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Cathedral

Specialty Definition: Cathedral

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Specialty Definition: Brunswick Cathedral

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Brunswick Cathedral,
with Lion statue

The Brunswick Cathedral, in the city of Brunswick, Germany, is dedicated to St. Blaze and was built by Henry the Lion from 1173 to 1195.

Henry and his consort Matilda are both buried in the cathedral. The limestone statues on the tomb in the nave are an idealised representation made a generation after their death, between 1230 and 1240.

The cathedral is famous for its wooden crucifix by Master Imervard (12th century) and one of very few huge bronze candlesticks with seven arms.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Brunswick Cathedral."

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Canterbury Cathedral

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Canterbury Cathedral, shown above, is one of the oldest Christian structures in England. The Cathedral was built on the site of a monastery that had been built in the 6th century AD. According to legend, St. Augustine himself founded it. The Cathedral itself was built in many stages from about the 12th cenury all the way up to the 1950s. It is the Cathedral for the Archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the Church of England.

A curious bird's-eye view of Canterbury Cathedral and its annexed conventual buildings, taken about 1165, is preserved in the Great Psalter in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge. As elucidated by Professor Willis,1 it exhibits the plan of a great Benedictine monastery in the 12th century, and enables us to compare it with that of the 9th as seen at the abbey of Saint Gall. We see in both the same general principles of arrangement, which indeed belong to all Benedictine monasteries, enabling us to determine with precision the disposition of the various buildings, when little more than fragments of the walls exist. From some local reasons, however, the cloister and monastic buildings are placed on the north, instead, as is far more commonly the case, on the south of the church. There is also a separate chapter-house, which is wanting at St Gall.

The buildings at Canterbury, as at St Gall, form separate groups. The church forms the nucleus. In immediate contact with this, on the north side, lie the cloister and the group of buildings devoted to the monastic life. Outside of these, to the west and east, are the halls and chambers devoted to the exercise of hospitality, with which every monastery was provided, for the purpose of receiving as guests persons who visited it, whether clergy or laity, travellers, pilgrims or paupers.

To the north a large open court divides the monastic from the menial buildings, intentionally placed as remote as possible from the conventual buildings proper, the stables, granaries, barn, bakehouse, brewhouse, laundries, &c., inhabited by the lay servants of the establishment. At the greatest possible distance from the church, beyond the precinct of the convent, is the eleemosynary department. The almonry for the relief of the poor, with a great hall annexed, forms the paupers' hospitium.

The most important group of buildings is naturally that devoted to monastic life. This includes two Cloisters, the great cloister surrounded by the buildings essentially connected with the daily life of the monks,---the church to the south, the refectory or frater-house here as always on the side opposite to the church, and farthest removed from it, that no sound or smell of eating might penetrate its sacred precincts, to the east the dormitory, raised on a vaulted undercroft, and the chapter-house adjacent, and the lodgings of the cellarer to the west. To this officer was committed the provision of the monks' daily food, as well as that of the guests. He was, therefore, appropriately lodged in the immediate vicinity of the refectory and kitchen, and close to the guest-hall. A passage under the dormitory leads eastwards to the smaller or infirmary cloister, appropriated to the sick and infirm monks.

Eastward of this cloister extend the hall and chapel of the infirmary, resembling in form and arrangement the nave and chancel of an aisled church. Beneath the dormitory, looking out into the green court or herbarium, lies the "pisalis" or "calefactory," the common room of the monks. At its north-east corner access was given from the dormitory to the necessarium, a portentous edifice in the form of a Norman hall, 145 ft. long by 25 broad, containing fifty-five seats. It was, in common with all such offices in ancient monasteries, constructed with the most careful regard to cleanliness and health, a stream of water running through it from end to end.

A second smaller dormitory runs from east to west for the accommodation of the conventual officers, who were bound to sleep in the dormitory. Close to the refectory, but outside the cloisters, are the domestic offices connected with it: to the north, the kitchen, 47 ft. square, surmounted by a lofty pyramidal roof, and the kitchen court; to the west, the butteries, pantries, &c. The infirmary had a small kitchen of its own. Opposite the refectory door in the cloister are two lavatories, an invariable adjunct to a monastic dining-hall, at which the monks washed before and after taking food.

The buildings devoted to hospitality were divided into three groups. The prior's group "entered at the south-east angle of the green court, placed near the most sacred part of the cathedral, as befitting the distinguished ecclesiastics or nobility who were assigned to him." The cellarer's buildings were near the west end of the nave, in which ordinary visitors of the middle class were hospitably entertained. The inferior pilgrims and paupers were relegated to the north hall or almonry, just within the gate, as far as possible from the other two.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Canterbury Cathedral."

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Cathedral

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

A Cathedral is large Christian church, overseen by a bishop.

Designation

Although the term is often used simply to mean any large and impressive church building, a cathedral, more correctly "cathedral church" (ecclesia cathedralis), is the church which contains the official "seat" or throne of a bishop. Cathedra, one of the Greek/Latin names for this, gives us the adjective "cathedral". The adjective has gradually assumed the character of a noun.

One of the earliest instances of the term ecclesia cathedralis is said to occur in the acts of the council of Tarragona in 516. Another name for a cathedral church is ecclesia mater, indicating that it is the mother church of a diocese. As the one important church, it was also known as ecclesia major. Again, as the supposed chief house of God in a region, the cathedral church was called the Domus Dei, and from this name the Germanic Dom- prefix for church is derived, and the Italian Duomo.

History and Organization

It was early decreed that the cathedra of a bishop was not to be placed in the church of a village, but only in that of a city. This was no difficulty on the continent of Europe, where towns were numerous and cities were the natural centres from which Christianity was diffused among the surrounding districts. In the British Isles, however, towns were few, and, instead of exercising jurisdiction over definite areas, many of the bishops were bishops of tribes or peoples, as the bishops of the south Saxons, the West Saxons, the Somersætas, etc. The cathedra of such a bishop was often migratory.

In 1075 a council was held in London, under the presidency of Archbishop Lanfranc, which, reciting the decrees of the council of Sardica held in 347 and that of Laodicea held in 360 on this matter, ordered the bishop of the south Saxons to remove his see from Selsey to Chichester; the Wiltshire and Dorset bishop to remove his cathedra from Sherborne to Old Sarum, and the Mercian bishop, whose cathedra was then at Lichfield, to transfer it to Chester. Traces of the tribal and migratory system may still be noted in the designations of the Irish see of Meath (where the result has been that there is now no cathedral church) and Ossory, the cathedral church of which is at Kilkenny. Some of the Scottish sees were also migratory.

By the canon law the bishop is regarded as the pastor of the cathedral church, the parochia of which is his diocese. In view of this, canon lawyers sometimes speak of the cathedral church as the one church of the diocese, and all others are deemed chapels in their relation to it. Occasionally two churches share the distinction of containing the bishop's cathedra. In such case they are said to be co-cathedrals.

Cathedral churches may have different degrees of dignity:

1. the simple cathedral church of a diocesan bishop,
2. the metropolitical church to which the other diocesan cathedral churches of a province are suffragan,
3. the primatial church under which are ranged metropolitical churches and their provinces,
4. patriarchal churches to which primatial, metropolitical, and simple cathedral churches alike owe allegiance.

