It is a little unusual that one of the main attractions of Coventry is the ruins of the cathedral, But it is a place with a rich history.

At the end of the 12th century, the center of Coventry had one of the largest parish churches in England. And there were three churches on the site of the cathedral. First, it is a small monastery of St. Mary, of which only a few ruins remain. The second building was Coventry Cathedral itself, a 14th-century Gothic church that was only elevated to Cathedral status in 1918. This is what we can now observe. Only the tower and walls of the Gothic Cathedral remain. The height of the surviving spire is 75 meters. It is the third-tallest spire in England and the tallest building in Coventry.

The third building was the tower, which was completely destroyed during the Second World War. The reason for the destruction of the entire cathedral was the bombing, which spared no one and nothing. It was decided not to restore the cathedral and leave the ruins in memory of the pain that war can bring and how useless it is. Instead, a new building in the shape of a zig-zag was built nearby.

The new cathedral of St. Michael serves as a mediator of generations. It connects that old, bygone era with the modern world. And it does it, by the way, very nice. For example, the building is built so that the light from the windows falls directly on the altar of the cathedral.

The most unusual feature of the cathedral is a huge glass screen with figures of saints, patriarchs, and angels. It is through it that the connection between the old cathedral and the modern world with its busy streets takes place in some striking mystical way.

An interesting fact about the new St. Michael's Cathedral is that Elizabeth II literally took part in the construction. In 1956, the Queen laid the first stone.