England Canterbury

We organized a day trip to Kent county. The weather was horrible on this day. I caught the worst day during my stay in England. When it's drizzling or soft rain, it is normal, but we had heavy rain all day. So we could look at the Canterbury Cathedral only.

 I tried to look around the countryside from our car in the rest of the time.

I think, Canterbury is a very nice, a charming medieval town in summer, I have to see the town once more.

The entrance of the Cathedral is in the downtown, beside a nice little square.

It's one of the oldest and most famous Christian cathedrals in England.

Here is the home of the Anglican bishop. The building has been a World Heritage Site, since 1988.

The archaeologists have found remains of an earlier Saxon cathedral and a Roman fortress under the nave. The Kingdom of Kent was converted to Christianity in 597.

In that year Pope Gregory I. sent st Augustine to Canterbury,

 who became the first bishop of the Cathedral. They already minted golden coins in 603.

Canterbury became famous all over Europe because of Thomas Becket's murder in 1170.

According to the legend Becket's parents were a Norman knight and a Saracen noble girl. His parents sent him to learn to London, Oxford and later to Paris. 

After returning home he lived at court of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who sent him to Rome twice. During his travels he also studied law in Bologna.

King Henry II. 

 appointed him as chancellor in 1157 and an intimate friendship was formed between them. Becket led a life of luxury with his household. After the Archbishop of Canterbury's death the King appointed him as archbishop and primate of England, but he protested against. 

The King believed that if his friend becomes the archbishop, it will be possible to continue his activities against the Catholic Church. Finally it happened differently. Becket abandoned his luxurious life , and he dressed in a monk gown. Henceforth, he protected the interests of the Church against the King. The friendship between Becket and the King was changed into hate. Finally 4 English noblemen killed him during his prayer in the cathedral in 1170. 

The instigator was the King. His body was buried in the cathedral. The pope canonized him in 1172. Henry VIII. demolished the chapel where there was Becket's tomb. His body was burned and his ashes was scattered in the near river.

Above the entrance there are 14 bells and chimes in the tower. In the eastern crypt there are remains of the former Romanesque church. Becket's remains kept here first time, they were moved in another chapel in 1220. The painted windows are from the 12. century mostly.

 The following was buried in the cathedral: eg. Edward, Prince of Wales (1330-1376) who was called the "Black Prince" because his armour was always black.

 Finally Henry IV. (1367-1413) and his wife Joan of Navarre.