11th Century Medieval Cathedral Gets a ‘Pandemic Touch’ to It During Renovation

The COVID pandemic was an unprecedented event that forever changed humanity. Incidents in that period will continue to shape culture, with writings and art. In 2021, a Hertfordshire cathedral's officials revealed that they had incorporated a prominent symbol of the pandemic in their structure, as a way to show its prospective significance, stated the BBC.

Restoration of St Amphibalus shrine, at St Albans Cathedral, began in 2019. It was being funded by a grant, put together by thousands of donors. The site is important, as there are only 13 medieval shrines in Britain, and the Cathedral contains two shrines.

One of the stone carvings in the shrine was reimagined and given a face mask. Dr. David Carrington, director of Skillington Workshop, which carried out the work, claimed that several 14th-century carvings in the cathedral were broken. The restoration allowed for the reinterpretation of the missing section. Hence, the officials decided to incorporate a mask on a figure to commemorate the building's reconstruction during the pandemic. The renovation was not an easy pursuit, and faced major delays because of the pandemic.

Officials believe that the reimagination cements the cathedral's legacy in the future. The face mask became a common sight during the pandemic, and was worn by millions in hopes of avoiding COVID. According to a cathedral spokesman, the carving "reminds us the history of St Albans stretches forwards as well as backwards." 

The figure sports just a face, but with the mask, only its eyes are visible, according to Live Science. Reverend Abi Thompson, sub-dean of St Albans, appreciated the reimagination and claims that it will be an essential reminder to the future generation of the pandemic. 

St Albans Cathedral is the oldest place of continuous Christian worship in Britain. The cathedral's construction commenced in the 11th century, over the burial spot of Christian martyr Alban, Britain's first saint. Over the years, two shrines were added to the structure. St Amphibalus' shrine was added in 1350, in memory of the early Christian saint Amphibalus. St Alban helped St Amphibalus escape Roman authorities in the third century. As punishment, he was executed by the government. A 13th-century illuminated manuscript claims that Alban did several miracles on his way to execution. It is also speculated that after decapitating Alban, the eyes of his executioner popped out.

The shrines of St Albans Cathedral were destroyed during the English Reformation in the 16th century. Pieces of the shrines were found in 1872, during a cathedral restoration project. Though the St Albans' shrine was entirely rebuilt in the early 1990s, the St Amphibalus shrine still looked 'forelorn,' as per the Skillington Workshop. During restoration, officials found that only 55% of the original stone remained, and they had to reimagine the rest in their renovation.

The renovation project was labelled "Alban, Britain's First Saint," and was set to open to the public in June 2020, but got pushed back to 2021, according to Aleteia. The restoration meant that the cathedral's two medieval shrines, for the first time, could be appreciated together.