Saint Paul's Cathedral

On the top of Ludgate Hill, Saint Paul's is the cathedral of the Bishop of London. Built from 1675 to 1710, it is considered Christopher Wren's masterpiece. Wren's cathedral replaced an earlier version that burned in the Great Fire of 1666. It is built of Portland stone and is dominated by its famous dome carrying its cross 365 feet above the City. The cupola of the dome was decorated by Sir James Thornhill with painted monochrome scenes from the life of St. Paul (finished 1720). The cathedral has an area of 87400 square feet (half that of St. Peter's in Rome). Its edifice is built in a Renaissance style but the interor, though classical in detail, has the general ground plan of a Gothic church. Many of the monuments and chapels in the cathedral represent aspects of the nation's history. The east end and north transept were damaged in 1941 by bombings.