THE CITY - London - page 177

mains of a Roman amphitheatre , dating from around 120 AD, which was discovered dur-
ing the gallery's construction.
ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL
St Paul's 020 7246 8348, www.stpauls.co.uk . Mon-Sat 8.30am-4.30pm.From £14.50 online. MAP
Designed by Christopher Wren and completed in 1710, St Paul's remains a dominating
presence in the City despite the encroaching tower blocks. It's topped by an enormous lead-
covered dome that's second in size only to St Peter's in Rome, and its showpiece west
facade is particularly magnificent. However, compared to its great rival, Westminster Ab-
bey, St Paul's is a soulless but perfectly calculated architectural set piece, a burial place for
captains rather than kings.
The best place to appreciate the building's glory is from beneath the dome , adorned
(against Wren's wishes) by trompe l'oeil frescoes. The most richly decorated section of the
cathedral is the chancel , where the late Victorian mosaics of birds, fish, animals and green-
ery are particularly spectacular. The intricately carved oak and lime-wood choir stalls, and
the imposing organ case, are the work of Wren's master carver, Grinling Gibbons.
Beginning in the south aisle, a series of stairs leads to the dome's three galleries, the first of
which is the internal Whispering Gallery , so called because of its acoustic properties -
words whispered to the wall on one side are distinctly audible over one hundred feet away
on the other, though you often can't hear much above the hubbub. Of the two exterior gal-
leries, the best views are from the tiny Golden Gallery , below the golden ball and cross
which top the cathedral.
Although the nave is crammed full of overblown monuments to military types, burials in St
Paul's are confined to the crypt , reputedly the largest in Europe. The whitewashed walls and
bright lighting make this one of London's least atmospheric mausoleums, but Artists'
Corner here does boast as many painters and architects as Westminster Abbey has poets, in-
cluding Christopher Wren himself. The star tombs, though, are those of Nelson and Welling-
ton, both occupying centre stage and both with more fanciful monuments upstairs.
It's well worth attending one of the cathedral's services , if only to hear the ethereal choir,
who perform during most evensongs (Mon-Sat 5pm), and on Sundays at 10.15am and
3.15pm.