Salisbury Cathedral: history, description, photos

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:45

The small city of Salisbury is located in the south-east of England. It is famous for the fact that in its center there is a magnificent monument of English Gothic known far beyond the borders of the country and a recognized landmark - Salisbury Cathedral of the Virgin Mary.

Construction history

The temple is located in a large garden, at a distance of three kilometers from the central square of the city. This makes it perfectly visible from all sides.

In the Iron Age, this place was an earthen fortification, which was turned by William the Conqueror in 1070 into a stronghold. Later, a castle and a small episcopal cathedral were erected here, which was destroyed after a short time by a strong hurricane.

It was decided to build a new temple outside the castle, in a lowland area. On this occasion, there is a legend that the construction site of the cathedral was determined by an arrow fired from a bow by one of the warriors of the castle.

Another legend says that the place for the temple was indicated by the Virgin Mary herself, who appeared in a dream to Bishop Richard Poore, who lived here at that time.

Salisbury Cathedral was built in an unprecedentedshort terms for that time - 38 years, in the period from 1220 to 1258. But finishing work continued for another half century.

Architecture

Salisbury Cathedral was built in the Gothic style from local Chilmark stone. The façade of the building lacks the usual Gothic spiers, instead of which there are small tents.

On the plan, the building consists of several intersecting rectangles, the intersection point of which is crowned with a tower.

The tower of the cathedral was built a hundred years after the building itself. The spire of Salisbury Cathedral is the tallest in England at 123 meters high.

The uniqueness of the structure lies in the fact that with a weight of 6 tons, its foundation is only one meter.

The walls of the cathedral are decorated with more than a hundred different niches occupied by statues. Of these, 73 statues form 5 rows, they are arranged in accordance with the church hierarchy. Many of them are not genuine, but later replaced by exact copies. Some of the original sculptures were destroyed during the Reformation.

The whole facade is richly decorated with carvings, ornaments and columns. There is a large stained-glass window in the center.

Clock

The unique Salisbury Cathedral clock, which was installed in 1386, is the oldest working clock in the world. They don't have a watch face, but they still show the correct time.

Cathedral interior

Inside the space of the cathedral is well lit. columnsmade of Perbeck marble, which is a crystallized limestone that shimmers in the sun. Also, bright stained-glass windows shimmer with all colors. All this can be seen in the photo of Salisbury Cathedral.

Interior decoration used materials completely different in color and texture.

The cathedral itself is a real repository of world relics. Also in the temple there are many different decorations and quite unexpected things for this place.

Genuine banners of past centuries are hung along the walls at the entrance. Not far from the main entrance is a unique font, the development of which took about 10 years. The water in it seems still and resembles a mirror. It has such a smooth surface that sometimes they mistake it for glass and even put bags.

Not far from it is an old chest, which also serves as a small table. It was made in the 13th century and is used to store robes.

In the very center under the dome is the crossroads - the central point of the cathedral. The intersection of the nave and the transept, crowned with a hollow spire. There are also choirs in the central part. Above the benches for noble persons are attached tablets with the names of those who are destined for a place.

The cathedral has an organ that compensates for the lack of domes.

Tombs and Library

In Salisbury Cathedral, as is customary in European churches, there are many tombs of clergy and just noble people of the city.

Here is the tomb of William Longspe (1226), brother of King John of England, the tomb of Bishop Osmund and many others who contributed to the prosperity of the city and the cathedral, the townspeople and their families. Inside the cathedral, on its right side, is the Audley Chapel.

In 1445, the library building was attached to the temple building. Scenes from the Old Testament are depicted on its carved border. It is here that one of the surviving copies of the Magna Carta, the first English piece of legislation limiting royal power, is kept.

Internal Galleries

The interior galleries of Salisbury Cathedral are the largest of all the cathedrals in England. You can walk on them for free, but you have to pay to enter the cathedral itself.

There is a patio with green grass, but it is forbidden to walk on it. He is being carefully cared for.

Inside, behind the arched porticos of the terraces, various dolls are placed. They are made in human height and dressed up in English costumes of the past. It looks like real kings, dukes and ladies in smart dresses are walking around.

Remarkable are the antique doors with embossed passages and colorful light garlands hanging from them.

The feeling of space makes it very easy to be here.

In the sacristy, which was built in the 13th century, there is a museum dedicated to the history of the royal regiments.

There is also the College of the Virgin Mary,where the widows of priests live. There is also a parish school.

Approximately 1,000 tourists visit Salisbury Cathedral every year. Even people who are far from religion come here to see the walls and the interior of the temple, which is very impressive. After all, very few such structures have survived in Europe.