Топик St. Paul’s Cathedral
The Great West Door is the main entrance on state occasions into the Cathedral and provides the central dramatic frontispiece of St Paul’s. The North Aisle Located to the left of the Great West door entrance. Areas of interest include a case containing the roll of honour of 33,000 members of the Merchant Navy who lost their lives serving in the Second World War and the monument to the Duke of Wellington by Alfred Stevens who worked on it for 20 years and was still incomplete on his death in 1875. Wellington is buried in the Crypt. The North Transept is where the font is located that dates from 1727. It is made from Italian marble.
The area under the Dome is decorated in a compass design. When the Dome was being built, Wren was hauled up in a basket two or three times a week to see how work was progressing. His son fixed the last stone in position. The Dome is among the largest in the world. It’s main structure is of Portland stone from Dorset. The Whispering Gallery is located above the arches in the dome. It is called the Whispering Gallery because a whisper against the blank circular wall can be heard on the opposite side, some 42 metres away. St Paul’s spectacular fresco paintings are best seen from this gallery. The South Transept contains tributes to national figures including the explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott (1868-1912) who died on the return journey from the South Pole. There is also an elaborate memorial to Admiral Horatio Viscount Nelson (1758-1805). The chief glory in the South Transept is the door case, originally part of the Choir Screen and organ gallery. In one corner of the South Transept stands the first statue to be erected in St Paul’s to the philanthropist and campaigner for prison reform, John Howard (1726-90). The Quire Forms the top of the Cathedral’s cross shape and is the most richly decorated part of the interior. This is where Wren’s workmen started building. Minor Canons’ Aisle. The Organ Wren called the original organ a ‘box of whistles’. The organ has been divided and enlarged and improved to become the third largest organ in the country. Although modifications have been made the quality of the sound and the beauty of the decoration are one of the glories of the cathedral. Such famous composers as Handel and Mendelssohn both enjoyed playing at. The powerful trumpets, situated on the West Gallery, are also played from the organ console
The design echoes the pencil sketch of a baldacchino Wren envisaged as the focal point of his grand building. The altar is made of a slab of Italian marble, weighing nearly four tons whilst the cross stands nearly 3 metres high and the candlesticks on either side, made of gilded and lacquered bronze coins, stand 1.6 metres high. The American Memorial Chapel Is located behind the High Altar and was created as a British tribute to the 28,000 Americans based in Britain who lost their lives in the Second World War. The Chapel was dedicated in 1958 in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen and Richard Nixon, Vice-President of the United States. Dean’s Aisle The effigy of John Donne was the only figure to survive the Great Fire of 1666 intact. As the old Cathedral burned, the statue fell into the Crypt. Scorch marks can still be seen around its base. The Dean’s Aisle also contains fragments from the Holy Land including a carved piece of marble from Herod’s Temple. The South Aisle The Light of the World by Holman Hunt is the most celebrated and famous painting in the Cathedral. It shows Christ knocking at a humble door which, significantly, can only be opened from within. The artist is buried in the Crypt.
The Crypt is the largest and most impressive in Europe. Although burials no longer take place here, some 200 memorials can be seen. Much in the Crypt speaks of heroism and bravery, but overwhelmingly the tragedy of war is illustrated by the monuments contained within.
The Chapel of the Order of the British Empire honours those who have given distinguished service to their country at home or abroad. Also known as St Faith’s Chapel. Christopher Wren’s Tomb is one of the simplest in the Cathedral. Wren himself wanted no memorial.
Admiral Nelson died at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. His body was preserved in a keg of naval brandy and placed within four coffins before burial in the crypt. Wellington’s Tomb Wellington’s tomb is made of Cornish porphyritic granite supported with a block of Peterhead granite.
Many of the Cathedral’s treasures are kept here. Over the centuries much has been seized by the state or stolen in a major robbery in 1810. There are over 200 items of liturgical plate lent by churches in the London Diocese as well as the Jubilee Cope worn during the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations in 1977.
St Paul’s Cathedral shop is situated in the crypt. It has a wide range of merchandise including religious and theological books, children’s books, CDs and tapes of the choir, greetings cards, postcards and gifts such as stationery, china and glass, T-shirts and sweat shirts, all inspired by Sir Christopher Wren’s great architectural masterpiece.
