St. George's Cathedral, Lviv

The mother church of Ukrainian Greek Catholics, St George's Cathedral crowns a hill above the centre of Lviv, a refined Rococo ensemble that served for centuries as the spiritual capital of the Greek Catholic Church. Its yellow-and-white facade and hilltop position make it one of the defining monuments of the city.

The present cathedral was built between 1744 and 1760 on the site of much older churches, in a graceful late Baroque and Rococo style by the architect Bernard Meretyn, with sculpture by Johann Georg Pinsel, one of the great masters of the region. A statue of St George slaying the dragon crowns the pediment, and the balanced towers and curving forms give the building an elegance unusual for a cathedral of the eastern rite. The adjoining metropolitan's palace and gardens complete a dignified complex set apart from the bustle below.

Its historical weight is considerable. For generations it was the seat of the Greek Catholic metropolitans, including the revered Andrey Sheptytsky, and a focus of Ukrainian religious and national identity through periods of Austrian, Polish and Soviet rule. Under Soviet suppression the Greek Catholic Church was forced underground, and the cathedral's return to it after 1990 was a powerful symbol of revival.

For visitors the cathedral offers both art and atmosphere. It stands a short walk uphill from the old town and can be entered freely outside services, revealing an interior of icons, altars and the tombs of church leaders. Modest dress is expected. The elevated forecourt gives pleasant views back toward the historic centre, and the ensemble of church, palace and garden rewards a slower visit. It combines well with the market square and the many other churches that make Lviv's old town a treasury of religious architecture.