World's Most Famous Churches from the Sky

New contributor Flyage brings us this marvelous Christmastime drone video from the Eternal City of Rome, Italy.  The "star" of the video is the world's largest and most famous church: St. Peters Basilica.  Formally known as Papal Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican, it's located in the small enclave on the west side of the Tiber River known as Vatican City.  Believed to be the burial site of St. Peter, the Renaissance style church was completed in 1626 following a construction period of over a century.  

Here's a stunning aerial tour of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, created by top AirVuz contributor Freeway Prod.  The footage was captured shortly before the landmark was badly damaged in a fire which broke out on April 15, 2019.  The fire, which occurred while the church was undergoing renovation, destroyed its main spire.  Considered one of the world's 2-3 most famous churches and immortalized in Victor Hugo's 1831 classic the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Notre-Dame de Paris (as it's formally called) is currently being restored.  

The Alexander Nevsky Church in Sofia, Bulgaria is one of the largest Eastern Orthodox churches in the world.  Construction began in 1882 but wasn't completed until 1912.  The cathedral holds up to 10k people. Contributor Mariqllz used a DJI drone to create this amazing aerial view of the cathedral, which is the largest tourist attraction in the country.  It was built in memorial to the soldiers killed in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-78, a conflict which freed Bulgaria from Ottoman rule.

Contributor otis72@virgilio.it uploaded this marvelous nighttime drone video of Milan's great Cathedral (Duomo) and the adjacent public square (Piazza).  Completed in the early 19th century after more than 500 years of construction, it's the largest church in Italy proper (which excludes Vatican City) and the third-largest in Europe.  Dedicated to the Nativity of Mary, the Duomo was the subject of Mark Twain's classic 1869 travel book, Innocents Abroad; it was later similarly featured in Henry James' travel book Italian Hours (1909)

AirVuz contributor pioandreaperi brings us this stunning drone video of one of the world's most famous churches: the Florence Cathedral in Florence, Italy.  Construction of the great edifice began in 1296 and wasn't completed for 140 years.  The church is the centerpiece of the Piazza del Duomo complex, one of the top tourist attractions in the Tuscany region and indeed in all of Europe.  The video includes shots of the other famous buildings in the complex, including Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistery of St. John, and more.  

For a longer aerial tour of the great Catalan city Barcelona, this video by contributor and pilot Martigen is for you.  It features extensive aerial footage of the city's Basilica otherwise known as Sagrada Familia, one of the most well known churches in the world despite being unfinished.  Construction on this masterpiece began in 1882, but for various reasons (including the Spanish Civil War) it is only now nearing completion, at which point it will be Europe's tallest religious structure.  

Top contributor and pilot Raf Neo used a DJI Mavic Pro drone to create this stunning tour of the highlights of the Hungarian capital city of Budapest.  The video opens and closes with spectacular shots of the St. Stephens Basilica, Hungary's greatest cultural treasure, which lies on the Pest (eastern) side of the Danube.  It is named after the first Hungarian king who ruled during the 10th and 11th centuries and is credited with converting his people to Christianity.  The great landmark was completed in 1905 on the site of an old theater.  

The Supreme Parish and Collegiate Church in Berlin,  aka the Berliner Dom, is one of the most recognized sites in the German capital city.  It was built in 1905, when Berlin was at the peak of its Pre-World War I imperial splendor under Kaiser Wilhelm II.  In this video, top content creator and pilot Raf Neo used a DJI MAvic Pro drone to create an aerial tour of this amazing structure in the Museum Island area of the city, which was in the Western sector and surrounded by the Berlin Wall for decades during the Cold War.

The Austrian capital city of Vienna is known in part for its Baroque architecture.  It's no surprise then that in this Catholic country, some of the most prominent Baroque style buildings in the city are churches.  In this drone video by contributor W. Obreder, you'll get a bird's eye view of one of the most famous of these churches:  Rektoratskirche.  Also known as St. Charles Church, the landmark was commissioned in 1713 by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI.  It was completed over two decades later, in 1737.

One of the important distinctions between Ukrainian and Russian cultures is religion; whereas Russia is primarily Eastern Orthodox, Ukraine is predominantly Catholic.  Not surprisingly, the cathedrals which dot the Ukrainian capital city of Kiev are some of its most prominent landmarks.  In this video, contributor Alp Karagulle uses a drone to give us an aerial tour of the Cathedrals of Kiev, including the magnificent Saint Sophia's Cathedral. It's considered one of the great churches of Eastern Europe.

