Every time you find yourself inside a marvelous church, it's common practice to spend a few moments with your head bowed down in quiet reflection. However, when you're ready, don't forget to shift your gaze up towards the heavens, and you'll probably be pleasantly surprised with what you see.
Here are 16 pictures of some of the world's most stunning church ceilings:
Click on images to enlarge
1. Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, St. Petersburg (Russia)
Source: Hendrik Terbeck / Flickr2. Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome (Italy)
Source: Lawrence OP / Flickr3. St. Stephen's Basilica, Budapest (Hungary)
Source: Miroslav Petrasko / Flickr4. Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem
Source: Werner Kunz / Flickr5. Church of the Gesù, Rome (Italy)
Source: Gerwin Filius / Flickr
6. Tempio Civico della Beata Vergine Incoronata, Lodi (Italy)
Source: Giovanni / Flickr7. Horezu Monastery, Wallachia (Romania)
Source: fusion-of-horizons / Flickr8. Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, Missouri (USA)
Source: Thomas Hawk / Flickr9. Holy Savior Cathedral, Isfahan (Iran)
Source: Jurriaan Persyn / Flickr
10. Hagia Sophia, Istanbul (Turkey)
Source: Hervé BRY / Flickr11. Isaakievskiy Sobor, St. Petersburg (Russia)
Source: Benjamin Jakabek / Flickr12. Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington D.C. (USA)
Source: YU-JEN SHIH / Flickr13. Baptistry of St. John, Florence (Italy)
Source: Shane Lin / Flickr14. Morelia Cathedral, Morelia (Mexico)
Source: Jiuguang Wang / Flickr15. Sistine Chapel, Vatican City
Source: Philip Milne / Flickr
Source: Hendrik Terbeck / Flickr
Source: Lawrence OP / Flickr
Source: Miroslav Petrasko / Flickr
Source: Werner Kunz / Flickr
Source: Gerwin Filius / Flickr
Source: Giovanni / Flickr
Source: fusion-of-horizons / Flickr
Source: Thomas Hawk / Flickr
Source: Jurriaan Persyn / Flickr
Source: Hervé BRY / Flickr
Source: Benjamin Jakabek / Flickr
Source: YU-JEN SHIH / Flickr
Source: Shane Lin / Flickr
Source: Jiuguang Wang / Flickr
Source: Philip Milne / Flickr
