List of largest church buildings in the world

This article lists the largest church buildings in the world as measured by various criteria.

Contents

Scope

The term church is open to interpretation and debate. In this article, it means any building that was built for the primary purpose of Christian worship, for any recognised denomination of Christianity. This includes every cathedral (the seat of a bishop), basilica, and other type of church. It does not include temples of other religions, such as mosques, synagogues, and so on. It does include at least one building, Hagia Sophia, that was built as a church and later became a mosque (it is now a museum).

Measurements

Whilst claims are made about the relative size of churches many of these claims are not easily substantiated. "Largest" is at best a vague term, which is often not qualified by claimants. Accepted measures of largeness could include area, volume, length, width, height, and capacity (although the latter is far more subjective). It is important to note therefore that churches may claim to be "the largest" based on only one of these measurements; and thus that there may be several churches that have equal claim to be the "nth largest church". Since there is no official body governing these claims, there is no generally accepted criterion for being "the largest church".

The lists below attempt to rank churches by different (more-or-less) objective criteria, and thus may generate different orders depending on the measure used. Churches for which claims are made but dimensions cannot be found are not included on the below lists.

For length, width and height, there is usually a definitive statistic for each church, which can easily be compared. However, for area and volume, the situation is often more complex. It is often possible to find multiple values quoted for the area/volume of a church in references. Many values appear to be estimates or approximations (especially for volume), or may have been calculated by multiplying lengths, widths and heights. In the latter case, the exact dimensions used (internal vs. external, etc.) may give very different figures. Therefore, although area and volume are the most common 'largeness' measures, they are also apt to be the least reliable. This should be borne in mind when comparing church sizes.

By area

Area in m² Gross volume in m³ Name Completion City Country Denomination Comment
20,139[1] (interior 15,160 [1][2]) 1,200,000[3] St. Peter's Basilica 1506–1626 Vatican City Vatican City Roman Catholic Area can be verified on a plan printed as 205% size in 1:1000 scale to match a 41.47 m dome internal diameter
>12,000 1,200,000[4] Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida 1955 Aparecida Brazil Roman Catholic Dimensions of the church given as 173m x 168m,[5] yielding a maximum area of 29,000 m². If the volume is indeed similar to St. Peter's, as quoted (see above), then an area nearer that of St. Peter's would be likely.
11,520[6] >500,000 Seville Cathedral 1520 Seville Spain Roman Catholic
11,200[3] 480,000[7] Cathedral of Saint John the Divine unfinished New York United States Episcopalian (Anglican) Unfinished, lacking transepts among other components.
10,186[8] 440,000 Milan Cathedral 1386–1965 Milan Italy Roman Catholic According to Touring Club Italiano, 11,700 m².[9] Old source says 8,406 m².[2]
10,090 300 000[10] Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń 1994–2004 Licheń Stary Poland Roman Catholic 9240 m² – enclosed main floor incl. transept and apse, 290 m² – enclosed tower floor, 560 m² – open tower and gallery floor (530 m² – porticos excluded); 23,000 m² – total area incl. main, ground & other floors.[10]
9,687[11] TK Liverpool Cathedral 1978 Liverpool United Kingdom Church of England (Anglican) Largest Anglican cathedral and church in Europe
8,700[12] 130,000 Church of the Most Holy Trinity 2007 Fátima Portugal Roman Catholic Area given as 12,000m² in [4]
8,318[13] TK Basilica-Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar 1681–1872 Zaragoza Spain Roman Catholic
8,162[14] 170 000[14] Cathedral of Saint Sava 2003 Belgrade Serbia Orthodox By volume the biggest Orthodox Church in the world[14]
>8,000 TK Basilica of the Sacred Heart 1970 Koekelberg (Brussels) Belgium Roman Catholic
>8,000 TK Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe 1974–1976 Mexico City Mexico Roman Catholic The basilica has a circular base. Dimensions given as 102 meter in diameter, yielding an area of 8,167 m²[15]
c.8,000[16] TK Cathedral of Our Lady 1352–1521 Antwerp Belgium Roman Catholic
c.8,000 TK Basilica of Our Lady of Peace 1989 Yamoussoukro Ivory Coast Roman Catholic Enclosed area – just under the dome 90 m in diameter[17] (also, see images) – c. 8,000 m²; not included open space surrounded by colonnade of 30,000 m²[18]
7,920 TK San Petronio 1390–1658 Bologna Italy Roman Catholic
7,914 407,000[19] Cologne Cathedral 1248–1880 Cologne Germany Roman Catholic Gross volume without buttresses.
7,875[2] TK St Paul's Cathedral 1677–1708 London United Kingdom Church of England (Anglican)
7,712[20] TK Washington National Cathedral 1907–1990 Washington, DC United States Episcopalian (Anglican)
7,700[21] 200,000 (interior only) Amiens Cathedral predates 1218 Amiens France Roman Catholic Gross volume slightly below 400,000 per similarity in size and structure to Cologne Cathedral
7,400 TK Hagia Sophia 537 Istanbul Turkey State church of the Roman Empire Once the largest church in the world, now a museum
7,097[22] TK Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception 1919–1961 Washington D.C. United States Roman Catholic The largest Catholic church in the United States