London. St Paul’s Cathedral. Лондон. Собор Святого Павла
London. St Paul’s Cathedral
St Paul’s Cathedral is one of the most famous buildings in the world, and it is also one of the greatest survivors!
There was once a Roman temple on the site, dedicated to the goddess Diana. Since then there have been four different Christian buildings. The first Christian church was built by the Saxon King, Ethelbert of Kent. Being made of wood it didn’t stand a chance and was eventually burnt down. It was rebuilt in stone but that didn’t work either as it was destroyed in a Viking invasion. When the Saxons used wood again on the third church, it was doomed to be destroyed by fire again!
When old St Paul’s was built in the time of William the Conqueror, stone from Northern France was used and it was much taller and wider than it is today. During the reign of King Henry VIII, financial problems meant there wasn’t enough money for the cathedral’s upkeep. Parts of it were destroyed and a market place was set up inside selling, bread, meat, fish and beer!
The first public lottery was held at St Paul’s by the West Door. But instead of the profits going to the cathedral they went to the country’s harbours. Elizabeth I granted money to the cathedral for repairs and an architect was appointed. Inigo Jones cleared out the shops and market place ready for repairs. However it fell in to decay again when soldiers used it as barracks during the Civil War.
Christopher Wren, the cathedral’s final architect, was asked to restore it. Before he could make much progress, parts of it were destroyed by the Great Fire of London, which started in a baker’s shop in Pudding Lane and raged for five days, destroying many of the buildings in the City.
Christopher Wren started once more with a magnificent vision of St Paul’s and the rest of the City. All this in spite of the fact that he was more of a scientist and hadn’t actually built or designed anything until he was 30 years old. He laid the foundation stone for the cathedral in 1675. 35 years later he set the final stone in place. When he died he was buried in his own magnificent building.
The clock tower on the West Side houses the bell known as Great Paul. At three metres in diameter, it is the heaviest swinging bell in the country. Of course there is the famous dome and the cross on top is 365 feet from the ground. It is the second largest cathedral dome in the world. Only St Paul’s in Rome is bigger.
Why not pay St Paul’s a visit? One feature you will find interesting is the Whispering Gallery, where you can whisper at one wall, and then hear what you whispered on the opposite wall 107 feet away!
Лондон. Собор Святого Павла
Собор Святого Павла является одним из самых известных зданий в мире, и это также одно из крупнейших выживших!
Когда-то это был римский храм, посвященный богине Диане. С тех пор там было четыре различных христианских здания. Первая христианская церковь была построена саксонским королем Этельбертом Кентским. Так как она была построена из дерева, у неё не было шансов, она в конце концов сгорела. Она была восстановлена в камне, но это не помогло, она была разрушена вторжением Викингов. Когда саксы использовали древесину для третьей церкви, она была обречена быть уничтоженой огнем еще раз!
Когда старый собор Святого Павла был построен во времена Вильгельма Завоевателя, был использован камень из Северной Франции, и он был гораздо выше и шире чем сегодня. Во время правления короля Генриха VIII, финансовые проблемы не позволяли содержать такой огромный собор. Части его были разрушены и внутри был создан рынок по продаже хлеба, мяса, рыбы и пива!
Первая публичная лотерея состоялась у Западого входа. Но прибыли вместо собора отправились на порты страны. Елизавета I предоставила деньги на ремонт собора и был назначен архитектор. Иниго Джонс очистил его от магазинов и рынка и подготовил для ремонта. Вместе с тем он стал разрушаться еще раз, когда солдаты использовали его в качестве казарм в годы гражданской войны.
Кристоферу Рену, архитектору окончательного собора, было предложено восстановить его. Прежде чем он смог добиться значительного прогресса, его части были уничтожены Великим лондонским пожаром, который начался в булочной в Пуддинг-лэйн и длился пять дней, уничтожив многие здания в городе.
Кристофер Рен начал работать еще раз с великолепным видением собора святого Павла и на остальной части города. Все это, несмотря на то, что он был скорее ученым и фактически не построил и не разработал ничего до 30 лет. Он заложил первый камень в фундамент собора в 1675 году. 35 лет спустя он установил последний камень на место. Когда он умер, он был похоронен в своем великолепном здании.