Contributor and pilot Yekalay used a DJI Mavic Pro drone to create this aerial tour of Cologne, the most populous city in Germany's Rhineland region and the home of one of the world's most famous cathedrals.  The city is situated on the middle Rhine River in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, between Dusseldorf and Bonn .  With its massive industrial base, Cologne was one of the biggest targets of Allied bombing in World War II; the Cathedral was hit 14 times and required extensive postwar repair.

The UK's Winchester Cathedral is one of the world's most famous churches.  Situated in its namesake city in County Hampshire in southern England, the great church was originally founded in the 7th century AD.  The current structure, located just south of its predecessor, dates to the late 11th century - a few decades after the Norman Conquest.  One of the largest churches of Europe and the longest of any Gothic style structure, it was used to film the Da Vinci Code (2006).  Check it out from above in this drone video by jrowland.  

CHDTNBN created this beautiful drone video of the Cathédrale Sainte-Marie-Majeure, one of the most well known landmarks in the French city of Marseille.  It was constructed in the mid-19th century, on the ruins of a church on the same site which had dated to the 12th century.  The port city of Marseille is the capital of the Bouches-du-Rhône district.  It is the second largest city proper in France, and the largest in the southern part of the country; as a metropolitan area, it's the third-largest after Paris and Lyon. 

Budapest's two most famous churches are located on opposite sides of the Danube River: St. Stephens Basilica on the Pest (eastern) side and the Matthias Church on the western (Buda) side.  In this excellent piece by tom g bp, you'll get a great aerial view of the Matthias Church, formally known as the Church of the Assumption of the Buda Castle.  The Gothic style landmark dates to the 14th century, built on the site of an earlier Romanesque style church.  It's located in Holy Trinity Square, in the heart of the city's Castle District. 

For an awesome one minute tour of the Central European cultural gem known as Prague, check out this incredible drone video by top content creator and pilot JustinPoore.  THe video starts with a shot looking over the Charles River along the Charles Bridge.  As you look over the river, you'll see the mighty hilltop Prague Castle in the background.  From there it's on to the Old Town, and some epic views of the St. Vitus Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece and one of the most famous churches in the world.  

Check out this stunning drone video of the "other" famous church of Paris, France, compliments of top AirVuz contributor and pilot thedronalist.   Sacré-Cœur (also known as Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris) is located atop Montmarte hill in the 18th arrondissemente.  Built in part to create national unity in the years following the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1 and the subsequent Paris Commune, the cathedral was completed in 1914, on the eve of another Franco-Prussian conflict which became known as World War I. 

Regensburg is the fourth largest city in Bavaria, Germany's southernmost state.  It's most prominent landmark is the Regensburg Cathedral, a 16th century structure in the old city center on the Danube River.  The cathedral escaped serious damage from a famous (and ultimately unsuccessful) Allied strategic bombing raid on Regensburg's aircraft factory in August, 1943, during the height of World War II.   Contributor Minglam created this amazing drone video of the architectural marvel.

The Philippines is home to one of the world's largest populations of practicing Catholics.  It's not surprising then that the Manila Cathedral is one of the top sights on the island of Luzon if not the entire country.  The current structure was completed in 1958 on a site that had been used for seven previous cathedrals in the country's capital (and largest) city.  It's located in the Intramuros (walled city) of old Manila.  In this video, contributor and drone pilot Ventronics captured the beautiful church by drone.  

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the world's largest church is the structure you'll see in this excellent drone video by AirVuz contributor Alexparfix: the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in the West African nation of the Ivory Coast.  It's located in the city of Yamoussoukro, the de jure national capital, near the center of the country.  Completed in 1989 and inspired by the Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican City, the church covers an incredible 320k square ft. (30 k square m) and reaches a height of 518 ft. (158 m).    

Contributor Reinis Vilnus created this beautiful one-shot video of one of the most well-known churches in Eastern Europe. It's the St. Peter's Church in the Latvian capital of Riga.  While it's a Lutheran Church, its construction pre-dates the Reformation.  Originally built in the 13th century, the church was destroyed in 1941 during the early days of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion by Nazi Germany of the (then) USSR.  It was meticulously reconstructed after the war, a process which took decades to complete.   

Contributor andrew_stapanov created this beautiful whirlwhind aerial tour of the Kazbegi region of the Caucasus republic of Georgia.  Situated on the nortern slopes of the great Caucasus Mountain range, it's part of Mtskheta-Mtianeti, one of the country's nine official regions, which covers a north-central portion of the country.  The video has some excellent footage of the Gergeti Trinity Church beginning at about :35; built in the 14th century, it's considered one of the world's most famous churches.  

