View of Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) and Jan Hus Memorial from the viewing platform of the gothic Old Town Hall (Staroměstská radnice), Old Town (Staré Město), Prague (Praha), Czech Republic.

Praha (Prague), Czech Republic.

The Historic Centre of Prague is inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO.

Citation from whc.unesco.org/en/list/616

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Built between the 11th and 18th centuries, the Old Town, the Lesser Town and the New Town speak of the great architectural and cultural influence enjoyed by this city since the Middle Ages. The many magnificent monuments, such as Hradcani Castle, St Vitus Cathedral, Charles Bridge and numerous churches and palaces, built mostly in the 14th century under the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV.

Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe in terms of its setting on both banks of the Vltava River, its townscape of burger houses and palaces punctuated by towers, and its individual buildings.

The Historic Centre represents a supreme manifestation of Medieval urbanism (the New Town of Emperor Charles IV built as the New Jerusalem). The Prague architectural works of the Gothic Period (14th and 15th centuries), of the High Baroque of the 1st half of the 18th century and of the rising modernism after the year 1900, influenced the development of Central Europe, perhaps even all European architecture. Prague represents one of the most prominent world centres of creative life in the field of urbanism and architecture across generations, human mentality and beliefs.

Prague belongs to the group of historic cities which have preserved the structure of their development until the present times. Within the core of Prague, successive stages of growth and changes have respected the original grand-scale urban structure of the Early Middle Ages. This structure was essentially and greatly enlarged with urban activities in the High Gothic period with more additions during the High Baroque period and in the 19th century. It has been saved from any large-scale urban renewal or massive demolitions and thus preserves its overall configuration, pattern and spatial composition.

In the course of the 1100 years of its existence, Prague’s development can be documented in the architectural expression of many historical periods and their styles. The city is rich in outstanding monuments from all periods of its history. Of particular importance are Prague Castle, the Cathedral of St Vitus, Hradćany Square in front of the Castle, the Valdgtejn Palace on the left bank of the river, the Gothic Charles Bridge, the Romanesque Rotunda of the Holy Rood, the Gothic arcaded houses round the Old Town Square, the High Gothic Minorite Church of St James in the Stark Mĕsto, the late 19th century buildings and town plan of the Nave Mĕsto.

As early as the Middle Ages, Prague became one of the leading cultural centres of Christian Europe. The Prague University, founded in 1348, is one of the earliest in Europe. The milieu of the University in the last quarter of the 14th century and the first years of the 15th century contributed among other things to the formation of ideas of the Hussite Movement which represented in fact the first steps of the European Reformation. As a metropolis of culture, Prague is connected with prominent names in art, science and politics, such as Charles IV, Petr Parléř, Jan Hus, Johannes Kepler, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Kafka, Antonín Dvořák, Albert Einstein, Edvard Beneš (co-founder of the League of Nations) and Václav Havel.

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End of citation

Cross on the roof of Sé do Porto (Porto Cathedral), Porto, Portugal.

---citation from en.wikipedia.org---

The Porto Cathedral (Portuguese: Sé do Porto), located in the historical centre of the city of Porto, Portugal, is one of the city's oldest monuments and one of the most important Romanesque monuments in Portugal

...

The cathedral is flanked by two square towers, each supported with two buttresses and crowned with a cupola. The façade lacks decoration and is rather architecturally heterogeneous. It shows a Baroque porch and a beautiful Romanesque rose window under a crenellated arch, giving the impression of a fortified church.

The Romanesque nave is rather narrow and is covered by barrel vaulting. It is flanked by two aisles with a lower vault. The stone roof of the central aisle is supported by flying butresses, making the building one of the first in Portugal to use this architectonic feature.

...

The South transept arm gives access to the Gothic cloister, which is decorated with baroque azulejos by Valentim de Almeida (between 1729 and 1731). They depict the life of the Virgin Mary and Ovid's Metamorphoses.

---end of citation---

The historic centre of Porto is inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO (whc.unesco.org).

Natur und Kultur in Mittelportugal (Nature and Culture in Mid-Portugal), Wikinger-Reisen, September 2011

Fahrt von Gudvangen nach Innvik (Tag 5) auf der Autofähre Gudvangen - Kaupanger in der schmalsten Stelle (250m breit) des Nærøyfjords. Im Hintergrund der Tuftofossen

La basilica di San Francesco in Assisi, è il luogo che dal 1230 conserva e custodisce le spoglie mortali del Santo serafico. Voluta da papa Gregorio IX quale specialis ecclesia[1], venne insignita dallo stesso Pontefice del titolo di Caput et Mater dell'Ordine minoritico[2] e contestualmente affidata in perpetuo agli stessi frati.

Nella complessa storia che ha segnato l'evoluzione dell'Ordine, la basilica (e l'annesso Sacro Convento) fu sempre custodita dai cosiddetti "frati della comunità", il gruppo che andò in seguito a costituire l'Ordine dei Frati Minori Conventuali.

Nell'anno 2000, insieme ad altri siti francescani del circondario, la basilica è stata inserita nella Lista del patrimonio dell'umanità dell'UNESCO.

Il 16 luglio del 1228, a soli due anni dalla morte, Francesco venne proclamato santo da papa Gregorio IX; il giorno dopo, 17 luglio, lo stesso Pontefice e il rappresentante dell'Ordine minoritico, frate Elia da Cortona, posero la prima pietra per la costruzione di quella imponente basilica.

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A Basílica de São Francisco de Assis, na região italiana da Úmbria, é a igreja-mãe da Ordem Franciscana e um Patrimônio da Humanidade desde 2000.

A construção da basílica começou logo após a canonização de Francisco em 1228. Simone di Pucciarello doou o local para a igreja, uma colina a oeste da cidade de Assis, conhecida como Colina do Inferno (onde os criminosos eram mortos). Hoje, o local é conhecido como Colina do Paraíso. A pedra fundamental foi posta pelo Papa Gregório IX, em 17 de Julho de 1228. A igreja foi projetada e supervisionada pelo irmão Elia Bombardone, um dos primeiros seguidores do santo. A basílica inferior foi terminada em 1230.

No dia de Pentecostes, em 25 de Maio de 1230, o corpo de Francisco foi trazido para o local. A construção da basílica superior começou logo após 1239 e foi finalizada em 1253. Sua arquitetura é uma síntese do Românico e do Gótico Italiano. As igrejas foram decoradas pelos maiores artistas daquele tempo, vindos de Roma, Toscana e Úmbria. A igreja inferior tem afrescos de Cimabue e Giotto; na igreja superior está uma série de afrescos com cenas da vida de São Francisco, também atribuída a Giotto e seus seguidores. A Basílica é administrada pelos Frades Menores Conventuais (OFM Conv.). Os Frades Franciscanos Conventuais são os gardiães dos restos mortais do Santo de Assis.

No dia 26 de setembro de 1997, Assis foi atingida por dois fortes terremotos que danificaram severamente a basílica (parte do teto dela ruiu durante o segundo tremor, destruindo um afresco de Cimabue) que passou dois anos fechada para restauração.

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The Papal Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Francesco, Latin: Basilica Sancti Francisci Assisiensis) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Friars Minor—commonly known as the Franciscan Order—in Assisi, Italy, the city where St. Francis was born and died. The basilica is one of the most important places of Christian pilgrimage in Italy. With its accompanying friary, the basilica is a distinctive landmark to those approaching Assisi. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

The basilica, which was begun in 1228, is built into the side of a hill and comprises two churches known as the Upper Church and the Lower Church, and a crypt where the remains of the saint are interred. The interior of the Upper Church is an important early example of the Gothic style in Italy. The Upper and Lower Churches are decorated with frescoes by numerous late medieval painters from the Roman and Tuscan schools, and include works by Cimabue, Giotto, Simone Martini, Pietro Lorenzetti and possibly Pietro Cavallini. The range and quality of the works gives the basilica a unique importance in demonstrating the development of Italian art of this period.

La basilica di San Francesco in Assisi, è il luogo che dal 1230 conserva e custodisce le spoglie mortali del Santo serafico. Voluta da papa Gregorio IX quale specialis ecclesia[1], venne insignita dallo stesso Pontefice del titolo di Caput et Mater dell'Ordine minoritico[2] e contestualmente affidata in perpetuo agli stessi frati.

Nella complessa storia che ha segnato l'evoluzione dell'Ordine, la basilica (e l'annesso Sacro Convento) fu sempre custodita dai cosiddetti "frati della comunità", il gruppo che andò in seguito a costituire l'Ordine dei Frati Minori Conventuali.

Nell'anno 2000, insieme ad altri siti francescani del circondario, la basilica è stata inserita nella Lista del patrimonio dell'umanità dell'UNESCO.

Il 16 luglio del 1228, a soli due anni dalla morte, Francesco venne proclamato santo da papa Gregorio IX; il giorno dopo, 17 luglio, lo stesso Pontefice e il rappresentante dell'Ordine minoritico, frate Elia da Cortona, posero la prima pietra per la costruzione di quella imponente basilica.

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A Basílica de São Francisco de Assis, na região italiana da Úmbria, é a igreja-mãe da Ordem Franciscana e um Patrimônio da Humanidade desde 2000.

A construção da basílica começou logo após a canonização de Francisco em 1228. Simone di Pucciarello doou o local para a igreja, uma colina a oeste da cidade de Assis, conhecida como Colina do Inferno (onde os criminosos eram mortos). Hoje, o local é conhecido como Colina do Paraíso. A pedra fundamental foi posta pelo Papa Gregório IX, em 17 de Julho de 1228. A igreja foi projetada e supervisionada pelo irmão Elia Bombardone, um dos primeiros seguidores do santo. A basílica inferior foi terminada em 1230.

No dia de Pentecostes, em 25 de Maio de 1230, o corpo de Francisco foi trazido para o local. A construção da basílica superior começou logo após 1239 e foi finalizada em 1253. Sua arquitetura é uma síntese do Românico e do Gótico Italiano. As igrejas foram decoradas pelos maiores artistas daquele tempo, vindos de Roma, Toscana e Úmbria. A igreja inferior tem afrescos de Cimabue e Giotto; na igreja superior está uma série de afrescos com cenas da vida de São Francisco, também atribuída a Giotto e seus seguidores. A Basílica é administrada pelos Frades Menores Conventuais (OFM Conv.). Os Frades Franciscanos Conventuais são os gardiães dos restos mortais do Santo de Assis.

No dia 26 de setembro de 1997, Assis foi atingida por dois fortes terremotos que danificaram severamente a basílica (parte do teto dela ruiu durante o segundo tremor, destruindo um afresco de Cimabue) que passou dois anos fechada para restauração.

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The Papal Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Francesco, Latin: Basilica Sancti Francisci Assisiensis) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Friars Minor—commonly known as the Franciscan Order—in Assisi, Italy, the city where St. Francis was born and died. The basilica is one of the most important places of Christian pilgrimage in Italy. With its accompanying friary, the basilica is a distinctive landmark to those approaching Assisi. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

The basilica, which was begun in 1228, is built into the side of a hill and comprises two churches known as the Upper Church and the Lower Church, and a crypt where the remains of the saint are interred. The interior of the Upper Church is an important early example of the Gothic style in Italy. The Upper and Lower Churches are decorated with frescoes by numerous late medieval painters from the Roman and Tuscan schools, and include works by Cimabue, Giotto, Simone Martini, Pietro Lorenzetti and possibly Pietro Cavallini. The range and quality of the works gives the basilica a unique importance in demonstrating the development of Italian art of this period.

Cloister of Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Hieronymites Monastery), Belém, Lisboa (Lisbon), Portugal.

The Hieronymites Monastery (official name: Mosteiro da Santa Maria de Belém), located near the shore of Rio Tejo (Tagus river), is one of the most prominent monuments of the Manueline style architecture. Along with the predominant Manueline style, there are also elements of the Spanish Plateresque style, and of Renaissance style.

