A Brief Introduction of Westminster Abbey (Westminster Abbey)

Later, it was named Westminster because of the church, and now it is one of the two municipal districts that constitute the center of London. The church enjoys supreme status in Britain. This is the exclusive chapel of the British royal family. Since 1066, almost all the coronations of kings, royal weddings and all major ceremonies have been held here. In the 16- 18 century, Westminster was as famous as Oxford and Cambridge ... more Westminster churches were called Westminster Abbey, which originally meant the West Cathedral, because the church was located in the west of London. Later, it was named Westminster because of the church, and now it is one of the two municipal districts that constitute the center of London. The church enjoys supreme status in Britain. This is the exclusive chapel of the British royal family. Since 1066, almost all the coronations of kings, royal weddings and all major ceremonies have been held here. In the16-18th century, Westminster was an academic center as famous as Oxford and Cambridge, and it was also a place to translate the English version of the Bible. In the churchyard, British kings and the most outstanding great men in various fields are buried, so Westminster Abbey is also called the "Tower of Honor". 1987, Westminster Abbey was listed as a world cultural heritage. Architectural style: Generally speaking, this is a typical Gothic building, with tall and majestic colonnade, exquisite sculpture, colored glass, towering spire and bell tower, which is considered as a masterpiece of British Gothic architecture. But after13-16th century kings' continuous reconstruction and expansion, it has actually become a hodgepodge of various architectural styles. In the last renovation of19th century, the designer boldly removed some non-Gothic components and artworks, and restored the original appearance of the Gothic style church. Key points: Edward I of England: The throne stands on a high platform in front of the altar of the church. Starting from 130 1, all British kings except King Edward V of England and Edward VIII were crowned in this chair. There is a sacred stone called "stone of destiny" under the throne, which is the traditional coronation seat of the Scottish king and a symbol of his power. 1297, Edward I of England brought it to London. Now this stone has been sent back to Scotland. Henry vii Chapel: Located at the back of the church, it was built in16th century. It is a masterpiece of English medieval architecture. It is luxuriously decorated, and its huge fan-shaped pendant and vault design are extremely bold and ingenious. There are many other churches around to commemorate the late king, such as St. Edward's Church, a famous pilgrimage site in Britain, and Henry V's Church with complicated carvings. Church cemetery: More than 20 British kings are buried in the cemetery of Westminster Abbey. Later, nobles and church deacons were allowed to be buried here. Because many great men in British history were made nobles, this churchyard actually buried many politicians, scientists, writers and military strategists, such as Newton, Nelson, Churchill and Darwin, and became a veritable tomb of great men. In the best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code, it is at Newton's grave that the hero gets important enlightenment. Poet's Corner: It is part of the churchyard. The first writer buried here was Chaucer. Chaucer actually won the honor of being buried in Westminster as a royal official rather than a writer. He lived in a church before his death. 1599 Spencer was buried next to Chaucer, which started the tradition of famous writers being buried around Chaucer and set up a monument for those poets who were not buried here, and finally formed this place that was most mourned by tourists. Writers buried here include Dickens, Browning and Kipling, and Shakespeare also has his own monument. The names of almost all the masters in the history of English literature can be found here. Tomb of the Unknown Hero: In the middle of the tunnel at the west gate of the church, an unknown soldier who died in World War I is buried. The black marble tombstone is engraved with the famous epitaph: nobody is the most famous. Royal Air Force Chapel: It is a chapel set up to commemorate the air force heroes who died in the British air battle in World War II. The stained glass of the chapel is inlaid with the badges of 68 air squadrons participating in the war. Church Museum: The underground chapel located in the monastery, which mainly displays the statues of kings and nobles after their death. One of the oldest is the statue of Edward III in 1377. Sculpture of saints: There are ten relief figures on the west porch of the church, which are 10 Christian saints in the 20th century, including St. colbert in Auschwitz, the leader of the black civil rights movement in the United States, Martin Luther King. Church history: There was a monastery here as early as the 8th century. 1045, King Edward the Confessor of England promised the Pope to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, but he didn't go. In order to "atone", he built a new church for St. Peter here at the request of the Pope, so the real name of Westminster Abbey should be St. Peter's Church. The church was built in 1066, and is used jointly by the Catholic Benedictine Church and the monastery. Edward died soon after the church was built, leaving no heir to the throne. His cousin William, Duke of Normandy, crossed the ocean, defeated the king elected by the nobility and seized the British throne. This is the famous Norman Conquest in history. In order to show the legitimacy of his succession to the throne, William decided to be crowned in Westminster Abbey built by Edward. Since then, almost all British kings have been crowned here. During the period from 1220 to 15 17, the British kings continued to expand and rebuild the church and tried their best to make it look more magnificent. But in 1540, Britain broke with the Vatican and Westminster Abbey was closed. 1579, Elizabeth I reopened the church, but completely wiped out the Catholic forces, returned the jurisdiction to the royal family, and was managed by the imam directly appointed by the king, where the Bible was translated into English. Westminster Abbey became the exchange and research center of Protestantism in England. Link: world famous cathedral Notre Dame de Paris Vatican St. Peter's Cathedral Istanbul St. Sofia Cathedral Moscow Vasily Cathedral Barcelona Sagrada Familia Cathedral Florence Church of Our Lady of Flowers.