Constructing large buildings in the modern world is a time-consuming process, but it was even a more time-consuming compared to the large historical buildings built in the past centuries. Most of the tallest and largest modern buildings in the world were built in the average time-length of not more than a decade, and some were even built in less than half a decade, especially when there are no delays. Each and every large historical building that I have included on this list has been constructed in some of the longest times in history for them to be completed. Many people were born, and many of them grew old and died while these buildings were still under-construction, including the Architectures and all those who have contributed their work to these buildings. However, other buildings included on this list had some delays during their construction, but despite the many years that it took for them to be completed, they still stand even today.
10. The Ulm Minster
The Ulm Minster is a Lutheran church located in a large town called "Ulm", in Germany. Ulm Minster is a very unique and large church of its own kind; built in a Gothic-Style. The church was the tallest building in the world from 1890 until 1901 as it stood at the height of 161.5m (531ft), and it was the tallest building in Europe from 1890 until 1952. Today, Ulm Minster is the tallest church in the world. The construction of the church began in 1377. Ulrich Ensingen, an architecture who drafted the plan of the building, was appointed as the Master builder in 1392, and it was part of his architectural plan to make the church have its tallest spire. After the church was consecrated in 1405, it had damages caused by the height of the naves and the building concept was unable to support the heavy vaulting, and the lateral nave had to be reconstructed. In 1543, after 166 years of the church still in the building process, the construction was stopped at the time the steeple had reached 100 metres (330ft). The reason why the construction was stopped it was because of the Thirty Year's World War, as well as other variety of economic factors. The work was resumed in 1917, after 274 years from the time the construction process was ceased. The building was completed in 1890, meaning that it took a total of 513 years for the church to be finally completed.
9. Milan Cathedral
Milan Cathedral is a church located in Lombardia, centre of Milan, In Italy. Just as the Ulm Minster church, Milan Cathedral was built in a Gothic Architectural style. It took 582 long-years for Milan Cathedral's construction process to be completed. The first foundation stone was laid in 1386 by Archbishop Antonio, and the construction work continued many years since then, with many different other Architects appointed After Antonio that also devoted their lives contributing in the construction of the church. In fact, from 1386 to 1965 when the building was finally completed, seventy-seven Architects who lived in the past centuries during the church's construction have done their work on Milan Cathedral. In 1401, when the building was almost a half-complete, the construction was stalled until 1480, due to lack of money and ideas. Finally, in 1965, after 582 long-years, the church was finally complete. There were also revisions been made to the church in 1988, and the duomo's main façade also went under renovations in 2003 until early 2009, in February.
8. St. Peter's Basilica
Known as one of the greatest church of Christendom, St. Peter's Basilica is one of the largest churches in the world; built in a unique and magnificent Architectural work of art. Within the St. Peter's square, the church draws an audience of more than 80,000 people. Although the St. Basilica is ranked and regarded as one of the greatest buildings of its age, and proclaimed other rankings just as the other three churches of Rome for Major Basilica, it is not, however, "the seat of a Bishop". Archbasilica of St. Lateran, is where the Bishop of Rome is located. The construction of the St. Peter's Basilica began in 1506 and completed in 1626, so it took 120 years for the church to be successfully built to become a great site that it is today. A total of seven architectures, including Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, have dedicated their incredible and fascinating work to the construction and design plans of the church.
7. Seville Cathedral
The Seville Cathedral is a building that was once the largest church in the world during the 16th century; today, the Cathedral is the third-largest church in the world. Seville Cathedral is a Roman Catholic Cathedral, located in Seville, Andalusia, in Spain. The building stands at a height of 42 metres, with a spire height of 105 metres. Seville Cathedral was registered by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, including the General Archive of the Indies and the Alcalar palace. The construction of Seville Cathedral began in 1402, on the site of a grand Almohad Mosque, and it was completed in 1506; taking it over a century to be completed.
6. The Gothic Cathedral of Cologne
Cathedral of Cologne is one of the most visited landmarks of Germany, and it also dominates the skyline of Cologne as the largest and the only building that can be viewed from any skyline-view of Cologne. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne; including the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. The fascinating Gothic architectural art of the building is not the only thing that makes the Cathedral establishment a remarkable accomplishment, but also the years that it took for its completion. It took more than 6 centuries (632 years) for the Cathedral of Cologne to be completed. The construction of the building began in 1248, but it was halted in 1473, after 225 years of the building process. The construction was continued in the 19th century (1842), and it was finally completed in 1880. The Cologne of Cathedral also became a World Heritage Site in 1996.
5. Cathedral of Saints John The divine
The Cathedral of Saint John – also known as the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, is one of the largest cathedrals and the only cathedral that remains unfinished even until this present day. The first and original plan of St. John was designed in 1888 in a Byzantine-Romanesque architectural style, and its construction began in 1892 with the laying of the cornerstone on December 27, 1892 – The day that is now known and celebrated as the St. John's day. It has now been 0ver a 120 years since the construction of the St. John has begun. The construction was halted when the cathedral was being opened end-to-end for the first time in 1941 because the then-bishop decided that the church's funds would be better off spent on works of charity. Over the years during the construction, there has been a mixture of architectural styles that were used to build the St. John. In 1909, the original Byzantine-Romanesque architectural style was changed to a Gothic style, also, the French, English, and the Spanish Gothic styles are among this mixture, including the Norman architectural style.
4. Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral – A Roman Catholic Cathedral; usually known as the Cathedral of Our Lady Amiens, is the seat of the Bishop of Amiens. The cathedral of Amiens is the tallest cathedral in France, with a vaulted nave reaching the height of 138.8 feet (42.30 metres). Unlike the other cathedral's on this list that took over a century to be built, Amiens cathedral took half of a century (50 years) for its completion to be celebrated, and it was registered as a World Heritage Site in 1981.
3. Santa Maria del Fiore
The Basilica Santa Maria del Fiore (English: Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower) is a cathedral in the city of Florence, in Italy. It is one of the largest churches in Italy, and its dome was the largest in the world before the new structural materials were developed in the modern era. The construction work of Santa Maria del Fiore began in 1296, and it was completed in 1436, meaning that it took 140 years (over a century) for it to be completed. The cathedral also has a large complex located in Piazza del Duomo, which includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile, and they are a World Heritage Site including the cathedral itself. In fact, the Santa Maria is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Florence.
2. York Minster
York Minster is the second largest cathedral in Northern Europe after the cathedral of Cologne. It is located in England, where it dominates the skyline of the city of York. The cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of York, and it is also the cathedral of the Diocese of the ancient city of York. It has the largest expanse medieval stained glass in the world created in the 15th century by John Thornton, which is also known as the "Great East Window" located on the east end of the building over the Lady Chapel. The commence of the York Minster construction was in about 1230, and it was completed in 1472; so it took more than two centuries (242 years) for its construction to be completed.
1. Burgos Cathedral
Declared as a World Heritage Site, Burgos Cathedral is a Gothic-Style Roman Catholic cathedral that is located in Burgos, Spain. The construction of Burgos Cathedral began in 1221, ordered by the English-born bishop of Burgos. Nine years later, during the construction, the cathedral was already used as a church but its construction still continued until 1567 when it was finally complete. It took 347 years from the beginning of the construction in 1221 until 1567. The original plan of Burgos Cathedral was in the French Gothic-Style, it was modified when the Renaissance Style works were added in the 15th and the 16th century.
