The most beautiful religious buildings London

A masterpiece of architect Christopher Wren, who was responsible for its reconstruction after the Great Fire of 1666, the current cathedral is in fact the fifth cathedral built on this site since the construction of the first church dedicated to Saint Paul in 604. It was the first Anglican cathedral in 1534 and its choir has served as a reference for all Anglican churches in the country. The restoration of the cathedral was decided shortly before the fire and finally it was its reconstruction that began in 1675 and was completed in 1710. Wren has already proposed restoration plans and he sees the end of the work when he is almost 80 years old, in other words it is his life's work. He is buried there. The plan of the church is in the shape of a cross, you enter through the vast nave which opens the view on the dome and the choir. The architecture is largely inspired by the Italian Renaissance and the Baroque. Its majestic dome stands proudly in the middle of La City, its white stone sparkling in the sun. Wren had in mind a dome that could be seen from far away, but he also wanted the interior paintings to be visible from the cathedral floor. He therefore built two domes, an interior, of which only the concave part can be seen, and an exterior, of which only the convex part can be seen. This dome is accessed by an endless staircase leading to a gallery, the Whispering Gallery. Its name comes from a resonance phenomenon that makes it possible to hear a whispered whisper on the other side. Another series of steps and a staircase later, you will reach the second gallery, the stone gallery and finally the gold gallery, this time outside the cathedral and offering a 360° view of the capital. The effort (530 steps all the same) is worth it, especially in good weather, because you are overlooking the city centre. The cathedral rises 110 m, or 365 feet. Finally, discover the basement of the cathedral which houses the crypt, a pantheon of the nation's great men. In the centre of the crypt is the tomb of Admiral Nelson, decorated with a crown carved from the wood of the mast of L'Orient, a French ship destroyed at the Battle of Abukir. In the painters' corner are the graves of Turner, Reynolds and Lawrence, as well as monuments dedicated to Constable, Van Dyck and William Blake. At the far east end, the chapel of the Order of the British Empire was built to pay tribute to the veterans of the First World War.

This cathedral stands out in the London landscape with its architecture closer to the Byzantine style than to the Gothic style so familiar in England. Originally, the site belonged to Benedictine monks, who initiated the construction. In the ^17th century, part of the land was sold to build a prison. In 1884, the Catholic Church acquired the site. From then on, the cathedral was dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, and was built in neo-Byzantine style on the model of Saint Sophia in Istanbul, according to plans by architect John Francis Bentley. The foundation stone was laid in 1895 and the structure completed eight years later. The interior is impressive, decorated with marble and mosaics, but is still very dark and unfinished, with a bare ceiling. The chapels and columns are delicately decorated in gold, earthy red and green. This is the seat of the Catholic Church in Great Britain. The fourteen stations of the Stations of the Cross, created by sculptor Eric Gill, are world-renowned. The cathedral is the architectural masterpiece of Victorian architect John Francis Bentley (1839-1902). To prepare for the cathedral's construction, he organized a four-month European tour to visit churches and basilicas dating from the "primitive" period. Westminster Cathedral is one of the UK's busiest churches.

Much less well known than St Paul or Westminster, Southwark Cathedral is a splendid building, practically hidden by the trees and tall buildings that surround it. A very fine example of English Gothic architecture, built in the 13th century, it has been rebuilt and restored several times, including the central nave, rebuilt in the 19th century in the neo-Gothic style. On the left, do not miss the 15th century keystones. Shakespeare buried his brother here in 1607, a monument is dedicated to him.

The Church St Alfege marks the place where Alfege, Archbishop of Canterbury, was killed by the Vikings on 19 April 1012. A church was built in 1290 and King Henry VIII was baptized in 1491. It is a storm that in 1710 damages the building, then it is asked Nicholas Hawksmoor, assistant of architect Christopher Wren, to rebuild it. During the Blitz in 1941, the church was bombed and the roof was affected. Walls and tower are spared, but the interior is largely devastated.

It's a masterpiece by architect Hawksmoor, a disciple of the great Christopher Wren. Christ Church stands sovereign in a once wretched, outlaw neighborhood. Why such a church in such a nauseating neighborhood? Spitalfields was the Huguenot quarter in the ^18th century, a stronghold of non-Anglican Protestants, and a means for the Crown to assert its religious superiority. Jack London describes it as the haunt of the unfortunate in Le Peuple d'en-bas.

This is the oldest church in La City and the only one in the city with traces of Saxon architecture (the church was founded in 675). A Roman pavement was even discovered there, proof of activity on the site 2,000 years ago. If the Great Fire of 1666 began just a few hundred metres from the site, the church was miraculously saved. Very damaged by the Blitz bombardments, it had to be rebuilt, but the brick tower, the outer walls and the Saxon porch are still standing.

At the end of a small alley lies London's oldest church, celebrating its 900th anniversary in 2023! Built in 1123 by Henry ^I, son of William the Conqueror, it survived the Great Fire of 1666, the bombs of the First World War and the Blitz of the Second. Renowned as the most beautiful church of the Norman era, its architecture is sublime. To enter, cross a half-timbered enclosure: the original façade. For the record, scenes from the films Shakespeare in Love and Four Weddings and a Funeral were filmed here.

This church, which dates back to the 12th century, was founded by the Benedictine Order. They wanted a parish church where they could gather in peace and quiet, far from the hustle and bustle of Westminster Abbey. In 1614, after being rebuilt in a late Gothic style by Robert Stowel, it officially became the parish church of Westminster Palace. It is therefore available to parliamentarians and is also used for concerts and commemorations. Churchill even married Clementine Hozier there in 1908.

This church was built after an act in 1711, which advocated the creation of new churches in London. St Mary-Le-Strand, and others were, at that time, called "Queen Anne's Churches", because the queen showed a keen interest in their construction. James Gibbs, the architect, draws on the mannerist inspirations of 16th and 17th century Italian churches. The western part has a semi-circular porch that recalls Santa Maria della Pace in Rome. Inside, the imposing vault recalls that of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence.

In the small residential area of Smith Square, the church of the same name is considered one of the masterpieces of Baroque architecture in England. It is one of the strategic places for concerts, which take place at noon and in the evening. Built in 1728, it was copiously destroyed during the Second World War. It was then restored to serve as a concert venue. Renowned artists and performers perform there. A restaurant is located in the crypt. The surroundings are dotted with small typical Georgian houses.

Built in 1185 by the Knights Templar, an order of 12th century monk soldiers, on the model of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, Temple Church was renovated in 1682 by Christopher Wren and damaged by the bombardments of the Second World War. You may see budding adventurers looking for a papal plot, Temple Church having been made famous in the best-selling Dan Brown Da Vinci Code. It can only be accessed by day, via Fleet St or Tudor St, the enclosure being surrounded by gates. Debates and visits are organised on this theme.

Designed by architect James Gibb, built in 1726. The previous church on the site was built outside the town,in the fields, hence its name. Classical music concerts are regularly held here. The church also has its own café, the Café in the Crypt, an unusual place that feels more like a canteen than a café, and whose food is of average quality. We come here more for the original setting. At regular intervals, you'll hear its chimes echoing throughout the neighborhood.

The oldest synagogue in Great Britain, it was built in 1701 by Spanish and Portuguese Jews who had fled the Inquisition. Resistance to Jews was still very strong at the time, and the synagogue was therefore built at the back of a courtyard so that it could not be seen from the main street. Virtually unchanged since its construction, it is a poignant historical testimony of one of the refugee communities in the East End. It is based on the model of the Amsterdam synagogue and inspired by the Christopher Wren style.