If you find yourself adventuring through the southwest canyon in Colombia where the Guitara River flows below,  and happen upon the basilica known as, Las Lajas Sanctuary — brace yourself for complete awe. Contributor la.drones shares stunning aerial footage of this architectural wonder in its natural habitat in this drone video.  It was inspired by two women who saw an image of the Virgin in 1754, but wasn't completed for 200 years.  It is considered one of the finest churches in the world. 

The Dubrovnik Cathedral is one of the best-known sites in Dubrovnik, the highly photogenic city on Croatia's Dalmatian Coast.  As seen here in this drone video by Minglam, the present church structure was completed in the early 17th century.  The Dubrovnik Cathedral is distinguished by statues of St. Blaise which are built into the spaces between the four columns of the facade.  The distinctive design was the product of some of the most famous architects in Italy, who were hired for the project.  

Salisbury Cathedral appears near the top of many of the most authoritative lists of the world's most famous churches.  It's located in the town of the same name in Wiltshire County in Southwest England.  Built in the 13th century, its spire stands 123 meters (just over 400 ft.) above the Salisbury Plain, the tallest church in the United Kingdom.  The cathedral houses one of the four surviving copies of the Magna Carta.  Heitor Pereira used a DJI Spark drone to bring us this aerial view of the famous cathedral.  

Contributor dronostia used a DJI Mavic Pro 2 to create this beautiful aerial of a famous church in Northwestern Spain.  It's the San Sebastián Cathedral, and it's located in the city of the same name in the Basque semi-autonomous region.  With a design inspired by the Cathedral of Cologne (Germany), the church was consecrated in 1897 and upgraded to cathedral status in the 1950's.  San Sebastián Cathedral is considered one of the biggest cultural attractions in Basque Country.  

St. Andrews Church is one of the most important in Kiev, a city known in part for its churches and monasteries.  It was constructed atop a prominent hill in the middle of the 18th century.  The church commemorates St. Andrew, who is alleged to have visited the site of the city on the Dneiper River in the first century AD.  It continued to hold services even during the worst period of Stalinist religious repression in the 1930's.  Today the church is considered one of the top 2-3 tourist spots in the city.  

The Basilica di Superga is an important church near the city of Turin, the capital of Italy's (northern) Piedmont region.  The church was built in the early 18th century, in connection with the defeat by France in the Battle of Turin during the conflict known as the Wars of the Spanish Succession.  The church is the final resting place for many members of the House of Savoy, one of the great royal lines of Europe.  Get a great bird's eye view of this beautiful baroque-style church in this drone video.  

One of the most spectacular sights on the northern Malta island of Gozo is the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta' Pinu.  The basilica and adjacent shrine is situated on a hill overlooking the town of Gharb, on the northwestern coast of Malta's second (northern) main island.  Considered one of Malta's great cultural treasurers, the basiica was the site of a mass celebration by Pope John Paul II in 1990.  The church was consecrated in 1932 on the site of an earlier structure.  

Fade2Gray created this beautiful drone video of St. Patricks Cathedral in Melbourne, one of the most important Catholic churches in Australia.  Designed in the 1850's, the church took decades to build, and although substantially completed it was delayed by the depression which hit Australia in the 1890's.  Finally completed in 1939, it was one of the two largest Catholic churches substantially completed in the 19th century, the other being the great church of the same name in New York City.

The Church of St. Sava in Belgrade, Serbia is one of the most important cultural landmarks in this Southeast European nation and one of the largest Eastern Orthodox churches in the world.  Dedicated to St. Sava, it is built on the presumed grave of the father of the Serbian branch of Eastern Orthodoxy.  Commissioned in the interwar years when Belgrade was part of Yugoslavia, its construction was interrupted by World War II and only completed in 1984.  Check it out from above in this drone video by AirVuz contributor sphereview.

Contributor and pilot Princehamlet created this beautiful drone video of Notre-Dame de la Garde, one of the most well-known landmarks in the southern French city of Marseille.  Built on a rocky outcrop, it has a commanding view of the country's second-largest city (third largest metro area).  The cathedral was consecrated in 1864 but not finished for another decade.  The cathedral is the site of an Assumption Day pilgrimage, and is believed to be the most-visited site in this Mediterranean port city.    

Contributor Peu Ribeiro created this beautiful drone video of the most famous church in the city of Salvador, capital of Brazil's state of Bahia.  The Colina Sagrada do Bonfirm, which dates to the 18th century, is situated on the Itapagipe Peninsula of Brazil's fourth largest city.   The church is the site of the Festa do Senhor do Bonfim, an annual festival held every festival and one of considerable importance to the population of this overwhelmingly Catholic city in Brazil's fourth most populous state. 

