Cathedral-Basilica Savannah Needlepoint Canvas

Joining the Spellbound Stitchery architecture collection is the gorgeous Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, located in Savannah, Georgia. Savannah is one of my favorite cities for architecture, and this is the 5th Savannah design I have brought to my needlepoint line. 

I chose a 6" vertical oval orientation for this design to follow the height and majesty of the twin spires. Hand painted and stitch painted on 18 mesh. 

About the structure:
The cornerstone for the present Cathedral of St. John the Baptist was laid on November 19, 1873. The architect, Ephraim Francis Baldwin, designed the church in a High Victorian Gothic style that incorporated French building traditions. One prominent aspect of High Victorian Gothic, or Gothic Revival, architecture is the sense of height from the structure.  From outside the Cathedral, the two large, spired towers that reach into the sky appear as the most evident manifestation of this architectural characteristic, although the steep gabled roof between them similarly displays this quality. It is also evident in the iconic pointed arch windows and doorways, which convey a feeling of ascendance to a central point. Similarly, within the Cathedral the cross-ribbed vault ceilings were intended to give parishioners the feeling of being closer to God.  It also incorporates another feature of High Victorian Gothic: polychromy, the use of contrasting colors, which is ornately highlighted on the inside, but also evident in the exterior. Like many French Gothic cathedrals, the layout represents a Latin cross, which is especially noticeable from an aerial view with the contrast created by the hip and gable roof.