The Victor Emmanuel II National Monument, also known as the Mole del Vittoriano or simply Vittoriano, is a large national monument built between 1885 and 1935 to honour Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of a unified Italy, in Rome, Italy. It occupies a site between the Piazza Venezia and the Capitoline Hill. It is currently managed by the Polo Museale del Lazio and is owned by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities.

From an architectural perspective, it was conceived as a modern forum, an agora on three levels connected by stairways and dominated by a portico characterized by a colonnade. The complex process of national unity and liberation from foreign domination carried out by King Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy, to whom the monument is dedicated, has a great symbolic and representative value, being architecturally and artistically centred on the Italian unification—for this reason the Vittoriano is considered one of the national symbols of Italy.

It also preserves the Altar of the Fatherland (Italian: Altare della Patria), first an altar of the goddess Rome, then also a shrine of the Italian Unknown Soldier, thus adopting the function of a lay temple consecrated to Italy. Because of its great representative value, the entire Vittoriano is often called the Altare della Patria, although the latter constitutes only a part of the monument.

Standing in the centre of ancient Rome, and connected to the modern one by the streets that radiate from Piazza Venezia, it has been consecrated to a wide symbolic value representing a lay temple metaphorically dedicated to a free and united Italy—celebrating by virtue the burial of the Unknown Soldier (the sacrifice for the homeland and for the connected ideals).

The Vittoriano is on the Capitoline Hill, in the symbolic centre of ancient Rome, and is connected to the modern one thanks to roads that radiate from Piazza Venezia.

Its design is a neoclassical interpretation of the Roman Forum. It features stairways, Corinthian columns, fountains, an equestrian sculpture of Victor Emmanuel II, and two statues of the goddess Victoria riding on quadrigas. On its summit there would have been a majestic portico characterized by a long colonnade and two imposing propylaea, one dedicated to the "unity of the homeland", and the other to the "freedom of the citizens", concepts metaphorically linked to the figure of Victor Emmanuel II.

The base houses the museum of Italian unification, and in 2007 a lift was added to the structure, allowing visitors to access the roof for 360-degree views of Rome. This terrace, which is the highest of the monument, can also be reached via 196 steps that start from the portico.

The structure is 135 m (443 ft) wide, 130 m (427 ft) deep, and 70 m (230 ft) high. If the quadrigae and Winged Victorys are included, the height reaches 81 m (266 ft). It has a total area of 17,550 m2 (188,907 sq ft) and possesses, due to the conspicuous development of the interior spaces, a floor area of 717,000 m2 (7,717,724 sq ft).

One of the architecturally predominant elements of the Vittoriano are the external staircases, which constitute in the complex 243 steps, and the portico on the top of the monument, which is inserted between two lateral propylaea. The entrance stairway is 41 m (135 ft) wide and 34 m (112 ft) long, the terrace of the Altar of the Fatherland is 66 m (217 ft) wide. The maximum depth of the Vittoriano underground reaches 17 m (56 ft) below street level. The colonnade is formed by columns 15 m (49 ft) high and the length of the porch is 72 m (236 ft).

The allegories of the monument mostly represent the virtues and feelings, very often rendered as personifications, also according to the canons of the neoclassical style, which animate the Italians during the Italian unification, or from the revolutions of 1820 to the capture of Rome (1870), through which national unity was achieved. Due to the complex process of unification undertaken by Victor Emmanuel II throughout the second half of the 19th century, the Italians gave him the epithet of Father of the Fatherland (Italian: Padre della Patria). The only non-allegorical work is the equestrian statue of Victor Emmanuel II, which is the architectural centre of the Vittoriano.

The monument, as a whole, appears as a sort of marble covering on the northern slope of the Capitoline Hill: it was therefore thought of as a place where it is possible to make an uninterrupted patriotic walk (the path does not in fact have an architectural end, given that the entrances to the highest part are two, one for each propylaeum) among the works present, which almost all have allegorical meanings linked to the history of Italy. Different are the vegetal symbols present, among which the palm, which recalls the "victory", the oak (the "strength"), the laurel (the "victorious peace"), the myrtle (the "sacrifice") and the Olive tree (the "concord").

From a stylistic perspective, the architecture and works of art that embellish the Vittoriano have been conceived with the aim of creating a "national style" to be replicated in other areas. It was designed to communicate the imperial splendours of ancient Rome. Above all, for the realization of the Vittoriano, Giuseppe Sacconi took inspiration from the Neoclassical architecture—the reborn heir of the classical Greek and Roman architecture, on which Italic elements were grafted and eclectic influences added.

The Vittoriano is regarded as a national symbol of Italy and every year it hosts important national celebrations. The largest annual celebrations are Liberation Day (25 April), Republic Day (2 June), and Armed Forces Day (4 November). During these celebrations, the President of Italy and the highest government officials pay tribute to the Italian Unknown Soldier and those who died in the line of duty by laying a laurel wreath.

After the death of Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy on 9 January 1878, many initiatives were destined to raise a permanent monument that celebrated the first king of a united Italy, creator of the process of unification and liberation from foreign domination, which is indicated by historiography as "Father of the Fatherland" also due to the political work of the President of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of Sardinia Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, and to the military contribution of Giuseppe Garibaldi. The goal was therefore to commemorate the entire Italian unification season ("Risorgimento") through one of its protagonists.

For this purpose, the Italian government approved the construction of a monumental complex on the Northern side of Rome's Capitoline Hill. The monument would celebrate the legacy of the first king of a united Italy and would become a symbol of national patriotism. The project was realized by Giuseppe Sacconi in 1885, in an eclectic style.

Sacconi was inspired by the Hellenistic sanctuaries, such as the Pergamon Altar and the Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia in Palestrina. The Vittoriano was conceived as a vast and modern forum open to citizens, on a sort of elevated square in the historic centre of Rome organized as an agora on three levels connected by tiers, with conspicuous spaces reserved for strolling visitors.

To erect the Vittoriano it was necessary, between the last months of 1884 and 1899, to proceed with numerous expropriations and extensive demolitions of the buildings that were on site. The place chosen was in the heart of the historic centre of Rome and was therefore occupied by ancient buildings arranged according to urban planning that dated back to the Middle Ages. This was considered necessary because the Vittoriano should have been built in the heart of the historic centre of Rome, in a modern urban context, in front of a new large square (the future Piazza Venezia), which at the time was just a narrow open space in front of Palazzo Venezia.

The general objective was also to make Rome a modern European capital that rivaled Berlin, Vienna, London and Paris overcoming the centuries-old pontifical town planning. In this context, the Vittoriano would have been the equivalent of the Brandenburg Gate of Berlin, the Admiralty Arch of London and the Opéra Garnier of Paris; these buildings are all united by a monumental and classical aspect that metaphorically communicates pride and the power of the nation that erected them.

It would then become one of the symbols of the new Italy, joining the monuments of ancient Rome and those of the popes' Rome. Having then been conceived as a large public square, the Vittoriano, in addition to representing a memorial dedicated to Victor Emmanuel II, was invested with another role—a modern forum dedicated to the new free and united Italy.

Established Italian sculptors, such as Leonardo Bistolfi, Manfredo Manfredi, Giulio Monteverde, Francesco Jerace, Augusto Rivalta, Lodovico Pogliaghi, Pietro Canonica, Ettore Ximenes, Adolfo Apolloni, Mario Rutelli and Angelo Zanelli, made its sculptures nationwide. The partly completed monument was inaugurated on 4 June 1911, on the occasion of the Turin International world's fair and the 50th anniversary of Italian unification. Construction continued throughout the first half of the 20th century; in 1921 the body of the Italian Unknown Soldier was placed in the crypt under the statue of the goddess Roma, and in 1935 the monument was fully completed amidst the inauguration of the Museo Centrale del Risorgimento Italiano.