Here's a great aerial view of one of the more well-known churches of Lisbon, Portugal, compliments of contributor and drone pilot flyingbydaniel.  It's the Royal Basilica and Convent of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (Basilica Estrela), and it's located on the Ave. Infante Santa, just west of the São Bento Palace.  Completed in the late 18th century, its design reflects a blend of baroque and neoclassical styles.  It was the world's first church dedicated to the Church of the Sacred Heart devotion.

One of the most prominent sights in Ecuador's "sky high" capital city of Quito is the twin-spired Basilica del Voto Nacional.  Situated in the city's old town, the cathedral was built in the late 1800's to commemorate Ecuador's adherence to the Roman Catholic Sacred Heart Devotion.  Content creator and pilot Drones_Creativity_ec created this epic drone video of this great cultural landmark, the largest Neo-Gothic basilica in the Western Hemisphere and one of the world's most well known churches.

Check out this stunning drone videos from one of the most iconic sites in eastern Turkey, compliments of contributor and pilot Spyd7r.  It's a 10th century Armenian church called the Holy Cross Cathedral.  It's situated on Akdamar, one of the islands of Lake Van, Turkey's largest lake.  For nearly eight centuries, it was the seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the national church of the Armenian people.  It fell into disuse after World War I but was "rediscovered" in the 1950's and extensively restored.  

New contributor AfioNick brings us this drone video of the most famous church in Barcelona, Spain: the still-uncompleted Sagrada Familia.  Situated in the Eixample District near the center of the city, construction on the great structure began in 1882.  Funded with donations, construction was interrupted by several design changes, the Spanish Civil War, and technical issues associated with the extreme complexity of the design.  While the church was consecrated in 2010, it's not expected to be finished until the late 2020's.   

In this drone video by Obendrohne, you'll get a bird's eye view of one of the top attractions of the Croatian city of Rovinj: its Church of St. Euphemia.  This Baroque masterpiece was completed in 1736 and is the most recognizable landmark in the town, a cultural gem on the western side of the Istria Peninsula in the northern part of the country.  Its bell tower is about 75 years older than the current church structure and was designed to resemble the even more famous St. Mark's Basilica in Venice. 

Top contributor hopenorway created this magnificent drone video of a well known cathedral in Central Norway.  Trondheim's Nidaros Cathedral pre-dates the Reformation - it was built during the Middle Ages, completed around 1300.  Today, it's considered the most important church in the Church of Norway, which is a branch of Lutheranism.  The structure was built on the burial site of King Olav II, the country's patron saint, and historically has been the coronotion site for the kings and queens of Norway.  

Here is a bird's eye view of a prominent church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, compliments of gopherdrone.  The Basilica of St. Mary is situated just west of the city's central downtown area.  In 1926, Pope Pius XI granted the church basilica status, making it the first minor basilica in the USA (there are roughly 1,750 minor basilicas in the world today; the four major basilicas are all in Rome).   The Minneapolis basilica is also the site of a large two-day music festival every summer to benefit the landmark.  

Esztergom is a small but historically and culturally important city in northern Hungary, northwest of Budapest.  Despite its modest size, the city played a prominent role in Hungarian history, at one point serving as the proto-nation's capital.  The cathedral at the center of the city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church in Hungary.  Contributor Miklos uses a drone to treat us to this beautiful aerial view of the Szeged cathedral and the rest of this ancient city, one of the country's top tourist destinations.  

Check out this amazing drone video of one of the most important remaining stave churches.  These wooden churches with their post and lintel architecture were once common throughout northern Europe.  Given their wood construction, very few stave churches remain standing, and most that do are in Norway.  Heddal Stage Church, the subject of this video by contributor Karlzen, is the largest remaining state church in Norway.  It is situated in Heddal in Telemark County in the southeastern part of the country.  

The Rock of Cashel is one of the most recognized cultural sites in all of Ireland.  It is closely associated with what was perhaps the seminal event of Irish history: the conversion by St. Patrick of the King of Munster to Christianity in the 5th century AD.  The building ruins remaining on the ancient site include a tower, a chapel and a cathedral.  In this excellent aerial video, contributor and pilot Ashville Aerial gives us a drone tour of this Antiquity-age site in County Tipperary in southeast Ireland.

Top contributor Minglam created this beautiful drone video of a very famous church in the Southeast European country Croatia.  It's called the Cathedral of St. Dominus, and it's in the city of Split, the country's second-largest city as well as its principal port.  The church dates to the 4th century AD, near the very dawn of Christianity (it was consecrated in the 7th century).  It's considered the oldest church in the world that remains in use and hasn't undergone any fundamental structural change.  

