the-hagia-sophia.html
  • Interior and exterior panoramic views of Fethiye Camii, and Hagia Sophia, and Hosios Lukas among others. Slide scroll bar to the right to view menu of images.
  • Kariye Camii – interactive plan and 360 degree panoramic photos provided free of cost by Columbia University. 

• Notre Dame, Paris
  • 360 degree panoramas, texts, charts, and historical maps. Open access provided free of cost by Columbia University and Vassar College. https://mcid.mcah.columbia.edu/art-atlas/mapping-gothic/paris-cathedrale-notre-dame
  • Still photos provided free of cost by Romanes. http://www.romanes.com/Paris/Notre_Dame_de_Paris/

• Notre Dame, Poitiers — still views of exterior: http://www.medart.pitt.edu/menufrance/Poitiers/Notre-Dame-De-La-Grande/Poitiers-NDG-main.html

• Pisa, Italy — still photos of building exteriors provided without cost; open access. http://www.comune.pisa.it/museo/Iplug-in/index.html

• Ravenna, Italy — Interior and exterior panoramic views of architecture provided free of cost by Columbia University. Slide scroll bar to the right.
  • Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Orthodox Baptistry, Sant’Apollinare in Classe, Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, San Vitale, and Mauseoleum of Theodoric.
  • San Vitale and Mauseoleum of Theodoric.

• Romanes — still images from Romanesque to Gothic periods including Amiens, Sainte Chapelle, Saint Denis, and Notre Dame (Paris), and Chartres cathedrals. Open access provided free of cost. Searchable by region or building. http://www.romanes.com/

• Rome, Italy — Interior and exterior panoramic views of architecture provided free of cost by Columbia University. Slide scroll bar to the right.
  • Basilica of St. John Lateran, Santa Costanza, and Santa Sabina.
  • San Clemente and Santa Pressede.

• Romanesque Architecture of the Bourbonnais, France — still photos, architectural details, drawings, plans, measurements, and videos of Romanesque churches in the Bourbonnais region including Agonges and Saint-Hilaire. Open access provided by Columbia University. https://mcid.mcah.columbia.edu/collection/romanesque-churches-bourbonnais

• Salisbury, UK — interior and exterior panoramic views of the Salisbury Cathedral provided free of cost by Columbia University. Move cursor to the right to view building listings.

• San Marco, Venice, Italy — multiple panoramic views of the exterior and interior. Open access provided without cost by Columbia University.

• Scrovegni Chapel, Padua, Italy — Virtual Reality tour of the entire chapel interior.

• St. Sernin, Toulouse — 360 degree panoramas, texts, charts, and historical maps. Open access provided free of cost by Columbia University and Vassar College. https://mcid.mcah.columbia.edu/art-atlas/mapping-gothic/toulouse-basilique-saint-sernin

• Speyer, Germany — searchable Virtual Reality tour of the building interior and exterior. http://www.kaiserdom-virtuell.de/

• Saint-Urbain, Troyes, France — 360 degree panoramas, texts, charts, and historical maps. Open access provided free of cost by Columbia University and Vassar College. https://mcid.mcah.columbia.edu/art-atlas/mapping-gothic/troyes-basilique-saint-urbain

• Tournus, France — interior and exterior panoramic views of the Church of Saint Philibert provided free of cost by Columbia University. Move cursor to the right to view building listings.

• Vezelay, France — interior and exterior panoramic views of the Church of St. Madeleine provided free of cost by Columbia University. Move cursor to the right to view building listings.