#13706 Seeing the Medieval World Through Multicolored Glass in Ely, England

For over a millennium, European worshippers in churches and cathedrals have regarded their stained glass artworks with as much reverence as their religious icons. One fine example is the Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire, England, which was built from 1083 A.D. to 1375 A.D. At over 537 feet long, it stands as England's fourth longest cathedral. Many of its Romanesque-Gothic walls contain huge sheets of hand-blown panels, made of colored and fused glass bonded together in a web of soldered lead channels. Supported by iron rods, these artworks typically depict stories from the Old and New Testaments, sometimes with figures wearing the armor of the crusaders. At midday, shafts of filtered sunlight stream through the windows, projecting colorful mosaic patterns onto the stone and marble floors. For more historical context, there is a Stained Glass Museum in one of the wings.