Paris1972-Versailles2003

I have been to London several times, more on business than pleasure and we all love it. I guess we do not mind big cities. This is  London, and one of the best for us has been the St Paul’s Cathedral. I found me new pictures not in my blog yet and they should be for you and me, I have visited many times London on business trips but had one visit with the family. One of the nice things to see there is the St Paul’s Cathedral, and like to give you a glimpse. Also, one of my favorite areas of London to hang out when on business trips. Therefore, here is my new post with some old text and new to give you another look of the St Paul’s Cathedral !!! Hope you enjoy it as I.

The St. Paul’s Cathedral is the cathedral of the Diocese of London of the Church of England. It was built after the destruction of the old church during the Great Fire of London in 1666. It crowns Ludgate Hill, a site which housed four shrines before the current cathedral and is located in the City of London, the historic heart of the city that has become today the main business district. It is considered to be the masterpiece of the famous English architect, Sir Christopher Wren. The Dean of Saint Paul is the head of the chapter of Saint Paul Cathedral. He is an important dignitary of the Anglican Church. The St Paul’s Cathedral is a blend of classical and baroque architecture. Its dome, with a total weight of 65,000 tons, was made up of three interlocking envelopes, and its bell towers designed to dominate the entire city. The top of the dome, reached by climbing 528 steps, is about 111 meters high , Featuring a gigantic nave 150 meters long and 36 meters wide, the interior is striking with the altar topped by an impressive canopy as the focal point. The very protruding transept reaches 76 meters from one facade to the other.

Above the altar rises the dome, 86 meters high under vault, whose gallery, located 30 meters from the ground, is called the “Whispering Gallery” because a whispered word from one side can be heard distinctly on the opposite side, more than 33 meters away. There is also a room intended to receive the portraits of kings and queens, which measures 45 meters in length and 10 meters in width, which Christopher Wren had the idea to honor the queen.

With its 125 bells, the St Paul’s Cathedral can be heard from afar. The dome is not just made of simple stained glass, but also contains some diamonds that the Queen gave to Christopher Wren to pay tribute to his courage. On the west side of the cathedral are the two clock towers. Both have bells, but only the southwest tower has a clock, very similar to that of Big Ben. The northwest tower has space for a clock, which has remained empty. The southwest tower contains four bells , and the northwest tower contains twelve bells Among the tombs located in the crypt are those of Admiral Horatio Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, painter Edwin Landseer, composer Arthur Sullivan and Christopher Wren.

A bit of history I like The first known,church incorporated in the Roman enclosure, was built out of wood, under the reign of Æthelbert, king of Kent. It is this first church which will know in the year 604 the consecration of Mellitus, first bishop of London, by Augustin of Canterbury. It was destroyed by the Vikings in the 9C and rebuilt in 962. The Saxon church was destroyed by fire a second time in 1087 and the construction of a fourth cathedral began almost immediately under the aegis of William the Red (or le Roux French name), son of William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy, France and then King of England)  to whom he had just succeeded. The “old Saint Paul” as it was called this 4th church was, with its 586 feet (179 m), the third longest cathedral in
Europe and its spire reached 164 meters!. It stood on a large area surrounded by walls that followed Creed Lane and Ave Maria Lane to the west, Paternoster Row to the north, Old Change to the east and Carter Lane to the south. This enclosure was then pierced with six gates. The fifth cathedral was done following the fire of 1666, the reconstruction of an equally impressive cathedral was therefore essential. This task was entrusted to Sir Christopher Wren on July 30, 1669. The first stone was laid on June 21, 1675, the choir opened to the public on December 2, 1697, the last stone crowned the building in 1710. The cathedral of Wren is a mixture of Classical and Baroque architecture.  The study of the dome began in 1685. Wren was inspired by the dome of Michelangelo, designed for the Saint Peter’s basilica in Rome, and also that of Jules Hardouin-Mansart, designed for the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris. On the west side of the St Paul’s Cathedral are the two clock towers. The northwest tower has space for a clock, which has remained empty. The southwest tower contains four bells. The largest is called “Great Paul”, manufactured in 1881, and was until 2012 the largest bell in Great Britain (16.5 tons). Another bell, called “Great Tom”, rings on time, and also on the announcement of the death of a member of the British royal family, a bishop of London, or a lord mayor of London during his tenure. The last occasion when this bell rang to announce a death was in 2021, for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The northwest tower contains twelve bells, one of which, called “The Banger”, rings for services at 8h. An anecdote I like: During the bombing of London in 1940 by the Luftwaffe, Saint Paul’s Cathedral was for Nazis aviation one of the hotspots of the English capital and, therefore, a privileged target for the latter. But on the night of the bombing, while most of the city’s buildings were in flames, the cathedral received only one projectile; the latter only damaged the roof only superficially thanks to the mobilization of civilians who were responsible for putting out the fire caused by the bombs. The next morning, while the city was suffocating because of the event of the previous day, Saint-Paul Cathedral rose, with its immaculate whiteness, above the blackish smokes which rose to the sky. It is partly because of this event that the cathedral has become a strong symbol for Londoners.

The official St Paul’s Cathedral : https://www.stpauls.co.uk/

The London tourist office on St Paul’s Cathedral : https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/place/284990-st-pauls-cathedral

There you go folks, a wonderful monument to see in London ,the St Paul’s Cathedral, is a must and a first to go visit, me think. Again, hope you enjoy the post as I.

And remember, happy travels , good health, and many cheers to all !!!