The title of "primate" was occasionally conferred on metropolitans of sees of great dignity or importance, such as Canterbury, York, Rouen, whose cathedral churches remained simply metropolitical. Lyons, where the cathedral church is still known as La Primatiale, and Lund in Sweden, may be cited as instances of churches which were really primatial. Lyons had the archbishops of Sens and Paris and their provincial dioceses subject to it until the Revolution, and Lund had the archbishop of Uppsala and his province subject to it. As with the title of primate, so also that of "patriarch" has been conferred on sees such as Venice and Lisbon, the cathedral churches of which are patriarchal in name alone. The cathedral church of St. John Lateran, the cathedral church of the Pope as bishop of Rome and patriarch of the West, alone in Western Europe possesses potentially a patriarchal character. Its formal designation is Patriarchalis Basilica, Sacrosancta Romana Cathedralis Ecclesia Lateranensis.

The removal of a bishop's cathedra from a church deprives that church of its cathedral dignity, although often the name clings in common speech, as for example at Antwerp, which was deprived of its bishop at the French Revolution.

The history of the body of clergy attached to the cathedral church is obscure, and as in each case local considerations affected its development, all that can be attempted is to give a general outline of the main features which were more or less common to all. Originally the bishop and cathedral clergy formed a kind of religious community, which, in no true sense a monastery, was nevertheless often called a monasterium. The word did not have the restricted meaning which it afterwards acquired. Hence the apparent anomaly that churches like York Minster and Lincoln Cathedral, which never had any monks attached to them, have inherited the name of minster or monastery. In these early communities the clergy often lived apart in their own dwellings, and were not infrequently married. In the 8th century, however, Chrodegang, bishop of Metz (743-766), compiled a code of rules for the clergy of the cathedral churches, which, though widely accepted in Germany and other parts of the continent, gained little acceptance in England. According to Chrodegang's rule, the cathedral clergy were to live under a common roof, occupy a common dormitory and submit to the authority of a special officer. The rule of Chrodegang was, in fact, a modification of the Benedictine rule. Gisa, a native of Lorraine, who was bishop of Wells from 1061 to 1088, introduced it into England, and imposed its observance on the clergy of his cathedral church, but it was not followed for long there, or elsewhere in England.

During the 10th and 11th centuries, the cathedral clergy became more definitely organized, and were divided into two classes. One was that of a monastic establishment of some recognized order of monks, often the Benedictines, while the other class was that of a college of clergy, bound by no vows except those of their ordination, but governed by a code of statutes or canons. Hence the name of "canon". In this way arose the distinction between the monastic and secular cathedral churches.

In Germany, as in England, many of the cathedral churches were monastic. In Denmark all seem to have been Benedictine at first, except Børglum, which was Praemonstratensian till the Reformation. The others were changed to churches of secular canons. In Sweden, Uppsala was originally Benedictine, but was secularized about 1250, and it was ordered that each of the cathedral churches of Sweden should have a chapter of at least fifteen secular canons. In France monastic chapters were very common, but nearly all the monastic cathedral churches there had been changed to churches of secular canons before the 17th century. One of the latest to be so changed was that of Seez, in Normandy, which was Augustinian till 1547, when Pope Paul III dispensed the members from their vows, and constituted them a chapter of secular canons. The chapter of Senez was monastic till 1647, and others perhaps even later, but the majority were secularized about the time of the Reformation.

In the case of monastic cathedral churches there were Dignitaries, the internal government was that of the order to which the chapter belonged, and all the members kept perpetual residence. The reverse of this was the case with the secular chapters; the dignities of provost, dean, precentor, chancellor, treasurer, etc., soon came into being, for the regulation and good Order of the church and its services, while the non-residence of he canons, rather than their perpetual residence, became the rule, and led to their duties being performed by a body of "vicars", who officiated for them at the services of the church. Abroad, the earliest head of a secular church seems to have been the provost (praepositus, Probst, etc.), who was charged, not only with the internal regulation of the church, and oversight of the members of the chapter and control of the services, but was also the steward or seneschal of the lands and possessions of the church. The latter often mainly engaged his attention, to the neglect of his domestic and ecclesiastical duties, and complaints were soon raised that the provost was too much mixed in worldly affairs, and was too frequently absent from his spiritual duties. This led, in many cases, to the institution of a new officer called the "dean", who had charge of that portion of the provost's duties which related to the internal discipline of the chapter and the services of the church. In some cases the office of provost was abolished, but in others it was continued, the provost, who was occasionally archdeacon as well, remaining head of the chapter. This arrangement was most commonly followed in Germany. In England the provost was almost unknown. Bishop Gisa introduced a provost as head of the chapter of Wells, but the office was afterwards subordinated to the other dignities, and the provost became simply the steward of certain of the prebendal lands. The provost of the collegiate church of Beverley was the most notable instance of such an officer in England, but at Beverley he was an external officer with authority in the government of the church, no stall in the choir and no vote in chapter. The provost of Eton, introduced by Henry VI of England, occupied a position most nearly approaching that of a foreign cathedral provost. In Germany and in Scandinavia, and in a few of the cathedral churches in the south of France, the provost was the ordinary head of the cathedral chapter, but the office was not common elsewhere. As regards France, of one hundred and thirty-six cathedral churches existing at the Revolution, thirty-eight only, and those either on the borders of Germany or in the extreme south, had a provost as the head of the chapter. In others the provost existed as a subordinate officer. There were two provosts at Autun, and Lyons and Chartres had four each, all as subordinate officers.

The normal constitution of the chapter of a secular cathedral church comprised four dignitaries (there might be more), in addition to the canons. The dean (decanus) seems to have derived his designation from the Benedictine dean who had ten monks under his charge. The dean, as already noted, came into existence to supply the place of the provost in the internal management of the church and chapter. In England the dean was the head of all the secular cathedral churches, and was originally elected by the chapter and confirmed in office by the bishop. He is president of the chapter, and in church has charge of the due performance of the services, taking specified portions of them by statute on the principal festivals. He sits in the chief stall in the choir, which is usually the first on the right hand on entering the choir at the west. Next to the dean (as a rule) is the precentor (primicerius, cantor, etc.), whose special duty is that of regulating the musical portion of the services. He presides in the dean's absence, and occupies the corresponding stall on the left side, although there are exceptions to this rule, where, as at St Paul's, the archdeacon of the cathedral city ranks second and occupies what is usually the precentor's stall. The third dignitary is the chancellor (scholasticus, écoldtre, capiscol, magistral, etc.), who must not be confounded with the chancellor of the diocese. The chancellor of the cathedral church is charged with the oversight of its schools, ought to read divinity lectures, and superintend the lections in the choir and correct slovenly readers. He is often the secretary and librarian of the chapter. In the absence of the dean and precentor he is president of the chapter. The easternmost stall, on the dean's side of the choir, is usually assigned to him. The fourth dignitary is the treasurer (custos, sacrisla, cheficier). He is guardian of the fabric, and of all the furniture and ornaments of the church, and his duty was to provide bread and wine for the eucharist, and candles and incense, and he regulated such matters as the ringing of the bells. The treasurer's stall is opposite to that of the chancellor. These four dignitaries, occupying the four corner stalls in the choir, are called in many of the statutes the quatuor majores personae of the church. In many cathedral churches there were additional dignitaries, as the praelector, subdean, vice-chancellor, succentor-canonicorum, and others, who came into existence to supply the places of the other absent dignitaries, for non-residence was the fatal blot of the secular churches, and in this they contrasted very badly with the monastic churches, where all the members were in continuous residence. Besides the dignitaries there were the ordinary canons, each of whom, as a rule, held a separate prebend or endowment, besides receiving his share of the common funds of the church.