The decision to include an altar dedicated to the homeland in the Vittoriano was taken by Giuseppe Sacconi only after the planning phase, during the construction of the monument. The place and the dominant subject were immediately chosen, being a large statue of the goddess Rome that would have been placed on the first terrace after the entrance to the monument, just below the equestrian statue of Victor Emmanuel II. Thus, the Altar of the Fatherland, at least initially and before the burial of the body of the Unknown Soldier, was thought of as a chapel of the deity. In this way, the greatness and majesty of Rome was celebrated, elected to the role of legitimate capital of Italy. Within the Vittoriano are numerous artistic works that recall the history of ancient Rome.

Detail of the portico and one of the two propylaea

After the First World War the Vittoriano was chosen to house the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, or the burial of an Italian soldier who died during the First World War whose identity remains unknown due to the serious injuries that made the body unrecognizable, which represents all the Italian soldiers who died during the wars. The reason for his strong symbolism lies in the metaphorical transition from the figure of the soldier to that of the people and finally to that of the nation. This transition between increasingly broader and generic concepts is due to the indistinct traits of the non-identification of the soldier.

The Vittoriano was thus consecrated to a wide symbolic value representing a lay temple metaphorically dedicated to a free and united Italy—celebrating by virtue the burial of the Unknown Soldier (the sacrifice for the homeland and for the connected ideals).

With the rise of Fascism in 1922, the Vittoriano became the setting for the military parades of the authoritarian regime of Benito Mussolini. After World War II, with the institution of the Italian Republic in 1946, the monument was stripped of all its Fascist symbols and reassumed its original function as a secular temple dedicated to the Italian nation and its people. Throughout the second half of the 20th century, however, its significance as a symbol of national identity started to decline as the public opinion started to perceive it as a cumbersome relic. At the turn of the 21st century, Italy's President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi pushed for a revaluation of national symbols of Italy, including the Vittoriano

Consecrated by Ramiro I and his wife Paterna in the year 848

Church in Venice that was begun in its original form in 829 (consecrated in 832) as an ecclesiastical structure to house and honour the remains of St. Markthat had been brought from Alexandria. St. Mark thereupon replaced St. Theodore as the patron saint of Venice, and his attribute of a winged lion later became the official symbol of the Venetian Republic. San Marco Basilica, built beside the Palazzo Ducale, or Doges’ Palace, also served as the doge’s. It did not become the cathedral church of Venice until 1807. The first basilica was burned in 976 during a popular revolt against the doge Pietro Candiano IV but was restored under his successor, Doge Domenico Contarini (died about 1070); the present basilica was completed in 1071. The plan is a Greek cross, and the building is surmounted by five domes. The design is distinctly Byzantine, and it is likely that both Byzantine and Italian architects and craftsmen were employed in the construction and decoration. Over the centuries, additions of sculpture, mosaics, and ceremonial objects have increased the church’s richness.

Строительство церкви началось в 829 году. На возведение собора Сан-Марко ушло всего лишь три года. К сожалению, первоначальный вид здания не сохранился — постройка сильно пострадала во время пожара. Современный же храм был построен в 1063 году. В последующие годы собор становился все больше и красивее. Архитекторы использовали для постройки базилики несколько десятков тысяч свай из лиственницы. Кстати, прототипом храма считается церковь Двенадцати апостолов в Константинополе. Базилика играла важную роль в жизни Венеции. В соборе короновали дожей, отправляли в дальние странствия известных мореходов, здесь собирались жители города в праздники и дни народных бедствий.

the de-consecrated St. Maximin's Abbey

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Maximin%27s_Abbey,_Trier

it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbazia_di_San_Massimino

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichsabtei_St._Maximin

The Cahors Cathedral was erected between 1080 and1135. It got consecrated by Pope Calixtus II in 1119. The same pope, who two years later could imprison his rival "Antipope" Gregory VIII. Four years later, Calixtus ended the Investiture Controversy by agreeing with Emperor Henry V on the Concordat of Worms.

Seen from "Croix Magne" are the Cathédrale Saint-Étienne´s domes, the most prominent features. These massive, 32 m-high, domes are huge! There was even a third one, that collapsed in the 13th century. This dome was, where the rectangular Gothic choir (1280) is now. The cathedral´s castle-like, west-facing entrance section/bell- tower was added end of the 13th / early 14th century.

During the times of medieval pilgrimage this cathedral was an important place on the "Via Podiensis", as the "Sainte Coiffe" could be venerated here. This "Holy Headdress" was believed to have been used during Jesus' burial. It had been given to Aymatus, Bishop of Cahors, by Charlemagne. A relic similar to the "Shroud of Turin".

Palatine Chapel, Aachen, begun c. 792, consecrated 805 (thought to have been designed by Odo of Metz), significant changes to the architectural fabric 14–17th centuries (Gothic apse, c. 1355; dome rebuilt and raised in the 17th century, etc), mosaics and revetment scream 19th century, and are indeed 19th century, columns were looted by French troops in the 18th century though many were later returned, they were added back without knowledge as to their original locations in the 19th century. Finally, the structure was also heavily damaged by allied bombing during WWII and significantly restored again in the second half of the twentieth century.

Learn More on Smarthistory

This is a shot from the walk through Hareshaw Linn, Bellingham, Northumberland looking for the main waterfall.

Bellingham has its roots in the 12th Century when St Cuthbert’s Church was first consecrated.

Its heyday was in the 19th Century when it was a centre for iron. Hareshaw Linn was the site of two blast furnaces established in 1833 by Messrs Bigge and Partners. At the peak of its operation it also contained 70 coke ovens, 24 large roasting kilns for calcining the iron ore, a range of coal stores, a blacksmiths shop, wagon shed, stables and stores.The iron works were in continuous production until 1848.

Ten years later the plant was auctioned and many of the buildings demolished.The dam that you pass on the walk supplied water to power the Hareshaw iron works.

Nature recovers quickly - you would not believe that this wooded valley once raged with noise and smoke! Today Hareshaw Linn is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), designated for its rare ferns and lichen. Over 300 different types of mosses, liverworts and lichee can be found.

The ‘Linn’ is also home to red squirrel, great spotted woodpecker, wood warbler, spotted flycatcher, badger and daubenton’s bat.

Settings

Fuji x100s

F11

23mm

iso200

15 seconds

Lee Big Stopper ND Filter

Please check my other images and feel free to comment, many thanks

www.flickr.com/photos/capturedoccasion/

The Basilica of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel (Dutch: Basiliek van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Scherpenheuvel, French: Basilique de Notre Dame de Montaigu) is a Roman Catholic parish church and minor basilica in Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, Belgium. The church was consecrated in 1627 and raised to the status of a minor basilica in 1922. It is reputedly the most frequently visited shrine of pilgrimage in Belgium. While the cult on the Scherpenheuvel (or Sharp Hill) is older, its present architectural layout and its enduring importance are due to the patronage of the Archdukes Albert and Isabella and the Counter-Reformation.

