45 Facts About St. Paul's Cathedral That Will Fascinate You

The most iconic landmark of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, is a popular tourist destination frequented by thousands of people coming from all over the world each year.

The church was first built in the 17th century and has been reconstructed as many as four times. The church has been the subject of many paintings and was seen in several popular movies and shows.

The present church was designed and planned by the famous British architect Sir Christopher Wren in the 17th century. The history of St. Paul’s Cathedral is intricately linked with that of Britain.

The church houses hundreds of artworks from renowned artists and has one of the largest domes in the world, second only to St. Peter’s in Rome. Visitors can, if they want, go up to the Golden Gallery atop the dome and observe the brilliant skyline of modern London.

Facts About St. Paul's Cathedral

St. Paul’s Cathedral is a Christian cathedral in the city of London known for its baroque style of architecture. Here are some interesting facts about the foremost churches of Europe.

• The cathedral consists of various parts such as the Whispering Gallery, the Golden Gallery, the Stone Gallery, and the Crypt.
• The huge dome and chapel are also important parts of St. Paul's Cathedral.
• The Crypt at St. Paul’s is the greatest in Western Europe and consists of more than 200 memorials and monuments.
• Audio tours of the cathedral are available in many languages, including English, German, Russian, Spanish, and French.
• The dome of the cathedral is supported by eight arches and is the second tallest dome only after St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
• The design of the monument is shaped in the form of a cross, like several Christian churches.
• The Whispering Gallery falls on the way to the dome.
• The incredible design of the walkway ensures that even a slight whisper at one wall can be heard 112 ft (34 m) away against the far wall.
• St. Paul's Cathedral has inspired many artists to depict it in their artworks, including Daubigny, Derain, Signac, and Canaletto.
• St Paul’s Cathedral is a prominent figure in many movies such as Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Lawrence of Arabia, and Thor: The Dark World.

St. Paul's Cathedral's History

The history of St. Paul’s Cathedral is a truly interesting one. London’s most iconic landmark is the central church of the city. Let us dive into the rich history of the cathedral.

• The site of the cathedral had a church built on it for the first time in 604 AD.
• The church was dedicated to St. Paul, the Apostle, during the early part of the seventh century.
• The first bishop of Britain had the name of Mellitus. He resided in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom known as East Saxon, whose capital was London at that time. Mellitus commissioned the building of the St. Paul’s Cathedral, and it was constructed using wood.
• A fire destroyed the first cathedral in 675 AD, after which a second one was built ten years later.
• Viking invaders once again destroyed the second church in 962 AD, and this time, the Normans rebuilt the church using stones.
• The third church is now known as Old St. Paul’s and was the highest monument in London for a long time.
• The Great Fire of 1666 was the reason why Christopher Wren had to build the church as it stands today.
• The Old St. Paul’s was a huge building and larger than the present one. It was built in Gothic architectural style with high windows and pointy arches.
• The huge Old St. Paul’s underwent an enlargement project in 1256, which was completed in 1314.
• After this project, it became one of the world's largest churches in medieval times.
• Old St. Paul’s dimensions were huge, 100 ft (30 m) wide and 585 ft (178 m) long.
• The spire was 489 ft (149 m), meaning it was one of the tallest structures in the world.
• The high spire meant that it stood above all other buildings in London, making it prone to being struck by lightning. A huge lightning bolt in 1561 destroyed a part of the church.
• The English Civil War in the 17th century further destroyed the Old St. Paul’s. Finally, the Great Fire of London in 1666 ravaged the whole cathedral, and it had to be rebuilt.
• The fire destroyed almost the whole of London, including Old St. Paul’s and 87 parish churches.
• Sir Christopher Wren was assigned the job of designing a new church when he was only 33 years old on July 30, 1669.
• The building of the new cathedral started in 1675, and it took about 35 years to finish.
• The dome designed by Wren made the cathedral London’s tallest building from 1710 to 1963.
• Even after construction was completed in 1708, further statues were built, and the construction finally came to an end in the 1720s.
• The total estimated cost of building the church was about £1,095,556, or £165 million ($223 million) in today’s value. The money came from the taxes paid by the common people.
• James Thornhill, an English artist, painted the ceiling of the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral.

St. Paul's Cathedral's Significance

The importance of St. Paul’s Cathedral cannot be contained within the limited text of this article. Still, we have tried to list the major points as to why this cathedral is considered so significant among the British and even foreigners.

• St. Paul’s Cathedral is the mother cathedral of the Diocese of London, and it is the office of London’s Bishop.
• It was built by the most famous architect of the United Kingdom, Sir Christopher Wren.
• The central dome of St. Paul’s is one of the most recognizable sights in the city of London and has appeared in stamps and picture books.
• A number of historically significant events have taken place at the site. The conclusion of the first and second world wars, royal jubilees, and marriage of Lady Diana Spencer to Prince Charles are a few examples of such events.
• The cathedral dedicated to St. Paul also houses the tomb of many famous personalities.
• Sir Christopher Wren was the first person who was buried in the tomb designed by himself.
• A funeral or memorial at St. Paul’s is one of the highest national honors of England. Some of the people who have been honored are William Blake, Florence Nightingale, John Donne, and Sir Alexander Fleming.
• Although not buried, prime ministers of England, such as Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher, had funeral services taking place at this site.
• St. Paul's Cathedral is the highest point in the city of London, situated on Ludgate Hill. It is also listed as a Grade I building.

St. Paul's Cathedral's Bells

The bells in St. Paul’s Cathedral church are equally significant as the architecture of the cathedral.

• St. Paul’s had the largest bell of the United Kingdom until a few years ago. The cathedral consists of many bells and can be compared to Big Ben, London's most popular bell tower.
• The largest bell weighs 37,038 lb (16,800 kg). It was cast in 1881 and named ‘Great Paul.'
• The name was appropriate as it became UK’s largest bell after it was cast. John Taylor and Company built the bell.
• Great Paul lost its status as the largest bell in 2012 when the Olympic Bell was cast for the London Olympics of 2012.
• William III transferred bells from St. Stephen’s Chapel inside the Palace of Westminster to St. Paul’s in 1698. Great Tom was the name of the largest of these.