Saint Paul’s Cathedral has been one of the most notable cathedrals in the world. Many people throughout the globe dream of visiting the place. St. Paul’s Cathedral, with its fabled dome, dominates the cityscape of London. Christopher Wren is the one who created and designed the current cathedral. For the past three centuries, the cathedral has experience reconstruction three times. It features a 366-foot-tall dome, the second-highest in the world.
The Cathedral is located in London. It is the cathedral of the Anglican bishop. The Cathedral is located within the central City of London, above Ludgate Hill and northeast of Blackfriars.
History of Saint Paul’s Cathedral
St Paul’s Cathedral’s location and beginnings are unknown. Nevertheless, in the years following Christianity’s adoption as the Roman Empire’s official religion. A cathedral existed in Londinium and served as the seat of a Bishop named Restitutus at one point.
Between the departure of the last British bishop and the arrival of a new mission from Rome at the end of the Roman occupation, there was a major gap. In addition, Pope Gregory the Great appointed Augustine as the leader of a mission from Rome to convert the pagan Anglo-Saxons to Christianity in 595.
Also, Augustine established Canterbury Cathedral – becoming the city’s first Archbishop – and began converting the East Saxons, whose capital was London.
A Roman temple for Diana originally stood previously on the site. Then, the first Christian cathedral construction for St. Paul happened in AD 604, during King Aethelberht I’s reign.
Saint Paul’s Cathedral in the late 11th century
Beginning in the late 11th century, the fourth cathedral, today known as Old St. Paul’s, was erected of Caen stone. It was one of the largest structures in the British Isles at the time. The Cathedral’s spire was taller than the current cathedral’s dome. The edifice fell into decay during the English Reformation (16th century). Then, a marketplace replaces its nave.
In 1561, the spire was damaged by lightning (and the subsequent fire) and was never restored. Inigo Jones directed major repairs in the 1630s. The repairs included the demolition of shops, the rebuilding of walls, and the construction of a much-admired portico on the western side. However, Cromwellian cavalry forces who used it as a barracks extensively destroyed the edifice during the English Civil Wars (1642–51).
In the 1660s, Christopher Wren was commissioned to examine and repair the cathedral. The structure was burned in the Great Fire of London (1666), precluding work from the beginning.
Hidden Histories
St Paul’s has been at the forefront of the fight against injustice and inequality throughout its history. Many prominent names in social justice have passed through our doors.
Furthermore, St Paul’s has a long history of celebrating and welcoming advocates of equality and social justice. Ranging from jail reformer John Howard, who was the first ‘civilian’ to be honored with a statue on the Cathedral floor, to Martin Luther King, who preached to thousands of worshippers in 1964. Throughout its life, the Catherdral has not only been a simple Cathedral but also a venue of justice and equality.