What is a cathedral and what is the difference between a church, cathedral and a basilica? 

A church is a 'House of Worship', a building in which Christians gather to perform the rituals of their religion and interact with one another. They are usually plain and simple. A cathedral is a church, which is also a seat, in a bureaucratic sense, of a bishop, or in some denominations, another comparably high-ranking ecclesiastical figure. In Catholicism a bishop is responsible for a diocese, an area that he will administer over, with many parishes within the dioceses, each with one or more churches and a Parish Priest managing this Area. A Basilica was originally a Roman building featuring certain architectural features that supported its use as a public open facility for business and trading. Not unlike a modern day pedestrian mall. 

Duomo di Milan, Milan, Italy 

Religious buildings throughout the world are a token of the reverence that people show to a higher belief in a heavenly being. The Milan Cathedral is one of the most famous cathedrals in the world, dedicated to the Nativity of St. Mary. It took nearly six centuries to complete and is the largest church in Italy.

St. Paul's Cathedral, London, United Kingdom

St. Paul's Cathedral is one of London's sightseeing highlights, a site of Christian worship for more than 1,400 years and pagan before that. This is an Anglican Cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. The current building dates back to 1675, after the previous cathedral was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. Historic events that took place include Sir Winston Churchill's funeral, the peace service marking the end of both World Wars and the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. 

Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany

A symbol of German Catholicism is the Cologne Cathedral and one of the country's most visited landmarks attracting an average of 20,000 people each day. The Cologne Cathedral was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996. 

St. Basil's Cathedral, Moscow, Russia

In Red Square Moscow, stands St. Basil's Cathedral, the most colourful buildings in the world. The Cathedral was built to honour various military victories in the 1550's. It has had many names through the years, The Church of Intercession or The Cathedral of the Virgin Mary. St. Basil born in 1468 known as the Blessed, the Beatific and the Wonderworker because of his prophetic powers, and a 'fool for Christ'. After his death in 1557 aged 89 years he was buried in the Cathedral that would take its name after him. The church was confiscated from the Russian Orthodox Church and completely secularists in 1929 as part of the Soviet Union's doctrine of state atheism. Stalin wanted to have it demolished, to make room for more demonstrations but it didn't happen. It's since operated as a State Historical Museum but weekly Orthodox services were restored in 1997. 

St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York, USA

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, has a building named after him on Fifth Avenue New York, dwarfed by the skyscrapers around it. Yet it is one of the country's largest Neo-Gothic Roman Catholic Cathedrals. It is the centre of the St. Patrick's Day celebrations each year in New York City.

St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, Italy

St. Peter's Basilica is in the Vatican City. The Vatican City was established with the signing of the Lateran Pacts in 1929. With the recognition of the Christian religion in the 4th century in Rome, Emperor Constantine began the construction of the original basilica on top of the ancient burial ground with what was believed to be the tomb of St. Peter. St. Peter was a disciple of Jesus Christ. In A.D.64 when much of Rome was burned, Emperor Nero, seeking to shift blame from himself, accused the Christians of starting the blaze. He executed them by burning and crucifying them. St. Peter, the first bishop of Rome was crucified and buried on Vatican Hill, hence the name of the Basilica. It's very much an open area where the visitors can see the Pope. The Pope is the head of the Catholic religion on earth. The Holy See is the name given to the government of the Roman Catholic Church. Vatican City has its own telephone system, post office, gardens, banking system, as well as a contingent of Swiss Guards responsible for the safety of the Pope. Through the middle Ages the Pope held sway over many countries in Europe. The pope is elected for life. After death, the Cardinals, who are next in command to the Pope, congregate in Rome from around the world to elect a new Pontiff.

Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence, Italy

One of the most magnificent cathedrals in the world! The marble facade and the Brunelleschi's Duomo over 500 years after completion is still the largest masonry dome in the world and the Baptistery of John and Giotto's Bell Tower, all contributing to make this a worldwide attraction.

St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague, Czech Republic

Housing the tombs of Bohemian Kings and Holy Roman Emperors this cathedral is situated within Prague Castle. This towering cathedral is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Prague, dedicated to St. Vitus, St. Wenceslaus and St. Adalbert, but commonly called St. Vitus. 

St. Marks Basilica, Venice, Italy

This lavishly decorated church is an exceptional example of Byzantine architecture. As the name suggests (Basilica), it was an international trading centre. Rebuilt in 932, after being almost destroyed by fire the decorations depict the scenes of trading, worship and all different references to Heavenly beings. It's the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice. There are an abundance of mosaics that cover almost the entire interior, which took centuries to complete. The roofline is mainly Gothic. Where did all these artefacts and relics come from? Most of them were plundered from Constantinople during the Crusades. Constantinople named after Constantine 1st of Rome in 330 and remained under Rome rule until it fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453. The Byzantium Empire was the area to the eastern part of Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire. St. Mark's Basilica is one of the city's most precious icons that of the Virgin Nicopeia, was carried into battle by various Byzantine emperors.