Sculpture showing boat designs, four large steel chains and silhouettes of faces to represent the town's fishing fleet and blast furnace. It is the first of two of Randall's sculptures celebrating the history of fishing and steelmaking in Redcar, the first is Lifelines, standing 1 km to the east. The name Sinterlation, comes from sinter, a granulated material applied to the top of a blast furnace

 

Redcar is a seaside town on the Yorkshire Coast in the Redcar and Cleveland unitary authority in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is located 7 miles (11 km) east of Middlesbrough.

 

The Teesside built-up area's Redcar subdivision had a population of 37,073 at the 2011 Census. The town is made up of Coatham, Dormanstown, Kirkleatham, Newcomen, West Dyke, Wheatlands and Zetland.

 

It gained a town charter in 1922, from then until 1968 it was governed by the municipal borough of Redcar. Since the abolition of County Borough of Teesside, which existed from 1968 until 1974, the town has been unparished.

 

Redcar occupies a low-lying site by the sea; the second element of its name is from Old Norse kjarr, meaning 'marsh', and the first may be either Old English (Anglo-Saxon) rēad meaning 'red' or OE hrēod 'reed'. The town originated as a fishing hamlet in the 14th century, trading with the larger adjacent hamlet of Coatham. Until the mid-19th century it was within the parish of Marske-by-the-Sea – mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.

 

Numerous ships have foundered off the Redcar coastline and many of their wrecks still exist. The Zetland is the world's oldest surviving lifeboat. It was built by Henry Greathead of South Shields and is housed in a volunteer-led sea-front museum. The lifeboat was first stationed at Redcar in 1802.

 

As seaside holidays became fashionable in the early 19th century, Redcar's facilities expanded. By 1841, Redcar had 794 inhabitants. In 1846, work was completed on the Middlesbrough and Redcar Railway and the presently named Redcar Central station, created to attract tourism and trade.

 

Redcar's population expansion corresponded with Middlesbrough's, with the discovery in 1850 of iron ore in the Eston area of Cleveland Hills. Redcar prospered as a seaside town drawing tourists attracted by eight miles of sands stretching from South Gare to Saltburn-by-the-Sea.

 

Plans for a pier were drawn up in 1866, but lay dormant until prompted by the announcement of plans to build a pier at Coatham in 1871. Coatham Pier was wrecked before it was completed when two sailing ships were driven through it in a storm. It had to be shortened because of the cost of repairs and was re-opened with an entrance with two kiosks and a roller-skating rink on the Redcar side, and a bandstand halfway along its length.

 

Redcar Racecourse was created in 1875. Redcar Pier, another pier as well as Coatham Pier, was built in the late 1870s. In October 1880 the brig Luna caused £1,000 worth of damage to this pier. In New Year's Eve 1885 SS Cochrane demolished the landing stage. and in 1897 the schooner Amarant went through the pier. A year later, its head and bandstand burned down.

 

In October 1898 the Coatham Pier was almost wrecked when the barque Birger struck it and the pier was thereafter allowed to disintegrate. An anchor from the Birger can be seen on the sea front pavement close to the Zetland Lifeboat Museum.

 

In 1907 a pavilion ballroom was built on Redcar Pier behind the entrance kiosks and in 1928 it was extended. A glass house for concerts was added to the remains of Coatham Pier's entrance. The presently named Redcar East railway station was built in 1929.

 

In 1929 Coatham Pier's glasshouse was replaced by the New Pavilion theatre. After the war, comedian and entertainer Larry Grayson coined his catchphrase "Shut that Door!" while performing there, since the stage door was open to the cold North Sea breeze.

 

Redcar Pier was deliberately breached (sectioned) in 1940 to prevent its use by enemy invasion forces. As a result of sectioning, damage by a mine explosion and deterioration it was never reconnected and instead allowed to become even more dilapidated.

 

In 1964 the New Pavilion Theatre was transformed into the Regent Cinema. The Redcar Pier pavilion continued in use after the war but storm damage led to it being declared unsafe and it was demolished in 1980–1981.

 

The town's main employers in the post-war era were the nearby Teesside Steelworks at Warrenby, founded by Dorman Long in 1917, and the ICI Wilton chemical works. The steel produced at Dorman Long was used to build the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Tyne Bridge, Auckland Harbour Bridge and many others. Both the Warrenby and Lackenby sites became part of Tata Steel when Corus was taken over in 2007, but continued to trade under the Corus name until at least February 2008. SSI bought the plant from Tata Steel in February 2011, for £320 million.

 

After a two-year hiatus following the mothballing of the plant in February 2010, steel was once again being made at Redcar. The Thai owners of the former Corus Plant at Lackenby, Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI), re-ignited the blast furnace, one of the largest in Europe, on 15 April 2012.

 

On 18 September 2015, production was paused due to the decline in steel prices. On 28 September 2015, the plant was "mothballed" amid poor steel trading conditions across the world and a drop in steel prices. On 2 October, the owner of the site, SSI UK, entered liquidation. On 12 October 2015 the administrator announced that there was no realistic prospect of finding a buyer and the ovens would be extinguished.

 

Wards periodically change, as of 2018 the town is made up of Coatham, Dormanstown, Kirkleatham, Newcomen, West Dyke, Wheatlands and Zetland. Redcar is made up of areas that do not lend their name to a ward: Warrenby, Lakes Estate, Redcar East, The Ings, Ings Farm, Mickledales and Westfield.

 

On 5 May 2011 Redcar elected its councillors to Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council. There was a by-election on 18 November 2011 for two vacant seats in the Zetland ward, held onto by the Liberal Democrats, and on 19 January 2012 there was a by-election for a vacant seat in Newcomen ward subsequently gained by Labour from the Liberal Democrats.

 

Redcar was formerly a township and chapelry in the parishes of Marske and Upleatham, in 1866 Redcar became a separate civil parish. A district in Redcar's name formed in 1885. Three years after the district was formed, the centuries-old Yorkshire authority was replaced by the North Riding of Yorkshire county council. The district became an urban district in 1894.

 

The settlement's town charter occurred in 1922, the district was able to be styled as a municipal borough and the settlement as a town. On 1 April 1974 the parish was abolished and merged with Teesside and Marske. On 1 April 1968 the municipal borough was abolished merged into the County Borough of Teesside, part also went to Saltburn and Marske by the Sea Urban District. This removed it from the administrative county however still ceremonially in the area. In 1961 the parish had a population of 31,460.

 

The 1974 reform created the non-metropolitan County of Cleveland, under the Langbaurgh non-metropolitan district. The county was also inserted into the North East England region. After further changes in 1996, the district became a unitary authority called Redcar & Cleveland in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, the county straddling two regions of England.

 

The North East England region was sub-divided into combined authorities, in May 2017 the Tees Valley area voted for their first mayor. The Conservative candidate, Ben Houchen, won the election and is now in his second term.

 

From 1987 to 2001, the local Member of Parliament (MP) was Mo Mowlam. From 2001 to 2010 the MP was Vera Baird. In the 2010 general election there was a swing to the Liberal Democrats with Ian Swales being elected. But, in the 2015 general election, Anna Turley, a Labour MP, won back Redcar. In the snap 2017 general election, Anna Turley held onto that seat. In the general election on 12 December 2019, Anna Turley lost her seat to Conservative candidate Jacob Young with a majority of 3,527 votes. Young becomes the third conservative MP to represent Redcar, the first being Royal Naval Commander Robert Tatton Bower 1931 to 1945 and Scarborough businessman Wilfred Proudfoot between 1959 and 1964 when Redcar was part of the Cleveland constituency.

 

The Palace Hub, on the beach front, was built by Redcar and Cleveland Council for the creative and cultural sector of the town. An art gallery and business start up centre are located in the building. The main library is in the Redcar Heart building in the centre of the town and there is a long-standing Redcar Literary Institute, which was founded in 1896.

 

Redcar is home to the Tuned In! Centre, which opened in 2011 and overlooks the sea front. The multi purpose venue hosts live music as well as creative workshops for young people. The annual event Clubland on the Beach, which showcases dance acts attracting visitors from across the country, has been held at Majuba Road in Redcar for the past three years.

 

The town has had several parks built for tourism: Coatham Enclosure, Locke Park, Zetland Park, Lily Park, an Amusement Park with a roller coaster, and a small sea front park known locally as Titty Bottle Park. The Amusement Park near the railway closed decades ago, and Titty Bottle Park was absorbed into the redeveloped sea front around Redcar Beacon.

 

At the west end of High Street is a Grade II listed clock tower, a memorial to King Edward VII who was a regular visitor to Redcar. The tower has now been refurbished.

 

Construction of the Redcar Beacon started in 2011. In 2013, when the building had been completed, it was nominated for the Building Design Carbuncle Cup for worst new building. It came third in the whole of the UK. In December 2015, the Beacon was damaged by winds from Storm Desmond, with several large pieces of panelling falling onto the beach below. It was also damaged in winter 2016, where a panel from the top fell off in a storm.

 

There are 23 listed buildings in Redcar. The Grade I Listed Sir William Turner's Hospital in Kirkleatham was built between 1674–1676 and listed on the 14 June 1952.

 

On the Esplanade is the Grade II-Listed Zetland Lifeboat Museum housing the world's oldest lifeboat Zetland Lifeboat.

 

The Victorian, former Coatham Hotel stands on Newcomen Terrace sea front.[36][37] The ballroom of the hotel was home to the Redcar Jazz Club, a venue for the up-and-coming bands of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

 

In the south-east of Redcar is an aircraft listening post built in 1916 during the First World War as part of a regional defence system to detect approaching aircraft, principally Zeppelins, and give early warning.It is an example of an acoustic mirror, of which other examples can be found along the east coast of Britain. The mirror was used up until the invention of radar and although it was built on open fields today a modern housing estate now surrounds it. Only the concrete sound mirror remains and is now a Grade II listed building.

 

To the east of Redcar is the grade II* listed Church of St Peter, designed by Ignatius Bonomi and built 1822–29. In 1818, Lord Dundas gave land for a church, St Peters. The foundation stone was laid by Lady Turner of Kirkleatham in 1823. Initially it was a daughter church of Marske, but became an independent parish in 1867. It has a window commemorating local benefactor Sir William Turner.

 

Redcar has two railway stations, on the Tees Valley line, with trains operated by Northern and TransPennine Express, namely Redcar Central and Redcar East. A third station Redcar British Steel, which closed in December 2019, served the steelworks.

 

The main roads through the town are the A1085 and the A1042, with the A174 bypassing. Redcar is served primarily by Arriva North East buses, connecting Redcar with the surrounding towns and villages.

 

The Pangea North and CANTAT-3 submarine telecommunication cables both come ashore between Redcar and Marske-by-the-Sea.

 

See also: List of schools in Redcar and Cleveland

The town's further education college is Redcar & Cleveland College.

 

The town's secondary schools are: Outwood Academy Redcar, Sacred Heart Catholic Secondary and Rye Hills Academy.

 

There are eleven primary schools in Redcar: Coatham, Dormanstown, Green Gates, Ings Farm, John E Batty, Lakes, Newcomen, Riverdale, St Benedict's, Wheatlands and Zetland.

 

Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC North East and Cumbria and ITV Tyne Tees, the local television station TalkTeesside also broadcasts to the area. Television signals are received from the Bilsdale TV transmitter.

 

Local radio stations are BBC Radio Tees, Heart North East, Capital North East, Smooth North East, Greatest Hits Radio Teesside, and Zetland FM, a community based radio station which broadcast from its studios on Newcomen Terrace in the town.

 

The town is served by the local newspapers, East Cleveland Herald & Post which is published by the TeessideLive. The Northern Echo also covers the area.

 

In Coatham is Cleveland Golf Club, the first golf club to be formed in Yorkshire. It was established in 1887 and is a links course. Also in Coatham is Redcar Cricket Club, which play in the NYSD league, and Redcar Running Club.

 

In association football, Redcar Athletic currently compete in the Northern League Division One while Redcar Town play in Northern League Division Two. Redcar Rugby Union Football club play at Mackinlay Park.

 

Redcar Racecourse is one of nine thoroughbred horse racecourses in Yorkshire. There is also a motorcycle speedway racing team, the Redcar Bears racing in the SGB Championship. The race track is at the South Tees Motorsport Park in Southbank Street, South Bank and is unusual in that one bend is more highly banked than the other. The team was formerly captained by 1992 World Champion Gary Havelock and was formerly managed by his father Brian.

 

The town is set to host the 2022 Tour of Britain stage four, UCI Europe Tour cycling race. The town was previously set to host a stage of the Tour de Yorkshire, the event was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Notable people

Gertrude Bell, colonial administrator and contemporary of Lawrence of Arabia spent her youthful years at Red Barns House in Coatham,[ which became, for a time, the Red Barns Hotel and a listed building.

The surviving negatives of Redcar photographer Alfred Edward Graham (1882–1945) were acquired by Redcar Urban District Council's Library and Museum Committee and are now held by the Redcar and Cleveland Museum Service.

Rex Hunt, governor of the Falkland Islands during the 1982 invasion by Argentina, attended Coatham School.

The former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mo Mowlam, represented Redcar parliamentary constituency in the House of Commons.

Film and television actors Pip Donaghy June Laverick, and Wendy Hall, and actor/director/producer Robert Porter were all born in Redcar.

Actor and radio actor Felicity Finch, famous for her part in the Archers BBC Radio 4 drama series, playing Ruth Archer, was also born and grew up in Redcar.

Singer David Coverdale, lead singer with Deep Purple and Whitesnake lived in Redcar as a youth and worked in the Gentry clothes shop on Coatham Road.

Chris Norman, founder member and former lead singer of Smokie was born in Redcar.

Pete York, drummer with the Spencer Davis Group and session drummer was born in Redcar.

Paralympian, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, originally from Wales, lived in Redcar for a number of years with her husband and daughter.

2011 and 2016 UCI Downhill World Champion Danny Hart was born in and currently lives in Redcar, he is frequently nicknamed "The Redcar Rocket" by commentators.

David Wheater, Bolton Wanderers and England national football team central defender, grew up and still lives in Redcar.

Snooker player Mike Dunn was born in Middlesbrough but lives in Redcar.[citation needed]

Jordan Jones, Rangers FC and Northern Ireland national football team midfielder was born in Redcar

Hayden Hackney, Middlesbrough F.C. midfielder was born in Redcar

Dylan Cartlidge, singer and multi-instrumentalist grew up in Redcar

 

Film and television

A location from the film Atonement

In 2006, Redcar was used as a location for the film adaptation of the Ian McEwan novel Atonement. The Coatham Hotel, Regent Cinema, a section of Newcomen Terrace and part of the beach were dressed as 1940s Dunkirk. Filming took place across three days in August 2006, with local men playing the soldiers.

 

In 2010, Redcar was featured on the Channel 4 television programme The Secret Millionaire. David Jamilly a humanitarian, philanthropist and self-made millionaire, visited the Redcar community and gave £25,000 to Zoë's Place for a sensory room, £25,000 to Redcar Amateur Boxing Club to start an Olympic fund, and £25,000 to Sid's Place for special counselling.

 

There was a subsequent visit on 14 May to a screening at Redcar's cinema, attended by the mayor and mayoress along with all the charities and people involved. The feature of the documentary involved the closure of the nearby Corus steelworks as well as the charities. On 9 December 2011, Jamilly opened the new Redcar Education Development centre in Park Avenue, Redcar. The centre provides day care for adults with learning difficulties. He also opened the Redcar Primary Care Hospital on 9 December 2011 and the new Sid's Place on 15 December 2011.

 

The town was filmed for the 2018 BBC television documentary The Mighty Redcar. The four-part series followed young people from Redcar and surrounding towns as they completed their studies and looked for work.

 

North Yorkshire is a ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber and North East regions of England. It borders County Durham to the north, the North Sea to the east, the East Riding of Yorkshire to the south-east, South Yorkshire to the south, West Yorkshire to the south-west, and Cumbria and Lancashire to the west. Northallerton is the county town.

 

The county is the largest in England by land area, at 9,020 km2 (3,480 sq mi), and has a population of 1,158,816. The largest settlements are Middlesbrough (174,700) in the north-east and the city of York (152,841) in the south. Middlesbrough is part of the Teesside built-up area, which extends into County Durham and has a total population of 376,663. The remainder of the county is rural, and the largest towns are Harrogate (73,576) and Scarborough (61,749). For local government purposes the county comprises four unitary authority areas — York, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, and North Yorkshire — and part of a fifth, Stockton-on-Tees.

 

The centre of the county contains a wide plain, called the Vale of Mowbray in the north and Vale of York in the south. The North York Moors lie to the east, and south of them the Vale of Pickering is separated from the main plain by the Howardian Hills. The west of the county contains the Yorkshire Dales, an extensive upland area which contains the source of the River Ouse/Ure and many of its tributaries, which together drain most of the county. The Dales also contain the county's highest point, Whernside, at 2,415 feet (736 m).

 

North Yorkshire non-metropolitan and ceremonial county was formed on 1 April 1974 as a result of the Local Government Act 1972. It covered most of the North Riding of Yorkshire, as well as northern parts of the West Riding of Yorkshire, northern and eastern East Riding of Yorkshire and the former county borough of York. Northallerton, as the former county town for the North Riding, became North Yorkshire's county town. In 1993 the county was placed wholly within the Yorkshire and the Humber region.

 

Some areas which were part of the former North Riding were in the county of Cleveland for twenty-two years (from 1974 to 1996) and were placed in the North East region from 1993. On 1 April 1996, these areas (Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton borough south of the River Tees) became part of the ceremonial county as separate unitary authorities. These areas remain within the North East England region.

 

Also on 1 April 1996, the City of York non-metropolitan district and parts of the non-metropolitan county (Haxby and nearby rural areas) became the City of York unitary authority.

 

On 1 April 2023, the non-metropolitan county became a unitary authority. This abolished eight councils and extended the powers of the county council to act as a district council.

 

The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority held its first meeting on 22 January 2024, assumed its powers on 1 February 2024 and the first mayor is to be elected in May 2024.

 

The geology of North Yorkshire is closely reflected in its landscape. Within the county are the North York Moors and most of the Yorkshire Dales, two of eleven areas in England and Wales to be designated national parks. Between the North York Moors in the east and the Pennine Hills. The highest point is Whernside, on the Cumbrian border, at 2,415 feet (736 m). A distinctive hill to the far north east of the county is Roseberry Topping.

 

North Yorkshire contains several major rivers. The River Tees is the most northerly, forming part of the border between North Yorkshire and County Durham in its lower reaches and flowing east through Teesdale before reaching the North Sea near Redcar. The Yorkshire Dales are the source of many of the county's major rivers, including the Aire, Lune, Ribble, Swale, Ure, and Wharfe.[10] The Aire, Swale, and Wharfe are tributaries of the Ure/Ouse, which at 208 km (129 mi) long is the sixth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river is called the Ure until it meets Ouse Gill beck just below the village of Great Ouseburn, where it becomes the Ouse and flows south before exiting the county near Goole and entering the Humber estuary. The North York Moors are the catchment for a number of rivers: the Leven which flows north into the Tees between Yarm and Ingleby Barwick; the Esk flows east directly into the North Sea at Whitby as well as the Rye (which later becomes the Derwent at Malton) flows south into the River Ouse at Goole.

 

North Yorkshire contains a small section of green belt in the south of the county, which surrounds the neighbouring metropolitan area of Leeds along the North and West Yorkshire borders. It extends to the east to cover small communities such as Huby, Kirkby Overblow, and Follifoot before covering the gap between the towns of Harrogate and Knaresborough, helping to keep those towns separate.

 

The belt adjoins the southernmost part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and the Nidderdale AONB. It extends into the western area of Selby district, reaching as far as Tadcaster and Balne. The belt was first drawn up from the 1950s.

 

The city of York has an independent surrounding belt area affording protections to several outlying settlements such as Haxby and Dunnington, and it too extends into the surrounding districts.

 

North Yorkshire has a temperate oceanic climate, like most of the UK. There are large climate variations within the county. The upper Pennines border on a Subarctic climate. The Vale of Mowbray has an almost Semi-arid climate. Overall, with the county being situated in the east, it receives below-average rainfall for the UK. Inside North Yorkshire, the upper Dales of the Pennines are one of the wettest parts of England, where in contrast the driest parts of the Vale of Mowbray are some of the driest areas in the UK.

 

Summer temperatures are above average, at 22 °C. Highs can regularly reach up to 28 °C, with over 30 °C reached in heat waves. Winter temperatures are below average, with average lows of 1 °C. Snow and Fog can be expected depending on location. The North York Moors and Pennines have snow lying for an average of between 45 and 75 days per year. Sunshine is most plentiful on the coast, receiving an average of 1,650 hours a year. It reduces further west in the county, with the Pennines receiving 1,250 hours a year.

 

The county borders multiple counties and districts:

County Durham's County Durham, Darlington, Stockton (north Tees) and Hartlepool;

East Riding of Yorkshire's East Riding of Yorkshire;

South Yorkshire's City of Doncaster;

West Yorkshire's City of Wakefield, City of Leeds and City of Bradford;

Lancashire's City of Lancaster, Ribble Valley and Pendle

Cumbria's Westmorland and Furness.

 

The City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council formed the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority in February 2024. The elections for the first directly-elected mayor will take place in May 2024. Both North Yorkshire Council and the combined authority are governed from County Hall, Northallerton.

 

The Tees Valley Combined Authority was formed in 2016 by five unitary authorities; Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland Borough both of North Yorkshire, Stockton-on-Tees Borough (Uniquely for England, split between North Yorkshire and County Durham), Hartlepool Borough and Darlington Borough of County Durham.

 

In large areas of North Yorkshire, agriculture is the primary source of employment. Approximately 85% of the county is considered to be "rural or super sparse".

 

Other sectors in 2019 included some manufacturing, the provision of accommodation and meals (primarily for tourists) which accounted for 19 per cent of all jobs. Food manufacturing employed 11 per cent of workers. A few people are involved in forestry and fishing in 2019. The average weekly earnings in 2018 were £531. Some 15% of workers declared themselves as self-employed. One report in late 2020 stated that "North Yorkshire has a relatively healthy and diverse economy which largely mirrors the national picture in terms of productivity and jobs.

 

Mineral extraction and power generation are also sectors of the economy, as is high technology.

 

Tourism is a significant contributor to the economy. A study of visitors between 2013 and 2015 indicated that the Borough of Scarborough, including Filey, Whitby and parts of the North York Moors National Park, received 1.4m trips per year on average. A 2016 report by the National Park, states the park area gets 7.93 million visitors annually, generating £647 million and supporting 10,900 full-time equivalent jobs.

 

The Yorkshire Dales have also attracted many visitors. In 2016, there were 3.8 million visits to the National Park including 0.48 million who stayed at least one night. The parks service estimates that this contributed £252 million to the economy and provided 3,583 full-time equivalent jobs. The wider Yorkshire Dales area received 9.7 million visitors who contributed £644 million to the economy. The North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales are among England's best known destinations.

 

York is a popular tourist destination. A 2014 report, based on 2012 data, stated that York alone receives 6.9 million visitors annually; they contribute £564 million to the economy and support over 19,000 jobs. In the 2017 Condé Nast Traveller survey of readers, York rated 12th among The 15 Best Cities in the UK for visitors. In a 2020 Condé Nast Traveller report, York rated as the sixth best among ten "urban destinations [in the UK] that scored the highest marks when it comes to ... nightlife, restaurants and friendliness".

 

During February 2020 to January 2021, the average property in North Yorkshire county sold for £240,000, up by £8100 over the previous 12 months. By comparison, the average for England and Wales was £314,000. In certain communities of North Yorkshire, however, house prices were higher than average for the county, as of early 2021: Harrogate (average value: £376,195), Knaresborough (£375,625), Tadcaster (£314,278), Leyburn (£309,165) and Ripon (£299,998), for example.

 

This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added for North Yorkshire at current basic prices with figures in millions of British pounds sterling.

 

Unemployment in the county was traditionally low in recent years, but the lockdowns and travel restrictions necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative effect on the economy during much of 2020 and into 2021. The UK government said in early February 2021 that it was planning "unprecedented levels of support to help businesses [in the UK] survive the crisis". A report published on 1 March 2021 stated that the unemployment rate in North Yorkshire had "risen to the highest level in nearly 5 years – with under 25s often bearing the worst of job losses".

 

York experienced high unemployment during lockdown periods. One analysis (by the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership) predicted in August 2020 that "as many as 13,835 jobs in York will be lost in the scenario considered most likely, taking the city's unemployment rate to 14.5%". Some critics claimed that part of the problem was caused by "over-reliance on the booming tourism industry at the expense of a long-term economic plan". A report in mid June 2020 stated that unemployment had risen 114 per cent over the previous year because of restrictions imposed as a result of the pandemic.

 

Tourism in the county was expected to increase after the restrictions imposed due the pandemic are relaxed. One reason for the expected increase is the airing of All Creatures Great and Small, a TV series about the vet James Herriot, based on a successful series of books; it was largely filmed within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The show aired in the UK in September 2020 and in the US in early 2021. One source stated that visits to Yorkshire websites had increased significantly by late September 2020.

 

The East Coast Main Line (ECML) bisects the county stopping at Northallerton,Thirsk and York. Passenger service companies in the area are London North Eastern Railway, Northern Rail, TransPennine Express and Grand Central.

 

LNER and Grand Central operate services to the capital on the ECML, Leeds Branch Line and the Northallerton–Eaglescliffe Line. LNER stop at York, Northallerton and on to County Durham or spur over to the Tees Valley Line for Thornaby and Middlesbrough. The operator also branch before the county for Leeds and run to Harrogate and Skipton. Grand Central stop at York, Thirsk Northallerton and Eaglescliffe then over to the Durham Coast Line in County Durham.

 

Northern operates the remaining lines in the county, including commuter services on the Harrogate Line, Airedale Line and York & Selby Lines, of which the former two are covered by the Metro ticketing area. Remaining branch lines operated by Northern include the Yorkshire Coast Line from Scarborough to Hull, York–Scarborough line via Malton, the Hull to York Line via Selby, the Tees Valley Line from Darlington to Saltburn via Middlesbrough and the Esk Valley Line from Middlesbrough to Whitby. Last but certainly not least, the Settle-Carlisle Line runs through the west of the county, with services again operated by Northern.

 

The county suffered badly under the Beeching cuts of the 1960s. Places such as Richmond, Ripon, Tadcaster, Helmsley, Pickering and the Wensleydale communities lost their passenger services. Notable lines closed were the Scarborough and Whitby Railway, Malton and Driffield Railway and the secondary main line between Northallerton and Harrogate via Ripon.

 

Heritage railways within North Yorkshire include: the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, between Pickering and Grosmont, which opened in 1973; the Derwent Valley Light Railway near York; and the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway. The Wensleydale Railway, which started operating in 2003, runs services between Leeming Bar and Redmire along a former freight-only line. The medium-term aim is to operate into Northallerton station on the ECML, once an agreement can be reached with Network Rail. In the longer term, the aim is to reinstate the full line west via Hawes to Garsdale on the Settle-Carlisle line.

 

York railway station is the largest station in the county, with 11 platforms and is a major tourist attraction in its own right. The station is immediately adjacent to the National Railway Museum.

 

The main road through the county is the north–south A1(M), which has gradually been upgraded in sections to motorway status since the early 1990s. The only other motorways within the county are the short A66(M) near Darlington and a small stretch of the M62 motorway close to Eggborough. The other nationally maintained trunk routes are the A168/A19, A64, A66 and A174.

 

Long-distance coach services are operated by National Express and Megabus. Local bus service operators include Arriva Yorkshire, Stagecoach, Harrogate Bus Company, The Keighley Bus Company, Scarborough & District (East Yorkshire), Yorkshire Coastliner, First York and the local Dales & District.

 

There are no major airports in the county itself, but nearby airports include Teesside International (Darlington), Newcastle and Leeds Bradford.

 

The main campus of Teesside University is in Middlesbrough, while York contains the main campuses of the University of York and York St John University. There are also two secondary campuses in the county: CU Scarborough, a campus of Coventry University, and Queen's Campus, Durham University in Thornaby-on-Tees.