The monastery was built by order of Manuel I. shortly after Vasco da Gama had returned from his first journey to India. The building was financed with the money now rolling in from the overseas trade. Work began in 1502 and ended in 1544 (except for some extensions that were added later).

Up to 1834, the monastery gave home to the order of the Hieronymites (that's where it's got its name from). The building survived the great earthquake of 1755 without larger damage, but was ravaged by Napoleon's troops in the beginning of the 19th century.

In 1983, Mosteiro dos Jerónimos was - together with the nearby Torre de Belém (Bélem tower) - inscribed on the World Heritage List of the UNESCO.

On December 13, 2007, the Treaty of Lisbon was signed at the monastery, laying down the basis for the reform of the European Union.

----quotation from en.wikipedia.org about the cloister----

Work on the vast square cloister (55 x 55 m) of the monastery was begun by Boitac. He built the groin vaults with wide arches and windows with tracery resting on delicate mullions. Juan de Castilho finished the construction by giving the lower storey a classical overlay and building a more recessed upper-storey. The construction of such a cloister was a novelty at the time. Castilho changed the original round columns of Boitac into rectangular ones, and embellished it with Plateresque-style ornamentation. Each wing consists of six bays with tracery vaults. The four inner bays rest on massive buttresses, forming broad arcades. The corner bays are linked by a diagonal arched construction and show the richly decorated corner pillars. The cloister had a religious function as well as a representative function by its decorative ornamentation and the dynastic symbolic motives, such as the armillarium, coat-of-arms, and the cross from the Order of Christ, showing the growing world power of Portugal.

The inside walls of the cloister have a wealth of Manueline motives with nautical elements, in addition to European, Moorish and Eastern motifs. The round arches and the horizontal structure are clearly in line with the Renaissance style, while at the same time there is also a relationship with Spanish architecture. The decorations on the outer walls of the inner courtyard were made in Plateresco style by Castilho: the arcades include traceried arches that give the construction a filigree aspect.

----end of quotation----

-----quotation from en.wikipedia.org about Manueline style-----

Several elements appear regularly in these intricately carved stoneworks:

- elements used on ships: the armillary sphere (a navigational instrument and the personal emblem of Manuel I and also symbol of the cosmos), spheres, anchors, anchor chains, ropes and cables.

- elements from the sea, such as shells, pearls and strings of seaweed.

- botanical motifs such as laurel branches, oak leaves, acorns, poppy capsules, corncobs, thistles.

- symbols of Christianity such as the cross of the Order of Christ (former Templar knights), the military order that played a prominent role and helped finance the first voyages of discovery. The cross of this order decorated the sails of the Portuguese ships.

- elements from newly discovered lands (such as the tracery in the Claustro Real in the Monastery of Batalha, suggesting Islamic filigree work, influenced by buildings in India)

- columns carved like twisted strands of rope

- semicircular arches (instead of Gothic pointed arches) of doors and windows, sometimes consisting of three or more convex curves

- multiple pillars

- eight-sided capitals

- lack of symmetry

- conical pinnacles

- bevelled crenellations

- ornate portals with niches or canopies.

----end of quotation-----

Natur und Kultur in Mittelportugal (Nature and Culture in Mid-Portugal), Wikinger-Reisen, September 2011

México - San Miguel de Allende

La basilica di San Francesco in Assisi, è il luogo che dal 1230 conserva e custodisce le spoglie mortali del Santo serafico. Voluta da papa Gregorio IX quale specialis ecclesia[1], venne insignita dallo stesso Pontefice del titolo di Caput et Mater dell'Ordine minoritico[2] e contestualmente affidata in perpetuo agli stessi frati.

Nella complessa storia che ha segnato l'evoluzione dell'Ordine, la basilica (e l'annesso Sacro Convento) fu sempre custodita dai cosiddetti "frati della comunità", il gruppo che andò in seguito a costituire l'Ordine dei Frati Minori Conventuali.

Nell'anno 2000, insieme ad altri siti francescani del circondario, la basilica è stata inserita nella Lista del patrimonio dell'umanità dell'UNESCO.

Il 16 luglio del 1228, a soli due anni dalla morte, Francesco venne proclamato santo da papa Gregorio IX; il giorno dopo, 17 luglio, lo stesso Pontefice e il rappresentante dell'Ordine minoritico, frate Elia da Cortona, posero la prima pietra per la costruzione di quella imponente basilica.

----------------------------------------------

A Basílica de São Francisco de Assis, na região italiana da Úmbria, é a igreja-mãe da Ordem Franciscana e um Patrimônio da Humanidade desde 2000.

A construção da basílica começou logo após a canonização de Francisco em 1228. Simone di Pucciarello doou o local para a igreja, uma colina a oeste da cidade de Assis, conhecida como Colina do Inferno (onde os criminosos eram mortos). Hoje, o local é conhecido como Colina do Paraíso. A pedra fundamental foi posta pelo Papa Gregório IX, em 17 de Julho de 1228. A igreja foi projetada e supervisionada pelo irmão Elia Bombardone, um dos primeiros seguidores do santo. A basílica inferior foi terminada em 1230.

No dia de Pentecostes, em 25 de Maio de 1230, o corpo de Francisco foi trazido para o local. A construção da basílica superior começou logo após 1239 e foi finalizada em 1253. Sua arquitetura é uma síntese do Românico e do Gótico Italiano. As igrejas foram decoradas pelos maiores artistas daquele tempo, vindos de Roma, Toscana e Úmbria. A igreja inferior tem afrescos de Cimabue e Giotto; na igreja superior está uma série de afrescos com cenas da vida de São Francisco, também atribuída a Giotto e seus seguidores. A Basílica é administrada pelos Frades Menores Conventuais (OFM Conv.). Os Frades Franciscanos Conventuais são os gardiães dos restos mortais do Santo de Assis.

No dia 26 de setembro de 1997, Assis foi atingida por dois fortes terremotos que danificaram severamente a basílica (parte do teto dela ruiu durante o segundo tremor, destruindo um afresco de Cimabue) que passou dois anos fechada para restauração.

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The Papal Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Francesco, Latin: Basilica Sancti Francisci Assisiensis) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Friars Minor—commonly known as the Franciscan Order—in Assisi, Italy, the city where St. Francis was born and died. The basilica is one of the most important places of Christian pilgrimage in Italy. With its accompanying friary, the basilica is a distinctive landmark to those approaching Assisi. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

The basilica, which was begun in 1228, is built into the side of a hill and comprises two churches known as the Upper Church and the Lower Church, and a crypt where the remains of the saint are interred. The interior of the Upper Church is an important early example of the Gothic style in Italy. The Upper and Lower Churches are decorated with frescoes by numerous late medieval painters from the Roman and Tuscan schools, and include works by Cimabue, Giotto, Simone Martini, Pietro Lorenzetti and possibly Pietro Cavallini. The range and quality of the works gives the basilica a unique importance in demonstrating the development of Italian art of this period.

it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_di_San_Francesco

La basilica di San Francesco in Assisi, è il luogo che dal 1230 conserva e custodisce le spoglie mortali del Santo serafico. Voluta da papa Gregorio IX quale specialis ecclesia[1], venne insignita dallo stesso Pontefice del titolo di Caput et Mater dell'Ordine minoritico[2] e contestualmente affidata in perpetuo agli stessi frati.

Nella complessa storia che ha segnato l'evoluzione dell'Ordine, la basilica (e l'annesso Sacro Convento) fu sempre custodita dai cosiddetti "frati della comunità", il gruppo che andò in seguito a costituire l'Ordine dei Frati Minori Conventuali.

Nell'anno 2000, insieme ad altri siti francescani del circondario, la basilica è stata inserita nella Lista del patrimonio dell'umanità dell'UNESCO.

Il 16 luglio del 1228, a soli due anni dalla morte, Francesco venne proclamato santo da papa Gregorio IX; il giorno dopo, 17 luglio, lo stesso Pontefice e il rappresentante dell'Ordine minoritico, frate Elia da Cortona, posero la prima pietra per la costruzione di quella imponente basilica.

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A Basílica de São Francisco de Assis, na região italiana da Úmbria, é a igreja-mãe da Ordem Franciscana e um Patrimônio da Humanidade desde 2000.

A construção da basílica começou logo após a canonização de Francisco em 1228. Simone di Pucciarello doou o local para a igreja, uma colina a oeste da cidade de Assis, conhecida como Colina do Inferno (onde os criminosos eram mortos). Hoje, o local é conhecido como Colina do Paraíso. A pedra fundamental foi posta pelo Papa Gregório IX, em 17 de Julho de 1228. A igreja foi projetada e supervisionada pelo irmão Elia Bombardone, um dos primeiros seguidores do santo. A basílica inferior foi terminada em 1230.

No dia de Pentecostes, em 25 de Maio de 1230, o corpo de Francisco foi trazido para o local. A construção da basílica superior começou logo após 1239 e foi finalizada em 1253. Sua arquitetura é uma síntese do Românico e do Gótico Italiano. As igrejas foram decoradas pelos maiores artistas daquele tempo, vindos de Roma, Toscana e Úmbria. A igreja inferior tem afrescos de Cimabue e Giotto; na igreja superior está uma série de afrescos com cenas da vida de São Francisco, também atribuída a Giotto e seus seguidores. A Basílica é administrada pelos Frades Menores Conventuais (OFM Conv.). Os Frades Franciscanos Conventuais são os gardiães dos restos mortais do Santo de Assis.

No dia 26 de setembro de 1997, Assis foi atingida por dois fortes terremotos que danificaram severamente a basílica (parte do teto dela ruiu durante o segundo tremor, destruindo um afresco de Cimabue) que passou dois anos fechada para restauração.

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The Papal Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Francesco, Latin: Basilica Sancti Francisci Assisiensis) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Friars Minor—commonly known as the Franciscan Order—in Assisi, Italy, the city where St. Francis was born and died. The basilica is one of the most important places of Christian pilgrimage in Italy. With its accompanying friary, the basilica is a distinctive landmark to those approaching Assisi. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

The basilica, which was begun in 1228, is built into the side of a hill and comprises two churches known as the Upper Church and the Lower Church, and a crypt where the remains of the saint are interred. The interior of the Upper Church is an important early example of the Gothic style in Italy. The Upper and Lower Churches are decorated with frescoes by numerous late medieval painters from the Roman and Tuscan schools, and include works by Cimabue, Giotto, Simone Martini, Pietro Lorenzetti and possibly Pietro Cavallini. The range and quality of the works gives the basilica a unique importance in demonstrating the development of Italian art of this period.

Entrance of An der Mauer ("At the wall") Nr. 128, Hanseatic City of Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

The old city center of Lübeck is in great parts inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO. A plan of the inscribed zones can be found here: whc.unesco.org/download.cfm?id_document=102311

---quotation from whc.unesco.org:---

Lübeck – the former capital and Queen City of the Hanseatic League – was founded in the 12th century and prospered until the 16th century as the major trading centre for northern Europe. It has remained a centre for maritime commerce to this day, particularly with the Nordic countries. Despite the damage it suffered during the Second World War, the basic structure of the old city, consisting mainly of 15th- and 16th-century patrician residences, public monuments (the famous Holstentor brick gate), churches and salt storehouses, remains unaltered.

---end of quotation---

January 2019

Der älteste Naturpark Südtirols, Schlern-Rosengarten, begeistert mit einer reichen Flora und Fauna und ist umgeben von dem kantigen Gestein der Dolomiten, UNESCO Weltnaturerbe.

Casa Milà, Passeig de Gràcia 92, Barcelona, autonomous community Catalonia, Spain.

This is seen from Carrer de Provença.

---quotation from en.wikipedia.org about Casa Milà:---

Casa Milà (...), better known as La Pedrera (... 'The Quarry'), is a building designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí and built during the years 1906–1912. It is located at 92, Passeig de Gràcia (passeig is Catalan for promenade) in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

It was a controversial design at the time for the bold forms of the undulating stone facade and wrought iron decoration of the balconies and windows, designed largely by Josep Maria Jujol, who also created some of the plaster ceilings.

