Right in downtown Asheville, a Spanish Renaissance dome rises above the rooftops, marking the Minor Basilica of St. Lawrence. Designed and built in 1905 by the Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino — who is interred here — together with R. S. Smith and the Catholic community, this parish was later elevated by Pope John Paul II to the rank of minor basilica in 1993. It belongs to the Diocese of Charlotte and stands on the National Register of Historic Places as the only basilica in western North Carolina.
The building’s Spanish Renaissance Revival style reaches its height in the vast dome, inspired by the Royal Basilica of Our Lady of the Forsaken of Valencia, with a span of 58 by 82 feet (18 by 25 m) that is reputed to be the largest freestanding elliptical dome in North America. Step inside and you’ll find an interior adorned with statues of saints — St. Lawrence, St. Cecilia, St. Rose of Lima, St. Patrick, and St. Peter the Apostle — all made in Italy by the Daprato Statue Company, and a high altar carved of Tennessee marble. The dome, the saints, and the Tennessee marble altar hold the light long after you've moved on.