Today, St. Paul’s Cathedral is the most well-known church in London, and its builder, Christopher Wren, is remembered as England’s greatest architect. But if it weren’t for a great disaster, this cathedral might never have been built.
A church known as St. Paul’s had stood on the site of the present cathedral since the twelfth or thirteenth centuries. In the seventeenth century, Christopher Wren was asked to draw up plans to restore this church, which had once been the highest in all Europe. But in 1666, the Great Fire of London destroyed much of the city and completely ruined St. Paul’s.
In 1668, Wren was asked to design a completely new church for the site. Wren’s first design was rejected. He drew up a second plan, which was approved. But the king gave Wren the right to make any changes he wanted to in the design, so the church that Wren built was totally different from the one in the approved design!
Construction of St. Paul’s was completed in 1710, when Wren was nearly 80 years old. He died in 1723 and was buried under the choir of the cathedral he had designed. St. Paul’s Cathedral now stands, in a sense, as Wren’s monument. On a tablet in the church is written a Latin epitaph that reads: “If you would see his monument, look about you”.
Related Posts
-
Why Does The Strasbourg Cathedral Astronomical Clock have a Circus?
The city of Strasbourg in France boasts a large cathedral that was begun in the eleventh century. Its 466-foot spire is one of the tallest medieval towers still standing in Europe. But the…
-
Who was Italian painter and architect Raphael and what was his last name?
Raphael was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period in the Late Middle Ages and did indeed have a last name. His given name at birth was Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino. Italian painter…
-
How Did Craters of the Moon National Monument In Southeastern Idaho Get Its Name?
Craters of the Moon National Monument in Southeastern Idaho is a 83 square mile basaltic lava field created by more than 15,000 years of volcanic activity. Visitors can view many interesting volcanic features,…
-
What Is the Tallest Monument in the World?
The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, holds the record as the world's tallest monument, having taken the title away from the 555-foot Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. The 630-foot Arch stands impressively…
-
Why is the tip of the Washington Monument made of metal while the rest of the structure is made of stone?
When constructed in the 1800s, aluminum was a semiprecious metal, both hard to find and difficult to extract from bauxite, also known as aluminum ore. So at the time, it was considered a…
-
Which Is Taller the Eiffel Tower In Paris France or the Washington Monument In Washington D.C.?
The Eiffel Tower in Paris France is almost twice as tall as the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. It rises 985 feet (300 m) near the Seine River, while the Washington Monument stands…
