The City of London

The City of London is a small spot of land covering 1 square mile only as the Englishmen say. But this small area is the heart of London and its birthplace. The level of modern streets of the City is 6 meters higher than the original level of the town. The earliest traces of habitation relate to the first century. The City is the oldest part of London. In fact it is the town which was founded by the Romans. This place on the Thames was very suitable for a port so they built a town from which they could trade with the continent. The Romans called it Londinium and surrounded it with a stone defensive wall. The Romans built a stone bridge across the Thames. Today we know it as London Bridge. The Romans left the town in the fifth century. In the ninth century the Scandinavians began to attack London and the city was burnt several times. Then in the middle of the eleventh century the Normans led by William conquered Britain and settled themselves in London. As any other medieval town London had a cathedral which was not only its religious centre but a place of its social life. It was St. Paul’s Cathedral. Many important problems of the town were discussed there and many historical events took place in the cathedral. In all times the City has been a separate part of London. It has its own Lord-Mayor and its own police. There’s a traditional ceremony of the Queen’s official visit to the City and Lord-Mayor meets Her Majesty at the border between Westminster and the City.

The old City has left no traces because the Great Fire of London ruined it in 1666. Even St. Paul’s Cathedral was destroyed then. So, today we can see the result of building activity of English architects headed by Christopher Wren. They had to rebuild the City after the Fire. Every street of the City was ended by a beautiful church. Christopher Wren created there almost fifty churches which were wonderful decoration of the town. All the streets started their way from the heart of the City with St. Paul’s Cathedral which remained the most important centre of the whole composition. Reconstructed by Christopher Wren it became a real architectural masterpiece of the seventeenth century. The cathedral was crowned by a huge dome which is 111 meters high. Its dome is the second large dome in the world after St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome. Christopher Wren didn’t saw the result of his work. He died before the cathedral was finished. The famous architect is buried inside his creation work. There is a table with inscription on his tomb which says: “If you are looking for a monument – look around”. Later on some famous people of England were buried in ST. Paul’s Cathedral including Admiral Nelson.

In our days the City of London is the largest business and commercial centre in Great Britain and one of the most important in the world. Numerous banks and offices of well-known firms are situated there. Such important State Institutions as the Bank of England, London Stock Exchange, and the Old Bailey are in the City too.