St Albans Abbey Cathedral in England
A classic Benedictine abbey built in the Romanesque and Gothic styles between 1077 and 1893, St. Albans Abbey became a cathedral in 1877 and is now officially titled The Cathedral and Abbey Church of St. Alban.
The second largest abbey in England, after Winchester, St. Albans still acts as a parish church within the Church of England. Nevertheless, British Express gives the cathedral a four-star rating as a Heritage site, both for its extraordinary architecture and fascinating history.
St. Albans humbly boasts the longest nave of any cathedral in England, and much of its architecture dates from Norman times.
It is built near the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Verulamium, about 22 miles north of London, in Hertfordshire. Indeed Alban was a simple pagan peasant living near the Roman hill fort settlement at Verulamium ca. 300 A.D., when he ran afoul of the Roman authorities.
The Venerable Bede tells us that when "the cruel emperors first published their edicts against the Christians" Alban committed the crime of providing shelter for a Christian in his home. According to a 3rd-century manuscript found in Turin:
"Alban received a fugitive and put on his garment and his cloak that he was wearing and delivered himself up to be killed instead of the priest … and was delivered immediately to the evil Caesar Severus."
Above: A window in St. Albans cathedral portrays Alban's martyrdom. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Enfuriated by the deception and the escape of the priest, the local magistrate asked Alban if he himself were a Christian. Alban declared, "I worship and adore the true and living God who created all things."
Dragged to the top of a nearby hill, Alban was beheaded. He thus became the First Christian Martyr of England. Scholars have recently suggested that he might make a worthy replacement for St. George as the patron saint of England.
St. Albans Cathedral is believed to be built on the very hill where Alban was executed. Local legends say that the first executioner was so shaken by Alban's self-confidence that he immediately converted to Christianity and refused to strike the blow.
After successfully decapitating Alban, the second executioner's eyes fell out of his head. See the illustration found in an ancient manuscript at Dublin's Trinity College, below.
As the executioner took a moment to gather what this meant, St. Alban's head went tumbling down the hill and picked up speed as it went. Where it finally stopped a well sprang up. To this day there is a well nearby the church, and the road leading to the cathedral is called Holywell Road.
Above: The Shrine of St. Alban at St. Albans Cathedral. Photo by: Michael Reeve (Wikimedia Commons)
Alban is often portrayed in religious iconography as holding his head between his hands. According to the Wikipedia article on St. Alban:
The Fellowship of Saint Alban and Saint Sergius is named in part after Alban.
Every year on the weekend closest to his feast day [June 22], St Albans Cathedral holds the "Alban Pilgrimage" with huge puppets re-enacting the events of Alban's martyrdom.