Башня с часами на Западном крыле имеет колокол, известый как Великий Павел. Имея три метра в диаметре, это самый тяжелый колокол в стране. Конечно, есть знаменитый купол и крест на вершине, что составляет 365 футов от земли. Это второй самый большой купол собора в мире. Только собор Святого Павла в Риме больше.
Почему бы не посетить собор Святого Павла? Одной из особенностей вы найдете шепчущую галерею, где можно прошептать что-то на одной стене, а потом услышать, что ты шептал на противоположной стене за 107 метров!
St Paul’s Cathedral is one of the most famous buildings in the world, and it is also one of the greatest survivors!
There was once a Roman temple on the site, dedicated to the goddess Diana. Since then there have been four different Christian buildings. The first Christian church was built by the Saxon King, Ethelbert of Kent. Being made of wood it didn’t stand a chance and was eventually burnt down. It was rebuilt in stone but that didn’t work either as it was destroyed in a Viking invasion. When the Saxons used wood again on the third church, it was doomed to be destroyed by fire again!
When old St Paul’s was built in the time of William the Conqueror, stone from Northern France was used and it was much taller and wider than it is today. During the reign of King Henry VIII, financial problems meant there wasn’t enough money for the cathedral’s upkeep. Parts of it were destroyed and a market place was set up inside selling, bread, meat, fish and beer!
The first public lottery was held at St Paul’s by the West Door. But instead of the profits going to the cathedral they went to the country’s harbours. Elizabeth I granted money to the cathedral for repairs and an architect was appointed. Inigo Jones cleared out the shops and market place ready for repairs. However it fell in to decay again when soldiers used it as barracks during the Civil War.
Christopher Wren, the cathedral’s final architect, was asked to restore it. Before he could make much progress, parts of it were destroyed by the Great Fire of London, which started in a baker’s shop in Pudding Lane and raged for five days, destroying many of the buildings in the City.
Christopher Wren started once more with a magnificent vision of St Paul’s and the rest of the City. All this in spite of the fact that he was more of a scientist and hadn’t actually built or designed anything until he was 30 years old. He laid the foundation stone for the cathedral in 1675. 35 years later he set the final stone in place. When he died he was buried in his own magnificent building.
The clock tower on the West Side houses the bell known as Great Paul. At three metres in diameter, it is the heaviest swinging bell in the country. Of course there is the famous dome and the cross on top is 365 feet from the ground. It is the second largest cathedral dome in the world. Only St Paul’s in Rome is bigger.
Why not pay St Paul’s a visit? One feature you will find interesting is the Whispering Gallery, where you can whisper at one wall, and then hear what you whispered on the opposite wall 107 feet away!
Перевод
Собор Святого Павла является одним из самых известных зданий в мире, и это также одно из крупнейших выживших!
Первая публичная лотерея состоялась у Западого входа. Но прибыли вместо собора отправились на порты страны. Елизавета I предоставила деньги на ремонт собора и был назначен архитектор. Иниго Джонс очистил его от магазинов и рынка и подготовил для ремонта. Вместе с тем он стал разрушаться еще раз, когда солдаты использовали его в качестве казарм в годы гражданской войны.
Кристоферу Рену, архитектору окончательного собора, было предложено восстановить его. Прежде чем он смог добиться значительного прогресса, его части, были уничтожены Великим лондонским пожаром, который начался в булочной в Пуддинг-лэйн и длился пять дней, уничтожив многие здания в городе.
Кристофер Рен начал еще раз с великолепным видением собора святого Павла и на остальной части города. Все это, несмотря на то, что он был скорее ученым и фактически не построил и не разработал ничего, до 30 лет. Он заложил первый камень в фундамент собора в 1675 году. 35 лет спустя он установил последний камень на место. Когда он умер, он был похоронен в своем великолепном здании.
Башня с часами на Западном крыле имеет колокол, известый как Великий Павел. Три метра в диаметре, это самый тяжелый колокол в стране. Конечно, есть знаменитый купол и крест на вершине, что составляет 365 футов от земли. Это второй самый большой купол собора в мире. Только собор Святого Павла в Риме больше.
