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rome, next door to the v&a

Brompton Oratory

FreeHidden gem
South Kensington · South Kensington
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A vast, theatrical Italian Baroque Catholic church in South Kensington, free to enter, filled with imported marble saints.

Getting there. On Brompton Road beside the V&A, a couple of minutes from South Kensington.
Brompton Oratory

The lowdown

Right beside the great free museums of South Kensington stands the Brompton Oratory, a soaring Italianate Catholic church that feels as though a slice of Baroque Rome has been set down in Knightsbridge. Opened in 1884, its huge domed interior drips with marble, gilding and theatrical statuary, much of it genuinely imported from Italian churches.

The giant marble apostles lining the nave came from Siena Cathedral, and the whole space is built for drama and grand music. It is free to step into, a lavish and surprising contrast to the brisk shopping streets outside, and an easy add-on to a day at the V&A or the Natural History Museum.

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The insider tip

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Look for the towering marble apostle statues in the nave, carved in the 1680s and brought over from Siena Cathedral. It is moments from the free V&A, so combine the two for a rich, free South Kensington afternoon.
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