Nazareth: Basilica of the Annunciation
From its place in the center of Nazareth the conical gray dome of the Basilica of the Annunciation is seen from every corner of the city. It is one of the largest and most sacred of the churches in the Holy Land. In the 5th century A.D. the first church was built on the site believed by Catholics to be the house of Mary and Joseph. The remains of that church, including a mosaic floor, are to be found underneath the present church. In 1730 the Franciscans built a small church over the Grotto of the Annunciation. In 1955 building started on the modern church, whose design took into consideration the church’s long history and the conditions of the local terrain.
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