Почему бы не посетить собор Святого Павла? Одной из особенностей вы найдете шепчущую галерею, где можно прошептать что-то на одной стене, а потом услышать, что ты шептал на противоположной стене за 107 метров!
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St. Paul’s Cathedral
St. Paul’s Cathedral in London is the seat of the Bishop of London and a major London landmark. It is located on Ludgate Hill in the financial district known as the City of London.
The present St. Paul’s Cathedral, which was built between 1675 and 1710, is the fourth cathedral to occupy the site, which was sacred even before Christianity arrived. The cathedral’s immediate predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.
The cathedral enjoyed by visitors today was designed by court architect Sir Christopher Wren. Wren’s original, grander plan met with considerable resistance from the conservative Dean and Chapter. The present building reflects a compromise, but still reflects the grandeur of Wren’s design.
History of St. Paul’s Cathedral
The see of London dates from 604 AD, and its cathedral has always been situated on Ludgate Hill and dedicated to St Paul. Long before Christianity arrived in Britain, Ludgate Hill was already a sacred site. It is believed that it was originally the site of an ancient megalith and then later a temple dedicated to the goddess Diana, in alignment with the Apollo Temple which once stood at Westminster.
The first cathedral was built by the Saxons in wood. It burned down in 675 and was rebuilt, again in wood, ten years later. After this version was sacked by the Vikings in 962, the «second» St Paul’s built, this time mainly in stone.
The third St Paul’s (known as Old St Paul’s), was begun by the Normans aftered the late Saxon cathedral suffered in a fire of 1087. Work took over two hundred years, and a great deal was lost in a fire in 1136. Nonetheless the roof was once more built of wood, which was ultimately to doom the building.
The church was «completed» in 1240 but a change of heart soon led to the commencement of an enlargement programme, which was not completed until 1314. The cathedral was however consecrated in 1300. It was the third longest church in Europe at 596 feet (181 metres) and boasted one of Europe’s tallest spires at some 489 feet (149 metres).
By the 16th century the building was decaying. In 1549 radical preachers incited a mob to destroy many of the interior decorations. In 1561 the spire was destroyed by lightning and it was not replaced. England’s first classical architect Sir Inigo Jones added new west front in the 1630s. «Old St Paul’s» was ruined in the Great Fire of London of 1666. While it might have been salvagable, albeit with almost complete reconstruction, a decision was taken to build a new cathedral in a modern style instead. Indeed this had been contemplated even before the fire.
Work on the present cathedral commenced in 1675, and was completed on October 20, 1708, the 76th birthday of its architect, Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723). It is built of Portland stone in a late Renaissance to Baroque style. Its impressive dome inspired by St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, rising 108 metres (365 feet to the cross at its summit, i.e., one foot for each day of the year), makes it a famous London landmark.
As the cathedral of the capital city, St. Paul’s Cathedral in London has been the spiritual focus of England ever since the first service was held in 1697. Many important events have taken place here over the years, including:
What to See at St. Paul’s Cathedral
Like most Christian churches, St. Paul’s Cathedral is laid out in the shape of a cross. The longer end of the main arm of the cross is called the nave; the two ends of the shorter arm are called the transepts.
At the «top» of the cross is the choir and the altar, where the sacrament of communion takes place. Where the cross’ two arms intersect is a great dome, marked by a great circle on the floor beneath it. The crypt is in a basement underneath the cathedral.
The West Porch, approached from Ludgate Hill, is the main entrance to St. Paul’s. This is where Prince Charles and Lady Diana emerged as husband and wife in 1981. A large stairway leads up to six sets of double columns and the Great West Door.
The towers that have become distinguishing marks of the London skyline were not part of architect Christopher Wren’s original plan. He added them in 1707, when he was 75 years old. Both were designed to have clocks, but now only the tower on the south (right) side has one.
Also remembered are poets, painters, clergy and residents of the local parish. On the left (north) is a monument to Lord Leighton and on the right (south) is a memorial to an 18th-century naval hero. On the south aisle, in the central transept, is a monument to Thomas Middleton, the first Anglican bishop in India. There are also lists of the Bishops and cathedral Deans for the last thousand years.
