St John's Chapel, London

The Chapel of St John the Evangelist (St John's Chapel) is an 11th century chapel located in the Tower of London.[1] Built in 1080, St John’s is the oldest surviving complete chapel from the early Norman period, and functions today as a chapel royal.

Apsidal end of the Chapel of St John inside the White Tower

History

St John’s Chapel was built as part of the original layout of the White Tower, which was constructed in 1077–97 as a keep or citadel, being the oldest part of William the Conqueror's powerful fortress. Constructed from Caen stone imported from France, St John’s has a tunnel-vaulted nave with groin-vaulted aisles and an east apse, above and around which curve the gallery.[2] Thick, round piers support unmoulded arches, notable for their simplicity, with simple carvings of scallop and leaf designs providing the only ornament. The programme of decoration was expanded by King Henry III, under whose orders three stained glass windows were installed in 1240.

St John’s is unique in that other extant Norman churches in England date from the mid-12th century; its construction was begun in 1080. Services are held in the chapel periodically during the year.[2]

References
  1. "The Chapel of St. John's". Historic Royal Palaces. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  2. Susan (3 May 2021). "Chapel of St. John the Evangelist, Tower of London in London, England". Unofficial Royalty. Retrieved 10 July 2022.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.