 

Colleges

Middlesbrough College's sixth-form

Askham Bryan College of agriculture, Askham Bryan and Middlesbrough

Craven College, Skipton

Middlesbrough College

The Northern School of Art, Middlesbrough

Prior Pursglove College

Redcar & Cleveland College

Scarborough Sixth Form College

Scarborough TEC

Selby College

Stockton Riverside College, Thornaby

York College

 

Places of interest

Ampleforth College

Beningbrough Hall –

Black Sheep Brewery

Bolton Castle –

Brimham Rocks –

Castle Howard and the Howardian Hills –

Catterick Garrison

Cleveland Hills

Drax Power Station

Duncombe Park – stately home

Eden Camp Museum –

Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway –

Eston Nab

Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo –

Helmsley Castle –

Ingleborough Cave – show cave

John Smith's Brewery

Jorvik Viking Centre –

Lightwater Valley –

Lund's Tower

Malham Cove

Middleham Castle –

Mother Shipton's Cave –

National Railway Museum –

North Yorkshire Moors Railway –

Ormesby Hall – Palladian Mansion

Richmond Castle –

Ripley Castle – Stately home and historic village

Riverside Stadium

Samuel Smith's Brewery

Shandy Hall – stately home

Skipton Castle –

Stanwick Iron Age Fortifications –

Studley Royal Park –

Stump Cross Caverns – show cave

Tees Transporter Bridge

Theakston Brewery

Thornborough Henges

Wainman's Pinnacle

Wharram Percy

York Castle Museum –

Yorkshire Air Museum –

The Yorkshire Arboretum

Never have I dealt with anything more difficult than my own soul, which sometimes helps me and sometimes opposes me.

Al-Ghazali

At first glance, the comparison of these two monuments seems only to be a source of antithesis; however contradictory the suggestion may seem, it will only be a question of analogies. In an ingenious and documented study, Mr Knauth, architect of Strasbourg Cathedral, demonstrated that, under an absolutely different appearance, the basilica entrusted to his care and the Great Pyramid of Egypt, known as Cheops, were designed according to an identical formula.

 

After the work of Colonel Howard Vyse and John Taylor, Piazzi Smyth did further research. At the entrance to the antechamber of the royal tomb, in the middle of a granite slab, a round button protrudes a fifth of its thickness. Smyth claims to find there the unit of measurement of the master builder of the pyramid; he calls the meter pyramidal five times the thickness of this button, that is to say a measure of 0.6356 m, and for this meter he adopts a division into twenty-five inches of pyramid; this mysterious detail would thus have a thickness of five inches and a projection of one inch. "It is hardly doubtful, writes Smyth, that this measure served as a unit to the builder as well in his project as in the execution, because all the measurements of lanes and chambers give rise to the most surprising relations, if they are carried out by means of this measure. "The pyramidal metre represents exactly the twenty millionth part of the earth's diameter. The latter has 12 712 178 meters[8]. The pyramidal metre is therefore worth 0.6 356 089 metre.Faced with these similarities, one naturally begins to wonder whether certain architectural principles dating back to the highest antiquity have not been perpetuated by tradition through the ages. As a result of the frequent surveys required by the floods of the Nile, the Egyptians were familiar with the surveying and geometric layouts; the Gothic masters were not inferior on these points; the marvellous monuments of all sizes they left us prove this overabundantly.

 

Were the rules put into practice kept by each other in the construction workshops as mysterious secrets? So many questions that it is easier to ask than to solve.

 

Thus reduced to his mathematical data alone, Mr. Knauth's work takes on a categorical appearance that he does not have in the original work. The eminent architect does not attempt to draw absolute and reckless consequences from his study. He only hopes that the same surveying process will be applied to other medieval édifices. In the future now to tell us if new experiences will come confirmer his thesis.

 

In the records of the city of London, the term "alchemy" appears as early as 1375. In those days, this referred to working fith fire permitted to freely travel the country at a time when the feudal system shackled most peasants closely to the land. They gathered in groups to work on large projects, moving from one finished castle or cathedral to the planning and building of the next. For mutual protection, education, and training, they bound themselves together into a local lodge - the building, put up at a construction site, where workmen could eat and rest. Eventually, a lodge came to signify a group of macigians based in a particular locality. The premier alchemist lodge was formed in England in 1717, the official date of the organization of the various lodges and the start of Alchemy proper. Although the style of Alchemic ritual suggest Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Templar, Rosicrucian and qabalistic origins, nothing less is true. A historical link cannot be established and given the fact that in those days no alchemists was able to read Egyptian, no direct connection with Egyptian spirituality was available. Unmistakably, the Founding Fathers of Alchemy incorporated Egyptian symbols in their various rituals and grades, as every one dollar bill makes clear. These archaisms prove the need of Alchemy to root its teachings and practices in a nonexistent, fictional historical past in order to give itself, its rituals and precepts an air of antiquity. This is especially the case in the Romantic era, when exotic tastes became fashionable. With egyptomania no longer served isolated individuals & groups, but fed the ruling classes, who were desperately trying to cope with the antagonisms and lack of humanity of emergent capitalism and the religious wars raging in Europe since the days of Luther (1483 - 1546). Alchemy and its founding myth was deemed the alternative of the educated. The God of revelation was also the "Great Architect", and in every lodge a Bible or a Koran was present. This to show the "God of the philosophers" was not a priori in conflict with the God of revelation. But the Roman Church was antagonistic, as could be expected. As a system of personal growth within a closed community of kindred spirits, alchemy survived to this day, divided between those who accept God and those who do not, between those who see symbols as instruments of growth and those who use them as gates to occult regions of the universe. Alchemy has become (or has always been ?) conservative and opaque. Its non-transparant and non-democratic (military) features may run against non-strategic, open communication, which is the foundation of social-economical justice and equality. Philosophy is more of an interest group than a spiritual organization, although some lay claim to precisely the opposite. As none of the original Egyptian teachings were available to its Founding Fathers, Alchemy, in order to accommodate the new times ahead, is bound to be reformed.

► the Rosicrucian Order...As a system of belief, Rosicrucianism came to the notice of the general public in the 17th century. In the two Rosicrucian Manifestoes, a mysterious personage called "Christian Rosenkreutz" is mentioned. But according to legend, the symbolism of the Rose and the Cross was first displayed in 11th century Spain. During a fierce battle against the Moors, an Aragonese Knight named Arista saw a cross of light in the sky with a rose on each of its arms. A monastery to commemorate his victory was erected and time later an Order of Chivalry with the emblem of these Roses and the Cross founding the monastery. The Rose and the Cross appeared in the banner of Raymond VI, Count of Toulouse when he tried to defend the Cathars against the armies of Pope Innocent III. It was in the form of a cross, described as "de gueules à la croix et pommettée d'or" ("gueule" means "red", derived from the Arabic "gul", which means "rose"). The emblem of the Cross with the red Rose in the middle square became the emblem of the Rosicrucian movement and its many orders, lodges and societies. In the Fama Fraternitatis (or Laudable Fraternity of the Rosy Cross), Christian Rosenkreutz is said to have journeyed to Damascus, Damcar, Egypt and Fez. He met those in possession of "secret teachings". He synthesized the best of these teachings and went to Spain. Finally, he returned to Germany and chose three men with whom he founded an order, meant to instruct its members in the knowledge he had obtained in the Middle East. So the typical founding myth goes. After the publication of the Manifestos, the Rosicrucians influenced the culture of Western Europe. Rosicrucianism developed along two lines, on the one hand, the scientists, intellectuals and reformers in the social, political and philosophical fields (like Descartes and Boyle) and, on the other hand, those (like Fludd, Dee, Comenius and Ashmole) concerned with occultism and mysticism (cf. the distinction between philosophical and technical Hermetica). In France, Rosicrucianism had a revival climaxing in the early 19th and the first years of the 20th century. Especially Martinez de Pasqually (1727 - 1774), Louis-Claude de Saint Martin (1743 - 1803) and Papus (1865 - 1918) are noted. ► the Golden Dawn...In 1865, and Englishman named Robert Wentforth Little founded an esoteric society, the Rosicrucian Society in Anglia. Membership was limited to Master Masons. When Little died in 1878, three men took over, a retired medical doctor, William Woodman (1828 - 1891), a coroner, Wynn Westcott (1848 - 1925) and Samuel Liddell "MacGregor" Mathers (1854 - 1918), who, as a young man, spent much of his time in the British Museum, working through piles of dusty manuscripts. He translated three Medieval magical texts : The Greater Key of King Solomon, The Kaballah Unveiled and The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. In 1887, so the story goes, Westcott received from Reverend Woodward, an elderly parson and author on Alchemy, a set of cipher manuscripts. He asked the clairvoyant and inspired Mathers to assist him (one legend says both men forged the document, in another Westcott found it on a bookstall in Farringdon Street, and in yet another the document was inherited). Both men found the code of the cipher was contained in a work of Trithemius, the influential Steganographia extolled by John Dee (1527 - 1608), the Elizabethan scholar and astrologer of Queen Elisabeth I. It concerned "angel-magic" and Dee had secured a copy of it in Antwerp. They uncovered skeletons of rituals and Mathers expanded them. Together they started the Golden Dawn (GD), a secret Victorian society aiming to harbor true Rosicrucianism and allow its members to accomplish the Great Work. A complete system of ritual magic based on the history of Western occultism was practiced. In contrast with the Theologic policy of the Rosicrucian Society, the order admitted women members as equals. Its members were recruited from every circle of life. In these rituals, Egyptian, Jewish, Greek & Christian elements were combined. However, the combination of these various traditions led to depletion. A spiritual tradition is as strong as it is pure, i.e. devoid of notions, ideas, concepts, symbols, beliefs, rituals etc. foreign to it. Although syncretism may be intellectually satisfying, it hinders spiritual emancipation. This is certainly true if the elements combined are very different, as is the case here. Because Mathers was unable to read Egyptian texts, he could not make the crucial distinction between the Egyptian approach and the Hellenistic view (incorporated in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hermetism and Hermeticism). Neither could he isolate the native Egyptian elements present in historical Hermetism. By nevertheless incorporating Egyptian deities (in particular the Osiris-cycle), the GD walked the path of egyptomania.

► Aleister Crowley...Aleister Crowley (1875 - 1947) entered the GD in 1898, introduced to the order by George Cecil Jones (1873 - 1953). The influence of this "Hermetic Order" shaped his life. He continued to ferment the teachings of the GD until he died. In fact, he considered himself and his Thelemic Order of the Silver Star to be its lawful heir. The problems between Crowley and the Adepts of the order started in December 1899 (the first time he met Mathers), i.e. by the time he had taken his Portal grade, the preliminary to the crucial Adept Minor degree. When, in September 1900, he applied to be advanced to the level of Adepthood, the College of Adepts refused. They disliked Crowley, his attitudes and way of life. Some of them probably did not believe an adept should drink, have fun, fornicate and raising hell with enthusiasm. His scandalous reputation won the disapproval of his seniors, who were in their right to refuse him. So, in the same month, Crowley went to Paris, and was initiated in the Ahathoor Temple by Mathers himself ! Between Paris and London a deep schism had been in the making and now tensions truly exploded. When the London adepts heard Mathers had initiated him, the breach was complete. When applying for the lectures he was now entitled, he was again refused and physically thrown out. To Florence Farr, Yeats and many others, Crowley was an outcast, an opportunist who had endangered the link with Mathers. He promptly notified Mathers and the latter arranged a meeting with the "rebels" in London. Crowley acted as Mathers' plenipotentiary, and to protect himself, dressed up in the garb of Highland chieftain, concealing his face with a heavy black mask. Clearly Mathers had been a poor judge of characters, raising lunatic power freaks to Adepthood ...The GD did not recover from the insanity and within a few years became a dispersed organization, with several Temples conducted by different groupings of men, each appointing their own Chiefs. Waite kept the Isis-Urania Temple, but in 1914 he closed it down. Next, Crowley invented his own egyptomanic movement. In Cairo in 1904, the "minister" of Re dictated a new revelation to him, the "Book of the Law" ! Crowley became the "prophet" of the New Age of Horus ! The two major Egyptian deities he incorporated were the sky-goddess Nut and Horus of Edfu ("Hadit"). Had he known the cults of Ancient Egypt well enough, he would have realized they had no revelation or dogma, and certainly no "holy" books (for hieroglyphic writing itself was sacred). Was Crowley's "law" a concoction of his own power driven subconscious mind ? In 1909, he called in the "demon of demons" and turned Satanic. The psychosis had become irreversible ...Do these highlights show the scope of the phantasies, fictions and lies incorporated into the Western Tradition since the start of the Renaissance ? Indeed, to identify the backbone of this Tradition with the Qabalah was the outstanding mistake prompted by the fraud of Moses de Leon. This has perturbated thousands of excellent minds, causing them to constantly replay their own illusions, and loose, unlike Rabbi Akiba, after entering the "garden of delights", their sight, reason or faith in God. "The impeding turn of the millennium nourishes hopes of a new spiritual light for humankind in the aspirations of many. Egypt will surely play a role in such developments in both its forms : pharaonic Egypt and the esoteric-Hermetic Egypt. There has been increasing talk of the relevance of the Hermetic Weltanschauung as a point of view that can contribute to making sense of our modern world by seeking a direct connection with the original wisdom of the oldest cultures and with the core idea of all esoteric thought, according to which the ancient wisdom continues to be valid even in a world that has been transformed."

Can we today turn the page ? Can a spiritual movement emerge which focuses on a thematical reconstruction of Ancient Egyptian spirituality, and this based on the evidence of contemporary science regarding Ancient Egyptian religious practice in general and its basic ritual matrix in particular ? Several individuals work along those lines, coupling study with ritual practice (Hope, 1986, Schueler, 1989, Clark, 2003, Draco, 2003). In such a "Kemetic" reconstruction, no Jewish, Greek, Hermetic, Christian or Hermeticist elements should persist. Is this really possible, and if so, is such spirituality indeed the true backbone of our Western Tradition ? The advantage being the isolation of a tradition untouched by what today may be called "foreign elements". Such an exercise is not easy (not to speak of the contextual limitations of any author). For Hermetism did retain parts of the Egyptian Mystery Tradition, and in a lesser degree, the same goes for Hermeticism, and yes, even for the revealed religions, Christianity first. The thematical reconstruction sought is approached in two steps :

the influence of Egyptian spirituality on Alexandrian Hermetism ; the form of the basic matrix of native Egyptian religion.

In this paper, the first step is dealt with. The second will only be touched in the Epilogue. In the following ten paragraphs, we study ten basic notions of Hermetism (in other forms present in the mix of Hermeticism and in the "mystical" traditions of the religions). We try to find their Ancient Egyptian equivalent "in embryo" :mentalism : the gods, the world and humanity are the outcome of Divine thought ;correspondence : the same characteristics apply to each unity or plane of the world ;

change : nothing remains the same, everything vibrates, nothing is at rest ; polarity : everything has two poles, there are two sides to everything ; rhythm : all things have their tides, rise and fall, advance and retreat, act and react ; cause & effect : everything happens according to law, there is no coincidence ; gender : male and female are in every body and mind, but not in the soul ; timing : everything happens when the time is ripe, things start at the right time ; intent : nature works according to a purposeful plan, pure will masters the stars ; transformation : everything can be transformed into something else, opposites meet. In earlier studies, the special cognitive features of Ancient Egyptian thought, language & literature have been explained. Grosso modo, these imply the difference between rational thought, initiated by the Greeks, and ante-rationality. The latter is the mode of thought of pre-Greek Antiquity and of societies untouched by the linearizing streak of the Hellenes. Before the advent of rationality, three modes of thought prevailed, as Piaget, genetical epistemology and neurophilosophy made clear. These are mythical, pre-rational and proto-rational thought, in which the Ancient Egyptians excelled. Clearly Hermetism was codified using Greek conceptual rationality (giving birth to the influential systems of Plato and Aristotle). Hence, if we try to correlate these concepts with their native Egyptian equivalent, this cognitive difference has to be taken into account, and the multiplicity of approaches characterizing Egyptian thought has to be made an integral part of the equation. So because of this crucial difference, in all my translations of Egyptian texts and commentary, terms related to the Divine are not capitalized (i.e. god, gods, goddess, goddesses, divine, and pantheon), while in Hermetism and all rational discourses they are. This in accord with the contextualizing feature of anterationality, while rationality always puts context between brackets, and by doing so articulates an abstract, theoretical concept of the Divine.

Both Memphis and Alexandria underline the importance of the spoken and written word. Already in the Old Kingdom, Pharaoh was the Great Speech and his magic powerful, and dreaded, even by the deities. But in Late Ramesside Memphite theology, Ptah was the true primordial "god of gods", superceding Atum, in who's "image" (of totality) the universe was created (as demiurge), and establishing the supremacy of the divine word and speech. Memphite theology is explicit : every thing was made by Ptah's mind and spoken words.

Likewise, in Hermetism, the Divine Logos is the "son of God" coming forth from the Light of the Divine Nous, the teacher who, not unlike the one evoked in the Maxims of Good Discourse, gives his pupil access to the Divine Nous, a direct experience (gnosis) of the Godman Hermes. The idealist notion of the universe as a mental creation of The All, making all mind, being typical for Hermetism. The fact this teacher is "Ogdoadic" and not "Hebdomadic" (as was Pharaoh), may refer to the Greek escape from fate and the physical world (whereas the Egyptians saw the divine at work in all planes of creation).

The magical power of words is acknowledged by both traditions. Magic involves the power of efficiency (effectiveness) and the ability to counter every possible inertia and opposition, executing intent to its full capacity.

Especially Pharaoh is the "Great Magician", who is able, like the gods, to create by means of speech. He alone was the "son of Re", divine and able to encounter the deities face to face. His voice-offerings to Maat ensured the continuity of creation. By speaking the right words, the whole of creation could be rejuvenated. Likewise (but on another ontological level), the "son of God", the Ogdoadic teacher, brings the pupil directly in contact with the Enneadic Light of Nous.

The parallels drawn do not allow for an identification of both traditions, as major category-shifts occur. Indeed, together with the rejection of the physical bodyn (cf. infra), mentalism is an outstanding feature of the Hermetica. Nevertheless, in the overall semantic pattern major points overlap. The mentalism of Hermetism was not implanted on the native Egyptian intellectuals part of the Hermetic lodge "from above", but could make use of the available, longstanding verbal tradition of Egypt, linearize and "perfect" it in Greek style ...and more later in Strassburg and suitable in the city of London?

Stele. On it are represented in bas-relief a flabellum and a small box containing an ointment-holder and a mirror - Tuff (2nd century BC) from Cuma - Inscription in oscan alphabet, written to right to left: "the bones of the buried one go into the earth, the soul up into the sky". - The depicted objects indicate that the stele originally belonged to a female burial - Epigraphic Collection - Naples, Archaeological Museum

He elegido esta imagen porque pienso que la economía se puede representar con un tablero de ajedrez. El ajedrez es un juego de mesa en el que se enfrentan dos jugadores, cada uno de los cuales tiene 16 piezas de valores diversos que puede mover, según las reglas del juego, sobre un tablero; gana el jugador que consigue dar mate al rey de su contrincante.

Este es un juego que representa una batalla en donde, quien conduce las tropas, tiene que desplegar todas sus virtudes para lograr el objetivo final, que es darle mate al rey contrario. Para ello es necesario tener una estrategia, que se llevará por medio de tácticas.

Podemos comparar el tablero como el campo donde se desarrollan las reglas del juego, dentro de este tienen lugar los diferentes modelos económicos (neoclásico, ambiental, economía ecológica y ecología política).

Las fichas en este caso representan las herramientas con las que se actúa, y cada una tiene un movimiento específico.

El desarrollo del juego se divide en tres etapas: aperturas, medio juego y el final, esto se puede comparar a los modelos económicos que también se divide en tres etapas. Los supuestos, es decir, las condiciones iniciales con las que se comienzan, el desarrollo del modelo que puede asimilarse al medio juego, y las resoluciones de los modelos que se asemejan a los finales de la partida.

Esto a la vez se refleja en la economía ecológica porque se tiene precaución con cada movimiento que se realice, ya que cada movimiento es irreversible, y también se asemeja a la ecología política en el hecho de que hayan dos bandos que estén enfrentados.

Respecto a mi primera práctica pienso que he entendido mejor en que se basa la economía, ya que antes solo la entendía como la regulación del dinero, por ello escogí una foto de la empresa en la que trabaja mi padre, que se centra en la gestión de ayudas públicas a la ganadería, agricultura y pesca.

Para concluir, destacar que en este curso he podido ver la economía desde una perspectiva mucho más amplia de la que conocía, he aprendido sobre los distintos modelos económicos que existen, y sobre todo a valorar la economía como una ciencia que no solo se centra en la producción y el consumo, sino que también mira por las necesidades de los demás y se preocupa por el bienestar del medio.

 

Empereur Charles V.

Leone Leoni (c. 1509-1590)

Milan, 1555, bronze

Charles V ici se fit représenter dans cette armure qu'il avait porté dans la bataille à Mühlberg 1547, pour lui victorieuse. Les figures au socle se référent au victorieux et sage Imperator (aigle, Mars, Minerva). Rudolf II acquit le buste pour son Kunstkammer (chambre d'art) et il le choisit comme modèle pour son propre portrait.

 

Kaiser Karl V.

Leone Leoni (um 1509 - 1590)

Mailand, um 1555

Bronze

Karl V. ließ sich hier in jener Rüstung darstellen, die er in der für ihn siegreichen Schlacht bei Mühlberg 1547 getragen hatte. Die Figuren am Sockel nehmen Bezug auf den siegreichen und weisen Imperator (Adler, Mars, Minerva). Rudolf II. erwarb die Büste für seine Kunstkammer und wählte sie als Vorbild für sein eigenes Bildnis.

  

Chamber of Art Vienna

The Chamber of Art of Vienna is a collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History) in Vienna. It is the portrayal of the art and curiosities chambers of the late Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Baroque period and it mainly goes back to the earlier collections of the Habsburgs.

Look into the Vienna Chamber of Art

Marble sculpture of the Giulia Albani degli Abati Olivieri by Camillo Rusconi (Rome, 1719 ) in the Chamber of Art of Vienna

Equipment for perspective drawing of Jost Bürgi (Kassel, 1604) in the Chamber of Art of Vienna

Ivory statuette "Apollo and Daphne" by Jakob Auer (Vienna, 1688/90) in the Chamber of Art of Vienna

Collection History

The Chamber of Art of Vienna grew out of several individual collections, which have been collected by various clients. The following collections are the foundation for today's Chamber of Art:

The Chamber of Art and Curiosities of Ferdinand II of Tyrol (1529-1595). It was originally housed at Schloss Ambras near Innsbruck. From this stems the larger part of the surviving pieces from older collections of Emperors Frederick III, Maximilian I and Ferdinand I.

The Kunstkammer of Rudolf II (1552-1612), which was compiled in Prague. Many of the treasures of Rudolph went lost in the Thirty Years War in the sack of the Prague Castle, but this were enriched from the previously to Vienna transported collections with works of the goldsmithing and gem carving art of the time around 1600 as well as to bronzes.

In the 17th century the collections from the Kunstkammer of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm (1614-1662) have been added. He is considered as one of the fathers of today in the Cultural History Museum housed paintings gallery, but also acquired Renaissance bronzes mostly of Italian origin and small sculptures made ​​of stone and wood.

Into the Treasury Chamber in the Swiss Wing of the Vienna Hofburg in the 17th century also came at that time popular works of semi-precious stones, fine works of ivory, rhinoceros horn carvings and miniature-like wax models.

The collection at Ambras Castle in 1806 in front of Napoleon's troops was brought to Vienna in safety, where it initially in the Lower Belvedere Palace kept its independence. Only the under the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I from 1875 tackled major reform of the imperial collections finally united all the Treasure Chamber collections in the 1891 opened Kunsthistorisches Museum and left only the objects with insignia character and those that are reminiscent of members of the imperial family in the Treasury Chamber.

The newly formed collection found its place on the mezzanine floor of the building and was initially referred to as "collection of art industrial objects". In 1919, it was named "collection for sculpture and arts and crafts". Since this collection but only to a small extent contains large sculptures and objects for a specific purpose of arts and crafts, this name was considered to be inappropriate and in 1990 it was decided to return to the naming of "Kunstkammer".

After the collapse of the monarchy in 1918 the collections of the sideline Austria-Este was affiliated to the Viennese Kunstkammer, in 1921 the Tapisseriensammlung (collection of tapestries) consisting of 800 tapestries was added, which originally had served the design of the imperial palaces. This collection is in addition to the one in possession of the Spanish crown one of the most important of its kind. In 1938 Gustav von Benda with a bequest the collection donated more important works of the Florentine Early Renaissance. The Second World War the art collection survived with very low losses. Only parts of the Tapisseriensammlung, which had to be given as a loan to Berlin and to the the facilities of Goering's hunting lodge Carin Hall, since the end of war are considered to be lost.

Since 1963, all stores of the collection are reunited in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. 2002 the structural and technical conditions required the temporary closure of the Kunstkammer. This was followed by a major renovation and expansion of the premises as well as the restructuring and up-to-date presentation of the objects. To the artistically significant exhibits belong gold works like the famous Saliera by Benvenuto Cellini, sculptures such as the Madonna of Krumlov, bronze figures, ivory objects and stone vessels, but also watches, mechanical machines, scientific instruments, gadgets and much more.

After in December 2012 in a public premiere presentation the first room of the museum could be visited, the as one of the most important art collections of the world considered Vienna Chamber of Art on 1 March 2013 was reopened. In the future, on an area of ​​around 2,700 m² more than 2,200 objects can be seen, which are presented in 20 theme rooms.

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunstkammer_Wien

 

Austria Kunsthistorisches Museum

Federal Museum

Logo KHM

Regulatory authority (ies)/organs to the Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Culture

Founded 17 October 1891

Headquartered Castle Ring (Burgring), Vienna 1, Austria

Management Sabine Haag

www.khm.at website

Main building of the Kunsthistorisches Museum at Maria-Theresa-Square

The Kunsthistorisches Museum (KHM abbreviated) is an art museum in Vienna. It is one of the largest and most important museums in the world. It was opened in 1891 and 2012 visited of 1.351.940 million people.

The museum

The Kunsthistorisches Museum is with its opposite sister building, the Natural History Museum (Naturhistorisches Museum), the most important historicist large buildings of the Ringstrasse time. Together they stand around the Maria Theresa square, on which also the Maria Theresa monument stands. This course spans the former glacis between today's ring road and 2-line, and is forming a historical landmark that also belongs to World Heritage Site Historic Centre of Vienna.

History

Archduke Leopold Wilhelm in his Gallery

The Museum came from the collections of the Habsburgs, especially from the portrait and armor collections of Ferdinand of Tyrol, the collection of Emperor Rudolf II (most of which, however scattered) and the art collection of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm into existence. Already In 1833 asked Joseph Arneth, curator (and later director) of the Imperial Coins and Antiquities Cabinet, bringing together all the imperial collections in a single building .

Architectural History

The contract to build the museum in the city had been given in 1858 by Emperor Franz Joseph. Subsequently, many designs were submitted for the ring road zone. Plans by August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Null planned to build two museum buildings in the immediate aftermath of the Imperial Palace on the left and right of the Heroes' Square (Heldenplatz). The architect Ludwig Förster planned museum buildings between the Schwarzenberg Square and the City Park, Martin Ritter von Kink favored buildings at the corner Währingerstraße/ Scots ring (Schottenring), Peter Joseph, the area Bellariastraße, Moritz von Loehr the south side of the opera ring, and Ludwig Zettl the southeast side of the grain market (Getreidemarkt).

From 1867, a competition was announced for the museums, and thereby set their current position - at the request of the Emperor, the museum should not be too close to the Imperial Palace, but arise beyond the ring road. The architect Carl von Hasenauer participated in this competition and was able the at that time in Zürich operating Gottfried Semper to encourage to work together. The two museum buildings should be built here in the sense of the style of the Italian Renaissance. The plans got the benevolence of the imperial family. In April 1869, there was an audience with of Joseph Semper at the Emperor Franz Joseph and an oral contract was concluded, in July 1870 was issued the written order to Semper and Hasenauer.

Crucial for the success of Semper and Hasenauer against the projects of other architects were among others Semper's vision of a large building complex called "Imperial Forum", in which the museums would have been a part of. Not least by the death of Semper in 1879 came the Imperial Forum not as planned for execution, the two museums were built, however.

Construction of the two museums began without ceremony on 27 November 1871 instead. Semper moved to Vienna in the sequence. From the beginning, there were considerable personal differences between him and Hasenauer, who finally in 1877 took over sole construction management. 1874, the scaffolds were placed up to the attic and the first floor completed, built in 1878, the first windows installed in 1879, the Attica and the balustrade from 1880 to 1881 and built the dome and the Tabernacle. The dome is topped with a bronze statue of Pallas Athena by Johannes Benk.