The nave has three small chapels in the two adjoining aisles. To the left (north aisle) is St. Dunstan’s Chapel, which was one of the earliest parts of the cathedral to come into use. It was originally known as the Morning Chapel, as it was designed to be the place where the clergy and a small congregation would say the morning office (set of prayers). In 1905 it was dedicated to St. Dunstan, who was Bishop of London and Archbishop of Canterbury over 1,000 years ago. It originally had no altar, as it was not intended for the celebration of communion, but was richly decorated in purple and red silk curtains and cushions.
All Souls Chapel is further down on the left side (north aisle) All Souls contains a beautiful pieta of Mary and Jesus and is dedicated primarily to soldiers of World War I.
Entrances to the downstairs crypt are in both transepts, on either side of the dome. St. Paul’s substantial cathedral crypt contains over 200 memorials as well as another chapel and the treasury.
Members of the royal family are buried in Westminster Abbey, but many other notable figures are buried in St. Paul’s Cathedral crypt, such as Florence Nightengale and Lord Nelson.
Sir Christopher Wren, the architect of the cathedral, was fittingly the first person to be buried here, in 1723. The inscription on his burial slab states, «Reader, if you seek his memorial, look all around you.» Look for Wren’s tomb all the way to the east end of the crypt, under the altar.
The treasury has very few treasures. Many were lost over the years and in 1810 a major robbery took almost all of the remaining precious artifacts.
The main space of the cathedral is centred under the dome, which rises 108.4 meters from the cathedral floor. At 360 feet (110 meters), it is the second largest dome in the world after St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The inside of the dome is decorated with frescos by Sir James Thornhill, the most important painter of Wren’s time.
The entrance to the galleries is at the right side (south aisle), just before the dome. Climb the 259 steps to try out the Whispering Gallery and enjoy the view from the Stone Gallery. The Golden Gallery is at the highest point of the dome, under the lantern.
The choir extends to the east end of the dome. It is home to the cathedral’s great organ, which was ommissioned in 1694. The current instrument is the third biggest in Britain with 7,189 pipes and 138 stops; it is enclosed in an impressive case built by Grinling Gibbons. The wrought ironwork screens in the choir aisles were created by Jean Tijou, a Huguenot refugee.
The bishop’s throne (cathedra), from which a cathedral derives its name, is on the south side of the choir. The choir ceiling is covered with glittering mosaics created by William Richmond in the 1890s.
Originally, the cathedral had a simple table for an altar. Today’s very ornate high altar dates from 1958 and is made of marble and gilded oak. It replaces a large Victorian marble altar and screen, which were damaged by the bombing during World War II, and is based on a sketch by Christopher Wren.
The Apse is the semi-circular east end of the Cathedral, which in St. Paul’s is behind the High Altar. It was destroyed in the second World War by a bomb. After it was rebuilt, this space was consecrated as the American Memorial Chapel in November 1958.
Quick Facts on St. Paul’s Cathedral
| Site Information | |
| Names: | Cathedral Church of St Paul · Cathedral Church of St. Paul · St. Paul’s Cathedral |
|---|---|
| Categories: | cathedrals; Grade I listed buildings |
| Faiths: | Anglicanism |
| Styles: | Neoclassical |
| Dedication: | St. Paul |
| Dates: | 1675-1710 |
| Status: | active |
| Visitor and Contact Information | |
| Coordinates: | 51.513643° N, 0.098351° W |
| Address: | Ludgate Hill London, England EC4 |
| Phone: | 020-7236 4128 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| Hours: | Cathedral: Mon-Sat: 9:30am-3:45pm Gallery: Mon-Sat 9:30am-4:15pm Crypt: Mon-Sat 8:45am-4:15pm |
| Lodging: | View hotels near St. Paul’s Cathedral |
Note: This information was accurate when first published and we do our best to keep it updated, but details such as opening hours and prices can change without notice. To avoid disappointment, please check with the site directly before making a special trip.
References
More Information
Map of St. Paul’s Cathedral
Below is a location map and aerial view of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Using the buttons on the left (or the wheel on your mouse), you can zoom in for a closer look, or zoom out to get your bearings. To move around, click and drag the map with your mouse.
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