Art, obsession, and identity
In antiquity, a raised platform known as a bema was used by Greek and Roman orators to address citizens and courts of law. An excellent example survives on the Pnyx, a hill near the Acropolis in Athens. Pericles and Demosthenes were among the statesmen to use this bema, thus making the hill one of the earliest and most important sites in the creation of democracy.
The central raised platform in a synagogue is known as a bimah or bima. Their use was carried over from Judaism into early Christian church architecture. In fact, modern synagogue bimahs are often similar in form to centrally-placed pulpits in Evangelical churches.
The ambon, also known in its modern usage as the ambo, developed from the bimah. Originally an elevated platform set at variable locations within a church from which the Epistle and Gospel would be read, some of the earliest examples date back to the 5th century. Pictured is the black marble ambon set in the Basilica di San Giulio in Italy.
The richly decorated Ambon of Henry II dates back to 1014 and was built on the orders of Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor. This exquisite example of Ottoman craftsmanship is found in Aachen Cathedral in Germany.
The advent of the two preaching orders of friars in the late Middle Ages, the Franciscans and Dominicans, helped revive Catholicism in Europe. Churches, especially those in Italy, were designed to hold larger congregations in the expectation of them hearing preeminent figures impart stirring exhortations. Pictured is the ornately carved ambon found in the 12th-century Abbey of San Clemente a Casauria in Abruzzo, Italy.
By the beginning of the 13th century, the ambon had been superseded by the pulpit, and it passed out of liturgical use (though many modern Roman Catholic churches have an ambo that functions as both a pulpit and lectern). In Western church architecture, a pulpit is the elevated and enclosed platform from which the sermon is delivered during a service. Pictured is the spectacular marble pulpit in Siena Cathedral in Italy, designed by Nicola Pisano.
Incidentally, in Islamic mosque architecture the equivalent of a pulpit is a minbar, where the imam (leader of prayers) stands to deliver sermons. Pictured is the minbar in the historic Al-Nasir Muhammad Mosque situated at the Citadel in Cairo, Egypt.
The beautifully carved and painted pulpit in Canterbury Cathedral in England is located on the north side of the nave where it was placed from at least 1787.
The splendid Baroque pulpit of 1613 carved in wood by Paolo Froni is one of the ecclesiastical highlights of Parma Cathedral in Italy.
The highly ornate pulpit in Bavaria's Irsee Abbey in Germany is shaped as a ship's prow. The former Benedictine abbey is located near Kaufbeuren.
The Baroque pulpit in Amiens Cathedral, in France, is located on the north side of the nave and was installed in 1773. It's made of painted and gilded wood.
The Zsolnay porcelain pulpit decorates Budapest's Church of Saint László in Hungary. Zsolnay, founded in 1853, is a famous Hungarian manufacturer of porcelain, tiles, and stoneware.
Italy's beautiful Pisa Cathedral is noted for its astonishing marblework pulpit, a masterpiece completed in 1310 by sculptor, painter, and architect Giovanni Pisano (the son of Nicola Pisano).
St. Nicholas Church in Prague, Czech Republic, has been described as the greatest example of Prague Baroque. Excelling in architecture and decoration, the building's standout interior includes a stunning pulpit set near the altar.
Tyniec Abbey's location overlooking the Vistula River near Cracow, Poland, is reflected in the design of the glittering late Baroque pulpit in the abbey's St. Paul and Peter Church, shaped to resemble the prow of a boat.
The Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica in Poland date back to the mid-17th century. Both feature magnificent pulpits, with the one in Jawor set against 200 paintings created by Georg Flegel in 1671–1681 (pictured).
Set under the pulpit of the New Church at Dunfermline Abbey in Scotland is the tomb of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329.
St. Michael's Church in Hamburg, Germany, is one of the most famous landmarks in the city. The interior features such treasures as the Baroque pulpit, crafted out of marble and designed to resemble a rounded chalice. It's reached via a magnificent staircase.
