From outside, the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis is a majestic Romanesque Revival landmark on Lindell Boulevard. From inside, it is a miracle of patience: the largest collection of mosaic art in the Western Hemisphere, some 83,000 square feet of glass tesserae — 41.5 million pieces in 7,000 colors — covering domes, arches and chapels in shimmering Byzantine splendor.
Construction of the cathedral began in 1907 and it was consecrated in 1914; the mosaics, installed by generations of artisans including the Ravenna Mosaic Company, were not completed until 1988. Pope John Paul II raised it to a basilica in 1997, and a museum beneath the church displays the tools and cartoons of the mosaicists.
Guided tours run most days after morning Mass; even a quiet ten minutes in the nave is unforgettable.
The Cathedral Basilica is at 4431 Lindell Boulevard. Tour information at cathedralstl.org.
