View allAll Photos Tagged Lasting
Lasting corona policy of Wiener Linien. Corona street life, 11. 4. 2020, Vienna.
©hris Haderer 2023 - All Rights Reserved.
Lastings Milledge, now with the Pittsburgh Pirates, in one of his last games with the minor league Indianapolis Indians
This gentleman ,around 50 or years old brought his aging mother to the park on her wheel chair, showed her the birds and explained everything loudly (she couldn't hear properly).
His patience and love for his mother is something I won't forget for a long time.
Washington Nationals center fielder Lastings Milledge rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the first inning during a game against the San Francisco Giants Sunday June 8, 2008 at Nationals Park in Washington DC. The Giants beat the Nationals 6-3.
It never ceases to amaze me just how the colour changes throughout the setting of the sun. From deep crimson reds to softer aqua blues and greens, to yellows and ambers...etc etc. Even in the short space of time i took these sequence of shots the sky changed almost instantly in some small way with every shot
Usually lasting for a week over the August Bank Holiday weekend, Manchester Pride is an annual festival that celebrates lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender life. Centred around the city's thriving Gay Village, the party includes a carnival parade as well as live music, DJs, theatre, comedy and the Big Gay Read (www.biggayread.com) – an event celebrating gay and lesbian influenced literature.
This church is one of the major basilicas of Rome. That is to say, you're looking at Vatican property here, not Italian. (The others are: St. Peter's, San Giovanni in Laterano, and St. Paul Outside the Walls.). Vatican property in Italian territory. Essentially, you're looking at the equivalent of an embassy.
This church is extremely important to Catholics. It was also built at a fascinating point in world history. (Its location has an interesting story, too.)
It's a church dedicated to Holy Mary (Virgin Mary, Jesus's mom). It was built in 432 A.D. What has happening in Rome during that time? Well...Rome was basically done by that point. The Visigoths sacked Rome in 410, so the emperors at that point were reigning over rubble. The emperors were gone for good by 476. So this 1,600 year old church was built in that period of transition.
Why was it built on this spot? Well, that's part myth/legend. The legend, which doesn't pop up until around 1,000 A.D. is that Pope Liberius was visited in a dream by Mary, and told to build her a church where there was snow. This was in August. So, on 5 August, he apparently saw snow here (what a miracle), and the church was built. She conveniently chose the site of a pagan temple, that was dedicated to Rome's mother-goddess Juno. How thoughtful of Mary...
Now let's look at the building itself. The plaza in front of the church is nice and big enough to get a full view. If it seems like you're looking at conflicting thoughts, well...you are. The central part is the original church from the 5th century (and the interior is pretty much as it was in the 5th century, too -- except for things like...electricity). The two wings were added later by the Vatican and are offices.
The rather tall bell tower wasn't around in the 5th century, though. That was built in the late 14th century. It's the tallest in Rome. The facade is also "new," and covers mosaic tiles from the 13th century medieval iteration of the facade.
Mary's column, in the heart of the plaza, wasn't originally here -- but, was moved here when the church was built. It used to be in the Forum's Basilica of Constantine.
Now let's talk about the interior. The ceiling was updated during the Renaissance in the 15th century and gilded with gold. Your eyes are directed forward to the canopy at the altar. The canopy is modeled on Bernini's in St. Peter's in the Vatican.
Directly below the altar, you'll find the holy relics that pilgrims come here to see: Jesus's manger. In the glass case, bound by iron, that contains several pieces of wood. That's supposedly Jesus's crib. (The feeding trough for animals that you know from "Away in a Manger."). The man silently standing behind you is Pope Pius IX. He established the dogma of the Immaculate Conception -- in the 19th century. The church presents this as physical evidence that Mary was, indeed, the mother of Jesus. (I'm not sure how that is considered empirical proof, though. A leap of faith...)
Behind the canopy in the apse, you'll see a beautiful 13th century mosaic of Mary and Jesus. They're equal-size, sitting on the same throne, with Jesus crowning Mary. The apostles are smaller, and the pope (lower left) is a midget in comparison. The mosaics in the chancel arch overhead are from the 5th century.
To the left, you'll find the Pauline Chapel with a Madonna painting from the 17th century. If you cross the altar to the right side, you'll be in the Sistine Chapel. Better to call it the Sixtus V Chapel, or else you might be looking up for some Michelangelo paintings.
Pope Sixtus V is buried in this chapel. He only had a six year reign (1585-90), but left a lasting impression on Rome. He leveled a lot of streets and constructed the street grid as we know it today: long, broad boulevards, with piazzas at various intersections, some of which have Egyptian obelisks. (These were plundered from Egypt. Sadly, Egypt currently has 5 obelisks. Rome has at least 13 Egyptian obelisks.)
At the center of this chapel, you'll see four angels hoisting a model of the new St. Peter's dome. That dome...was designed by Michelangelo.
When you back out of this chapel, you can look on the floor directly in front of you, and you'll see the burial site of Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680). Bernini grew up in this neighborhood. To talk about Bernini (the father of Baroque art) and Rome...that's for another post. His impact on art, the world, and certainly Rome, is immeasurable.
Besides Sixtus V and Bernini, there are a handful of other popes (and a famous person or two) buried here: Popes Clement VIII, Clement IX, Honorius III, NIcholas IV, Pius V, Paul V...and eventually, the current Pope Francis will be buried here. Napoleon's sister Pauline is here, as is Junio Valerio Borghese. (He was a staunch fascist supporter of Mussolini, but the name may be familiar to you -- he's a member of the famous Borghese family (the ones who provided the art and gardens to Rome).
To get to this church, just find your way to Termini (the central train station) and you're only about 5 blocks away.