Where: Brompton
Road, SW7
What: The
oratory church in london was built in the Italian renaissance
style during the mid 19th century, and opened in 1882. The buildings
comprise a large Italian church, designed by Herbert Gribble,
the
house of the Oratorians and St Wilfred's Hall.
Cardinal
Newman served here as priest after his conversion from the Anglican
to the Roman Catholic faith and his
monument stands a little west of
the oratory.
The church
is spacious and richly appointed. The design follows that of
the Gesu Church in Rome, with a nave and
side chapels instead of aisles. It houses Mazzuoli's gigantic
17th century marble statues of the Apostles, originally
in Sienna
Cathedral.
One of the altars came from the Dominican Church in Brescia,
another from St Servatius at Maastricht, and yet another from
the original
London Oratory. The High Altar has paintings of the life of St
Philip Neri.
The church
has a magnificent organ containing nearly 4,000 pipes and the
third widest nave in Britain. after Westminster Abbey
and York Minster. Today the
oratory church is well known for its fine musical services.
Admission: (2005) free, although donations
are welcome.
Nearest
underground station: South
Kensington (follow signs to the Victoria and Albert Museum. The
Oratory is after the Victoria and Albert Museum heading towards
Knightsbridge)
Opening
times: daily
07:00 - 20:00
Website: brompton-oratory.org.uk
London
Hotels (these links are to another website)