Architecturally it is considered an innovative work for its steel structure and curtain walls – the façade is self-supporting. Other innovative elements were the construction of underground car parking and separate lifts and stairs for the owners and their servants.

In 1984, it was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. The building is made open to the public by the CatalunyaCaixa Foundation, which manages the various exhibitions and activities and visits to the interior and roof.

---end of quotation---

---quotation from en.wikipedia.org about Antoni Gaudí:---

Antoni Gaudí i Cornet (...25 June 1852 – 10 June 1926) was a Spanish Catalan architect and figurehead of Catalan Modernism. Gaudí's works reflect his highly individual and distinctive style and are largely concentrated in the Catalan capital of Barcelona, notably his magnum opus, the Sagrada Família.

Much of Gaudí's work was marked by his big passions in life: architecture, nature, religion. Gaudí studied every detail of his creations, integrating into his architecture a series of crafts in which he was skilled: ceramics, stained glass, wrought ironwork forging and carpentry. He introduced new techniques in the treatment of materials, such as trencadís, made of waste ceramic pieces.

After a few years under the influence of neo-Gothic art and Oriental techniques, Gaudí became part of the Catalan Modernista movement which was reaching its peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His work transcended mainstream Modernisme, culminating in an organic style inspired by nature. Gaudí rarely drew detailed plans of his works, instead preferring to create them as three-dimensional scale models and molding the details as he was conceiving them.

Gaudí’s work enjoys widespread international appeal and many studies are devoted to understanding his architecture. Today, his work finds admirers among architects and the general public alike. His masterpiece, the still-uncompleted Sagrada Família, is one of the most visited monuments in Spain. Between 1984 and 2005, seven of his works were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

---end of quotation---

---quotation from en.wikipedia.org about Barcelona:---

Barcelona (...) is the capital of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, after Madrid, with a population of 1,620,943 within its administrative limits on a land area of 101.4 km² (39 sq mi). The urban area of Barcelona extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of around 4.5 million within an area of 803 km² (310 sq mi), being the sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, the Ruhr, Madrid and Milan. About five million people live in the Barcelona metropolitan area. It is also the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea. It is located on the Mediterranean coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs and is bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola ridge (512 metres (1,680 ft)).

Founded as a Roman city, Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, Barcelona became the most important city of the Crown of Aragon. Besieged several times during its history, Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean is located in Barcelona. The city is known for hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as world-class conferences and expositions and also many international sport tournaments.

---end of quotation---

Costa Brava holiday April 2009.

Blick vom Tschafon auf den Rosengarten.

Statue of Don António Ferreira Gomes, Bishop of Porto from 1906-1989, Porto, Portugal.

I don't want to be impious, but for me this statue looks more like a very strict headmistress or governess... One of my first associations was Minerva McGonagall... ;-)

The historic centre of Porto is inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO (whc.unesco.org).

Natur und Kultur in Mittelportugal (Nature and Culture in Mid-Portugal), Wikinger-Reisen, September 2011

La basilica di San Francesco in Assisi, è il luogo che dal 1230 conserva e custodisce le spoglie mortali del Santo serafico. Voluta da papa Gregorio IX quale specialis ecclesia[1], venne insignita dallo stesso Pontefice del titolo di Caput et Mater dell'Ordine minoritico[2] e contestualmente affidata in perpetuo agli stessi frati.

Nella complessa storia che ha segnato l'evoluzione dell'Ordine, la basilica (e l'annesso Sacro Convento) fu sempre custodita dai cosiddetti "frati della comunità", il gruppo che andò in seguito a costituire l'Ordine dei Frati Minori Conventuali.

Nell'anno 2000, insieme ad altri siti francescani del circondario, la basilica è stata inserita nella Lista del patrimonio dell'umanità dell'UNESCO.

Il 16 luglio del 1228, a soli due anni dalla morte, Francesco venne proclamato santo da papa Gregorio IX; il giorno dopo, 17 luglio, lo stesso Pontefice e il rappresentante dell'Ordine minoritico, frate Elia da Cortona, posero la prima pietra per la costruzione di quella imponente basilica.

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A Basílica de São Francisco de Assis, na região italiana da Úmbria, é a igreja-mãe da Ordem Franciscana e um Patrimônio da Humanidade desde 2000.

A construção da basílica começou logo após a canonização de Francisco em 1228. Simone di Pucciarello doou o local para a igreja, uma colina a oeste da cidade de Assis, conhecida como Colina do Inferno (onde os criminosos eram mortos). Hoje, o local é conhecido como Colina do Paraíso. A pedra fundamental foi posta pelo Papa Gregório IX, em 17 de Julho de 1228. A igreja foi projetada e supervisionada pelo irmão Elia Bombardone, um dos primeiros seguidores do santo. A basílica inferior foi terminada em 1230.

No dia de Pentecostes, em 25 de Maio de 1230, o corpo de Francisco foi trazido para o local. A construção da basílica superior começou logo após 1239 e foi finalizada em 1253. Sua arquitetura é uma síntese do Românico e do Gótico Italiano. As igrejas foram decoradas pelos maiores artistas daquele tempo, vindos de Roma, Toscana e Úmbria. A igreja inferior tem afrescos de Cimabue e Giotto; na igreja superior está uma série de afrescos com cenas da vida de São Francisco, também atribuída a Giotto e seus seguidores. A Basílica é administrada pelos Frades Menores Conventuais (OFM Conv.). Os Frades Franciscanos Conventuais são os gardiães dos restos mortais do Santo de Assis.

No dia 26 de setembro de 1997, Assis foi atingida por dois fortes terremotos que danificaram severamente a basílica (parte do teto dela ruiu durante o segundo tremor, destruindo um afresco de Cimabue) que passou dois anos fechada para restauração.

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The Papal Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Francesco, Latin: Basilica Sancti Francisci Assisiensis) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Friars Minor—commonly known as the Franciscan Order—in Assisi, Italy, the city where St. Francis was born and died. The basilica is one of the most important places of Christian pilgrimage in Italy. With its accompanying friary, the basilica is a distinctive landmark to those approaching Assisi. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

The basilica, which was begun in 1228, is built into the side of a hill and comprises two churches known as the Upper Church and the Lower Church, and a crypt where the remains of the saint are interred. The interior of the Upper Church is an important early example of the Gothic style in Italy. The Upper and Lower Churches are decorated with frescoes by numerous late medieval painters from the Roman and Tuscan schools, and include works by Cimabue, Giotto, Simone Martini, Pietro Lorenzetti and possibly Pietro Cavallini. The range and quality of the works gives the basilica a unique importance in demonstrating the development of Italian art of this period.

House decoration in Glockengießerstraße (bell founders' street), Hanseatic City of Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

The old city center of Lübeck is in great parts inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO. A plan of the inscribed zones can be found here: whc.unesco.org/download.cfm?id_document=102311

---quotation from whc.unesco.org:---

Lübeck – the former capital and Queen City of the Hanseatic League – was founded in the 12th century and prospered until the 16th century as the major trading centre for northern Europe. It has remained a centre for maritime commerce to this day, particularly with the Nordic countries. Despite the damage it suffered during the Second World War, the basic structure of the old city, consisting mainly of 15th- and 16th-century patrician residences, public monuments (the famous Holstentor brick gate), churches and salt storehouses, remains unaltered.

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July 2017.

Patio de Naranjas (Courtyard of the Orange Trees) of Mezquita Catedral de Córdoba (Mosque Cathedral of Córdoba), full name Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption), Córdoba, Province of Córdoba, Andalusia, Spain.

The Mosque Cathedral of Córdoba shows the many religious changes Córdoba has seen over the centuries. The site on which the Mezquita stands has long been a sacred space – it was host to a Roman temple and a Visigothic cathedral before the mosque was constructed in the 8th century. Finally, a cathedral was added inside the mosque by the Christian conquerors in the early 13th century.

Today the mosque/cathedral is 179 m long and 134 m wide. It has a base of 23000 m² and is one of the largest sacred buildings in the world.

The most important room of the mosque is the large prayer hall which takes 2/3 of the whole area and is decorated with double horse-shoe arches carried by 856 columns of jasper, onyx, marble, and granite. The mosque also has richly gilded prayer niches. The mihrab is a masterpiece of architectural art, with geometric and flowing designs of plants.

After the conquest of Córdoba by the Catholic Kings in the 13th century, a Renaissance cathedral nave was built right in the middle of the expansive structure of the mosque.

The Historic Centre of Córdoba is inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO.

-------quotation from whc.unesco.org:-------

Cordoba's period of greatest glory began in the 8th century after the Moorish conquest, when some 300 mosques and innumerable palaces and public buildings were built to rival the splendours of Constantinople, Damascus and Baghdad. In the 13th century, under Ferdinand III, the Saint, Cordoba's Great Mosque was turned into a cathedral and new defensive structures, particularly the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos and the Torre Fortaleza de la Calahorra, were erected.

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Andalusia holiday April 2012

Venedig Venice Venezia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venice

Italia 3 Album

www.flickr.com/photos/arjuna/sets/72157627437241642/

Venedig ( italienisch : Venezia [venɛttsja] ( hören ) , [ 1 ] Venetian : Venexia [venɛsja] ; ( Latein : Venetia )) ist eine Stadt im Nordosten von Italien gelegen an einer Gruppe von 118 kleinen Inseln, die durch Kanäle getrennt und verbunden durch Brücken. [ 2 ] Es wird in der sumpfigen befindet Lagune von Venedig , die sich entlang der Küste zwischen den Mündungen der streckt Po und Piave Rivers. Venedig ist für die Schönheit seiner Umgebung, seiner Architektur und seinen Kunstwerken bekannt. [ 2 ] Die Stadt ist in ihrer Gesamtheit als börsennotiertes Weltkulturerbe , zusammen mit seiner Lagune. [ 2 ]

Venedig ist die Hauptstadt des Veneto Region . Im Jahr 2009 gab es 270.098 Personen mit Wohnsitz in Venedig Gemeinde (die Bevölkerung von 272.000 Einwohnern umfasst die Bevölkerung des ganzen Comune von Venezia; rund 60.000 [ 3 ] in der historischen Altstadt von Venedig ( Centro storico ); 176.000 in Terraferma (das Festland ), vor allem in der großen Ortsteile von Mestre und Marghera , 31.000 leben auf anderen Inseln in der Lagune). Zusammen mitPadua und Treviso , die Stadt ist in der Padua-Treviso-Venedig Metropolitan Area (PATREVE) enthalten, mit einer Gesamtbevölkerung von 1.600.000. PATREVE nur eine statistische Stadtgebiet ohne Maß an Autonomie.

Hiking tour from Queimadas to Caldeirão Verde ("Green cauldron") and (somewhere near) Caldeirão do Inferno ("Cauldron of hell"), island of Madeira, Portugal.

This region of Madeira is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Laurisilva of Madeira.

Madeira is a Portuguese island in the Atlantic ocean, approximately 1000 km (620 mi) southwest of Lisbon and 700 km (435 mi) west of the Moroccan coast. Situated in a hot spot area, Madeira is of volcanic origin, formed during several eruptive phases, the last of which ended around 6500 years ago. Madeira is a very mountainous island. With an extent of only 57 km (35 mi) from west to east and 22 km (14 mi) from north to south, and with the highest mountain having an elevation of 1862 m (6109 ft), the terrain of the island is mostly very rocky and steep, except for the high plateau Paul da Serra.

Madeira is also known as the "island of flowers", although most of the popular "typical" Madeiran flowers (like the bird of paradise flower, the hydrangea, the agapanthus and others) are neither endemic nor native. Some of the genuine Madeiran plants are the "Pride of Madeira" (Echium candicans), Canary Islands Juniper (Juniperus cedrus) and the laurel forests of Madeira (the latter one being listed as UNESCO World Heritage).

