St. Paul's Cathedral in London has stood on the same site since 604 AD, with five churches built successively. The current cathedral was designed by Christopher Wren after the previous Gothic cathedral was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. Wren's design features a dome second only in size to St. Peter's Basilica, as well as a Baroque interior. Notable features include the Whispering Gallery and Golden Gallery atop the dome, and the tomb of John Donne in the nave.

2. Vocabulary
• Summit|ˈsʌmɪt| - вершина;
• Fittingly [ˈfɪtɪŋlɪ] – достойно;
• Slab [slæb] – плита;
• Surmounted [sɜːˈmaʊnt] – преодолевать;
• Peal [piːl] – трезвон;
• Bequeath [bɪˈkwiːð] – завещать.

3. St. Paul's Cathedral in London is the seat of the Bishop of London and a
major London landmark. It is located on Ludgate Hill in the financial
district known as the City of London.
Location

4. Five different churches were
built at this site. The first
church, dedicated to the
apostle Paul, dates back to
604 AD, when King
Ethelbert of Kent built a
wooden church on the
summit of one of London's
hills for Mellitus, Bishop of
the East Saxons. The
Cathedral of Saint Paul has
been in existence, in various
buildings, since 1841.

5. The Great Fire The year 1666 was
catastrophic for London
and St Paul’s Cathedral.
The catastrophic blaze
consumed the cathedral
which had stood at the
heart of London life for
over five hundred years.
Tens of thousands
around the city were
made homeless.

6. In 1669, three years after the fire, Christopher Wren was appointed
'Surveyor of Works' and was tasked with the construction of a new
church to replace the destroyed Gothic cathedral. His first design
was deemed too modest. In his second design, known as the 'Great
Model', the cathedral was shaped like a Greek cross, with a portico,
Corinthian columns and a striking large dome.

7. Sir Christopher Wren,
the architect of the
cathedral, was fittingly
the first person to be
buried here, in 1723.
The inscription on his
burial slab states,
"Reader, if you seek his
memorial, look all
around you." Look for
Wren's tomb all the
way to the east end of
the crypt, under the
altar.

9. The exterior
Exterior features of interest include the 180-foot-long West Front, with its main
entrance and columned portico surmounted by an upper colonnade, as well as the
statue of St. Paul above the pediment, and the two flanking statues of Saints James
and Peter. On either side of the portico are two Baroque towers - the West Towers
- one of which houses a peal of 12 bells, the other the largest bell in England, Great
Paul.

10. The Interior
The Baroque interior is just as imposing as the exterior of the
church. The design is based on a sketch created by Wren.
The only monument in the church that survived the fire of
1666 is the tomb of John Donne, from 1631.

11. The exterior dome reaches a height of 111 meters and weighs about
66,000 tons. Eight arches support the dome. On top of the dome is a
large lantern. 560 steps lead visitors along three galleries all the way
to the top of the dome.

12. The first gallery, the Whispering Gallery, just inside the dome, is
renowned for its acoustics. The second gallery, the Stone Gallery, is
situated on the outside of the dome. On top of the dome is the
narrow Golden Gallery, which encircles the lantern's base.

13. The interior dome of the Cathedral is just as impressive as the exterior:
warm-colored paint and gold leaf. The glass windows bathe the
church in light. Nave- the long main section you walk along after
entering the cathedral - that visitors get their first breathtaking
glimpse of the interior of the
Dome.

14. St. Paul's is also
home to a
number of
interesting
chapels, most of
them accessible
from the nave.
All of them are
used for smaller
services, prayer
and reflection.

15. The West Facade
The impressive facade
at the west side of
the church consists
of a large portico
and pediment. A
relief on the
tympanum depicts
the conversion of
Paul and was
created in 1706.
The portico is
flanked by two
towers which
weren't part of the
original plan. Wren
added them at the
last minute, in
1707.
A statue of St.
Paul stands
atop the west
front facade.

16. The Cathedral Collections
The Cathedral Library houses St. Paul's superb collection of more
than 21,000 books and manuscripts dating from 1690. The items
have been carefully maintained. They include the library, the object collection
(archaeological stones, paintings and models) and the architectural archive.
'Of making many books there is no end'

17. Henry Compton, Bishop of London,
bequeathed his own collection of
several thousand volumes and the
Commissioners bought many more.
The collection has continued to grow.

18. Facts
• As one of the famous and important buildings in London, St. Paul’s
Cathedral are also often appear to be the location of filming, three of
whom are Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Sherlock Holmes,
and Star Trek Into Darkness.
• You can buy tickets for sightseeing tours St. Paul’s Cathedral to explore
the cathedral floor area including basement and also climbed to the dome
with an audio headset or guided by an experienced guide.
• The crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral is the largest in Europe and can
accommodate up to 250 guests for a seated dinner and 350 for a standing
reception.
• St. Paul’s Cathedral has it own website where you can buy tickets to St.
Paul's Cathedral and other stuff: guidebooks, gifts, CDs, prints.

19. Thank you for your
attention!