<P> In the ecclesiastical sense, a basilica is a church that has been designated as such by the pope, and has accordingly received certain privileges . A building that is designated as a basilica might be a cathedral, an abbey, a shrine or a parish church . The four so - called "Major Basilicas" are four churches of Rome of 4th century foundation, St. Peter's Basilica, the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls . There are more than 1,500 churches in the world which are designated as "Minor Basilicas". The reason for such a designation is often that the church is a pilgrimage site and contains the relics of a saint, or an object of religious veneration, such as a supposed fragment of the True Cross . These churches are often large and of considerable architectural significance . They include the Basilica of St. Francis, Assisi; the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem; the Basilica of Our Lady of Fátima, Portugal; the Basilica of Our Lady of Sheshan, Shanghai, the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Manila, and the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City . </P> <Ul> <Li> Basilicas </Li> <Li> <P> Basilica of St Francis of Assisi, Assisi, Italy </P> </Li> <Li> <P> Basilica of St. Josaphat, Milwaukee, United States </P> </Li> <Li> <P> Basilica of St Giles, Bardejov, Slovakia </P> </Li> </Ul> <Li> <P> Basilica of St Francis of Assisi, Assisi, Italy </P> </Li> <P> Basilica of St Francis of Assisi, Assisi, Italy </P>

The great european churches and cathedrals of the medieval period