For many years the Marian cult on the Scherpenheuvel centered on a small statue of the Virgin Mary that hung in an oak tree on top of the hill. According to the foundation legend a shepherd noticed that the image had fallen to the ground and decided to take it home. When he had lifted it, he discovered he was unable to move. As the herd did not return in the evening, his master got worried and went to look for the shepherd. Only by restoring the statue to its original place in the oak tree could the master release the shepherd, thereby discovering the spiritual importance of the site. The veracity of this story is impossible to ascertain. It is however clear that the inhabitants of the nearby town of Zichem would frequent the site in the second half of the sixteenth century whenever a member of the family suffered from illness. They would traditionally walk round the tree three times while praying.

Zichem was part of the barony of Diest, a possession of the House of Orange-Nassau. In the course of the Dutch Revolt the barony changed hands several times. While occupied by forces of the United Provinces between 1580 and 1583, the statue was removed in an act of iconoclasm. After the town was retaken by Alexander Farnese, the parishioners of Zichem restored the cult in 1587. It was later claimed that they did so after discovering the original statue and returning it to the tree. From then on the cult of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel began to expand. Soldiers and almoners of the Army of Flanders that were stationed in nearby Diest or Zichem helped to spread its reputation.

After an official enquiry, Mathias Hovius, Archbishop of Mechelen, approved the cult of Scherpenheuvel in 1604. The approval was accompanied by the publication of a collection of miracles ascribed to the intercession of the Virgin of Scherpenheuvel in Dutch, French and Spanish. An English translation followed in 1606. Philip Numan, who had authored the collection, produced two more editions (1605 and 1606) as well as three more collections (1613–1614, 1617 and 1617–1618) in short succession. Latin versions were published by the famous humanists Justus Lipsius (1605) and Erycius Puteanus (1622). Lesser authors would produce continuations up to 1706. According to these publications, close to 700 miracles were credited to the intercession of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel in the course of the seventeenth century. The Latin collections in particular caused a lot of controversy among theologians, with Calvinist authors ridiculing the whole idea of miraculous intercession by saints.

Meanwhile, it had been decided in 1602 to remove the statue from the oak tree and house it in a small wooden chapel nearby. Within the year the chapel proved too small and was replaced by a modest stone edifice. Its foundation stone was laid on 13 July 1603 by Count Frederik van den Bergh on behalf of the Archdukes Albert and Isabella. From that point on the Archdukes showed great interest in the development of the shrine. Attributing the recent relief of the besieged town of 's-Hertogenbosch to the intercession of the Virgin, Albert and Isabella made their first pilgrimage to Scherpenheuvel on 20 November 1603. It would soon become a yearly pilgrimage that took place in May or June and lasted the nine days of a novena.

Under the patronage of the Archdukes, the emerging shrine was raised to the status of a town in 1605 and of an independent parish in 1610. Their support helped to ensure the grant of a papal indulgence on 16 September 1606, the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. In the previous summer the stone chapel was surrounded by a closed garden or Hortus Conclusus in the shape of a heptagon. Shortly after reaching a cease-fire with the United Provinces, Albert and Isabella announced on 28 April 1607 that they would build a vast church and surround it with a planned and fortified town. The foundation stone of the third and present church was laid by them in person on 2 July 1609, the feast of the Visitation.

With the bell tower left unfinished, the church was dedicated by Archbishop Jacobus Boonen in June 1627. In order to ensure that a sufficient number of priests would be available to meet the needs of the ever growing number of pilgrims, the shrine was handed over to the Oratorians. They built a convent behind the church and connected the two buildings with a long corridor. The Oratorians took care of the sanctuary until the French Republic annexed the Austrian Netherlands and dissolved all monasteries. The church then returned to the status of a parish church.

The Cahors Cathedral was erected between 1080 and 1135. It got consecrated by Pope Calixtus II in 1119. The same pope, who two years later could imprison his rival "Antipope" Gregory VIII. Four years later, Calixtus ended the Investiture Controversy by agreeing with Emperor Henry V on the Concordat of Worms.

During the times of medieval pilgrimage, this cathedral was an important place on the "Via Podiensis", as the "Sainte Coiffe" could be venerated here. This "Holy Headdress" was believed to have been used during Jesus' burial. Legends tell, that it had been given to Aymatus, Bishop of Cahors, by Charlemagne, but what is more likely it was brought to Cahors by bishop Gerard de Cardillac after his trip to the Holy Land in 1113. A relic similar to the "Shroud of Turin".

Prominent features are the two domes (a third one collapsed in the 13th century). The cathedral´s castle-like, west-facing entrance section / bell-tower was added end of the 13th / early 14th century. It is very much like a massive Carolingian / Ottonian westwork. The rose-window makes clear, that this is younger.

It was widely discussed, whether the facade once had the elaborate Romanesque portal, that was later moved to the northern side. Since the 1980s it is proven (Bratke, Durliat), that the Romanesque portal was constructed for the northern side, where it is still today.

Also known as "Metropolitan Cathedral–Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady of Valencia" and "St Mary's Cathedral." Consecrated in 1238. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valencia_Cathedral.

I have been a smal trip to Trondheim with work, and I tock some pictures up there. I will post them one by one. :-) The first one is of one of the most famus buildings in Norway.

Trondheim is a beautiful Norwegian Town.

Nidaros Cathedral is located in the city of Trondheim in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is the traditional location for the consecration of the King of Norway. King Harald was consecrated at Nidaros Cathedral on June 23, 1991.

It was the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nidaros from its establishment in 1152 until its abolition in 1537. Since the

Along with Vår Frue Church, the cathedral is part of the Nidaros og Vår Frue parish in the Nidaros deanery in the Diocese of Nidaros.

HISTORY (Wikipedia)

In the 8th century there was already an abbey consecrated to Saint Maurice on the current site of the church, which had been donated by Pepin the Short, and was known at the time as the Monastarium Luciaria. By the 12th century the abbey was under the jurisdiction of the Murbach Abbey, whose patron saint was St. Leodegar.

In 1291 the abbey was sold to the Habsburgs. In 1433 the city of Lucerne, no longer a member of the Eidgenossenschaft, took control of the abbey, and in 1455 it was converted from Benedictine to a “universal order” church.

The monastery experienced a heyday during the time of the reformation due to Luzern being a prominent city for the Swiss Catholic cantons. The papal nuncio, resident in Luzern, used the church as his cathedral during this time.

In 1874 the parish church of St. Leodegar was founded and with that the church became simultaneously a monastery church and parish church, as it is today.

Basilica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia - Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona is within all my expectations - really touristy, commercialized and expensive. However, that did not stop me from being one of the tourists and getting ripped off by the ridiculously high-priced entrance fees to museums and landmarks. I just have to make sure they don't get me twice.

The Sagrada Familia is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi. Although incomplete, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and in November 2010 was consecrated and proclaimed a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI.

