Magnificent Cathedral In Italy Formed By Real Growing Trees

Published 10 years ago

Italian artist Guiliano Mauri is the father of this spectacular Cattedrale Vegetale (Tree Cathedral), a unique building created out of rows of real living trees. Located at the foot of Mount Arera on the outskirts of Bergamo in Northern Italy, the cathedral is an ever-changing building that will be fully formed over the course of decades – when the trees outgrow their supporting columns and become a piece of natural architecture.

The architectural installation consists of 42 cage-like columns that form a five-aisle basilica. These are formed by weaving over 600 chestnut branches and 6,000 meters of hazel branches around 1,800 fir poles, joined together with wood, nails, and string to support 80 hornbeam saplings. The growing saplings will form the columns and their canopies will top the building with gorgeous steep arcs.

Mauri began the groundwork for the Tree Cathedral in Valsugana, Italy, in 2002. This preceded the second one in Bergamo, which was only completed in 2010, a year after the genius artist’s death.

More info: giulianomauri.com (h/t: mymodernmet, BBC)

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Photo credits: Virtual Sacred Space

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Photo credits: Michele Salmaso

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Photo credits: Aldo Fedele (left) | Arte Sella (right)

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Photo credits: Pava

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Photo credits: Arte Sella

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Photo credits: Ettore Galata Rizzardini

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Photo credits: Pava

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Photo credits: Giacomo Bianchi

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Photo credits: Riccardo Senia

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Photo credits: Pierangelo Zavatarelli

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Photo credits: Marco Rosato

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Photo credits: santino

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Photo credits: Il Giardino Sfumato

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Tags

basilica, cathedral, Cattedrale Vegetale, full-post, Giuliano Mauri, living architecture, natural architecture, nature, tree, tree architecture, tree cathedral, trees, treescaping
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