The City on London (0)

The City of London
History
The City of London occupies one square mile in the middle of the capital. It once made up the entire town of London, surrounded by the wall first built by the Romans .
The Roman Londinium grew up on the northern side of the “London Bridge ” in the past. Products such as olive oil, wines and fruit were brought by ships from different parts of the Roman Empire and unloaded onto wooden quays along the river .
In AD 61 the native Celtic Iceni tribe, led by Queen Boudicca, rose up against The Romans. They burnt Londinium to the ground but Roman armies eventually defeated Boudicca. The city was rebuilt and was gradually surrounded with a wall of stone and brick which lasted for many centuries .
During the archeological excavations in 1954 the Roman Temple of Mithras was revealed. It was a pagan temple dedicated to the Persian Sun-god. The Temple was later reconstructed only a short way from its original site and the relics are displayed in the Museum of London in the Barbican.
At the end of the fourth century AD the Roman Empire began to crumble and the Roman armies were recalled from Britain to defend Rome itself. Once they had left Anglo- Saxons invaded and settled in Britain. They were farming people who preffered to live outside towns. For a while London probably lay in ruins , but it eventually developed again , partly because of its position on the river was good for trading.
The Tower of London
There is more of London’s history in the Tower than anywhere else in London. It is the oldest surviving building in the capital. The Tower of London was begun by William the Conqueror in 1078 as a castle and a palace but even before the site had been used by the Romans and Anglo-Saxons. The tower comprises not one, but 20 towers , the oldest, the White Tower, dates back to the 11th Century.
The Roman stone wall, parts of which can still be seen on the territory of the Tower, may have been a small Roman fort near the river.
The White Tower, called so on account of the white Caen stone Brought from Normandy, is the original Norman stronghold. It is the central building of the Tower of London. The white tower has three small square towers and one round one. Later other buildings were added. It has served as a palace as well as a fortress, but it is as a prison that it is known best . Many people have been locked in the Tower, for religious beliefs or suspected treason.
Traitors’ Gate, set in the southern wall of the Tower, has steps leading down to the river Thames . Countless prisoners, including the future Queen Elisabeth I, were brought to the Tower by barge and went up the steps before being imprisoned – for many it was their last moment of freedom before their death . Fortunately, Elisabeth was released from the Tower and later became Queen. Elisabeth’s father , Henry VII, made the Tower the feared destination of his enemies. Sir Thomas More was beheaded there in 1535 and the King ’s second wife , Anne Boleyn , was beheaded on Tower Green in 1536. Six years later Catherine Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth wife, suffered the same fate. The Gunpowder plot conspirators were interrogated in the Tower before being executed.
The Tower is famous as home of the Crown Jewels. Today they can be viewed in their special jewel house ( built in 1967) from a moving pavement. They include the Crown of Queen Elisabeth the Queen Mother which contains the celebrated Indian diamond, the Koh-I- noor and St .Edward’s Crown which is used for actual crowning of the monarch and weighs over two kilograms. The Imperial State Crown was made for Queen Victoria and first used at her coronation in 1838. It is possibly the most valuable crown in the world, containing many precious diamonds , rubies, emeralds and sapphires.
For centuries the Tower of London has been the main arsenal in the kingdom from which the royal armies and fleets were equipped. It also housed king’s personal armours and weapons. Among the armour on display in the White Tower Armoury are four suits of Henry VII. They are of different sizes because Henry grew fatter with age.
The Tower is guarded by the Yeoman Warders, a company of 38 ex-servicemen (also known as the Beefeaters). Usually they are seen in the dark blue uniforms with red decorations, but on state occasions they wear the scarlet and gold uniforms with a white neck ruff and a special bonnet.
Among their duties is the ceremonial closing of the gates each evening , the 700 – year -old Ceremony of the Keys, at which the Chief Warder presents the of the Tower to the Resident Governor.
It had been thought that there have been at least six ravens in residence at the tower for centuries. The legend says that if the ravens ever leave the Tower of London, the White Tower, the monarchy, and the entire kingdom would fall. Charles, following the time of the English Civil War, superstition or not, was not prepared to take the chance , and instead had the observatory moved to Greenwich .
Wild ravens were once used for “cleaning” the execute site.
St. Paul’s Cathedral
By this time England had been invaded by the Normans under William the Conqueror and so the new building was in the Norman style and took over 200 years to complete . It was the largest building in the country and was built of imported Caen stone. It was even bigger than the present day St Paul's and its spire was the tallest ever built. When the spire was struck by lightning in the mid 16th century, it was not rebuilt.
During the English Civil War and the period of the Cromwell 's rule, the Commonwealth , an enormous amount of damage was done to the fabric of the building. Windows, statues, carvings and the nave roof were destroyed. During the war, the Parliamentary army used the nave to stable their horses and later the porch of the Cathedral was rented to small businesses.
In 1660 King Charles II was restored to the throne. By this time St Paul's was in a desperate state so Christopher Wren was consulted about repairs to restore its former grandeur. Before the recommended repairs could be undertaken, the cathedral was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.
The ruins were demolished and a new design by Wren, the one we see today, was built. The only surviving artifact from the old Cathedral was a statue of John Donne which can now be seen in the South Aisle . Building was completed 1710.
During the Second World War's Blitz, St Paul's Cathedral became a great symbol of how Londoners could 'take it'. After each night's bombing, there was St Paul's, still intact . That is not to say it survived unscathed. A bomb hit the north transept and another destroyed the High Altar which was replaced by one commemorating the dead of the First and Second World Wars . The chapel behind the High Altar, also damaged, was restored. It is called the American Chapel and dedicated to the Americans who died in Britain during the Second World War.
St Paul's has been the scene of many great State ceremonies including:

