Saturday, November 17, 2012

St. Paul's Cathedral


My last day in London was another rainy day.  So more inside touring.  I expected St. Paul's Cathedral to be a larger version of Salisbury Cathedral and was disappointed.  But once I readjusted to the very different architecture and saw it as a slightly smaller St. Peter's (in Rome), I very much enjoyed it. 
It was built from 1675 to 1708 after the Great Fire of London.  Very imposing outside and in.  It has the second largest dome in the world, after St. Peter's.  It is not so junked up or broken up as I found Westminster Abby.  I was struck by their willingness to incorporate a beautiful modern sculpture of Madonna and Child.  I couldn't find any good place to be still and pray.
In the crypt there is a long and very helpful "time-line" showing all the important things that have happened in the world in the Cathedral's life time.  I laughed out loud, however, when I saw that they had left out our Revolution.  They included the French Revolution but not a word about the loss of the "colonies."

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