St Paul's Cathedral familiar with the unique octagonal lantern tower over the crossing of Ely Cathedral, which spans the aisles as well as the central nave, unlike the central towers and domes of most churches. Wren adapted this characteristic in designing the dome of St Paul's. In section St Paul's also maintains a medieval form, having the aisles much lower than the nave, and a defined clerestory. The most notable exterior feature is the dome, which rises to the cross at its summit, and dominates views of the City. The height of 365 feet is explained by Wren's interest in astronomy. Until the
Lombez Cathedral Lombez Cathedral Lombez Cathedral ("Cathédrale Sainte-Marie de Lombez"; "Église Notre-Dame") is a Roman Catholic church, formerly a cathedral, in Lombez, France. It has been a "monument historique" since 1846. It was the seat of the former Diocese of Lombez, suppressed by the Concordat of 1801 and divided between the Diocese of Bayonne and the Archdiocese of Toulouse. This is a 14th-century brick church with an ornate pink-and-white five-tiered octagonal bell tower constructed c. 1346. A plaque to the right of the plain west entrance records the visit of the Italian poet Petrarch in 1330, arranged by the bishop, Jacques Colonna