Ettal Abbey, Bavaria, Germany -- Look carefully and you will see some of the 12 buttresses that support the walls of the upper dome. These were much larger in Gothic days but got shaved down when the place went baroque. In 1709, Placidus Seiz II became abbot and served in that role for 27 years -- leading a resurgence in both intellectual activity and physical construction. What we see today is his vision implement by and Italian-trained Swiss master architect named Enrico Zuccalli.

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