7 Biggest Churches in the World

A church is a building which serves the Christianity worship and meeting. Before we discuss about the biggest churches in the world, we know that the term of Church it self actually has a wide interpretations. There are some synonyms to the word of Church, such as cathedral, basilica, and chapel. But those words do not totally have the same meaning. Besides caused by the history of Christian religion, the size of those church buildings usually became the major reason for the differences of addressing. So before we determine the biggest churches in the world, simply and basically, we can conclude that  the church is a general place of worship for the Christian religion. And it is included the cathedral, basilica, and chapel. While in determining the biggest churches in the world basically we measure it from its largeness included area, volume, length, or width. Now, here are 7 biggest churches in the world.

1. St. Peter’s Basilica, Italy

St. Peter’s Basilica or Church of St. Peter is regarded as the biggest church in the world. The St. Peter’s Basilica has 220 meters length and 150 meters wide, or more than 20,000 square meters area . This church also has the tallest dome in the world with its 137 meters total  height measured from the floor to the top of the external cross. The St. Peter’s Basilica can hold up to 80,000 people within the Vatican Basilica and in St. Peter’s Square. The great church which located in the Vatican City, Rome, Italy, is the center of Christianity. This place also regarded as one of the holiest Catholic sites

2. Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil

Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida is a large Roman Catholic church located in Aparecida, Brazil. The church has up to 170 meters length and 168 meters wide. The highest point of this church can reach 100 meters height. The Basilica capacity can hold more than 50,000 people. This church is basically dedicated to the Our Lady of Aparecida (a variant of the Immaculate Conception). Our Lady of Aparecida regarded as the Patron Saint of Brazil, and this church is the place where many Brazilians pray for her every day.

3. Cathedral of Seville, Spain

Cathedral of Seville or also known as the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See is one of the famous building and architecture in Andalusia, Spain. With its 135 meters length and 100 meters wide (or up to 124,000 square feet area) it is the third-biggest church in the world. The Cathedral of Seville was built in Gothic style from 1402-1511. Its Gothic style very popular and became the largest Gothic cathedral on earth. This Roman Catholic Church exactly located in Seville, Southern part of Spain. The Cathedral of Seville firstly was built to demonstrate the city’s wealth. In 1987 this church was registered by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. One thing that popularizes this church is the burial site of Christopher Columbus which regarded to be in it.

4. Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, United States

Cathedral of Saint John the Divine is one of the biggest churches in the world. The Cathedral of Saint John  is the largest Anglican church and regarded as the fourth-biggest Christian church in the world. It has a length of 183 meters and height of 70 meters. Inside of the church there are  37.8 meters height of the nave.  The church which located at 1047 Amsterdam Avenue, New York City, United States, has nicknamed St. John the Unfinished. It caused due to the construction and restoration efforts since a large fire in 2001 unfinished to this day.

5. Milan Cathedral, Italy

Milan Cathedral, or “Duomo di Milano” in Italian, is a Gothic cathedral  located in Milan, Italy. This cathedral church is fifth biggest church in the world. The Roman Catholic church has area 157 meters long and 92 meters wide, and its tallest spire reaches a height of 108 meters. It took six centuries to complete this cathedral (1386-1965).

6. Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń, Poland

Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń is a Roman Catholic church located in Lichen Stary, Poland. The church which the construction was funded by pilgrims’ donations has the nave 120 meters long and 77 meters wide. Its tower reaches 141 meters high. It make the Basilica of Our Lady of Lichen as the largest church in Poland and sixth biggest in the world.

7. Liverpool Cathedral, United Kingdom

Liverpool Cathedral is a big church in Liverpool, England, UK. The cathedral was built on St. James Mount with total internal length 146 meters and external length 189 meters . It is the largest in the United Kingdom and seventh biggest in the world. The cathedral  also has a big tower with its is 331 feet high. This Gothic Revival cathedral was built in 1904 and finished about 1978.