Books about Basilica from Amazon.com

In this dramatic journey through religious and artistic history, R. A. Scotti traces the defining event of a glorious epoch: the building of St. Peter’s Basilica. Begun by the ferociously ambitious Pope Julius II in 1506, the endeavor would span two tumultuous centuries, challenge the greatest Renaissance masters—Michelangelo, Raphael, and Bramante—and enrage Martin Luther. By the time it was completed, Shakespeare had written all of his plays, the Mayflower had reached Plymouth—and Rome had risen with its astounding basilica to become Europe’s holy metropolis. A dazzling portrait of human achievement and excess, Basilica is a triumph of historical writing..
Price: $4.49 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Powerful testimonies of Evangelicals who became Catholic These eleven personal conversion accounts are unlike any you've ever read. They're packed with biblical, theological, and historical proofs for Catholicism. Each year thousands of atheists, Evangelicals, Mormons, Fundamentalists, and Pentecostals are being surprised by Catholic truth and these converts tell you why. In his foreword Scott Hahn described his reaction to "Surprised by Truth":

"While reading each of these incredible journeys I laughed, cried, grunted affirmations, and basically relived my own journey into the Catholic Church. I heard echoes of my own struggles in their words. I relived the anguish I experienced on that lonely and sometimes frightening path of conversion, and I relived the deep, abiding joy of coming home. But enough, Read these stories. They're prayerful, heavy-on-doctrine, evangelical, scriptural witnesses of people who discovered that what they had once thought was the most 'unbiblical' church is really the Church of the Bible.".
Price: $4.97 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Few people are so beloved by Catholics around the world as Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen and St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower. How else to explain the enduring popularity of Sheen s videos and books nearly 30 years after his death, or that, despite there already being 900 books on St. Thérèse and her spirituality, more and more come out each year? Now, for the first time, Basilica Press has put into written form Archbishop Sheen s compelling words about the Little Flower. Taken from the still-popular talks he gave on her in 1973, the archbishop explains why people from all walks of life and in nearly every country of the world so universally love, invoke, and imitate St. Thérèse, who has been called the greatest saint of modern times. This beautiful hardcover book will be something you and your loved ones will treasure. Even readers familiar with St. Thérèse s life will find their eyes opened to many new insights given by the incomparable Archbishop Sheen..
Price: $12.40 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Read the Bldg Blog interview with Mary Beard about the Wonders of the World series (Part I and Part II)

Built by the decree of Constantine, rebuilt by some of the most distinguished architects in Renaissance Italy, emulated by Hitler's architect in his vision for Germania, immortalized on film by Fellini, and fictionalized by a modern American bestseller, St. Peter's is the most easily recognizable church in the world. This book is a cultural history of one of the most significant structures in the West. It bears the imprint of Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo, Bernini, and Canova. For Grand Tourists of the eighteenth century, St. Peter's exemplified the sublime. It continues to fascinate visitors today and appears globally as a familiar symbol of the papacy and of the Catholic Church itself.

The church was first built in the fourth century on what is thought to be the tomb of Peter--the rock upon which Christ decreed his church shall be built. After twelve hundred years, the church was largely demolished and rebuilt in the sixteenth century when it came to acquire its present-day form. St. Peter's awes the visitor by its gigantic proportions, creating a city within itself. It is the mother church, the womb from which churches around the world have taken inspiration. This book covers the social, political, and architectural history of the church from the fourth century to the present. From the threshold, to the subterranean Roman necropolis, to the dizzying heights of the dome, this book provides rare perspectives and contexts for understanding the shape and significance of the most illustrious church in the world.

(20070415).
Price: $10.95 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Break-In At The Basilica is the second book in the series of Adventures With Sister Philomena, Special Agent to the Pope. This time the Pope sends Sister Philomena to Assisi to investigate a break-in at the Basilica of Saint Francis. Unable to leave her summer visitiors, niece Delaney and nephew Riley, alone at her convent, Sister Philomena has them tag-along. Eager to assist their aunt in a search for clues the children explore the basilica, study its frescoes, sneak into the tomb of St. Francis, wander through the hilltown of Assisi and end up at the little church of San Damiano. Every once-in-a-while they spot a wolf or hear its howl or feel its presence. Is it real or a spirit? Good or evil? What is it trying to tell them? A turn of events brings the Abbess of the Sisters of Saint Clare of Assisi into the center of the investigation. She helps to catch the thief and determine his unusual punishment. The personal stories of Saint Francis and Saint Clare and the sights and sounds of Assisi are woven into this great tale of adventure in Italy..
Price: $11.95 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The best ever explanation of the Catholic doctrine of the communion of saints written for a popular audience. Patrick Madrid explains in a clear, easy-to-follow style why Catholics pray to and honor Mary and the saints. Using the Bible and the testimony of the early Church Fathers, he provides a concise overview of the biblical and historical foundations of this often misunderstood Catholic doctrine. He also walks you through the standard anti-Catholic arguments against praying to Mary and the saints and demonstrates from the Bible why these arguments are themselves unbiblical..
Price: $3.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This exciting new apologetics book offers a tour-de-force refutation of 30 major arguments raised against the papacy. Using Scripture, Church history, and common sense (with a dash of wit added for good measure), Patrick Madrid explains why these commonly believed "pope fictions" simply don't hold water.

Fr. Ray Ryland, a former Protestant minister and now a Catholic priest, says, "In a very readable style, Pope Fiction catalogs and refutes those fictions charitably and completely. Had it been available when I first began to be drawn to the Church, my journey home would have been years shorter."

Catholic author and apologist David Hess praises its "amazing clarity and readability."

Former Protestant minister Marcus Grodi (now Catholic and host of the popular EWTN show 'The Journey Home') describes Pope Fiction as "concise and complete with a welcome tinge of humor. I highly recommend this book to all those who are looking for truth. They'll find it here."

The myths and misconceptions about the papacy covered in Pope Fiction include: The persistent "Pope Joan" myth about a ninth-century female pope, the popes' involvement in the Crusades and Spanish Inquizition, what the New Testament reveals about Simon Peter's role in the early Christian Church, the attitude of the early Church toward the bishops of Rome, the scandal of bad popes, the Galileo Affair, the papacy's track record on slavery, the Seventh-Day Adventist myth about the bogus "Vicarius Filii Dei" papal "title," historical issues pertaining to the papacy, specific examples of popes who allegedly taught error, and the facts surrounding Pope Pius XII's attitude toward the Jews during the Holocaust.

Arranged in 30 tightly focused chapters, Pope Fiction provides a balanced, comprehensive overview of the major arguments against the papacy and provides the biblical, historical and commonsense responses to those arguments. Pope Fiction is engaging and charitable, yet challenging and hard-hitting..
Price: $5.77 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This new book in the popular Past and Present series explores historic sites in Christian Rome. Important monuments and districts are illustrated as they appear today, while overlays indicate how these sites probably looked when first built, making this book an excellent resources for travelers, students, and anyone interested in the fascinating history of this region. The volume begins with a comprehensive tour of the Roman subterranean city known as the catacombs, and includes several labyrinthine burial grounds and underground places of worship. The second portion of the book focuses on churches and basilicas, and includes a detailed look at the architecture and art objects of Saint Peter's, among others. A glossary provides definitions of terms commonly encountered when touring ancient Roman buildings..
Price: $14.28 [Notify me when price goes down.]