St.+Paul's+Cathedral

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[[image:st%20pauls%20cathedral%20pic245%20copy[1].gif width="170" height="223" align="right"]]
St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral on Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral is one of London's most famous and most recognisable sights. At 365 feet (111m) high, it was the tallest building in London from 1710 to 1962. St Paul's Cathedral today is a busy working church. At the heart of life at St Paul's is the daily pattern of prayer and worship. Every day begins and ends with prayer. During hourly prayers visitors are invited to join in the Lord’s Prayer, in their own language, as they pause and pray. Music is integral to the worshipping and educational life of the Cathedral.
 * __WHAT IT IS?__ **

Here there's a link to see what St.Paul's Cathedral represents in London and a little bit of history too: []

__**WHAT CAN YOU DO?**__ St Paul's, with its world-famous Dome, is an iconic feature of the London skyline. Step inside and you can enjoy the cathedral's awe-inspiring interior, and uncover fascinating stories about its history. So come and explore St Paul's for yourself. Whether you try out the acoustic quirks of the Whispering Gallery, climb up to the Golden Gallery and enjoy breathtaking views across London, or take a moment for reflection and contemplation - a visit to St Paul's will be one you won't forget.

__**ONE DAY IN ST. PAUL'S**__
__Fri 16 April 2010__

Mattins and Litany **07:30 ** All welcome. (service) ** 08:00 ** Holy Communion.  All welcome.(service) ** 08:30  ** Doors open for sightseeing ** 12:30 **  Holy Communion All welcome. (service) ** 13:15  ** Lunchtime recital by City of Derby Girls' Choir ** 16:00 ** Last entry for sightseeing ** 17:00 ** Evensong

__** TIMETABLE **__
The Cathedral it's opened from Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 16:00 h. The gallerys are open from the visitors from 09:30 until 16:15 h. If there are some events, like weddings, all the cathedral or a part of it, can be close for the visitants. If you want to know the timetable of an expecific day you can go to[| this page] and consult the calendar. It's not allowed to make photographs or videos in the Cathedral.

__COST OF AN ENTRANCE__

 * = Adult ||= £12.50 ||
 * Child (6-16) || £4.50 ||
 * Senior || £11.50 ||
 * Student || £9.50 ||
 * Family (2 Adults & 2 Children) || £29.50 ||

__ HISTORY&WHEN WAS IT BUILT __
The first church on this spot was created n 604 AD. This wooden church was established by King Ethelbert of Kent as home to the first bishop of the East Saxons, Mellitus. That first church was destroyed by fire and rebuilt by St. Erkenwald, in 675-85. Fire was not the only danger faced by buildings in those dark centuries of England - the Vikings destroyed the second St. Paul's in 962. Once again, fire destroyed the church in 1087. The new Norman building, now called Old St. Paul's, took over 150 years to complete, the final touches being applied in 1240. Well, a new Gothic choir was added by 1313, making St. Paul's the third longest church in Europe at 596. In 1549 the preachers incited a mob to sack the cathedral itself. They rampaged through the interior, destroying the high altar and ravaging the tombs, wall-hangings, and tombs. St. Paul's bad luck continued. The spire was struck by lightning. The cathedral became a centre of trade, with merchants selling their wares in the nave of the church. Architect Inigo Jones was called in to resurrect the decaying building, but his efforts, by lack of funds, only delayed the inevitable. During the English Civil War, Parliamentary troops commandeered the cathedral and used the nave as cavalry barracks. They broke up the scaffolding and sold the material. In 1660 Charles II appointed a young architect named Christopher Wren to undertake major repairs to the building. Wren had only begun his work when final calamity struck. On September 4, 1666, fire broke out in a backhouse in Pudding Lane. Fanned by a fierce wind, the fire spread through the close-packed streets of London, destroying everything in its path. For four days the fire raged, and when the smoke finally cleared, Old St. Paul's was nothing but charred timbers and rubble.