10 Epic Construction Projects That Took Centuries to Complete (3 of 6)

4. Westminster Abbey (London, England)—500 Years

In 1245, King Henry III began a project of rebuilding Westminster Abbey as a Gothic showpiece. Although most of it was complete by the Middle Ages, the western towers weren’t added until 1745, exactly 500 years later. Since 1308, the Abbey has been where English kings and queens hold their coronations, and it also serves as the final resting place for monarchs and other influential figures, including Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles Dickens, and Sir Isaac Newton.

5. St. Vitus Cathedral (Prague, Czech Republic)—585 Years

Built to host Bohemian king coronations, St. Vitus Cathedral laid its first foundation stone in 1344. Its architecture is best described as a blend of early French Gothic with a local Czech twist. Much like other buildings on this list, wars and political upheaval prevented St. Vitus from being fully completed until 1929.