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Comment by Flenser | Hacker News Reader

I think only a few religious/academic institutions have managed to have ambitious projects in the 100-year range.

I'd be genuinely interested to hear if you could name any.

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is a good example. One of the most fascinating things about this cathedral was that they had no idea how they were going to build the dome when they started building it (the construction techniques weren't advanced enough at the time). They had faith that someone in a later generation would figure it out. That person turned out to be Filippo Brunelleschi, one of the greatest engineers of that time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Cathedral

Construction of cathedrals often takes a long time - look at the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, started in 1883 and still being worked on (although it has been consecrated):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagrada_Fam%C3%ADlia

Meh. That's not even 200 years. Short by Cathedral standards.

Cologne Cathedral: 1248-1880

My favorite example to bring up when my boss complains about schedule overrun :)

Some people have already said a few, but I can add:

Great wall from 400BC - 1600AD

Angkor Wat 800AD - 1200AD

Chichen Itza 600AD - 1000AD

York Minster Cathedral 1220 - 1472AD

The first edition of the OED took about 70 years (starting in the mid 1800's) if I recall. Newer editions are still being edited.

I second Arethuza, if you count construction projects there are some impressive long term projects. Some, such as Chichen Itza (400yrs) or Stonehenge (1,600yrs), have direct scientific significance as well.

Dutch water projects have lasted for decades?

funny coincidence, I caught part of a documentary about that last night.

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