Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington is the largest Catholic church in North America and the United States' national Marian sanctuary. Built between 1920 and 1961, it blends Romanesque and Byzantine forms under a 73-metre dome alongside a 100-metre campanile. The interior contains more than 80 chapels and oratories devoted to Marian devotions worldwide, from Our Lady of Czestochowa to Our Lady of Guadalupe and Mary, Queen of Vietnam. The apse and dome mosaics use more than 80 million tesserae, ranking among the largest in the Western world. The basilica serves as the parish church of the adjacent Catholic University of America. Visitors can join free guided tours or attend one of the daily Masses.