St Dionis Backchurch, Baroque church in City of London, England
St Dionis Backchurch was a baroque church that stood on Lime Street in the City of London, where modern buildings now occupy the site. The interior featured Ionic columns supporting a classical entablature, with an arched vault over the nave and flat ceilings over the side aisles.
The church existed before 1288 and stood for centuries until the Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed it. Christopher Wren designed its replacement, completed in 1674, which stood for about two centuries before being demolished in 1878.
The name 'Backchurch' referred to the building's position behind another nearby place of worship, which was a common way to tell apart churches in the crowded medieval city. For centuries it served the local parish for baptisms, weddings, and burials.
Nothing remains of the building today, but a commemorative plaque opposite number 24 Lime Street marks where the church once stood. The site is easy to walk to from nearby streets in the City, and the plaque is visible from the pavement.
Beneath the Wren-built church lay a crypt dating to the 15th century that had survived the Great Fire of 1666 because it was underground. This hidden vault remained intact until the demolition in 1878 finally brought it to light and destroyed it.
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