Description of the attraction
York Minster - York Minster is a gem of Gothic architecture, a magnificent temple that challenges Cologne Cathedral to be called the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe. Its official name is "Cathedral and Metropolitan Church of St. Peter in York", and the title "Minster", derived from the Latin monasterium (monastery), nowadays is a kind of honorary title held by some of the oldest and famous churches in Great Britain.
The first wooden church was hastily built on this site in 627 for the baptism of King Edwin of Northumbria. In 637 the stone church of St. Peter was completed. The school and library that subsequently appeared at the church were considered one of the most significant in Europe at that time. But numerous fires and wars have led to decline and desolation. Only in 1220, by order of the Archbishop of York, began the construction of a Gothic cathedral, which was supposed to surpass the cathedral in Canterbury. The struggle for supremacy between Canterbury and York continued for many centuries. Only in the middle of the XIV century, by the decision of Pope Innocent IV, the Archbishop of Canterbury became the head with the title "Primate of All England", the Archbishop of York received a lower rank - "Primate of England".
The construction of the cathedral took about 250 years, a wide nave, north and south transepts, a massive central tower and choir stalls were erected on Norman foundations. The last to be added were the western towers, and in 1472 the cathedral was consecrated.
At present, the length of the cathedral is 158 meters, the height of the towers is 60 meters. The nave of the cathedral is the widest Gothic nave in England, the wooden roof above it is painted like a stone.
The oldest parts of the cathedral are the north and south transept. In the northern one there are the famous lancet windows called "Five Sisters", and the southern transept is decorated with a magnificent rose - a large round window with a figured binding in the form of a star or a blossoming flower. Its 1500 stained glass windows immortalize the union of the royal houses of York and Lancaster. The Great East Window is the largest medieval stained glass window in the world, 23 meters high, created by John Thornton in the early 15th century. Bells and chimes are located on the western towers, and an astronomical clock was installed on the north transept in 1955 in memory of British pilots who died during the Second World War.
