Latest News from the Basilica

After months of preparation and anticipation, the installation of the Trinity Dome mosaic is rapidly underway. Above is the very first section of mosaic being placed in the pendentive that features the evangelist St. Luke.

Artisans commence the monumental task of this massive installation by locating the first piece. This proved quite straightforward, given that the Travisanutto Giovanni Studio had painstakingly organized and packed each and every one of the 30,000 sections of the Trinity Dome mosaic. (more…)

Containing the world’s largest collection of contemporary ecclesiastical art, the National Shrine’s Byzantine-Romanesque architecture is home to an unfathomable amount of mosaic artistry. Distributed throughout over 80 chapels and oratories, and in the domes of the Great Upper Church, the current calculation of the mosaic interior of the Basilica is 75,545 sq. ft.  With the completion of the Trinity Dome mosaic, this number will increase by 18,300 square feet. (more…)

The Great Upper Church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is composed of five distinctive domes: the Incarnation Dome, the Redemption Dome, the Trinity Dome, the Sanctification Dome, and the Glorification Dome. All domes, apart from the Trinity Dome, are complete. These domes lead directly to the North Apse, where Christ in Majesty is depicted in 3610 square feet of mosaic ornamentation. According to John de Rosen (1891-1982), the artist consultant for the National Shrine: (more…)

While the artisans at Travisanutto Giovanni company work to finish all of the pieces of the Trinity Dome mosaic, the scaffolding has been fully constructed in the Basilica’s Great Upper Church in preparation for the arrival of the first delivery of mosaics. As Monsignor Rossi, the Rector of the Basilica, said in an interview this month: (more…)

One of the ten largest churches in the world, the National Shrine has received many distinguished guests throughout its almost century-long history. Among these visitors were two of our era’s most vibrant saints: Pope John Paul II and Blessed Mother Teresa. During their lifetimes, both figureheads of modern Catholicism developed a close affiliation with the Shrine through many visits and acknowledgements. Thus, it is no surprise that they were selected to grace the Trinity Dome mosaic.

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