CHAPEL OF ST JOHN - TOWER OF LONDON

 From the Guardian:

This room of pure clean beauty is hidden inside a forbidding fortress. In 1078, the victorious William the Conqueror started to build the White Tower, the square keep at the heart of today’s Tower of London. In it, he included this scintillating example of the style of building known as Romanesque. The arches, columns and rounded vault of this ethereal chapel are dazzling in their confidence and humble in their piety. It is a place that creates a mood, still and sensitive and spiritual. This ravishing masterpiece of the Middle Ages proves the Normans had soul as well as strength.

The chapel is plain, simple, and beautiful and one of my favorite structures in all London.  The proportions of the chapel are perfect.  Click on the picture for a closer look at the lovely simplicity of the carvings on the capitals of the columns.The chapel is a haven of peace in the midst of the Tower with its history of violence and blood.

Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks
for all your goodness and loving-kindness
to us and to all whom you have made.
We bless you for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for your immeasurable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies,
that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise,
not only with our lips, but in our lives,
by giving up our selves to your service,
and by walking before you
in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

     Picture from Wikipedia.