Madeira is permeated by artificially built water channels called levadas, which distribute the water from the wetter northern half of the island to the agricultural regions of the south. The levadas, mostly built by prisoners or slaves, were cut into the side of the mountains, partly running through tunnels, and enabled for example the cultivation of sugar cane which was the source of the Madeiran wealth during the 15th to 17th century.

Today most of the levadas are still in use, not only for irrigation but also for hydroelectricity. Running across the whole island, they provide a wide network of walking paths, making even extremely remote regions of the island accessible to pedestrians, which is one of the reasons for Madeira's popularity as a hiking paradise.

Madeira hiking holiday July 2013.

Lectern in the castle bedroom of Spišský hrad (Spiš Castle, German: Zipser Burg), municipality Žehra, district Spišská Nová Ves, Košický kraj (Košice region), Slovakia.

Spiš Castle is inscribed in the World Heritage list of the UNESCO as part of the World Heritage Site Levoča, Spišský Hrad and the Associated Cultural Monuments.

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The ruins of Spiš Castle (Slovak: Spišský hrad; Hungarian: Szepesi vár; German: Zipser Burg) in eastern Slovakia form one of the largest castle sites in Central Europe. The castle is situated above the town of Spišské Podhradie and the village of Žehra, in the region known as Spiš (Hungarian: Szepes, German: Zips, Polish: Spisz, Latin: Scepusium). It was included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1993 (together with the adjacent locations of Spišská Kapitula, Spišské Podhradie and Žehra). This is one of the biggest European castles by area (41 426 m²).

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Slovakia holidays May 2016

Stained glass window of the Church of Santa Maria, Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Hieronymites Monastery), Belém, Lisboa (Lisbon), Portugal.

The window shows Saint Mary with little Jesus as well as some Portuguese caravels with the cross of the Order of Christ on their sails.

The Hieronymites Monastery (official name: Mosteiro da Santa Maria de Belém), located near the shore of Rio Tejo (Tagus river), is one of the most prominent monuments of the Manueline style architecture. Along with the predominant Manueline style, there are also elements of the Spanish Plateresque style, and of Renaissance style.

The monastery was built by order of Manuel I. shortly after Vasco da Gama had returned from his first journey to India. The building was financed with the money now rolling in from the overseas trade. Work began in 1502 and ended in 1544 (except for some extensions that were added later).

Up to 1834, the monastery gave home to the order of the Hieronymites (that's where it's got its name from). The building survived the great earthquake of 1755 without larger damage, but was ravaged by Napoleon's troops in the beginning of the 19th century.

In 1983, Mosteiro dos Jerónimos was - together with the nearby Torre de Belém (Bélem tower) - inscribed on the World Heritage List of the UNESCO.

On December 13, 2007, the Treaty of Lisbon was signed at the monastery, laying down the basis for the reform of the European Union.

-----quotation from en.wikipedia.org about Manueline style-----

Several elements appear regularly in these intricately carved stoneworks:

- elements used on ships: the armillary sphere (a navigational instrument and the personal emblem of Manuel I and also symbol of the cosmos), spheres, anchors, anchor chains, ropes and cables.

- elements from the sea, such as shells, pearls and strings of seaweed.

- botanical motifs such as laurel branches, oak leaves, acorns, poppy capsules, corncobs, thistles.

- symbols of Christianity such as the cross of the Order of Christ (former Templar knights), the military order that played a prominent role and helped finance the first voyages of discovery. The cross of this order decorated the sails of the Portuguese ships.

- elements from newly discovered lands (such as the tracery in the Claustro Real in the Monastery of Batalha, suggesting Islamic filigree work, influenced by buildings in India)

- columns carved like twisted strands of rope

- semicircular arches (instead of Gothic pointed arches) of doors and windows, sometimes consisting of three or more convex curves

- multiple pillars

- eight-sided capitals

- lack of symmetry

- conical pinnacles

- bevelled crenellations

- ornate portals with niches or canopies.

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Natur und Kultur in Mittelportugal (Nature and Culture in Mid-Portugal), Wikinger-Reisen, September 2011

Siena è un comune di 54.391 abitanti della Toscana centrale, capoluogo dell'omonima provincia.

La città è universalmente conosciuta per il suo patrimonio artistico e per la sostanziale unità stilistica del suo arredo urbano medievale, nonché per il suo famoso Palio; il centro storico è stato infatti dichiarato dall'UNESCO patrimonio dell'umanità nel 1995.

Siena fu fondata come colonia romana al tempo dell'Imperatore Augusto e prese il nome di Saena Iulia.

All'interno del centro storico senese sono stati ritrovati dei siti di epoca etrusca, che possono far pensare alla fondazione della città da parte degli etruschi.

Il primo documento noto in cui viene citata la comunità senese risale al 70 e porta la firma di Tacito che, nel IV libro delle Historiae, riporta il seguente episodio: il senatore Manlio Patruito riferì a Roma di essere stato malmenato e ridicolizzato con un finto funerale durante la sua visita ufficiale a Saena Iulia, piccola colonia militare della Tuscia. Il Senato romano decise di punire i principali colpevoli e di richiamare severamente i senesi a un maggiore rispetto verso l'autorità.

Dell'alto Medioevo non si hanno documenti che possano illuminare intorno ai casi della vita civile a Siena. C'è qualche notizia relativa alla istituzione del vescovado e della diocesi, specialmente per le questioni sorte fra il Vescovo di Siena e quello di Arezzo, a causa dei confini della zona giurisdizionale di ciascuno: questioni nelle quali intervenne il re longobardo Liutprando, pronunziando sentenza a favore della diocesi aretina. Ma i senesi non furono soddisfatti e pertanto nell'anno 853, quando l'Italia passò dalla dominazione longobarda a quella franca, riuscirono ad ottenere l'annullamento della sentenza emanata dal re Liutprando. Pare, dunque, che al tempo dei Longobardi, Siena fosse governata da un gastaldo, rappresentante del re: Gastaldo che fu poi sostituito da un Conte imperiale dopo l'incoronazione di Carlo Magno. Il primo conte di cui si hanno notizie concrete fu Winigi, figlio di Ranieri, nel 867. Dopo il 900 regnava a Siena l'imperatore Ludovico III, il cui regno non durò così a lungo, dal momento che nel 903 le cronache raccontano di un ritorno dei conti al potere sotto il nuovo governo del re Berengario.

Siena si ritrova nel X secolo al centro di importanti vie commerciali che portavano a Roma e, grazie a ciò divenne un'importante città medievale. Nel XII secolo la città si dota di ordinamenti comunali di tipo consolare, comincia a espandere il proprio territorio e stringe le prime alleanze. Questa situazione di rilevanza sia politica che economica, portano Siena a combattere per i domini settentrionali della Toscana, contro Firenze. Dalla prima metà del XII secolo in poi Siena prospera e diventa un importante centro commerciale, tenendo buoni rapporti con lo Stato della Chiesa; i banchieri senesi erano un punto di riferimento per le autorità di Roma, ai quali si rivolgevano per prestiti o finanziamenti.

Alla fine del XII secolo Siena, sostenendo la causa ghibellina (anche se non mancavano, le famiglie senesi di parte guelfa, in sintonia con Firenze), si ritrovò nuovamente contro Firenze di parte guelfa: celebre è la vittoria sui toscani guelfi nella battaglia di Montaperti, del 1260, celebrata anche da Dante Alighieri. Ma dopo qualche anno i senesi ebbero la peggio nella battaglia di Colle Val d'Elsa, del 1269, che portò in seguito, nel 1287, alla ascesa del Governo

dei Nove, di parte guelfa. Sotto questo nuovo governo, Siena raggiunse il suo massimo splendore, sia economico che culturale.

Dopo la peste del 1348, cominciò la lenta decadenza della Repubblica di Siena, che comunque non precluse la strada all'espansione territoriale senese, che fino al giorno della caduta della Repubblica comprendeva un terzo della toscana. La fine della Repubblica Senese, forse l'unico Stato occidentale ad attuare una democrazia pura a favore del popolo, avvenne il 25 aprile 1555, quando la città, dopo un assedio di oltre un anno, dovette arrendersi stremata dalla fame, all'impero di Carlo V, spalleggiato dai fiorentini, che cedette in feudo il territorio della Repubblica ai Medici, Signori di Firenze, per ripagarli delle spese sostenute durante la guerra. Per l'ennesima volta i cittadini senesi riuscirono a tenere testa ad un imperatore, che solo grazie alle proprie smisurate risorse poté piegare la fiera resistenza di questa piccola Repubblica e dei suoi cittadini.

Dopo la caduta della Repubblica pochi senesi guidati peraltro dall'esule fiorentino Piero Strozzi, non volendo accettare la caduta della Repubblica, si rifugiarono in Montalcino, creando la Repubblica di Siena riparata in Montalcino, mantenendo l'alleanza con la Francia, che continuò ad esercitare il proprio potere sulla parte meridionale del territorio della Repubblica, creando notevoli problemi alle truppe degli odiati fiorentini. Essa visse fino al 31 maggio del 1559 quando fu tradita dagli alleati francesi, che Siena aveva sempre sostenuto, che concludendo la pace di Cateau-Cambrésis con l'imperatore Carlo V, cedettero di fatto la Repubblica ai fiorentini.

Lo stemma di Siena è detto "balzana". È uno scudo diviso in due porzioni orizzontali: quella superiore è bianca, quella inferiore nera,con la Lupa che allatta Senio e Ascanio. Secondo la leggenda, starebbe a simboleggiare il fumo nero e bianco scaturito dalla pira augurale che i leggendari fondatori della città, Senio e Ascanio, figli di Remo, avrebbero acceso per ringraziare gli dei dopo la fondazione della città di Siena. Un'altra leggenda riporta che la balzana derivi dai colori dei cavalli, uno bianco ed uno nero, che Senio e Ascanio usarono nella fuga dallo zio Romolo che li voleva uccidere e con i quali giunsero a Siena. Per il loro presunto carattere focoso che, si dice, rasenta la pazzia, anche i senesi sono definiti spesso "balzani".

Siena (em português também conhecida como Sena) é uma cidade e sede de comuna italiana na região da Toscana, província do mesmo nome, com cerca de 52.775 (ISTAT 2003) habitantes. Estende-se por uma área de 118 km2, tendo uma densidade populacional de 447 hab/km2. Faz fronteira com Asciano, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Monteriggioni, Monteroni d'Arbia e Sovicille.

Siena é universalmente conhecida pelo seu património artístico e pela notável unidade estilística do seu centro histórico, classificado pela UNESCO como Património da Humanidade.

Segundo a mitologia romana, Siena foi fundada por Sénio, filho de Remo, e podem-se encontrar numerosas estátuas e obras de arte mostrando, tal como em Roma, os irmãos amamentados pela loba. Foi um povoamento etrusco e depois colónia romana (Saena Julia) refundada pelo imperador Augusto. Era, contudo, uma pequena povoação, longe das rotas principais do Império. No século V, torna-se sede de uma diocese cristã.

As antigas famílias aristocráticas de Siena reclamam origem nos Lombardos e à data da submissão da Lombardia a Carlos Magno (774). A grande influência da cidade como pólo cultural, artístico e político é iniciada no século XII, quando se converte num burgo autogovernado de cariz republicano, substituindo o esquema feudal.

Todavia, o esquema político conduziu sempre a lutas internas entre nobres e externas com a cidade rival de Florença. Data do século XIII a ruptura entre as facções rivais dos Guibelinos de Siena e dos Guelfos de Florença, que seria argumento para a Divina Comédia de Dante.

Em 4 de Setembro de 1260, os Guibelinos apoiaram as forças do rei Manfredo da Sicília e derrotaram os Guelfos em Montaperti, que tinham um exército muito superior em armas e homens. Antes da batalha, toda a cidade fora consagrada à Virgem Maria e confiada à sua protecção. Hoje, essa protecção é recordada e renovada, lembrando os sienenses da ameaça dos aliados da Segunda Guerra Mundial de bombardearam a cidade em 1944, o que felizmente não veio a acontecer.

