Coventry – the Cathedral
Aline writes: We went on a day trip to Coventry, primarily to see the cathedral. And boy was it worth it! But Coventry has more than a spectacular cathedral: it also has toys, medieval houses, Saxon ruins, and the best Medieval Doom painting in Europe.
But first, the cathedral.
On the night of Thursday, November 14, 1940, a German air raid devastated the city of Coventry, destroying the cathedral in the process. It was the only English city to lose its cathedral in the Second World War. The morning after the raid, the city vowed to rebuild it. But what makes it unique is that the cathedral was not rebuilt as a replica, which we saw so often in Germany; rather the cathedral ruins were allowed to stand and a new modern cathedral was built next to it, and in fact is linked to it both spatially and architecturally. It may be the most moving religious site I have been to.
Here you can see the old cathedral ruins on the right, and the corner of the new cathedral on the left. They are linked with a walkway in between them. It’s so big you can’t get everything in one picture!
The fabulous sculpture of Saint Michael and the Devil by Sir Jacob Epstein is on the outside of the new cathedral and depicts the final winning of good over evil.
These pictures from the inside of the old cathedral speak for themselves. There are even shards of stained glass still in the windows frames.
On the altar, the cathedral’s stonemason tied two of the charred medieval roof timbers found in the rubble and erected it as a cross. Together with the words Father Forgive inscribed behind it, it makes for a powerful and moving image.
The new cathedral, designed by Sir Basil Spence, stands alongside the ruins. On first seeing the ruins, he says “I was deeply moved. I saw the old cathedral as standing clearly for the Sacrifice, one side of the Christian Faith, and I knew my task was to design a new one which would stand for the triumph of the Resurrection…”
It is unabashedly modern but somehow sympathetic to the site. For example, the west screen merges images of saints and angels who look over the cathedral ruins, which you can clearly see through the window.
This picture shows the Tapestry designed by Graham Sutherland.
The new cathedral is filled with fabulous stained glass, such as this Baptistry window that represents the light of God breaking into the world.
The cathedral alone was worth the trip, but there is so much more! See the next post for more on Coventry.
But first, the cathedral.
On the night of Thursday, November 14, 1940, a German air raid devastated the city of Coventry, destroying the cathedral in the process. It was the only English city to lose its cathedral in the Second World War. The morning after the raid, the city vowed to rebuild it. But what makes it unique is that the cathedral was not rebuilt as a replica, which we saw so often in Germany; rather the cathedral ruins were allowed to stand and a new modern cathedral was built next to it, and in fact is linked to it both spatially and architecturally. It may be the most moving religious site I have been to.
Here you can see the old cathedral ruins on the right, and the corner of the new cathedral on the left. They are linked with a walkway in between them. It’s so big you can’t get everything in one picture!
The fabulous sculpture of Saint Michael and the Devil by Sir Jacob Epstein is on the outside of the new cathedral and depicts the final winning of good over evil.
These pictures from the inside of the old cathedral speak for themselves. There are even shards of stained glass still in the windows frames.
On the altar, the cathedral’s stonemason tied two of the charred medieval roof timbers found in the rubble and erected it as a cross. Together with the words Father Forgive inscribed behind it, it makes for a powerful and moving image.
The new cathedral, designed by Sir Basil Spence, stands alongside the ruins. On first seeing the ruins, he says “I was deeply moved. I saw the old cathedral as standing clearly for the Sacrifice, one side of the Christian Faith, and I knew my task was to design a new one which would stand for the triumph of the Resurrection…”
It is unabashedly modern but somehow sympathetic to the site. For example, the west screen merges images of saints and angels who look over the cathedral ruins, which you can clearly see through the window.
This picture shows the Tapestry designed by Graham Sutherland.
The new cathedral is filled with fabulous stained glass, such as this Baptistry window that represents the light of God breaking into the world.
The cathedral alone was worth the trip, but there is so much more! See the next post for more on Coventry.
posted by Bill | 1:14 PM
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