Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
What is the importance of Canterbury Cathedral?
Canterbury Cathedral is a holy place and part of a World Heritage Site. It is the mother church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Our story began in the year 597 when a group of monks led by St Augustine arrived in Kent.
Where is Canterbury located and why is it famous?
Canterbury (/ˈkæntərb(ə)ri/ ( listen), /-bɛri/) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury, a local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour.
What is the Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Tales?
One of the most famous works of medieval literature is based around a pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral. Geoffey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, written between 1387 and 1400, is a long poem concerning a group of thirty pilgrims on their way from Southwark, in south London, to the shrine of St Thomas Becket in Canterbury.
Why is Canterbury important to Christianity?
Canterbury Cathedral was one of the most important centres of pilgrimage in Medieval England. There has been a cathedral at Canterbury since 597 when St. Augustine baptised the Saxon king Ethelbert. The Archbishop of Canterbury was the most senior religious figure in the land and he was based at the cathedral.
Why is Canterbury important for pilgrimage?
Canterbury Cathedral has been a major pilgrimage destination for many centuries and it was the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170 and his subsequent canonisation in 1173 that made Canterbury Cathedral the third most important site of Christian pilgrimage in the world, after Jerusalem and Rome.
Why was Canterbury an important site for pilgrims?
Although there were many relics of saints at Canterbury before 1170, at both the Cathedral and St Augustine’s Abbey, it was only after the martyrdom of Thomas Becket in that year and following the many miracles performed at his tomb that the city became the most popular pilgrimage destination in medieval England.
Why is it called a Canterbury?
Canterbury as a city has it’s origins in the Roman settlement of Durovernum Cantiacorum, established in the first century AD after the Roman invasion of 43 AD. The name was taken from the Cantiaci tribe that inhabited the area at the time of the Roman invasion. The name of the county of Kent also derives from them.
What famous thing happened in Canterbury?
The assassination of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral on 29 December 1170 changed the course of history.
Is Canterbury Cathedral worth visiting?
Canterbury Cathedral is a cradle of English Christianity, one of the oldest cathedral in UK and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Whether you are focussed on religious travel, or history or simply sightseeing, a visit to Canterbury Cathedral is a must!
What is the main theme of Canterbury Tales?
Social Class. One present theme throughout The Canterbury Tales is the importance of social status during Chaucer’s time. For example, the Prioress and the Parson are opposite characters in their regard for social status. The Parson is more concerned with his religious devotion than his class.
What is The Canterbury Tales about short summary?
In The Canterbury Tales, a group of pilgrims traveling to Canterbury Cathedral compete in a storytelling contest. This overarching plot, or frame, provides a reason for the pilgrims to tell their stories, which reflect the concerns sparked by the social upheavals of late medieval England.
Why did Chaucer choose Canterbury Cathedral as the destination for his pilgrims?
Canterbury Cathedral was a famous pilgrimage site because it contained the shrine (a place for remembering) of Saint Thomas Becket.
What religion is the Canterbury Cathedral?
| Canterbury Cathedral | |
|---|---|
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholicism |
| Churchmanship | Central churchmanship |
| Website | canterbury-cathedral.org |
Can you get married in Canterbury Cathedral?
Weddings at Canterbury Cathedral
Very few people can actually get married in Canterbury Cathedral, with many restrictions owing the super popular demand (as you might imagine!), and indeed photography for couples not getting married directly at the Cathedral in Cathedral grounds is strictly prohibited.
Why is the pilgrimage so important?
A pilgrimage is a sacred journey, undertaken for a spiritual purpose. Pilgrims are different from tourists: they travel for spiritual reasons, not just to relax or for fun. Pilgrimage is a search for meaning, purpose, values or truth (and in this sense, like life).
Why was Canterbury important in medieval England?
Canterbury has been home to poets and playwrights and an inspiration to writers of English literature through the centuries. Christopher Marlowe was born and educated in Canterbury and the family home of Richard Lovelace, one of England’s most romantic poets stands on the banks of the Stour.
Where is the Canterbury pilgrimage?
The Pilgrims’ Way (also Pilgrim’s Way or Pilgrims Way) is the historical route supposedly taken by pilgrims from Winchester in Hampshire, England, to the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury in Kent.
Why Canterbury is a World Heritage Site?
Canterbury is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Canterbury Cathedral, with its stunning mixture of Romanesque and Perpendicular Gothic architecture, the modest Church of St Martin (the oldest church in the English-speaking world) and the ruins of St Augustine’s Abbey, once a burial place for the Anglo-Saxon
Who created the Canterbury?
The Canterbury Tales, frame story by Geoffrey Chaucer, written in Middle English in 1387–1400.
Is Canterbury a city or a town?
Canterbury, historic town and surrounding city (local authority) in the administrative and historic county of Kent, southeastern England. Its cathedral has been the primary ecclesiastical centre of England since the early 7th century ce.