Church of the Beatitudes

The Church of the Beatitudes, Architect Antonio Barluzzi, North coast of the Sea of Galilee, 1936-1938.

The Church of the Beatitudes is located on a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee. The location marks the site where it is traditionally believed Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. According to the Gospel of Matthew, once Jesus developed a following he and his disciples climbed the mountain to preach. The Sermon on the Mount spells out his moral teachings, including the Beatitudes. Each of the eight Beatitudes describes a blessing—for example, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” The church was built in 1938 for a Franciscan order of nuns and partially financed by the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. The eight sides of the church represent the eight Beatitudes. Inside, seven virtues (justice, charity, prudence, faith, fortitude, hope, and temperance) are symbolized in the mosaic floor.