The lighting and air conditioning concept with double glazing of the ceilings made ​​the renunciation of artificial light (especially at that time, as gas light) possible, but this resulted due to seasonal variations depending on daylight to different opening times .

Kuppelhalle

Entrance (by clicking the link at the end of the side you can see all the pictures here indicated!)

Grand staircase

Hall

Empire

The Kunsthistorisches Museum was on 17 October 1891 officially opened by Emperor Franz Joseph I. Since 22 October 1891 , the museum is accessible to the public. Two years earlier, on 3 November 1889, the collection of arms, Arms and Armour today, had their doors open. On 1 January 1890 the library service resumed its operations. The merger and listing of other collections of the Highest Imperial Family from the Upper and Lower Belvedere, the Hofburg Palace and Ambras in Tyrol will need another two years.

189, the farm museum was organized in seven collections with three directorates:

Directorate of coins, medals and antiquities collection

The Egyptian Collection

The Antique Collection

The coins and medals collection

Management of the collection of weapons, art and industrial objects

Weapons collection

Collection of industrial art objects

Directorate of Art Gallery and Restaurieranstalt (Restoration Office)

Collection of watercolors, drawings, sketches, etc.

Restoration Office

Library

Very soon the room the Court Museum (Hofmuseum) for the imperial collections was offering became too narrow. To provide temporary help, an exhibition of ancient artifacts from Ephesus in the Theseus Temple was designed. However, additional space had to be rented in the Lower Belvedere.

1914, after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne, his " Estonian Forensic Collection " passed to the administration of the Court Museum. This collection, which emerged from the art collection of the house of d' Este and world travel collection of Franz Ferdinand, was placed in the New Imperial Palace since 1908. For these stocks, the present collection of old musical instruments and the Museum of Ethnology emerged.

The First World War went by, apart from the oppressive economic situation without loss. The farm museum remained during the five years of war regularly open to the public.

Until 1919 the K.K. Art Historical Court Museum was under the authority of the Oberstkämmereramt (head chamberlain office) and belonged to the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. The officials and employees were part of the royal household.

First Republic

The transition from monarchy to republic, in the museum took place in complete tranquility. On 19 November 1918 the two imperial museums on Maria Theresa Square were placed under the state protection of the young Republic of German Austria. Threatening to the stocks of the museum were the claims raised in the following weeks and months of the "successor states" of the monarchy as well as Italy and Belgium on Austrian art collection. In fact, it came on 12th February 1919 to the violent removal of 62 paintings by armed Italian units. This "art theft" left a long time trauma among curators and art historians.

It was not until the Treaty of Saint-Germain of 10 September 1919, providing in Article 195 and 196 the settlement of rights in the cultural field by negotiations. The claims of Belgium, Czechoslovakia, and Italy again could mostly being averted in this way. Only Hungary, which presented the greatest demands by far, was met by more than ten years of negotiation in 147 cases.

On 3 April 1919 was the expropriation of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine by law and the acquisition of its property, including the "Collections of the Imperial House" , by the Republic. Of 18 June 1920 the then provisional administration of the former imperial museums and collections of Este and the secular and clergy treasury passed to the State Office of Internal Affairs and Education, since 10 November 1920, the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Education. A few days later it was renamed the Art History Court Museum in the "Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna State", 1921 "Kunsthistorisches Museum" . Of 1st January 1921 the employees of the museum staff passed to the state of the Republic.

Through the acquisition of the former imperial collections owned by the state, the museum found itself in a complete new situation. In order to meet the changed circumstances in the museum area, designed Hans Tietze in 1919 the "Vienna Museum program". It provided a close cooperation between the individual museums to focus at different houses on main collections. So dominated exchange, sales and equalizing the acquisition policy in the interwar period. Thus resulting until today still valid collection trends. Also pointing the way was the relocation of the weapons collection from 1934 in its present premises in the New Castle, where since 1916 the collection of ancient musical instruments was placed.

With the change of the imperial collections in the ownership of the Republic the reorganization of the internal organization went hand in hand, too. Thus the museum was divided in 1919 into the

Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection (with the Oriental coins)

Collection of Classical Antiquities

Collection of ancient coins

Collection of modern coins and medals

Weapons collection

Collection of sculptures and crafts with the Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments

Picture Gallery

The Museum 1938-1945

Count Philipp Ludwig Wenzel Sinzendorf according to Rigaud. Clarisse 1948 by Baroness de Rothschildt "dedicated" to the memory of Baron Alphonse de Rothschildt; restituted to the Rothschilds in 1999, and in 1999 donated by Bettina Looram Rothschild, the last Austrian heiress.

With the "Anschluss" of Austria to the German Reich all Jewish art collections such as the Rothschilds were forcibly "Aryanised". Collections were either "paid" or simply distributed by the Gestapo at the museums. This resulted in a significant increase in stocks. But the KHM was not the only museum that benefited from the linearization. Systematically looted Jewish property was sold to museums, collections or in pawnshops throughout the empire.

After the war, the museum struggled to reimburse the "Aryanised" art to the owners or their heirs. They forced the Rothschild family to leave the most important part of their own collection to the museum and called this "dedications", or "donations". As a reason, was the export law stated, which does not allow owners to perform certain works of art out of the country. Similar methods were used with other former owners. Only on the basis of international diplomatic and media pressure, to a large extent from the United States, the Austrian government decided to make a change in the law (Art Restitution Act of 1998, the so-called Lex Rothschild). The art objects were the Rothschild family refunded only in the 1990s.

The Kunsthistorisches Museum operates on the basis of the federal law on the restitution of art objects from the 4th December 1998 (Federal Law Gazette I, 181 /1998) extensive provenance research. Even before this decree was carried out in-house provenance research at the initiative of the then archive director Herbert Haupt. This was submitted in 1998 by him in collaboration with Lydia Grobl a comprehensive presentation of the facts about the changes in the inventory levels of the Kunsthistorisches Museum during the Nazi era and in the years leading up to the State Treaty of 1955, an important basis for further research provenance.

The two historians Susanne Hehenberger and Monika Löscher are since 1st April 2009 as provenance researchers at the Kunsthistorisches Museum on behalf of the Commission for Provenance Research operating and they deal with the investigation period from 1933 to the recent past.

The museum today

Today the museum is as a federal museum, with 1st January 1999 released to the full legal capacity - it was thus the first of the state museums of Austria, implementing the far-reaching self-financing. It is by far the most visited museum in Austria with 1.3 million visitors (2007).

The Kunsthistorisches Museum is under the name Kunsthistorisches Museum and Museum of Ethnology and the Austrian Theatre Museum with company number 182081t since 11 June 1999 as a research institution under public law of the Federal virtue of the Federal Museums Act, Federal Law Gazette I/115/1998 and the Museum of Procedure of the Kunsthistorisches Museum and Museum of Ethnology and the Austrian Theatre Museum, 3 January 2001, BGBl II 2/ 2001, in force since 1 January 2001, registered.

In fiscal 2008, the turnover was 37.185 million EUR and total assets amounted to EUR 22.204 million. In 2008 an average of 410 workers were employed.

Management

1919-1923: Gustav Glück as the first chairman of the College of science officials

1924-1933: Hermann Julius Hermann 1924-1925 as the first chairman of the College of the scientific officers in 1925 as first director

1933: Arpad Weixlgärtner first director

1934-1938: Alfred Stix first director

1938-1945: Fritz Dworschak 1938 as acting head, from 1938 as a chief in 1941 as first director

1945-1949: August von Loehr 1945-1948 as executive director of the State Art Collections in 1949 as general director of the historical collections of the Federation

1945-1949: Alfred Stix 1945-1948 as executive director of the State Art Collections in 1949 as general director of art historical collections of the Federation

1949-1950: Hans Demel as administrative director

1950: Karl Wisoko-Meytsky as general director of art and historical collections of the Federation

1951-1952: Fritz Eichler as administrative director

1953-1954: Ernst H. Buschbeck as administrative director

1955-1966: Vincent Oberhammer 1955-1959 as administrative director, from 1959 as first director

1967: Edward Holzmair as managing director

1968-1972: Erwin Auer first director

1973-1981: Friderike Klauner first director

1982-1990: Hermann Fillitz first director

1990: George Kugler as interim first director

1990-2008: Wilfried Seipel as general director

Since 2009: Sabine Haag as general director

Collections

To the Kunsthistorisches Museum are also belonging the collections of the New Castle, the Austrian Theatre Museum in Palais Lobkowitz, the Museum of Ethnology and the Wagenburg (wagon fortress) in an outbuilding of Schönbrunn Palace. A branch office is also Ambras in Innsbruck.

Kunsthistorisches Museum (main building)

Picture Gallery

Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection

Collection of Classical Antiquities

Vienna Chamber of Art

Numismatic Collection

Library

New Castle

Ephesus Museum

Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments

Arms and Armour

Archive

Hofburg

The imperial crown in the Treasury

Imperial Treasury of Vienna

Insignia of the Austrian Hereditary Homage

Insignia of imperial Austria

Insignia of the Holy Roman Empire

Burgundian Inheritance and the Order of the Golden Fleece

Habsburg-Lorraine Household Treasure

Ecclesiastical Treasury

Schönbrunn Palace

Imperial Carriage Museum Vienna

Armory in Ambras Castle

Ambras Castle

Collections of Ambras Castle

Major exhibits

Among the most important exhibits of the Art Gallery rank inter alia:

Jan van Eyck: Cardinal Niccolò Albergati, 1438

Martin Schongauer: Holy Family, 1475-80

Albrecht Dürer : Trinity Altar, 1509-16

Portrait Johann Kleeberger, 1526

Parmigianino: Self Portrait in Convex Mirror, 1523/24

Giuseppe Arcimboldo: Summer 1563

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio: Madonna of the Rosary 1606/ 07

Caravaggio: Madonna of the Rosary (1606-1607)

Titian: Nymph and Shepherd to 1570-75

Portrait of Jacopo de Strada, 1567/68

Raffaello Santi: Madonna of the Meadow, 1505 /06

Lorenzo Lotto: Portrait of a young man against white curtain, 1508

Peter Paul Rubens: The altar of St. Ildefonso, 1630-32

The Little Fur, about 1638

Jan Vermeer: The Art of Painting, 1665/66

Pieter Bruegel the Elder: Fight between Carnival and Lent, 1559

Kids, 1560

Tower of Babel, 1563

Christ Carrying the Cross, 1564

Gloomy Day (Early Spring), 1565

Return of the Herd (Autumn), 1565

Hunters in the Snow (Winter) 1565

Bauer and bird thief, 1568

Peasant Wedding, 1568/69

Peasant Dance, 1568/69

Paul's conversion (Conversion of St Paul), 1567

Cabinet of Curiosities:

Saliera from Benvenuto Cellini 1539-1543

Egyptian-Oriental Collection:

Mastaba of Ka Ni Nisut

Collection of Classical Antiquities:

Gemma Augustea

Treasure of Nagyszentmiklós

Gallery: Major exhibits

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunsthistorisches_Museum

 

Author's Note: The contents of this chapter include very sensitive subject matter and may be triggering to some individuals. Scenes of abuse of various forms are represented as not only for storytelling, but to raise awareness of what this behavior looks like. Abusive behavior in this story includes, but is not limited to: physical abuse, mental abuse, verbal abuse, gaslighting, manipulation, intentional triggering of another's PTSD, and trauma. In no way are these scenes intended to purposely trigger or harm anyone.

