St Paul's Cathedral

About St Paul's Cathedral

📜 History

The first church dedicated to Saint Paul on this site was founded in the year 604 AD, when Bishop Mellitus established the episcopal see of London. The original building and its medieval successors suffered fires and collapses throughout the centuries. The Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed the cathedral that existed at the time and prompted the commission of a new construction to the architect Christopher Wren. Work began in 1675 and lasted for thirty-five years; the cathedral was consecrated on December 2, 1697, before construction was fully completed. The building was considered finished on December 25, 1711, with a total cost of £1,095,556. During the Second World War, the cathedral survived the bombings of 1940 thanks, in part, to bomb disposal operations that prevented its destruction. Throughout the centuries, it has hosted state funerals for figures such as Admiral Horatio Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, and Winston Churchill, as well as jubilee celebrations for Queens Victoria and Elizabeth II.

🏛️ Architecture

The cathedral was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the English Baroque style, the result of five project stages until obtaining final approval. It combines the tradition of Gothic cathedrals with elements of the classical Renaissance and continental Baroque, influenced particularly by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The building measures 174.95 meters in length, including the portico, and 75 meters in width at the transept. The outer dome reaches 85 meters in height and 34 meters in diameter; the inner one measures 68 meters high and 31 meters in diameter. The most notable structural feature is its triple dome system: an inner dome visible from the ground, a brick cone that supports the lantern, and the outer dome clad in Portland stone. Eight pillars distribute the weight of the structure, a solution that differs from the support on four pillars common in similar constructions. The interior decoration includes wood and stone carvings by Grinling Gibbons, frescoes in the dome by Sir James Thornhill with scenes from the life of Saint Paul, ironwork by Jean Tijou, and mosaics by Sir William Blake Richmond in the choir vaults. The organ has 7,266 pipes and 189 stops.

⭐ Key Facts

St. Paul's Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of London and the main church of the Church of England in the capital since the year 604. It has been listed as a Grade I building since January 4, 1950, a protection that recognizes its value as part of Britain's built heritage. Throughout its history, it has been the setting for central moments in British public life: the state funerals of Admiral Nelson in 1806, the Duke of Wellington in 1852, Winston Churchill in 1965, and Margaret Thatcher in 2013; the thanksgiving services at the end of the First and Second World Wars; the jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II; and the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer in 1981. The cathedral holds between three and four religious services daily and remains open to visitors. Between 1996 and 2011, a restoration was carried out that renewed the copper, lead, and slate coverings of the dome. Its crypt is the most extensive in Europe and also functions as a structural element of the building.

St. Paul's Cathedral opens its doors to those visiting London who wish to pause before a building of profound religious and historical significance. Its daily services continue the tradition of worship that began at this site in the 7th century. Those who come to pray and those who wish to learn about the history of the city and of Anglicanism will find in its naves and in its crypt a space for contemplation that spans more than fourteen centuries.

✍️ Curated by María del Carmen Salazar · Last updated: 2025-06-25
Information verified by the EncuentraIglesias editorial team