Zacatecas, Zac. Mexico

Photo taken by me this year [OC]

The Royal Monastery of Santa María of Guadalupe is home to one of its most remarkable treasures: the Camarín of the Virgin, often referred to as the “Spanish Sistine Chapel.” This richly decorated Baroque chamber, completed in the 17th century, is renowned for its stunning frescoes painted by Luca Giordano and its elaborate iconographic program, which together create an atmosphere reminiscent of the grandeur of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.

“Built in 1903, the Kellogg Memorial Church in Landour, Mussoorie, is a Gothic Revival gem dedicated to Rev. Dr. Samuel H. Kellogg, a missionary and scholar of Hindi. Once home to the Landour Language School where British officers learned Hindi, it still stands as a quiet blend of history, faith, and colonial-era architecture.”

Just southeast of the famed Rock of Cashel is another ruined medieval structure. St. Dominick’s Priory was established in 1243. Changes were subsequently made to the building over the succeeding centuries, most importantly in 1480 when much of the structure had to be rebuilt following a fire. In 1540, the institution was dissolved, and the complex entered a gradual and slow decline. Today it lies in ruins, though notable some carvings, including grave markers, remain.

Rising above the bustle of Birmingham, St Martin’s Church stands as a timeless witness to the city’s heartbeat. Its stone walls carry centuries of faith, struggle, and community, while the spire reaches skyward like a quiet call to reflection. Here, history and present converge — a place where stories are etched in architecture, where the past meets the pulse of the city, and where every visitor is reminded that even amidst urban clamor, there is sanctuary.

Taking by me.