 

~~~

 

The following morning after Aiden's moonlit flight with Vincent, he'd woken up late just as Vincent was emerging from his quarters. His captain was already fully dressed and ready to run errands. As Vincent explained it to the yawning Aiden, now that he was going to the masquerade, there was much to be done! A short while later, Vincent departed in a determined but cheerful mood to get everything set in motion. And when he returned that evening he had an official invitation to the ball for Aiden in hand! He sat Aiden down and explained in greater detail what preparations would need to be done. While Vincent had informed him that there would be fittings, dancing and etiquette lessons, and even promenades for social practice, the days following were unexpectedly much busier for Aiden than he'd anticipated.

The first order of business was a visit to the tailor! The shop they went to belonged to a highly skilled older man who knew Vincent by sight and greeted the captain enthusiastically. As it turned out, this was where Vincent and the other men in his family frequented as regular customers! After Aiden's nervous last attempt to get himself to visit a shop like this, he was grateful to have Vincent there to guide him through the process. As soon as Vincent explained that they were here for a suit for Aiden for the upcoming ball, the tailor got straight to work! Vincent helped Aiden sort through different fabrics and finally settle on a nice dark teal and gold lining which, as Vincent put it, brought out the color in his eyes. The comment had made Aiden blush slightly; something Vincent noticed which made him feel a little pleased with himself.

When the topic of how much everything was going to cost came up, Aiden felt panic rearing up inside him. He knew it would be expensive but to actually spend the money? Aside from the tiny piece of Fulgora's Eye that he'd gotten for Pete, this was the most expensive purchase he'd ever made for himself! However, with a few quiet, carefully chosen words of reassurance from Vincent, Aiden remembered that he was, in fact, wealthy. He could afford this suit hundreds of times over and then some! With Vincent's encouragement, Aiden went ahead and made the down payment purchase for his suit! Once measurements had been taken some time later and they were free to go, they went next door to the cordwainer. There Aiden got measured again; this time for boots to go specifically for his ballroom attire! This time, Aiden didn't hesitate to pay for his boots which Vincent felt proud of him for.

The lessons Vincent promised began just two days later. While Vincent didn't really care much for all the niceties and politeness of upper class society, he was still a part of it and therefore educated thus. During these lessons, Aiden began to learn the basics of gentlemanly ballroom etiquette. He'd be learning how to dance very soon but first Aiden would need to learn how to properly walk, stand, and even how to talk. While Vincent stressed the importance of these lessons, most of the time the two men were just laughing and enjoying each other's company. Vincent was having such a grand time with his friend that he was often smiling and full of spirit. Vincent suggested Aiden put to practice what he'd learned while they were out and about. Aiden remembered that this was just a part of the facade; the mask that must be put on for society. So, that's what he did. Following Vincent's example, he began to learn. He would gladly play the part. Aiden knew deep down that Vincent liked Aiden just as he was now... but a big part of him wanted to fit into Vincent's world more. He wanted to show Vincent that he was capable of being a part of ALL aspects of his life; not just on the ship.

When it came time for Aiden to learn to dance, Vincent knew that Charlotte would be the most logical choice to be Aiden's dance partner. When the young lady learned to dance a few years ago, it had been Vincent, himself, who was her dance partner as she learned the art. He knew she was a lovely dancer for her age; a talented one, at that. She'd also proven herself to be a patient teacher. Besides all that, Aiden and she got along well and clearly there was chemistry between them. Vincent knew that this would be a perfect opportunity for the two of them to get to know each other and spend time together. There was every reason for him to allow them to practice together! Yet, Vincent knew without a doubt that Charlotte would be all over Aiden...which was why when Aiden arrived for his first day of dance lessons it was not Charlotte there to greet him alongside Vincent....it was Abigail!

Abigail was happy to join Vincent in teaching Aiden how to dance! Of course, she knew the real reason he was asking her even if he didn't want to admit it, and the alternative would have been Bernadette. While Bernie excelled in many other things, Abigail knew just how skilled her sister was on the dance floor....and something told her Aiden would prefer to keep his toes intact.

And so, practice began! Aiden discovered that he liked dancing and the chemistry between the three of them was very pleasant and enjoyable. Abigail was fond of Aiden already and the more she learned and saw of him, the more she found him a pleasure to be around. He was a fun student who made the task of teaching him an enjoyable experience. When the cousins demonstrated to Aiden the various popular dances that he'd see at the ball, the young man was in awe. They appeared to move flawlessly to the music coming out of the phonograph. As it turned out, Abigail had a small passion for dance, and Vincent, while he didn't like to show off, was quite skilled as well. Despite the intricate dances he was shown, Aiden was told he'd be learning the easiest of the dances first: the waltz.

The days passed and things were starting to come together quickly! Aiden's confidence with the waltz was starting to build. Soon, he was guiding Abigail with less mistakes and even felt brave enough to add in a small flourish in his step! Not only was his dancing skills improving, his suit for the masquerade was coming along nicely.

On the topic of his suit one afternoon, Vincent pointed out that dancing in full formal attire was different than practicing in comfortable clothes. It would be heavier and warmer than what they were doing now. He mused that Aiden should be more dressed up while practicing to get used to it; much the way Vincent dressed when out as a member of high society. It got Aiden thinking that maybe it was time he finally got something a little nicer to wear after all.

Normally, these things took time to make so when Aiden went back to the tailor's the next day, he was not expecting to be able to walk out with a brand new outfit in hand. The tailor happened to have a complete set on display that he sold to Aiden at a discounted price. Apparently, it had been made for another customer some time ago who had changed their mind at the very last minute. Amazingly, the entire ensemble fit Aiden like a glove! There were only a couple quick adjustments needed for the pants but that was it!

Finally Aiden stepped up to the mirror. He almost didn't recognize himself! The young man staring back at him looked older and more mature. There was a growing confidence which showed in how he stood tall and smiled with approval.

The next time Aiden was due to meet Abigail and Vincent marked two weeks until the masquerade! While it also meant Damien was officially back in town as well, Aiden had other things on his mind. This was the day he would be arriving dressed like a gentleman; not some commoner who worked aboard a ship.

Aiden was feeling nervous! His hands kept fidgeting and tugging at his fitted blue waistcoat as he stepped off the lift. Just ahead of him was the open door that invitingly led into Vincent's office. What would Vincent think? Would he approve of him? Aiden peeked into the room and took a cursory glance around to see who was all here. His eyes appreciatively settled on the slender yet curvy shape standing by one of the bookshelves beside the tea station.

It was Vincent, of course! He hadn't realized he had company yet. He was standing in front of a small mirror up on one of the bookshelves and was actually humming softly to himself. Intent upon his task, he deftly pinned the last strands of hair into his updo. It was a more effeminate style than Aiden had ever seen on him. It wasn't just his hair but also the way he was dressed that gave him such an androgynous appearance. He was a little more dressed up and the way his corset and trousers flattered and hugged his figure? There was just something different about him today. Whatever it was, Aiden found it attractive.

Just as Vincent finished with his hair and gave a satisfied smile at his appearance there was a soft knock at the door. Ah, that had to be Aiden. He was right on time! As he turned to greet Aiden, he saw Aiden's smile which bemused him. And while he'd never admit it aloud, it made him feel shy. His mind tried to reason why Aiden would be smiling at him as if...as if he were the loveliest creature in the world.

No, his mind reasoned, that couldn't be right! And as if to prove him right, Aiden suddenly began to grin. That's right...he must be amused by his appearance! However, he was completely unaware that, in truth, Aiden was actually grinning at the sight of Vincent's deepening blush that had blossomed across his cheeks at the sight of his friend staring at him...

But now, Vincent was feeling awkward and second-guessing his decision to dress up. He nibbled his lower lip and glanced off to the side. As he reached up with one hand and toyed with his bangs, he said just loud enough for Aiden to hear, "I know, I know. I look silly."

"What? No, you don't!" Aiden chuckled as he stepped into the room. "I think the whole look is very flattering on you."

"You really think so? It's not too much?"

"I really think so. You look great!"

Vincent saw that sweet, reassuring smile and suddenly he felt much better as he found himself suddenly smiling as well. Once upon a time, he would have not believed it so quickly, if at all. But Aiden had a way about him that made him feel safe to be himself. And it seemed that was turning into confidence that was taking hold more firmly in Vincent's life. And though Vincent didn't realize it, he was finally starting to come into himself and blossom; something those closest to him 'had' started to notice.

As it turned out, Abigail had come down with a small cold and wouldn't be joining them today...but Vincent didn't want to cancel Aiden's lesson. After all, Vincent knew how to be led in a dance just as well as he could lead! So, when he offered himself as Aiden's dance partner, he was pleased with Aiden's enthusiastic response.

Once Vincent turned the phonograph on, he turned to face his friend and saw Aiden offering out his hand towards him with a grin. It was much like he'd done the night he'd asked Vincent to join him on their moonlit flight. Vincent grinned back and placed his hand in Aiden's before allowing himself to be guided to the middle of the room.

Aiden slid his hand around Vincent's waist and stepped close, his gaze shifting down to gaze into Vincent's as Vincent's hand came to sit upon his upper arm and gently took his hand. Then after what felt like several quiet, wonderful minutes of suspended time (but was really only a couple of breaths), Aiden began to lead on the next beat of melody that was playing for them.

Aiden had proven by now that he had a pretty good handle on the waltz. So after a couple of dances together, Vincent decided how to show him the first steps of another type of dance he'd demonstrated the first day: the quadrille!

A couple of hours had passed and Aiden was finally ready to give leading a real try! So after a quick break, the men got back to it! It was about halfway through the first dance when Aiden first accidentally treaded on Vincent's toes and bumped into him. At first, Aiden was apologetic, but Vincent laughed it off.

And as they continued to dance, he told Aiden about a few collisions on the dance floor that he'd witnessed. Vincent was no longer keeping an eye on Aiden's dance moves because he was too preoccupied talking and laughing all while still dancing! As natural as can be, Aiden still led Vincent around the small space while listening and tossing in his own laughter and commentary. They were no longer dancing the quadrille, exactly, but instead just dancing for fun while they interacted. In fact, they were so engrossed with each other, their dance, and the music that they were unaware that they were no longer alone.

As seconds turned to nearly a minute, Damien's composure was starting to crack. So this was why Vincent couldn't spend time with him earlier today! Of course, it was because of fucking Aiden! What the bloody Hell was going on? Finally deciding to just get their attention before he completely lost himself, Damien forced another smile upon his face and knocked loudly on the door.

"Damien! Is it three o'clock already?!" Vincent exclaimed before quickly glancing towards the clock. With a small chuckle he added, "Oh, you're early!" He gently detached himself from Aiden's embrace so he could go turn off the music. And as he moved, he glanced out the window and was made aware that it was suddenly getting dark outside as if it were going to pour any moment. And indeed, there was the gentle sound of thunder in the distance.

"Well, you said to just come in when I got here so here I am!"

"I meant at three, but it's fine. It looks like it's going to rain anyways."

It wasn't fine, Vincent felt, but he moved onto the next topic as he joined Aiden and Damien in the center of the room. Vincent realized how nicely Damien was dressed and he complimented him, "Well, don't you look extra sharp today? What's the occasion?"

Damien beamed as Vincent praised his outfit. He'd dressed up just for him for this very reason! He'd even let his hair grow out which he thought gave him a more roguish appearance. He felt handsome and confident; especially now that he knew Vincent approved (just as he already knew he would)!

"Well, thank you! I think I appear rather dashing."

Vincent gave a nod of approval then smiled and gestured over at Aiden. "Aiden's gotten a new outfit, too. Well, two. He's been practicing his dancing for the ball! Didn't you see? He's doing great! He's only just started learning a couple of weeks ago!"

At Vincent's proud grin and praise, Aiden felt himself blush deeply and smile bashfully. He glanced towards Vincent who stood beside him and nudged Aiden's arm with a chuckle. But across the way, Damien wasn't as pleased.

"Wait, wait, wait. The ball?" Damien wondered aloud condescendingly. "Since when is Aiden coming to the ball?"

"Since I invited him!" Vincent retorted more defensively than he'd intended. Damien blinked in surprise and even Aiden felt a little surprised...though also a bit pleased. Mysteriously, a shade of red appeared on Vincent's cheeks as he cleared his throat. He'd invited Aiden there so that he'd not dread the event so much. And...and he wanted him there. Aiden always made things better when he was there!

Unaware that he was still blushing, he quickly glanced up at Aiden then looked back at Damien before explaining a little timidly, "I just thought it would be fun, you know? I wanted to have my best friends with me." And suddenly there was a weight on Vincent's shoulders as Aiden daringly slid his arm over them and leaned towards him with a handsome smile.

"And it's going to be absolutely fantastic. I'm looking forward to it. And...thanks again for teaching me how to dance. These past couple weeks have been...wonderful. You're wonderful."

"Well, gosh! I've been enjoying your company, too. Practice is just a good excuse to see you! It...it HAS been wonderful."

And as Vincent and Aiden teased the boundaries of flirting, the realization of how good they looked side by side was more obvious than ever! Damien suddenly realized that they were even dressed to match in similar colors! It made them look even more like a couple! And with how had Vincent turned to look up at Aiden and seemed to lean into his touch? It took everything in Damien not to punch Aiden in his cocky, smiling face!

'...These past couple of weeks...' Aiden had said. What else had happened during this past month while he was gone?! Maybe he should have come home sooner, after all.

"So, tell us about your trip!" Vincent exclaimed as he was suddenly approaching Damien and tugged him further into the room towards the armchairs. "Would you like some tea? I was just thinking about making some! Aiden?" With both his friends acknowledging his offer, Vincent left Damien to sit and started up the kettle. Meanwhile, Aiden went to lean against the desk as he watched and listened silently.

Damien took his seat and groaned softly as he settled in. His eyes remained focused on Vincent (ignoring Aiden's existence as much as possible) and responded enthusiastically, "It was a lot of fun! I saw lots of family and some old friends..."

Damien began to elaborate on his visit, to which Aiden found a bit dull. However, Vincent seemed to know who Damien was talking about and was much more invested in this conversation. Even as Vincent finished serving their teas, Damien was still talking. It was as Damien's tea finally cooled enough for him to drink some that Aiden finally had a chance to speak.

"After this cup, I think I am going to let you two finish catching up and head out, myself," Aiden informed them. "When you decide when you want to take Leon's Claw up in the air, let me know."

"Mm, that's right. You and I need to decide on that!" Damien replied with a pleased grin to which Vincent smiled and nodded before sipping contently at his tea. Good, Damien thought to himself. Aiden was leaving! As soon as Aiden was gone, he'd get to the bottom of all this.

Aiden finished his tea fairly quickly, and it didn't take long before he reluctantly bid Vincent and Damien farewell. He'd be seeing Vincent the day after tomorrow for sure but that already felt like too far away. And there was something in the way Vincent hesitantly gave Aiden an umbrella to borrow and how he looked at him with a touch of longing that convinced Aiden that Vincent may, in fact, be feeling the exact same way.

Damien watched silently from where he leaned against the desk, arms rising and folding across his chest as the door finally closed behind Aiden. He watched as Vincent turned to face him with a smile. However, Vincent's smile immediately faded as he caught sight of Damien's slight frown and how his brows creased with irritation.

"What's-?" Vincent started but was cut off by Damien's abrupt, "What the fuck is going on?" Vincent drew in a deep breath and defensively responded, "What are you talking about exactly?"

"You know what I mean, Vincent!"

Vincent's lips parted but no words came out. He was flabbergasted! Where was all this coming from?! He really had no idea what Damien was so upset over so quickly! Yet as seconds passed and Vincent couldn't come up with an answer, Damien finally huffed and took a step away and ran his fingers through his hair frustratedly. Though a moment later he took a deep breath and glanced over his shoulders. He let out another sigh and asked Vincent, "I'm your best friend right?"

"Of course you are!"

"You know you can tell me anything."

"I know that."

"So, then what has he done to you?"

"What are you talking about?!"

"Aiden!" Damien placed his hands on Vincent's shoulders and squeezed tightly. Vincent winced and felt a headache take immediate siege as Aiden was being blamed yet again. "Come on, Vincent! This isn't you! I told you: you look silly when you dress like this. What's with the hair?"

Vincent felt his confidence start to sink as he glanced off to the side towards his mirror. Earlier, he'd felt pride in his appearance. He found he liked dressing more androgynously sometimes for personal reasons. Secretly, honestly... Vincent liked pretty things and had always wanted to dress more like this. It wasn't that he wanted to do it all the time but just on those rare occasions...but thanks to Damien, he was starting to question himself again and already wanted to unpin his hair. But then he remembered how Aiden had told him that it was flattering on him and that he looked great!

Remembering that, Vincent shifted his gaze up to look at Damien and placed his hands atop of his and pulled them off before stating a little sharply, "I'm trying something new. It's MY decision, Damien. No one makes that for me. No. One."

Drawing his hands back as if struck, Damien's brow furrowed as if hurt as Vincent walked past him with a sigh. Vincent placed his hands on his prized orrery and stared down at the planets as they rotated around. It was a moment later when Damien's voice appeared right behind him in his ear in a way that sent uncomfortable shivers down his spine.

"You're not the same anymore," Damien murmured. "It's like you're becoming a different person. I just miss my best friend. Is that such a bad thing?"

"No. It's-"

Vincent had turned around and found himself practically sandwiched between the orrery and Damien who was standing very, very close. Vincent wet his lips nervously and glanced off to the side uncomfortably.

"It's not a bad thing. I get it," Vincent relented as he maneuvered away towards his desk. Now feeling much less confident about himself, Vincent folded his arms over his abdomen and hunched slightly. This whole conversation had knocked the wind out of his sails.

Sensing Vincent's drop in mood, Damien reached out to touch his shoulder and explained, "It's just...not you. That's all. But I suppose I can get used to it. I just like good old Vincent, you know? I like how things used to be when it's just us...like now! It's okay, though. So..." And with that, Damien walked past Vincent towards the chair and went to plop down and folded his arms across his chest as he demanded, "...so, what's been going on with you this past month? What brought you to giving 'dancing' lessons?"

Vincent took a deep breath and then let it out and forced a smile on his face. He may as well try to keep the mood light. However, he decided to tread a little more carefully as he shrugged and went to the mirror across the way. He began to unpin the pins in his hair as he explained, "It's not just me. Abby's been helping as his dance partner but she's got a cold so I just stepped in for today."

"Oh! Well why didn't you say SHE was his dance partner?"

And though Vincent's back was turned and he couldn't see it, he could hear and feel Damien's demeanor easing down and becoming less tense. Thank God! He replied, "Because I didn't think it mattered? Anyway, I invited him to come to the ball because I thought it would be fun to have him there. Besides, there will be people he knows and it's a good opportunity. Plus, I was bored! You took TWO extra weeks to come back!"

"Yeah, but it was worth it. At least I had fun! I'm back now. That's what matters and things can go back to as they should be! Tell you what, why don't I come help out with Aiden's lessons? It would be fun! It would be easier to practice with another couple and you and I can dance together! How's that sound? We can practice for the ball!"

Vincent unwound his hair and let it fall across his shoulders; his hair falling forward across his brow and he stared at himself unhappily. And as he did, Damien suddenly appeared behind him, blocking his light and placing his hands around Vincent's upper arms. Vincent glanced off to the side though he felt Damien looming over him and pressing right up against his back and making him shrink and feel very small. Damien's eyes pierced the side of his head and his fingers dug in just the tiniest bit into his arms as he asked, "Don't you think that's a grand idea?"

"I do!" Vincent quickly lied as he plastered a smile on his face and glanced up at him up over his shoulder. Though, honestly, he wanted to crawl and hide for a while. While Damien was right that Aiden could practice better with another couple present for the quadrille, he didn't want to put them together right now. It seemed 4 weeks apart hadn't helped matters at all. "But he's already gotten so good that he won't need much more practice, I think. But if we do, I'll definitely be letting you know first."

Quickly, Vincent turned in place and pushed his long hair over his shoulder, "I'm tired of all this ball talk! Let's decide when we want to go flying!" He hoped Damien would allow himself to be distracted with plans and leave the rest of it alone. He just wanted to enjoy the rest of the day. And thankfully it seemed he was in luck!

Damien grinned and went to take his seat again all while going on a tangent about how eager he was for that. For now, it was best to let Damien enjoy that while he, Vincent, came down from whatever the fuck that argument had been about.

Vincent still wasn't sure what the core of Damien's actual problem was. It always felt like he was running in circles and never directly clarifying what upset him so much. Sometimes, Vincent wondered if even Damien knew. But it was as they parted ways much later in the evening, hours after the whole incident had even happened...that Damien finally started to hint what was really wrong.

"Tell me that you're not going to fall for Aiden."

"That's preposterous! Ha! What in the Hell has you thinking I'm going to fall for Aiden?!"

Vincent actually laughed at the idea! He shook his head as he leaned against the door jamb and folded his arms over his chest. And, if Damien was being honest with himself, Vincent sure did look surprised by this idea. Damien was standing before him in the hallway, peering back at Vincent with slightly narrowed eyes. He didn't want to go until he got that promise.

"Just....promise me you won't!"

"Pfft. Now you're just being ridiculous! Aiden? And 'me?' We're just friends! And crewmates...like you and me. Nothing's going to change, okay? Besides, I am absolutely sure Aiden doesn't see me as anything like that. Don't be a worry wart! You'll see! As soon as this damned masquerade is over with and we're back in the air, everything will be back to normal as it should be."

Vincent smirked and pushed on Damien's shoulder to nudge him to go home. The sooner Damien was gone, the sooner he could lock up and depart, himself. Thankfully, they were heading in opposite directions so he could finally get some peace and quiet.

It took a long moment, but Damien finally gave a satisfied nod and chuckle before responding, "I'm not a worry wart! Just call me a concerned best friend. I care about you. You know that."

"I do know. Be off with you! Get some rest! I'll see you in two days. Five o'clock at Leon's Claw. I'll make sure to get everything arranged ahead of time."

"See you then!"

And as soon as Damien's back was turned, Vincent ducked back into his office and slumped back against the door. Why the Hell was Damien so worried? Sure, Damien was never a person who enjoyed change but who ever truly did? Usually, the two worked very well together and got on well enough. They just needed to work through these few rough patches!

And besides, he was certain that whatever had Damien paranoid would soon pass because sooner or later he'd see that there was only friendship between Aiden and Vincent. It was absurd to think otherwise!

Absolutely...absurd.

  

---

NEXT PART:

www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/53826223464/in/datepo...

  

To select another chapter (or even start from the beginning), here's the album link:

www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/albums/72157717075565127

 

***Please note this is a BOY LOVE (LGBTQ+) series. It is a slow burn and is rated YOUNG ADULT!***

 

Special thank you to my husband Vin (Be My Mannequin? Pose Store) for collaborating with me on this series and co-starring as The Captain!

  

DISCORD SERVER: That's right! The Captain and the Engineer has a Discord Server! If you would like to join and chat with other crewmates and see what's new and happening before it gets posted to Flickr, click the link!

discord.gg/qBa769TAC4

 

***NEW!!!!***

 

The Captain and the Engineer now has a FACEBOOK PAGE! Please come Like, Follow, and join the crew! Thank you so much for all your support!

FACEBOOK PAGE:

www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558531406088

 

flickriver.com/photos/javier1949/popular-interesting/

 

Plaza Mayor de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

 

Edificio de Servicios “Plaza Mayor”. C/ Einstein s/n Campus de Cantoblanco. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

 

MTM Arquitectos “Madrid Territorio Mutante” Javier Fresneda & Javier Sanjuán.

Coordinador del Proyecto: Miguel García-Redondo Villar. Arquitectos MTM: Carmen Antón, Laura Casas, Ana Arriero, Jesús Barranco, Álvaro Maestro. Concurso, Proyectos Básico y de Ejecución 2007. Obras 2009-2012

 

MTM Arquitectos describe el proyecto desde la Memoria del mismo:

Objetivo de la obra: Plaza Mayor. La ciudad donde construimos esta Plaza Mayor tiene un apellido específico, es una Ciudad Universitaria. La Universidad Autónoma de Madrid ha crecido alrededor de un espacio central de encuentro y circulación, un bulevar verde convertido en su espina dorsal. En uno de sus extremos la estación de cercanías que comunica con la madrileña Puerta del Sol; en el otro, la “Plaza Mayor”.

 

La “Plaza Mayor” es el nuevo centro de servicios de la Universidad por lo que debe manifestar su carácter simbólico y representativo, sirviendo de referencia dentro de la estructura del Campus. La Plaza se soluciona en continuidad con el lugar, proponiendo un nuevo paisaje, soporte de las actividades existentes e incitador de nuevas situaciones. Apoyándonos en el desnivel existente en la parcela y la potencia del bulevar verde que conforma el acceso a las facultades históricas, se construye una plataforma plegada. El bulevar se prolonga así a través de una calle jardín equipada, girando alrededor de una plaza.

 

Sobre el nivel del terreno natural, por debajo de la rasante, se implanta el aparcamiento, reduciendo al máximo el volumen de excavación, facilitando su ventilación natural a través de los taludes vegetados perimetrales existentes. Respetando estos “amortiguadores naturales” y sobre el nivel inferior, se construyen dos plataformas intermedias donde se produce la agrupación de programas y la variedad de accesos peatonales a nivel de las calles. Las torres de comunicación se elevan funcionando como hitos urbanos dentro del conjunto, creando un punto de inflexión perimetral que anuncian los 7 puentes. Torres y puentes son entradas, conexiones y acontecimientos que incitan a descubrir el vacío interior: la “Plaza Mayor”. Dentro, a su alrededor, los grandes vuelos construyen calles cubiertas que incrementan la versatilidad del espacio protegiendo de sol y la lluvia.

 

Hay cinco elementos materiales que refuerzan la continuidad bulevar, calle y plaza: El pavimento público: hormigón desactivado in situ y prefabricado, plantación vegetal, césped artificial y pavimentos de caucho. El final del bulevar existente es el comienzo del proyecto y desde ahí una lengua continua de hormigón recorre todo el sistema, rampas, plataformas y escaleras. Sobre esta se recorta la huella de otras actividades y otros materiales.

 

El cerramiento al exterior de la plaza: policarbonato gris atérmico cargado de resinas metalizadas, piel homogénea y cambiante, desde sus tratamientos específicos y los matices introducidos por las condiciones atmosféricas. El cerramiento al interior: Vidrios en cámara incoloros que abren la actividad al interior como un mercado contemporáneo de servicios. Las compartimentaciones interiores: vidrios laminados, ligeros, y casi imperceptibles, que intentan desaparecer, reforzando la percepción unitaria de cada isla sobre las plataformas; compartimentaciones que no llegan físicamente a tocar la piel exterior de vidrio y policarbonato. Los puntos de color que forman los vidrios templados, en azules, verdes y oros, agrupados formando gemas, puntúan los volúmenes uniformes alrededor de la paleta de grises y tostados utilizados en toda la obra.

 

Las plataformas, son la infraestructura a la espera de incorporar un programa. La solución estructural facilita la coexistencia de una geometría irregular y quebrada, diferente en cada nivel, los distintos usos programáticos inicialmente requeridos y la continuidad de movimientos entre ellos. Ante un problema complejo la solución estructural es sencilla: un básico sistema de retícula de pilares portantes y losas postesadas de hormigón. La retícula de 5x5 m se mostró la más eficiente y la que mejor se adaptaba a las singularidades de las diferentes plataformas, desde el nivel inferior con la distribución funcional de los aparcamientos, hasta las superiores, más liberadas, permiten reducir la presencia de pilares y adoptar luces de hasta 12,00 m o voladizos de 5,00 m, al compensar los esfuerzos y variar sus diámetros.

 

La prolongación del paisaje natural que identifica al Campus Universitario se consigue a través de la última plataforma-cubierta. La cubierta ya no lo es, adopta un nuevo carácter más urbano, artificial y equipado. Las situaciones y relaciones que se dan en el bulevar del Campus se reinterpretan y transforman, proponiendo ahora nuevas áreas de oportunidad e intercambio para estudiantes, profesores y visitantes, dotándolo de nuevos soportes e instalaciones para que el espacio sea vivido, valorado y usado de forma continua. Los materiales sobre la nueva calle se adaptarán a las nuevas topografías configurando dunas, pliegues, playas o recortes; con texturas diversas, blandas, rugosas, peludas y colores acentuados, verdes, naranjas, negros, o arena, con líneas de iluminación, báculos elevados conectados al reloj solar, terrazas y kioscos. Y como con la soltura del primer croquis, se dibuja una línea naranja que con su geometría no lineal desmaterializa el borde convirtiéndolo en una línea de conexión con el paisaje del campus y con la lejana presencia de la sierra madrileña.

 

La ONCE y el Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos de Madrid (COAM) han otorgado a esta Plaza Mayor el primer premio del “Concurso para la selección de actuaciones de Arquitectura e Ingeniería con una Accesibilidad ejemplar” por ser un ejemplo de máxima calidad en el campo de la arquitectura y la ingeniería a nivel nacional, dando prioridad al acceso de personas con discapacidad.

Además de su fácil accesibilidad, otro de los criterios fundamentales de la construcción del edificio es la máxima funcionalidad, eficiencia energética y singularidad de sus dependencias. 26 paneles térmicos y 92 paneles fotovoltaicos permiten el ahorro energético y la optimización de los recursos medioambientales del edificio y se destinan al abastecimiento parcial de las instalaciones.