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Consecrated 1335

St Mark's Basilica

Basilica di San Marco

The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark

Basilica Cattedrale Patriarcale di San Marco

Location: Venice, Italy

Denomination: Catholic Church

Consecrated: 8 October 1094

Titular saint: Mark the Evangelist

Designation: Cathedral (minor basilica)

1807–present

Episcopal see: Patriarchate of Venice

Prior status

Designation: Ducal chapel

c. 836–1797

Tutelage: Doge of Venice

Built: c. 829–c. 836

Rebuilt: c. 1063–1094

Styles: Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mark%27s_Basilica

www.basilicasanmarco.it/?lang=en

.

music:

Old Roman chant - Qui habitat in adiutorio altissimi (Part II)

youtu.be/X5xoJfXT1LU?si=Tjj5luVnwdwjuoB_

~ Psalm 90 ~

Latin:

Qui habitat in adiutorio Altissimi, in protectione Dei caeli commorabitur. Dicet Domino: Susceptor meus es, et refugium meum, Deus meus: sperabo in eum. Quoniam ipse liberavit me de laqueo venantium, et a verbo aspero. Scapulis suis obumbrabit tibi, et sub pennis eius sperabis. Scuto circumdabit te veritas eius: non timebis a timore nocturno. A sagitta volante per diem, a negotio perambulante in tenebris, a ruina et daemonio meridiano. Cadent a latere tuo mille, et decem millia a dextris tuis: tibi autem non appropinquabit. Quoniam Angelis suis mandavit de te, ut custodiant te in omnibus viis tuis. In manibus portabunt te, ne unquam offendas ad lapidem pedem tuum. Super aspidem et basiliscum ambulabis, et conculcabis leonem et draconem. Quoniam in me speravit, liberabo eum: protegam eum, quoniam cognovit nomen meum. Invocabit me, et ego exaudiam eum: cum ipso sum in tribulatione. Eripiam eum, et glorificabo eum: longitudine dierum adimplebo eum, et ostendam illi salutare meum.

Greek:

Ο κατοικῶν ἐν βοηθείᾳ τοῦ ῾Υψίστου, ἐν σκέπῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ αὐλισθήσεται. Ερεῖ τῷ Κυρίῳ· αντιλήπτωρ μου εἶ καὶ καταφυγή μου, ὁ Θεός μου, καὶ ἐλπιῶ ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν, ὅτι αὐτὸς ρύσεταί σε ἐκ παγίδος θηρευτῶν καὶ  απὸ λόγου ταραχώδους. Εν τοῖς μεταφρένοις αὐτοῦ ἐπισκιάσει σοι,καὶ ὑπὸ τὰς πτέρυγας αὐτοῦ ἐλπιεῖς· ὅπλῳ κυκλώσει σε ἡ αλήθεια αὐτοῦ. Οὐ φοβηθήσῃ  απὸ φόβου νυκτερινοῦ, απὸ βέλους πετομένου ἡμέρας, απὸ πράγματος ἐν σκότει διαπορευομένου, απὸ συμπτώματος καὶ δαιμονίου μεσημβρινοῦ. Πεσεῖται ἐκ τοῦ κλίτους σου χιλιὰς καὶ μυριὰς ἐκ δεξιῶν σου, πρὸς σὲ δὲ οὐκ ἐγγιεῖ· πλὴν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου κατανοήσεις καὶ ανταπόδοσιν ἁμαρτωλῶν ὄψει. Ότι σύ, Κύριε, ἡ ἐλπίς μου· τὸν ῞Υψιστον ἔθου καταφυγήν σου. Οὐ προσελεύσεται πρὸς σὲ κακά, καὶ μάστιξ οὐκ ἐγγιεῖ ἐν τῷ σκηνώματί σου. Ότι τοῖς αγγέλοις αὐτοῦ ἐντελεῖται περὶ σοῦ τοῦ διαφυλάξαι σε ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ὁδοῖς σου· ἐπὶ χειρῶν άροῦσί σε, μήποτε προσκόψῃς πρὸς λίθον τὸν πόδα σου· επὶ ασπίδα καὶ βασιλίσκον ἐπιβήσῃ καὶ καταπατήσεις λέοντα καὶ δράκοντα. Ότι ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ ἤλπισε, καὶ ρύσομαι αὐτόν· σκεπάσω αὐτόν, ὅτι ἔγνω τὸ ὄνομά μου. Κεκράξεται πρός με, καὶ ἐπακούσομαι αὐτοῦ, μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ εἰμι ἐν θλίψει· ἐξελοῦμαι αὐτόν, καὶ δοξάσω αὐτόν. Μακρότητα ἡμερῶν ἐμπλήσω αὐτὸν καὶ δείξω αὐτῷ τὸ σωτήριόν μου.

English:

He that dwells in the help of the Highest, shall sojourn under the shelter of the God of heaven. He shall say to the Lord, Thou art my helper and my refuge: my God; I will hope in him. For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunters, from [every] troublesome matter. He shall overshadow thee with his shoulders, and thou shalt trust under his wings: his truth shall cover thee with a shield. Thou shalt not be afraid of terror by night; nor of the arrow flying by day; [nor] of the [evil] thing that walks in darkness; [nor] of calamity, and the evil spirit at noon-day. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou observe and see the reward of sinners. For thou, O Lord, art my hope: thou, my soul, hast made the Most High thy refuge. No evils shall come upon thee, and no scourge shall draw night to the dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge concerning thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up on their hands, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread on the asp and basilisk: and thou shalt trample on the lion and dragon. For he has hoped in me, and I will deliver him: I will protect him, because he has known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will hearken to him: I am with him in affliction; and I will deliver him, and glorify him. I will satisfy him with length of days, and shew him my salvation.

St George Church Kochi, Kerala, India

St George Church in Kochi , Kerala has paramount position among Oriental Orthodox churches as it is home to the holy remains of St.George. Church at Kochi is the only St George Church consecrated with installation of Holy relics of St George in its altar in AD 1751 by Mar Baselious Shakkrallah Maphriana. Koonan Kurishu Church is Oldest St George Church in Cochin, kerala.

Archbishop of York today re-consecrated the largest parish church in the country to status of Minster.

The Church of the Holy Trinity (Swedish: Trefaldighetskyrkan), consecrated in 1709. Architect: Nicodemus Tessin the Younger.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicodemus_Tessin_the_Younger

After a fire in 1790 only the badly damaged outer walls remained. In 1791 architect Olof Tempelman was commissioned to design a reconstruction of the church. Details of the facades were simplified to match the neoclassicism of the time. Tessin's large dome was replaced with a lower stepped dome. The church was inaugurated again in 1802.

sv.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trefaldighetskyrkan,_Karlskrona (website in Swedish)

The qualities that make Karlskrona a World Heritage Site were described by the World Heritage Committee:

“Karlskrona is an exceptionally well preserved example of a European planned naval base, and although its design has been influenced by similar undertakings it has in turn acted as a model for comparable installations. Naval bases played an important part during the centuries when the strength of a nation’s navy was a decisive factor in European power politics, and of those that remain from this period Karlskrona is the most complete and well preserved."

The key to the nomination is the planning of the city, built from 1680 and on, according to the vision of king Karl XI.

Unesco World Heritage: "Naval Port of Karlskrona", ref 871.

whc.unesco.org/en/list/

English: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karlskrona_naval_base

Español - Puerto naval de Karlskrona: es.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karlskrona

A stone church was consecrated in Røst by Bishop Kierschow in 1839. It was erected in accordance with architect Lindsow's standard design for country churches, but is, as far as we know, the only "standardised" church to be built of stone. In this way, one hoped to protect it against harmful storms. The church was in use until the year 1900, when it was considered too small, and demolished by royal decree the following year.

The church was consecrated October 20, 1904 by Bishop EH Rodhe, designed by Adrian C. Peterson from the year 1894 church architecture show an imaginative blend of stylistic features from stave church ornamentation, Gothic, Baroque and Art Nouveau. The plan forms the shape of a Greek cross from east to west. To the west rises the tower with lace panels and octagonal spire and nave is covered with slate.

Inside, the nave is covered by an angled ceilings and walls are paneled. Three stands there, the organ loft in the west and one over each cross arms.

