Prime Matters

Guido of Arezzo solidified and improved musical notation, allowing for the sight-reading and rapid spread of music.

Home to the relics of the Magi, the Cologne Cathedral - whose construction lasted for 632 years - has drawn pilgrims since its cornerstone was placed in 1248.

Michelangelo's Pietà captures a serene moment of surrender, as the Virgin Mary cradles the body of her crucified son in her lap.

A century ago, the people of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, actively entrusted their city and nation to Christ, manifesting his invisible kingship in a now-iconic statue.

Giotto's "Miracle of the Crucifix" captures the intimate moment of St. Francis of Assisi's vocational call before the crucifix of San Damiano Chapel.

Da Vinci portrays a youthful Baptist, leaning into the light to invite the viewer's gaze to heaven.

The Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, standing in the location of the house of the beloved third-century virgin martyr, shows forth the vast centuries of Church history.

Pilgrims have ascended Mount Tabor in southern Galilee for centuries to venerate the place where Peter, James, and John witnessed the Transfiguration of Christ.

Covered in nearly 65,000 square feet of glass mosaics, the interior of the Cathedral of Monreale immerses pilgrims in the story of the Bible in dazzling gold.

In "The Transfiguration," Raphael interweaves the glory of Christ made manifest in the Transfiguration, the suffering of humanity shown in a young demoniac, and the intercessory role of the Church.