What Are the Origins of Cathedrals and Chapels?

Apse mosaic in the San Vitale Basilica, in Ravenna, Italy. The UNESCO World heritage site was built in A.D. 547. CC BY-SA 4.0

Cathedrals and chapels have played vital roles in the development of Christian culture.

As a scholar of the Bible, Judaism, and Christianity, I have come to learn the historic importance of these structures and the pivotal role they play in the practice of many Christians’ faith.

Early Christian Architecture

Cathedrals and chapels not only provide a space for worship, but they are also vessels for the display of religious iconography and art.