Metropolitan Cathedral, Mexico City

 The  Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven   is the largest  cathedral  in the  Americas ,  and seat of the  Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico .  It is situated atop the former  Aztec  sacred precinct near the  Templo Mayor  on the northern side of the  Plaza de la Constitución  in Downtown Mexico City. The cathedral was built in sections from 1573 to 1813 around the original church that was constructed soon after the  Spanish conquest  of  Tenochtitlan , eventually replacing it entirely. Spanish architect  Claudio de Arciniega  planned the construction, drawing inspiration from  Gothic  cathedrals in Spain.

St. Charles borromeo cathedral, St. Ettiene, France

The Cathedral of Saint Charles Borromeo is a Roman Catholic cathedral church in Saint-Étienne, France. It has been the seat of the Bishop of Saint-Étienne since the foundation of the diocese on 26 December 1970. The church, dedicated to Saint Charles Borromeo, was constructed between 1912 and 1923 in a primitive neo-Gothic style, on a Latin cross ground plan with transept and triple nave, and a belltower on the west front. The building is 80 metres (260 ft) long, 30 metres (98 ft) wide and 17 metres (56 ft) from the centre of the roof vault to the ground. The organ in the choir dates from 1930, and there is another very imposing one by A. Durand from 1968. The building was however an excessively ambitious one right from the start, and remains unfinished: it was intended that there should be another three belltowers and a dome, besides quantities of external and internal decoration presently lacking.

This card is one of my first stamped postcards received in 2001.

Rouen Cathedral, France

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Rouen Cathedral is a Roman Catholic Gothic cathedral in Rouen, in northwestern France. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Rouen and Normandy. A church was already present at the location in late 4th century, and eventually a cathedral was established in Rouen as inPoitiers. It was enlarged by St. Ouen in 650, and visited by Charlemagne in 769.

Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral, Helsinki, Finland

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Uspenski Cathedral  is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral in Helsinki, Finland, dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos (the Virgin Mary). Its name comes from the Old Church Slavonic word uspenie, which denotes the Dormition. Designed by the Russian architect Aleksey Gornostayev (1808–1862). The cathedral was built after his death in 1862–1868.

The crypt chapel of the cathedral is named after the holy Alexander Hotovitzky, who served as vicar of the Orthodox parish of Helsinki 1914–1917.

The Cathedral is set upon a hillside on the Katajanokka peninsula overlooking the city. On the back of the cathedral, there is a plaque commemorating Russian Emperor Alexander II, who was the sovereign of the Grand Duchy of Finland during the cathedral's construction. Main cathedral of the Finnish Orthodox Church in the diocese of Helsinki, Uspenski Cathedral is claimed to be the largest orthodox church in Western Europe.

Brazil nice architectures

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1. Catedral de Petrópolis or Catedral de São Pedro de Alcântara (St. Peter of Alcantara Cathedral) is located in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The church has Imperial mausoleum which has the remains of Former Emperor D. Pedro II, Empress Teresa Cristina, Princess Imperial Isabel and Prince Gaston, Count of Eu, in addition to the tombs of Prince Pedro de Alcântara and his wife Countess Elisabeth Dobržensky de Dobrženicz, were brought here in 1939. The tomb was made in marble in 1925. The construction began in 1884 and was completed in 1925, with the Tower being built in 1969.

2.  The Museu Imperial de Petrópolis is a museum situated in the historic center of Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is housed in the former summer palace of the emperor, Pedro II (1831-1889), built in 1845.

The museum includes the palace itself and a temporary exhibition hall dedicated to contemporary art. It is one of the most visited museums in the country.

3. The Palácio Quitandinha is a historic former luxury resort hotel in Petrópolis, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The former hotel rooms are currently privately owned condominiums, while the hotel's lavish public areas, considered among the masterpieces of famed American designer Dorothy Draper, have been recently restored.

St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Grodno, Belarus

 St. Francis Xavier Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Grodno, Belarus. Originally a Jesuit church, it became a cathedral in 1991, when the new diocese of Grodno was erected.

The construction of the church started in 1687. The completed building in Baroque style was consecrated in 1705 to St. Francis Xavier. The monastery was dissolved in 1773 and the church became a parish one. The church survived the second world war with no serious damage.

In 1960 it was officially closed for a public religious services (for 27 years). The communist authorities tried to convert the building into a museum or a concert hall. Despite this the people attended the church every Sunday for a common player, songs and rosary. The religious services were restored in 1987. In 1990 the church was granted the title of minor basilica, and a year later it became a cathedral for a diocese of Grodno.

Torcello Cathedral, Venice, Italy

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta) is a basilica church on the island of Torcello,Venice, northern Italy. It is a notable example of Venetian-Byzantine architecture, one of the most ancient religious edifices in the Veneto, and containing the earliest mosaics in the area of Venice.

Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas, St. Petersburg, Russia

St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral (Никольский морской собор, Nikolskiy morskoy sobor) is a major Baroque Orthodox cathedral in the western part of Central Saint Petersburg. It has always been closely associated with the Russian Navy, serving as its main shrine until the Russian Revolution.

In the upper church there are numerous memorial plaques for the crews of the sunken Soviet submarines, including K-278 Komsomolets. The crew of the submarine K-141 Kursk has also been commemorated there.

Durham Cathedral, Netherlands

The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, usually known as Durham Cathedral and home of the Shrine of St Cuthbert, is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England, the seat of theAnglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093. The cathedral is regarded as one of the finest examples of Norman architecture and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Sitealong with nearby Durham Castle, which faces it across Palace Green.

The present cathedral replaced the 10th century "White Church", built as part of a monastic foundation to house the shrine of Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne. The treasures of Durham Cathedral include relics of St Cuthbert, the head of St Oswald of Northumbria and the remains of the Venerable Bede. In addition, its Library contains one of the most complete sets of early printed books in England, the pre-Dissolution monastic accounts, and three copies of the Magna Carta.

Durham Cathedral occupies a strategic position on a promontory high above the River Wear. From 1080 until the 19th century the bishopric enjoyed the powers of a Bishop Palatine, having military as well as religious leadership and power. Durham Castle was built as the residence for the Bishop of Durham. The seat of the Bishop of Durham is the fourth most significant in the Church of England hierarchy, and he stands at the right hand of the monarch at coronations. Signposts for the modern day County Durham are subtitled "Land of the Prince Bishops."