Kyrkan invigdes 20 oktober 1904 av biskop E. H. Rodhe efter ritningar av Adrian C. Peterson från år 1894. Kyrkan arkitektur visar på en fantasifull blandning av stildrag från stavkyrkoornamentik, gotik, barock och jugend. Planen bildar formen av ett grekiskt kors i östvästlig riktning. I väster reser sig tornet med spetsgavlar och åttkantig spira och långhuset är belagt med takskiffer.

Invändigt är kyrkorummet täckt av ett vinklat kassettak och väggarna är panelklädda. Tre läktare finns, orgelläktaren i väster samt en över vardera korsarmarna.

Palatine Chapel, Aachen, begun c. 792, consecrated 805 (thought to have been designed by Odo of Metz), significant changes to the architectural fabric 14–17th centuries (Gothic apse, c. 1355; dome rebuilt and raised in the 17th century, etc), mosaics and revetment scream 19th century, and are indeed 19th century, columns were looted by French troops in the 18th century though many were later returned, they were added back without knowledge as to their original locations in the 19th century. Finally, the structure was also heavily damaged by allied bombing during WWII and significantly restored again in the second half of the twentieth century.

Learn More on Smarthistory

Malmö inner lighthouse:

Is 20.2 meters high.

Consecrated in 1878.

Final Ades used for real in 1983.

A light bulb shines now in the city. It comes on when the street lights lit.

The lighthouse bottom part contains the control center for the University Bridge.

Every other Tuesday around 10:00 the bridge is opened (turned sideways) to keep the machinery running smoothly.

An opening followed by a closing 12 minutes.

The Lighthouse day (sometime in August), the lighthouse is open to the public.

Since the lighthouse railing around the top only 90 centimeters high, it requires a certificate to to get up at your own risk.

78 steps.

For about 70 years ago used two twelve year old brothers sneaking up the tower when the lighthouse keeper had to go home for a toilet. They climbed up on the railing and jumped into the water, which is deep on one side of the lighthouse.

Sicily. Ortygia, Syracusa.

Late spring break.

The third chapel is the one consecrated to the "Santissimo Sacramento", also called the "Torres chapel", is defined artistically and structurally as the most beautiful in the Cathedral, due to its frescoes on the dome and due to the elaborate architectural decorations that compose it.

It was built in 1616 by the brothers Andrea and Giovanni Vermexio. Its plan is octagonal and its main feature are the wall bas-reliefs that surround it, composed of Corinthian-style columns adorned with numerous gilded finishes. In Baroque style, the center of the chapel has a tabernacle (or ciborium) in gilded wood in the shape of a small temple, the work of the Neapolitan architect and painter Luigi Vanvitelli, known for being the one who designed the Royal Palace of Caserta in Naples. On the sides of the altar there are two portals, surrounded by elaborate sculptural decorations, which lead to the Sacristy of the Cathedral.

At the center of the altar there is a carved marble frontal, the work of the Florentine sculptor Filippo Valle who worked there in 1762 and which depicts the Last Supper of Jesus. The marble balustrade and the artistic decoration of the floor are the work of the Palermitan Ignazio Marabitti and Neapolitan Giovan Battista Marino, the contract for the work was made to them by the Syracusan architect Pompeo Picherali who, now in old age, admired the work of the young Marabitti and entrusted them with the work in 1746. The floor of the chapel is thought to be the work of the same two sculptors mentioned above, but we rely on intuition for the attribution since no document in this regard has been found, however by observing the similarity and similar harmony that exists with the balustrade, this theory has therefore been deduced.

In the chapel, on the left side, there is the Sepulcher of Archbishop Luigi Bignami, a structure sculpted by the Catanese sculptor Sebastiano Agati. Also laterally in the chapel there is also a precious statue depicting the Madonna del Rosario, the work of unknown artists, the statue is placed on a small altar, placed on a cavity which is surrounded by two slender Corinthian-style marble columns that overlook the gray -green and above them there is a worked tympanum with sculpted bas-reliefs in the center. Three cartaglorias were the work of the Roman silversmith Giuseppe Veladier (1791. The censers and the shuttle were the work of the silversmith Lorenzo Petronelli and other silver furnishings were instead the work of the Syracusan Chindemi brothers. He informs in his studies about the silverware of the chapel, and to relations with the Roman silverware school, the Syracusan (from Canicattini Bagni) Giuseppe Agnello

The wrought iron gates with the Eucharistic symbols found between the Doric columns and the entrance to the chapel were worked by Domenico Ruggeri from Catania on the designs of Alessandro Campo in 1807-1811. The chapel is also called "Torres" because it was the Spanish bishop of Syracuse, Juan de Torres Osorio, who wanted its construction and edification, for this reason the chapel, in addition to the sacrament to which it was dedicated, also bears his name

"The Collégiale church, begun in 1185 and consecrated in 1276, is a graceful example of early Gothic. Stairs from Rue du Château bring you up to the east end of the church, with its three Norman apses. The main entrance (daily 8am–6pm), to the west, is crowned by a giant rose window of stained glass. Within the vaulted interior, the nave draws you along to the glowing transept, lit by a lantern tower, and the unique Cenotaph of the Counts of Neuchâtel on the north wall of the choir (shielded for renovations since 1997, and due for re-display in 2000). Begun in 1372, and the only artwork of its kind to survive north of the Alps, the monument comprises fifteen near-life-size painted statues of various knights and ladies from Neuchâtel’s past, framed by fifteenth-century arches and gables." (source: Wikipedia)

The Italian Renaissance church was consecrated in 1585 by Pope Sixtus V. The facade of the church was designed by Carlo Maderno and it was finished in 1570. Domenico Fontana constructed the double flight of stairs in 1587, under the guidance of Pope Sixtus V. The inscription explains that the Kings of France were instrumental in the construction of the church. The clock was added on the left tower in 1613.

The Obelisco Sallustiano (13.91 m), which stands in front of the church of Santissima Trinità dei Monti, arrived in Rome in the 3rd century. It is not known which emperor commissioned the obelisk, which sports a copy of the hieroglyphs on the Obelisco Flaminio, in Piazza del Popolo. It was erected in 1789, by order of Pope Pius VI (r. 1775-99), in front of the church of Santissima Trinità dei Monti.

There are three inscriptions on the base. The longer inscription, on the west face, reads: Pius VI, Pontifex Maximus, dedicated to the august Trinity the obelisk of Sallust, which, broken in its fall, a former age had abandoned prostrate, set atop the hill of the gardens in view of the streets below, and crowned with the victory trophy of the Cross.

The cemetery behind St Andrews was consecrated in April 1845

The newly consecrated National Cathedral of the Romanian Orthodox Church, still under construction in Bucharest

youtu.be/R-i2hzc1L4I

Orthodox Patriarchs of Constantinople and Bucharest consecrate Cathedral

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanian_People%27s_Salvation_Cathe...

catedralaneamului.ro/

The Cathedral was consecrated on 25 November 2018 by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I, Patriarch Daniel of Romania and Metropolitan Chrysostomos (gr) of Patras from the Greek Orthodox Church.

