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Saint Paul's Cathedral
 What is it:
St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, and the seat of the Bishop of London.
Where is it:
The cathedral sits on the edge of London's oldest region, the City. The City originated as a Roman trading post along the edge of the River Thames.
What else:
The present building dates from the 17th century, and is generally reckoned to be London's fifth St Paul's Cathedral, although the number is higher
if every major mediæval reconstruction is counted as a new cathedral.
What else should I know:
 Saint Paul's Cathedral from across the river
The Cathedral is open to sightseers from Monday to Saturday between 08.30-16.00 (last admission). Special services or events may close all, or part, of
the Cathedral at short notice, so please consult the Events Diary for details.
St. Paul's Cathedral has had an eventful history. The first records date from 604 AD, when Mellitus, Bishop of the East Saxons built the first wooden church
on the summit of one of London's hills. At the end of the 7th century, it was built in stone by Erkenwald, Bishop of London.
In 1669, Christopher Wren designed the so-called 'Great Model' for the new St. Paul's Cathedral. In this model, the cathedral was shaped like a
Greek cross, with a portico, consisting of Corinthian columns, on the entrance. The model was topped by a striking large dome, the largest in the world after
Michelangelo's dome of the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The design was approved in 1675, but it took until 1711 before the Cathedral was finally finished.
 St Paul's Cathedral from Ludgate Hill
In the crypt are effigies and fragments of stone that pre-date the Cathedral, relics of a medieval world. From Wren's original vision, Jean Tijou's
beautiful wrought iron gates of 1700 still separate the quire from the ambulatory. Children still test the acoustics in the Whispering Gallery, and the 1695 organ
which Mendelssohn once played is still in use.
The magnificent mosaics are the result of Queen Victoria's mid-19th century complaint that the interior was 'most dreary, dingy and undevotional'
The American Memorial Chapel stands behind the High Altar in an area that was bomb-damaged during the Second World War - a gesture of gratitude to the American
dead of the Second World War from the people of Britain
 The Dome of St. Paul's Cathedral
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 It a good idea to check out the wine of the area
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