By volume

Area in m² Gross volume in m³ Name Completion City Country Denomination Comment
20,139[1] (interior 15,160 [2]) 1,200,000 [3] St. Peter's Basilica 1506–1626 Vatican City Vatican City Roman Catholic
>12,000 1,200,000 [4] Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida 1955- Aparecida Brazil Roman Catholic Dimensions of the church given as 173m x 168m,[5] yielding a maximum area of 29,000 m². If the volume is similar to St. Peter's, as quoted (see above), then an area nearer that of St. Peter's would be likely.
c.8,000 c. 1,000,000 Basilica of Our Lady of Peace 1989 Yamoussoukro Ivory Coast Roman Catholic Enclosed area – just under the dome 90 m in diameter [17] (also, see images) – c. 8,000 m². At 149 m high – including 60 m for the dome [17] – enclosed volume is c. 1,000,000 m³
11,520 [6] >500,000? Cathedral of Seville 1520 Seville Spain Roman Catholic Allegedly, the largest church in the world,[23][24] but only at an unlikely Seville's average height nearly twice of St. Peter's given that St. Peter's area is nearly twice of Seville's; volume above 500,000 m³ at a side nave height much greater than of Cologne's
11,200 [3] 480,000 [25] Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York unfinished New York United States Episcopalian (Anglican) Unfinished, lacking transepts among other components.
10,186 440,000[26] Milan Cathedral 1386–1965 Milan Italy Roman Catholic
7,914 407,000 [19] Cologne Cathedral 1248–1880 Cologne Germany Roman Catholic Gross volume without buttresses.
7,700 [21] <400,000 (200,000 interior only) Amiens Cathedral predates 1218 Amiens France Roman Catholic Gross volume slightly below 400,000 per similarity in size and structure to Cologne Cathedral
10,090 300 000 [10] Sanctuary of Our Lady of Licheń 1994–2004 Licheń Stary Poland Roman Catholic
8,162[14] 170 000[14] Cathedral of Saint Sava unfinished Belgrade Serbia Orthodox By volume the biggest Orthodox Church in the world[14]
TK 140,000 [27] York Minster 1220–1472 York United Kingdom Church of England (Anglican)
8,700 [12] 130,000 Church of the Most Holy Trinity 2007 Fátima Portugal Roman Catholic
9,687[11] TK Liverpool Cathedral 1978 Liverpool United Kingdom Church of England (Anglican) Largest Anglican cathedral and church in Europe
8,318[13] TK Basilica-Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar 1681–1872 Zaragoza Spain Roman Catholic
>8,000 TK Basilica of the Sacred Heart 1970 Koekelberg (Brussels) Belgium Roman Catholic
c.8,000 [16] TK Cathedral of Our Lady 1352–1521 Antwerp Belgium Roman Catholic
7,920 TK San Petronio 1390–1658 Bologna Italy Roman Catholic
7,875 [2] TK St Paul's Cathedral 1677–1708 London United Kingdom Church of England (Anglican)
7,712 [20] TK Washington National Cathedral 1990 Washington, DC United States Episcopalian (Anglican)
7,400 TK Hagia Sophia 537 Istanbul Turkey State church of the Roman Empire Once the largest church in the world, now a museum
7,097 [22] TK Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception 1919–1961 Washington D.C. United States Roman Catholic The largest Catholic church in the United States

By height

Main article: List of tallest churches in the world

By length

Main article: List of longest church buildings in the world

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c http://www.saintpetersbasilica.org/Interior/Nave/Nave.htm#largest
  2. ^ a b c d e  "Basilica of St. Peter". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. 
  3. ^ a b c d Ellis, Edward Robb. The Epic of New York City: A Narrative History pg. 413
  4. ^ a b c http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article2641435.ece
  5. ^ a b http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?id=s0036351
  6. ^ a b http://www.andalucia.com/cities/seville/cathedral.htm
  7. ^ Ellis, Edward Robb Edgewood Apartments pg. 413
  8. ^ Paved surface of the cathedral according to the City Planning Assessor. "Corriere della sera", 3 April 2011.
  9. ^ And third largest after St. Peter and Cathedral of Seville. "Milano", Touring Club Italiano, Milano, 1985. ISBN 8836500048. Page 130.
  10. ^ a b c http://www.lichen.pl/index.php?t=page&dzial=1&sekcja=3&id=10
  11. ^ a b http://www.liverpoolcathedral.org.uk/about/cathedral.aspx
  12. ^ a b http://paginas.fe.up.pt/~carvalho/icsv10f.pdf
  13. ^ a b http://goya.unizar.es/InfoGoya/Aragon/Em_Pilar.html
  14. ^ a b c d e f http://www.hramsvetogsave.com/Hram/ser/Izgradnja/Arhitektura.htm
  15. ^ http://www.virgendeguadalupe.org.mx/santuario/basilicanue.htm
  16. ^ a b http://www.dekathedraal.be/en/weetjes.htm
  17. ^ a b c http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=ourladyofpeaceyamoussoukro-yamoussoukro-ivorycoast
  18. ^ http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1240318,00.html
  19. ^ a b http://www.anicursor.com/dom.html
  20. ^ a b http://www.cathedral.org/cathedral/discover/archpage0.shtml
  21. ^ a b http://en.structurae.de/
  22. ^ a b http://www.nationalshrine.com/site/pp.asp?c=etITK6OTG&b=130927
  23. ^ http://www.sacred-destinations.com/spain/seville-cathedral.htm
  24. ^ The rough guide to Spain Baskett S., Ellingham M., Fisher J., Alcock R.
  25. ^ Ellis, Edward Robb The Epic of New York City: A Narrative History pg. 413
  26. ^ Total volume; net internal volume 280,000 m³. Giulia Benati, Il Duomo di Milano: dizionario storico artistico e religioso, NED, 2001.
  27. ^ http://doc.gold.ac.uk/~map01ra/dmrn/events/dmrn06/papers/otondo2006shaping.pdf