Vienna's 17th-century Jesuit Church dazzles with an interior of marble and gilding. The decorative pulpit is set under the Austrian church's remarkable trompe-l'œil dome, painted on a flat part of the ceiling.
The Basilica di San Lorenzo in Florence, Italy, is the burial place of all the principal members of the Medici family. Among its architectural treasures is the passion pulpit, which depicts scenes of the Crucifixion and the Deposition.
Halberstadt Cathedral in Saxony-Anhalt in Germany, also known as the Cathedral Church of St Stephen and St Sixtus, retains much of its medieval decoration, including a superb Renaissance pulpit from 1592.
The parish church in the village of Locranon in Brittany, France, is renowned for its association with Saint Ronan: some of his relics are kept here. The beautifully carved pulpit depicts scenes from his life.
The Holy Monastery of Trooditissa is tucked away in the mountains above the village of Platres, on the island of Cyprus. An Orthodox monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary, its church is open to visitors and contains a priceless silver-leaf covered icon of the the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus. The decoration on the pulpit reflects the monastery's association with the iconoclastic era, founded as it was in the late 10th century.
The twin bronze and gilded copper pulpits supported by caryatids set in the presbytery of Milan's monumental cathedral spiral round a marble pilar. They date from the second half of the 16th century.
The elaborate wood and adobe interior of the mission church of San Miguel de Velasco in Bolivia includes an ornate gilded pulpit set in the center of the sanctuary.
Located in Lower Lusatia, Germany, Neuzelle's abbey church is a masterpiece of Baroque ornamentation. Indeed, it's often referred to as the "Baroque marvel of Brandenburg." The interior, wrapped in gilt and marble, is simply stunning. Singular in its sumptuous form is the pulpit, the four Evangelists sitting around its base.
Located in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska in southern Poland is the impressive Our Lady of the Angels Basilica—a favorite pilgrimage site of Pope John Paul II. Of immense cultural and spiritual value, the venerated sanctuary exudes Baroque decoration, exemplified by the church's capsule-like pulpit.
The 12th-century Monastery of the Holy Cross in Coimbra is where King Alfonso I, the first monarch of Portugal, is buried. The church walls are bathed in traditional azulejo tilework, decoration that helps accentuate the elegant pulpit, embroidered with marble.
See also: The world's most beautiful and historic monasteries
The wooden pulpit in Pargas Church on Finland's Archipelago Sea chain of islands is a veritable 14th-century canvas of religious iconography.
This colossal and somewhat industrial-looking pulpit stands over the interior of St Severus' Church in the German city of Erfurt.
Norway's oldest cathedral was founded in 1125. Its rather austere and imposing exterior belies the richness of decoration within, such as the florid wooden pulpit, crafted by Scottish artisan Andrew Smith in the 1650s. It's one of the most significant art works in Norway from the Cartilage Baroque art period.
This is the equally exuberant pulpit in Świdnica. Together these pulpits showcase some of the finest examples of interior church architecture found anywhere.
In a Christian church, a pulpit is a raised structure, usually enclosed, from which a member of the clergy delivers a sermon and addresses the congregation. This elevated stand has its origins in antiquity as a simple brick stone platform. By the 10th century, however, these podiums had evolved into ornate and highly decorative stages, elaborate in their design and highly symbolic of the faith they represented. Today, a pulpit is an essential and often eye-catching element in Western church architecture. But where can you admire some of the most exuberant examples?
Click through and take a look at the world's finest pulpits.
Picturesque pulpits: the finest preacher platforms
All rise for these raised stands
LIFESTYLE Religion
In a Christian church, a pulpit is a raised structure, usually enclosed, from which a member of the clergy delivers a sermon and addresses the congregation. This elevated stand has its origins in antiquity as a simple brick stone platform. By the 10th century, however, these podiums had evolved into ornate and highly decorative stages, elaborate in their design and highly symbolic of the faith they represented. Today, a pulpit is an essential and often eye-catching element in Western church architecture. But where can you admire some of the most exuberant examples?
Click through and take a look at the world's finest pulpits.