Culture and the City of London
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The City is London's historical business centre and where much of the city's trade and business has been conducted dating back to Roman times.
Today it is at the heart of the world's financial markets and home to the Bank of England, London Stock Exchange, Lloyds of London, as well as major blue chip companies which employ around 320,000 people.
Far from being just a central business district, the City is teeming with cultural activity. The Guildhall Art Gallery was establish in 1885 to house and display paintings and sculptures belonging to the Corporation, the City's governing authority, and contains a captivating collection of panoramic paintings of London dating back to 17th Century.
One of the most fascinating historical finds is under the Gallery. In 1988 archaeologists unearthed the remains of London's 2,000 year old Roman amphitheatre, which gives us a fascinating insight into how early London functioned after the city of Londinium was establish in AD 43.
To the north of the City, the Museum of London chronicles the city's past, from the prehistoric to the present day. One of the Museum's largest exhibitions is the city's most famous disaster, the Great Fire of London, which took place in 1666 and destroyed 80 percent of the capital.
The City also houses the Barbican, Europe's largest multi-arts and conference venue. It is home to theatres, cinemas, cafes and houses the City's leading lending library.
And even the Bank of England, the UK's central bank located in the heart of the City, houses a fascinating museum exploring the history of the bank and national financing since its inception in 1694.
So while the City of London is often considered as just a central business district, it is in fact steeped in history and teeming with cultural activity.
Posted: Tuesday 9 February 2010