Parish Deacon

Cathedral Basilica of St Louis

St. Louis, Missouri USA

'Lift the people up to God'

Baldacchino at
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
Photographer: Unknown1

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, also known as the Saint Louis Cathedral or the New Cathedral, is named for Saint Louis IX, King of France.

Mosaic at Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
Artist: Hildreth Meière
Photograph by Fred Barnes2

Arches at Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
Photographer: Unknown3

In 1896, St. Louis architect George Barnett and his son, George D. Barnett, submitted the winning sketches for the new cathedral. The design called for a predominantly Byzantine interior of marble and mosaics within a Romanesque outer structure characterized by an imposing central dome. The architectural hybrid borrows from Sancta Sophia temple in Constantinople, Saint Stephen's in Vienna, Saint Mark's in Venice, and Saint Peter's in Rome. Building began in 1906.

Mosaic at Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
Photograph by Mary Reardon4

Mosaic at Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
Photograph by Mark Scott Abeln,5

Mosaic at Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
Artist: Hildreth Meière6

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Exterior View
(edited: perspecive adjustment)
Artist: Unknown7

Ordinations at Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
(edited: perspecive adjustment)
Artist: Jerry Naunheim8

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Altar View
(edited: perspecive adjustment)
Photographer Unknown:9

Architectural Summary

Architects:

Mosaics:

Date:

Style:

Thomas P. Barnett

Tiffany Studios - August Oetken

Bldg: 1912, Mosaics: 1988

Baroque

Baldacchino at Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
(edited: perspecive adjustment)
Photograph by Jeff Geerling10

Pope John Paull II bestowed the "basilica" designation during his historic visit to St. Louis in January of 1999 in recognition of its artistic preeminence and historical significance.

Cathedral Dome at Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
From Flickr, Photograph by Barbara Murphy11

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Exterior View
Photograph by Kevin Labianco12

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Interior View
(edited: perspecive adjustment)
Artist: Unknown13

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
Our Lady's Chapel
(edited: perspecive adjustment)
Photographer: Unknown14

The cathedral's collection of mosaics, in sheer surface area, 83,000 square feet, is unequaled in the world. The creation of 20 different artists, the installation began in 1912 and was completed in 1988. More than 41 million pieces of glass in nearly 8,000 shades of color were used to complete the strikingly beautiful mosaics that depict scenes from Judeo-Christian history from creation to the last judgment.

Mosaic at Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
Artist: Hildreth Meière15

The central dome, with variegated shades of green tile, rises 217 feet into the Saint Louis skyline. "While the Gothic … appears to lift the people up to God, the Roman style or the Byzantine … endeavors to bring God down to earth. … He lives with us," said Archbishop John J. Glennon, the archbishop at the time building began.1,2,3

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
Photographer: Thomas Hawk16

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Interior View
(edited: perspecive adjustment)
Photographer: Unknown17

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
Interior contains 80,000 square feet of mosaic tiles
Photograph by Eric Anderson18

References

Images

See Tabs: (Resources / Website / Image Resources) for common image sources.