AirVuz contributor and drone pilot Ludoweet created this stunning video of Pilgrimage Church in the Czech Republic.  Formally known as Pilgrimage Church of St John of Nepomuk, it is situated at the edge of Žďár nad Sázavou, near the historical border between the regions of Moravia and Bohemia in the central part of the country.  He used a DJI Phantom 4 Professional drone to create a magnificent bird's eye view of this landmark, which has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage cultural site.  

Bagrati Cathedral is one of the great cultural landmarks of Georgia, the small Caucasus Region republic.  Seen in this excellent drone video by new contributor Giorgi Chiaberashvili, the cathedral is located in Kutaisi, Georgia's third-largest city and considered by many to be the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the world.  Bagrati Cathedral was mostly built over the course of the 11th century.  It was heavily damaged during an explosion which occurred in the course of an Ottoman invasion.  Its restoration began in the 1950's. 

Content creator and pilot Travel Penguin created this beautiful drone video of the Rotunda of Mosta, one of the most famous churches on the Mediterranean island of Malta.  The church is located in a town of the same name in the north-central part of the island.  Built on the site of an earlier structure, the neoclassical design is based on the Pantheon in Rome.  Once one of the world's largest domes, it was nearly destroyed in World War II, when a German bomb crashed through the dome during Mass but failed to detonate.  

Check out this drone video of one of the most well known landmarks in Montreal, Canada, compliments of contributor Shawn Partenza.  Saint Joseph's Oratory is what is known as a minor basilica, of which there are about 1,750 around the world (the four major basilicas are all in Rome).  Situated on one of the three peaks of Mont Royal (the mini-mountain which overlooks the city), the Oratory is the largest church in Canada.  Construction of this masterpiece took four decades; it wasn't completed until 1967.

The Varna Cathedral is one of the most well-known churches in Bulgaria, a country known in part for its famous churches. Formally known as Dormition of the Mother of God Cathedral, it's the largest church in Varna (Bulgaria's #3 city) and the third-largest church in Bulgaria.  Completed in 1886, the Eastern Orthodox church was modeled after the temple in St. Petersburg's Peterhof Palace complex.  Seen here in this excellent drone video by nikolov_kn, it's one of the top attractions in this Black Sea port city.  

Check out this drone video of the world's tallest church as of year-end 2019.  It's called the Ulm Minster, and it's located in the medieval town of Ulm in the southwest German state of Baden-Württemberg.  Now a Lutheran church, its construction began in 1377 - roughly a century before the birth of Martin Luther.  Its spire, reachable via 768 steps, stands 143 meters tall (469 ft.).  Pending the completion of Barcelona's Sagrada Familia, that makes this landmark the tallest church on the planet.  

For a first upload to AirVuz, brand-new contributor davdjurko brings us this fantastic drone video from the city of Košice, Slovakia.  Košice is the second-largest city in this small Central European country, and the largest in its eastern half.   Shot with a DJI Mavic Air 2 drone, the "star" of the show is the city's most prominent landmark: the St. Elisabeth Cathedral.  Slovakia's largest church, the Gothic style cathedral was built starting in the late 14th century on the site of an earlier rendition.  

Check out this excellent drone video of one of the largest churches in Hungary, a country known in part for its churches.  It's the twin-spired Votive Church and Cathedral of Our Lady of Hungary, and it's located in Szeged, Hungary's third-largest city and the largest in the southern part of the country.  Construction of the church began in 1913, on the eve of the First World War, but was interrupted by the war and wasn't completed until 1930.  Situated in Szeged's Dóm Square, it's the fourth-largest church in the country.

Here's a nice aerial view of a famous church in northern Israel, compliments of contributor AirWorks.  It's the Church of the Transfiguration, and it's located on Mt. Tabor in the Lower Galilee region.  The current structure was built in the 1920's, on the site of a Byzantine church from the Antiquity and a later Crusader church built during the Middle Ages.  The significance of the site is, literally, Biblical: it's believed to be the location of the Transfiguration of Christ described in the Gospels.  

Check out these stunning 4k drone views of the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans, Louisiana, compliments of Bumble Bee Productions.  Located adjacent to Jackson Square in the French Quarter, the church is the oldest US cathedral in continuous use.  Standing on the site of two earlier churches, the cathedral was completed in 1794, when the city and the territory of Louisiana were still part of the French Empire.  Modified extensively in the mid-19th century, St. Louis Cathedral received Pope Paul VI in 1964 and Pope John Paul II in 1987.