For the most part the canons also speedily became non-resident, and this led to the distinction of residentiary and non-residentiary canons, till in most churches the number of resident canons became definitely limited in number, and the non-residentiary canons, who no longer shared in the common funds, became generally known as prebendaries only, although by their non-residence they did not forfeit their position as canons, and retained their votes in chapter like the others. This system of non-residence led also to the institution of vicars choral, each canon having his own vicar, who sat in his stall in his absence, and when the canon was present, in the stall immediately below, on the second form. The vicars had no place or vote in chapter, and, though irremovable except for offences, were the servants of their absent canons whose stalls they occupied, and whose duties they performed. Abroad they were often called demi-prebendaries, and they formed the bachcrur of the French churches. As time went on the vicars were themselves often incorporated as a kind of lesser chapter, or college, under the supervision of the dean and chapter.

There was no distinction between the monastic cathedral chapters and those of the secular canons, in their relation to the bishop or diocese. In both cases the chapter was the bishop's consilium which he was bound to consult on all important matters and without doing so he could not act. Thus, a judicial decision of a bishop needed the confirmation of the chapter before it could be enforced. He could not change the service books, or "use" of the church or diocese, without capitular consent, and there are many episcopal acts, such as the appointment of a diocesan chancellor, or vicar general, which still need confirmation by the chapter, but the older theory of the chapter as the bishop's council in ruling the diocese has become a thing of the past, not in England only, but on the continent also. In its corporate capacity the chapter takes charge sede vacante of a diocese. In England, however (except as regards Salisbury and Durham), this custom has never obtained, the two archbishops having, from time immemorial, taken charge of the vacant dioceses in their respective provinces. When, however, either of the sees of Canterbury or York is vacant the chapters of those churches take charge, not only of the diocese, but of the province as well, and incidentally, therefore, of any of the dioceses of the province which may be vacant at the same time.

All the English monastic cathedral chapters were dissolved by Henry VIII, and, except Bath and Coventry, were refounded by him as churches of secular chapters, with a dean as the head, and a certain number of canons ranging from twelve at Canterbury and Durham to four at Carlisle, and with certain subordinate officers as minor canons, gospellers, epistolers, etc. The precentorship in these churches of the "New Foundation", as they are called, is not, as in the secular churches of the "Old Foundation", a dignity, but is merely an office held by one of the minor canons.

See also: Cathedral architecture, List of cathedrals, Basilica, Cathedral, Church, Duomo, Minster (cathedral)

Cathedral : The Story of Its Construction is the name of a book by David Macaulay

Cathedral is also a board game.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Cathedral."

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Cathedral of Chartres

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

The Cathedral of Chartres ("Cathedral of Our Lady in Chartres," French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres), located in Chartres, about 50 miles from Paris, is considered the finest example in all France of the "high Gothic" style of architecture.

Construction of a new building on the Romanesque foundations was begun in 1145, but a fire in 1194 destroyed all but the west front of the cathedral (and much of the town), so that part is in the "early Gothic" style. The body of the cathedral was rebuilt between 1205 and 1220, a remarkably short span for medieval cathedrals.

The cathedral has been inscribed by the UNESCO on the list of World Heritage Sites in 1979.

External links

• http://www.diocesechartres.com/cathedrale/index.html (in French)
• http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Cathedrals/Chartres/Notre-Dame_Chartres.shtml (in English)

  Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Cathedral of Chartres."

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Cologne cathedral

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Cologne Cathedral (German: Kölner Dom) is one of the most well-known architectural monuments in Germany and has been Cologne's most famous landmark for centuries. Construction of the gothic church began in the 13th century and took, with interruptions, more than 600 years. The two towers are 157m tall, the cathedral is 144m long and 86m wide.

It was built on the site of a 4th century Roman temple, a square edifice known as the 'oldest cathedral' and commissioned by Maternus, the first Christian bishop of Cologne.

The present cathedral was built to house the relics of the Magi, brought to Cologne from Italy by Archbishop Rainald von Dassel in 1164. The foundation stone was laid on August 15, 1248, by Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden. The choir was consecrated in 1322. After this initial rapid progress, construction work gradually came to a standstill, and by the year 1560, only a torso had been built. It was only with 19th century romantic enthusiasm for the Middle Ages and the commitment of the Prussian Court that construction work resumed in 1842 with the addition of the towers and other substantial parts of the cathedral. The completion of Germany's largest cathedral was celebrated as a national event in 1880, 632 years after construction had began. The celebration was attended by Emperor Wilhelm I.

In the end, the outer appearance remained faithful to the original medieval plans; however, the roof was a modern steel construction. At its completion, the Cologne cathedral was the tallest building in the world, having taken over from the cathedral of Rouen. In 1889, it lost the title to Mole Antonelliana, the cathedral of Turin.

The most celebrated work of art in the cathedral is the Sarcophagus of the Magi, a large gilded sarcophagus dating from the 13th century, and the largest reliquary in the western world. It is thought to hold the remains of the Three Wise Men. See: Shrine of the Three Kings at Cologne Cathedral.

The Gero Cross (Gero-Kreuz) (around 970 AD), near the sacristy, is the oldest large cross north of the Alps. In the Sacrament Chapel, the "Milan Madonna" (Mailänder Madonna), dating from around 1290, is a wooden sculpture depicting Mary and the child Jesus. In St. Mary's Chapel (Marienkapelle) is the altar of the patron saints of Cologne with an altar piece by Stephan Lochner. Other outstanding works of art are to be found in the cathedral treasure chamber.

For a small fee it is possible to climb a spiral staircase to a viewing platform about 98 metres above the ground.

The cathedral suffered 14 hits by World War II bombs; reconstruction was completed in 1956.

In 1996, the cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List of culturally important sites.

External links

• http://whc.unesco.org/sites/292.htm
• http://www.unesco.de/c_arbeitsgebiete/welterbe_d17.htm

  Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Cologne cathedral."

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Coventry Cathedral

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

The city of Coventry, West Midlands, England is unusual in the United Kingdom in that it has two cathedrals which both belong to the Church of England

The roofless ruins of the old cathedral.
Larger version

The exterior of the ruins of the old cathedral
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The exterior of the modern cathedral
Larger version

The first, now in ruins, was bombed to destruction on November 14, 1940 by the German Luftwaffe during the Second World War. The new cathedral built next to the remains of the old cathedral was designed by Basil Spence. The ruin of the older cathedral remains hallowed ground.

