On the south-east coast of England, in Kent, stands the most famous and oldest Gothic building in the region, a legacy of Christianity - Canterbury Cathedral (official name - Canterbury Cathedral and Metropolitan Church). This temple, the photo of which testifies to power and strength, has served as a center for Christians in England for hundreds of years.
To this day, this wonderful architectural monument has retained its flavor and serves as the residence of the head of the Anglican Church and the Anglican community - the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The story begins
Canterbury Cathedral boasts a long history dating back to before the Romans set foot on the British Isles. In that distant era, there was a pagan temple here. Already after the Romans visited the island, the place of sacrifice turned into a pagan sanctuary (it happened around the 5th century).
Pope Gregory I wished to spread Christianity here: in connection with this, the former abbot of the monastery of St. Andrew in Rome, AugustineCanterbury was ordered to organize a mission to the British Isles, the purpose of which was to eradicate paganism and spread Christianity.
The result of the missionary's trip in 597 was Canterbury Cathedral, founded on his instructions in honor of the heavenly patron Jesus Christ. In addition, the monastery of Saints Peter and Paul was erected outside the walls of the city, later renamed in honor of Augustine. Bishops of the city were buried here.
First destruction
The cathedral in question (also called Canterbury Cathedral in England) has been rebuilt more than once. So, after some reconstructions, outwardly it became similar to St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. In the 10th century, a Benedictine monastery arose near the religious building.
The beginning of the 11th century left a sad mark on the history of the cathedral - it was subjected to significant destruction by the Vikings, it was not possible to restore it. Suddenly attacked by the Danes, they captured and later killed Archbishop Alfeige, who became the first of the Canterbury martyred archbishops.
The final point in the history of the existence of the center of Christianity of that period in the British Isles was put by a fire that occurred half a century later.
New breath of the cathedral
And 3 years after the disaster, in 1070, the construction of a new temple began on the site of a burnt religious building. The construction was supervised by the first Norman archbishop Lanfranc, who held this post for 7 years.
Canterbury Cathedral, whose photo showshow the new building looked like the monastery of St. Stephen in France, where he had previously been rector, received a new life. Even the stone for construction was brought from the homeland of the archbishop. The year 1077 was marked by the consecration of the newly erected center of Christians and was open to the public.
First blood in the name of religion
Canterbury Cathedral has experienced many events in its lifetime. One of the most striking and tragic episodes was the vile murder of Thomas Becket. This story began at the beginning of the XII century, when King Henry II Plantagenet of England appointed his close friend, Lord Chancellor Becket, head of the Anglican Church. Having assumed the dignity, Lord Thomas took this honorary post, but political differences of opinion with the king of England and the ardent defense of the interests of the church by the lord led to the fact that on December 29, 1170, by order of Henry II, he was killed by knights on the holy altar of the cathedral.
Later, the king repented of his deed, and as a kind of atonement for his guilt, he accelerated the reckoning of the murdered to the canon of saints (this event occurred three years after the death of the archbishop instead of the prescribed five years). Thomas Becket was the second of a long line of martyred archbishops who were killed while serving in the Canterbury church.
The healing power of Thomas Becket
For a long time, the tomb of a clergyman was considered a place of healing of the sick, annually attracting hundreds of people wishing to be cured to the cathedral. Among the visitors to the burial place of Becket were noble people who brought generous donations. Earned onpilgrimage funds went towards the reconstruction. The temple, whose photos show that considerable funds were invested in its repair, was now able to provide for itself.
However, in 1174, he again survived a fire, as a result of which the wooden components of the structure burned out. Only the crypt was not damaged, which retained its appearance during the reconstruction. The rest of the building was rebuilt under the direction of the French architect William of Sens, but in the Gothic style. Then the construction was supervised by the English bricklayer William the Englishman. During this period, the remains of the murdered archbishops were transferred from the crypt to the rebuilt cathedral.
In place of the burnt apse, the chapel of the Holy Trinity was built, where the coffin with the body of Thomas Becket was transferred. Here he stayed until 1538, when the next king of England - Henry VIII of the Tudor dynasty - envious of the incredible income of the cathedral due to pilgrims, whose number did not decrease after the fire, decided to appropriate the treasures of the temple.
For this, the ruler of England announced the trial of the archbishop who died more than three centuries ago. Naturally, the latter did not appear on it. This, along with the accusation of treason, served as the basis for the recognition of Thomas Becket as guilty and the seizure of treasures from his tomb in favor of the royal treasury. Few cathedrals in England can boast such a rich and at the same time tragic history of the struggle against the royal power.
Under the leadership of William the Englishman, next to the chapel of the Holy Trinity, another well-knownalso called "Becket's Crown": it contained the head crown that was on the archbishop on the day of the assassination.
New renovations
Canterbury Cathedral was rebuilt in 1184 but only opened in 1220.
New chapels were gradually filled with the tombs of archbishops and prominent figures of the Middle Ages. So, the remains of the famous commander of the Hundred Years War Edward the Black Prince are stored here; King Henry IV Bolingbroke.
Further reconstruction of the cathedral was carried out in 1377, when it was decided to rebuild the main and transverse naves in the English Gothic style. An earthquake in 1382 brought all the work to naught, extending the restoration of the building for several more decades.
After numerous rebuildings, reconstructions and modifications, the cathedral acquired its modern look (in the 30s of the 19th century), when on the site of the northwestern tower, which threatened to collapse, a new building in the Gothic style, mirroring the southwestern tower, was erected style.
The life of the cathedral in the XX century
1942 was another test for the cathedral, which was raided by the Luftwaffe: some of the buildings were largely damaged. During the restoration of 1954, the destroyed buildings were restored, and cosmetic repairs were made in the cathedral. However, the majestic monument as a whole needs a deeper restoration, as erosion destroys the limestone from which it was built.
The modern cathedral and itsrole
Currently, the religious building serves as a regimental church of the Royal Regiment of the Queen of Wales. Funds are being collected for its reconstruction, because such a powerful building requires significant financial costs for maintenance and restoration.
Great temples of the world can rightfully be proud to include this oldest monument of architectural art, whose collection includes more than 50 thousand brochures and books from different periods of publication, and a rich history testifies to a difficult fate.