Siena rivalizou no campo das artes durante o período medieval até o século XIV com as cidades vizinhas. Porém, devastada em 1348 pela Peste Negra, nunca recuperou o seu esplendor, perdendo também a sua rivalidade interurbana com Florença. A Siena actual tem um aspecto muito semelhante ao dos séculos XIII-XIV. Detém uma universidade fundada em 1203, famosa pelas faculdades de Direito e Medicina, e que é uma das mais prestigiadas universidades italianas.

Em 1557 perde a independência e é integrada nas formações políticas e administrativas da Toscana.

Siena também deu vários Papas, sendo eles: Alexandre III, Pio II, Pio III e Alexandre VII.

Os dois grandes santos de Siena são Santa Catarina (1347-1380) e São Bernardino (1380-1444). Catarina Benincasa, filha de um humilde tintureiro, fez-se irmã na Ordem Terceira dominicana (para leigos)e viveu como monja na casa dos pais. É famosa pelo intercâmbio interior com o próprio Cristo, que num êxtase lhe disse: "Eu sou aquele que é e tú és aquela que não é". Apesar da origem modesta, influenciou papas e príncipes com sua sabedoria e seu exemplo, conseguindo inclusive convencer o papa de então, contra a maioria dos cardeais, a regressar a Roma do exílio de Avinhon na França. Quanto ao franciscano São Bernardino, ele é célebre por ter sido o maior expoente, no Catolicismo, da via espiritual de invocação do Nome Divino, que encontra similares em todas as grandes religiões, do Budismo (nembutsu) ao Islã ([[dhikr]]) e ao Hinduísmo (mantra). Os sermões que Bernbardino fez na praça central de Siena provocaram tal fervor religioso e devoção ao nome de Jesus que o conselho municipal decidiu colocar o monograma do nome de Jesus (composto pelas letras IHS, significando "Jesus salvador dos homens")na fachada do prédio do governo. Do mesmo modo, muitos cidadãos o pintaram sobre as fachadas de suas casas, como até hoje se pode ver na cidade.

Siena also widely spelled Sienna in English) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.

The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008.[1] Siena is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape and the palio.

Siena, like other Tuscan hill towns, was first settled in the time of the Etruscans (c. 900–400 BC) when it was inhabited by a tribe called the Saina. The Etruscans were an advanced people who changed the face of central Italy through their use of irrigation to reclaim previously unfarmable land, and their custom of building their settlements in well-defended hill-forts. A Roman town called Saena Julia was founded at the site in the time of the Emperor Augustus. The first document mentioning it dates from AD 70. Some archaeologists assert that Siena was controlled for a period by a Gaulish tribe called the Saenones.

The Roman origin accounts for the town's emblem: a she-wolf suckling infants Romulus and Remus. According to legend, Siena was founded by Senius, son of Remus, who was in turn the brother of Romulus, after whom Rome was named. Statues and other artwork depicting a she-wolf suckling the young twins Romulus and Remus can be seen all over the city of Siena. Other etymologies derive the name from the Etruscan family name "Saina," the Roman family name of the "Saenii," or the Latin word "senex" ("old") or the derived form "seneo", "to be old".

Siena did not prosper under Roman rule. It was not sited near any major roads and lacked opportunities for trade. Its insular status meant that Christianity did not penetrate until the 4th century AD, and it was not until the Lombards invaded Siena and the surrounding territory that it knew prosperity. After the Lombard occupation, the old Roman roads of Via Aurelia and the Via Cassia passed through areas exposed to Byzantine raids, so the Lombards rerouted much of their trade between the Lombards' northern possessions and Rome along a more secure road through Siena. Siena prospered as a trading post, and the constant streams of pilgrims passing to and from Rome provided a valuable source of income in the centuries to come.

The oldest aristocratic families in Siena date their line to the Lombards' surrender in 774 to Charlemagne. At this point, the city was inundated with a swarm of Frankish overseers who married into the existing Sienese nobility and left a legacy that can be seen in the abbeys they founded throughout Sienese territory. Feudal power waned however, and by the death of Countess Matilda in 1115 the border territory of the Mark of Tuscia which had been under the control of her family, the Canossa, broke up into several autonomous regions.

Siena prospered as a city-state, becoming a major centre of money lending and an important player in the wool trade. It was governed at first directly by its bishop, but episcopal power declined during the 12th century. The bishop was forced to concede a greater say in the running of the city to the nobility in exchange for their help during a territorial dispute with Arezzo, and this started a process which culminated in 1167 when the commune of Siena declared its independence from episcopal control. By 1179, it had a written constitution.

This period was also crucial in shaping the Siena we know today. It was during the early 13th century that the majority of the construction of the Siena Cathedral (Duomo) was completed. It was also during this period that the Piazza del Campo, now regarded as one of the most beautiful civic spaces in Europe, grew in importance as the centre of secular life. New streets were constructed leading to it, and it served as the site of the market and the location of various sporting events (perhaps better thought of as riots, in the fashion of the Florentine football matches that are still practised to this day). A wall was constructed in 1194 at the current site of the Palazzo Pubblico to stop soil erosion, an indication of how important the area was becoming as a civic space.

In the early 12th century a self-governing commune replaced the earlier aristocratic government. The consuls who governed the republic slowly became more inclusive of the poblani, or common people, and the commune increased its territory as the surrounding feudal nobles in their fortified castles submitted to the urban power. Siena's republic, struggling internally between nobles and the popular party, usually worked in political opposition to its great rival, Florence, and was in the 13th century predominantly Ghibelline in opposition to Florence's Guelph position (this conflict formed the backdrop for some of Dante's Commedia).

On 4 September 1260 the Sienese Ghibellines, supported by the forces of King Manfred of Sicily, defeated the Florentine Guelphs in the Battle of Montaperti. Before the battle, the Sienese army of around 20,000 faced a much larger Florentine army of around 33,000. Prior to the battle, the entire city was dedicated to the Virgin Mary (this was done several times in the city's history, most recently in 1944 to guard the city from Allied bombs). The man given command of Siena for the duration of the war, Bonaguida Lucari, walked barefoot and bareheaded, a halter around his neck, to the Duomo. Leading a procession composed of all the city's residents, he was met by all the clergy. Lucari and the bishop embraced, to show the unity of church and state, then Lucari formally gave the city and contrade to the Virgin. Legend has it that a thick white cloud descended on the battlefield, giving the Sienese cover and aiding their attack. The reality was that the Florentine army launched several fruitless attacks against the Sienese army during the day, then when the Sienese army countered with their own offensive, traitors within the Florentine army killed the standard bearer and in the resulting chaos, the Florentine army broke up and fled the battlefield. Almost half the Florentine army (some 15,000 men) were killed as a result. So crushing was the defeat that even today if the two cities meet in any sporting event, the Sienese supporters are likely to exhort their Florentine counterparts to “Remember Montaperti!”.

The limits on the Roman town, were the earliest known walls to the city. During the 10th and 11th centuries, the town grew to the east and later to the north, in what is now the Camollia district. Walls were built to totally surround the city, and a second set was finished by the end of the 13th century. Much of these walls still exist today.[2]

Siena's university, founded in 1240 and famed for its faculties of law and medicine, is still among the most important Italian universities. Siena rivalled Florence in the arts throughout the 13th and 14th centuries: the important late medieval painter Duccio di Buoninsegna (1253–1319) was a Sienese, but worked across the peninsula, and the mural of "Good Government" by Ambrogio Lorenzetti in the Palazzo Pubblico, or town hall, is a magnificent example of late-Medieval/early Renaissance art as well as a representation of the utopia of urban society as conceived during that period. Siena was devastated by the Black Death of 1348, and also suffered from ill-fated financial enterprises. In 1355, with the arrival of Charles IV of Luxembourg in the city, the population rose and suppressed the government of the Nove (Nine), establishing that Dodici (Twelve) nobles assisted by a council with a popular majority. This was also short-lived, being replaced by the Quindici (Fifteen) reformers in 1385, the Dieci (Ten, 1386–1387), Undici (Eleven, 1388–1398) and Twelve Priors (1398–1399) who, in the end, gave the city's seigniory to Gian Galeazzo Visconti of Milan in order to defend it from the Florentine expansionism.

In 1404 the Visconti were expelled and a government of Ten Priors established, in alliance with Florence against King Ladislas of Naples. With the election of the Sienese Pius II as Pope, the Piccolomini and other noble families were allowed to return to the government, but after his death the control returned into popular hands. In 1472 the Republic founded the Monte dei Paschi, a bank that is still active today and is the oldest surviving bank in the world. The noble factions returned in the city under Pandolfo Petrucci in 1487, with the support of Florence and of Alfonso of Calabria; Petrucci exerted an effective rule on the city until his death in 1512, favouring arts and sciences, and defending it from Cesare Borgia. Pandolfo was succeeded by his son Borghese, who was ousted by his cousin Raffaello, helped by the Medici Pope Leo X. The last Petrucci was Fabio, exiled in 1523 by the Sienese people. Internal strife resumed, with the popular faction ousting the Noveschi party supported by Clement VII: the latter sent an army, but was defeated at Camollia in 1526. Emperor Charles V took advantage of the chaotic situation to put a Spanish garrison in Siena. The citizens expelled it in 1552, allying with France: this was unacceptable for Charles, who sent his general Gian Giacomo Medici to lay siege to it with a Florentine-Imperial army.

The Sienese government entrusted its defence to Piero Strozzi. When the latter was defeated at the Battle of Marciano (August 1554), any hope of relief was lost. After 18 months of resistance, it surrendered to Spain on 17 April 1555, marking the end of the Republic of Siena. The new Spanish King Philip, owing huge sums to the Medici, ceded it (apart a series of coastal fortress annexed to the State of Presidi) to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, to which it belonged until the unification of Italy in the 19th century. A Republican government of 700 Sienese families in Montalcino resisted until 1559.

The picturesque city remains an important cultural centre, especially for humanist disciplines

Fahrt von Gudvangen nach Innvik (Tag 5) auf der Autofähre Gudvangen - Kaupanger im Aurlandsfjord.

La basilica di San Francesco in Assisi, è il luogo che dal 1230 conserva e custodisce le spoglie mortali del Santo serafico. Voluta da papa Gregorio IX quale specialis ecclesia[1], venne insignita dallo stesso Pontefice del titolo di Caput et Mater dell'Ordine minoritico[2] e contestualmente affidata in perpetuo agli stessi frati.

Nella complessa storia che ha segnato l'evoluzione dell'Ordine, la basilica (e l'annesso Sacro Convento) fu sempre custodita dai cosiddetti "frati della comunità", il gruppo che andò in seguito a costituire l'Ordine dei Frati Minori Conventuali.

Nell'anno 2000, insieme ad altri siti francescani del circondario, la basilica è stata inserita nella Lista del patrimonio dell'umanità dell'UNESCO.

Il 16 luglio del 1228, a soli due anni dalla morte, Francesco venne proclamato santo da papa Gregorio IX; il giorno dopo, 17 luglio, lo stesso Pontefice e il rappresentante dell'Ordine minoritico, frate Elia da Cortona, posero la prima pietra per la costruzione di quella imponente basilica.

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A Basílica de São Francisco de Assis, na região italiana da Úmbria, é a igreja-mãe da Ordem Franciscana e um Patrimônio da Humanidade desde 2000.

A construção da basílica começou logo após a canonização de Francisco em 1228. Simone di Pucciarello doou o local para a igreja, uma colina a oeste da cidade de Assis, conhecida como Colina do Inferno (onde os criminosos eram mortos). Hoje, o local é conhecido como Colina do Paraíso. A pedra fundamental foi posta pelo Papa Gregório IX, em 17 de Julho de 1228. A igreja foi projetada e supervisionada pelo irmão Elia Bombardone, um dos primeiros seguidores do santo. A basílica inferior foi terminada em 1230.

