Westminster Abbey is a large temple with the official name Collegiate Church of St. Peter in Westminster. This is a Gothic building located west of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster's central London area. Here until 1539 there was a Benedictine monastic monastery, until the monastery was abolished. Between 1540 and 1556, the church had the status of a cathedral. But despite its current name, Westminster Abbey is not formally either an abbey or a cathedral. Since 1560, Elizabeth I issued a special royal charter on the transition of English churches to the status of Royal peculiar (royal features, estates), according to which the dean and the heads of churches of the kingdom are subordinate to the monarch, and not to the bishop.
Value
The majestic church building is not distinguished by a rich history of interesting events, and its architecture is not distinguished by originality or pronounced beauty. But the great significance of Westminster Abbey for the state is unconditional. This is a special royal church. Since the conquest of William the Conqueror in 1066, all the triumphs of the English, and later the British monarchs are performed under the arches of this temple, funeral services and weddings of members of royal families are held here. Since 1100, at least 16 ceremonies of royal weddings have been held in the abbey. Since the mid-10th century, the tradition of daily worship at the abbey continues to this day.
Not only royal people were buried in the church, many English figures who played the greatest role in the development of public policy, culture and science were awarded this honor. In total, over three thousand people were buried in the abbey, six hundred of which were installed tombstones. Since 1987, Westminster Abbey, St. Margaret's Church and the Houses of Parliament have been comprehensively designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites in London.
History of architecture
The construction of the first temple on the site of the modern abbey began 1400 years ago, during the founding of the Christian English Church, whose origins were Bishop Augustine of Canterbury. At the beginning of the 7th century, Augustine sent Mellith, one of his priests, to the kingdom of Essex near the Thames, near London, to preach and convert the population to the Christian faith. One of the first to adopt Christianity was the King of the East Saxons, Sabert. He and Mellith, two miles west of old London, built a Christian temple on Thorney Island. And Mellit from 604 became the first bishop of London.
The registered origin of the abbey dates back to the 960s or early 970s, when Saint Dunstan - Bishop of Worcester and London - together with King Edgar established a community of Benedictine monks on the site of the church. With the increasing influence of the abbey, the cloister and island became known as the Western Church (West Minster). The first known reconstruction of the church was made in 1065–1090, and it was begun by the Anglo-Saxon king Edward, named the Confessor. On the eve of his death in 1042, the temple was consecrated. The supporting columns with round arches in the crypt of modern abbey are the only surviving traces of the buildings of that time.
The next reconstruction was the most important, during which the church acquired its main appearance. The construction was carried out for almost three centuries (1245-1517) and began under Henry III, according to whose plan the building of Westminster Abbey was designed and created as a Gothic cathedral. The work was directed by the royal mason Henry Rhine. Henry III ordered a unique mosaic floor in front of the High Altar, paved with Italian cosmatesco technique. During the construction of the XIV century, the appearance of the church reflected significant traces of the activities and leadership of the skilled architect Henry Yewel. When it was built: a nave, the Abbot’s House, a western cloister and several tombs. Construction work was completed under the reign of Richard II.
The first king of the Tudor dynasty, Henry VII, was added in 1503 the Lady Chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as the Chapel of Henry VII. Most of the stone for her was brought from the city of Cannes and the Loire Valley in France, as well as from the island of Portland.
Status Changes
By 1535, the abbey’s annual income reached GBP 2,400–2,800, equivalent to GBP 1,340,000–1,527,000 at the time of 2016. It was the second wealthiest Christian monastery in England after the monastic community of Glastonbury.
Henry VIII took direct royal control of the abbey in 1539, endowing it with the position of the second cathedral according to the charter of 1540. At the same time, the monarch issued a decree with a written patent establishing the diocese of Westminster. Giving the status of a cathedral to Westminster Abbey, Henry VIII received the grounds to save the temple from the destruction or decay that most English monasteries and churches suffered during that period, and at the same time control its income.
The rights to the abbey were restored by the Benedictines during the reign of Catholic Mary I, but were again abolished by Elizabeth I who ascended the throne. In 1560, Queen Bess restored the activity of Westminster, but made it the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, and not the cathedral, headed by the dean. Westminster Abbey received the status of Royal Peculiar, that is, the Anglican Church, which is directly subordinate to the sovereign, and not the bishop.
Recent Conversions
During the rebellious 1640s, the abbey suffered damage when it was attacked by Puritan iconoclasts. But thanks to the patronage of the state and the monarchy, the church was protected, and the destruction remained insignificant.
Between 1722 and 1745, two western towers of the temple, made on the model of late Gothic and early Renaissance, were erected from Portland stone by architect Nicholas Hawksmoor. And the walls and upper floors of the church are faced with marble from Purbek, many tombstones are also created from various types of marble. According to the description, Westminster Abbey in the 19th century under the direction of the architect Sir George Gilbert Scott underwent major restoration work and recent renovations.
