In addition to the landscapes and locations of temples and churches we have visited, I found the actual architecture of these places of worship to really highlight Otto’s idea of mysterium tremendum. A majority of the large Cathedrals and Basilicas we saw throughout our trip in Italy in particular evoked the feelings characterized in The Idea of the Holy. Of course, these buildings were huge and absolutely beautiful, but there was something beyond their size and aesthetics that attracted me to them.
In my independent research on Santa Maria Della Salute in Venice I discovered that this particular church, as well as many others in Italy, has a large 8 pointed dome on the top to symbolize the womb of Mary. This immediately triggered a huge wave of creature consciousness within me, and made me think of how highly the Catholic Church holds the position of Mary as the mother of Jesus. Not only does the presence of a dome direct church goers attention towards the heavens, it reminds them of their human condition and the overwhelming power and presence of their Creator, God the father. This relationship between Creator and created is meant to trigger feelings of intense devotion, worship and thanksgiving, and it is all communicated before a word is ever spoken in the church.
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