Cathedral
A cathedral is the church of a bishop of a number of Christian denominations. It is also the administrative headquarters of a diocese, a church district headed by a bishop. The bishop's throne, a symbol of the office, is located in the cathedral. Only the Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and Roman Catholic denominations and some Lutheran groups have cathedrals.
Medieval cathedrals, especially in France, were usually located in the middle of town and served as a center of public life. Markets and meetings, as well as daily church services, were held there.
The greatest era of cathedral building occurred in Europe during the Middle Ages from around 1000 to 1500. Medieval cathedrals were often magnificent structures built both to inspire and to teach. Cathedrals were filled with carved sculptures. Their walls were lined with paintings or stained-glass windows that portrayed scenes from the Bible and the lives of the saints. These scenes made up a visual encyclopedia of medieval knowledge for the many worshipers who could not read.
Excerpt adapted from the "Cathedral" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999