Winchester Cathedral in the UK
Rating: 7,7/10 (2109 votes)  Winchester Cathedral is the name of the cathedral church located in Winchester, Hampshire, and is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe. It was built in honor of the Holy Trinity, the apostles Peter and Paul and Saint Svitin. It is the central temple of the Diocese of Winchester and the seat of the Bishop of Winchester.
On the site where the modern cathedral is located, the Old Minster Christian stone temple was already located. According to legend, the king of the Britons, Lucius, founded it in the II century, but there is no historical evidence for these facts. It is known that the cathedral began to be built by order of King Kenwal of Wessex and was completed around 648. It soon became the central church in the diocese and was gradually supplemented with new architectural elements.
In 901, the cathedral was supplemented with a new part called New Minster. The end of the 10th century, together with its monastic reforms at thelwold, was marked by a very significant restructuring of the Old Minster. The temple became an integral part of the Benedictine monastery complex. The redevelopment continued by the hands of Ethelwold's successor Elfia.
However, when the Normans conquered these territories, the protege of the invaders, Bishop Valkelin, wished to replace the existing church with a new church in a different, Romanesque style. The old building was completely demolished, and in its place by the end of the 11th century a new one appeared, similar in appearance to what we see today. At the same time, the temple retained its position as an important religious center. In one of the towers, however, which later collapsed, they buried King William II, who died in the hunt.
On the site of the collapsed at the beginning of the XII century, a new tower began to be built. Over the next centuries of its existence, the cathedral was completed and reconstructed more than once. The most ambitious restoration work dates back to 1905-1912.
Tourists are attracted to Winchester Cathedral not only by its unusual architectural appearance, but also by the presence of a number of burial places of famous people here. The rulers of Kinegils, Kenval, Kinevulf, Egbert, Alfred the Great, etc. are buried here, as well as the bishop Svitin himself canonized. Here, in the northern nave, lies the famous writer Jane Austen. Russian tourists will be curious to find that the icons decorating the back of the cathedral were painted with the brush of the Russian icon painter Sergei Fedorov.We also recommend reading The Beatles Museum in Great Britain, Liverpool Resort Topic: Winchester Cathedral in the UK. |
