Discover historic churches around the world
Stories, insights, and news about churches
With thousands of pipes, multiple keyboards, and the ability to fill the largest cathedral with sound, the pipe organ is the most complex musical instrument ever built. Here's how they work and where to hear the finest examples.
Beneath the floors of many churches lies a hidden world of burial chambers, ossuaries, and underground chapels. These subterranean spaces hold some of the most fascinating - and occasionally unsettling - stories in church history.
A great medieval church could take over a century to complete. Without modern machinery, builders achieved feats of engineering that still astonish. Here's how they raised stone to the heavens with muscle, ingenuity, and faith.
Ever stood before a church and wondered whether it's Romanesque or Gothic? Learn to tell the difference at a glance - from rounded arches to flying buttresses - with our practical guide to the two great styles of European church building.
For centuries, church bells did far more than mark the hours. They warned of danger, celebrated victories, mourned the dead, and communicated messages across miles. Here's how to decode their hidden language.
For over a thousand years, pilgrims have walked hundreds of miles to reach sacred churches. From Santiago de Compostela to Canterbury, these routes and their magnificent churches shaped European culture, architecture, and the very concept of travel.
Every element of a church - from its orientation to its gargoyles - carries symbolic meaning. Once you learn to read these hidden messages, every church visit becomes a treasure hunt of meaning and discovery.
Those colorful windows aren't just pretty - they're stories written in glass. Here's how to decode the medieval art form that turns sunlight into scripture.
The bells are ringing, the doors are open, and we're ready to welcome you. Step inside the Church Index blog - no collection plate required.