cathedral
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One of Sir Christopher Wren's unexecuted designs for St Paul's Cathedral, London. The cathedral was to have been the centrepiece of a new urban plan, designed by Wren, for the City of London following the Great Fire. The scheme was rejected as it was felt it would interfere with the city's commercial life. In 1669, a different design of Wren's for the cathedral was accepted.
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The cathedral at Truro, Cornwall, is a neo-Gothic structure designed by John Loughborough Pearson and widely regarded as his masterpiece. Part of the building was consecrated in 1887, making it the first new cathedral to be built in Britain since the Reformation. The work was continued after Pearson's death by his son, Frank Loughborough Pearson, and it was completed in 1903.
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Reims Cathedral in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France. A synthesis of Gothic styles, and particularly admired for its flying buttresses, the cathedral was rebuilt after a fire in 1210. The social and economic strain of building the cathedral led to an uprising of the townspeople in 1223.
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St Peter's Cathedral, Rome. It stands on the site of an earlier Christian church which was built above the tomb of the apostle Peter. The basilica is topped by the magnificent dome designed by Michelangelo, and the large elliptical space in front is enclosed by a fine colonnade.
Principal Christian church of a bishop or archbishop, containing his throne, which is usually situated on the south side of the choir. In the Middle Ages, cathedrals were used for state occasions, such as parliaments, and they are still used for royal coronations and weddings, and state funerals. Many cathedrals also house the relics of the saints, and so in the Middle Ages were centres of pilgrimage. Until modern times, only a town with a cathedral could be called a city.
History, UK
Formerly, cathedrals were distinguished as either monastic cathedrals (where the clergy were monks) or secular cathedrals (where the clergy were not members of a monastic order). Some British cathedrals are referred to as ‘minsters’, such as Southwell and York, the term originating in the name given to the bishop and cathedral clergy, who were often referred to as a monasterium. During the Middle Ages, cathedrals were by far the largest buildings, reflecting the importance of religion to the medieval mind. They were built as symbols of the glory of God, but also to impress people of the power of the medieval church and the monarchy. After the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII, most of the monastic churches were refounded and are called Cathedrals of the New Foundation. Cathedrals of dioceses founded since 1836 include St Albans, Southwark, Truro, Birmingham, and Liverpool. There are cathedrals in most of the chief cities of Europe.Art and architecture
Because of their importance, cathedrals were for many centuries the main focus of artistic and architectural effort. Their artworks include stained glass, frescoes, mosaics, carvings in wood and stone, paintings (such as altarpieces), ironwork, and textiles. Most cathedrals were built during the Middle Ages and reflect the two main styles of medieval architecture (see English architecture: medieval): Romanesque architecture, or Norman architecture, and Gothic architecture.Examples
Romanesque cathedrals include Durham Cathedral (England), Worms (Germany), and Cefalù (Sicily). Gothic cathedrals include Canterbury Cathedral, Ely Cathedral, Exeter Cathedral, Winchester Cathedral, and York Minster (England); Chartres Cathedral, Notre-Dame, (Paris), Amiens, and Rouen (France); Cologne, Regensburg, and Ulm (Germany); Milan, Orvieto, Siena, and Florence Cathedral (Italy); Ávila, Burgos, Léon, Salamanca, and Toledo (Spain); and Uppsala (Sweden). Among the few built since the Middle Ages are Valencia, Spain (13th–15th century); St Paul's Cathedral, London (17th century); SS Peter and Paul, and St Petersburg, Russia (both 18th century); Westminster Cathedral, London (19th century); and the 20th-century Liverpool (Catholic) Cathedral.| Formerly, cathedrals were distinguished as either monastic or secular, the clergy of the latter not being members of a regular monastic order. Because of their importance, cathedrals were for many centuries the main focus of artistic and architectural endeavour. Their artworks include stained glass, frescoes, mosaics, carvings in wood and stone, paintings (such as altarpieces), ironwork, and textiles. Most cathedrals were built during the Middle Ages and reflect the many styles of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. There are cathedrals in most of the important cities of the world. |
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