It was decided that instead of re-building the old cathedral, it would be left in ruins as a reminder of the bombing, and that a new modern cathedral should be built alongside.

The foundation stone of the new cathedral was laid by the Queen on March 23, 1956, and it was consecrated on May 25, 1962. Its modern design caused some controversy. The unconventional spire was lowered onto the flat roof by helicopter. The interior is notable for a large tapestry of Christ, designed by Graham Sutherland and for the Baptistry window designed by John Piper. This is a stained glass window of abstract design, compounded from many elemental panes, which occupies the full height of one wall.

Other images

• An alternative view of the outside of the new cathedral
• St Michaels Victory over the Devil, a sculpture by Sir Jacob Epstein
• The Baptistry window from inside the cathedral
• The font, a boulder from Bethlehem.
• The cross in the apse of the old cathedral, made from burnt wood from the destroyed roof.

External Link

• The cathedral's official website

  Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Coventry Cathedral."

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Durham Cathedral

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Durham Cathedral, in the North East of England, was founded in 1093 and is still a centre for Christian worship today. It is generally regarded as one of the outstanding examples of a Norman cathedral in Europe, and has been designated as part of a World Heritage site along with nearby Durham Castle.

The Cathedral houses the shrine and related treasures of Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, a 7th Century saint, and these are on public view. It is also possible to climb the 325 steps to the top of the Tower, from where a fine view of Durham and the surrounding area can be enjoyed.

There are regular services sung by the excellent Cathedral Choir, who sing every day except Mondays (except for certain vacations). Details of forthcoming services are available on the web-site.

External Links

Durham Cathedral Website

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Durham Cathedral."

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Exeter Cathedral

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

The founding of the cathedral at Exeter, dedicated to Saint Peter, dates from 1050, when the seat of the bishop of Devon and Cornwall was transferred from Crediton because of a fear of sea-raids. A Saxon minster already existing within the town (and dedicated to Saint Mary and Saint Peter) was used by Bishop Leofric as his seat, but services were often held out of doors, close to the site of the present cathedral building. In 1107, William Warelwast, a nephew of William the Conqueror, was appointed to the see, and this was the catalyst for the building of a new cathedral in the Norman style. Its official foundation was in 1133, after Warelwast's time, but it took many more years to complete. Following the appointment of Walter Bronescombe as bishop in 1258, the building was already recognised as outmoded, and it was rebuilt in the Decorated Gothic style, following the example of nearby Salisbury. However, much of the Norman building was kept, including the two massive square towers and part of the walls. It was constructed entirely of local stone, including Purbeck marble. The new cathedral was complete by about 1400, apart from the addition of the chapter house and chantry chapels.

Like most English cathedrals, Exeter suffered during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, but not as much as it would have done had it been a monastic foundation. Further damage was done during the English Civil War, when the cloisters were destroyed. During the Victorian era, some refurbishment was carried out by George Gilbert Scott. The bombing of the city in World War II caused considerable damage to the cathedral, including the loss of most of the stained glass. Subsequent repairs and the clearance of the area around the western end of the building uncovered portions of earlier structures, including remains of the Roman city and of the original Norman cathedral. Notable features of the interior include the great clock, the minstrels gallery, and the ceiling bosses, one of which depicts the murder of Thomas Becket.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Exeter Cathedral."

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Gloucester Cathedral

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Gloucester Cathedral, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city near the river. It originated with the foundation of an abbey dedicated to Saint Peter in 681 (dissolved by King Henry VIII of England). The foundations of the present church were laid by Abbot Serlo (1072-1104). Walter Gloucester (d. 1412) its historian, became its first mitred abbot in 1381. Until 1541, Gloucester lay in the see of Worcester, but the separate see was then constituted, with John Wakeman, last abbot of Tewkesbury, as its first bishop. The diocese covers the greater part of Gloucestershire, with small parts of Herefordshire and Wiltshire.

''Gloucester Cathedral from a photo ca. 1920
larger image''

The cathedral consists of a Norman nucleus, with additions in every style of Gothic architecture. It is 420 feet long, and 144 feet wide, with a beautiful central tower of the 15th century rising to the height of 225 ft. and topped by four graceful pinnacles, a famous landmark. The nave is massive Norman with Early English roof; the crypt, under the choir, aisles and chapels, is Norman, as is the chapter house. The crypt is one of the four apsidal cathedral crypts in England, the others being at Worcester, Winchester and Canterbury.

The south porch is in the Perpendicular style, with fan-tracery roof, as also is the north transept, the south being transitional Decorated Gothic. The choir has Perpendicular tracery over Norman work, with an apsidal chapel on each side. The choir-vaulting is particularly rich. The late Decorated east window is partly filled with surviving medieval glass. Between the apsidal chapels is a cross Lady chapel, and north of the nave are the cloisters, with very early example of fan-tracery, the carols or stalls for the monks' study and writing lying to the south.

The finest monument is the canopied shrine of King Edward II of England who was murdered at nearby Berkeley Castle. By the visits of pilgrims to this the building and sanctuary were enriched. In a side-chapel, too, is a monument in coloured bog oak of Robert Curthose, a great benefactor of the abbey, who was interred there; and those of Bishop Warburton and Dr Edward Jenner are also worthy of special mention.

A musical festival (the Three Choirs Festival) is held annually in this cathedral and those of Worcester and Hereford in turn.

Between 1873 and 1890 and in 1897 the cathedral was extensively restored by Sir George Gilbert Scott.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Gloucester Cathedral."

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List of cathedrals

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

This is a list of famous cathedrals around the world:

Australia

St George's Cathedral, in Perth (Anglican)

St Mary's Cathedral, in Perth (Roman Catholic)

Austria

Cathedral of Saint Stephan, in Vienna (Roman Catholic)

Belarus

Kafedralny Sobor of Minsk (Orthodox)

Belgium

Cathedral of our Lady Antwerp_(city)

Canada

Christ Church Cathedral, in Montreal (Anglican)

Marie-Reine-du-Monde Cathedral, in Montreal (Roman Catholic)

Notre-Dame Cathedral, in Ottawa (Roman Catholic)

Notre-Dame de Québec Cathedral, in Quebec City (Roman Catholic)

Saint-Boniface Cathedral, in Winnipeg (Roman Catholic)

China

Saint Paul's Cathedral, in Macau (Roman Catholic) - partly destroyed, no longer the mother church of the diocese

Denmark

Saint Canute's Cathedral, in Odense (Lutheran)

England

Arundel Cathedral (Roman Catholic)

Birmingham Cathedral (Anglican)

St Chad's Cathedral, in Birmingham (Roman Catholic)

Blackburn Cathedral (Anglican)

Bradford Cathedral (Anglican)

Brentwood Cathedral (Roman Catholic)

Bristol Cathedral (Anglican)

Bury St Edmunds Cathedral (Anglican) (under construction)

Canterbury Cathedral (Anglican)

Carlisle Cathedral (Anglican)

Chelmsford Cathedral (Anglican)

Chester Cathedral (Anglican)

Chichester Cathedral (Anglican)

Clifton Cathedral (Roman Catholic)

