St Paul’s Cathedral, view from Southwark Bridge
St Paul’s cathedral is the largest cathedral in England and falls within the Diocese of London. The current cathedral is the fourth to occupy this site. It was designed by the Royal architect Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710, after the previous one burnt down during the Great Fire of London in 1666. Construction was carried out under the close supervision of Wren. Although in 1709 St Paul’s charged visitors, revenue was insufficient, and a tax was put on coal coming into the Port of London. The cathedral has the plan of a cross, the nave and the transept meeting at the centre of the dome. The dome stands 365 feet over the city of London and, when viewed from below, the grisaille murals painted by the Royal painter Sir James Thornhill with scenes from the life of St Paul can be seen. St Paul’s Cathedral has the largest crypt in Western Europe; it follows the length of the cathedral above and contains the tombs of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Christopher Wren. The picture was drawn by Hablot K. Browne (b. 1815), famous during the nineteenth century for being Dickens’ illustrator, and engraved by Benjamin Winkles.
Size: 4284px × 5392px
Location: London, England
Photo credit: © Cameni Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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