Chapel of the Mysteries of the Knights
One of the most beautiful details of the church interior is the vaulted ceiling of the chapel of Henry VII. No photos of Westminster Abbey convey the interior splendor of this building. When the Order of the Baths was founded by George I (1725), the chapel became the venue for installation ceremonies led by the Grand Master. Ceremonies are held every four years, and every second of them is attended by the king. Such a strange name for the order came from an ancient knightly rite, when the neophyte was subjected to all-night vigil in fasting and prayer with the obligatory cleansing ablution on the eve of the initiation ceremony. Composition of the order: sovereign head (king of Britain); Grand Grandmaster (Master), whose role belongs to the Prince of Wales; three knightly classes. Members of the order are not only knights, but also ladies.
Church organ
The beautiful organ created by Harrison & Harrison was installed in 1937 and was first used at the coronation of George VI. Some pipes from the previous instrument of 1848, the work of master William Hill, were removed and included in the new scheme. Two organ buildings, designed and built by John Loughborough Pearson at the end of the 19th century, were restored and painted in 1959. In 1982 and 1987, Harrison & Harrison expanded the organ to include additional registries, led by then-Abbot organist Simon Preston. In 2006, the organ console was repaired and expanded by the same company Harrison & Harrison. One part of the instrument, the Celestial Organ, is currently not functioning. The current organist and choir master James O'Donnell has been working since 2000.
The Second World War
Throughout history, Westminster suffered the most damage during the May bombing of 1941, when several incendiary bombs hit the roof of the building. They were all extinguished, with the exception of one ignited among the wooden beams and the gypsum roof vault above the northern transept. Flames quickly spread, burning debris with molten lead roofing began to fall on wooden stalls, benches, lamps and other church equipment. However, church servants managed to make most of the furniture. Finally, part of the roof collapsed, preventing the further spread of the fire.
In those war years, about 60,000 sandbags were used to protect the tombs. The coronation chair was sent for safety to Gloucester Cathedral, and the Coronation stone was buried in the caches of the abbey.
Burial honor
Since the Middle Ages, English monarchs, aristocrats, monks and people associated with the abbey have been buried in chapels, crypts, transepts, under floor slabs and other places in the church. One of them was the poet Jeffrey Chaucer (1400), who was honorably buried here. After a century and a half, the ashes of Edmund Spencer were buried in the abbey , then other poets, writers and musicians were buried or their names were immortalized here in the “Poets Corner” of the southern transept.
Subsequently, Westminster Abbey became the most honored burial place in Britain. The practice of burial of prominent national figures in the abbey began with the funeral of Admiral Robert Blake in 1657 and continued with a list of generals, admirals, politicians, doctors and scientists such as Isaac Newton or Charles Darwin. In the 20th century, it became customary to bury cremated remains in the abbey. In 1905, the first cremated ashes buried in the church were actor Henry Irving.
Legends
There are few legends about Westminster Abbey, and one of them goes back to the founding of the church. In those days the Thames was rich in fish, and many fishermen hunted in its waters. One of them had a vision of the patron saint of fishermen - the Apostle Peter, at the place where the temple was soon erected. On the eve of the consecration of the church, allegedly its founder Mellitus was also visited by St. Peter, whose name was subsequently given to the abbey. Perhaps the legend caused the fact that in later times, Thames fishermen annually on June 29, St. Peter's Day, offered abbey rich salmon gifts. And the fishing company Fishmongers' Company still supplies the abbey with fish.
Another story concerns the island of Torney, on which the church is located. It was first named in the VIII century as Thorn ait (thorny island) due to its abundant thickets of wild blackberries. In the chronicles of that time, he is called a "terrible place." 200 years later, under King Edward the Confessor, the island is mentioned as "the most beautiful place, surrounded by green fields with fertile soil." The monks began to cultivate blackberries and develop the tradition of English gardening. To this day, the abbey gardens, considered the oldest in London, have been preserved.
Interesting Facts
A lot of interesting things can be said about Westminster Abbey and its interior. Here is a small part of his stories.
- In the basement of the XI century, under the former cells of the Benedictine monks, the museum has been located since 1908. This is one of the oldest areas of Westminster Abbey, dating back to 1065, and the only one preserved from that time.
- Until the 19th century, Westminster was the third place of study in England, after Oxford and Cambridge. It was here that the first and third parts of the King James Bible, as well as the second half of the New Testament, were translated into English. In the 20th century, the New English Bible gathered here.
- On September 17, 2010, the church was visited by the first Pope Benedict XVI, who set foot on the territory of the abbey. Before, not a single pontiff was in this temple.
- In the floor, right inside the large western door in the center of the nave, is the tomb of an unknown warrior - a British soldier who was killed on the European battlefield of the First World War. He was buried in the abbey on November 11, 1920, and this grave is the only one in the temple that is forbidden to step on.
- The last marriage in the abbey was the 2011 wedding ceremony of Prince William and the non-aristocratic family of Catherine Middleton. The event, which was attended by about 1900 invited guests, was broadcast live around the world.
Westminster Abbey’s latest news will be the opening of the “Royal Diamond Jubilee Galleries” in 2018, a new museum in medieval triforium. The gallery, located at an altitude of 70 feet, has been hidden from the public for more than 700 years. These newly opened galleries provide visitors with magnificent views of the Palace of Westminster and the church. It will feature treasures and collections reflecting the rich and diverse thousand-year history of the abbey.