st paul's cathedral

St Paul's Cathedral

Index

why was st paul's cathedral built?

how was it built?

where is the cathedral?

when was it built?and by whom?

video st paul's cathedral

history

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WHERE IS THE CATHEDRAL?

St Paul's Cathedral is one of two Anglican cathedrals in London (the other is Southwark), on Ludgate Hill in the City.

HOW WAS IT BUILT?

Saint Paul's Cathedral, Cathedral of the Church of England in London. The present building is a domed church of great openness designed in a restrained style that combines elements of Neoclassical, Gothic, and Baroque architecture. It was designed by Christopher Wren and constructed (1675–1710) of Portland stone. The building replaced Old St. Paul’s, destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. The interior is characterized by ironwork and woodcarving by master craftworkers. The majestic dome, set on a colonnaded drum, rises 365 ft (111 m). The superbly detailed cathedral that Wren built bears only a slight resemblance to the Classical-Gothic design that had been accepted; why this is so remains a mystery.

WHY WAS ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL BUILT?

Instigated by Pope Gregory, Saint Mellitus and Saint Augustine arrived from Rome and established a cathedral dedicated to Paul the Apostle in 604. However, these were relatively short-lived structures that didn’t last long. It wasn’t until 1087 that a stable Cathedral building was constructed that stood for almost 600 years. However, the current building of St Paul’s Cathedral is not the one from 1087. The Great Fire in 1666 burned down a significant part of the cathedral, after which Sir Christopher Wren built a new cathedral with modern architecture in its place.

HISTORY

1560 - 1666: Reformation to ConflagrationThe building began to decay towards the second half of the 16th century. The spire was destroyed by lightning in 1561. With the city recovering from a trade depression, they decided not to rebuild the cathedral. A west front was added in the 1630s by Inigo Jones and further repair work was halted when the Civil War broke out in 1642. The building was mistreated and defaced by the Parliamentarian forces during the war. During the commonwealth, the buildings in the churchyard were razed.Plans to repair the cathedral were proposed by Sir Christopher Wren in August 1666. Just one week later, during the Great Fire of London, Old St. Paul’s was destroyed and it was decided that a new building was to be constructed in its place. 1666 - 1711: New Cathedral for LondonThe project of constructing a new building after the Great Fire was officially assigned to renowned architect Sir Christopher Wren in 1669. He drew inspiration from the dome at St Peter’s Basilica and wanted to add a dome in the place of the tower along with other non-traditional design elements. The design of the cathedral took several years, mostly because many of his ideas were turned down by the cathedral commissioners.

WHEN WAS IT BUILT?AND BY WHOM?

The famous British architect Sir Christopher Wren designed the cathedral as part of a major rebuilding of the city, following the Great Fire of London in 1666. The current St Paul's Cathedral was built between 1675 and 1710 and is one of the most popular in London.

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