Mental Floss

ARCHITECTURE

It's big and black and white and all over the place.

They’re so-called minimalist modern farmhouses, painted white, with black roofs, window frames, and railings, seemingly adrift from architectural context. Where did the big black-and-white look come from, and why is it so popular?

Tim Brinkhof
The Duomo di Milano in Milan, Italy.

Whether you’re religious or just a fan of monumental architecture, visiting a cathedral can be an awe-inspiring experience. Here are 11 masterpieces worth the journey.

Kristy Puchko














Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece.

Its cantilevered tiers hang over a 30-foot waterfall—Frank Lloyd Wright’s ingenious way of melding the human-made structure with its natural surroundings. Here are 12 facts about its history and legacy.

Kirstin Fawcett


St. Peter’s at night.

Whether you're Catholic or not, it's hard to argue with the claim that St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome is an amazing feat of architecture and art.

Stacy Conradt








The Parthenon sits atop Athens’s Acropolis.

The ancient Acropolis has loomed over the Greek city of Athens for more than 3000 years as a defensive citadel, temple complex, weather station, and even a site of resistance against the Nazis.

Allison C Meier
The Treasury at Petra in Jordan.

Carved from rock in modern-day Jordan, Petra prospered for centuries under Nabataean and Roman rule. This dazzling settlement is now one of the region’s greatest attractions.

Benjamin Lampkin