Basilica of Saint Lawrence, Asheville

The Basilica of Saint Lawrence on Haywood Street in Asheville is a remarkable piece of Spanish Renaissance Revival architecture sitting in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Designed by Rafael Guastavino and completed in nineteen oh nine, it is distinguished by its enormous self-supporting elliptical dome, reputed to be the largest freestanding elliptical dome in North America, built with Guastavino tile vaulting. Guastavino developed a tile-vaulting system used in train stations, museums, and government buildings across the United States, and the Asheville basilica was his final project.

He is buried in the crypt beneath it. The building was elevated to basilica status by Pope John Paul the Second in nineteen ninety-three, and its tiled dome and twin towers remain the most striking skyline feature in downtown Asheville.