Las características arquitectónicas del edificio contemplan un diseño que alberga 4.000 m2 distribuidos en cuatro plantas, de las cuales la mitad están cubiertas por soportales y en cuyo sótano se ubican cerca de 200 plazas de aparcamiento. Los servicios disponibles en las instalaciones son la Oficina de Orientación y Atención al Estudiante, la Sección de Acceso, Admisión y Traslados, la Sección de Becas y Ayudas al Estudio, la Oficina de Relaciones Internacionales y Movilidad, la Oficina de Acogidas Internacionales, la Oficina de Acción Solidaria y Cooperación, la Oficina de Prácticas Externas y Orientación para el Empleo, el Centro de Atención a Usuarios y la Oficina de Ecocampus. Además se encuentran operativos un auditorio y una sala de exposiciones, Cafeterías/Restaurantes, Farmacia/Óptica, Librería/Papelería, Agencia de Viajes, entidad bancaria y Centro de Servicios Documentales.

 

En palabras de Alberto Campo Baeza, miembro del jurado del concurso "Los arquitectos en un tour de force nada fácil, han planteado y han resuelto con rigor y con brillantez un problema crucial en la arquitectura contemporánea, en la siempre debatida relación entre arquitectura y naturaleza. Les pedían unos edificios para alojar diferentes servicios de la Universidad y ellos les han dado una Plaza Mayor. ...han inclinado y plegado y girado y torcido, siempre con criterio, y han construido, insisto, un trozo de Naturaleza en continuidad con lo existente. Han construido su propio paisaje..."

  

www.mtmarquitectos.com/

mtmarquitectos-blog-curriculum.blogspot.com.es/

www.metalocus.es/content/es/blog/edificio-de-servicios-pl...

212.145.146.10/ejercicio/concursos/concursos_ocam/120517_...

www.bienalarquitectura.es/index.php/portfolio/fre0182/

 

My original avatar is from 2004, and since I still have access to that avatar, I consider that my rezday still. It's really awesome going around the History Walk and remembering all the incredible innovations

 

Taken at SL10B History Walk, SL10B Beguile (91, 97, 28)

Written by my sister:

 

As in the case with the other group lineups, I opted to organize these girls by their historical time frame that they represent, rather than the year the doll was actually released. That is why original characters like Molly are integrated with newer characters like Nanea. I've been opting to organize them this way for several reasons. My first thought was that the idea behind the way they used to format the historical characters' books was to show that some aspects of growing up in America are timeless. Secondly, I think that some dolls look good together because of the time frames they represent. For instance, Nanea and Molly are both girls of the forties and they look fabulous together, just like Felicity and Caroline look gorgeous side by side in the first part of this photo series.

 

Like many of Rebecca's fashions, Shelly got me the Movie Dress--and the kittens!--for Christmas 2023! It was a complete surprise! When I got my doll for Christmas 2019, I also got her Movie Premiere Outfit, which is like an updated version of this. I like this one better! For one thing, it's more pink! Pink is my favorite color and looks great with Rebecca's hair and complexion. The way this fabric fits her is more flattering too--it hangs in such a lovely way! And the hat! It's so pretty and amazing quality! I love it! Like Addy, the pet (or, in this case, pets) marketed with Rebecca's collection belong to her neighbor in her building, not her.

 

Kit is Shelly's childhood doll, but Shelly didn't have this outfit until 2012. She bought it for Kit at the American Girl Place that used to be in our state. It was one of Shelly's favorite stories from Kit's books--it's so cool that Kit's aunt made her a dress out of chicken feed sacks! Grace the dog was thrifted! We found her at a flea market in 2022.

 

Nanea's outfit is one of Shelly's favorites in Nanea's collection! I can see why! For one thing, the pineapple print is ridiculously cute! For another, it's got great nautical vibes! Not long after Shelly got Nanea in an ebay lot, she ordered this birthday outfit for her brand new. I'm so glad she did because it's adorable! I love how it came with little red barrettes! And the color of the shoes really pops and draws the eye!

 

Now, on to my favorite--Molly McIntire! Everything pictured here, except the doll herself who is my flea market Molly from 2011, was acquired during my teens. I got the dress with my allowance in the summer of 2001--I'll never forget when Mom thought the box was a gift someone sent her, only to be disappointed to find it was just the clothes Shelly and I ordered our dolls! Dad bought me the dog and the other accessories circa 2003/2004. I got one of the older Bennetts (made out of real fur) for my birthday in 1997. I still have him, but he's in pieces! I got another one like him off ebay in 2012, but opted to include the plushier one here. Oh! And the book! I had it for longer than I've had my first doll--I believe I got my Molly books from Mom's parents in the spring of 1996! This was my favorite book back then!

 

Melody is, as always, cute as a button! Her birthday outfit is SO well made. It's nicer even than some of the ones they made when we were growing up. It came with tights and everything. I love the ribbing on the sweater and the plaid on the skirt. The skirt has some really nice details at the waistline, but it hides under the sweater. Oh, plus, Melody looks GREAT in purple!

 

Julie's outfit was the first one Shelly got new for Julie! Shelly got her first Julie, not the one in the photo, off ebay in 2014. Around that time, it was more affordable to buy most of her pre-Beforever collection on ebay than it was to buy it new (plus, some of the fashions were retired). So, most of Julie's earliest clothes were gently used. However, this went on a CRAZY good Cyber Monday sale in 2014! Naturally we bought it! It's actually one of my favorite outfits pictured here! The print is so pretty! The shape is so flattering. Plus, the earrings Shelly made to go with it are great--the little orange beads pick up on the print and the wooden charms compliment the factory necklace. The model here is Jolene, Shelly's second Julie!

 

These girls are all so beautiful! Their stories have all become intertwined with our stories. They've become incorporated into the memories we share, be they childhood memories or adulthood memories, like getting Kit's dress our first time ever at the American Girl store in 2012!

 

Outfits in photo (from left to right):

-Rebecca's Movie Dress

-Kit's Birthday Dress & Headband

-Nanea's Tropical Birthday Outfit

-Molly's Party Pinafore & Birthday Crown

-Melody's Birthday Outfit

-Julie's Birthday Dress

I did this piece to represent the class struggle in society to show the irony of the mine worker statue that was at the museum. The hands in the bottom are in chains, are part of a dark world and hold up the world. They are meant to represent the working class and the struggles they face. While the opposite top half of the work shows the white and lavishness of the upper class. Also I wanted to show how they were treating others so I lightly drew feet pushing down on the world that is struggling to be held up.

Emperor Hadrian (117-138 AD) constructed this canopus with typical imperial grandeur: an immense rectangular tank representing a canal, 119 m long by 18 m wide was surrounded by porticoes and statues, leading the way to a Serapeum, the temple dedicated to the Hellenistic-Egyptian god Serapis.

  

La Villa Adriana di Tivoli

 

Hadrian's Villa was a complex of over 30 buildings, covering an area of at least 1 sq km (c. 250 acres) of which much is still unexcavated. The villa was constructed at Tibur (modern-day Tivoli) as a retreat from Rome (29 km) for Roman Emperor Hadrian during the 2nd century AD.

 

The villa was the greatest Roman example of an Alexandrian garden, recreating a sacred landscape. The complex included palaces, several thermae (Roman baths), theatre, temples, libraries, state rooms, and quarters for courtiers, praetorians (guards), and slaves.

  

During the later years of his reign, Hadrian actually governed the empire from the villa. After Hadrian, the villa was used by his various successors. During the decline of the Roman Empire, the villa fell into disuse and was partially ruined.

  

Hadrian's Villa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and important cultural and archaeological site, was placed on the 100 Most Endangered Sites 2006 list of the World Monuments Watch.

 

More: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadrian's_Villa

  

Painéis figurativos, representando vários animais, entres eles rãs que em feições humanas "lêem" o jornal. Azulejo relevado de inspiração arte nova, com flores e folhas decora um nicho. Revestimento em silhar, moldura da porta, no exterior.

Nota: Na Rua 1º de Dezembro encontra-se uma parte com a decoração igual à da Rua D. Pedro V, mas porque foi destruída os azulejos foram reconstruídos recentemente.

 

Autoria de Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro (1846-1905).

Datado de 1894

Fábrica de Cerâmica das Caldas da Rainha.

 

Fotografia de Ana Lopes de Almeida (1938-)

 

[CFT020.54]

William Alexander Madocks (1773-1828) was an English landowner who represented Boston, Lincolnshire in Parliament. He also became interested in Wales, where his family had held property since the 12th century, and decided to develop the Glaslyn estuary. He dammed the river with a mile-long causeway called the Cob, reclaiming Traeth Mawr and forcing the redirected Glaslyn river to naturally dredge out a deep port. The new city, Portmadoc (Porthmadog), became a major slate exporter after Madocks got his plan for a railway from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Portmadoc approved by Parliament, defeating rival railways proposed by George Overton, William Provis, and Meyer Rothschild. Madocks also built the "model town" of Tremadog, an early planned community. However, Madocks did not live to see his dream fully realized, as he died of jaundice while visiting Paris on family vacation around Europe. His wife and children returned to Britain to resolve his debts, and did see the Ffestiniog Railway open. This bust of Madocks stands at the Porthmadog end of the Cob next to the old customs house and the Ffestiniong Railway's Porthmadog Harbour Station.

 

Porthmadog is a coastal town and community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd, Wales, and the historic county of Caernarfonshire. It lies 5 miles (8 km) east of Criccieth, 11 miles (18 km) south-west of Blaenau Ffestiniog, 25 miles (40 km) north of Dolgellau and 20 miles (32 km) south of Caernarfon. The community population of 4,185 in the 2011 census was put at 4,134 in 2019. It grew in the 19th century as a port for local slate, but as the trade declined, it continued as a shopping and tourism centre, being close to Snowdonia National Park and the Ffestiniog Railway. The 1987 National Eisteddfod was held there. It includes nearby Borth-y-Gest, Morfa Bychan and Tremadog.

 

Porthmadog came about after William Madocks built a sea wall, the Cob, in 1808–1811 to reclaim much of Traeth Mawr from the sea for farming use. Diversion of the Afon Glaslyn caused it to scour out a new natural harbour deep enough for small ocean-going sailing ships, and the first public wharves appeared in 1825. Quarry companies followed, with wharves along the shore almost to Borth-y-Gest, while slate was carted from Ffestiniog down to quays along the Afon Dwyryd, then boated to Porthmadog for transfer to seagoing vessels.

 

In the later 19th-century, Porthmadog flourished as a port, its population rising from 885 in 1821 to over 3,000 by 1861. The rapidly growing cities of England needed high-quality roofing slate, which was brought to the new port by tramway from quarries in Ffestiniog and Llanfrothen.[6] The Ffestiniog Railway opened in 1836, followed by the Gorseddau Tramway in 1856 and the Croesor Tramway in 1864. By 1873 over 116,000 tons (117,800 t) were exported through Porthmadog in over a thousand ships. Several shipbuilders were active at this time. They were known particularly for their three-masted schooners called Western Ocean Yachts, the last of which was launched in 1913.

 

By 1841 the trackway across the reclaimed land had been straightened. It would develop into Stryd Fawr, the main commercial street of the town, with a range of shops and public houses and a post office, but the open green retained. A mineral railway to Tremadog ran along what would become Heol Madog. To the north was an industrial area of foundries, timber saw mills, slate works, a flour mill, a soda-pop plant and gasworks.

 

Porthmadog's role as a commercial port, already reduced by the opening of the Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway in 1867, was effectively ended by the First World War, when the lucrative German market for slate collapsed. The 19th-century wharves survive, but the slate warehouses have been replaced by holiday apartments and the harbour is used by leisure yachts.

 

The Cob is a prominent embankment built across the Glaslyn estuary in 1811 by William Madocks to reclaim land at Traeth Mawr for agriculture. It opened with a four-day feast and Eisteddfod celebrating the roadway connecting Caernarfonshire to Meirionnydd, which figured in Madocks's plans for a road from London to his proposed port at Porthdinllaen. Three weeks later, the embankment was breached by high tides and Madocks's supporters had to drum up money and men from all Caernarfonshire to repair the breach and strengthen the whole embankment. By 1814 it was open again, but Madocks's finances were in ruins. By 1836 the Ffestiniog Railway had opened its line across the embankment. It then become the main route for Ffestiniog slate to reach the new port at Porthmadog. In 1927 the Cob was breached again and took several months to repair. In 2012, 260 metres of the embankment were widened on the seaward side of the Porthmadog end to allow a second platform to be added to the Ffestiniog Railway's Harbour Station.

 

The former tollhouse at the north-western end of the Cob has slate-clad walls. It is one of few buildings to retain the interlocking slate ridge-tiles devised by Moses Kellow, manager of Croesor Quarry. The toll was abolished in 2003 when the Welsh Assembly Government bought the Cob.

 

Pen Cei, to the west of the harbour was a centre of the harbour's commercial activities. Boats were built and repaired. There were slate wharves for each quarry company with tracks connecting to the railway. Bron Guallt, built in 1895, was the Oakeley Quarry shipping agent's house. Grisiau Mawr ("Big Steps") connected the quay to Garth and houses were built for the ship owners and sea captains. A School of Navigation was also built.

 

Melin Yr Wyddfa ("Snowdon Mill") on Heol Y Wyddfa is a former flour mill built in 1862. A scheme of renovation and conversion to luxury flats began there, but has yet to reach completion.

 

The Welsh Highland Heritage Railway, not to be confused with Welsh Highland Railway, is a three-quarter-mile (1.2 km) heritage railway. It includes an award-winning miniature railway, a heritage centre, a shop and a cafe.

 

Kerfoots, in a Victorian building on Stryd Fawr, is a small department store founded in 1874. It contains a unique spiral staircase, chandeliers and slender cast-iron columns to support the upper floors. The Millennium Dome, constructed by local craftsmen in 1999 to mark the store's 125th anniversary, is made of stained glass depicting scenes from Porthmadog in 1874.

 

The Royal Sportsman Hotel (Welsh: Gwesty'r Heliwr) on Stryd Fawr was built in 1862 as a staging post on the turnpike road to Porthdinllaen. The arrival of the railway five years later brought rising numbers of tourists, and the hotel soon became famous for its liveried carriage and horses to take guests to local sightseeing spots. The building is of Ffestiniog slate; the original stone and slate fireplaces remain.

 

The War Memorial stands on top of Ynys Galch, one of the former islands reclaimed from Traeth Mawr. Taking the form of a Celtic cross and standing 16 feet (4.9 m) high, it was fashioned from Trefor granite and unveiled "in memory of ninety-seven fallen war heroes of Madoc Vale" in 1922.

 

On Moel y Gest, a hill above the town, is an Iron Age stone-walled hill fort.

 

Notable people

The local artist Rob Piercy (born 1946), was named Welsh Artist of the Year in 2002. Porthmadog-born painter Elfyn Lewis (born 1969), won the National Eisteddfod of Wales Gold Medal for fine art in 2009 and the Welsh Artist of the Year prize in 2010.

Three members of hip-hop band Genod Droog were from Porthmadog. *Welsh singer Duffy (born 1984), shot her first video Rockferry in the town. Supergrass have filmed a video at Morfa Bychan and Portmeirion for the song "Alright", which featured in the 1995 album I Should Coco. Part of the movie Macbeth (1971) was filmed at Black Rock Sands, as well as the cover art photography for the Manic Street Preachers 1998 album This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours.

Morfa Bychan was the home of David Owen (1712–1741), a blind harpist and composer, who died aged just 29.[84] Tradition has it that on his death bed he called for his harp and composed the air Dafydd y Garreg Wen. Words were added a century later by John Ceiriog Hughes (1832–1887).[85]

The Welsh-language poet William Ambrose (1813–1873), (bardic name Emrys), was minister of the Independent chapel in the town up to his death.

The ashes of the poet R. S. Thomas (1913–2000) are buried in the churchyard of St John's Church in Ffordd Penamser. An earlier poet raised in the town was Mary Davies (1846–1882), who wrote in Welsh.

T. E. Lawrence (1888–1935), known as Lawrence of Arabia, was born at what is now Lawrence House in Tremadog. He became renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt of 1916 and for his vivid writings about his experiences.

To finance the construction and repairs to the Cob, William Madocks (1773–1828), let out his own house in Tremadog. His first tenant was the vegetarian poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822), who antagonised locals by criticising the production of sheep for consumption and running up debts with local merchants. Shelley made a hasty departure after an alleged attempt on his life by a nocturnal intruder, without paying his rent or contributing to the fund set up to support Madocks. During his tenancy, Shelley had written Queen Mab.

The Spooner family contributed a major amount to developing railways in the area over more than 70 years in the 19th century.

WWE Wrestler Mason Ryan (born 1982), real name Barri Griffiths is from the area.

 

Sport

Porthmadog Football Club, founded in 1872, is one of the oldest in Wales. It plays at Y Traeth. The club won the North Wales League in 1902/1903 and reached the final of the Welsh Amateur Cup in 1905/1906. It again won the league championship in 1937/1938 and was Welsh Amateur Cup winner in 1955/56 and 1956/57. It was league champion for three successive seasons in 1966/69, and twice so in the 1970s. In 1989/1990 it topped the Welsh Alliance League and gained a place in the new Cymru Alliance. The club became an inaugural member of the League of Wales in 1992, in the first season finishing ninth. The following year Porthmadog striker Dave Taylor was the highest scoring player in Europe. The club nearly folded in 1995/96 for financial reasons and lost its place in the League of Wales in 1998. It played the following year in the Cymru Alliance, winning the League Cup, but not until 2002/03 did it gain a 19-point lead over its nearest rivals to regain the Welsh Premier League. The club was heavily fined and had points deducted by the Football Association of Wales in 2007 after a referee was racially abused by a supporter, but an appeal to an independent tribunal reduced the fine and the points were reinstated. In the 2008/2009 season Porthmadog narrowly avoided relegation, finishing 16th.

 

Clwb Rygbi Porthmadog, based at Clwb Chwaraeon Madog, plays rugby union in WRU Division 3 North organised by the Welsh Rugby Union, having gained promotion from the Gwynedd league in the 2011/2012 season.

 

Porthmadog Golf Club at Morfa Bychan opened in 1906 on land rented from a farmer. The original tenancy agreement stipulated that golfers must take no game, hares, rabbits or wildfowl and pay compensation for any sheep or cattle killed or injured. The landlord agreed not to turn on to the land any bull or savage cattle. Created by James Braid, five times winner of the British Open, the course is a mixture of heath and links. The first nine holes head inland over heathland. The final nine, heading back towards the sea, are pure links. The 14th hole, "The Himalayas", is a 378 yards (346 m) par 4 with a huge natural bunker hiding the green from the tee.

 

Porthmadog Sailing Club, formed in 1958, initially operated from a marquee in a field. In 1964 the club merged with Trawsfynydd Sailing Club and a clubhouse was built. Weekend dinghy racing is run and facilities are provided for cruisers.

 

Madoc Yacht Club, founded in 1970, is based in the former harbourmaster's office and has an extensive cruising and racing programme, including two races to Ireland. In 2001 a Celtic longboat was purchased and a sea-rowing section formed, which now has four boats. The club competes as part of the Welsh Sea Rowing Association

 

Glaslyn Leisure Centre on Stryd y Llan has a 25-metre swimming pool and sports hall, badminton, squash and tennis courts, a sauna, a five-a-side football pitch and a dance studio.

 

Sea angling is popular in the coast villages. Borth-y-Gest offers flounder, bass, mullet, whiting and mackerel. Morfa Bychan provides bass, flounder, eel, whiting and occasional turbot. Bass, flounder and huge schools of whiting are found at Black Rock Sands, along with thornback ray, mackerel and garfish. Bass, flatfish, eel and some very large mullet can be caught in Porthmadog Harbour, in the heart of the town, though care must be taken to avoid taking the poisonous lesser weever.

 

Glaslyn Angling Association controls fishing rights on most of Afon Glaslyn up to Beddgelert. It mainly holds sea trout, but salmon and brown trout appear. The river had suffered from acid rain and afforestation, but its water quality has improved. Glan Morfa Mawr Trout Fishery at Morfa Bychan is stocked with rainbow trout

 

A cycle route crosses the Cob as part of Lôn Las Cymru, the Welsh national route from Holyhead in the north to either Cardiff or Chepstow in the south. It is 250 miles (400 km) long and crosses three mountain ranges.

 

Tremadog's quality rock climbing brings climbers from all over Britain, the dolerite cliffs often being dry when it is too wet to climb in the mountains of Snowdonia. Craig Bwlch y Moch is seen as one of the best crags in Wales.

 

A fell race on the slopes of Moel y Gest known as "Râs Moel y Gest" is held each year, starting in the town.

 

Bathing is popular at the broad beach of Black Rock Sands, with a predicted water quality of "excellent". Borth-y-Gest has a sand-and-pebble beach where bathing is safe inshore, but there are fast currents further out.

 

Gwynedd is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The city of Bangor is the largest settlement, and the administrative centre is Caernarfon. The preserved county of Gwynedd, which is used for ceremonial purposes, includes the Isle of Anglesey.

 

Gwynedd is the second largest county in Wales but sparsely populated, with an area of 979 square miles (2,540 km2) and a population of 117,400. After Bangor (18,322), the largest settlements are Caernarfon (9,852), Bethesda (4,735), and Pwllheli (4,076). The county has the highest percentage of Welsh speakers in Wales, at 64.4%, and is considered a heartland of the language.

 

The geography of Gwynedd is mountainous, with a long coastline to the west. Much of the county is covered by Snowdonia National Park (Eryri), which contains Wales's highest mountain, Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa; 3,560 feet, 1,090 m). To the west, the Llŷn Peninsula is flatter and renowned for its scenic coastline, part of which is protected by the Llŷn AONB. Gwynedd also contains several of Wales's largest lakes and reservoirs, including the largest, Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid).

 

The area which is now the county has played a prominent part in the history of Wales. It formed part of the core of the Kingdom of Gwynedd and the native Principality of Wales, which under the House of Aberffraw remained independent from the Kingdom of England until Edward I's conquest between 1277 and 1283. Edward built the castles at Caernarfon and Harlech, which form part of the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd World Heritage Site. During the Industrial Revolution the slate industry rapidly developed; in the late nineteenth century the neighbouring Penrhyn and Dinorwic quarries were the largest in the world, and the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales is now a World Heritage Site. Gwynedd covers the majority of the historic counties of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire.

 

In the past, historians such as J. E. Lloyd assumed that the Celtic source of the word Gwynedd meant 'collection of tribes' – the same root as the Irish fine, meaning 'tribe'. Further, a connection is recognised between the name and the Irish Féni, an early ethnonym for the Irish themselves, related to fían, 'company of hunting and fighting men, company of warriors under a leader'. Perhaps *u̯en-, u̯enə ('strive, hope, wish') is the Indo-European stem. The Irish settled in NW Wales, and in Dyfed, at the end of the Roman era. Venedotia was the Latin form, and in Penmachno there is a memorial stone from c. AD 500 which reads: Cantiori Hic Iacit Venedotis ('Here lies Cantiorix, citizen of Gwynedd'). The name was retained by the Brythons when the kingdom of Gwynedd was formed in the 5th century, and it remained until the invasion of Edward I. This historical name was revived when the new county was formed in 1974.

 

Gwynedd was an independent kingdom from the end of the Roman period until the 13th century, when it was conquered by England. The modern Gwynedd was one of eight Welsh counties created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the entirety of the historic counties of Anglesey and Caernarfonshire, and all of Merionethshire apart from Edeirnion Rural District (which went to Clwyd); and also a few parishes of Denbighshire: Llanrwst, Llansanffraid Glan Conwy, Eglwysbach, Llanddoged, Llanrwst and Tir Ifan.

 

The county was divided into five districts: Aberconwy, Arfon, Dwyfor, Meirionnydd and Anglesey.

 

The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 abolished the 1974 county (and the five districts) on 1 April 1996, and its area was divided: the Isle of Anglesey became an independent unitary authority, and Aberconwy (which included the former Denbighshire parishes) passed to the new Conwy County Borough. The remainder of the county was constituted as a principal area, with the name Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire, as it covers most of the areas of those two historic counties. As one of its first actions, the Council renamed itself Gwynedd on 2 April 1996. The present Gwynedd local government area is governed by Gwynedd Council. As a unitary authority, the modern entity no longer has any districts, but Arfon, Dwyfor and Meirionnydd remain as area committees.

 

The pre-1996 boundaries were retained as a preserved county for a few purposes such as the Lieutenancy. In 2003, the boundary with Clwyd was adjusted to match the modern local government boundary, so that the preserved county now covers the two local government areas of Gwynedd and Anglesey. Conwy county borough is now entirely within Clwyd.

 

A Gwynedd Constabulary was formed in 1950 by the merger of the Anglesey, Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire forces. A further amalgamation took place in the 1960s when Gwynedd Constabulary was merged with the Flintshire and Denbighshire county forces, retaining the name Gwynedd. In one proposal for local government reform in Wales, Gwynedd had been proposed as a name for a local authority covering all of north Wales, but the scheme as enacted divided this area between Gwynedd and Clwyd. To prevent confusion, the Gwynedd Constabulary was therefore renamed the North Wales Police.

 

The Snowdonia National Park was formed in 1951. After the 1974 local authority reorganisation, the park fell entirely within the boundaries of Gwynedd, and was run as a department of Gwynedd County Council. After the 1996 local government reorganisation, part of the park fell under Conwy County Borough, and the park's administration separated from the Gwynedd council. Gwynedd Council still appoints nine of the eighteen members of the Snowdonia National Park Authority; Conwy County Borough Council appoints three; and the Welsh Government appoints the remaining six.

 

There has been considerable inwards migration to Gwynedd, particularly from England. According to the 2021 census, 66.6% of residents had been born in Wales whilst 27.1% were born in England.

 

The county has a mixed economy. An important part of the economy is based on tourism: many visitors are attracted by the many beaches and the mountains. A significant part of the county lies within the Snowdonia National Park, which extends from the north coast down to the district of Meirionnydd in the south. But tourism provides seasonal employment and thus there is a shortage of jobs in the winter.

 

Agriculture is less important than in the past, especially in terms of the number of people who earn their living on the land, but it remains an important element of the economy.

 

The most important of the traditional industries is the slate industry, but these days only a small percentage of workers earn their living in the slate quarries.

 

Industries which have developed more recently include TV and sound studios: the record company Sain has its HQ in the county.

 

The education sector is also very important for the local economy, including Bangor University and Further Education colleges, Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor and Coleg Menai, both now part of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai.

 

The proportion of respondents in the 2011 census who said they could speak Welsh.

Gwynedd has the highest proportion of people in Wales who can speak Welsh. According to the 2021 census, 64.4% of the population aged three and over stated that they could speak Welsh,[7] while 64.4% noted that they could speak Welsh in the 2011 census.

 

It is estimated that 83% of the county's Welsh-speakers are fluent, the highest percentage of all counties in Wales.[9] The age group with the highest proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd were those between ages 5–15, of whom 92.3% stated that they could speak Welsh in 2011.

 

The proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd declined between 1991 and 2001,[10] from 72.1% to 68.7%, even though the proportion of Welsh speakers in Wales as a whole increased during that decade to 20.5%.

 

The Annual Population Survey estimated that as of March 2023, 77.0% of those in Gwynedd aged three years and above could speak Welsh.

 

Notable people

Leslie Bonnet (1902–1985), RAF officer, writer; originated the Welsh Harlequin duck in Criccieth

Sir Dave Brailsford (born 1964), cycling coach; grew up in Deiniolen, near Caernarfon

Duffy (born 1984), singer, songwriter and actress; born in Bangor, Gwynedd

Edward II of England (1284–1327), born in Caernarfon Castle

Elin Fflur (born 1984), singer-songwriter, TV and radio presenter; went to Bangor University

Bryn Fôn (born 1954), actor and singer-songwriter; born in Llanllyfni, Caernarfonshire.

Wayne Hennessey (born 1987), football goalkeeper with 108 caps for Wales; born in Bangor, Gwynedd

John Jones (c. 1530 – 1598), a Franciscan friar, Roman Catholic priest and martyr; born at Clynnog

Sir Love Jones-Parry, 1st Baronet (1832–1891), landowner and politician, co-founder of the Y Wladfa settlement in Patagonia

T. E. Lawrence (1888–1935), archaeologist, army officer and inspiration for Lawrence of Arabia, born in Tremadog

David Lloyd George (1863–1945), statesman and Prime Minister; lived in Llanystumdwy from infancy

Sasha (born 1969), disc jockey, born in Bangor, Gwynedd

Sir Bryn Terfel (born 1965), bass-baritone opera and concert singer from Pant Glas

Sir Clough Williams-Ellis (1883–1978), architect of Portmeirion

Owain Fôn Williams, (born 1987), footballer with 443 club caps; born and raised in Penygroes, Gwynedd.

Hedd Wyn (1887–1917), poet from the village of Trawsfynydd; killed in WWI

"Hi my name is LaShawna and this photo is for our best friend on Flickr, TorontoBlueWhite, who loves mature African-American women in glasses and turtlenecks!"

Deux fontaines symétriques représentant Neptune et Amphitrite sont disposées dans les angles qui relient les basses face aux pavillons latéraux. Elles sont dans un style rococo qui rompt avec l'architecture classique de la place.

Elles sont surmontées d'un portique en ferronnerie de Jean Lamour, qui permettaient de masquer les remparts et les fossés. Formant un profil concave, dit « en tour creuse », ces portiques présentent une arcade principale flanquée de deux baies latérales plus petites. L'ouverture des cintres est de 15,30 m et leur hauteur de 10,40 m . Ils forment un avant-plan devant des massifs d'arbres.

  

Amphitrite (détail)

En 1750, un projet de deux fontaines présentées par Guibal à Stanislas, celui-ci étant jugé trop cher il est décidé de les réaliser en plomb plutôt qu'en bronze. Les fourneaux destinés à la fonte des statues sont construits, avec un certain cérémonial le 29 novembre 1751 sur un terrain de Guibal. La première pierre de ces édifices a été cédée au Musée lorrain par son petit-fils.

Les grilles et fontaines ont été les premiers éléments de la place classés aux monument historique le 12 juillet 1886M .

Du côté de l'opéra, à droite quand on regarde l'arc de triomphe, la fontaine Amphitrite est agrémentée d'une statue dont la nudité choquait l'aumônier de Stanislas. Les deux fontaines latérales ont été supprimées en 1771 (ou 1791 ?) pour ouvrir un accès vers le parc de la Pépinière.

De l'autre côté, la fontaine Neptune présente une statue du dieu brandissant un trident et surplombant des enfants à cheval sur des dauphins. Les deux baies latérales encadrent deux autres fontaines. Dans la petite fontaine de gauche, on voit un enfant qui pleure. Il avait à l'époque une écrevisse qui lui pinçait le doigt ; celle-ci a disparu aujourd'hui. Une reproduction par moulage est exposée au Musée des monuments français du palais de Chaillot.

 

 

Each pole represents a public park in Calgary, with the height representing the park’s age. It was constructed for the Calgary Parks Centennial Celebration and is absolutely wonderful to see, even though many of us walk past it everyday without a second thought!

 

Well. Only slightly imposing....

Noplies @ Represent Festival Balingen 2018

 

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Cliff, Barn, Tree

As would be expected in its home market, VDL is well represented among battery-electric bus fleets in the Netherlands. RET in Rotterdam operates a good number of the SLF-120 model, such as bus 1505, seen here at Centraal Station while operating a journey on route 33 to Meijersplein via the airport. Like one or two other battery-electric bus types that are descended from diesels, these have a 'shower cubicle' at the rear offside, although a new model Citea electric is now starting to enter service that may not have it. Whether any former Van Hool bus products are offered by VDL now it has purchased the former's coach and bus affairs remains to be seen.