The town of Ikskile lies in the center of the Baltic republic of Latvia on the Daugava River, one of the country's principal waterways.  The most important historical and cultural landmark in the town is the Church of St. Meinhard, which was constructed in the 12th century.  In this video, contributor Jurgis Kreilis give us an aerial tour of the structure, which now sits on an island which was created by the reservoir of a hydroelectric plant constructed several decades ago during the Soviet era.  

Former Drone Video of the Week Finalist timoksanen brings us this excellent aerial video of Turku Cathedral, generally considered the most important religious landmark in this Scandinavian country.  Originally built in the 13th century, the church was heavily modified later in the medieval period.  Heavily damaged in the Great Fire of Turku, which destroyed much of the city in 1827, it took on its current form in the restoration which followed the fire.  It is the "mother church" of the  Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.  

Contributor obzibusz created this beautiful 4k drone video of two important landmarks in Southeastern England: the castle and cathedral of Rochester on the River Medway in County Kent.  The former is one of the most important Norman castles.  It dates to the late 11th century, and its 12th century stone tower is one of Europe's best-preserved.  The cathedral here is the seat of the Bishopric of Rochester, the second-oldest bishopric after Canterbury.  It too was constructed in the first few decades after the Norman invasion of 1066. 

Check out this drone video of a well-known Bulgarian church, compliments contributor Memories Catcher.  It's the Shipka Memorial Church in its namesake town, located on the south slopes of the Balkan Mountains in the Stara Zagora Province.  The Bulgarian Orthodox church, which was designed in the 17th century Muscovite style, was built much later - at the turn of the 20th century.  Built to commemorate the Bulgarian-Russian victory over the Ottoman Empire in 1877-78, the church's bell weighs over 11k kg (about 12 tons).  

The Salt Lake Temple is one of the great cultural sites of the US Rocky Mountain Region.  It's the largest church in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), commonly known as the Mormon Church.  It's located in Salt Lake City, the capital and largest city in the state of Utah.  The church covers a massive area of 23.5k square meters (around 253k square ft.).  It was dedicated in 1893, following a 40 year construction period; the site itself was marked by none other than LDS prophet Brigham Young.  

Check out the giant Cathedral of St. Paul, Minnesota in this fantastic 30 second drone video by AirVuz contributor iosefa03.  The church stands atop a hill just west of downtown St. Paul, the "sister city" to Minneapolis.  Dedicated to the city's namesake St. Paul the Apostle, the church is distinguished in part by its copper-clad dome.  Along with the Basilica of Minneapolis, it is the co-Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Minneapolis and St. Paul.  Consecrated in 1958, it's one of the largest and well-known Catholic churches in the USA.  

The commune of Rocamadour is home to one of the most iconic sights of Southern France.  Seen here in this amazing drone video by top contributor NGreyTravels, it's a church complex built into the side of a wall of a gorge on the Alzou River gorge in the Lot Department.  Its centerpiece is the Church of Notre Dame, which dates to the late 15th century.  The complex's raison d'être is a wooden icon of the Black Madonna believed to have been carved by St. Amator, which turned it into a pilgrimage destination in the Middle Ages.

AirVuz contributor and pilot Mischa Haubold brings us this excellent drone view of Meissen Cathedral, a famous church in Northern Germany.  It's located atop a hill in the town of Meissen, which lies about 15 mi. (25 km) northwest of Dresden on the Elbe River in the state of Saxony.  The current Gothic-style church was completed in the early 15th century, construction having started 150 years earlier.  Originally a Catholic church, it's now the cathedral church of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Saxony.

Check out this excellent drone video of an important Roman Catholic church in Southeastern England, compliments of AirVuz contributor and pilot bji123456.  The subject of the video is the Arundel Cathedral, which is located in its namesake town in the County of East Sussex.  Designed in the French Gothic style and consecrated in 1873, the great church is the seat of the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton.  The cathedral is closely tied to the Howards, the most prominent Roman Catholic family in the English Peerage.  

Spain's Church of the True Cross (Iglesia de la Vera Cruz) is one of the country's most famous.  Seen here in this drone video by niropter, it's located in the city of Segovia, about 95 km (about 60) northwest of Madrid.  Once attributed to the Knights Templar, it's now believed that the church was the work of a different medieval military-religious order: the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre.  Built in the Romanesque style, the church later came under the control of the Knights Hospitaller aka the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.  

