List of longest church buildings
This article lists the longest church buildings in the world as measured by various criteria.
Scope[]
The term church is open to interpretation and debate. However, for the purposes of this article, it will be used to mean any building which was built for the primary purpose of Christian worship, for any recognised denomination of Christianity. This includes all cathedrals (the seat of a bishop), basilicas, and other types of churches. It does not include temples of other religions, e.g. mosques, synagogues. It does include at least one building, Hagia Sophia, which was built as a church but later became a mosque (and is now a museum).
List[]
External length in m | Internal length in m | Nave length in m | Width in m | Name | Completion | City | Country | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A (underground) | 262 | 89 | 18 | Basílica de la Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos | 1959 | Madrid | ![]() | |
211.5 | 186.36 | 91 | 150 | St. Peter's Basilica | 1506–1626 | Vatican City | ![]() |
694 ft |
195 | 150 | Yamoussoukro Basilica | 1990 | Yamoussoukro | ![]() |
|||
188.7[1] | 146 | 59 | 60 | Liverpool Cathedral | 1978 | Liverpool | ![]() |
The total external length, including Lady Chapel, is 188.7 m (619 ft). Its internal length is 146 m (480 ft). |
187[2] | ? | ? | ? | Cluny III | 1130 | Cluny | ![]() |
90% destroyed during the French Revolution |
183.18[3] | ? | 70 | 70.7 | Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York | 1892[4] (unfinished) | New York City | ![]() |
|
173[5] | 168[5] | ? | 168 | Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida | 1955– | Aparecida | ![]() |
|
170.1 | ? | ? | ? | Winchester Cathedral | 1079–c.1400 | Winchester | ![]() |
Longest medieval cathedral still intact |
167.8 | ? | 84 | 58.5 | St Albans Cathedral | c.1080–1200 | St Albans | ![]() |
|
165 | ? | 75 | ? | Ely Cathedral | c.1081–1189 | Ely | ![]() |
|
161.5 | 156 | ? | ? | Westminster Abbey | c.1065–1745 | London | ![]() |
|
160[6] | ? | ? | ? | Washington National Cathedral | 1990 | Washington, DC | ![]() |
|
158.50 | 148.50 | ? | 93 | Milan Cathedral | 1386–1965 | Milan | ![]() |
|
158.4 | ? | ? | ? | Canterbury Cathedral | 1077 | Canterbury | ![]() |
|
158.10 | ? | ? | 75 | St Paul's Cathedral | 1677–1708 | London | ![]() |
|
158[7] | ? | ? | 159 | York Minster | 1220–1472 | York | ![]() |
|
156.05 | ? | ? | ? | Lincoln Cathedral | 1311 | Lincoln | ![]() |
|
153 | ? | ? | 90 | Florence Cathedral | 1436 | Florence | ![]() |
|
150 | 131.66 | ? | 80 | Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls | c.600 | Rome | ![]() |
|
149.17 | 138.75 | ? | 90 | Reims Cathedral | 1211–1275 | Reims | ![]() |
|
147 | ? | ? | ? | Peterborough Cathedral | 1118–1237 | Peterborough | ![]() |
|
145[8] | ? | ? | 70 | Amiens Cathedral | c. 1300 | Amiens | ![]() |
|
144 | 136.86 | 60 | 61.6 | Rouen Cathedral | 1202 | Rouen | ![]() |
|
143[9] | ? | ? | ? | Durham Cathedral | 1133 | Durham | ![]() |
|
142 | ? | ? | ? | Marseille Cathedral | 1893 | Marseille | ![]() |
|
140.94 | ? | ? | 107.8 | Basilica of the Sacred Heart | 1970 | Koekelberg (Brussels) | ![]() |
|
140 | ? | ? | ? | Norwich Cathedral | 1096–1145 | Norwich | ![]() |
|
140 | ? | ? | 35 | Basilica of the National Vow | 1883–1924 | Quito | ![]() |
|
150 | ? | ? | 73 | Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception | 1919–1961 | Washington D.C. | ![]() |
|
139.0[10] | 120 | ? | 77.0[10] | Sanctuary of Our Lady of Licheń | 1994–2004 | Licheń Stary | ![]() |
|
138.69 | ? | ? | ? | Reims Cathedral | c. 1300 | Reims | ![]() |
|
134.94 | ? | 58 | 86.25 | Cologne Cathedral | 1248–1880 | Cologne | ![]() |
|
134.7[11] | ? | ? | ? | Salisbury Cathedral | 1258 | Salisbury | ![]() |
|
134 | ? | 48 | 67 | Tournai Cathedral | 1140–1255 | Tournai | ![]() |
|
134 | ? | ? | 43 | Speyer Cathedral | 1030–1858 | Speyer | ![]() |
|
132.54 | ? | ? | 66 | San Petronio | 1390–1658 | Bologna | ![]() |
|
132 | ? | 60 | 100 | Seville Cathedral | 1196 | Seville | ![]() |
|
130 | ? | ? | 46 | Chartres Cathedral | 1260 | Chartres | ![]() |
|
130 | ? | ? | 69 | Notre Dame Cathedral | 1345 | Paris | ![]() |
|
130 | ? | ? | ? | Gloucester Cathedral | 1089–1499 | Gloucester | ![]() |
|
127[12] | ? | ? | 67 | Basilica-Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar | 1681–1872 | Zaragoza | ![]() |
|
126.1 | 67.7 | People's Salvation Cathedral | 2010–present | Buchrest | Romania | |||
124 | ? | ? | 60 | St. Vitus Cathedral | 1344–1929 | Prague | ![]() |
|
123 | ? | ? | 49 | Sint Janskerk | c.1300 | Gouda | ![]() |
|
122 | ? | ? | 59 | Toledo Cathedral | c.1500 | Toledo | ![]() |
|
121.66 | ? | ? | 140 | Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran | 324–1735 | Rome | ![]() |
|
120.62 | ? | ? | ? | Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels | 2002 | Los Angeles | ![]() |
|
120 | ? | ? | ? | Cathedral of La Plata | 1990s | La Plata | ![]() |
|
119.55 | 110 | ? | 54.5 | Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral | 1813 | Mexico City | ![]() |