No dia de Pentecostes, em 25 de Maio de 1230, o corpo de Francisco foi trazido para o local. A construção da basílica superior começou logo após 1239 e foi finalizada em 1253. Sua arquitetura é uma síntese do Românico e do Gótico Italiano. As igrejas foram decoradas pelos maiores artistas daquele tempo, vindos de Roma, Toscana e Úmbria. A igreja inferior tem afrescos de Cimabue e Giotto; na igreja superior está uma série de afrescos com cenas da vida de São Francisco, também atribuída a Giotto e seus seguidores. A Basílica é administrada pelos Frades Menores Conventuais (OFM Conv.). Os Frades Franciscanos Conventuais são os gardiães dos restos mortais do Santo de Assis.

No dia 26 de setembro de 1997, Assis foi atingida por dois fortes terremotos que danificaram severamente a basílica (parte do teto dela ruiu durante o segundo tremor, destruindo um afresco de Cimabue) que passou dois anos fechada para restauração.

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The Papal Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Francesco, Latin: Basilica Sancti Francisci Assisiensis) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Friars Minor—commonly known as the Franciscan Order—in Assisi, Italy, the city where St. Francis was born and died. The basilica is one of the most important places of Christian pilgrimage in Italy. With its accompanying friary, the basilica is a distinctive landmark to those approaching Assisi. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

The basilica, which was begun in 1228, is built into the side of a hill and comprises two churches known as the Upper Church and the Lower Church, and a crypt where the remains of the saint are interred. The interior of the Upper Church is an important early example of the Gothic style in Italy. The Upper and Lower Churches are decorated with frescoes by numerous late medieval painters from the Roman and Tuscan schools, and include works by Cimabue, Giotto, Simone Martini, Pietro Lorenzetti and possibly Pietro Cavallini. The range and quality of the works gives the basilica a unique importance in demonstrating the development of Italian art of this period.

it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_di_San_Francesco

Das Schloss Stolzenfels steht über dem nach ihm benannten Koblenzer Stadtteil Stolzenfels auf der linken Seite des Rheins, gegenüber der Lahnmündung. Das neugotische Schloss ist das herausragendste Werk der Rheinromantik.

Seit 2002 ist das Schloss Stolzenfels Teil des UNESCO-Welterbes Oberes Mittelrheintal,

des Weiteren ist es ein geschütztes Kulturgut nach der Haager Konvention.

Burg Stolzenfels

In den Jahren 1242 bis 1259 errichtete der Trierer Erzbischof Arnold II. von Isenburg die Burg Stolzenfels als kurtrierische Zollburg. Ihr gegenüber liegt auf der Lahnsteiner Seite die 1232 erbaute kurmainzische Burg Lahneck. Der noch heute erhaltene fünfseitige Bergfried entstand 1248. Burg Stolzenfels wurde von den Erzbischöfen Kuno und Werner von Falkenstein in den Jahren 1388 bis 1418 mit einem Wohnturm sowie dem Palas auf der Rheinseite erweitert. Die Rolle der Zollburg übertrug Werner von Falkenstein 1412 auf die 1371 von Kuno erbaute, rheinabwärts gelegene Burg Kunostein, die an der Stelle des später errichteten Schloss Engers stand.

Im Dreißigjährigen Krieg wurde Burg Stolzenfels 1632 erst von den Schweden und anschließend für jeweils zwei Jahre ( 1634 und 1646 ) von den Franzosen besetzt. Nach ihrer Zerstörung 1689 im Pfälzischen Erbfolgekrieg durch die Franzosen verfielen die Ruinen in den nächsten 150 Jahren. Die Stadt Koblenz machte sie im Jahre 1815 dem Kronprinzen Friedrich Wilhelm von Preußen, dem späteren König Friedrich Wilhelm IV. und Sohn Königs Friedrich Wilhelm III., zum Geschenk.

Dieser nahm jedoch erst 1823 unter Oberbürgermeister Abundius Maehler kurz nach seiner Heirat mit Elisabeth Ludovika von Bayern die Schenkung an.

Schloss Stolzenfels

Im Jahre 1826 bis 1830 ließ Friedrich Wilhelm IV. von dem Architekten Johann Claudius von Lassaulx die klassizistisch-neuromanische Pfarrkirche Sankt Menas in Stolzenfels errichten. Gleichzeitig baute er die Burg als Sommersitz wieder auf. Bis 1842 entstand unter Mitwirkung Karl Friedrich Schinkels ( nach 1839 unter Leitung von Friedrich August Stüler ) das heutige Schloss. Unverkennbar sind die Einflüsse der englischen Neugotik und Schinkels romantischer Stil. Die Räume der Sommerresidenz wurden mit wertvollen Möbeln und Gemälden ausgestattet. Der imposanteste Raum ist der zweischiffige gewölbte Rittersaal, in dem alte Ritterrüstungen ausgestellt sind. Vorbild für die Gestaltung des Rittersaals war die Marienburg bei Danzig. Die romantisierende Umgebung des Schlosses ( z.B. Turnierplatz ) gestaltete der Gartenarchitekt Peter Joseph Lenné.

Im Jahre 1842 waren der Ausbau und die Renovierung des Schlosses beendet. Am 14. September zog König Friedrich Wilhelm IV. mit seiner in historischen Kostümen gekleideten Begleitung schließlich ein. 1843 war die als Personalwohnung geplante Klause an der Auffahrt durch die Ingenieuroffiziere Naumann und Carl Schnitzler vollendet. Nach Plänen Schnitzlers entstand 1845 noch die neugotische Kapelle.

Hohen Besuch bekam das Schloss Stolzenfels im Jahre 1845 von der britischen Königin Victoria.

Das Schloss heute

Schon kurz nach Fertigstellung stand das Schloss bei Abwesenheit des Königs Besuchern zur Besichtigung offen. Auch heute lassen sich Torgebäude, gotischer Wohnturm, Palas mit gewölbtem Rittersaal, Pergolagarten und Bergfried besichtigen. Im Rittersaal befinden sich Sammlungen von historischen Waffen und Trinkgefäßen. Die Besucher werden in Filzpantoffeln durch die wunderschönen Wohnräume geführt. Im mittelalterlichen Wohnturm befindet sich ein Saal mit Wandmalereien des Berliner Malers Hermann Stilke. Sie zählen heute zu den bedeutendsten Werken der rheinischen Hochromantik. Neben südlichen Einflüssen ( z. B. Springbrunnen im Pergolagarten ) begegnet der Besucher einer bunten Inneneinrichtung, die durch die Sammelleidenschaft Friedrich Wilhelms IV. zustande kam.

Seit 2002 ist das Schloss Stolzenfels Teil des von der UNESCO ausgezeichneten Welterbes Oberes Mittelrheintal. Für die Rheinromantik-Ausstellung im Landesmuseum Koblenz 2002 wurde ein digitales Modell erstellt, das den Zustand von 1845 rekonstruiert, beruhend auf restauratorischen Untersuchungen. In Überblendungen sind stufenlose Vergleiche möglich zwischen der Ruine, wie sie ein Korkmodell um 1830 zeigt, den Bauaufnahmen und Ausbauplänen der Architekten von Lassaulx, Schinkel, Stüler u. a., ferner den künstlerischen Darstellungen in Aquarellen von Caspar Scheuren u. a., sowie schließlich dem ausgeführten und 1845 eingeweihten Bau.

Jährlich kommen bis zu 250.000 Besucher zum Schloss.

Zur Bundesgartenschau 2011 in Koblenz wird das Schloss Stolzenfels mit 16 Millionen Euro aus Landesmitteln restauriert und ist deshalb nicht zu besichtigen. Das äußere Erscheinungsbild wird wieder hergerichtet und die Gärten werden nach den alten Plänen des Gartenbaumeisters Peter Joseph Lenné neu angelegt.

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_Stolzenfels

Seit 2002 ist es Teil des UNESCO-Welterbe - Oberes Mittelrheintal

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welterbe_Kulturlandschaft_Oberes_Mi...

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Castillo de Stolzenfels

frente a la desembocadura del rio Lahn en el rio Rin

El castillo de Stolzenfels es una construcción que se levanta en la localidad del mismo nombre cerca de Coblenza ( Alemania ) a orillas del río Rin en un punto cercano a la desembocadura del Río Lahn.

Historia

Durante la Guerra de los Treinta Años, el antiguo castillo fue ocupado por el ejército sueco en 1632 y luego por el ejército francés entre 1634 y 1646. Los ocupantes franceses destruyeron el edificio, que paso más de cien años en estado de ruina. En 1823 la ciudad de Coblenza obsequió a Federico Guillermo IV de Prusia lo que quedaba del castillo.

Federico Guillermo mandó construir el nuevo edificio al arquitecto alemán Friedrich Schinkel, quien era jefe del departamento de obras del Estado prusiano y arquitecto de la familia real. La construcción fue terminada en 1847.

El castillo hoy

En ausencia del rey, poco después de la finalización, el castillo fue abierto al público.

También hoy son dignos de visitar: Puerta de entrada, torre residencial gótico, el Palas, con una sala abovedada de los caballeros, Jardín pérgola, Mantenga. En la sala de los caballeros son colecciones de armas históricas y recipientes para beber. Modelo para el diseño de la Sala de los Caballeros fue el Marienburg, cerca de Danzig. Los visitantes son guiados en zapatillas de fieltro a través de las áreas residenciales hermosas. En la torre medieval, una sala con murales del pintor de Berlín Hermann Stilke. Se encuentran entre las obras más importantes del romanticismo del Rin. Además de las influencias del sur ( tales como fuentes, Jardín pérgola ) el visitante se encuentra con un interior de colores, por la pasión de coleccionar Federico Guillermo IV. materializado.

Cada año, hasta 250.000 visitantes al castillo. Para el Salón del Jardín de 2011 en Coblenza ( Bundesgartenschau 2011 ), el castillo está siendo restaurado con 16 millones de Euros. El aspecto exterior es más elaborado y los jardines se crearán, de conformidad con los planes antiguos de la horticultura maestro Peter Joseph Lenné.

es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castillo_de_Stolzenfels

Desde 2002, es un parte de Paisaje cultural del Valle Superior del Medio Rin ( Oberes Mittelrheintal ), también conocido como el Rin romántico desde este año es un Patrimonio de la Humanidad ( UNESCO )

es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rin_rom%C3%A1ntico

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es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castillo_de_Wartburg

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wartburg

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wartburg

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Eisenach, Thüringen

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es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisenach

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisenach

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisenach

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Please do not use my images without my permission This includes blogging them without my consent. All my photos are my copyright and may not be used or reproduced in any way without my express permission.

If you would like to use an image, please leave a comment to that effect or contact me via Flickrmail.

Detail of the Dance of Death window in the Totentanzkapelle (Dance of Death Chapel) inside St. Marienkirche" (St. Mary's Church), Hanseatic City of Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

This is Death, dancing with Mayor, (probably) Merchant and Nobleman.

The Dance of Death Chapel got its name from the famous "Lübecker Totentanz" (Lübeck Dance of Death) by German painter and sculptor Bernt Notke from 1463 (resp. later its copy from 1701) which was displayed there. This famous piece of art was irrecoverably destroyed during the British air raid on Palm Sunday 1942 in World War II. After the reconstruction of St. Mary's Church, the Dance of Death Chapel got two stained glass windows, designed by Alfred Mahlau, taking motifs and aspects of the burnt "Totentanz". The base of the windows show Lübeck in flames.

---quotation from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Mary's_Church,_L%c3%bcbeck about St. Marienkirche:---

The Lutheran Marienkirche (St. Mary's church) in Lübeck (German: Lübecker Marienkirche or officially St. Marien zu Lübeck: St. Mary's of Lübeck) was constructed between 1250 and 1350. For many years it has been a symbol of the power and prosperity of the old Hanseatic city, and as Germany's third largest church it remains the tallest building of the old part of Lübeck. It is larger than Lübeck Cathedral. Along with the city, the church has been listed by UNESCO as of cultural significance.

