Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey is located in the capital of Great Britain and is one of the main shrines of this country. In the cathedral church, which bears the name of St. Peter, ceremonies are held in honor of the coronation of the monarchs of the state, as well as their burial. Westminster Abbey, including St. Margaret's Church, are added to UNESCO registers.

Westminster Abbey dates back to 1065. Its founder is Edward the Confessor, who was both here and buried. An idea of the original appearance of the abbey can be found from the embroidered "Bayeux carpet", which dates back to the 11th century. All the kings who ascended the throne after the founder made their own adjustments, changed something, completed it. The church acquired its appearance, which has been preserved up to this time, approximately in the middle of the XV century.

This magnificent temple is built in the form of a Latin cross, on the edge of which is the chapel of Henry VII, built back in 1519. At the moment, this chapel is known as the Chapel of the Order of the Bath. The length of the temple reaches the mark of 156 meters, and its width (side and main aisles) is 22 meters, the towers have a size of 69 meters.

The modern interior of the temple is complemented by the tombs of both the monarchs themselves and other famous people (military leaders, writers). In addition to the coronation and burial procedures, the abbey also celebrated the most important events related to the monarchs, as well as their family. The crown throne, which was made of wood back in 1300 for Edward l, is still in Westminster Abbey today.

The coronation accessories, which include the treasury itself, as well as other jewels, were guarded by the abbey until 1365 in the local basement. Previously, the underground passages were under particularly strict security, and outsiders were forbidden to enter here. But, as historical facts say, back in 1303, the monks, along with Abbot Wenlock, entered into a conspiracy with a merchant and as a result, the jewels that the dungeon hid so securely were slowly sold off in all directions. Of course, this lawlessness had a logical conclusion. King Edward I found out about the chaos in the abbey and immediately restored order. The perpetrators, as expected, were punished – the monks were imprisoned, and the merchant himself was severely punished by skinning alive. Later, according to sources, the door of the treasury was lined with his skin.

There is a gallery in Westminster Abbey where you can see the magnificent works of the icon painter Sergei Fedorov, a native of Russia. Tourists are also attracted by the local Poets' Corner, where the graves of the most famous writers and poets are located, among which you can find the names Chaucer, Samuel Johnson, Dickens, Browning.

On the holy grounds of the abbey, it is not uncommon to hear the melodies of secular as well as sacred music.

It is very easy to get to Westminster Abbey by using the Westminster Metro.