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Throughout history, architecture has changed greatly. Things such as businesses, homes, and churches have all varied in architectural styles. In the eleventh and twelfth centuries, Romanesque buildings and arts dominated the world. This type of architecture was meant to imitate the ancient Roman structures (Perry 293). During the end of the twelfth century, however, a new style of architecture erupted throughout Europe. This style is now referred to as Gothic, and it differs in many ways when compared to the more ancient Romanesque style. Overall, Gothic buildings were designed in a way to reflect people’s spirituality. As a result, massive cathedrals were built in order to glorify God (Perry 270). Although Gothic structures appeared all throughout the world, this type of architecture eventually died out during the fifteenth century (Perry 270). Eventually, a new type of design came about, which is now called Neo-Classical. Neo-classical architecture is the current style of design used for buildings and churches, and it varies dramatically from Romanesque and Gothic styles. In this paper, I have chosen to compare and contrast the structures of three different churches: the First Church of Christ, Scientist in down town Columbus, Ohio, the Basilica of Santa Maria in Rome, Italy, and Speyer Cathedral in Germany (Frank). All three of these churches were built during very different time periods. As a result, the building design and architecture differ dramatically from buiding-to-building. The First Church of Christ, Scientist was constructed in nineteen fourteen, the Basilica of Santa Maria was built in 431 A.D, and the Speyer Cathedral in Germany was consecrated in 1061 A.D. The First Church of Christ Scientist architectural style is considered Neo-classical. Some distinct features of this style includes: a symmetrical shape, tall columns that rise the full height of the building, triangular pediment, and a domed roof. On the other hand, The Basilica of Santa Maria has a Gothic architecture art style that is classified with its lightness, soaring spaces, and upward motion. Many Gothic structures, including The Basilica of Santa Maria, are characterized by a pointed arch, vaulted ceilings, and huge windows (Perry 269). The Speyer Cathedral has a Romanesque architecture which has round arches, stone material, thick walls, few spaces for windows, and the basilica style plan. Overall, I noticed many differences between the three different churches. One of the first things that really stood out is the size difference between them. I do not know the exact lengths of the buildings, but looking at them there is little doubt that the Basilica of Santa Maria and the Speyer Cathedral are vastly larger than First Church of Christ, Scientist. This face makes since though because the Romanesque and Gothic styles were characterized by elaborate and large structures. In addition, one characteristic that I find interesting, is that the Santa Maria has images of Jesus on the outside of the building, and the Speyer Cathedral has images of the crucifix on the outside. In contrast, the First Church of Christ lacks visual structures that symbolize Christ and the life that he lived. I do not know if this has to do with the difference in the religious denominations, but they are all Christian churches. Another thing that I noticed was that The First Church of Christ, Scientist has many balconies that sit in front of the windows that are left un-used. The only purpose of the balconies is for decoration. This is not the case for the Santa Maria and the Speyer, because neither buildings have any balconies. There are a couple of similarities between these three churches. The First Church of Christ, Scientist and the Basilica of Santa Maria both have similar columns throughout each of the buildings. These columns are called Ionic columns, and they are categorized by the long slender shape and the “swirl” at the top. All three also have stained glass windows. The Basilica of Santa Maria had very large stained glass windows, and this was a common theme in Gothic churches. Finally, all three churches seem to have very geometrical patterns throughout. Structurally, the buildings are perfectly symmetrical In general, the Romanesque and Gothic structures that I chose to write about consist of larger and more elaborate structures when compared to The First Church of Christ, Scientist. The Speyer represents a building that imitates classical Roman art and structures. The Basilica of Santa Maria, on the other hand, demonstrates an attempt at becoming closer to God. The Romanesque and Gothic buildings were very detailed and intricate in their design. As a result, both of these churches took a long time to build, and a lot of money was spent to create these works of art. The Neo-classical structures that are built today cannot even compare to the creative nature of the more ancient architectures. The First Church of Christ, Scientist is indeed a beautiful church, but its design is much more simplistic. I think that the older buildings not only took a lot more of artistic thought, but their construction also consisted of a lot more time and effort spent towards their development. In my last paper on Egyptian Art, I wrote about how it was the absolute worst assignment that I have ever written, and that was the truth. In this essay, however, I found it to be a lot easier because the directions were a little more clearer. I do wish that there had been more time spent on discussing exactly what was needed on this paper. Although the directions are somewhat clear, they are not exactly “crystal clear.” I also did enjoy looking at all the different types of architecture. I absolutely could not believe how much time and money has gone into religion over the different time periods. Overall, this assignment was very interesting, and I have no other complaints.