It is a model for the brick Gothic style of northern Germany, reflected in approximately 70 churches in the Baltic Area. In Lübeck, the high-rising Gothic style of France was adapted to north German brick. At 38.5 meters (125 ft) the church has the highest brick vault in the world. Taking the weather vanes into account, the towers are 124.95 meters (406 ft) and 124.75 meters (405.5 ft) high.

St. Mary's is located in the merchant's borough, which stretches from the docks of the River Trave all the way up to the church itself. It is the main church of the local council and the people of Lübeck, and was erected near the market and town hall. (...)

On the night of Palm Sunday from 28 to 29 March 1942, the church was almost completely burnt out during an Allied bombing raid along with about a fifth of Lübeck city centre, including the Lübeck Cathedral and St. Peter's Church. (...) Reconstruction began in 1947, and, in 12 years, the majority was complete.

---end of quotation---

The old city center of Lübeck is in great parts inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO. A plan of the inscribed zones can be found here: whc.unesco.org/download.cfm?id_document=102311

---quotation from whc.unesco.org:---

Lübeck – the former capital and Queen City of the Hanseatic League – was founded in the 12th century and prospered until the 16th century as the major trading centre for northern Europe. It has remained a centre for maritime commerce to this day, particularly with the Nordic countries. Despite the damage it suffered during the Second World War, the basic structure of the old city, consisting mainly of 15th- and 16th-century patrician residences, public monuments (the famous Holstentor brick gate), churches and salt storehouses, remains unaltered.

---end of quotation---

Sightseeing tour with Seppo and Merja on 15 September 2013.

Turret of Casa Batlló, Passeig de Gràcia 43, Barcelona, autonomous community Catalonia, Spain.

Casa Batlló is a building by the famous modernisme architect Antoni Gaudí and, together with six of his other works, is inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO as "Works of Antoni Gaudí".

---quotation from en.wikipedia.org about Casa Batlló:---

Casa Batlló (...) is a renowned building located in the heart of Barcelona and is one of Antoni Gaudí’s masterpieces. Casa Batlló is a remodel of a previously built house. It was redesigned in 1904 by Gaudí and has been refurbished several times after that. Casa Batlló evokes the creativity and playfulness of Gaudí’s work through the incracite facades and creative floors. Gaudí's assistants Domènec Sugrañes i Gras, Josep Canaleta and Joan Rubió also contributed to the renovation project.

The local name for the building is Casa dels ossos (House of Bones), as it has a visceral, skeletal organic quality. It was originally designed for a middle-class family and situated in a prosperous district of Barcelona.

The building looks very remarkable — like everything Gaudí designed, only identifiable as Modernisme or Art Nouveau in the broadest sense. The ground floor, in particular, is rather astonishing with tracery, irregular oval windows and flowing sculpted stone work.

It seems that the goal of the designer was to avoid straight lines completely. Much of the façade is decorated with a mosaic made of broken ceramic tiles (trencadís) that starts in shades of golden orange moving into greenish blues. The roof is arched and was likened to the back of a dragon or dinosaur. A common theory about the building is that the rounded feature to the left of centre, terminating at the top in a turret and cross, represents the lance of Saint George (patron saint of Catalonia, Gaudí's home), which has been plunged into the back of the dragon.

---end of quotation---

---quotation from en.wikipedia.org about Antoni Gaudí:---

Antoni Gaudí i Cornet (...25 June 1852 – 10 June 1926) was a Spanish Catalan architect and figurehead of Catalan Modernism. Gaudí's works reflect his highly individual and distinctive style and are largely concentrated in the Catalan capital of Barcelona, notably his magnum opus, the Sagrada Família.

Much of Gaudí's work was marked by his big passions in life: architecture, nature, religion. Gaudí studied every detail of his creations, integrating into his architecture a series of crafts in which he was skilled: ceramics, stained glass, wrought ironwork forging and carpentry. He introduced new techniques in the treatment of materials, such as trencadís, made of waste ceramic pieces.

After a few years under the influence of neo-Gothic art and Oriental techniques, Gaudí became part of the Catalan Modernista movement which was reaching its peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His work transcended mainstream Modernisme, culminating in an organic style inspired by nature. Gaudí rarely drew detailed plans of his works, instead preferring to create them as three-dimensional scale models and molding the details as he was conceiving them.

Gaudí’s work enjoys widespread international appeal and many studies are devoted to understanding his architecture. Today, his work finds admirers among architects and the general public alike. His masterpiece, the still-uncompleted Sagrada Família, is one of the most visited monuments in Spain. Between 1984 and 2005, seven of his works were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

---end of quotation---

---quotation from en.wikipedia.org about Barcelona:---

Barcelona (...) is the capital of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, after Madrid, with a population of 1,620,943 within its administrative limits on a land area of 101.4 km² (39 sq mi). The urban area of Barcelona extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of around 4.5 million within an area of 803 km² (310 sq mi), being the sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, the Ruhr, Madrid and Milan. About five million people live in the Barcelona metropolitan area. It is also the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea. It is located on the Mediterranean coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs and is bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola ridge (512 metres (1,680 ft)).

Founded as a Roman city, Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, Barcelona became the most important city of the Crown of Aragon. Besieged several times during its history, Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean is located in Barcelona. The city is known for hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as world-class conferences and expositions and also many international sport tournaments.

---end of quotation---

Costa Brava holiday April 2009.

Detail of the Dance of Death window in the Totentanzkapelle (Dance of Death Chapel) inside St. Marienkirche" (St. Mary's Church), Hanseatic City of Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

This is Death, dancing with King and (I think) Craftsman.

The Dance of Death Chapel got its name from the famous "Lübecker Totentanz" (Lübeck Dance of Death) by German painter and sculptor Bernt Notke from 1463 (resp. later its copy from 1701) which was displayed there. This famous piece of art was irrecoverably destroyed during the British air raid on Palm Sunday 1942 in World War II. After the reconstruction of St. Mary's Church, the Dance of Death Chapel got two stained glass windows, designed by Alfred Mahlau, taking motifs and aspects of the burnt "Totentanz". The base of the windows show Lübeck in flames.

---quotation from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Mary's_Church,_L%c3%bcbeck about St. Marienkirche:---

The Lutheran Marienkirche (St. Mary's church) in Lübeck (German: Lübecker Marienkirche or officially St. Marien zu Lübeck: St. Mary's of Lübeck) was constructed between 1250 and 1350. For many years it has been a symbol of the power and prosperity of the old Hanseatic city, and as Germany's third largest church it remains the tallest building of the old part of Lübeck. It is larger than Lübeck Cathedral. Along with the city, the church has been listed by UNESCO as of cultural significance.

It is a model for the brick Gothic style of northern Germany, reflected in approximately 70 churches in the Baltic Area. In Lübeck, the high-rising Gothic style of France was adapted to north German brick. At 38.5 meters (125 ft) the church has the highest brick vault in the world. Taking the weather vanes into account, the towers are 124.95 meters (406 ft) and 124.75 meters (405.5 ft) high.

St. Mary's is located in the merchant's borough, which stretches from the docks of the River Trave all the way up to the church itself. It is the main church of the local council and the people of Lübeck, and was erected near the market and town hall. (...)

On the night of Palm Sunday from 28 to 29 March 1942, the church was almost completely burnt out during an Allied bombing raid along with about a fifth of Lübeck city centre, including the Lübeck Cathedral and St. Peter's Church. (...) Reconstruction began in 1947, and, in 12 years, the majority was complete.

---end of quotation---

The old city center of Lübeck is in great parts inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO. A plan of the inscribed zones can be found here: whc.unesco.org/download.cfm?id_document=102311

---quotation from whc.unesco.org:---

Lübeck – the former capital and Queen City of the Hanseatic League – was founded in the 12th century and prospered until the 16th century as the major trading centre for northern Europe. It has remained a centre for maritime commerce to this day, particularly with the Nordic countries. Despite the damage it suffered during the Second World War, the basic structure of the old city, consisting mainly of 15th- and 16th-century patrician residences, public monuments (the famous Holstentor brick gate), churches and salt storehouses, remains unaltered.

---end of quotation---

Sightseeing tour with Seppo and Merja on 15 September 2013.

Fresko in der Kirche des Klosters des Agios Ionannis Lampadistis (nahe Kalopanagiotis/

Troodos, Zypern).

Detail of the Nativity Facade of Sagrada Família, Barcelona, autonomous community Catalonia, Spain.

Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family), commonly called Sagrada Família (Holy Family), is an unfinished Roman Catholic basilica in Barcelona. It was designed by the famous Catalan modernisme architect Antoni Gaudí. Construction works started in 1882 and are estimated to be finished until the 100th anniversary of Gaudí's death in 2026 - provided that there'll be enough money, as the construction of Sagrada Família is funded solely by private donations and the entrance fees.

Sagrada Família has a nave with 5 aisles and a transept with 3 aisles. It is surrounded by a cloister. The whole church is adorned with complex ornaments and decorative elements. The columns carrying the hyperboloid vaults are designed to resemble trees and branch out at the top.

According to Gaudí's drafts, the church will have three grand facades and eighteen spires:

Nativity facade and Passion facade are already completed, Glory facade is under construction now.

Twelve of the spires (four of them above each facade, eight of them already completed) will be for the Twelve Apostles, four spires for the four Evangelists, and one spire each for the Virgin Mary and for Jesus Christ. With a height of 170 m it will be the tallest church building in the world.

Together with six other buildings, Gaudí’s work on the Nativity facade and the Crypt of Sagrada Família is inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO as Works of Antoni Gaudí.

---quotation from en.wikipedia.org about Antoni Gaudí:---

Antoni Gaudí i Cornet (...25 June 1852 – 10 June 1926) was a Spanish Catalan architect and figurehead of Catalan Modernism. Gaudí's works reflect his highly individual and distinctive style and are largely concentrated in the Catalan capital of Barcelona, notably his magnum opus, the Sagrada Família.

Much of Gaudí's work was marked by his big passions in life: architecture, nature, religion. Gaudí studied every detail of his creations, integrating into his architecture a series of crafts in which he was skilled: ceramics, stained glass, wrought ironwork forging and carpentry. He introduced new techniques in the treatment of materials, such as trencadís, made of waste ceramic pieces.

After a few years under the influence of neo-Gothic art and Oriental techniques, Gaudí became part of the Catalan Modernista movement which was reaching its peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His work transcended mainstream Modernisme, culminating in an organic style inspired by nature. Gaudí rarely drew detailed plans of his works, instead preferring to create them as three-dimensional scale models and molding the details as he was conceiving them.

Gaudí’s work enjoys widespread international appeal and many studies are devoted to understanding his architecture. Today, his work finds admirers among architects and the general public alike. His masterpiece, the still-uncompleted Sagrada Família, is one of the most visited monuments in Spain. Between 1984 and 2005, seven of his works were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

---end of quotation---

---quotation from en.wikipedia.org about Barcelona:---

Barcelona (...) is the capital of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, after Madrid, with a population of 1,620,943 within its administrative limits on a land area of 101.4 km² (39 sq mi). The urban area of Barcelona extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of around 4.5 million within an area of 803 km² (310 sq mi), being the sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, the Ruhr, Madrid and Milan. About five million people live in the Barcelona metropolitan area. It is also the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea. It is located on the Mediterranean coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs and is bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola ridge (512 metres (1,680 ft)).

Founded as a Roman city, Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, Barcelona became the most important city of the Crown of Aragon. Besieged several times during its history, Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean is located in Barcelona. The city is known for hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as world-class conferences and expositions and also many international sport tournaments.

---end of quotation---

Costa Brava holiday April 2009.

Frescoes inside Lübeck Rathaus (town hall), Hanseatic City of Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

The town hall of Lübeck is one of the largest and most significant town halls of Germany. It was a model for many other town halls in the Baltic Sea region.

Over the years, Lübeck town hall was extended several times. The largest part was built in brick gothic style, but some parts were also built with sandstone in Renaissance style.