Massive 'opus caementicium' construction, originally completed 126 CE by Hadrian

---

Building owes its survival to being consecrated as a church, Santa Maria della Rotonda

_DSC4451 Anx2 1400h Q90

The cathedral was born from the ashes of two early Christian churches collapsed in 1117 due to an earthquake; completely rebuilt in the Romanesque style, and was consecrated September 13, 1187. The facade, Romanic, is tripartite, presents a gable and at the center is located a porch with a lower part in white and rose marbles, presents spiral columns supporting an arch, whose sides are carved plant motifs, hunting scenes and figures saints; the upper part of the vestibule is tuff and presents an arch surmounted by a gable and leaning on two griffins and eight columns. The portal is carved with images of prophets and animals; prothyrum the side on which stands the Campanile Michele Sanmicheli presents two orders of columns with capitals-decorated, bas-reliefs and the remains of the fourteenth century frescoes.

Началось все с небольшой церкви, которая располагалась точно на том месте, которое сейчас занимает церковь Святой Елены. Эта церквушка была построена в 4 веке и освящена Святым Зеноном – епископом Вероны в 362-380 гг. нашей эры. По прошествии нескольких лет стало очевидно, что церковь слишком мала для богослужений, что послужило причиной для возведения на ее месте более крупной и просторной базилики. В 7 веке новый собор был разрушен во время пожара или землетрясения. В архитектуре собора в его современном виде от этих двух первоначальных церквей сохранились красивые мозаичные полы. Новый собор на месте разрушенного был возведен длительное время спустя – лишь между 8 и 9 веками. Однако вновь возведенный собор повторил судьбу своего предшественника – очередное землетрясение в 1117 году серьезно повредило его, также, как и многие другие здания Вероны. Ремонт и реставрация здания заняли более 20 лет.

"The Collégiale church, begun in 1185 and consecrated in 1276, is a graceful example of early Gothic. Stairs from Rue du Château bring you up to the east end of the church, with its three Norman apses. The main entrance (daily 8am–6pm), to the west, is crowned by a giant rose window of stained glass. Within the vaulted interior, the nave draws you along to the glowing transept, lit by a lantern tower, and the unique Cenotaph of the Counts of Neuchâtel on the north wall of the choir (shielded for renovations since 1997, and due for re-display in 2000). Begun in 1372, and the only artwork of its kind to survive north of the Alps, the monument comprises fifteen near-life-size painted statues of various knights and ladies from Neuchâtel’s past, framed by fifteenth-century arches and gables." (source: Wikipedia)

Consecrated in 1895, This church sits about 23km SW of the town of Beverley in the Avon Valley, east of Perth.

It's one of the many small churches that dot the countryside, built in the days when the only way to get to the Sunday Service was by horse.

The raised mortar in the stonework joints give it (IMO) a somewhat bizarre appearance.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Church,_Cardiff

The Norwegian Church Arts Centre is a point of cultural and historical interest located in Cardiff Bay (Tiger Bay), Wales. It was a Lutheran Church, consecrated in 1868. Under the patronage of The Norwegian Seamen's Mission provided home comforts, communication with family and a place of worship for Scandinavian sailors and the Norwegian community in Cardiff for over a hundred years.

History

In the 19th century, Cardiff was one of Britain's three major ports, along with London and Liverpool. The Norwegian merchant fleet at the time was the third largest in the world, and Cardiff became one of the major centres of its operations.

Sjømannskirken – the Norwegian Church Abroad organisation, which is part of the Church of Norway – followed in its footsteps. Under Carl Herman Lund from Oslo, a Church was built in 1868 in Cardiff Bay between the East and West Docks on land donated by the John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, to serve the religious needs of Norwegian sailors and expatriates.[1]

Consecrated in December 1868, the church was clad in iron sheets on the instruction of the harbourmaster, to allow it to be moved if necessary. However, the construction form allowed it to be extended many times:[1]

Known until this point as the Norwegian Iron Church, it now became known as the Little White Church, and became a welcome home point for sailors. Resultantly, and open to all sailors as a mission offering food and shelter, between 1867 and 1915 the number of visiting sailors to the church rose from 7,572 to 73,580 seamen per annum.[1]

Original Community

When the church was in its prime it had a lot of public activity; from the Nordic community settling in Cardiff and making roots there, to the Norwegian sailors using the place as a rest stop on their travels. The church had become a home away from home for the sailors during World War II as they weren't able to go back to Norway due to Nazi occupation. The church hosted many important family occasions, such as weddings and christenings, for the community as well as more educational projects like cookery classes.[2]

Decline

Even pre-World War I, coal exports from Cardiff were in decline. Post World War II, shipping trade had moved from Cardiff, and in 1959 the mission's work was discontinued. In the early 1960s, the Norwegian Seamen's Mission withdrew its patronage, and the last seaman's priest Per Konrad Hansen was withdrawn. The residual congregation and other Lutheran organisations funded its continued use by the resident expatriate Norwegian community. It was closed and de-consecrated in 1974.

Preservation

In light of developments in Cardiff Bay in the late 1980s, and the proposed building of new roads around Atlantic Wharf, the now derelict and vandalised church was threatened with total destruction.

The community formed the Norwegian Church Preservation Trust, to save the building in the redeveloped docks. In partnership with the Norwegian Support Committee in Bergen, the trust raised £250,000, enabling the church to be dismantled in 1987, preserved and stored pending reassembly. The remaining original features were rescued, including the pulpit, one side-window, the chandelier and the model-ship; all of which were returned to the church.

With the Wales Millennium Centre built on its original site, with land donated by Associated British Ports, in 1992 reconstruction on the current site was started. In April 1992, the church was re-opened by Princess Märtha Louise of Norway.[3]

Roald Dahl

The writer Roald Dahl, who was born in Cardiff to Norwegian parents, was baptised in the church, as were his sisters. The family worshipped in the church. Throughout his life Dahl had ties with the church and in the 1970s when the church first fell into a state of disrepair, Dahl was at the forefront of a campaign to raise money to save it.[4] This led to Dahl being appointed the first president of The Norwegian Church Preservation Trust after it was set up in 1987 by the church.[5]

A room in the church is named 'The Dahl Gallery', in memory of Dahl and to commemorate what he did for the church. In this room is;

A shield given to the church's pastor as a gift, as during WW2 the church was home to sailors who couldn't return to their homeland.

An anchor and oars in the shape of a cross. The oars are believed to be from a Norwegian sailing ship and the anchor is a gift to honour the church's maritime heritage.

As well as this honour, Dahl is also celebrated yearly in September, the month of his 1916 birth. In 2016 Cardiff Bay celebrated the centenary of Dahl's birth, with a project launched by The Norwegian Church.[6]

Present day

In 2006 the Norwegian Church Preservation Trust was transferred to Cardiff County Council, under the management of the Cardiff Harbour Authority.

The building is now used as an arts centre, and is known as the Norwegian Church Arts Centre. The centre includes a café and an art gallery. In May 2011 the church underwent a £500,000 refurbishment,[7] including a new outdoor terrace and a DDA compliant lift. The Greig room hosts a diversity of local arts and culture.[8]

Present community

The church has been refurbished, moved and opened in Cardiff Bay, and continues to receive a large number of visitors. Though no longer primarily a resting place and home for Norwegian sailors, it is still open to the public with a gallery and a small café for the remaining Norwegian community to relax and meet in. As the church has a strong link with Roald Dahl, every September the church honours him and his work. As well as this, the community in Cardiff and those involved with the church gather together every year for an annual celebration of Dahl's birthday and Christmas. In 2016 the Norwegian Church led Cardiff Bay's celebrations of the centenary of Dahl's birth.

Popular culture

A 2008 episode of the BBC Television drama series Torchwood, "To The Last Man", had some scenes shot outside the church.

