St. Paul's Cathedral, London

St. Paul's Cathedral in London is one of the most impressive and beautiful cathedrals in Europe. Hugely impressive is the dome and its height is only surpassed by that of St. Peters Basilica in Rome. In essence, Saint Paul's Cathedral in London was the seat of the bishop of the English capital. In parallel, Saint Paul is one of the greatest historical and religious sites in the city. Located on Ludgate Hill, St. Paul dominates the so-called City of London, which is the financial district of the British capital. Known as the Cathedral of St. Paul, the Cathedral is the highest point here.

This temple of St. Paul was built in the 17th and 18th centuries, between 1675 and 1710. Centuries before that, this place was one of religious buildings, so today's St. Paul is the fourth such building of this London area, and according to some sources even 5th. The immediate predecessor of St. Paul was totally destroyed in the great fire of London in 1666. Well before this, even before the advent of Christianity in these lands, the temple at the site of today's St. Paul was a sacred place and was strictly venerated.

The beautiful facade and interior of St. Paul's in London were the work of architect Sir Christopher Wren. The original architectural plan that Wren provides for the St. Paul was met fierce resistance by the then Conservative Dean. Eventually, after much serious changes from the initial sketches, the Cathedral St. Paul appears majestic and beautiful and evenly considered building that reflects the compromise. Evoking conflicting views, the cathedral is still an excellent example of the skill of the architect Wren.

With its 111 m height, the Cathedral St. Paul is the tallest building in London in the years between 1710 and 1962. A number of important royal events were held in St. Paul over the centuries. Royal family usually holds most of their important marriages, christenings and funerals at Westminster Abbey, but St. Paul is where Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer got married.

In past centuries, St. Paul was an arena of religious service to celebrate the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria. Among other historical events that were recorded across the vast and beautiful walls of St. Paul are funerals of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill.

Here is the start of the Festival of Britain. To this day, the Cathedral St. Paul has been active on a regular basis it holds daily prayer times and services. The especially beautiful facade and interior of St. Paul are highlighted mostly by its three domes, which the architect Wren built.

In the north tower of the temple are 13 bells, each has a different tone. In the south tower are only four bells, one of them is a spectacular nearly 17-ton bell, named Paul the Great. Dating from 1881 it is the largest bell on the British Isles.