Over the last millennium, a striking Cathedral devoted to St. Paul has been a precious jewel for the city of London. It sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London. The present St Paul 's Cathedral, London, is an Anglican cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of London and the mother church of the Diocese of London. Regularly as the Cathedral is at the centre of many nation-wide events, innovations have been examined, and drastic new thoughts have found expression under the iconic dome. Bearing in mind all those occasions, it is certain that they would have left behind some physical evidence as well as reverberations in the imperceptible retention of the Cathedral itself. There is a long history of St Paul Cathedrals stretching thousand of years since the initial construction of the first church till the nowadays known St. Pauls Cathedral which is the 4th Cathedral constructed on site. The first Christian Cathedral to be built on the site, dedicated to St. Paul was in 604 AD under the rule of King Aethelberht I. Historic reports show that the initial church was destroyed by fire. In 675-685 AD the church was replaced and demolished by Viking raiders in 962, and another one was raised in 1087 AD to stand on the same place. In the late 11th century the well now known Old St. Paul’s Cathedral, was erected out of Caen stone. This was one of the biggest structures in England at that time, having its spire standing higher than the dome of the already standing cathedral. After King of England, Henry VIII (1491 – 1547) separated the Church of England from the authority of the Pope, the Crown took control of the church in the country. As such, after the English Reformation in the 16th century, the Crown ordered... ... middle of paper ... ...uffering the Civil war that broke in 1642 in England. A few months after Wren returned from his self-educational trip to France, in May 1666, made a very radical suggestion for the restoration of the Cathedral, instead of that, of the patching up proposals of the older men in the Commission, Sir John Denham the Surveyor, John Webb and Sir Roger Pratt. Wren suggested to change the interior of the nave like the exterior, and to substitute the nave vault with saucer domes. ‘He noted that it would be easy to perform it after a good Roman manner, so as to follow the Gothic rudeness of the old design’ In Wren’s report there were also practical propositions for the erection of the new dome above the old tower, which would be used as scaffolding and then demolished after the completion, a method that gained in his trip abroad, a method that could save both time and money.
The San Diego Mormon Temple bases its architecture on gothic roots; where the epitome of early gothic architecture is the Chartres Cathedral in France. The Mormon Temple is made of white aggregate stone and stucco, very angular and massive, built as a Gothic revival temple. Designed by William Lewis, Jr., the architect took into consideration Mormon temples in Salt Lake City and Washington, D.C. Hugely bulky at the base, the Mormon Temple rises from an enormous mound of earth, that conceals the lower floor. Built for the Mormons residing in Southern California, this temples marks the forty-fifth Mormon temple in the world. However, since its closing to the public in April 1993, only Mormons in "good standing" are now able to enter and use this massive structure. Situated in a suburban community of La Jolla/University City, the 59,000 square foot building is surrounded by shopping centers, residential areas and office buildings. There is no escaping the "angular, white monstrosity's" impact on the city. The gothic/space age temple capitalizes on an elevated sites that is close to the freeway, where thousands of motorists pass it daily.
Both St. John the Baptist Cathedral and Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Chartres are constructed in French Gothic style which means that architecturally they have many similarities. However, the 700 year gap between their construction
The Black Death plague that hit England in the 1340’s had a devastating effect, wiping out almost half of the population. The clergy, despite their godliness, were not immune. William Bateman Bishop of Norwich, found he had lost close to 700 parish priests and, in order to address this problem, set about founding Trinity Hall in 1350. The institution was designed to replenish the priesthood, promoting divine worship and the civil sciences, which the bishop hoped, would benefit the diocese of Norwich and the surrounding areas.
This cathedral was built during the Medieval Period for the worshipers of God. To this day pilgrims come to see the pure, Gothic cathedral. The massive cathedral seems to loom overhead as if a symbol of God watching over the worshippers that visit. The earlier church burned in 1194, it was rebuilt and has gained a much more appreciated and admirable character distinction, statuary, and stained glass. The distinct character of the thirteenth century was captured, through the “Age of Faith” period. The architecture is Gothic which was very popular in the 1200s. Gothic architects created a frame of support with columns and arches so that the walls no longer need to support the ceilings, but are freed up to hold windows. The Gothic structure allows for plenty of windows. Chartres has a significant collection of medieval stained glass, with over 150 early thirteenth century windows. The windows allowed sunlight to enter the dark, Gothic cathedral in order to highlight the story of Christ through the stained glass windows told throughout history to pilgrims alike. These windows create a spiritual and promising place for thought and prayer. Stained glass was used to help teach the stories of Christ to people that were illiterate during the medieval times. While most worshippers of that day were illiterate, comprehending the symbolism of the story of Christ in each of the windows was vital and gave meaning towards adversity during the medieval ages, as they struggled through their dark and dreary lives, which were filled with hopefulness, while viewing the story through the stained glass windows. The windows are also...