Coventry Cathedral (Anglican)

Derby Cathedral (Anglican)

Durham Cathedral (Anglican)

Ely Cathedral (Anglican)

Exeter Cathedral (Anglican)

Gloucester Cathedral (Anglican)

Guildford Cathedral (Anglican)

Hereford Cathedral (Anglican)

Lancaster Cathedral (Roman Catholic)

Leeds Cathedral (Roman Catholic)

Leicester Cathedral (Anglican)

Lichfield Cathedral (Anglican)

Lincoln Cathedral (Anglican)

Liverpool Cathedral (Anglican)

Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral (Roman Catholic)

St Paul's Cathedral, in London (Anglican)

Manchester Cathedral (Anglican)

Middlesbrough Cathedral (Roman Catholic)

Newcastle Cathedral (Anglican)

St Mary's Cathedral, in Newcastle upon Tyne (Roman Catholic)

Northampton Cathedral (Roman Catholic)

Norwich Cathedral (Roman Catholic)

Nottingham Cathedral (Roman Catholic)

Oxford Cathedral (Anglican)

Peterborough Cathedral (Anglican)

Portsmouth Cathedral (Anglican)

Plymouth Cathedral (Roman Catholic)

Portsmouth Cathedral (Anglican)

Cathedral of St John the Evangelist, in Portsmouth (Roman Catholic)

Ripon Cathedral (Anglican)

Rochester Cathedral (Anglican)

St Albans Cathedral (Anglican)

Salisbury Cathedral (Anglican)

Salford Cathedral (Roman Catholic)

Sheffield Cathedral (Anglican)

Cathedral Church of St Marie, in Sheffield (Roman Catholic)

Shrewsbury Cathedral (Roman Catholic)

Southwark Cathedral (Anglican)

St George's Cathedral, in Southwark (Roman Catholic)

Southwell Minster (Anglican)

Truro Cathedral (Anglican)

Wakefield Cathedral (Anglican)

Westminster Cathedral (Roman Catholic)

Wells Cathedral (Anglican)

Winchester Cathedral (Anglican)

Worcester Cathedral (Anglican)

York Minster (Anglican)

Finland

Helsingin tuomiokirkko, in Helsinki (Lutheran)

Turun tuomiokirkko, in Turku (Lutheran)

Uspenskin katedraali, in Helsinki (Orthodox)

France

Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile, in Albi (Roman Catholic)

Notre-Dame d'Amiens, in Amiens (Roman Catholic)

Cathédrale Saint-Trophime, in Arles (Roman Catholic)

Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur, in Aix-en-Provence (Roman Catholic)

Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, in Beauvais (Roman Catholic)

Notre-Dame de Chartres, in Chartres (Roman Catholic)

Notre-Dame de Paris, in Paris (Roman Catholic)

Notre-Dame de Reims, in Reims (Roman Catholic)

Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, in Strasbourg (Roman Catholic)

Germany

Aachen Cathedral (Roman Catholic)

St. Hedwig's Cathedral, in Berlin (Roman Catholic)

Brunswick Cathedral (Lutheran)

Cologne Cathedral (Roman Catholic)

Cathedral of St. Martin, Mainz (Roman Catholic)

Ireland

Christ Church Cathedral, in Dublin (Anglican)

Saint Mary's Pro-Cathedral, in Dublin (Roman Catholic)

Saint Patrick's Cathedral, in Dublin (Anglican)

Italy

San Fancesco d'Assisi, in Assisi (Roman Catholic)

Santa Maria del Fiore, in Florence (Roman Catholic)

Duomo di Milano (Roman Catholic)

Duomo di Pisa (Roman Catholic)

San Giovanni in Laterano, in Rome (Roman Catholic)

San Marco di Venezia, in Venice (Roman Catholic)

The Netherlands

Cathedral of Saint Martin in Utrecht (Roman Catholic) - partly destroyed, no longer the mother church of the archdiocese

Norway

Nidaros Cathedral (Lutheran)

Poland

Cathedral of Cracow (Roman Catholic) in Krakow;

Cathedral of Czestochowa (Roman Catholic) in Czestochowa;

Cathedral of Oliwa (Roman Catholic) in Gdansk;

Cathedral of Gniezno (Roman Catholic); in Gniezno

Cathedral of Kamien Pomorski (Roman Catholic); in Kamien Pomorski

Cathedral of Poznan (Roman Catholic); in Poznan

Saint Jacob's Cathedral (Roman Catholic)in Szczecin

Saint John's Cathedral (Roman Catholic) in Warsaw

Cathedral of Wroclaw (Roman Catholic) in Wroclaw

Portugal

Santa Maria Maior de Lisboa, in Lisbon (Roman Catholic)

Russia

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (Moscow), in Moscow (Orthodox)

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (Kaliningrad), in Kaliningrad (Orthodox)

Königsberg Cathedral, in Kaliningrad (formerly Roman Catholic (between 1333 and 1525) and Lutheran (between 1525 and 1945), now cultural center)

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, in Kaliningrad (Orthodox)

Saint Basil's Cathedral, in Moscow (Orthodox)

Saint Isaac's Cathedral, in Saint Petersburg (Orthodox)

Scotland

Aberdeen Cathedral (Presbyterian)

St. Andrew's Cathedral, in Aberdeen (Episcopal)

St. Mary's Cathedral, in Aberdeen (Roman Catholic)

Good Shepherd Cathedral, in Ayr (Roman Catholic)

Dunblane Cathedral (Presbyterian)

St. Andrew's Cathedral, in Dundee (Roman Catholic)

St. Paul's Cathedral, in Dundee (Episcopal)

Dunkeld Cathedral (Presbyterian)

Edinburgh Cathedral (Presbyterian)

St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, in Edinburgh

St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral, in Edinburgh

Glasgow Cathedral (Presbyterian)

St. Andrew's Cathedral, in Glasgow

St. Mary's Cathedral, in Glasgow (Episcopal)

St. Andrew's Cathedral, in Inverness (Episcopal)

Cathedral of the Isles, in Millport (Episcopal)

Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral, in Motherwell (Roman Catholic)

Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, in Oban (Episcopal)

St. Columbia's Cathedral, in Oban (Roman Catholic)

St. Mirin's Cathedral, in Paisley (Roman Catholic)

St. Ninian's Cathedral, in Perth (Episcopal)

South Korea

Myeongdong Cathedral, in Seoul (Roman Catholic)

Spain

Santa Eulalia de Barcelona, in Barcelona (Roman Catholic)

Nuestra Señora de la Almudena, in Madrid (Roman Catholic)

Catedral Metropolitana de Santiago de Compostela, in Santiago de Compostela (Roman Catholic)

Catedral de San Salvador, in Zaragoza (Roman Catholic)

Catedral de Sevilla, in Seville (Roman Catholic)

Turkey

Hagia Sophia, in Istanbul (Orthodox) - now a museum

Ukraine

Saint Sophie's Cathedral, in Kiev (Orthodox)

United States

East

All Saints' Cathedral, in Albany, New York (Episcopal)

Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, in Baltimore, Maryland (Roman Catholic)

Cathedral of the Incarnation, in Baltimore, Maryland (Episcopal)