Contributor and pilot Ridinhigh used a drone to capture one of the most important landmarks in Puerta Vallarta Mexico.  The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe (La Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe) is one of the oldest and largest churches in this beachside city in the state of Jalisco.  It is situated in the city's "old town", and is one of the most prominent landmarks.  The church is distinguished by its wrought iron crown, which was patterned off of a crown worn by the then-Empress of Mexico.  

Get a bird's eye view of one of the most famous churches of Rio de Janeiro, compliments of Esteban Clua.  It's the Candelária Church, and it lies in the Centro district of Brazil's second-largest city.  Construction of the church began in the late 18th century but it took just over 100 years to complete.  In part because of the long construction period, the church's design reflects a blend of Baroque, Neoclassical, and Neo-Renaissance styles. The church was the site of an infamous massacre of eight homeless people in 1993.  

Talented contributor Marco Miele brings us this excellent drone video of a famous church on the outskirts of Bologna, Italy.  It's called the Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca, and it's situated on Monte della Guardia, about 300 meters (around 1k ft.) above the capital city of the Emilia-Romagna region of north-central Italy.  The church was built in the early 18th century on the hill, located just a few mi./km southwest of central Bologna.  The hill has been topped by a church more or less continuously for over a thousand years.  

Former Drone Video of the Week Winner smakozawr brings us this excellent drone video of the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Kiev, Ukraine.  It's the second-oldest Roman Catholic church in the city, the majority of whose residents are adherents to branches of Eastern Orthodoxy.  Located in the Pecherskyi District in the heart of the city, the church dates to the turn of the 20th century.  The church was closed during much of the Soviet period, when religious adherents of all stripes were subject to varying levels of persecution.  

New AirVuz contributor santos_ch brings us this excellent drone video of one of Switzerland's most famous churches.  The Grossmünster is located in Zürich, the largest city of the Swiss Confederation.  Situated on the banks of the Limmat River (which flows out of the northern end of Lake Zürich) the Grossmünster is part of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Zürich.  The current structure dates to the 13th century, on the site of an earlier church which dates to the time of Charlemagne.  

The Basilica da Penha is a major landmark of the Brazilian city of Recife.  Seen in this excellent drone video by AirVuz contributor and pilot godronnerecife, the church belongs to the religious order known as the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin.  The church was completed in 1882, having been constructed on the site of an earlier version which dated to the 17th century.  The basilica underwent a major restoration beginning in 2007, and was re-inaugurated in 2014.  Recife is the capital city of the norteastern state of Pernambucu.

Check out this drone video of a famous Russian Orthodox church in the Central Asian republic of Kazakhstan, compliments of contributor Banshchikov.  It's called the Ascension Cathedral (also known as the Zenkov Cathedral), and it's located in Almaty, the country's largest city and one-time capital.  Located in Panfilov Park, on the eastern side of the city, the church was completed in 1907, when Kazakhstan was still part of the Russian Empire.  Standing just over 180 ft. tall (56 m), it's one of the world's tallest wooden buildings.  

AirVuz contributor dslr50mm brings us this excellent drone video of Wells Cathedral, one of the UK's most famous churches.  Part of the Anglican Church, it's located in its namesake town in Somerset, one of the counties of South West England.  The original structure was built as a Catholic church in the late 1100's, centuries before England's conversion to Protestantism.  It is sometimes considered the first fully Gothic design, representing a complete break with the Romanesque architecture which had previously been dominant.  

St. Peter's Cathedral is an important church in Adelaide, the capital of the state of South Australia.  Seen in this drone video by contributor NATURE BY DRONE, the church is the seat of the Archbishop of Adelaide.  It's situated just north of the center of the city, across the River Torrens.  While the first part of the Gothic Revival style church was consecrated in 1878, its external structure wasn't completed until 1904.  It is considered one of the most notable architectural landmarks in Adelaide, Australia's fifth-largest city.    

Check out this excellent drone video of one of the USA's largest churches, compliments of AirVuz contributor cubanfly.  It's the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, and it's located in Newark, New Jersey.  Construction of the great structure began in 1898 but was halted after several years due to a design problem.  Re-designed in the French Gothic style, construction resumed in 1913, although it wasn't completed until the late 1920's and wasn't actually dedicated until 1954.  It's the fifth-largest cathedral in North America.  

For a first upload to AirVuz, new contributor scuervo.ramiro brings us this excellent drone video of Spain's Cuenca Cathedral, one of the country's most well-known Gothic-style churches.  It's located in its namesake city, the capital of one of the provinces of the Castilla–La Mancha region in the center of the country.  The main structure mostly dates to the 13th century, although the church was extensively renovated in the 16th and 17th centuries.  In the early 20th century, it was renovated again following a collapse of the main tower.  

