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The convent is a rare survival of the disastrous 18th-century fires that destroyed the rest of the French Quarter, and is a striking example of French colonial architecture today.

Convent is the only remaining French Colonial building in the U.S.

By • Catholic Online • 8/6/2011

Graceful and elegant, the Ursuline Convent in New Orleans remains the sole surviving French colonial building still standing in the United States. Built in 1752, the convent is testament to a group of fearless nun, who travelled by ship from France to stake out a new order in America. LOS ...

The Holy Wisdom Monastery in Madison, Wisconsin sports solar panels on its roof in its bid to be 100 percent energy sustainable.

Ultramodern monastery fine example of green construction

By • Catholic Online • 8/2/2011

Monasteries conjure up images of ancient, fortress-like buildings made up of brick and mortar. The Holy Wisdom Monastery in Madison, Wisconsin stands in startling contrast to that image as it is ultramodern and sleek in appearance. The monastery has now been blessed wit the title of the ...

The ruins of Tintern Abbey remain especially beautiful. The grand Gothic abbey church, carpeted in green grass and open to the sky, is especially enchanting.

Tintern Abbey is beautiful reminder of 12th century monastic life

By • Catholic Online • 7/27/2011

Tintern Abbey is a 12th-century Cistercian abbey standing in picturesque ruins on the southeastern border of Wales. The first Cistercian monastery founded in Wales and only the second to be founded in all of Britain, Tintern Abbey today is a beautiful reminder of early English monastic life. LOS ...

The most notable structure at Kabah is the Palace of the Masks, or Codz Pop (meaning 'Rolled Matting'), which has a facade covered in hundreds of stone masks of the hook-nosed rain god Chac. This massive repetition of a single set of elements is unusual in Maya art and makes for an impressive sight.

Ancient Maya site Kabah linked to Uxmal with causeway

By • Catholic Online • 7/19/2011

A sacb�, or Mayan ceremonial causeway, links the ancient Maya city of Kabah with Uxmal, a raised pedestrian walkway with ceremonial arches at each end. Kabah is located on the Yucat�n Peninsula. Its buildings date from about the 9th century and are in the Puuc style of architecture. The ...

Nohoc Mul is the largest pyramid at Coba, standing at over 130 feet in height. This pyramid naturally provides even more spectacular views.

Coba boasts the tallest pyramid on the Yucat�n Peninsula

By • Catholic Online • 7/12/2011

While still in a poor state of preservation, much of it still unexcavated, the Coba Archaeological Park is notable for its extensive system of ceremonial roads, remote jungle landscape and several interesting pyramids - including the tallest pyramid on the Yucat�n Peninsula. Located in the ...

Among the many sights at Tulum, the Temple of the Frescoes was used as an observatory for tracking the movements of the sun. It contains interesting 13th-century frescoes, though visitors are no longer permitted to enter.

Tulum among the most visited historical sites in Mexico

By • Catholic Online • 7/8/2011

The Tulum ruins are among the most visited archaeological site, in Mexico, preceded by Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza. Located on a cliff overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, Tulum is a spectacular Mayan settlement that flourished from around 1200 AD until the arrival of the ...

Palenque, unlike other Mayan cities, enjoyed an abundance of water which was controlled by means of an elaborate aqueduct system.

Beautiful sculptures found in Mayan ruins of Palenque

By • Catholic Online • 7/6/2011

Surrounded by lush jungle and raging waterfalls, the ancient Mayan ruins of Palenque is renowned for its sophisticated architecture and beautiful sculptures. Archaeologists estimate that only 35 percent of the city has been excavated so far, giving speculation as to what more treasures lie beneath ...

Among the many wondrous things to see there is the Pyramid of the Magician, the tallest structure at Uxmal. The pyramid is also known as the Pyramid of the Dwarf.

Uxmal in Mexico among most beautiful examples of Puuc architecture

By • Catholic Online • 6/30/2011

The Mayan site of Uxmal pronounced "oosh-mahl," which translates to "thrice built," is considered one of the most complex and beautiful expressions of Puuc architecture. It's not to be missed as a major highlight of any Yucat�n vacation. LOS ANGELES. CA (Catholic Online) - Puuc, which means ...

Mayans resided in Caracol as early as 900 BC. The first Mayan ritual complexes date around 70 AD, when both the Temple of the Wooden Lintel and locus B34 burial were built. Caracol flourished from the 6th to 8th centuries, after which it rapidly declined.

Ancient Mayan city of Caracol declared largest ruin found to date

By • Catholic Online • 6/28/2011

Located in west central Belize near the border with Guatemala, Caracol is an important Mayan city that enjoyed its heyday in the 6th century AD. Caracol remained obscured in the jungle until its discovery in 1938. The ruins contain numerous pyramids, royal tombs, dwellings and other structures, as ...

Jaguar Temple and stelae on the Great Plaza.

Towering pyramids overlook Mayan ruins of Tikal

By • Catholic Online • 6/23/2011

Tikal is an ancient Mayan city that flourished around 700 AD in modern-day Guatemala. The ruins today are best known for its five towering pyramids and the rich flora and fauna of the surrounding rain forest. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The beginnings of Tikal canbe traced back to the ...