Representing model range available for the UK market. Part-works based.

These rings represent marriage, the one and only true unity of love.

 

In a world with high divorce rates, the result of failed marriage

With right advice I state, of marriage as a whole do not disparage

So lets get down to basics be nice to your man or wife

And realise that your marriage is a commitment that will last all your life

Above all recognise your blessings and never mistreat your spouse

Love them like no other and make sure that love fills your house

Marriage is sacred, it should not be taken lightly

It is more than a relationship or years of talking politely

It is a life long union, design for us to share

The ultimate place to show your love and care

It will not always be easy, you will have ups and downs

But choose your spouse carefully and there'll be more smiles than there is frowns"

 

I am celebrating 5 years of marriage with my beautiful wife

but I realise marriage isn't for everyone, live your own life.

 

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Cronología abreviada de la imposición y la entrega (Por. C. Fazio)

 

I

 

El pasado 22 de noviembre, la 51 reunión interparlamentaria México-Estados Unidos concluyó con la difusión de un comunicado conjunto, en el que la delegación estadunidense manifestó su interés "por una mayor interdependencia y seguridad energética de Norteamérica". En la reunión, Michael McCaul, presidente de la delegación visitante y del Comité de Seguridad Interior de la Cámara de Representantes de Estados Unidos, elogió el paquete de contrarreformas neoliberales impulsado por Enrique Peña y el Pacto por México y, tras mencionar los acuerdos transfronterizos de hidrocarburos de su país con México, abogó por una profundización de la "alianza energética" entre ambos y Canadá.

 

En el marco de las privatizaciones en curso de Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) y la Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) en el Congreso mexicano, las "aspiraciones" de McCaul y los parlamentarios estadunidenses no fueron para nada inocentes. Abrevan en la histórica ambición anexionista y de clase que desde los tiempos del secretario de Estado William H. Seward, en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX, se expresó en un proyecto de control infraestructural y económico de dimensiones continentales que incluía la absorción de México y Canadá; proyecto revitalizado en documentos oficiales del gobierno de Franklyn Delano Roosevelt en 1941, cuando se diseñó la Doctrina de Áreas Ampliadas (Grand Area Doctrine), plan geopolítico de integración vertical imperial para la competencia comercial entre bloques, con eje en la noción de "seguridad nacional" estadunidense.

 

En su última fase, dicho proceso arranca a finales de los años 70 del siglo pasado, cuando el lobby petrolero texano logró colocar en la Oficina Oval a Ronald Reagan y George Bush padre. Veamos:

 

1973. El embargo de la Organización de Países Exportadores de Petróleo (OPEP) a Estados Unidos, a raíz de su apoyo a Israel en la guerra de Yom Kippur, exhibió su vulnerabilidad energética y generó un trauma geoestratégico. Desde entonces, de cara a cualquier interrupción futura del flujo de hidrocarburos (petróleo y gas natural) del golfo Pérsico, Washington priorizó por razones de "seguridad nacional" sus políticas hacia "fuentes amigables, estables y seguras" como Inglaterra, Canadá, México y Venezuela.

 

1979. La vinculación entre la seguridad, la dependencia estratégica y las iniciativas para la inclusión de Canadá y México en esquemas de "integración" de América del Norte ingresa como tema central de la seguridad nacional de Estados Unidos. Para dejar de ser "rehenes" de la OPEP y de cara a la pugna interimperialista con los megabloques económicos de la Unión Europea y el Asia/Pacífico (Japón y los tigres asiáticos) que desafían la hegemonía de Estados Unidos, ese año, cuando el tema del petróleo y el gas era casi un tabú en las relaciones bilateral y regional, Ronald Reagan promueve en su campaña por la Casa Blanca la "desvinculación" del petróleo mexicano y el gas natural canadiense del mercado mundial y la "regionalización" de los recursos hidrocarburíficos de ambos países bajo la idea de un "mercado común energético" de América del Norte.

 

Años 80. En el caso de México, los mayores obstáculos para la conformación de un mercomún energético en el área espacial y territorial de Norteamérica eran el nacionalismo revolucionario, con su artículo 27 constitucional, y la noción misma de la soberanía nacional mexicana. Para librar esos escollos, Washington optó por instrumentos "no militares" (es decir, financieros y monetarios derivados de las líneas de condicionalidad del Banco Mundial, el FMI y el BID atadas a la deuda externa) y de "inteligencia política" (cooptación-corrupción de gobernantes, políticos y empresarios y las presiones derivadas de sus eventuales vínculos con el tráfico de drogas y otros ilícitos).

 

Históricamente, al aparato militar y diplomático estadunidense no le ha sido difícil detectar esas vulnerabilidades, porque, como dijo el ex secretario de Estado de Woodrow Wilson, Robert Lansing, "dominar a México es extremadamente fácil porque basta con controlar a un solo hombre: el presidente". Labor que han venido desarrollando los emisarios de Washington desde el primer gobierno neoliberal de Miguel de la Madrid hasta el presente, con Enrique Peña, pasando por Carlos Salinas (líder de la facción santannista de lo que Manuel Buendía llamó "neopolkos"), Ernesto Zedillo, Vicente Fox y Felipe Calderón. En abono de lo anterior, y como señaló hace más de dos lustros John Saxe-Fernández en La compra-venta de México, desde 1982 se ha venido generalizando en México el "quintacolumnismo", es decir, una quinta columna integrada por un grupo de poder local colaboracionista, antinacional y entreguista, afín a un anexionismo vertical, subordinado y dependiente de Estados Unidos.

 

1991. Durante el gobierno salinista, en el marco de la primera guerra del golfo Pérsico, Timothy O’Leary dio a conocer que en una reunión celebrada en Toronto, el 12 de junio de ese año, Los Pinos y la Casa Blanca pactaron que "sin modificar la Constitución mexicana", el petróleo y las operaciones nacionales e internacionales de Pemex entraran en las negociaciones del Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte (TLCAN o NAFTA, por sus siglas en inglés).

 

1994. Con la entrada en vigor del TLCAN, definido por el ex director de la CIA William Colby como un instrumento importante para "desvanecer" la soberanía mexicana y "reorientar" la función y la existencia misma de México como Estado nación, se profundizó el proceso de "constitucionalización del neoliberalismo disciplinario". Esto es, el ajuste del aparato normativo mexicano con el fin de garantizar "seguridad jurídica" a los inversionistas privados extranjeros, con especial fruición, la desde entonces furtiva, larvada e ilegal contrarreforma a los artículos 27 y 28 de la Constitución en materia energética: electricidad, agua, petróleo, gas natural y otros minerales considerados "críticos y estratégicos" por el Pentágono.

 

II

 

Con la entrada en vigor del Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte (TLCAN) en 1994, Estados Unidos y los organismos financieros "internacionales" (BM, FMI, BID, verdaderos perros guardianes al servicio del Departamento del Tesoro y las compañías multinacionales), han venido avanzando sin límite de continuidad en el "cogobierno" o "manejo conjunto" del territorio nacional y sus recursos geoestratégicos. Incluida la privatización "multimodal" de la infraestructura (carreteras, puertos, aeropuertos, vías de ferrocarril, redes de fibra óptica, de electricidad e hidrocarburos), propósito principal del Plan Puebla Panamá (PPP), diseñado durante la administración de Ernesto Zedillo y profundizado con Vicente Fox.

 

2000-2001. Tras la elección de Fox en julio de 2000, Washington arreció en sus propósitos de transformar el espacio territorial mexicano, de adecuarlo con las nuevas mercancías, a los nuevos negocios y tecnologías. De cuadricularlo, ordenarlo y hacerlo funcional y "productivo".

 

Durante su campaña electoral, en un debate televisado con Al Gore en octubre de 2000, el entonces gobernador de Texas, George W. Bush, recuperó la idea de Reagan y su padre (George Walker Bush, ex director de la CIA y vicepresidente de los dos mandatos de Reagan, a quien sucedió en 1988) de formar un "mercomún energético de América del Norte". Dijo: "Le hablé (a Fox) de cómo sería mejor apresurar la exploración de gas natural en México y transportarlo a Estados Unidos para que seamos menos dependientes de fuentes externas de petróleo crudo". En febrero de 2001, el experto George Baker, directivo de Mexico Energy Intelligence, planteó que Bush podía ofrecer fondos para convertir a Pemex en la mejor empresa petrolera del mundo. "Por supuesto, tendría que ser una propuesta del presidente Fox, que no corresponde plantear al presidente Bush", dijo Baker. En marzo, Bush no tuvo empacho en afirmar que el gas encontrado en México era "hemisférico" y debía beneficiar a Estados Unidos. Afirmó entonces: "Una buena política energética es aquella que entiende que tenemos energía en nuestro hemisferio y cómo explotarlo mejor y transportarlo a los mercados". Poco antes, con Fox de anfitrión, el secretario de Energía de EU, Spencer Abraham, había logrado introducir en la Declaración de México −suscrita por los ministros de Energía del hemisferio− una frase que abogaba por la "integración energética" del continente. Allí quedó formado un grupo de trabajo trilateral (integrado por Abraham y los ministros del ramo de Canadá y México). "Encontramos que hay dependencia mutua, sin socios minoritarios ni socios mayoritarios", dijo entonces Abraham desafiando la ley que rige la fábula del tiburón y las sardinas.

 

La idea de crear "redes" o "corredores energéticos" a través de ductos transfronterizos para el intercambio de hidrocarburos, así como la integración eléctrica entre Estados Unidos, Canadá y México, fue retomada en la Cumbre de Quebec (abril de 2001), donde participaron 34 jefes de Estado y de gobierno de América. Uno de los compromisos de la cumbre fue "norteamericanizar los mercados de energía" −ante la deficiencia de Estados Unidos en la materia esgrimida por Bush−, para lo cual se requería "cambiar el marco legislativo y regulatorio" de los países involucrados.

 

En mayo de 2001, el presidente Bush −principal operativo del cártel petrolero-gasero texano conformado por las trasnacionales Exxon-Mobil, Halliburton, Enron y El Paso Corporation− dio a conocer su plan energético nacional (conocido como Plan Cheney), donde el combustible extranjero pasó a ser el eje del proyecto. En ese esquema, México fue definido como una "fuente primordial" para garantizar la "seguridad energética" de Estados Unidos.

 

Varios meses antes de los atentados contra las Torres Gemelas, el Grupo para el Desarrollo de una Política Energética Nacional, que elaboró el Plan Cheney, había mostrado un mapa de la República Mexicana que identificaba las cuencas de Burgos, Sabinas y Pedregosas, en el norte de México, frente a Texas (dominios del clan Bush), como las principales reservas de gas no explotado. En esa región, sugería el documento, podría darse una interrelación energética "natural". El grupo recomendó a Bush que instruyera a sus secretarios de Estado y de Energía para que, en consulta con la Comisión Reguladora de Energía, se revisaran los "permisos presidenciales" para la construcción de infraestructura que permita el cruce de petróleo, gas natural y electricidad, y se propongan las reformas a las regulaciones que sean necesarias para hacerlas compatibles con el comercio intrafronterizo.

 

Cuando en septiembre de 2001 Fox visitó a Bush en Washington, ambos recibieron la propuesta del Consejo Binacional México-Estados Unidos de llevar a cabo, cuanto antes, la integración energética de Norteamérica. El principal destinatario de la solicitud fue Fox: a él le recomendaron aumentar la inversión privada en Pemex; abrir el sector de refinación de crudo al capital extranjero; dividir en varias compañías la red de oleoductos mexicanos y acceder a una pronta integración eléctrica con Estados Unidos. Para todo ello, señalaron, hay opciones: "liberalizando los marcos regulatorios y legales". Es decir, modificando la Constitución mexicana.

 

2002. El 20 de septiembre de ese año Bush presentó su Estrategia de Seguridad Nacional en la Casa Blanca. Entre las nociones básicas del documento, una decía: "Debe mejorar la seguridad energética (de Estados Unidos). Fortaleceremos nuestra propia seguridad energética y la prosperidad compartida de la economía mundial, colaborando con nuestros aliados, socios comerciales y productores de energía". En buen romance, fue el anuncio estratégico de la Alianza para la Seguridad y la Prosperidad de América del Norte (Aspan), suscrita en Waco, Texas, el 23 de marzo de 2005.

 

III

 

Año 2005. Según lo definió entonces la llamada Fuerza de Tarea Independiente (sic) sobre el Futuro de Norteamérica −cuyos copresidentes eran el ex viceprimer ministro de Canadá, John Manley; el ex gobernador de Massachusetts, William Weld y el ex secretario mexicano de Hacienda, Pedro Aspe−, el nuevo "paradigma" en las relaciones de México con Estados Unidos y Canadá ha sido la Alianza para la Seguridad y la Prosperidad de América del Norte (ASPAN).

 

El "menú" del pacto trilateral, definido entonces por la Casa Blanca con el colaboracionismo de tecnoburócratas gubernamentales, asociaciones empresariales y círculos intelectuales conservadores y entreguistas de Canadá y México, incluyó seis puntos básicos de seguridad: militar, interna, energética, global, social y de acceso al agua dulce. No fue casual que los puntos de la agenda definían los intereses geoestratégicos de Washington; subordinaban el comercio a los asuntos de seguridad definidos en la doctrina Bush de guerra preventiva y lucha contra el "terrorismo", y perseguían una dirección única: la dominación imperial estadunidense en el siglo XXI.

 

Los objetivos claves del "nuevo acuerdo" −en cuya elaboración participó de manera activa Andrés Rozental Gutman, medio hermano del ex canciller del foxismo Jorge G. Castañeda− fueron desarrollar mecanismos de seguridad marítima, aérea y terrestre que permitieran hacer frente a cualquier "amenaza" en América del Norte; una estrategia energética basada en el incremento de la oferta para satisfacer las "necesidades" de la región (léase Estados Unidos), y facilitar inversiones en infraestructura energética, para las mejoras tecnológicas, la producción y el suministro confiable de energéticos, mejorando la "cooperación" en la materia.

 

En forma complementaria, un objetivo estratégico de la política petrolera del dúo Bush-Cheney fue persuadir u obligar a México y países productores del golfo Pérsico a que abrieran sus empresas estatales a la inversión multinacional privada. En ese sentido, en Waco, Bush aprovechó la extrema debilidad del presidente Fox y definió la nueva agenda, que los tecnoburócratas locales tratarían de rellenar después con regulaciones, estándares y modificaciones graduales, pequeñas pero sustanciales, de modo de ir "armonizando" la legislación mexicana con los intereses de Washington y las trasnacionales del sector energético.

 

A su vez, para garantizar "la producción y el suministro confiable de energéticos" en Norteamérica −que comenzaba ya a tomar forma como nuevo espacio geopolítico y geoeconómico−, los estrategas castrenses de Washington impulsaron la idea de un "perímetro exterior de seguridad", lo que colocó a Canadá y México bajo el manto militar nuclear del Comando Estadunidense de Defensa Aeroespacial (conocido como NORAD, por sus siglas en inglés), y su extensión al Comando Norte (creado en 2002), ambos bajo el mando del Pentágono, encargados de proteger de facto los suelos, mares y cielos trinacionales. La anuencia tácita de Fox al plan de seguridad de Bush, colocó desde entonces al territorio mexicano como blanco de cualquier contingencia bélica interimperialista. Pero, además, ese proyecto estadunidense que asumió a México como problema doméstico, incluyó el sellamiento militar del Golfo de México, desde los cabos de la Florida hasta la península de Yucatán, y el corrimiento de la frontera norte al istmo de Tehuantepec para controlar el tránsito de indocumentados mexicanos, centro y sudamericanos, según el diseño original del Plan Puebla-Panamá.

 

La ASPAN (el TLCAN militarizado), que desde su concreción ha venido funcionando con un "gobierno sombra" de las élites empresariales y militares de Estados Unidos y sus socios menores en Canadá y México, incluyó una integración energética transfronteriza (petróleo, gas natural, electricidad) subordinada a Washington y megaproyectos del capital trasnacional que subsumieron los criterios económicos a los de seguridad, justificando así acciones que de otro modo no podrían ser admitidas por ser violatorias de la soberanía nacional, y una normativa supranacional que hizo a un lado el control legislativo (según la Constitución, el Senado es el encargado de vigilar los acuerdos internacionales suscritos por el Poder Ejecutivo), mientras se impusieron leyes contrainsurgentes que criminalizaron la protesta y la pobreza y globalizaron el disciplinamiento social.

 

Año 2007. Ya bajo el mandato espurio de Felipe Calderón, la Iniciativa Mérida, anunciada por George W. Bush en Washington el 22 de octubre de 2007, fue diseñada como un paquete de asistencia militar en especie a México por un monto de mil 400 millones de dólares para el trienio 2008-2010. El "nuevo paradigma de cooperación" entre Estados Unidos y México en materia de seguridad estuvo dirigido a hacer frente a "amenazas comunes" asimétricas, mismas que fueron identificadas como organizaciones trasnacionales del crimen organizado, en particular las dedicadas al narcotráfico, el tráfico de armas, las actividades financieras ilícitas, el tráfico de divisas y la trata de personas. Con un dato adicional: la virtual equiparación desde la óptica punitiva estadunidense de tres términos y sus manifestaciones concretas: terroristas, narcotraficantes y migrantes sin documentación válida (indocumentados).

 

Símil del Plan Colombia, en su parte sustantiva, el millonario paquete de asistencia militar incluyó aviones y helicópteros de combate, barcos, lanchas; armamento y equipo bélico, radares y sofisticados instrumentos para monitoreo aéreo e intervención de comunicaciones; software para análisis de datos asociados a inteligencia financiera, y recursos para sufragar cursos de entrenamiento y asesorías del Pentágono, la CIA, el FBI, la DEA y otros organismos de seguridad estadunidenses a sus contrapartes mexicanas. También incluyó recursos para la instrumentación de reformas judiciales, penales y de procuración de justicia, áreas que de manera paulatina serían homologadas a las de Estados Unidos.

 

IV

 

Integrado de facto desde 2002 al "perímetro de seguridad" de Estados Unidos, el territorio de México quedó incluido en la zona bajo control del Comando Norte del Pentágono. A su vez, en el marco de la ASPAN (el TLCAN militarizado, 2005), la Iniciativa Mérida (2007) llevaría a una desnacionalización acelerada del sistema de seguridad interna. Desde entonces, Estados Unidos sería codiseñador de la estrategia de "seguridad nacional" mexicana, lo que, más allá de juegos semánticos, significó una cesión de soberanía.

 

Definida por el entonces embajador de EE.UU. en México, Antonio Garza, como el "proyecto más agresivo" jamás impulsado por la Casa Blanca en el hemisferio occidental, la Iniciativa Mérida fue diseñada en función de la agenda de seguridad de Washington. Las prioridades de la administración Bush fueron: guerra a las drogas (en el territorio mexicano); guerra al terrorismo (ídem); seguridad fronteriza (en los confines norte y sur de México); control sobre la seguridad pública y las distintas policías de México; penetración de las fuerzas armadas locales (Ejército y Marina de Guerra); construcción de instituciones y reglas de ley similares a las de Estados Unidos (homologación de leyes como parte de la integración silenciosa y subordinada de México).

 

En ese sentido, las contrarreformas calderonistas fueron parte de la agenda policial-militar-judicial-penal de EE.UU., ya que se encaminaron no sólo a la adopción de facto de medidas similares a las del "Estado de excepción" de la era Bush (Ley Patriota, Comisiones Militares, Ley Marcial), sino que también, vía la pretendida modificación o derogación de la Ley para Conservar la Neutralidad del País, buscaba permitir la proyección del poder militar del Pentágono (aéreo, naval y terrestre, incluyendo las fuerzas especiales), en el territorio nacional y los espacios marítimo y aéreo (lo que luego ocurrió de manera no tan encubierta, drones incluidos), y la creación de bases militares, a la postre denominadas Oficinas Bilaterales de Inteligencia o centros de fusión.

 

2008. La energía y la política irían de la mano desde comienzos de ese año. En los círculos financieros se afirmó entonces que la privatización de Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) estaba próxima. Pero para ello se requerían reformas constitucionales y el presidente Felipe Calderón necesitaba conseguir los votos en el Congreso del Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI).

 

En ese contexto se reveló que Pemex, la mayor empresa paraestatal y principal contribuyente fiscal de México, había establecido convenios de cooperación con cinco multinacionales: la angloholandesa Royal Dutch Shell; Petrobras, de Brasil; Statoil de Holanda; la canadiense Nexen y el gigante petrolero estadunidense Chevron-Texaco. Según autoridades de Pemex, se trataban de convenios "sin carácter comercial" en materia de investigación científica y tecnológica, apegados a los ordenamientos constitucionales y legales vigentes entonces en el país.

 

Sin embargo, en diciembre anterior La Jornada había denunciado que existía un convenio de carácter confidencial con la Shell, para realizar actividades de exploración en el campo petrolero de Chicontepec, Veracruz, lo que estaba vedado por la Constitución. Entonces se especuló que el llamado Proyecto Margarita permitiría posicionar a la empresa angloholandesa en el país, ante una eventual eliminación de las restricciones constitucionales a la inversión privada en el sector energético.

 

Pemex clasificó como "información confidencial" los resultados derivados de los acuerdos suscritos con esas cinco compañías, y asumió el compromiso de ocultar los datos al Instituto Federal de Acceso a la Información y Protección de Datos (Ifai). Si Pemex rompía la reserva de los convenios debería pagar una indemnización de 500 mil dólares por evento. Y en caso de una controversia entre ambas partes, ésta se tendría que dirimir en las cortes internacionales de conformidad con el reglamento de arbitraje de la Cámara Internacional de Comercio, con sede en París, Francia.

 

Calderón dijo que Pemex no se privatizaría, lo que a todas luces fue una actitud demagógica, ya que en 2003, siendo ministro de Energía en el gabinete de Vicente Fox, había abogado por la apertura al capital privado de la Compañía Federal de Electricidad (CFE), mediante adecuaciones al texto de los artículos 27 y 28 constitucionales, con el fin de otorgar "certidumbre jurídica" a los inversionistas extranjeros. Ahora sólo era cuestión de cambiar sector "eléctrico" por "energético".

 

No era secreto que los distintos gobiernos neoliberales habían venido suscribiendo acuerdos inconfesables con empresas internacionales como el firmado con Shell. Entre los trucos semánticos que intentaban ocultar la privatización por partes de Pemex al margen de la Constitución, se había llegado a hablar de "acuerdos verbales", alianzas "sin documento alguno", convenios de "colaboración" y "pactos sin carácter comercial."

 

El 4 de marzo, en horario estelar, el gobierno de Calderón puso en marcha una millonaria estrategia propagandística televisiva dirigida a convencer a la población sobre la necesidad de que Pemex se asociara con empresas privadas, nacionales y extranjeras, para explorar "un tesoro escondido" a 3 mil metros de profundidad en el golfo de México. En lo que fue descrito como un doble juego gubernamental para abrir el sector de los energéticos al capital privado, se reveló la existencia de dos versiones del espot oficial: en el portal de YouTube, el promocional, que incluía gráficas satelitales e imágenes en tercera dimensión, hablaba de "alianzas" estratégicas con empresas privadas para la exploración en aguas profundas; pero esa palabra fue mutilada en la televisión abierta, lo que constituyó una manipulación intencional para ocultar que la iniciativa era en pro de una "alianza estratégica" o de "cuates", de la administración Calderón con los tiburones del sector energético trasnacional.

 

www.jornada.unam.mx/2013/11/25/opinion/021a1pol

www.jornada.unam.mx/2013/12/09/opinion/027a1pol

www.jornada.unam.mx/2013/12/23/opinion/024a1pol

www.jornada.unam.mx/2014/01/06/opinion/015a1pol

 

Detail of the Golden Window, one of the final pair of nave windows representing the soul's final journey into Heaven. This window was designed by Lawrence Lee and represents the Heavenly City, studded with gemstones and with a large figure of Archangel Michael at the centre. At the base a shadowy Christ-like figure appears to welcome us.

 

Coventry's Cathedral is a unique synthesis of old a new, born of wartime suffering and forged in the spirit of postwar optimism, famous for it's history and for being the most radically modern of Anglican cathedrals. Two cathedral's stand side by side, the ruins of the medieval building, destroyed by incendiary bombs in 1940 and the bold new building designed by Basil Spence and opened in 1962.

 

It is a common misconception that Coventry lost it's first cathedral in the wartime blitz, but the bombs actually destroyed it's second; the original medieval cathedral was the monastic St Mary's, a large cruciform building believed to have been similar in appearance to Lichfield Cathedral (whose diocese it shared). Tragically it became the only English cathedral to be destroyed during the Reformation, after which it was quickly quarried away, leaving only scant fragments, but enough evidence survives to indicate it's rich decoration (some pieces were displayed nearby in the Priory Visitors Centre, sadly since closed). Foundations of it's apse were found during the building of the new cathedral in the 1950s, thus technically three cathedrals share the same site.

 

The mainly 15th century St Michael's parish church became the seat of the new diocese of Coventry in 1918, and being one of the largest parish churches in the country it was upgraded to cathedral status without structural changes (unlike most 'parish church' cathedrals created in the early 20th century). It lasted in this role a mere 22 years before being burned to the ground in the 1940 Coventry Blitz, leaving only the outer walls and the magnificent tapering tower and spire (the extensive arcades and clerestoreys collapsed completely in the fire, precipitated by the roof reinforcement girders, installed in the Victorian restoration, that buckled in the intense heat).

 

The determination to rebuild the cathedral in some form was born on the day of the bombing, however it wasn't until the mid 1950s that a competition was held and Sir Basil Spence's design was chosen. Spence had been so moved by experiencing the ruined church he resolved to retain it entirely to serve as a forecourt to the new church. He envisaged the two being linked by a glass screen wall so that the old church would be visible from within the new.

 

Built between 1957-62 at a right-angle to the ruins, the new cathedral attracted controversy for it's modern form, and yet some modernists argued that it didn't go far enough, after all there are echoes of the Gothic style in the great stone-mullioned windows of the nave and the net vaulting (actually a free-standing canopy) within. What is exceptional is the way art has been used as such an integral part of the building, a watershed moment, revolutionising the concept of religious art in Britain.

 

Spence employed some of the biggest names in contemporary art to contribute their vision to his; the exterior is adorned with Jacob Epstein's triumphant bronze figures of Archangel Michael (patron of the cathedral) vanquishing the Devil. At the entrance is the remarkable glass wall, engraved by John Hutton with strikingly stylised figures of saints and angels, and allowing the interior of the new to communicate with the ruin. Inside, the great tapestry of Christ in majesty surrounded by the evangelistic creatures, draws the eye beyond the high altar; it was designed by Graham Sutherland and was the largest tapestry ever made.

 

However one of the greatest features of Coventry is it's wealth of modern stained glass, something Spence resolved to include having witnessed the bleakness of Chartres Cathedral in wartime, all it's stained glass having been removed. The first window encountered on entering is the enormous 'chess-board' baptistry window filled with stunning abstract glass by John Piper & Patrick Reyntiens, a symphony of glowing colour. The staggered nave walls are illuminated by ten narrow floor to ceiling windows filled with semi-abstract symbolic designs arranged in pairs of dominant colours (green, red, multi-coloured, purple/blue and gold) representing the souls journey to maturity, and revealed gradually as one approaches the altar. This amazing project was the work of three designers lead by master glass artist Lawrence Lee of the Royal College of Art along with Keith New and Geoffrey Clarke (each artist designed three of the windows individually and all collaborated on the last).

 

The cathedral still dazzles the visitor with the boldness of it's vision, but alas, half a century on, it was not a vision to be repeated and few of the churches and cathedrals built since can claim to have embraced the synthesis of art and architecture in the way Basil Spence did at Coventry.

 

The cathedral is generally open to visitors most days. For more see below:-

www.coventrycathedral.org.uk/

July was a busy, colorful month.

Pictures represent many different places - Redwood City, Newport Beach, Morro Bay, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Mt. Shasta, Klamath Falls, Crater Lake, Tule Lake, Monte Sereno, Calaveras County, Alpine County and Arnold. Looks like my travels are over for a while as I start a new job on Monday.

 

1. Arnold Rim Trail, 2. The Mountains of Alpine County, 3. Calaveras State Park - The Big Tree & Me, 4. Cornsilk, 5. The Ring of Fire, 6. A Bevy of Blonde Beauties at Crater Lake, 7. Ripples & Reflections, 8. Night Photography #2 - Blues on Friday Night, 9. All the Lights On, 10. Welcome to Oregon - Prepare to Be Bugged !, 11. Mt. Shasta - East Side, 12. Blue Damselfly, 13. Crater Lake - The Bluest Blue, 14. Shasta Lake - Drought Year !, 15. Commitment #6 - Love Never Fails, 16. Commitment #5 - Healthy Eating, 17. Commitment #4 - Gardening, 18. Commitment #3 - Save the Bay, 19. Commitment #2 - Waiting to Ripen, 20. Tenderness - A Study of Rodin's "The Kiss", 21. Texture #7 - Agapanthus Blooms, 22. Texture #6 - Swagger, 23. Dusk at Morro Bay, 24. Texture #5 - Spinach Salad, 25. Texture #4 - Day at the Ballpark, 26. Texture #3 - Bison Burger, It's What's For Dinner, 27. Texture #2 - Field of Lavender, 28. Texture #1 - Corn on the Cob, 29. Cormorant in Morro Bay, 30. Golden Sunset - Morro Bay, 31. Red, White & Blue, 32. Newport Beach Back Bay Hazy Afternoon, 33. God Bless America, 34. Center #3 - Just the Nose, 35. Center #2 - Just a Fig

Melbourne, Vic, 1999.

Na mitologia romana e etrusca Jano, do latim Janus, era o Deus dos Portões e Portas representado por uma figura, masculina ou feminina, com duas faces olhando em direções opostas. Este Deus regia os términos e os começos, o passado e o futuro, o conflito presente em todos os fatos da vida humana.

As duas faces ou pólos opostos são a expressão da dualidade que constitui a própria natureza da vida e da experiência humana e se opõem e contrapõem em todas as nossas decisões, de modo que, o tempo todo, estamos fazendo escolhas e nos voltando para um lado ou para o outro.

Se olharmos a história veremos inúmeros exemplos, nos quais, o homem vivenciou momentos de evolução, de iluminação e escuridão, muitas vezes num mesmo tempo e espaço, como ocorreu na Idade Média que produziu um Francisco de Assis e também os horrores da Inquisição.

O equilíbrio está em aprender a integrar as duas polaridades: o bem e o mal, a luz e a obscuridade, o amor e o ódio. Ao alimentar as forças opostas estamos alimentando a dualidade e o conflito. Devemos olhar para as experiências do passado como meio de nos orientar a enxergar melhor os novos caminhos que se abrem e não para lamentar.

Creio que a maior mensagem que estas duas faces nos ensinam é a olhar com humildade os nossos erros e aprendermos com eles.

OS - Simbolicamente o mês de Janeiro é o mês que também olha para os dois lados, o ano que passou e o novo ano que está começando.

Representing a fusion of modern style and traditional chikan hand embroidery in this White Cotton saree keeping you comfortable throughout the day . Beautifully embroidered pallu with broad bordering as well as distinct motifs on the skirt . You can customise it’s blouse piece as per your desired design with its embroidered sleeves .

Product code: A100104

@Stockwell.

#3750 and #1361 both represent the K4s class late in their careers. Both engines are virtually identical with the exception of their tenders. #3750 is equiped with a PRR 110P75a class tender while #1361 is equiped with a PRR 130P75 class.

 

These two LEGO models of Pennsylvania RR class K4s #3750 and #1361 are perhaps my most ambitious project to date. I've spent months researching and studying the K4s in order to make the most accurate and detailed engine I've built. The boiler design was inspired by my friend and fellow train builder in PennLUG, Nate Brill. What has turned out to be the most difficult part of building these models is the working Walschaerts Valve Gear. My goal was to try and build working valve gear with out modifying any parts, and to keep it as small and proportionate to the rest of the locomotive as possible. This required several weeks of trial and error but I'm reasonably happy with the final result.

 

Video of my K4s #1361 running at BrickMagic 2012 taken by Bob Hayes

 

The Pennsylvania RR's K4 class Pacifics were one of the cornerstones of their passenger service for 41 years from when the first engine entered service in 1916 through the final active K4's retirement 1957. The K4's performed their duties with a superb combination of speed, power and grace. K4's pulled the fastest and most prestigious trains of the Pennsylvania Railroad for many decades, with 425 being built between 1914 and 1928 by both Baldwin Locomotive Works and through Pennsy's own Juniata Shops in Altoona. In the mid 1930s, as the passenger consists grew longer and heavier, Pennsy would double and even triple head the K4s. The K4s class has become an icon of the Pennsylvania RR.

 

