Durham Cathedral is a Romanesque cathedral standing on a rocky peninsula above the River Wear in northern England, begun under the Norman bishop William of St Calais. It was built to house the shrine of Saint Cuthbert, brought there by monks fleeing Viking raids, and the remains of the Venerable Bede, which made it an important pilgrimage destination. It is famous for its massive carved columns and for being one of the first buildings to use pointed ribbed vaulting on a large scale, a forerunner of Gothic architecture. The cathedral and the neighbouring castle form a UNESCO World Heritage Site, designated in 1986. The cathedral remains an active place of worship.
Before and after
- 1088Founding of University of Bologna
- 1092Su Song completes his astronomical clock tower
- 1093Origins of Pembroke Castle
- 1093Construction of Zagreb Cathedral
- 1093Construction of Durham Cathedral
- c. 1094Origins of Zagreb
- from 1095 to 1291Crusades
- 27 November 1095Pope Urban II calls the First Crusade
- 1096Founding of University of Oxford
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 691 CEConstruction of Dome of the Rock
- 1066Construction of Tower of London
- from 1368 to 1644Ming dynasty
- from 1370 to 1789Construction of Bastille
- from 1438 to 1533Inca Empire
- 1473Construction of Sistine Chapel
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 11th century.