Chichester
Chichester is a city in the south of England, in the county of West Sussex.
The city is the administrative center of both the county and the district Chichester and counts 26,572 inhabitants.
History
The area around Chichester was probably a bridgehead for the Roman invasion of Britain. The city center is situated on the remains of the Roman city Noviomagus regnorum or Noviomagus Regnensium. This was destroyed towards the end of the 5th century, but rebuilt by Cissa, the second king of the South Saxons and named after him. The name is thus derived from the Latin Castrum Cissae ( = storage of Cissa, Old-English. Cissa 's ceaster ) ago.
The Roman road network is still visible in the city. Much of the city walls remain. The port is located a few kilometers southwest of the city.
Twinning
Chichester is twinned with Chartres in France and Ravenna in Italy.
Attractions
Cathedral
A special attraction is the cathedral of Chichester, which was built in 11th century on the foundations of a Roman basilica and so also a Roman mosaic floor is visible in the soil. The cathedral has an unusual for the UK solitary bell tower. The tower of the cathedral built from the local stone, collapsed in the 19th century during restoration works together and has been rebuilt.
Patron saint of the cathedral and the city is Richard of Chichester, whose statue stands in front of the church and its grave in the cathedral until its destruction in the Reformation was a place of pilgrimage.
Market Cross
The Market Cross (English: market cross) was built in the years 1478 to 1503 and later modified. The Chichester Cross is one of the finest of its kind in the whole of England and stands at the intersection of the four main streets of the city.
Butter market
The building of the Butter Market in North Street was built by John Nash and commissioned in 1808 as a food market in operation. 1900 was a floor on the building was set in which an art school was originally housed.
Corn Exchange
The building of the Corn Exchange was built in 1833 and should show the importance of the grain trade by its design. After 1883 it was used for theatrical performances. From 1923 - 1984 it the home of a cinema and restaurants, and then became a clothing store.
Bishop's Palace
The 12th- century Bishop's Palace harbors in its interior a dining room from the 15th century ceiling paintings Bernaris and a chapel in the Early English style.
St. Mary's Hospital
The hospital was built in 1562 the Virgin Mary was a home for destitute women. Worth seeing are in the wood-paneled refectory and the chapel from the 13th century.
City wall
A large part of the medieval city wall is preserved and surround the labyrinthine old town.
Roman Amphitheatre
The Roman Amphitheatre, the outlines are under the Park " The Hornet " clearly visible.
Events
Opened in 1962, the Chichester Festival Theatre with a 3- week festival. As the first director Sir Laurence Olivier established the international reputation of this institution. The program of the festival now includes classic plays, musicals and new, experimental productions, with performances at the Festival Theatre and in 1983 opened Minerva Theatre. The season runs annually varying approximately from April to autumn.
The Church Music Festival Southern Cathedrals Festival takes place in the cathedrals of Chichester, Salisbury and Winchester in alternate years. For the festival in 1965 Leonard Bernstein composed his Chichester Psalms.
Sons and daughters of the town
- Kate Mosse, British writer
- Tom Odell, a British singer-songwriter
- Zoe Rahman, British jazz musician
- Richard Seaman, British racing driver
- Edward Speleers, British film actor
- Rollo Weeks, a British film actor
- John Weldon, British composer