Cathedral of the Nativity, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (Episcopal)

Cathedral of the Holy Cross, in Boston, Massachusetts (Roman Catholic)

St. Paul's Cathedral, in Boston, Massachusetts (Episcopal)

St. Paul's Cathedral, in Buffalo, New York (Episcopal)

St. Paul's Cathedral, in Burlington, Vermont (Episcopal)

Trinity Cathedral, in Easton, Maryland (Episcopal)

St. Paul's Cathedral, in Erie, Pennsylvania (Episcopal)

Cathedral of the Incarnation, in Garden City, New York (Episcopal)

St. Stephen's Cathedral, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (Episcopal)

Cathedral of St. Joseph, in Hartford, Connecticut (Roman Catholic)

Christ Church Cathedral, in Hartford, Connecticut (Episcopal)

Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, in New York City, New York (Episcopal)

St. Patrick's Cathedral, in New York City, New York (Roman Catholic)

Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Basilica, in Newark, New Jersey (Roman Catholic)

Trinity and St. Philip's Cathedral, in Newark, New Jersey (Episcopal)

Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Roman Catholic)

Cathedral Church of our Saviour, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Episcopal)

Cathedral of Hope, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Presbyterian)

Trinity Cathedral, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Episcopal)

St. Luke's Cathedral, in Portland, Maine (Episcopal)

St. John's Cathedral, in Providence, Rhode Island (Episcopal)

Christ Cathedral, in Springfield, Massachusetts (Episcopal)

St. Paul's Cathedral, in Syracuse, New York (Episcopal)

Trinity Cathedral, in Trenton, New Jersey (Episcopal)

St. Matthew's Cathedral, in Washington, DC (Roman Catholic)

Washington National Cathedral (Episcopal)

St. John's Cathedral, in Wilmington, Delaware (Episcopal)

Midwest

Cathedral of St. James, in Chicago, Illinois (Episcopal)

Cathedral of the Holy Name, in Chicago, Illinois (Roman Catholic)

Christ Church Cathedral, in Cincinnati, Ohio (Episcopal)

St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, in Cincinnati, Ohio (Roman Catholic)

Trinity Cathedral, in Cleveland, Ohio (Episcopal)

St. Paul's Cathedral, in Des Moines, Iowa (Episcopal)

Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, in Detroit, Michigan (Roman Catholic)

St. Paul's Cathedral, in Detroit, Michigan (Episcopal)

St. Raphael's Cathedral, in Dubuque, Iowa (Roman Catholic)

Christ Cathedral, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin (Episcopal)

Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour, in Faribault, Minnesota (Episcopal)

Gethsemane Cathedral, in Fargo, North Dakota (Episcopal)

St. Paul's Cathedral, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin (Episcopal)

Christ Church Cathedral, in Indianapolis, Indiana (Episcopal)

Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral, in Indianapolis, Indiana (Roman Catholic)

Cathedral of Christ the King, in Kalamazoo, Michigan (Episcopal)

Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, in Kansas City, Kansas (Roman Catholic)

Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral, in Kansas City, Missouri (Episcopal)

All Saints' Cathedral, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Episcopal)

St. John the Evangelist Cathedral, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Roman Catholic)

Cathedral of St. Mark, in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Episcopal)

Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Roman Catholic)

St. Paul's Cathedral, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Episcopal)

St. Cecilia's Cathedral, in Omaha, Nebraska (Roman Catholic)

Trinity Cathedral, in Omaha, Nebraska (Episcopal)

St. Paul's Cathedral, in Peoria, Illinois (Episcopal)

Christ Cathedral, in Salina, Kansas (Episcopal)

Christ Church Cathedral, in St. Louis, Missouri (Episcopal)

St. Louis Cathedral, in St. Louis, Missouri (Roman Catholic)

Cathedral of St. Paul, in St. Paul, Minnesota (Roman Catholic)

Calvary Cathedral, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (Episcopal)

St. James' Cathedral, in South Bend, Indiana (Episcopal)

St. Paul's Cathedral, in Springfield, Illinois (Episcopal)

Grace Cathedral, in Topeka, Kansas (Episcopal)

South

All Souls Cathedral, in Asheville, North Carolina (Episcopal)

Cathedral of Christ the King, in Atlanta, Georgia (Roman Catholic)

St. Philip's Cathedral, in Atlanta, Georgia (Episcopal)

Cathedral of the Advent, in Birmingham, Alabama (Episcopal)

Church of Saints Luke and Paul, in Charleston, South Carolina (Episcopal)

Trinity Cathedral, in Columbia, South Carolina (Episcopal)

St. Matthew's Cathedral, in Dallas, Texas (Episcopal)

Christ Cathedral, in Houston, Texas (Episcopal)

St. Andrew's Cathedral, in Jackson, Mississippi (Episcopal)

St. John's Cathedral, in Jacksonville, Florida (Episcopal)

St. John's Cathedral, in Knoxville, Tennessee (Episcopal)

Trinity Cathedral, in Little Rock, Arkansas (Episcopal)

Cathedral of the Assumption, in Louisville, Kentucky (Roman Catholic)

Christ Church Cathedral, in Louisville, Kentucky (Episcopal)

Christ Church Cathedral, in Lexington, Kentucky (Episcopal)

St. Mary's Cathedral, in Memphis, Tennessee (Episcopal)

St. Mary's Cathedral, in Miami, Florida (Roman Catholic)

Trinity Cathedral, in Miami, Florida (Episcopal)

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, in Mobile, Alabama (Roman Catholic)

Christ Church Cathedral, in New Orleans, Louisiana (Episcopal)

St. Louis Cathedral, in New Orleans, Louisiana (Roman Catholic)

Cathedral Shrine of the Transfiguration, in Orkney Springs, Virginia (Episcopal)

Cathedral Church of St. Luke, in Orlando, Florida (Episcopal)

St. Peter's Cathedral, in St. Petersburg, Florida (Episcopal)

Cathedral Chapel of St. John, in San Antonio, Texas (Episcopal)

Cathedral of San Fernando, in San Antonio, Texas (Roman Catholic)

St. Mark's Cathedral, in Shreveport, Louisiana (Episcopal)

West

Holy Family Cathedral, in Anchorage, Alaska (Roman Catholic)

Cathedral of St. John, in Albuquerque, New Mexico (Episcopal)

St. Michael's Cathedral, in Boise, Idaho (Episcopal)

Cathedral of St. John in the Wilderness, in Denver, Colorado (Episcopal)

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, in Denver, Colorado (Roman Catholic)

St. James' Cathedral, in Fresno, California (Episcopal)

St. John's Cathedral, in Fresno, California (Roman Catholic)

Crystal Cathedral, in Garden Grove, California (Reformed)

Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace, in Honolulu, Hawaii (Roman Catholic)

St. Andrew's Cathedral, in Honolulu, Hawaii (Episcopal)

St. Matthew's Cathedral, in Laramie, Wyoming (Episcopal)

Guardian Angel Cathedral, in Las Vegas, Nevada (Roman Catholic)

Cathedral Center of St. Paul, in Los Angeles, California (Episcopal)

