Saint Paul's Cathedral
Saint Paul's Cathedral is the Anglican church located in the centre of London in the district of the City, on top of Ludgate Hill. The cathedral was completely destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. The reconstruction of the cathedral was supervised by Sir Christopher Wren and lasted since 1767 to 1710. It is surmounted by a dome, which is the second biggest dome of this type in the world (second only to St. Peter's Basilica in Rome) and weighs 850 tons. It also has an opening through which light can get inside the cathedral. Additionally, on the dome there is an observation deck with a breathtaking view of the city of London. Inside the temple, there is a gallery called the Whispering Gallery, in which even a low murmur is audible at any point around the gallery. The most notable part of the cathedral is its western façade with the two towers, one of them containing a clock. Between the towers, above the main entrance to the cathedral, there is a porch with double columns and a triangular pediment The dome is richly decorated with frescoes which can be admired from the staircase leading to the Whispering Gallery and other galleries with paintings depicting scenes from the life of St. Paul. The main nave has two transepts, one to the north of the dome (North Choir) and the other one to the south of the dome (South Choir). On the outside of the South Choir there is a semicircular portico supported by several pillars. Many important events were held in the cathedral, such as the royal wedding between Prince Charles and Lady Diana. It is on of a few buildings in London that were not damaged in the Second World War. |
Source of description:
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Architect |
Sir Christopher Wren |
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Style |
Baroque |
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Category |
church building architecture |
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Material |
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stone |
Neighbourhood | City (LONDON) |
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Price | normal : 14.50 child : 5.50 (age <15) student : 13.50 (age <26) retired : 13.50 (age 65<) |
Geographical coordinates | 51.5137067, -0.0995281 |
Address | EC4M 8 City of London, Saint Paul's Church Yard |
Construction dates | 1676 - 1710 |
Opening date | 1708 |
Height | 67.00 |
Length | 158.00 |
Width | 37.00 |
More information | official website |