St Paul’s Cathedral
-
This is the great masterpiece of Sir Christopher Wren, who rebuilt the City’s churches after the Great Fire of 1666. Completed in 1708, it was England’s first purpose-built Protestant cathedral, and has many similarities with St Peter’s in Rome, notably in its enormous ornate dome. It has the largest swinging bell in Europe, Great Paul, which strikes every day at 1pm. The hour bell, Great Tom, strikes the hour and marks the death of royalty and senior churchmen. The cathedral has a reputation for music, and draws its choristers from St Paul’s Cathedral School.
More on London places of worship
-
1. West Front and Towers
1. West Front and TowersThe imposing West Front is dominated by two huge towers. The pineapples at their tops are symbols of peace and prosperity. The Great West Door is 9 m (29 ft) high and is used only for ceremonial occasions.
-
2. Dome
2. DomeOne of the largest domes in the world , it is 111 m (365 ft) high and weighs 65,000 tonnes. The Golden Gallery at the top, and the larger Stone Gallery, both have great views.
-
3. Whispering Gallery
3. Whispering GalleryInside the dome is the famous Whispering Gallery. Words whispered against the wall can be heard on the opposite side of the gallery.
-
4. Quire
4. QuireThe beautiful stalls and organ case in the Quire are by Grindling Gibbons. Handel and Mendelssohn both played the organ, which dates from 1695.
-
5. OBE Chapel
5. OBE ChapelAt the eastern end of the crypt is a chapel devoted to men and women who received the Order of the British Empire, a military and civil honour established in 1917, and the first to include women.
-
6. High Altar
6. High AltarThe magnificent High Altar is made from Italian marble, and the canopy is from a sketch by Wren. The large candlesticks are copies of a 16th-century pair made for Cardinal Wolsey.
-
7. Jubilee Cope
This beautiful cope was made by Beryl Dean for the silver jubilee of Elizabeth II in 1977. Made of silk organza, its rich gold and silk embroidery illustrates St Paul’s and 76 other London churches.
-
8. Tijou Gates
8. Tijou GatesThe French master metal worker Jean Tijou designed these ornate wrought iron gates in the North Quire Aisle, along with the Whispering Gallery balcony and other cathedral metalwork.
-
9. Mosaics
9. MosaicsColourful mosaic ceilings were installed in the Quire and Ambulatory in the 19th century. They are made with irregular cubes of glass, set at angles so that they sparkle.
-
10. Treasury
10. TreasurySt Paul’s lost most of its gold and silver in a robbery in 1810. The ceremonial items now on display in the Treasury (in the crypt) are from churches across the city. There are also models of the cathedral and some of Wren’s designs.
Advertisement
-
-
mideon's San Francisco guide
mideon
-
-
Lake Como Aug08
jasmin
-
Barcelona guide
capule
-
Amsterdam guide
bhaims
-
anna's Venice guide
annanz
-
Sydney guide
bekiba
-
HannahGray's Sydney guide
Hannah
-
-
The Beat & Neville StapleThe Beat bring their rocksteady sounds to the London's Jazz Cafe for two nights of a double-bill also featuring Neville Staple, formerly vocalist with The Specials. Read more
-
BBC Proms - Week SevenWhile Sir Simon Rattle's return with his Berliner Philharmoniker will dominate headlines in the Proms' seventh week, look out for Verdi's Requiem, Indian ragas and evil magician Kashchey at... Read more
-
Italy's Divisionist Painters 1891-1910The first of its kind outside Italy, this exhibition on Italy's Divisionist Painters at the National Gallery explores the relationship between Italian Divisionism and the emerging Futuristic... Read more
-
Soccer Aid 2008: England v Rest Of The WorldTeams of celebrities and World Cup legends meet at Wembley Stadium for the Soccer Aid 2008 football match, held to raise money for children's charity UNICEF. Read more
![[+]](/images/button-addtoguide.gif)
symbol, to start adding attractions to your
tailor-made travel guide.
If you were signed in, you could write a review here. Register for a free account, or if you're already a member, sign in.