The Oliwa Cathedral is a famous church in northern Poland.  Seen in this excellent drone video by contributor Adrian Krupczynski, it's located in the Oliwa District of Gdańsk, the country's main port on the Baltic Sea.  Built in the late 1500's on the site of a 12th century monastery, the church took much of its current form with the addition of a Baroque style portal (opening) in the late 1600's.  The video also features some nice footage of the park and buildings surrounding the church, which was elevated to an archcathedral in 1992.  

Former Drone Video of the Week Winner Alta Movie srl brings us this fantastic single-sequence drone shot of a famous church in the Tuscany region of Italy.  The church is the San Biagio, and it's located just outside of the hill town of Montepulciano in the province of Siena in southern Tuscany, about 75 mi (around 120 km) southeast of Florence.  The church was constructed in the Greek Renaissance style in the first half of the 16th century.  The video was shot with a DJI Mavic Pro 2 drone. 

Lincoln Cathedral is one of the most well-known churches in the English Midlands region of the UK.  Seen here in this air/ground video by top AirVuz contributor seb-depp, the cathedral is located in its namesake town in Lincolnshire, one of the counties of the East Midlands region.  Construction of the Gothic style landmark began in 1072, shortly after the Norman Conquest.  The building's initial spire, completed in 1311, was 520 ft. (160 m) and may have been the tallest in the world at the time; the spire collapsed in 1548. 

Contributor EYEINTHESKYDRONE4K brings us this rare aerial video of a famous church in Scotland called Rosslyn Chapel.  It's located in the village of Roslin, just south of Edinburgh in the Lowland county of Midlothian.  Founded in the 15th century, it was closed to worship for centuries following the Scottish Reformation, re-opening as a Scottish Episcopal Church in the 19th century.  Connected to the Knights Templar, it was featured in the novel the Da Vinci Code and was used to film the 2006 movie adaptation of Dan Brown's blockbuster.  

Take in these excellent drone views of the seaport city of Cartagena, Colombia, compliments of new contributor and pilot theandron07.  The focus of the video is the Iglesia de San Pedro Claver, one of the city's most famous churches.  Located in its namesake plaza in the old city surrounding the original harbor, the Spanish Colonial style church was built between 1580 and 1654.  However, its dome was of much more recent (and non-Colonial) construction, having been built in 1921 and replacing an earlier Colonial style dome.  

AirVuz contributor Michael Haubold brings us this stunning drone video of the Old Town of Dresden, Germany. The video focuses on the city's two famous churches.  First up is the Lutheran Frauenkirche, which has one of the largest domes in Europe.  At the :47 mark, you'll head to the nearby Dresden Cathedral (Hofkirche), the city's principal Catholic church; in a continuous shot, you'll slide east past the church over the Schloßplatz city square.  At 1:45, you'll see the Frauenkirche again from the south, with the Elbe River behind it.  

AirVuz contributor supilotfly brings us this outstanding drone video of Morelia Cathedral, a famous church in Central Mexico.  The Baroque-style landmark is located in the heart of its namesake city, the capital of the State of Michoacán.  Built in the Baroque style, the church was completed in 1744, following a construction period over eight decades.  The seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Morelia, it's one of the centerpieces of the historic city center of Morelia, which has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.    

Check out this marvelous drone tour of the churches of Venice, Italy, compliments of contributor alvisex@gmail.  At the :20 mark, there's a great shot of the St Mark's Campanile bell tower in Piazza San Marco, the city's main public square, along the Grand Canal.  This is followed by some incredible shots of the St. Mark's Basilica, the city's most famous church, which lies on the eastern end of the Piazza.  Other highlights include a great shot of the San Giorgio Maggiore Church at 1:15 and the Santa Maria della Salute Church at 1:45.

Check out these fantastic sunset drone views of Zurich, Switzerland, compliments of Esteban Castle.  Switzerland's largest city, Zurich is located on the Limmat River where it empties into the northern end of Lake Zurich, in the north-central part of the country.  The video features excellent footage of three of the city's famous churches, in order of appearance: (1) St. Peter Church in Lindenhof, parts of which date to the 13th century; (2) Predigerkirche, distinguished by its tall green Gothic tower; and (3) the twin-spired Grossmünster.

Top content creator free prod used a "cinewhoop" style first person view (FPV) drone to create this incredible aerial tour of the inside of the great Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France.  The video was created with footage captured in the course of working on a show about the church's restoration for French TV.  One of France's most well-recognized sites, the church was severely damaged by a fire which broke out on April 15, 2019.  Full reconstruction is expected to take decades to complete.