“If you seek his monument, look around”
In this post, I continue with the topic about St Paul’s Cathedral with some fascinating facts that you may not have known…
The Whispering Gallery
At the dome’s base is the Whispering Gallery, a circular walkway halfway up the inside of the dome. Due to the acoustics of the curved surface, a phrase whispered against one wall can be heard against the far wall 112 feet away.
Suffragettes
In 1913, suffragettes planted a bomb under the Bishop’s throne in the choir, in an effort to bring awareness to their struggle. If it had been successfully detonated, a significant amount of damage could have been done. It may have even started a fire. Fortuitously, the mechanism was faulty and the bomb did not explode.
Martin Luther King
In 1964, the world-celebrated human rights activist Martin Luther King spent three days in London during which he gave a sermon at St. Paul’s Cathedral. The (almost capacity) congregation totalled over three thousand people, all packed into the Cathedral.
King then met with leaders of the peace community before going to Oslo to collect the Nobel Peace Prize. He was escorted by a group of Southern Christian Leadership Conference staff and was also joined by members of his family.
Art
Besides being a work of art in itself, St Paul’s is home to many gorgeous pieces from different time periods. Henry Moore’s Madonna and Child sculpture and the Victorian mosaics trailing the walls are accompanied by modern works such as Gerry Judah’s thought-provoking white crosses and Ian Hamilton Finlay’s neon piece L’étoile dans son étable de lumiere.
Artists such as Rebecca Horn and even Yoko Ono have become involved in the cathedral in recent times. Yoko Ono’s art installations have included Morning Beams and River Bed.
The Cathedral has also been featured in many movies. Among others, Lawrence of Arabia, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Sherlock Holmes and Thor: The Dark World show the monument in all its glory. There’s no better proof that it’s an instantly recognisable icon of British heritage.
Being honoured in the cathedral
A burial, memorial or funeral in St. Paul’s remains the highest national honour. Many artists, writers, politicians, humanitarians have been granted this prestige. Those with celebratory monuments include John Donne, Florence Nightingale, William Blake and Sir Alexander Fleming. Prime ministers Winston Churchill and more recently Margaret Thatcher have had funeral services held here.
Fittingly,, in 1723, Sir Christopher Wren was laid to rest in his own masterpiece. He was the first of numerous key figures to have the honour. The epitaph inscribed on his crypt reads: Lector, si monumentum requiris – which is Latin for ‘If you seek his monument, look around’.
Find out more little known facts about this iconic building at the links below
