Wren, Saint Paul's Cathedral

Christopher Wren, Saint Paul's Cathedral, begun 1675, completed 1711, London
Speakers: Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker

[@EmdrGreg]

Thanks for mentioning the basic structure of the dome-- one of the truly amazing features of St. Paul's.

[@shoppysharp9355]

The descriptions within this video succinctly renders a great overview of Christopher Wren's Saint Paul's Cathedral; excellent Thank You!

[@seanjones2753]

Wow, what a stunning building. Thank you for another video!

[@itchyscratchy3589]

Thanks for this video. Listened to it while I’m the cathedral as my own audio tour haha

[@ChrisLedgerUK]

My Grandfather - F.HANWELL - worked at Brown Baileys in Sheffield and he and his forge team made replacement iron chains that hold the dome together when it went through a renovation/repair phase (c. 1920's). The chain links were massive and took the team some considerable time to make. (Time 6:46)

[@hlondon2408]

Wonderful accounting of the history of this gorgeous and scared English Cathedral.

[@squarepants49]

And Wren's St Brides church with its three tier design, is the origin of the bridal wedding cake used at every wedding.

[@achelleos14]

May God bless Saint Pauls Cathedral in London. Amen + + +

[@Sasha0927]

Thank you, Macaulay Family Foundation. 😌🙏 It's always inspiring to hear about brilliant minds like Wren's. It helps me imagine what I'm capable of doing. I wonder how Wren's London would look today, but this cathedral is stunning. I'm glad he got to do this much.

[@Insperato62]

Shame you didn't close with the famous photo of St Paul's surrounded by fire in the Blitz of 1940 in WW2. St Paul's has greatly improved since it was cleaned up. 300 years being surrounded by buildings burning coal fires, and decades of filthy motor traffic left not only the outside but also the inside seriously damaged by smog. A small section by the West Door has been left uncleaned just to show the HUGE difference.

[@Zim___]

Amazing architecture

[@stevenforman3044]

sweet stuff... Thanks lots. 💚

[@kitjones89]

@Smarthistory - great video style. 3:11 ... what's the { ☿ } symbol signifying on the map? And could you include sources/references for the images you've used?

[@smarthistory-art-history]

We do include the source material, see the end of the video. It takes up three pages!

[@meeds7473]

I think it's important to note Wren's memorial in the crypt (where he's also buried with members of his family). It's in latin but it translates to: Here in its foundations lies the architect of this church and city, Christopher Wren, who lived beyond ninety years, not for his own profit but for the public good. Reader, if you seek his monument - look around you. Died 25 Feb. 1723, age 91.

[@davidcoker7989]

Great little video, well done! Love this building!

[@NebulousWhisp]

I love Wrens smaller churches but I have always felt that there is something inelegant about Saint Paul's, maybe something to do with the design compromise you mentioned. It has some nice elements but lacks a unity of design. the dome is too big, or maybe just a little too tall. Thanks for the video.

[@pffortes]

Couldn’t agree more. The enormous dome centered over a spartanly designed asymmetrical basilica plan looks awkward. A Greek cross design with four grand entrances would have been spectacular. St. Peter’s shelved the Bramante design for a basilica, and so did St. Paul’s.

[@TheColinpeter]

at 2.11 into the vid the slide is a sketch? showing a riverside cliff/buff? Is this a real sketch form the time or an imagined view please?? If real who is the artist - it's great!!

[@smarthistory-art-history]

All the images shown in the video are listed in order of appearance at the end of every Smarthistory video (except the very earliest ones we made before about 2010).

[@dresden]

Could you guys make a video about the St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter in New Orleans?? It's so beautiful and I would love to hear more about it.

[@smarthistory-art-history]

I will be at Tulane briefly in the early fall and will be sure to have a look when I am there. Thanks. Steven

[@melindadouglas1673]

Very informative, thank you for sharing.

[@tukyleith]

I believe Wren initially designed the dome to be covered in copper, but it was going to be too expensive so it ended up being clad in lead, adding many ton to the weight. Hence the requirement for several iron bands to hold it all together.

[@johnmorrisartfromtheheart]

Could I use this video for our kids art/ history teaching please :)

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Most Smarthistory videos, including this one, use a creative common license that allows them to be used by teachers and students without explicit permission. Please go ahead, we hope it's helpful.

[@johnmorrisartfromtheheart]

It was indeed it's very much appreciated. You have great teaching that students will love

[@sandratogneri9982]

Amazing XXX

[@rupertprawnworthy758]

It is a masterpiece of compromise most people would have a nervous breakdown just looking at the endless problems wren went through to get it built. I am sure if he was able to build his original design it would have been one of the architectural wonders of the world though even after going through years of planning with everyone having an opinion including the king and the leaders of the church before you even start to look at the cost of building it we are left with a dome weighing 65000 tones that from underneath floats above you like it is supported by the air around it. To me it is more a monument to one mans perseverance he really was great.

[@wiganbinmon6776]

Things like this make me proud to be British

[@joabid]

excelente contenido, gracis!

[@shannonbowman5990]

❤

[@laninepomuceno6774]

God bless us I want to travel around the world together my family, friends and relatives. In God all things are possible po. From Lani D. Nepomuceno, Philippines

[@howardking3601]

What a pity that this magnificent architecture is buried in the disorganized mass of ugly buildings characteristic of a modern city! It should have been surrounded by a wide space where nothing was allowed to be built.

[@jero4059]

the dome is too big for the rest of the structure in my opinion

[@gayleralan]

I've seen tourists visiting St. Pauls burst into tears. I'm not religious but I must admit St.Pauls makes you think you're closer to god

[@baldwintheleper8290]

Greece should build a similar church to Hagia Sophia.

[@seriouscoffeecup5516]

And then what? Become broke again?

[@SalvatoreEscoti]

why did they choose to let it look like St Peter in Rome? the architecture of St. Pauls is VERY much inspired by the italian style, why didnt they make it look more english? It looks like an italian church and not like an english one.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

Most of the English churches at that time were gothic or even older Romanesque in some cases. Wren was influenced by the striking majesty of the French style which was influenced by the Italian. And he had to compromise with the church authority that commissioned him to design St Paul's. It was quite a balancing act.

[@arslongavitabrevis5136]

I cannot believe that with a name like yours, you regret the fact that Wren was inspired by the incredible beauty and majesty of the Baroque (Italian or French) and designed this gorgeous masterpiece instead of a boring Gothic cathedral.

[@arslongavitabrevis5136]

@@michaeldeierhoi4096 Very good observation, as a man of Italian descent and a lover of Baroque art and architecture I could not believe an Italian would post a comment like that!

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

@@arslongavitabrevis5136 I have visited St Paul's Cathedral and it was quite impressive to me on so many levels. I'm looking forward to returning. I'm American with no Italian ancestry.

[@tecknick]

Great story, but I just don't get the swinging from one narrator to another, it doesn't sound convincing, nor does it sound anything other than reading a script.. sorry.

[@smarthistory-art-history]

No need to be sorry. There was no script. This is literally spontaneous unscripted conversation that took place at the cathedral that was later edited down. Many people like to hear from two people but you are free to have a different opinion.

[@edeliteedelite1961]

I couldn't disagree more.

[@agbook2007]

@@smarthistory-art-history, deftly handled and gracious. It was convincing and a good video.

[@barbarahourigan8462]

❤️