First consecrated in 324, the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran is one of four Papal Basilicas, and contains the Cathedra of the pope. It takes precedence over all other churches in Catholicism, even St Peter's in the Vatican. Massive four metre high statues of the Twelve Apostles line the nave.

St Marks Anglican Church.

Erected in 1878 the original St Mark's Anglican Church building is today used as the parish hall which is today located at the rear of the current St Mark's church building.

The present St Mark Evangelist Anglican Church building was consecrated by Dr Cambridge, Bishop of Bathurst on 24/11/1909.

St Mark Evangelist Anglican Church Millthorpe, New South Wales, Anglican Church building was consecrated by Dr Cambridge, Bishop of Bathurst on 24/11/1909.

St Mark Evangelist Anglican Church Millthorpe, New South Wales, Australia.

The Parish Church of St. John the Baptist is the largest of the churches in the Benefice. Situated in Church Street, in the heart of the village of Somersham, the church stands on a site which in all probability has been consecrated for Christian worship since the second half of the seventh century. The current building though dates from the period between 1250 and 1300 and is likely to have been built and paid-for by one of the bishops living in the (now disappeared) Bishops Palace which was sited only a few hundred yards from where the church now stands

The newly consecrated National Cathedral of the Romanian Orthodox Church, still under construction in Bucharest

youtu.be/R-i2hzc1L4I

Orthodox Patriarchs of Constantinople and Bucharest consecrate Cathedral

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanian_People%27s_Salvation_Cathe...

catedralaneamului.ro/

The Cathedral was consecrated on 25 November 2018 by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I, Patriarch Daniel of Romania and Metropolitan Chrysostomos (gr) of Patras from the Greek Orthodox Church.

The Temple of Hatshepsut arose as a necropolis, consecrated to the goddess Hathor in the eleventh dynasty (2120 - 1991 BC). It was then abandoned until queen Hatshepsut took it over some five hundred years later. After the abandonment (again), it was for a period turned into a monastery, whose existence there is the reason for its being so well preserved, has given it its present Arabic name, Deir el-Bahri.

The temple is built into the rock itself, and consists of three terraces. It was created by the famous architect Senmut. Queen Hatshepsut is best known as the only woman who actually reigned as a pharaoh - probably to her son's annoyance. Hatshepsut took over the rule of Egypt when her husband, Thutmosis II, died. Thutmosis II was incidentally both her husband and half-brother.

When her son, Thutmosis III, came of age, she was so unhappy about handing over the power to him that she, together with the priests, figured out a way to avoid it. This way included wearing male clothes, as well as the false beard made of wood and leather worn by all pharaohs.

On November 17, 1997, Islamist militants massacred 60 foreign tourists and four Egyptians on the West Bank outside the Temple of Hatshepsut; police killed the six assailants. The attack is believed to have been financed by Saudi terrorist Osama bin Laden. Deir el-Bahri, Egypt

The Chesme Church (Russian: Чесменская церковь; full name Church of Saint John the Baptist at Chesme Palace, Russian: це́рковь Рождества́ Иоа́нна Предте́чи при Че́сменском Дворце́), also called the Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, is a small Russian Orthodox church at 12 Lensoveta Street, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was built by the Russian court architect Yury Felten in 1780, at the direction of Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia. A memorial church, it was erected adjacent to the Chesme Palace between Saint Petersburg and Tsarskoye Selo to commemorate the anniversary of Russia's 1770 victory over Turkish forces in Chesme Bay (Turkish: Çeşme) in the Aegean Sea during the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774.

The church and Chesme Palace were the earliest Neo-Gothic constructions in the St Petersburg area. Considered by some to be St Petersburg's single most impressive church, it is a rare example of very early Gothic Revival influence in Russian church architecture.

Etymology

The church was named "The Church of the Birth of St. John the Baptist" as it was consecrated on the birthday of John the Baptist. As it was built to honour the Battle of Chesma which the Russians won in 1770, the church is also popularly known as the "Chesme Church."

Geography

The church is located in Red Village, which was a country estate of the Sergey Poltoratski family, friends of Alexander Pushkin. It is situated in an area that was known as Kekerekeksinen (Finnish: frog swamp) which is now in a housing area known as Moskovsky Prospekt, approximately halfway between Park Pobedy and the Moskovskaya metro station. While the church was built at a very ordinary location in 1770, over the centuries, it become part of the city of Saint Petersburg. Located between St. Petersburg and the Summer Palace in Tsarskoye Selo, it served as a traveler's resting place.

History

In 1777, King Gustav III of Sweden attended the laying of the church's foundation. The church was built between 1777 and 1780. It is a memorial church to honour the 1770 Russian victory at the Battle of Chesme. Empress Catherine II chose the site as it was here that she got the news of the Russian victory over the Turks. Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor was present at the church's consecration.

The knights of the Order of St. George were also in possession of the church at some point when it was given the third name, "St. George’s Church."

The church and the Chesme Palace became a labour camp when the Soviet government occupied it. In 1923, the church was closed and used as a storehouse. Between 1941 and 1945, the church suffered damages during the "Great Patriotic War". During the Second World War, the Institute of Aviation Technology took possession of the Church and the Chesme Palace. During 1970–75, it was fully restored under the supervision of the architects M.I. Tolstov and A.P. Kulikov. In 1977, the church became a museum of the Battle of Chesme (with artifacts from the Central Naval Museum). Religious control was restored to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1991, and regular church services have been held at the church since then.

Architecture

The church, built in Gothic Revival style faces southwest. Painted pink and white, the church appears like a "candy cone, with long, vertical white stripes (embossed vertical string cornices drawn together with figured horizontal fascias) giving the impression that it’s rising straight up from the earth like a mirage and shooting upwards." The church was built by Yury Felten who was the court architect to Catherine the Great.

The inspiration for adopting the pseudo-Gothic style of architecture was a symbol of "the exoticism of the Turkish architecture but also reflected the Anglomania that significantly influenced the design of Catherine’s palaces and the parks surrounding them". While the Chesme Palace was built on these lines, the Church of John the Baptist was also built in a similar style. This style introduced during Catherine's time came in vogue in Russia in the subsequent centuries as well. It is also said that the choice of the Gothic Revival architecture style was indicative of "triumph for ancient northern virtues in the spirit of the crusaders."

The church was built with brick and white stone. It has a "quatrefoil" layout in the form of four semi cylinders with barrel vaults. Filials, spires and lancet windows were built over it, and the edifice emerged as a fusion of Gothic and neo-Gothic motifs. The quatrefoil design was common in the late 17th century in many private estate churches and the style was known as the “Moscow baroque”. During the 18th century, its adoption during Catherine's reign was considered an experimentation reflecting "the increasing secularization of the upper nobility. The entrance to the church has a neo-Gothic Rose window and a round window above it. The entrance portal has sculptures of angels. The main tower and four small towers have small domes, which are replacements of the traditional onion domes commonly seen in Russia. The cross that was fixed on the central turret originally was substituted with the Russian proletariat symbol of toil in the form of a hammer, tongs and anvil. The walls are striped and crenellated. The impressive relief design on the top of the walls is also in the form of crenellated parapet with pinnacles. There is also a 100 kilograms (220 lb) bell in one of the towers. The interior, which originally had Italian icons, was destroyed in a fire in 1930. However, it was restored when the church was refurbished.Inside the church, there are many iconic paintings and one particular painting of interest is that of Christ’s arrival in Nazareth.When it was a naval museum, there was a vivid painting, in rich colours, depicting the sea battle and Russian victory over the Turks, in place of the “Christ the saviour in the iconostasis-less altar apse”. Nothing remains of the original interiors.

