The largest cathedral in the world - Basilica of Our Lady of Peace

Our article already puts you on the African continent, in particular Côte d'Ivoire, where Yamoussokro is the largest cathedral in the world. The name of this beautiful building - Basilica of Our Lady of Peace. This cathedral is remarkable in that it is located in Africa, where less than 20 percent of Christians. Structures of this kind are typical for Europe soon. The second thing that draws attention to the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace - the fact that this cathedral is listed in the list of the highest churches Planet, as well as, as I said, was higher, it is the largest cathedrals in the world.




Surely you have the impression that the building was built long ago, you'd be surprised, but the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace was built in 1989, the year!



Felix Boigny - President of Côte d'Ivoire, who chose the place for the construction of the basilica, as well as the new capital of the country. Boigny wanted to perpetuate his own name, for that he wanted to build the biggest church on the Planet. Moreover, for this purpose, he placed his image, which has been implemented as a stained-glass window with stained near the image of Christ and the apostles ...



With regard to the Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix, then it was built in the period 1985-1989 gg. By the way, the construction of the basilica was spent over $ 300 million! The largest cathedral in the world built on the image and likeness of the Roman Basilica of Saint Peter. As a result, Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in size significantly surpassed Roman cathedral.

In August 1985, was laid the first stone, and in September 1990 the church was consecrated by Pope John Paul II.



It is worth noting that, like the church in Rome, yamasukorskaya basil is not formally a cathedral, but everyone calls her so. And here in the neighborhood, just located the Cathedral of St. Augustine, which is the main temple of the city, there is the Bishop of the Diocese.

At the time, the basilica is the cause of great international controversy. And all because of a luxury building, richly lined with marble from Italy, was built in the heart of a poor African village, where most of the population lives below the poverty line. You'll be surprised, but the construction of the basilica and was the reason that the debt of Côte d'Ivoire has become twice as old! But the bulk of the population Yamoussokro it does not bother people, literally, are proud of this church.

The peculiarity of the largest cathedral in the world is also more and that he is much greater than the area of ​​the temple in the Vatican, in fact, as in height, but its interior space could accommodate only 18,000 people, despite the fact that St. Peter holds many times more the number of visitors.

This Basilica is incorrect beautiful and majestic, she is faced with expensive Italian marble, it is equipped with more than 7,000 square meters of gorgeous stained glass imported from France. In the immediate vicinity are two absolutely identical buildings, one of them is a private papal villa and the other serves as the home for the priest. As for the papal forks, its retained specifically for the papal visit, but he visited this cathedral only once.



Conditions Personal participation in the consecration of the church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix, John Paul II called the construction of a modern hospital in the vicinity of the church. Naturally, he was given the promises, as a result of the pontiff personally laid near the church on the first stone of the future hospital. Alas, this stone there is now, as you understand, build a hospital so no one started ...