There are only two surviving K4s class locomotives, #1361 and #3750. Number 3750 is on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg. # 3750 was a typical workhorse, with only two unusual events in its long and productive life.The first came early in its lifewhen it pulled President Harding's funeral train.

 

The second was more unusual. After its retirement from active service in 1957, it remained in storage, first at West Philadelphia enginehouse, then at Northumberland, along with other historic equipment that was destined to become the core of the Museum's holdings. However, the Pennsylvania Railroad, apparently chagrined that the first K4 ever built, #1737, had been scrapped because it was worn out, and decided to "undo" history by placing #1737's number plates onto #3750. #3750 in its masquerade avoided being sent to the scrapper's torch along with hundreds of other K4 locomotives.

 

Upon the PRR's historic collection being acquired by the newly commissioned Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania it arrived at the Museum along with other historic equipment in 1968 as a "ringer" for No. 1737. This was rectified when the newly formed Friends of the Railroad Museum performed the first of several laborious restorations of this beloved locomotive in the 1980s. Subsequently, the true No. 3750 plates were obtained, and this wonderful locomotive is now secure for future generations to admire.

 

Number 1361's fame came after her retirement in 1957. For nearly 30 years, #1361 stood on display at the top of the world-famous Horseshoe Curve In Altoona PA. In 1985, the City of Altoona, Conrail, and the Railroaders Memorial Museum made arrangements to move the locomotive from the Horseshoe Curve to the Museum. The engine was moved to Altoona on September 5, 1985, and work to restore the locomotive began in April of 1986. With the help of teams of volunteers, #1361 was restored to working order in just one year's time. In April 1987, #1361 pulled its first passenger train in over thirty years. In May 1987, Altoona City and Conrail named the steam locomotive the "Spirit of Altoona". The engine later encountered extensive problems of age and wear, requiring major rebuilding. #1361 is under ownership of the Railroaders Memorial Museum at Altoona who is currently working to restore the engine to operation once more.

 

Governor Robert Casey signed a bill proclaiming the K-4 to be Pennsylvania's Official State Steam Locomotive in March of 1988.

 

#3750 at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg PA

 

#1361 at the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona PA

2022_09_24_IMG_1801

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the model, the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!

  

Some background:

The AMD Mystère S represents one of the many evolutionary steps in French 2nd generation jet fighter aircraft design, which began with the straight-wing Dassault Ouragan and progressed through the Mystère II/III and Mystère IV to the supersonic Super Mystère SM2B. Internally designated AMD 461 and originally called the Mystère X (Roman numeral “10”, not the letter “X”), the new aircraft was the attempt to improve the successful Mystère IV from 1953 in many respects, following Marcel Dassaults strategy to take small, evolutionary steps instead of radical quantum leaps. While the overall outlines were similar and followed the proven layout of the former Dassault jet fighters, the AMD 461 was a completely new design, though.

 

First of all, the machine was from the start designed around the indigenous axial-flow Atar 101 jet engine, since it had become obvious that the former radial-flow engines used in Dassault’s fighters, like the Rolls-Royce Tay and its French-built version, the Hispano-Suiza Verdon 350, did not offer the potential for sustained supersonic performance in level flight. As a result, the fuselage became thinner and the aircraft had a less tubby look. Furthermore, in order to achieve the ambitious performance goals, a new wing was devised, and it incorporated leading edges made from novel composite materials. The wing shape was more complex than previous AMD designs: unlike the simple trapezoid Mystère II and IV wing designs, the AMD 461’s wings had kinked wing leading edges at about half span, so that the wing root sections were extended forward and had a slightly stronger sweep than the outer wing sections (47° vs. 45°), resulting in a crescent planform with rounded tips. Dogteeth at the kinks’ position increased the wings’ critical Mach number, augmented by small boundary layer fences. A novelty were power-operated ailerons. The tail surfaces were swept, too, and featured a variable-incidence tail plane.

 

The Mystère IV’s circular nose air intake arrangement was retained, but the intake received a sharper lip for better aerodynamic efficiency at high speed. The intake ducts were split deeper down inside of the fuselage, flanking the cockpit and the weapon bay behind it (see below) on both sides. The small ranging radar, originally developed for the upgraded Mystère IVB (which never made it into series production due to a fatal prototype crash and the progress of AMD’s other supersonic projects), was relocated and now mounted on top of the intake section, reminiscent of the F-86’s arrangement. A gun camera was placed outside of the intake in a small fairing on the starboard side. Two pitots under the air intake (one main and a secondary sensor) replaced the Mystère IV’s single wing-mounted sensor boom.

 

Being a classic “gunfighter”, the AMD 461’s main armament comprised a pair of 30mm DEFA cannon in the lower front fuselage, taken over from the Mystère IV, and a retractable Type 103 pannier for 45 unguided MATRA missiles against air or ground targets behind the front wheel well. Four underwing hardpoints could carry a total payload of 1.500 kg (3.300 lb), including a pair of supersonic 625 l drop tanks on the inner pair of pylons. A typical fighter weapon were lightweight Matra Type 116M launchers, each with 19 unguided SNEB-68 air-to-air rockets. Up to four could be carried under the wings. In a secondary attack/fighter bomber role, bombs of various caliber (up to 500 kg/1.100 lb on the inner and 250 kg/550 lb on the outer hardpoints) and other unguided missiles/pods were possible, too.

 

The first Mystère X prototype was powered by the Atar 101D with 29,420 N (6,610 lbf) of thrust, and it flew successfully in June 1953. However, due to the lack of an afterburner at this stage, the machine could only become supersonic in a dive, just like the former Mystère fighters, and it offered in this guise only minimal performance improvements – even though the handling near Mach 1 was already noticeably better. The initial flight test program was successful, though, and the Armée de l’Air immediately placed an order for 100 Mystère X aircraft, intended to improve the Armée de l’Air’s interception capabilities as soon as possible. Serial production started instantaneously, even while the flight tests were still ongoing, and the production machines were powered by the newly developed Atar 101F, which had just been cleared for production and operation on the Mystère X prototype. The Atar 101F was basically a D model with an afterburner added to it, to produce a temporary thrust of 37,300 N (8,400 lbf) and ensure the desired top speed in level flight of more than Mach 1. As a result, the Mystère X’s tail section had to be modified to accommodate the new engine’s longer tailpipe, which did not feature an adjustable nozzle yet – it was simply extended beyond the fin’s trailing edge, and even then the longer jet pipe protruded from the hull. However, this modification was successful and incorporated into the serial aircraft. With the Atar 101F, the serial production Mystère X’s performance was appreciably improved: beyond supersonic top speed, initial rate of climb was almost doubled in comparison with the Mystère IV, but the thirsty afterburner engine almost nullified any gain in range from the new type’s higher internal fuel capacity. Drop tanks had to be carried almost all the time.

 

The quick (if not hastened) order for the Mystère X also served as an insurance policy in the event of the AMD effort failing to produce an even more capable supersonic aircraft with the Mystère XX, a project that had been under development as a private venture in parallel, but with a time lag of about two years and benefitting from the research that had been done for the AMD 461. However, both designs turned out to be successful and both were adopted for service. They became known to the public as the Mystère S (for ‘supersonique’) and the Super Mystère, respectively. The first Super Mystère prototype, powered by a Rolls-Royce Avon RA.7R, took to the air on 2 March 1955, and the promising aircraft already broke the sound barrier in level flight the following day. The Super Mystère turned out to be the more capable and modern aircraft thanks to its new, more powerful Atar 109G-2 engine.

 

The more capable Super Mystère was immediately favored and, as a consequence, the running Mystère S order was cancelled in May 1955 and its initial production run limited to a mere 54 airframes - the number that had been completed until that point. The Super Mystère became the Armée de l’Air’s standard fighter for the late Fifties and production was quickly switched to the new type, 180 specimen were eventually built. Since a mix of types in the operational fighter squadrons was not economical, the Armée de l’Air decided to separate them and find a different role for the young but relatively small Mystère S fleet. Since the aircraft had a rugged airframe and had shown very good handling characteristics at medium to low altitude, and because the Armée de l’Air was lacking a fast, tactical and indigenous reconnaissance aircraft at that time (the standard type was the RF-84F), the Armée de l’Air decided in 1956 to convert the Mystère S fighters accordingly.

 

This modification was a relatively easy task: The retractable missile pannier (which was hardly ever used) was removed and its well behind the cockpit offered sufficient internal space for optical reconnaissance equipment in a conditioned compartment. This comprised four OMERA cameras (less than the RF-84F’s six cameras), covered by a ventral canoe fairing. One camera was facing forward, two were set on mounts that allowed vertical photography or camera orientation to either port or starboard, and the fourth camera had a panoramic field of view. After these modifications, the machines were re-designated Mystère SR to reflect their new role and capabilities.

 

Initially, the converted machines retained the twin DEFA cannon armament and full external stores capability. Typical load in the new photo-recce role was the standard pair of drop tanks, plus optional flares for night photography. In this guise the Mystère SR fleet was distributed among two reconnaissance units, ER 2/33 “Savoie” and ER 3/33 “Moselle” in Eastern France, close to the German border, starting service in April 1957.

Later in their career, the Mystère SR’s guns and also the ranging radar equipment (even though the empty small radome was retained) were often removed. This was initially a weight-saving measure for better performance, but due to their short legs many Mystère SRs had extra fuel tanks added to the former gun and ammunition bays. In some cases the space was used to house additional mission equipment, the aircrafts’ designation did not change, though. The integration of the new Matra R.550 Magic AAM was considered briefly in 1970, but not deemed relevant for the Mystère SR’s mission profile. However, eight late-production Mystère SRs received a new, bigger panoramic OMERA camera, which necessitated a larger ventral fairing and some other internal changes. These machines were re-designated Mystère SRP (‘panoramique’). Another early Mystère SR was used for the development of indigenous infra-red linescan and side looking airborne radar systems, which were both later incorporated in an under-fuselage pod for the Mirage IIIR.

 

Having become quickly obsolete through the introduction of 3rd generation jet fighters in the early Sixties – namely the Mirage III – the Mystère SR’s active career only lasted a mere 10 years, and the Mirage III’s fighter variants quickly replaced the Super Mystère, too. Due to its many limitations, the Mystère SR was soon replaced by the Mirage IIIR reconnaissance version, by 1974 all aircraft had been retired. Another reason for this early operational end were durability problems with the composite elements on the aircraft’s wings – there had been no long-term experience with the new material, but the elements tended to become brittle and collapse under stress or upon bird strikes. AMD conceived a plan to replace the affected panels with light metal sheets, but this update, which would have prolonged service life for 10 more years, was not carried out. After spending 5 years in mothballed storage, all surviving Mystère SR airframes were scrapped between 1980 and 1981.

  

General characteristics:

Crew: 1

Length: 42 ft 3 in (12.88 m) overall

42 ft 3 in (12.88 m) w/o pitots

Wingspan: 32 ft 4 in (9.86 m)

Height: 3.75 m (12 ft 4 in)

Wing area: 345.5 sq ft (32.2 m²)

Empty weight: 13,435 lb (6,094 kg)

Gross weight: 21,673 lb (9,831 kg)

Fuel capacity: 3,540 l (778 imp gal; 934 US gal) internally

plus 2x 625 l (72 imp gal; 165 US gal) drop tanks

 

Powerplant:

1× Atar 101F turbojet, rated at 29.42 kN (6,610 lbf) dry thrust

and with 37.3 kN (8,400 lbf) with afterburner

 

Performance:

Maximum speed: 1,110 km/h (600 kn, 690 mph) at sea level

1,180 km/h (637 kn 732 mph,) at 11,000 m (36,089 ft)

Combat range: 915 km (494  nmi, 570 mi) with internal fuel only

Maximum range: 1,175 km (730 mi, 634 nmi)

Service ceiling: 45,800 ft (14,000 m)

Rate of climb: 14,660 ft/min (74.5 m/s)

Time to altitude: 40,000 ft (12,000 m) in 4 minutes 41 seconds

 

Armament:

2x 30mm (1.18 in) DEFA 552 cannon with 150 rounds per gun (later frequently deleted)

Four underwing hardpoints for 1.500 kg (3.300 lb) of ordnance,

including a pair of 625 liter drop tanks, flares and various unguided missiles and iron bombs

  

The kit and its assembly:

A project I had on my idea list for a long time – there were so many AMD jet fighter designs (both that entered service but also many paper projects and prototypes) during the Fifties and Sixties that I wondered if I could smuggle a what-if type somewhere into the lineage. A potential basis appeared when I recognized that the British Supermarine Swift had a fuselage shape quite similar to the contemporary French fighters, and from this impression the idea was born to “Frenchize” a Swift.

 

This called for a kitbash, and I used a Matchbox Mystère IV (Revell re-boxing) for the French donor elements that would be grafted onto an Xtrakit FR.5 model, which looks good in the box but has serious fit issues, e.g. between the rear fuselage halves or when the wings have to be mated with the completed fuselage.

The transplantations from the rather primitive/blunt Matchbox Mystère included the whole cockpit section except for the interior, which was taken from the in this respect much better Swift, the glazing, the spine and the whole tail with fin and stabilizers. The Swift provided most of the fuselage, the wings and the landing gear, even though I used the Mystère’s main wheels because of their characteristic hub caps/brake arrangement.

Mating the fuselage sections from the two models became a major stunt, though, because the diameters and shapes were rather different. Three-dimensional gaps and steps behihd the cockpit had to be bridged, initially with 2C putty for the rough overall shape and then with NC putty for a smooth finish. A gap in the spine in front of the fin had to be improvised/filled, too, and the Mystère’s fin had to be tailored to the different Swift rear fuselage shape, too.

The result looks a little odd, though, the Swift’s original air intake ducts now look from certain angles like hamster cheeks – but after all, the ducts have to pass the central cockpit section on both sides somehow, so that the arrangement makes nonetheless sense. And the small dorsal spine taken over from the Mystère changes the Swift’s profile considerably, as well as the shorter Dassault-style canopy.

 

The small ranging radar radome is just a piece of sprue from the Mystère kit, blended into the rest of the fuselage with putty. The interior of the air intake was heavily modified – the original splitter, positioned directly inside of the intake, was deleted and the walls trimmed down for a much thinner/sharper lip. Inside of the intake a bulkhead was added as a sight blocker, and a new splitter was mounted to the new bulkhead in a much deeper position. The gun camera fairing is a piece of styrene profile, the new twin pitots (reminiscent of the SM2B’s arrangement) were made from heated sprue material.

The camera fairing is the lower half from a P-47 drop tank, left over from a Hobby Boss kit, IIRC, and in order to fit the Swift’s cockpit tub into the Mystère’s fuselage the rear bulkhead had to be re-created with the help of paper tissue drenched with white glue.

The drop tanks come from a KP MiG-19, which had the benefit of integral, thin pylons at a suitable position for the Mystère SR. For a different look I just canted their fins downwards.

  

Painting and markings:

For a subtle impression I settled for an authentic livery: the French rendition of the USAF SEA scheme for the F-100 with local CELOMER tones, which was not only applied to the Armée de l’Air’s F-100s (these were originally delivered in NMF and camouflaged later in the Sixties), but also to the Super Mystères - the SM2Bs actually carried a quite faithful adaptation of the USAF’s F-100 pattern! However, the indigenous CELOMER paints differed from the original U.S. Federal Standard tones (FS 30219, 34102, 34079 and 36622, respectively), esp. the reddish light tan was more of an earth tone, and the dark green had a more bluish hue.

 

This offered some freedom – even more so because real life pictures of French reference aircraft show a wide range of shades of these basic tones and frequent serious weathering. Instead of the U.S. tan I went for RAF Dark Earth (Humbrol 29), the dark Forest Green was replaced with Humbrol 75 (Bronze Green). The light green became a 2:1 mix of Humbrol 117 (the original FS 34102) with Humbrol 78 (RAF Cockpit Green), for more contrast and less yellow in the tone. The undersides were painted with Humbrol 166 (RAF Light Aircraft Grey).

After a black ink wash I gave the model a thorough panel post-shading and recreated some lost panel lines with the help of silver paint, too. I also added some paint patches and touch-ups, for a rather worn look of the aircraft.

The black areas around the gun muzzles were created with the help of decal material, generic black decal sheet material was also used to create the camera windows. Grey (Revell 75) dielectric panels were added to the fin tip and behind the cockpit. The cockpit interior became very dark grey (Revell 09, Anthracite, with some dry-painted medium grey on top), while the landing gear and the respective wells were left in aluminum (Humbrol 56).

 

The decals are a mix from various sources. The ER 2/33 markings came from a Heller Mirage III sheet, which offers an optional IIIR from 1984. I also settled for relatively small roundels (from a Mirage F.1C) – a trend which started in the Armée de l’Air in the early Seventies and also comprised the deletion of the fin flash. Contemporary real world SM2Bs with the French SEA cammo frequently carried a similar type of subdued markings instead of earlier, bigger roundels found on the machines in NMF finish or on the aircraft from EC 1/12 "Cambresis" with their unique and different camouflage in two shades of green and a rather sandy tan, almost like a desert paint scheme. The white tactical code “33-PS” was improvised with single 4mm letters from TL Modellbau. The stencils were puzzled together from various Mirage III/V/F.1C sheets and also from an IAI Kfir.

 

The kit received some additional dry-painting with silver to simulate more wear, and was finally sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish.

  

Another “missing link” build, but I think that my Mystère S fits stylistically well into the (non-existent, though) gap between the Mystère IV and the Super Mystère, sporting vintage details like the round air intake but coupled with highly swept wings and the Swift’s elegant lines. The “traditional” French paint scheme adds to the realism - and, when put in the right background/landscape context, turns out to be very effective. Not a spectacular model, despite serious body work around the cockpit, but a convincing result.

Representant le char "Thunderbolt V" du Général Creighton Abrams.

Construit par Chrysler Corporation à Warren (Michigan).

This model represents Joint Assault Bridge (JAB) system mounted on M1 tank chassis. In general it is almost identical to its bigger sister, the 1:16 scale JAB model www.flickr.com/photos/21159426@N05/albums/72157675532120052 , except it is 66% size and it's diorama base is slightly different.

Like the 1:16 scale JAB model this one is also fully operational, demonstrating a full cycle of the bridge deployment very close to reality. For the purpose of demonstrating the bridge deployment the model is mounted on a diorama type base with a "ravine" filled with concrete anti-tank obstacles.

To create this model we used the same digital tooling that was generated for the 1:16 scale JAB model, only the parts were rapid prototyped 66% of the original size.

 

The model is packed in a heavy duty military grade plastic cast transit case with a custom foam lining.

Represent Festival Balingen 2017 - Get Into Gear

représentant la Mairie et les travaux place du 11 Novembre

Tragic Actor

Ivory, AD 1-200

This intricate statuette represents an actor in the middle of a tragic performance. His pose and gestures are strongly expressive. Behind the mask, with its elaborate hairstyle and deep frown, the eyes and mouth are visible. The tunic is carefully rendered and he wears raised platform shoes called cothurni. Nero focused on performing demanding tragic roles, and wore similar outfits during his performances.

[British Museum]

 

Nero: the Man Behind the Myth

(May - Oct 2021)

 

Nero is known as one of Rome's most infamous rulers, notorious for his cruelty, debauchery and madness.

The last male descendant of the emperor Augustus, Nero succeeded to the throne in AD 54 aged just 16 and died a violent death at 30. His turbulent rule saw momentous events including the Great Fire of Rome, Boudicca's rebellion in Britain, the execution of his own mother and first wife, grand projects and extravagant excesses.

Drawing on the latest research, this major exhibition questions the traditional narrative of the ruthless tyrant and eccentric performer, revealing a different Nero, a populist leader at a time of great change in Roman society.

Through some 200 spectacular objects, from the imperial palace in Rome to the streets of Pompeii, follow the young emperor’s rise and fall and make up your own mind about Nero. Was he a young, inexperienced ruler trying his best in a divided society, or the merciless, matricidal megalomaniac history has painted him to be?

 

Nero was the 5th emperor of Rome and the last of Rome’s first dynasty, the Julio-Claudians, founded by Augustus (the adopted son of Julius Caesar). Nero is known as one of Rome’s most infamous rulers, notorious for his cruelty and debauchery. He ascended to power in AD 54 aged just 16 and died at 30. He ruled at a time of great social and political change, overseeing momentous events such as the Great Fire of Rome and Boudica’s rebellion in Britain. He allegedly killed his mother and two of his wives, only cared about his art and had very little interest in ruling the empire.

Most of what we know about Nero comes from the surviving works of three historians – Tacitus, Suetonius and Cassius Dio. All written decades after Nero’s death, their accounts have long shaped our understanding of this emperor’s rule. However, far from being impartial narrators presenting objective accounts of past events, these authors and their sources wrote with a very clear agenda in mind. Nero’s demise brought forward a period of chaos and civil war – one that ended only when a new dynasty seized power, the Flavians. Authors writing under the Flavians all had an interest in legitimising the new ruling family by portraying the last of the Julio-Claudians in the worst possible light, turning history into propaganda. These accounts became the ‘historical’ sources used by later historians, therefore perpetuating a fabricated image of Nero, which has survived all the way to the present.

Nero was born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus on 15 December AD 37.

He was the son of Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrippina the Younger. Both Gnaeus and Agrippina were the grandchildren of Augustus, making Nero Augustus’ great, great grandson with a strong claim to power.

Nero was only two years old when his mother was exiled and three when his father died. His inheritance was taken from him and he was sent to live with his aunt. However, Nero’s fate changed again when Claudius became emperor, restoring the boy’s property and recalling his mother Agrippina from exile.

In AD 49 the emperor Claudius married Agrippina, and adopted Nero the following year. It is at this point that Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus changed his name to Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus. In Roman times it was normal to change your name when adopted, abandoning your family name in favour of your adoptive father’s. Nero was a common name among members of the Claudian family, especially in Claudius’ branch.

Nero and Agrippina offered Claudius a politically useful link back to Augustus, strengthening his position.

Claudius appeared to favour Nero over his natural son, Britannicus, marking Nero as the designated heir.

When Claudius died in AD 54, Nero became emperor just two months before turning 17.

As he was supported by both the army and the senate, his rise to power was smooth. His mother Agrippina exerted a significant influence, especially at the beginning of his rule.

The Roman historians Tacitus, Suetonius and Cassius Dio all claim that Nero, fed up with Agrippina’s interference, decided to kill her.

Given the lack of eyewitnesses, there is no way of knowing if or how this happened. However, this did not stop historians from fabricating dramatic stories of Agrippina’s murder, asserting that Nero tried (and failed) to kill her with a boat engineered to sink, before sending his men to do the job.

Agrippina allegedly told them to stab her in the womb that bore Nero, her last words clearly borrowed from stage plays.

It is entirely possible, as claimed by Nero himself, that Agrippina chose (or was more likely forced) to take her own life after her plot against her son was discovered.

Early in his rule, Nero had to contend with a rebellion in the newly conquered province of Britain.

In AD 60–61, Queen Boudica of the Iceni tribe led a revolt against the Romans, attacking and laying waste to important Roman settlements. The possible causes of the rebellion were numerous – the greed of the Romans exploiting the newly conquered territories, the recalling of loans made to local leaders, ongoing conflict in Wales and, above all, violence against the family of Prasutagus, Boudica’s husband and king of the Iceni.

Boudica and the rebels destroyed Colchester, London and St Albans before being heavily defeated by Roman troops. After the uprising, the governor of Britain Suetonius Paulinus introduced harsher laws against the Britons, until Nero replaced him with the more conciliatory governor Publius Petronius Turpilianus.

The marriage between Nero and Octavia, aged 15 and 13/14 at the time, was arranged by their parents in order to further legitimise Nero’s claim to the throne. Octavia was the daughter of the emperor Claudius from a previous marriage, so when Claudius married Agrippina and adopted her son Nero, Nero and Octavia became brother and sister. In order to arrange their marriage, Octavia had to be adopted into another family.

Their marriage was not a happy one. According to ancient writers, Nero had various affairs until his lover Poppaea Sabina convinced him to divorce his wife. Octavia was first exiled then executed in AD 62 on adultery charges. According to ancient writers, her banishment and death caused great unrest among the public, who sympathised with the dutiful Octavia.

No further motives were offered for Octavia’s death other than Nero’s passion for Poppaea, and we will probably never know what transpired at court. The fact that Octavia couldn’t produce an heir while Poppaea was pregnant with Nero’s daughter likely played an important role in deciding Octavia’s fate.

On 19 July AD 64, a fire started close to the Circus Maximus. The flames soon encompassed the entire city of Rome and the fire raged for nine days. Only four of the 14 districts of the capital were spared, while three were completely destroyed.

Rome had already been razed by flames – and would be again in its long history – but this event was so severe it came to be known as the Great Fire of Rome.

Later historians blamed Nero for the event, claiming that he set the capital ablaze in order to clear land for the construction of a vast new palace. According to Suetonius and Cassius Dio, Nero took in the view of the burning city from the imperial residence while playing the lyre and singing about the fall of Troy. This story, however, is fictional.

Tacitus, the only historian who was actually alive at the time of the Great Fire of Rome (although only 8 years old), wrote that Nero was not even in Rome when the fire started, but returned to the capital and led the relief efforts.

Tacitus, Suetonius and Cassius Dio all describe Nero as being blinded by passion for his wife Poppaea, yet they accuse him of killing her, allegedly by kicking her in an outburst of rage while she was pregnant.

Interestingly, pregnant women being kicked to death by enraged husbands is a recurring theme in ancient literature, used to explore the (self) destructive tendencies of autocrats. The Greek writer Herodotus tells the story of how the Persian king Cambyses kicked his pregnant wife in the stomach, causing her death. A similar episode is told of Periander, tyrant of Corinth. Nero is just one of many allegedly ‘mad’ tyrants for which this literary convention was used.

Poppaea probably died from complications connected with her pregnancy and not at Nero’s hands. She was given a lavish funeral and was deified.

Centred on greater Iran, the Parthian empire was a major political and cultural power and a long-standing enemy of Rome. The two powers had long been contending for control over the buffer state of Armenia and open conflict sparked again during Nero’s rule. The Parthian War started in AD 58 and, after initial victories and following set-backs, ended in AD 63 when a diplomatic solution was reached between Nero and the Parthian king Vologases I.

According to this settlement Tiridates, brother of the Parthian king, would rule over Armenia, but only after having travelled all the way to Rome to be crowned by Nero.

The journey lasted 9 months, Tiridates’ retinue included 3,000 Parthian horsemen and many Roman soldiers. The coronation ceremony took place in the summer of AD 66 and the day was celebrated with much pomp: all the people of Rome saw the new king of Armenia kneeling in front of Nero. This was the Golden Day of Nero’s rule

In AD 68, Vindex, the governor of Gaul (France), rebelled against Nero and declared his support for Galba, the governor of Spain. Vindex was defeated in battle by troops loyal to Nero, yet Galba started gaining more military support.

It was at this point that Nero lost the support of Rome’s people due to a grain shortage, caused by a rebellious commander who cut the crucial food supply from Egypt to the capital. Abandoned by the people and declared an enemy of the state by the senate, Nero tried to flee Rome and eventually committed suicide.

Following his death, Nero’s memory was condemned (a practice called damnatio memoriae) and the images of the emperor were destroyed, removed or reworked. However, Nero was still given an expensive funeral and for a long time people decorated his tomb with flowers, some even believing he was still alive.

After Nero’s death, civil war ensued. At the end of the so-called ‘Year of the Four Emperors’ (AD 69), Vespasian became emperor and started a new dynasty: the Flavians.

[Francesca Bologna, curator, for British Museum]

 

Taken in the British Museum

My daughter playing for the Canadian National Handball Team vs the USA National Team in the first of a two game series. Katya played very well in her first Senior International competition.

Canada lost to the USA 22-20 in Auburn, Alabama.

The two teams will play again in Montreal in two days time, a must win for Canada.

 

© 2018 Paul Chan - Canada. Photos are copyrighted. All rights reserved. Pictures can not be used without explicit permission by the creator.

Historias representadas en cada puerta de cada casa de cada calle en La Candelaria, Bogotá, Colombia.

Le bâtiment représente un chapiteau hexagonal traversé par trois galeries de 80m de long, 7m de haut et 15m de largeur, et une flèche centrale qui culmine à 77m, en référence à l'année d'inauguration du Centre Pompidou à Paris en 1977. Les trois galeries sont orientés vers la cathédrale, vers la gare, ou encore vers le pars de la Seille. La charpente est un assemblage de plus de 16 kilomètres de poutres en épicés recouverte d'un alliage de fibre de verre et de téflon.

 

Pays : France 🇫🇷

Région : Grand Est (Lorraine)

Département : Moselle (57)

Ville : Metz (57000)

Quartier : Amphithéatre

Adresse : 1, parvis des Droits de l'Homme

Fonction : Musée

 

Construction : 2006 → 2010

Ouverture : 12 mai 2010

• Architecte : Shigeru Ban / Jean de Gastines

• Gros œuvre : Groupe Demathieu Bard

PC n° 57 463 05 X0133 délivré le 22 septembre 2005

PC modificatif n° 57 463 05 X0133 M1 délivré le 12 mars 2008

 

Niveaux : R+3

Hauteur toiture : 37.00 m

Hauteur flèche : 77.00 m

SHON : 11 167 m²

SHOB : 10 000 m²

Surface du terrain : 60 527 m²

Vis. Comm. Project #009 - Postcard

 

Yet another photograph starring Sarah. And if I remember nothing else about her, I will always remember the Vans and the socks. The socks were mystery gifts from a Secret Santa. (Awesome, are they not?) And the Vans... Oh my gosh, the Vans. The Vans represent all things great and wonderful about our sophomore year.

 

I originally took this for a visual communications art class in high school, but have continued to fall in love with it. The assignment was to take an "evocative" photograph to use as a postcard for our hometown. (Note: I come from more or less the worst place on the face of the earth. Nothing about it is "evocative." Except the cows and the corn fields.) As a (then) aspiring photography major, you would think I'd be brilliant enough to come up with something a little more... Uhm. Well. Not this. But no.

 

