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There was once a time when the most we could build was a simple shelter to keep us safe from the elements. But as the centuries passed, we learned new skills, developed better tools, and figured out how to create much more impressive structures. Eventually, architecture became a real art form.

With that in mind, we’ve rounded up some beautiful and timeless buildings shared by the page Architecture & Tradition. It’s amazing to think that people designed and constructed places like these from scratch. Scroll down to admire them for yourself, and upvote the ones you love most.

#1 Palazzo Madama In Turin, Italy

#2 Gothic Quarter, Barcelona

#3 Edinburgh, Scotland

Looking at the buildings in this collection, it’s hard not to notice just how much work went into every little detail. Stone was carved into arches and intricate figures, while wooden doors and ceilings were covered in carefully made patterns.

Even windows could become works of art, with stained glass filling entire walls with color. It’s pretty wild to think that all of this grew from a time when humans were putting together simple homes from rocks and mud.

#4 Santiago De Compostela, Spain

#5 Ascending Should Be An Experience

#6 The Greatest Luxury Is Living In A Civilization That Values Beauty

We don’t actually know exactly when people first started making their own shelters. According to Trimble, the earliest tents and simple huts made from things like sticks and animal hides left very little behind for archaeologists to study.

What we do know is that by the Neolithic era, humans were already putting together more permanent structures for protection.

#7 This Is What A Hotel Should Look Like

#8 Rivello, Italy

#9 Porto Flavia, Sardinia

Once people began settling down and farming, what they made became more ambitious too. Communities grew, and eventually the first cities appeared. Trimble notes that this also encouraged people to think about how those cities worked.

Ancient Romans, for example, had aqueducts bringing in fresh water, while Greek cities were being laid out using planned street grids centuries earlier.

#10 If A Front Door Doesn’t Look Like This, I’m Not Entering

#11 Edinburgh, Scotland

#12 Cobh, Ireland

Some ancient civilizations were also proving just how much could be achieved with stone. In Egypt, enormous pyramids and temples appeared thousands of years ago.

Many were made from carefully cut blocks of granite and limestone, and the Egyptians managed to fit them together without mortar. The pyramid itself was also a clever engineering solution, since its wide base could support the huge weight above it.

#13 Old Bridge, Florence

#14 Calcata Vecchia, Italy

#15 Matera, Italy

According to ThoughtCo, ancient Greece and Rome had a huge influence on Western architecture for centuries afterward. Greek builders placed a lot of importance on proportion and symmetry, using mathematical principles to decide how temples should look.

The Romans adopted many of those ideas, then combined them with new construction methods. Their use of concrete made it possible to build much larger spaces and impressive domed structures, including the Pantheon.

#16 Books Were Once Given The Architecture They Deserved

#17 Chatsworth House In Derbyshire, England

#18 Clovelly, England

By the Middle Ages, architecture was reaching some pretty incredible heights. This was especially true for Gothic cathedrals, where new building techniques allowed structures to rise higher and made room for much larger stained-glass windows.

Detailed stone carvings also became a major part of the style. Famous examples such as Chartres Cathedral and Notre Dame in Paris came from this period.

#19 Give Me Books And Beautiful Woodwork

#20 This Is What Harmony Looks Like

#21 Heidelberg, Germany

During the Renaissance, architects became fascinated with the proportions and ideas of ancient Greece and Rome again, and symmetry became especially important.

Andrea Palladio helped make this approach hugely influential through both his villas and his writings. His ideas continued inspiring architecture long after the Renaissance itself had ended.

#22 Cornwall, England

#23 Cotswolds, England

#24 Ely Cathedral, England

Later centuries brought plenty of new tastes. Baroque architecture became known for elaborate decoration and dramatic interiors, while Neoclassicism eventually returned to the cleaner proportions associated with ancient Greece and Rome.

Then, in the early 20th century, Art Deco mixed sleek modern forms with inspiration from places as varied as ancient Egypt and classical Greece. The Chrysler Building is one of the best-known examples of that style today.

#25 Is There A City More Captivating Than Prague?

#26 This Is What A Street Should Look Like

#27 Imagine Waking Up To This View Every Morning

And that eventually brings us to the huge variety of architecture we see now. Modernist architects started putting much more emphasis on function, often using materials such as glass and concrete.

Postmodern architecture later brought more decoration and references to older styles back into the picture. Today, architects can draw inspiration from almost any period while also using new materials and technology to try completely different ideas.

Of course, not everyone is a fan of where modern architecture has gone. Do you prefer the more traditional and timeless styles in this collection, or do you like what architects are doing today? Share your thoughts in the comments.