...entrance door and archway, that had and overwhelming impact on me, these over exaggerated entrance doors, were built to awe and act as the gateway to salvation, they succeeded. Upon entering the church, the saints were lined up and down either side of the church and were lustrously painted and adorned, the cathedral with its stained glass also elumeminated the church with bright sunlight that gave the church a peaceful and serene atmosphere. While viewing the church from the outside, you tend to fixate on the towers, and you tend to divert your view skyway. The massive Gothic church, really humbles you, the enormity and size are truly overwhelming. The ornamental gargoyle sculptures placed around and throughout the rooftops of the church, really feel as if they were alive and guarding the church.
Scott, Robert. The Gothic Enterprise: A Guide to Understanding the Medieval Cathedral. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2003.
With the withdrawal of the Roman Empire on the city of London came also the extraction of the Roman gods faith. Medieval London was taken by people who prayed to saints asking them to intercede for them with God. London’s first cathedral built by the Anglo-Saxon was destroyed by fire in 1087. Following the fire the church is rebuilt again by the Normans, after 1241 recruits began almost immediately on extending the east end in the new gothic style (Museum of London). To show they were devout Christians, Londoners went on pilgrimages to distant shrines where the body of a saint or some other holy relic was preserved. Many of the saints were adopted from the religion in different countries, but London’s own saints were displayed in the common seal of the c...
In closing, the decline of the monasteries and ultimately the “City of God” was due to the rise in the “City of the World.” The “City of the World” was the anti thesis of the “City of God.” They can be seen otherwise as church and state. When one was strong and powerful, the other could not be. The two could not exist in equilibrium. So therefore the stronger survived, and with the change of the times, this was the “City of the World.” The king, who at one time in history was strongly influenced by the church, took control of the Durham Priory, and all its worldly possessions.
Monuments such as the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and San Vitale in Ravenna, perform a great importance in Byzantine and Islamic architecture. Both of these structures did not exclusively represent the main place of worship, but most importantly as a symbol of achievement and growth within the current times of construction. Starting in 524, under the influence of Orthodox bishop Ecclesius, the development of San Vitale was to represent the achievements of the emperor Justinian. Julius Argentarius was the sponsor for this structure and it was dedicated by Bishop Maximian in 547. The Dome of the Rock is built on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem in 692 with the help of Abd al-Malik with the suspected intention to symbolize Islams influence in Jerusalem and its involvement in a highly Jewish and Christian supremacy. Although separated by over 100 yrs, both of these domes share multiple similarity's including a projected confidence of their originating culture.
His greatest renown was for St. Paul’s Cathedral, but his major public buildings, and the delicacy and variety displayed in the fifty-or-so parish churches, also contribute to his enduring influence in architecture down to the present day.
Imagine at the time when ordinary people walked into the cathedral, for the very first time in their life they immediately got stunned by the height and beauty of the stained glass. These walls of glass depict narratives from the Bible, like Adam and Eve, Noah’s Ark and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In an age when few people can read and write, stained glass window become the multimedia stories of their day, the Bible written in light. 6 And then they look up and see the beautiful ribbed arches that cross the ceiling, they must all feel so lucky and moved to be in such a sacred place. They were probably just marveling, like, “What is this? Am I in heaven right now?” And I think this was moving. At least I am still moved by this beautiful imaginary
There was creation greater sense of unity between the spaces of the nave and the adjacent walkway and ambulatory chapels. In the process builder became more complicated and were able to achieve increasingly grander effects at various places. These places includes; Notre Dame de Paris in 1163, Amiens Cathedral in 1220, and Sainte- Chappelle in 1243. in these places the windows were enlarged with extensive use of stain glass, which attained the level of its development in the 12th and 13th centuries in Chartres and Sainte-Chapelle.
In the medieval town, the cathedral had to be bigger than any other building in the town. The cathedral had stained glass windows to make evident the glory of God to people who could not read. Cathedrals impacted Medieval Europe through their magnificent architecture, social impact, and political impact. To learn about cathedrals, one must first know the origin to the term ‘cathedral’. The word cathedral comes from ‘cathedra’ meaning bishop’s seat. When a cathedral was being built, the builders usually stayed permanently in the town as it was a long term project. Cathedrals were used not only as a place of worship, but guild meetings and public events were also held at a cathedral. Cathedrals were also destinations for pilgrimages in which pilgrims would go to the cathedral and worship. The pilgrim would also stay at the town where the cathedral was and pay for lodging and other amenities. By the middle of the fifteenth century, Gothic cathedrals were located in places such as Scandinavia. The first Gothic cathedral was the Abbey church of St. Denis, which was seven miles north of Paris.
The Westminster Abbey, previously known as the Collegiate Church of St. Peter at Westminster is a major historical landmark in Brittan. This “Royal Peculiar” has been around for approximately over 900 years, throughout which it had undergone several renovations and reconstructions, leading to the present gothic style it possesses. It functions as the site of burial and coronation of both British and English monarchs. Throughout time the hall had been at center of wars and controversy leading to renovations and restorations that resulted in how it looks to date. In this paper I am going to delve into some of the history that helped mold this magnificent wonder of gothic architecture into the building it is today.
"Architecture of Cathedrals and Great Churches." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 02 Dec. 2011. .