I wasted the entire week we had to work on this playing with cigarette lighters on the sidewalk, outside the art classrooms. My teacher was well aware. Flame igniters are not permitted on school property. (Neither are dogs, weapons, or illegal drugs. Ha.) Then, with ten minutes left to go before the bell rang, I shot this on the same steps outside the door where we'd spent all the previous week playing with lighters. It's pretty awesome, I think.

 

représentation à Saint-Malo

Budapest (Acerca de este sonido /ˈbudɒpɛʃt/ (?·i)) es la capital y ciudad más poblada de Hungría,3 así como su principal centro industrial, comercial y de transportes.4 La ciudad posee 1,74 millones de habitantes (2011),5 una disminución significativa respecto de los casi 2,1 millones con que contaba a mediados de los años 1980,6 que representan un quinto de la población total de Hungría. Es la ciudad más poblada de Europa central-oriental y la séptima de la Unión Europea. La ciudad ocupa una superficie de 525 km²7 y su área metropolitana cuenta con una población de 2,38 millones de habitantes. Budapest se convirtió en una única ciudad cuando ocupó las dos orillas del río Danubio, unificando las ciudades de Buda y Óbuda, en la orilla oeste, con Pest, en la orilla este, el 17 de noviembre de 1873.7 8

 

La historia de Budapest comenzó con Aquincum, originalmente un asentamiento celta9 10 que se convirtió en la capital romana de Panonia Inferior.9 Los húngaros llegaron al territorio en el siglo IX.11 Su primer asentamiento fue saqueado por los mongoles en 1241-42.12 La ciudad restablecida se convirtió en uno de los centros de la cultura del Renacimiento humanista en el siglo XV.13 14 Después de la batalla de Mohács y tras casi 150 años de dominio otomano,15 el desarrollo de la región entró en una nueva era de prosperidad en los siglos XVIII y XIX, y Budapest se convirtió en una ciudad global después de la unificación de 1873.16 También se convirtió en la segunda capital de Austria-Hungría, una gran potencia que se disolvió en 1918. Budapest fue el punto focal de la revolución húngara de 1848, la República Soviética Húngara de 1919, la Operación Panzerfaust en 1944, la batalla de Budapest de 1945 y la Revolución de 1956.

 

Considerada como una de las ciudades más bellas de Europa,3 17 18 Budapest cuenta con varios sitios que son Patrimonio de la Humanidad, entre los que se incluyen, a orillas del Danubio, el barrio del Castillo de Buda, la avenida Andrássy, la Plaza de los Héroes y el Metropolitano del Milenio, el segundo más antiguo del mundo.17 19 Otros puntos destacados incluyen un total de 80 manantiales geotérmicos,20 el mayor sistema de cuevas de aguas termales del mundo,21 la segunda sinagoga más grande y el tercer edificio del Parlamento más grande del mundo. La ciudad atrae a alrededor de 4,3 millones de turistas al año, convirtiéndola en la 25.ª ciudad más popular del mundo, según Euromonitor.22

 

Budapest es, también, un importante centro financiero de Europa Central. La ciudad se situó tercera (de un total de 65 ciudades) en el Índice de Mercados Emergentes elaborado por Mastercard,23 y clasificada como la ciudad mejor habitable de Europa Central y Europa del Este por índice de calidad de vida según Economist Intelligence Unit.24 25 También se clasificó como el "séptimo lugar idílico de Europa para vivir" por la revista Forbes,26 y como la novena ciudad más bella del mundo por UCityGuides.27 Es, también, la mejor ciudad de Europa Central y del Este en el índice Innovation Cities' Top 100.28 29

 

Toponimia[editar]

El nombre de «Budapest» es la composición de los nombres de las ciudades «Buda» y «Pest», ya que se unieron (junto con Óbuda) para convertirse en una sola ciudad en 1873.30 Una de las primeras apariciones del nombre combinado «Buda-Pest» fue en 1831 en el libro Világ («Mundo»), escrito por el conde István Széchenyi.

 

El origen de las palabras «Buda» y «Pest» es incierto. Según las crónicas de la Edad Media el nombre de «Buda» viene del nombre de su fundador, Bleda (Buda), el hermano del huno Atila. La teoría de que «Buda» fue el nombre de una persona es apoyada también por los estudiosos modernos.31 Una explicación alternativa sugiere que deriva de la palabra eslava «вода, voda» («agua»), una traducción del nombre en latín Aquincum, que era el principal asentamiento romano en la región.32

 

También existen varias teorías sobre el origen del nombre «Pest». Una de las teorías sostiene que proviene de la época romana,33 ya que había una fortaleza, «Contra-Aquincum», que en esta región que se conoce como «Pession» (Πέσσιον, III.7. § 2) por Ptolomeo.34 Según otra teoría, toma su origen de la palabra eslava «пещера, peshtera» («cueva») o de la palabra «печь, pesht» («horno») en referencia a una cueva local.35 En la antigua lengua húngara había un significado similar para la palabra «horno/cueva» y el nombre antiguo original alemán de esta región fue «Ofen». Más tarde, «Ofen», en alemán, se refiere a la parte de Buda.

 

Historia[editar]

 

La corona de San Esteban, la espada, el cetro y el orbe de Hungría.

El primer asentamiento en el territorio de Budapest fue construido por los celtas9 antes del año 1 a. C. y fue ocupado más tarde por los romanos. El asentamiento romano, Aquincum, se convirtió en la principal ciudad de la Baja Panonia en el 106 a. C.9 Los romanos construyeron carreteras, anfiteatros, baños y casas con calefacción por suelo en este campamento militar fortificado.36

 

El tratado de paz de 829 añadió Panonia a Bulgaria debido a la victoria del ejército búlgaro de Omurtag sobre el Sacro Imperio Romano de Ludovico Pío. Budapest surgió de dos fronteras búlgaras, las fortalezas militares de Buda y Pest, situada en las dos orillas del Danubio.37 Los húngaros, liderados por Árpád, se establecieron en el territorio a finales del siglo IX,11 38 y un siglo más tarde se fundó oficialmente el Reino de Hungría.11 Las investigaciones sitúan la residencia de la Casa de Árpad en un lugar cercano de lo que se convertiría en Budapest.39 La invasión tártara en el siglo XIII rápidamente demostró que la defensa es difícil en una llanura.7 11 El rey Béla IV de Hungría ordenó la construcción de muros de hormigón armado en torno a las ciudades11 y estableció su propio palacio real en la cima de los cerros protectores de Buda.12 En 1361 se convirtió en la capital de Hungría.12

  

El Castillo de Buda en la Edad Media.

El papel cultural de Buda fue particularmente importante durante el reinado del rey Matías Corvino.7 El Renacimiento italiano tuvo una gran influencia en la ciudad.7 Su biblioteca, la Bibliotheca Corvinniana, fue la colección de crónicas históricas y obras filosóficas y científicas más grande de Europa en el siglo XV, y la segunda en tamaño sólo superada por la Biblioteca Vaticana.7 Después de la fundación de la primera universidad húngara de Pécs en 1367,40 la segunda se estableció en Óbuda en 1395.40 El primer libro impreso en húngaro fue en Buda en 1473.41 Buda tenía unos 5000 habitantes hacia 1500,42 aunque estudios modernos apuntan a que la suma de Buda y Pest tenía entre 15 000 y 25 000 habitantes.43

 

Los otomanos saquearon Buda en 1526, la sitiaron en 1529 y, finalmente, la ocuparon en 1541. La ocupación turca duró más de 140 años.7 Los turcos construyeron muchas instalaciones de baños en la ciudad.11 Bajo el gobierno otomano, muchos cristianos se convirtieron al islam. En 1547 el número de cristianos se redujo a alrededor de mil, y en 1647 había descendido a sólo unos setenta.42 La parte no ocupada occidental del país se convirtió en parte del imperio de los Habsburgo como Hungría real.

 

En 1686, dos años después del infructuoso asedio de Buda, una renovada campaña comenzó a entrar en la capital húngara. Esta vez, el ejército de la Liga Santa era dos veces más grande, con más de 74.000 hombres. Entre ellos había ingleses, alemanes, holandeses, croatas, húngaros, españoles, checos, italianos, franceses, daneses y suecos, junto con otros europeos como voluntarios, artilleros, y oficiales. Las fuerzas cristianas reconquistaron Buda y, en los años siguientes, todas las tierras húngaras anteriores, a excepción de las zonas cercanas a Timişoara (Temesvár), fueron arrebatadas a los turcos. En el Tratado de Karlowitz de 1699 estos cambios territoriales fueron reconocidos oficialmente, y en 1718 todo el Reino de Hungría fue liberado del poder otomano. La ciudad fue destruida durante la batalla.7 Hungría se incorporó entonces al Imperio Habsburgo.7

  

La Ópera Nacional de Hungría, construida en el período de Austria-Hungría.

 

La orilla del Danubio en Budapest en una imagen de 1873.

1867 fue el año de la reconciliación que trajo consigo el nacimiento de Austria-Hungría. El siglo XIX fue dominado por la lucha por la independencia de Hungría y la modernización.7 La insurrección nacional contra los Habsburgo comenzó en la capital húngara en 1848 y fue derrotado poco más de un año después. Esto hizo de Budapest la capital gemela de una monarquía dual. Fue este compromiso que abrió la segunda fase de gran desarrollo en la historia de Budapest, que duró hasta la Primera Guerra Mundial. En 1849, el Puente de las Cadenas que une Buda con Pest, abrió sus puertas el primer puente permanente sobre el Danubio44 y en 1873 fueron Buda y Pest oficialmente fusionadas con la tercera parte, Óbuda (antiguo Buda), creando así la nueva metrópoli de Budapest. La dinámica Pest se convirtió en centro político, administrativo, económico, comercial y cultural del país. La población de origen étnico húngaro superó a la alemana en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX debido a la migración masiva desde la superpoblada y rural el Transdanubia y la Gran Llanura Húngara. Entre 1851 y 1910 la proporción de húngaros se incrementó de 35,6% a 85,9%, el húngaro se convirtió en la lengua dominante y el alemán fue desplazado. La proporción de judíos llegó a su punto máximo en 1900 con el 23,6%.45 46 47 Debido a la prosperidad y la gran comunidad judía presente en la ciudad a principios del siglo XX, Budapest fue conocida también como la "Meca judía".48

 

En 1918, Austria-Hungría perdió la guerra y se desplomó; por lo que Hungría se declaró una república independiente. En 1920 el Tratado de Trianon finalizó la partición del país; como resultado, Hungría perdió dos tercios de su territorio y alrededor de dos tercios de sus habitantes en virtud del tratado, incluyendo 3,3 millones de los 10 millones de húngaros étnicos.49 50

  

El Puente de las Cadenas de Budapest, volado por las fuerzas nazis.

En 1944, hacia el final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, Budapest fue parcialmente destruida por los ataques aéreos británico y americano. Desde el 24 de diciembre de 1944 al 13 de febrero de 1945, la ciudad fue sitiada durante la Batalla de Budapest. La capital sufrió grandes daños causados por el ataque de las fuerzas soviéticas y rumanas y las tropas defensoras alemanas y húngaras. Todos los puentes fueron destruidos por los alemanes. Más de 38.000 civiles perdieron la vida durante el conflicto.

 

Entre el 20% y el 40% de los 250.000 habitantes judíos de Budapest murieron a causa del genocidio perpetrado por los nazis y el Partido de la Cruz Flechada durante 1944 y principios de 1945.51 El diplomático sueco Raoul Wallenberg logró salvar la vida de decenas de miles de judíos en Budapest, dándoles pasaportes suecos y tomándolos bajo su protección consular.52

 

En 1949, Hungría fue declarada como República Popular comunista. El nuevo gobierno comunista consideró edificios como el Castillo de Buda símbolos del régimen anterior y, durante la década de 1950, el palacio fue destruido y los interiores fueron destruidos.

  

El centro de Budapest en 1979.

En 1956, las manifestaciones pacíficas en Budapest condujeron al estallido de la Revolución Húngara. La dirección se derrumbó después de las manifestaciones de las masas que se iniciaron el 23 de octubre, pero los tanques soviéticos entraron en Budapest para aplastar la revuelta. La lucha continuó hasta principios de noviembre, dejando más de 3.000 muertos.

 

Desde la década de 1960 a finales de 1980 Hungría era referida, en ocasiones y de forma satírica, la "barraca feliz" en el Bloque del Este,53 y gran parte de los daños de guerra de la ciudad fueron finalmente reparados. Los trabajos en el Puente de Erzsébet, el último en ser reconstruido, fue terminado en 1964. A principios de 1970, se inauguró la línea M2 del metro de Budapest en su sentido este-oeste, seguida de la línea M3 en 1982. En 1987, el Castillo de Buda y las orillas del Danubio fueron incluidos en la lista de Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la Unesco. La Avenida Andrássy (incluyendo el tren subterráneo del Milenio, Hősök tere y Városliget) se añadió a la lista de la Unesco en 2002. En la década de 1980 la población de la ciudad alcanzó los 2,1 millones de habitantes. En los últimos tiempos se ha producido una disminución significativa en la población, debido principalmente, a un movimiento demográfico masivo al condado de Pest.

 

En las últimas décadas del siglo XX los cambios políticos de 1989-90 produjeron importantes cambios en la sociedad civil y en las calles de Budapest. Los monumentos comunistas fueron retirados de los lugares públicos y llevados a Memento Park. En los primeros veinte años de la nueva democracia, el gobierno de la ciudad fue presidido por Gábor Demszky.

 

Geografía[editar]

El área de 525 km² de Budapest se encuentra en el centro de Hungría rodeado de asentamientos de la aglomeración en el condado de Pest. La capital se extiende a 25 y 29 kilómetros al norte-sur y este-oeste, respectivamente. El río Danubio entra en la ciudad por el norte, y más tarde lo rodea dos islas, Óbuda y la isla de Margarita.7 La tercera isla, Csepel, es la más grande de las islas del Danubio de Budapest, sin embargo, sólo la punta más al norte se encuentra dentro de los límites de la ciudad. El río que separa las dos partes de la ciudad está a sólo 230 metros de ancho en su punto más estrecho en Budapest. Pest se encuentra en la planicie de la Gran Llanura, mientras que el terreno en Buda es muy accidentado.7 El terreno de Pest se levanta con una ligera pendiente hacia el este, por lo que las partes más orientales de la ciudad están a la misma altura que las pequeñas colinas de Buda, en particular la colina Gellért y Monte del Castillo. Las colinas de Buda son principalmente de piedra caliza y dolomita, el agua creó espeleotemas, que se pueden encontrar los más famosos en las la cuevas Pálvölgyi y Szemlőhegyi. Los cerros se formaron en la era del Triásico. El punto más alto de las colinas y de Budapest es la colina János, a 527 metros sobre el nivel del mar. El punto más bajo es la línea del Danubio, que es de 96 metros sobre el nivel del mar. Los bosques de las colinas de Buda están protegidos medioambientalmente.

 

Distritos[editar]

Artículo principal: Distritos de Budapest

Originalmente había 10 distritos de Budapest después de la unificación de las tres ciudades en 1873. El 1 de enero de 1950 Budapest se unió con varios pueblos vecinos y el número de sus distritos se elevó a 22, formando el Gran Budapest. En ese tiempo hubo cambios, tanto en el orden de los distritos como en sus tamaños. Ahora hay 23 distritos, seis en Buda, 16 en Pest y uno en la isla de Csepel, en el Danubio. Cada distrito puede asociarse con una o varias partes de la ciudad con nombres de ciudades anteriores de Budapest. El mismo centro de la ciudad, en un sentido más amplio, comprende los distritos V, VI, VII, VIII, IX y XIII en el lado de Pest, y el I, II, XI y XII en el lado de Buda de la ciudad.54

  

Los 23 distritos de Budapest

  

Palacio Gresham

Distrito IV[editar]

El distrito IV está ubicado al norte de Budapest, sobre la orilla oeste del Río Danubio. Antes de 1950, fecha en que se anexaron varias zonas a Budapest, se trataba de la localidad de Újpest. El nombre significa "Nuevo Pest", porque se formó al borde de la Ciudad de Pest en 1840. Újpest fue una Aldea o Villa por seis décadas antes de 1907, cuando se transformó en pueblo. Como decíamos, en 1950 el pueblo se unificó con Budapest, para formar el Gran Budapest, y constituirse en el IV Distrito.

 

Distrito XXI[editar]

Ubicación[editar]

El distrito XXI está ubicado al norte de la isla de Csepel, por el este fluye el Danubio y en la otra margen se encuentran los distritos IX, XX y XXIII, por el oeste la frontera del distrito la marca de forma natural el contorno de la isla con la ribera del Danubio que en su margen opuesta presenta los distritos XI y XXII, por el sur el límite demarcado por la capital, es decir los límites propios del poblado de Szigetszentmiklós.

 

Barrios de mayor relevancia[editar]

Barrio de la calle Ady Endre

Csillágtelep

Barrio de Királymajori

Barrio de Vízmű

Barrio de la calle Árpád

Historia[editar]

En la segunda mitad del siglo XX ocurrió la industrialización más importante del distrito, lo que lo convirtió en una base de la industria pesada. En esta zona se asentaron los trabajadores, quienes contribuyeron a la formación de zonas urbanísticas, parques y barrios. El distrito se convirtió así en bastión de la clase obrera húngara.

 

Fue independiente hasta el 1 de enero de 1950, cuando junto con otras zonas fue anexionado como parte integral de Budapest capital.

 

Economía[editar]

El distrito XXI es considerado como uno de los distritos industriales clásicos de Budapest (por su industria metalúrgica, acerera y de papel)

 

En la primera mitad del siglo XX la economía del distrito esta unida al nombre de Manfréd Weiss, quien con su empresa metalúrgica tenía la gama más amplia de productos que para la época existía en toda la región de Europa central y oriental

 

Después de la II Guerra Mundial la fábrica pasó a funcionar a manos del estado. A mediados de los años 50 hasta en el Tíbet eran comercializados los productos de la fábrica. A finales de los 80 debido a la baja demanda de productos y lo elevado de los costos de mantenimiento, la fábrica fue paralizándose paulatinamente.

 

En la actualidad el conjunto funciona como zona industrial, albergando cientos de otras empresas, oficinas, y pequeñas fábricas.

 

Riquezas naturales[editar]

Solamente una zona protectora alberga el Distrito, en la loma de Tamariska en la zona de Királyerdő que desde 1999 fue declarada por la ciudad capital como patrimonio natural, ya que en sus bancos arenosos se encuentran innumerables especies vegetales autóctonas y exclusivas de la zona.

 

Clima[editar]

 

Invierno en la plaza Vörösmarty.

La ciudad tiene un clima húmedo continental, un clima de transición entre el clima templado, cubierto de nieve de Transdanubia, el clima variable continental de la gran llanura plana y abierta del este y el clima casi sub-mediterráneo del sur.55

 

La primavera se caracteriza por la abundancia de sol y lluvias aisladas. La temperatura comienza a subir notablemente en abril, por lo general alcanzan máximas de 25 °C al final del mes, aunque hay cortos períodos de frío con bajas temperaturas en la zona con 0-5 °C y las heladas pueden aparecer incluso a mediados de mayo.

 

En los veranos, los prolongados períodos de calor, con temperaturas entre 32-35 °C, se intercambian con breves períodos húmedos con frentes fríos provenientes del oeste, con temperaturas de entre 18-25 °C. La humedad es alta, de vez en cuando, en verano principalmente secundaria por la influencia del Mediterráneo. Sin embargo, en general, el calor es seco y las temperaturas nocturnas son muy agradables, especialmente en los suburbios residenciales. En el centro de Pest, sin embargo, no es raro que las temperaturas sean superiores a 25 °C en medianoche. Las tormentas, algunas de ellas violentas con rachas fuertes y lluvias torrenciales, también son frecuentes. La temperatura más alta registrada fue de 40,7 °C el 20 de julio de 2007.56

 

Las temperaturas altas pueden mantenerse por encima de 20 °C hasta el final de octubre. Las noches más frías y las heladas llegan por primera vez, por lo general, en la segunda semana de octubre. Los cortos períodos fríos varían con el veranillo de San Miguel, que puede durar semanas enteras. En noviembre sobreviene la abundante lluvia, a veces nieve, y una caída drástica de las temperaturas (a 10 °C durante todo el otoño del mes).

 

Los inviernos son variables e impredecibles. Los vientos del oeste traen aire templado oceánico, con temperaturas de entre 5-10 °C, casi sin congelar y dispersa la lluvia o nieve. Las borrascas que se desplazan desde el mar Mediterráneo pueden traer tormentas de nieve con 20-40 cm de caída en un solo día, seguido por aire frío de Rusia. Las borrascas del Atlántico sur y el viento puede traer un clima inusualmente cálido, con temperaturas alcanzando los 15 °C incluso en enero. El anticiclón de Siberia trae cada dos años un período muy soleado pero frío con una duración de una semana o dos con puntos bajos en el rango climático de -15 a -20 °C. Los anticiclones con los centros superiores de Europa occidental producen niebla fría sin cambios en la temperatura entre el día y la noche y se quedan alrededor o un poco por debajo de 0 °C. La niebla puede durar semanas. Las borrascas mediterráneas que se mueven por encima de la capa de niebla puede llevar uno o dos días de lluvia helada.57 58 59

 

[ocultar]Gnome-weather-few-clouds.svg Parámetros climáticos promedio de Budapest WPTC Meteo task force.svg

MesEne.Feb.Mar.Abr.May.Jun.Jul.Ago.Sep.Oct.Nov.Dic.Anual

Temp. máx. abs. (°C)18.119.725.430.234.039.540.739.435.230.822.619.340.7

Temp. máx. media (°C)2.95.510.616.421.924.626.726.621.615.47.74.015.3

Temp. media (°C)-0.42.36.112.016.619.721.521.216.911.85.41.811.2

Temp. mín. media (°C)-1.70.03.57.612.115.116.816.512.87.852.9-0.07.8

Temp. mín. abs. (°C)-25.6-23.4-15.1-4.6-1.63.05.95.0-3.1-9.5-16.4-20.8-25.6

Precipitación total (mm)372930426263454940395343532

Días de precipitaciones (≥ 1 mm)76668876557778

Horas de sol558413718223024827425519715667481933

Fuente: www.met.hu60

Economía[editar]

Budapest se convirtió en una ciudad global debido a la industrialización. En 1910, el 45,2% de la población total trabajaban en fábricas. La capital húngara fue una de las más grandes ciudades industriales de Europa con 600.000 trabajadores de fábricas en la década de 1960. Entre 1920 y 1970, más de la mitad del total de la producción industrial de Hungría se hacía en Budapest. La Metalurgia (FÉG), la industria textil y la industria del automóvil (Ikarus) fueron los principales sectores que recibieron los cambios estructurales.61

 

Ahora casi todas las ramas de la industria se encuentra en Budapest. Los principales productos son los aparatos de comunicación de ingeniería e informática, máquinas eléctricas, lámparas incandescentes (General Electric). La industria farmacéutica también es importante, muy conocida Egis y las compañías Gedeon Richter y Chinoin son húngaras, mientras que Teva también tiene una división aquí.

 

La industria está más bien en las afueras, pues el centro es el lugar para el servicio principal de empresas financieras nacionales e internacionales, como Telekom Hungría, General Electric, Vodafone, Telenor, Erste Bank, CIB Bank, K&H Bank&Insurance, UniCredit, Budapest Bank, Generali Providencia Insurance, ING, Aegon Insurance, Allianz. Las bases regionales de Volvo Co., Saab, Ford, GE, IBM, TATA Consultancy Services Limited están Budapest. El grupo MOL de Petróleo y Gas húngaros, que con sus subsidiarias, es un líder integrado de petróleo y gas en Europa Central y del Este. El OTP Bank, que es el banco más grande de Hungría, con sucursales en otros ocho países, tienen su sede en la capital.

 

Budapest es el centro de los servicios, asesoría financiera, transacciones de divisas, servicios comerciales y bienes. Los servicios de comercio y logística están bien desarrollados. El turismo y la hostelería también merecen mención, ya que en la capital existen miles de establecimientos de restaurantes, bares, cafés y lugares de fiesta.

 

Lugares de interés[editar]

Budapest, con las riberas del Danubio, el barrio del castillo de Buda y la avenida Andrássy

UNESCO logo.svg Welterbe.svg

Nombre descrito en la Lista del Patrimonio de la Humanidad

BudapestDSCN3838.JPG

Vista del Puente de las cadenas desde el Castillo de Buda.

PaísFlag of Hungary.svg Hungría

TipoCultural

Criteriosii, iv

N.° identificación400bis

RegiónEuropa y América del Norte

Año de inscripción1987 (XI sesión)

Año de extensión2000

[editar datos en Wikidata]

El Parlamento de estilo neogótico contiene, entre otras cosas, las joyas de la corona húngara. La Basílica de San Esteban, donde se exhibe la Mano Derecha del Santo fundador de Hungría, el rey San Esteban. La cocina húngara y la cultura café pueden degustarse, por ejemplo, en el Café Gerbeaud, y los restaurantes Százéves, Biarritz, Fortuna, Alabárdos, Arany Szarvas, Kárpátia y el famoso Mátyás Pince. Hay restos romanos en el Museo Aquincum y mobiliario histórico en el Museo Nagytétény, que son sólo dos de los 223 museos de Budapest.

  

Vista del Parlamento de noche desde el río Danubio

La colina del castillo, los muros de contención del río Danubio y el conjunto de Andrássy út han sido oficialmente reconocidos por la UNESCO como Patrimonio de la Humanidad.

 

La colina del castillo y el distrito del castillo albergan tres iglesias, seis museos y una serie de interesantes edificios, calles y plazas. El antiguo Palacio Real es uno de los símbolos de Hungría y ha sido escenario de batallas y guerras desde el siglo XIII. Hoy en día alberga dos museos impresionantes y la Biblioteca Nacional Széchenyi. El cercano Palacio Sándor alberga las oficinas y la residencia oficial del Presidente de Hungría. La Iglesia de San Matías, de siete siglos de antigüedad, es una de las joyas de Budapest. A su lado está una estatua ecuestre del primer rey de Hungría, el rey San Esteban, y tras ésta el Bastión de los Pescadores, desde donde se abre una vista panorámica de toda la ciudad. Las estatuas del Turul, el pájaro guardián mítico de Hungría, se pueden encontrar tanto en el Barrio del Castillo y el Distrito XII.

  

Plaza de los Héroes.

En Pest, sin duda el espectáculo más importante es Andrássy út, mientras que las calles Kodály Körönd y Oktogon están llenas de tiendas y grandes pisos construidos muy juntos. Desde allí hasta la Plaza de los Héroes las casas se separan por completo y son más amplias. En el marco del conjunto se encuentra el ferrocarril metropolitano más antiguo de Europa continental, la mayoría de cuyas estaciones conservan su aspecto original. La Plaza de los Héroes está dominada por el Monumento del Milenio, con la Tumba del Soldado Desconocido en el frente. A los lados se encuentran el Museo de Bellas Artes y la Kunsthalle de Budapest, y detrás se abre el Parque de la Ciudad, con el castillo de Vajdahunyad. Una de las joyas de Andrássy út es la Ópera Nacional de Hungría. Memento Park, un parque temático con estatuas notables de la era comunista, está situado a las afueras del centro de la ciudad y es accesible por transporte público.

 

En la ciudad reside la sinagoga más grande de Europa (la Sinagoga de la Calle Dohány)62 y la segunda más grande del mundo. La sinagoga se encuentra en el barrio judío ocupando varias cuadras en el centro de Budapest bordeado por Király utca, Wesselényi utca, el Grand Boulevard y la carretera Bajcsy Zsilinszky. La ciudad también se enorgullece de tener el mayor baño de aguas medicinales de Europa (Baños Széchenyi) y el tercer edificio del Parlamento más grande del mundo. La tercera iglesia más grande de Europa (la Basílica de Esztergom) y el segundo mayor castillo barroco del mundo (Gödöllő) se encuentran en las proximidades.

 

En el paisaje urbano de Budapest puede distinguirse la Estatua de la Libertad, que tiene 14 metros de altura y descanasa sobre un pedestal de 26 metros en la Colina Gellért.63 La estatua fue construida en bronce durante la ocupación soviética de Hungría.

  

Iglesia de San Matías

  

Basílica de San Esteban

  

Castillo de Vajdahunyad

  

Mercado Central de Budapest

  

Sinagoga de la Calle Dohány

  

Vista del Castillo de Buda de noche desde el río Danubio.

Cultura[editar]

 

Ópera Nacional de Hungría.

 

Museo de Bellas Artes.

La tradición de la danza de la cuenca de los Cárpatos es el área única de la cultura de la danza europea, que es también una especie de transición entre los Balcanes y las regiones de Europa Occidental. En Budapest existen varios conjuntos de auténtica danza folclórica húngara, algunos de ellos profesionales. Budapest es una de las pocas ciudades del mundo donde hay una escuela secundaria para el aprendizaje de la danza folclórica.

 

En Budapest, actualmente hay 837 monumentos diferentes, que representan la mayor parte del estilo artístico europeo. Son prominentes los clásicos y únicos edificios de estilo Art Nouveau húngaros.

 

Los 223 museos y galerías de la ciudad presentan no sólo exposiciones y arte húngaro, sino también arte y ciencia de la cultura universal y europea. Entre los más importantes que se encuentran en la ciudad destacan el Museo Nacional de Hungría, la Galería Nacional Húngara, el Museo de Bellas Artes, el Museo Histórico de Budapest, el Parque Memento y el Museo de Artes Aplicadas.

 

En Budapest hay cuarenta teatros, siete salas de conciertos y un teatro de la ópera. También se celebran a menudo en edificios históricos festivales al aire libre, conciertos y conferencias que enriquecen la oferta cultural del verano. Las instituciones más prestigiosas de teatro son la Opereta y Teatro Musical de Budapest, el Teatro József Attila, el Teatro Katona József, el Teatro Madách, la Ópera Nacional de Hungría, el Teatro Nacional, el Vigadó, el Teatro Radnóti Miklós y el Teatro de la Comedia.

 

Muchas bibliotecas tienen colecciones únicas en Budapest, como la Biblioteca Nacional Széchenyi, que mantiene las reliquias históricas de la época antes de la impresión de los libros. La Biblioteca metropolitana Ervin Szabó juega un papel importante en la educación general de la población de la capital. Otras bibliotecas importantes son la Biblioteca de la Academia de Ciencias de Hungría, la Biblioteca de la Universidad Eötvös Loránd, la Biblioteca del Parlamento y de la Biblioteca Nacional de Literatura Extranjera.

 

Entre los eventos culturales de Hungría, el mayor festival al aire libre es el Festival de Sziget, que es muy popular en toda Europa. Otros que también son importantes y se celebran en la ciudad son el Festival de la Primavera de Budapest, el Festival de Otoño de Budapest, la Fiesta del Vino de Budapest y el Festival de Budapest de Pálinka.

 

Los turistas que visitan Budapest disponen de mapas gratuitos e información acerca de los diversos "puntos de interés" por la empresa municipal BTDM en sus puntos de información.64 Está disponible para los visitantes las tarjeta de 24 y 72 horas de Budapest. Para el transporte, la validez de la tarjeta es gratuita y hay descuentos en varios museos, restaurantes y otros lugares de interés.65 La ciudad también es conocida por sus bares en antiguas ruinas.66

 

Baños termales[editar]

En 1934, Budapest recibió el título de «Ciudad de Balnearios» por ser la capital que dispone de más pozos de aguas medicinales y termales del mundo;[cita requerida] es conocida por algunos como «La capital mundial de las aguas medicinales».

 

Su red es única: el rendimiento de las aguas termales, con temperaturas de 21 a 78 grados centígrados, que brotan de 118 fuentes naturales y de pozos artificiales, supera los 70 millones de litros diarios. En Budapest se encuentran conocidos baños termales públicos: Balneario Gellért (Gellért fürdő), Balneario Széchenyi (Széchenyi fürdő) el balneario europeo más grande, Balneario Lukács (Lukács fürdő), Balneario Rudas (Rudas fürdő), Balneario Király (Király fürdő) y Balneario Rác (Rác fürdő).

  

Baños termales Széchenyi.

Las aguas medicinales sirven para tratar enfermedades de los órganos locomotrices, de la circulación sanguínea y de la ginecología.

 

En los alrededores de estos baños termales existen pozos y salas para beber agua medicinal con alto contenido de distintos tipos minerales. La más conocida de estas salas de ingesta sirve de entrada al baño termal Lukács, que fue inaugurado en 1937, orientándose sus aguas medicinales a la curación de problemas digestivos. El edificio del baño termal fue construido en 1894. Sus efectos benéficos medicinales pronto fueron conocidos en el resto de Europa, convirtiéndose en uno de los lugares más notables de esta saludable especialidad.

 

También son famosos los baños termales de la época turca que funcionan hoy en día, como por ejemplo el Király, construido a finales de los años 1500, y el baño Rác. El baño Rudas —con su sala octogonal de columnas y cúpula— es el baño turco más antiguo y mejor ornamentado.

 

Islas[editar]

En el Danubio se pueden encontrar siete islas: Astillero, Isla Margarita, Isla de Csepel, Palotai-Sziget (actualmente una península), Népsziget, Haros-Sziget, y Sziget Molnár.

 

Entre las islas notables se incluyen:

 

La Isla Margarita de 2,5 km (1,6 millas) de largo y 0,965 kilómetros cuadrados (238 acres) de superficie. Se compone principalmente de un parque y es una popular zona de recreo para los turistas y lugareños por igual. La isla se encuentra entre el Puente Margarita (sur) y el puente Árpád (norte). En la isla se pueden encontrar discotecas, piscinas, un parque acuático, pistas para correr, de ciclismo, de atletismo y gimnasios. Durante el día la isla está ocupada por la gente que hace deporte o simplemente descansa. En el verano (por lo general los fines de semana) los más jóvenes van a la isla por la noche de fiesta en sus terrazas, o para divertirse con una botella de alcohol en un banco o en el césped (esta forma de entretenimiento se denomina a veces como banco-fiesta).

 

La isla de Csepel (pronunciación en húngaro:] tʃɛpɛlsiɡɛt [) es la isla mayor del río Danubio en Hungría. Tiene 48 km (30 millas) de largo, su ancho es de 6.8 km (3,75-5 millas) y su área abarca 257 km2 (99 millas cuadradas), aunque sólo el extremo norte se encuentra dentro de los límites de la ciudad.

 

Hajógyári-Sziget ([hɒjo ː ː ɟa siɡɛt ri], o Sziget Óbudai-) es una isla artificial, ubicada en el tercer distrito. Esta isla alberga numerosas actividades tales como: wake boarding, motos de agua durante el día, y clubes de baile durante la noche. Esta es la isla donde tiene lugar el famoso Festival de Sziget, recibiendo cientos de actuaciones por año y alrededor de 400.000 visitantes en su última edición. Se están llevando a cabo muchos proyectos de construcción para hacer de esta isla uno de los centros de ocio más importantes de Europa, el plan es construir edificios de apartamentos, hoteles, casinos y un puerto deportivo.

 

Luppa-Sziget es la isla más pequeña de Budapest, situada en la región norte.

El representante de Comercio de EEUU, Michael Froman, está en La Habana, y

se reunión con el ministro de Comercio Exterior y la Inversión Extranjera,

Rodrigo Malmierca. Foto: Ismael Francisco/ Cubadebate

leco-vita.blogspot.jp/2015/07/an-ordinary-day-15.html

Representa a u personaje que esta siendo para ataviado para participar en un juego de pelota,

France, Région Rhône-Alpes, Lyon, Place Bellecour