The exterior views of the church are impressive. The lanterns on the roof are stated to be similar to those seen on the Gothic temple at Stowe House.

The church precincts have been used as a reliquary for war heroes since the time of its consecration and during the Siege of Leningrad. The cemetery is known as the "Chesmenskoe War Veterans' Cemetery", and contains unnamed graves dated 1812-1944 of those who died in Russian wars.

Notable people

The coffin of Rasputin rested in Chesme Church before his burial at Tsarskoye Selo in 1916.

I remember the venerable Mr. Jay, when preaching, reaching out his hand to an old man who sat just as some of you are sitting there, and saying, “I wonder whether those gray hairs are a crown of glory or a fool’s cap. They are one or the other.” For a man to be unconverted at the age to which some of you have attained is indeed to have a fool’s cap made of gray hairs. But if you have a heart consecrated to Christ, you have a crown of glory upon your brow.

C. H. Spurgeon, 2,200 Quotations: From the Writings of Charles H. Spurgeon : Arranged Topically or Textually and Indexed by Subject, Scripture, and People (ed. Tom Carter; Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1995), 11.

The newly consecrated National Cathedral of the Romanian Orthodox Church, still under construction in Bucharest

youtu.be/R-i2hzc1L4I

Orthodox Patriarchs of Constantinople and Bucharest consecrate Cathedral

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanian_People%27s_Salvation_Cathe...

catedralaneamului.ro/

The Cathedral was consecrated on 25 November 2018 by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I, Patriarch Daniel of Romania and Metropolitan Chrysostomos (gr) of Patras from the Greek Orthodox Church.

- was consecrated on September 21st of 1723.

- Napoleonic army plundered the church in 1805 and 1809

- survived bombings during the two World Wars

- has had a three-centuries long pilgrimage tradition each 2nd July which is the day of the Virgin Mary

- was consecrated on September 21st of 1723.

- Napoleonic army plundered the church in 1805 and 1809

- survived bombings during the two World Wars

- has had a three-centuries long pilgrimage tradition each 2nd July which is the day of the Virgin Mary

Consecrated in 1268, it has a 13th century tower, chancel and nave. The church overlooks the Exe Valley where there was a saxon invasion around 700 AD so it's likely a church was built then.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel (Dutch: Basiliek van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Scherpenheuvel, French: Basilique de Notre Dame de Montaigu) is a Roman Catholic parish church and minor basilica in Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, Belgium. The church was consecrated in 1627 and raised to the status of a minor basilica in 1922. It is reputedly the most frequently visited shrine of pilgrimage in Belgium. While the cult on the Scherpenheuvel (or Sharp Hill) is older, its present architectural layout and its enduring importance are due to the patronage of the Archdukes Albert and Isabella and the Counter-Reformation.

For many years the Marian cult on the Scherpenheuvel centered on a small statue of the Virgin Mary that hung in an oak tree on top of the hill. According to the foundation legend a shepherd noticed that the image had fallen to the ground and decided to take it home. When he had lifted it, he discovered he was unable to move. As the herd did not return in the evening, his master got worried and went to look for the shepherd. Only by restoring the statue to its original place in the oak tree could the master release the shepherd, thereby discovering the spiritual importance of the site. The veracity of this story is impossible to ascertain. It is however clear that the inhabitants of the nearby town of Zichem would frequent the site in the second half of the sixteenth century whenever a member of the family suffered from illness. They would traditionally walk round the tree three times while praying.

Zichem was part of the barony of Diest, a possession of the House of Orange-Nassau. In the course of the Dutch Revolt the barony changed hands several times. While occupied by forces of the United Provinces between 1580 and 1583, the statue was removed in an act of iconoclasm. After the town was retaken by Alexander Farnese, the parishioners of Zichem restored the cult in 1587. It was later claimed that they did so after discovering the original statue and returning it to the tree. From then on the cult of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel began to expand. Soldiers and almoners of the Army of Flanders that were stationed in nearby Diest or Zichem helped to spread its reputation.

After an official enquiry, Mathias Hovius, Archbishop of Mechelen, approved the cult of Scherpenheuvel in 1604. The approval was accompanied by the publication of a collection of miracles ascribed to the intercession of the Virgin of Scherpenheuvel in Dutch, French and Spanish. An English translation followed in 1606. Philip Numan, who had authored the collection, produced two more editions (1605 and 1606) as well as three more collections (1613–1614, 1617 and 1617–1618) in short succession. Latin versions were published by the famous humanists Justus Lipsius (1605) and Erycius Puteanus (1622). Lesser authors would produce continuations up to 1706. According to these publications, close to 700 miracles were credited to the intercession of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel in the course of the seventeenth century. The Latin collections in particular caused a lot of controversy among theologians, with Calvinist authors ridiculing the whole idea of miraculous intercession by saints.

Meanwhile, it had been decided in 1602 to remove the statue from the oak tree and house it in a small wooden chapel nearby. Within the year the chapel proved too small and was replaced by a modest stone edifice. Its foundation stone was laid on 13 July 1603 by Count Frederik van den Bergh on behalf of the Archdukes Albert and Isabella. From that point on the Archdukes showed great interest in the development of the shrine. Attributing the recent relief of the besieged town of 's-Hertogenbosch to the intercession of the Virgin, Albert and Isabella made their first pilgrimage to Scherpenheuvel on 20 November 1603. It would soon become a yearly pilgrimage that took place in May or June and lasted the nine days of a novena.

Under the patronage of the Archdukes, the emerging shrine was raised to the status of a town in 1605 and of an independent parish in 1610. Their support helped to ensure the grant of a papal indulgence on 16 September 1606, the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. In the previous summer the stone chapel was surrounded by a closed garden or Hortus Conclusus in the shape of a heptagon. Shortly after reaching a cease-fire with the United Provinces, Albert and Isabella announced on 28 April 1607 that they would build a vast church and surround it with a planned and fortified town. The foundation stone of the third and present church was laid by them in person on 2 July 1609, the feast of the Visitation.

With the bell tower left unfinished, the church was dedicated by Archbishop Jacobus Boonen in June 1627. In order to ensure that a sufficient number of priests would be available to meet the needs of the ever growing number of pilgrims, the shrine was handed over to the Oratorians. They built a convent behind the church and connected the two buildings with a long corridor. The Oratorians took care of the sanctuary until the French Republic annexed the Austrian Netherlands and dissolved all monasteries. The church then returned to the status of a parish church.

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The small Anglican Church of St. George stands reverently among its congregation of tree ferns at the corner of The Avenue and Church Lane in Mount Wilson. Built on land donated by the Wynne family, it was consecrated in 1913 as a memorial to Henry Marcus Clark.

Today, the church is included among the parish responsibilities of the rector at St. Aidan's in Blackheath. Once a month, on the afternoon of the second Sunday, the sounds of the Anglican liturgy blend appropriately with the 'old world' memories that survive in this special part of the Blue Mountains.

Brunswick MD 7/23/16

Consecrated in 1521 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The intended design with matching tall towers was never completed.

October 1993

Rollei 35 camera

Kodak Ektachrome 100 film.

Consecrated in 1880, Saint Augustine's was called the "Cathedral of North London" due to its immense size and very tall Spire

East end of Speyer Cathedral (Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and St Stephen), consecrated 1061, Speyer, Germany

Consecrated in April 1873. Since 1993 has only held one service a year in late August or early September.