Where did the Catholic church get the money to build big cathedrals in western Europe,especially Italy?
Actually, everybody attended when the cathedrals were first built. It was required… Even today, aside from France and Germany, most European nations have a state church. Although they no longer mandate attendance, tax dollars still go to the church. The Church of England, for instance, is the state church of Britain and English taxes go to support that church. Although France is a secular nation, Germany, which has no state church, still collects contributions for certain churches within the nation, but only from those who list those churches on their tax returns. So, when the cathedrals were being built, they were full and centers of community life. The cathedrals are large to emphasize the church’s role in community life. Since there is nothing greater than God, the largest building in the community should be the church, or cathedral. For centuries the Pope had the power to make and break monarchs in Europe. The Catholic Church also held many of the best and most productive lands i