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, in Los Angeles, California (Roman Catholic)

West Angeles Cathedral, in Los Angeles, California (Pentecostal)

Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo, in Monterey, California (Roman Catholic)

Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales, in Oakland, California (Roman Catholic)

Cathedral of the Holy Family, in Orange, California (Roman Catholic)

Trinity Cathedral, in Phoenix, Arizona (Episcopal)

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, in Portland, Oregon (Roman Catholic)

Trinity Cathedral, in Portland, Oregon (Episcopal)

St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, in Reno, Nevada (Roman Catholic)

Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, in Sacramento, California (Roman Catholic)

Trinity Cathedral, in Sacramento, California (Episcopal)

Cathedral of the Madeleine, in Salt Lake City, Utah (Roman Catholic)

St. Mark's Cathedral, in Salt Lake City, Utah (Episcopal)

Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Cathedral, in San Bernardino, California (Roman Catholic)

St. Joseph's Cathedral, in San Diego, California (Roman Catholic)

St. Paul's Cathedral, in San Diego, California (Episcopal)

Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, in San Francisco, California (Roman Catholic)

Grace Cathedral, in San Francisco, California (Episcopal)

Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, in San Jose, California (Roman Catholic)

Trinity Cathedral, in San Jose, California (Episcopal)

Cathedral of San Francisco de Asis, in Santa Fe, New Mexico (Roman Catholic)

Cathedral of St. Eugene, in Santa Rosa, California (Roman Catholic)

St. James' Cathedral, in Seattle, Washington (Roman Catholic)

St. Mark's Cathedral, in Seattle, Washington (Episcopal)

Cathedral of St. John, in Spokane, Washington (Episcopal)

Cathedral of the Annunciation, in Stockton, California (Roman Catholic)

Wales

Bangor Cathedral (Anglican)

Brecon Cathedral (Anglican)

Saint David's Cathedral, in Cardiff (Roman Catholic)

Llandaff Cathedral (Anglican)

St Woolo's Cathedral, in Newport (Anglican)

Saint Asaph Cathedral, in Saint Asaph (Anglican)

St David's Cathedral, in St David's (Anglican)

Saint Joseph's Cathedral, in Swansea (Roman Catholic)

Cathedral Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, in Wrexham (Roman Catholic)

See also: Basilica, Cathedral, Church, Duomo, Minster (cathedral)

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "List of cathedrals."

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Llandaff Cathedral

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Llandaff Cathedral is situated in the suburb of Llandaff in the city of Cardiff, the capital of Wales, and is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff. The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul, and also to three Welsh saints: Dyfrig, Teilo, and Euddogwy. There is evidence for Christian worship on the site from the 6th century, and a church was built by Teilo on the bank of the River Taff. After his death, his shrine became a place of pilgrimage. The monastic settlement survived for many centuries before the establishment of the diocese of Llandaff following the Norman Conquest.

The Normans occupied Glamorgan early, and appointed the first bishop in 1108. He began construction of the cathedral in 1120, but it was not completed until 1290. The west front dates from 1220, and contains a statue of Teilo. The Lady Chapel was built by William de Braose, who was bishop from 1266 to 1287. Damage to the church was done during the revolt of Owen Glendower in 1400, and the bishop's palace was destroyed. However, most of the other damage was repaired,and the northeast tower was added by Jasper Tudor, who assumed the lordship of Cardiff after the accession of his nephew, King Henry VII of England. During the English Civil War, the cathedral was overrun by Parliamentarian troops, and by 1720 the southwest tower was in a state of collapse. In 1734, work began on a new cathedral, nicknamed the "Italian Temple", which was used for a hundred years but never completed and now lies in a state of ruin.

During the 19th century, when the Bishop of Llandaff began, for the first time, to reside in his diocese, the cathedral was extensively restored, the tower rebuilt and a spire added. A triptych by Dante Gabriel Rossetti was designed for use as a reredos, and new stained glass windows were designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones and Ford Madox Brown. As a result of the damage done by bombing during World War II, further restoration was required. The Welch Regiment memorial chapel was constructed, and Sir Jacob Epstein created the figure of Christ in Majesty which is suspended above the nave on a concrete arch designed by George Pace.

The cathedral school which existed from the time of Queen Elizabeth I of England until about 1700 was re-established in 1880.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Llandaff Cathedral."

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Salisbury Cathedral

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Salisbury Cathedral is located in Salisbury, England. Building commenced when the bishopric was moved here from Old Sarum in 1220. The cathedral was completed in 1258 and has the highest spire in England, 123 m.

The cathedral is the subject of a famous painting by John Constable. The view depicted in the painting has changed very little in almost two centuries.

External Links

• Official Website

  Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Salisbury Cathedral."

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Santa Maria del Fiore

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Santa Maria del Fiore (also known as the Duomo) is Florence's cathedral, noted for its distinctive dome. Its name (which translates as "Saint Mary of the Flower") refers to the lily, symbol of Florence. The cathedral complex includes the Duomo, the baptistery and the campanile (bell tower)

The cathedral, the third to be built in Florence, was built on the site of the previous one, Santa Reparata. It was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio in 1294,with the first stone being laid on September 8, 1296.

In 1329 Andrea Pisano was awarded the commission to design the bronze south doors of the baptistery. The doors, which were completed in 1336 consist of quatrefoil panels, many of which depict scenes from the life of St. John the Baptist.

In 1334 Giotto was appointed overseer for the work on the Cathedral. His major accomplishment was the campanile. He died in 1337 and was succeeded by Andrea Pisano.

In 1401, a competition was announced to design the north doors for the baptistery. Seven sculptors competed, including Lorenzo Ghiberti, Filippo Brunelleschi and Jacopo della Quercia, with Ghiberti winning the commission. It took Ghiberti 21 years (1403-1424) to complete these doors. These gilded bronze doors consist of twenty-eight panels, with each depicting a biblical scene from the New Testament. Ghiberti followed this up working on a second set of doors (1425-52), this time with ten panels depicting scenes from the Old Testament. Michaelangelo referred to these doors as the "gates of paradise".

In 1418 a competition was held to design a new dome (or cupola) for the cathedral. The two competitors were Ghiberti and Brunelleschi. Brunelleschi won the competition with his distinctive octagonal design; work started on the dome in 1420 and was completed in 1434.

Artists who have produced work for the cathedral include:

• Paolo Uccello
• Andrea del Castagno
• Giorgio Vasari
• Federico Zuccari

Needs description of the exterior, further history.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Santa Maria del Fiore."

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Sheffield Cathedral

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Sheffield Cathedral is the Church of England cathedral for the diocese of Sheffield, England.

Sheffield’s first parish church was constructed in the twelfth century by William de Lovetot at the opposite end of the town to Sheffield Castle. This established the area of the parish of Sheffield, unchanged until the twentieth century. This first church was burnt down in 1266 during the Barons War against King Henry II.

A second parish church was completed in 1280, dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Again, this church was mostly demolished and rebuilt about 1430 on a cruciform floor plan. The Shrewsbury Chapel was added in the next century, and a vestry chapel (now the Chapel of Saint Katherine was added in 1777. Since then, the nave has been rebuilt, and extended twice.