|
118.70 | ? | ? | ? | Uppsala Cathedral | 1431 | Uppsala | ![]() |
|
118.60 | 101 | ? | 75 | Cathedral of Our Lady | 1521 | Antwerp | ![]() |
|
118.50 | ? | ? | ? | Abbey of Santa Giustina | ? | Padua | ![]() |
|
118 | ? | ? | 49 | Esztergom Basilica | 1869 | Esztergom | ![]() |
|
118 | ? | ? | ? | Ferrara Cathedral | 1493 | Ferrara | ![]() |
|
116.7 | ? | ? | ? | Wells Cathedral | 1176–1490 | Wells | ![]() |
|
115[13] | ? | ? | 62 | St. John's Cathedral, 's-Hertogenbosch | 1380–1550 | 's-Hertogenbosch | ![]() |
|
114.76 | ? | ? | 65 | Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli | 1679 | Assisi | ![]() |
|
114.61 | 107 | ? | 33 | St Mary's Cathedral | 2000 | Sydney | ![]() |
|
114 | ? | ? | 73 | Berlin Cathedral | 1905 | Berlin | ![]() |
|
114 | ? | ? | 50 | Troyes Cathedral | 1905 | Troyes | ![]() |
|
113 | ? | ? | 40 | Cathedral of Mary Our Queen | 1959 | Baltimore | ![]() |
|
111.45 | ? | ? | 46 | Sao Paulo Cathedral | 1967 | Sao Paulo | ![]() |
|
111.2 | ? | ? | 97.6 | Saint Isaac's Cathedral | 1818–1858 | Saint Petersburg | ![]() |
|
111.2 | ? | ? | 62 | Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis | 1907–1914 | St. Louis | ![]() |
|
110.5 | ? | 85 | 40 | Santa Chiara (Naples) | 1310–1340 | Napoli | ![]() |
|
110 | ? | ? | 52 | Westminster Cathedral | 1903 | London | ![]() |
|
109.57 | ? | ? | ? | Hagia Sophia | 537 | Istanbul | ![]() |
|
107[14] | 97.6 | ? | 19 | Oliwa Cathedral | c. 1350 | Gdańsk | ![]() |
Longest Cistercian church in the world |
103.6[15] | ? | ? | 56.4 | St Patrick's Cathedral | 1858 | Melbourne | ![]() |
|
103.5 | ? | ? | 27 | Cathedral of the Holy Cross | 1875 | Boston | ![]() |
|
103.5 | ? | ? | 66 | Basilica of St Mary | 1496 | Gdańsk | ![]() |
|
102 | ? | ? | ? | Nidarosdomen | c. 1300 | Trondheim | ![]() |
|
101.19 | ? | ? | 53 | St. Patrick's Cathedral | 1878 | New York City | ![]() |
|
93 | ? | 67 | 51.8 | Aarhus Cathedral | 1300 | Aarhus | ![]() |
|
[16] 86.86 | ? | ? | 65.53 | Our Lady Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral | 1940 | Toledo | United States | Steel post and beam frame covered with seam faced granite and limestone accents. |
77.72[17] | 65 | 41 | 26 | All Saint's Cathedral | 1910 | Halifax | ![]() |
|
72[18] | 55[19] | Alexander Nevsky Cathedral | 1912 | Sofia | ![]() |
One of the largest Eastern Orthodox Cathedrals |
Note: this list is incomplete e.g. St. Mary's Cathedral, Sydney is 107 metres long (ref. St. Mary's Cathedral website). Portugal's Alcobaça Monastery is 106 metres long.
See also[]
- List of largest church buildings
- List of tallest churches
- List of highest church naves
- List of largest buildings
- List of the largest Protestant churches
References[]
- ^ "Cathedral – Liverpool Cathedral". Liverpoolcathedral.org.uk. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
- ^ "Maior Ecclesia – church, Cluny, France". Britannica.com. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ "Archived copy". www.stjohndivine.org. Archived from the original on 17 June 2004. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ The Cathedral Church of St John the Divine Tourist Brochure
- ^ a b "Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida (Aparecida, 1984)". Structurae.de. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 April 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Felipe Otondo. "SHAPING SOUNDS IN YORK MINSTER" (PDF). Doc.gold.ac.uk. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ "Amiens Cathedral – cathedral, Amiens, France". Britannica.com. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 21 December 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2008.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ a b "Sanktuarium Maryjne w Licheniu". Lichen.pl. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "La Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar". Goya.unizar.es. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ ""Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 September 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)" - ^ "Archikatedra w Gdańsku-Oliwie". Archikatedra w Gdańsku-Oliwie.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 March 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "The Catholic Diocese of Toledo". Toledodiocese.org. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
- ^ "Cathedral homepage". Cathedralchurchofallsaints.com. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ "15 Century Bulgaria Foundation (15 века БЪЛГАРИЯ) website, article with title Patriarchal cathedral stauropigial memorial church St. Alexander Nevsky (pdf in English)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
- ^ "15 Century Bulgaria Foundation (15 века БЪЛГАРИЯ) website, article with title Patriarchal cathedral stauropigial memorial church St. Alexander Nevsky (pdf in English)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
- Lists of churches
- Lists of construction records
- Christianity-related lists of superlatives
- Lists of largest buildings and structures