• a thanksgiving for the end of the Napoleonic Wars
  
• the Duke of Wellington's funeral
  
• the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer
  
• a service of commemoration and thanks for the life of the Queen Mother
  
• a thanksgiving service, attended by the Queen, as part of her Golden Jubilee celebrations
  

The Whispering Gallery is probably the most famous of St Paul's attractions. Climb up 259 steps into the lower part of the dome and if you whisper on one side of the gallery, someone can hear it on the other side.
Go even higher to the Golden Gallery, also on the exterior of the dome. You will have to climb 530 steps to see panoramic views across London from this, the smallest of the Cathedral's galleries.
The Great Organ is the third largest in the UK and was installed in the Cathedral in 1695. The outer case is by Grinling Gibbons.
In the North Quire Aisle you can see a sculpture of Mother and Child by Henry Moore .
In the South Transept you can see memorials to, amongst others , Nelson and Scott of the Antartic.
The Crypt is the largest in Europe and contains memorials to some of the country's greatest men including the tombs of the Duke of Wellington, Admiral Nelson and Sir Christopher Wren whose epitaph says "If you seek his monument look around you".
London Bridge
A bridge has existed at or near the present site of London Bridge for nearly 2,000 years. The first bridge across the Thames in London was built by the Romans around 50 AD. It was built near the present site of the London Bridge and it was made of wood. The site was chosen because it was the place where the Thames was rather low most of the time.
This wooden bridge was destroyed in 60 AD by the army of Queen Boudicca. The new bridge was also built around the place of the present bridge.
In 1014 the bridge was pulled down by the Norwegian Vikings who tried to conquer London. It is thought that the well-known nursery rhyme “London Bridge is Falling Down” speak about that time. The bridge was repaired, but it was destroyed by a heavy storm in 1091, once more rebuilt and destroyed yet again by fire in 1136.
After the fire a new bridge was built and this time it was made of stone. This bridge served Londoners for over 600 years.
By the end of the 18th century it was clear that this old bridge was too narrow and old. So once again a new London Bridge was built. It opened in 1831 and was used until 1924. Then it was replaced by a modern one.
The old Bridge was sold to America for 400,000 dollars.
The Current London Bridge was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on the 7th of March , 1973.
Tower Bridge
The Tower Bridge, named after its two impressive towers, is one of London's best known landmarks. This Victorian Bridge is now more than 100 years old. Designed by Wolfe Barry and Horace Jones, and completed in 1894, the middle of the bridge can be raised to permit large vessels to pass the Tower Bridge. It used to be raised about 50 times a day, but nowadays it is only raised 4 to 5 times a week. It is famous for its high-level walkways, which were closed in 1910 due to the lack of use. In 1982 the walkways were glazed and opened as a permanent exhibition .
The bridge is 60 meter (197 ft) long and its towers rise to a height of 43 meter. From the top of the towers, you have a great view on the center of London.
The Monument
The Monument was built to commemorate the Great Fire of London.
It was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and erected in 1677.
The column of white stone is 62 metres high. Its height is said to be the exact distance from the place where the fire started. At the top of the monument there is a viewing platform. There are 311 stairs inside the monument which the visitors can climb up to the top.
Above the viewing platform, at the very top of the Monument, there is a brass ball covered with brass flames.
At the pedestal of the Monument there is a stone relief depicting Charles II dressed in a Roman costume helping Londoners to rebuild their city.
The Barbican Centre
The Barbican Centre is the largest performing arts centre in Europe. Located in the north of the City of London. It hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, restaurants and a conservatory .
The centre is owned, funded and managed by the City of London Corporation and it was opened in 1982.