The church is still Sheffield’s parish church, but in 1913 it became a cathedral. Plans were drafted by Charles Nicholson to extend the church and reorient it on its axis, but due to World War II these were greatly scaled down. The resulting additions leave the church an awkward shape in plan, but with an impressive south elevation.

The cathedral is now very much in the city centre, opposite the Cutlers Hall and with its own tram stop.

Sheffield Cathedral is one of three Grade I listed buildings in the city, along with Sheffield Town Hall and Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Sheffield Cathedral."

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St. Albans Cathedral

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

What is usually called "St Albans Cathedral" is actually "The Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban."

England's first Christian martyr

Alban was a pagan living in the Roman city of Verulamium, where St Albans is now, in Hertfordshire, England, about twenty miles from London along Watling Street. In A.D. 209, when the local Christians were being persecuted by the Romans, Alban sheltered their priest in his home and was converted to the Christian faith by him. When the soldiers came to Alban's house looking for the priest, Alban exchanged cloaks with the priest and let himself be arrested in his stead. Alban was taken before the magistrate, where he avowed his new Christian faith and was condemned for it. He was beheaded on the spot where the cathedral named for him now stands.

The abbey & cathedral

Offa of Mercia, who ruled in the 8th century, is said to have founded the abbey at St Albans. The existing church was built by the first Norman abbot, Paul of Caen, the 14th abbot. Work started in 1077 and was completed in 1089. The original abbey was 106 m long with a tower and seven apses; in the current structure the Norman arches under the central tower and on the north side of the nave are the original ones, although the arches in the rest of the building are now Gothic. The tower is made of bricks recycled from Roman buildings, because there is no source of stone in the vicinity suitable for building. The abbey was extended by John de Cella in the 1190s, and again between 1257 and 1320 but financial constraints limited the effectiveness of these later additions. An nunnery was founded nearby in 1140.

Matthew Paris, a monk at St Albans from 1217, kept its chronicles; he died in about 1259. Eighteen of his manuscripts survive and are a rich source of contemporary information for historians. Nicholas Breakspeare was born in St Albans and applied to be admitted to the abbey as a novice, but he was turned down. He eventually managed to get accepted into an abbey in France. In 1154 he was elected Pope Adrian IV, the only English pope there has ever been. The head of the abbey was confirmed as the premier abbot in England also in 1154.

In 1877 the abbey church was made the cathedral for the diocese of St Albans, which comprises about 300 churches in the counties of Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. The building was however rather delapidated and in the 1880s Lord Grimthorpe financed a £130,000 renovation and rebuilding program, this is most apparent in the Victorian rebuild of the west front.

Among the persons buried at St Albans are Thomas de la Mare, who died at the age of 87 in 1396, having been abbot for 47 years, and Sir Anthony (or Antony) Grey, who died in 1480 and was the brother-in-law of Elizabeth Woodville, the queen consort of Edward IV of England. The brasses are still on their tombs, all the others in the church having been destroyed at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

See also: History of St Albans, England

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "St. Albans Cathedral."

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Winchester Cathedral

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Winchester Cathedral in Winchester, Hampshire is one of the largest cathedrals in England. The earliest part of the present cathedral building is the crypt, which dates from the early 12th century. The squat, square central tower was begun in 1202, and has an indisputably Norman look to it. Work continued on the cathedral during the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, and restoration work was carried out by T.G. Jackson during the years 1905-1912. The cathedral is dedicated to the Holy Trinity, Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

It is part of a former monastic settlement, originally founded in 642. The Benedictine foundation was dissolved in 1539.

William II of England (son of William I, "the Conqueror") was buried in the Catheral on August 11, 1100, when he was killed in a hunting accident in nearby New Forest.

Nowadays the cathedral draws many tourists as a result of its association with Jane Austen, who died in the city and is buried in the cathedral's north aisle of the nave. The original Eighteenth Century marker gave reluctant praise for her writing ability. Much later a more descriptive marker about Miss Austen's talent was placed on a nearby wall.

Winchester Cathedral is possibly the only cathedral to have had a popular song written about it. Winchester Cathedral was a UK top ten hit for the New Vaudeville Band in 1966.

The crypt, which frequent floods, features a statue by Anthony Gormley, called Sound II, installed in 1986.

Important events which took place at Winchester Cathedral:

• Coronation of Edward the Confessor (1043)
• Marriage of Edward the Confessor and Edith (1045)
• Coronation of Matilda of Flanders as queen consort (1068)
• Coronation of Henry the Young King and his queen, Marguerite (1172)
• Second coronation of Richard I of England (1194)
• Marriage of King Henry IV of England and Joanna of Navarre (1403)
• Marriage of Queen Mary I of England and King Philip II of Spain (1554)

  Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Winchester Cathedral."

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Abbreviations & Acronyms: Cathedral

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Synonyms within Context: Cathedral

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Modern Usage: Cathedral

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Commercial Usage: Cathedral

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Image Slideshow: Cathedral

Photos: Cathedral More pictures...

Illustrations: Cathedral More pictures...

Computer Images: Cathedral More pictures...

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Photo Album: Cathedral

Thumbnail	Description & Credit	Thumbnail	Description & Credit
	The Wizard speaking in Cathedral Square in Christchurch New Zealand. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth.		Deck hand Mike Theberge in the catacombs area of a Lima cathedral. Credit: Small World.
	A cathedral in Lima. Credit: Small World.		Arches in an alcove of a Lima cathedral. Credit: Small World.
	A colonial era library in a cathedral at Lima. Credit: Small World.		The geometry of the dead in the catacombs below a Lima cathedral. Credit: Small World.
	A garden on the grounds of a Lima cathedral. Credit: Small World.		View point of Lower Camp Lake and Cathedral Cliffs, taken on edge of "tip of dagger. Credit: Frank Lang.
	St. Cyril (Kirill)-Belozersk Monastery, Dormition Cathedral (1497), with Church of St. Cyril (1780s) (left), Church of St. Vladimir (1554) (right), and Church of St. Epiphanius (1645), east view, Kirillov, Russia. Credit: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540.		North and west walls of Archbishop's Court (Kremlin), with northwest tower (1671-75), and St. Sophia Cathedral belltower (1869-70), Vologda, Russia. Credit: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540.
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

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Digital Photo Gallery: Cathedral
 

"Cathedral" by Aren Marcoosi Commentary: "One of the best places in Dominican Republic. <br>."	"National Cathedral" by Dennis Poulette Commentary: "A picture of the National Cathedral in downtown Mexico City. We took this outside of our hotel room."
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers.

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Sounds Captioned with "Cathedral".

Play	Caption
	Church; cathedral; organ; congregation; congregate; God; worship.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Familiar Quotations: Cathedral

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Use in Literature: Cathedral

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Non-Fiction Usage: Cathedral

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Usage Frequency: Cathedral

Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.

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Expressions: Cathedral

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Frequency of Internet Keywords: Cathedral

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Modern Translation: Cathedral

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Ancestral Language Translations: Cathedral

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Derivations & Misspellings: Cathedral

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Rhyming with "Cathedral"

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Anagrams: Cathedral

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