The old city center of Lübeck is in great parts inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO. A plan of the inscribed zones can be found here: whc.unesco.org/download.cfm?id_document=102311

---quotation from whc.unesco.org:---

Lübeck – the former capital and Queen City of the Hanseatic League – was founded in the 12th century and prospered until the 16th century as the major trading centre for northern Europe. It has remained a centre for maritime commerce to this day, particularly with the Nordic countries. Despite the damage it suffered during the Second World War, the basic structure of the old city, consisting mainly of 15th- and 16th-century patrician residences, public monuments (the famous Holstentor brick gate), churches and salt storehouses, remains unaltered.

---end of quotation---

Sightseeing tour with Ralph on Good Friday 2016.

Illuminated Manuscript for private use from the 15th/16th century, Strahov Library, Strahov Monastery (Strahovský klášter), full name Royal canon monastery of the Premonstratensians of Strahov (Královská kanonie premonstrátů na Strahově), Castle District (Hradčany), Prague (Praha), Czech Republic.

Strahov Monastery is a Premonstratensian abbey founded in 1149 by Bishop Jindřich Zdík, Bishop John of Prague, and Prince Vladislav II. It is famous because of its library with two grandiose halls called Theological Hall and Philosophical Hall. One of its most famous exhibits is the so-called Strahov Evangeliary (Evangeliář strahovský) from the 9th century.

The Historic Centre of Prague is inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO.

Citation from whc.unesco.org/en/list/616

-----------------------------------------------------------

Built between the 11th and 18th centuries, the Old Town, the Lesser Town and the New Town speak of the great architectural and cultural influence enjoyed by this city since the Middle Ages. The many magnificent monuments, such as Hradcani Castle, St Vitus Cathedral, Charles Bridge and numerous churches and palaces, built mostly in the 14th century under the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV.

Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe in terms of its setting on both banks of the Vltava River, its townscape of burger houses and palaces punctuated by towers, and its individual buildings.

The Historic Centre represents a supreme manifestation of Medieval urbanism (the New Town of Emperor Charles IV built as the New Jerusalem). The Prague architectural works of the Gothic Period (14th and 15th centuries), of the High Baroque of the 1st half of the 18th century and of the rising modernism after the year 1900, influenced the development of Central Europe, perhaps even all European architecture. Prague represents one of the most prominent world centres of creative life in the field of urbanism and architecture across generations, human mentality and beliefs.

Prague belongs to the group of historic cities which have preserved the structure of their development until the present times. Within the core of Prague, successive stages of growth and changes have respected the original grand-scale urban structure of the Early Middle Ages. This structure was essentially and greatly enlarged with urban activities in the High Gothic period with more additions during the High Baroque period and in the 19th century. It has been saved from any large-scale urban renewal or massive demolitions and thus preserves its overall configuration, pattern and spatial composition.

In the course of the 1100 years of its existence, Prague’s development can be documented in the architectural expression of many historical periods and their styles. The city is rich in outstanding monuments from all periods of its history. Of particular importance are Prague Castle, the Cathedral of St Vitus, Hradćany Square in front of the Castle, the Valdgtejn Palace on the left bank of the river, the Gothic Charles Bridge, the Romanesque Rotunda of the Holy Rood, the Gothic arcaded houses round the Old Town Square, the High Gothic Minorite Church of St James in the Stark Mĕsto, the late 19th century buildings and town plan of the Nave Mĕsto.

As early as the Middle Ages, Prague became one of the leading cultural centres of Christian Europe. The Prague University, founded in 1348, is one of the earliest in Europe. The milieu of the University in the last quarter of the 14th century and the first years of the 15th century contributed among other things to the formation of ideas of the Hussite Movement which represented in fact the first steps of the European Reformation. As a metropolis of culture, Prague is connected with prominent names in art, science and politics, such as Charles IV, Petr Parléř, Jan Hus, Johannes Kepler, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Kafka, Antonín Dvořák, Albert Einstein, Edvard Beneš (co-founder of the League of Nations) and Václav Havel.

-------------------------------------------------------

End of citation

Reliefs und Wandmalerei in einer der Säulenkolonnade, die den zweiten Hof (der "Festhalle") des Totentempels des Ramses III. umgeben.

La basilica di San Francesco in Assisi, è il luogo che dal 1230 conserva e custodisce le spoglie mortali del Santo serafico. Voluta da papa Gregorio IX quale specialis ecclesia[1], venne insignita dallo stesso Pontefice del titolo di Caput et Mater dell'Ordine minoritico[2] e contestualmente affidata in perpetuo agli stessi frati.

Nella complessa storia che ha segnato l'evoluzione dell'Ordine, la basilica (e l'annesso Sacro Convento) fu sempre custodita dai cosiddetti "frati della comunità", il gruppo che andò in seguito a costituire l'Ordine dei Frati Minori Conventuali.

Nell'anno 2000, insieme ad altri siti francescani del circondario, la basilica è stata inserita nella Lista del patrimonio dell'umanità dell'UNESCO.

Il 16 luglio del 1228, a soli due anni dalla morte, Francesco venne proclamato santo da papa Gregorio IX; il giorno dopo, 17 luglio, lo stesso Pontefice e il rappresentante dell'Ordine minoritico, frate Elia da Cortona, posero la prima pietra per la costruzione di quella imponente basilica.

----------------------------------------------

A Basílica de São Francisco de Assis, na região italiana da Úmbria, é a igreja-mãe da Ordem Franciscana e um Patrimônio da Humanidade desde 2000.

A construção da basílica começou logo após a canonização de Francisco em 1228. Simone di Pucciarello doou o local para a igreja, uma colina a oeste da cidade de Assis, conhecida como Colina do Inferno (onde os criminosos eram mortos). Hoje, o local é conhecido como Colina do Paraíso. A pedra fundamental foi posta pelo Papa Gregório IX, em 17 de Julho de 1228. A igreja foi projetada e supervisionada pelo irmão Elia Bombardone, um dos primeiros seguidores do santo. A basílica inferior foi terminada em 1230.

No dia de Pentecostes, em 25 de Maio de 1230, o corpo de Francisco foi trazido para o local. A construção da basílica superior começou logo após 1239 e foi finalizada em 1253. Sua arquitetura é uma síntese do Românico e do Gótico Italiano. As igrejas foram decoradas pelos maiores artistas daquele tempo, vindos de Roma, Toscana e Úmbria. A igreja inferior tem afrescos de Cimabue e Giotto; na igreja superior está uma série de afrescos com cenas da vida de São Francisco, também atribuída a Giotto e seus seguidores. A Basílica é administrada pelos Frades Menores Conventuais (OFM Conv.). Os Frades Franciscanos Conventuais são os gardiães dos restos mortais do Santo de Assis.

No dia 26 de setembro de 1997, Assis foi atingida por dois fortes terremotos que danificaram severamente a basílica (parte do teto dela ruiu durante o segundo tremor, destruindo um afresco de Cimabue) que passou dois anos fechada para restauração.

------------------------------------------------------

The Papal Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Francesco, Latin: Basilica Sancti Francisci Assisiensis) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Friars Minor—commonly known as the Franciscan Order—in Assisi, Italy, the city where St. Francis was born and died. The basilica is one of the most important places of Christian pilgrimage in Italy. With its accompanying friary, the basilica is a distinctive landmark to those approaching Assisi. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

The basilica, which was begun in 1228, is built into the side of a hill and comprises two churches known as the Upper Church and the Lower Church, and a crypt where the remains of the saint are interred. The interior of the Upper Church is an important early example of the Gothic style in Italy. The Upper and Lower Churches are decorated with frescoes by numerous late medieval painters from the Roman and Tuscan schools, and include works by Cimabue, Giotto, Simone Martini, Pietro Lorenzetti and possibly Pietro Cavallini. The range and quality of the works gives the basilica a unique importance in demonstrating the development of Italian art of this period.

it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_di_San_Francesco

Haralds Runenstein, einer der Runensteine von Jelling, und das Südhügelgrab an der Kirche von Jelling (Jütlands/Dänemark).

--

© This photograph is copyrighted. Under no circumstances can it be reproduced, distributed, modified, copied, posted to websites or printed or published in media or other medium or used for commercial or other uses without the prior written consent and permission of the photographer.

Built from 1582 to 1602 by the Jesuits, the cathedral was the largest Catholic church in Asia at the time, and the royalty of Europe vied with each other to bestow upon the cathedral the best gifts.

Macau

Jan. 10 2008

29.29

La basilica di San Francesco in Assisi, è il luogo che dal 1230 conserva e custodisce le spoglie mortali del Santo serafico. Voluta da papa Gregorio IX quale specialis ecclesia[1], venne insignita dallo stesso Pontefice del titolo di Caput et Mater dell'Ordine minoritico[2] e contestualmente affidata in perpetuo agli stessi frati.

Nella complessa storia che ha segnato l'evoluzione dell'Ordine, la basilica (e l'annesso Sacro Convento) fu sempre custodita dai cosiddetti "frati della comunità", il gruppo che andò in seguito a costituire l'Ordine dei Frati Minori Conventuali.

Nell'anno 2000, insieme ad altri siti francescani del circondario, la basilica è stata inserita nella Lista del patrimonio dell'umanità dell'UNESCO.

Il 16 luglio del 1228, a soli due anni dalla morte, Francesco venne proclamato santo da papa Gregorio IX; il giorno dopo, 17 luglio, lo stesso Pontefice e il rappresentante dell'Ordine minoritico, frate Elia da Cortona, posero la prima pietra per la costruzione di quella imponente basilica.

----------------------------------------------

A Basílica de São Francisco de Assis, na região italiana da Úmbria, é a igreja-mãe da Ordem Franciscana e um Patrimônio da Humanidade desde 2000.

A construção da basílica começou logo após a canonização de Francisco em 1228. Simone di Pucciarello doou o local para a igreja, uma colina a oeste da cidade de Assis, conhecida como Colina do Inferno (onde os criminosos eram mortos). Hoje, o local é conhecido como Colina do Paraíso. A pedra fundamental foi posta pelo Papa Gregório IX, em 17 de Julho de 1228. A igreja foi projetada e supervisionada pelo irmão Elia Bombardone, um dos primeiros seguidores do santo. A basílica inferior foi terminada em 1230.

No dia de Pentecostes, em 25 de Maio de 1230, o corpo de Francisco foi trazido para o local. A construção da basílica superior começou logo após 1239 e foi finalizada em 1253. Sua arquitetura é uma síntese do Românico e do Gótico Italiano. As igrejas foram decoradas pelos maiores artistas daquele tempo, vindos de Roma, Toscana e Úmbria. A igreja inferior tem afrescos de Cimabue e Giotto; na igreja superior está uma série de afrescos com cenas da vida de São Francisco, também atribuída a Giotto e seus seguidores. A Basílica é administrada pelos Frades Menores Conventuais (OFM Conv.). Os Frades Franciscanos Conventuais são os gardiães dos restos mortais do Santo de Assis.

No dia 26 de setembro de 1997, Assis foi atingida por dois fortes terremotos que danificaram severamente a basílica (parte do teto dela ruiu durante o segundo tremor, destruindo um afresco de Cimabue) que passou dois anos fechada para restauração.

------------------------------------------------------

The Papal Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Francesco, Latin: Basilica Sancti Francisci Assisiensis) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Friars Minor—commonly known as the Franciscan Order—in Assisi, Italy, the city where St. Francis was born and died. The basilica is one of the most important places of Christian pilgrimage in Italy. With its accompanying friary, the basilica is a distinctive landmark to those approaching Assisi. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

The basilica, which was begun in 1228, is built into the side of a hill and comprises two churches known as the Upper Church and the Lower Church, and a crypt where the remains of the saint are interred. The interior of the Upper Church is an important early example of the Gothic style in Italy. The Upper and Lower Churches are decorated with frescoes by numerous late medieval painters from the Roman and Tuscan schools, and include works by Cimabue, Giotto, Simone Martini, Pietro Lorenzetti and possibly Pietro Cavallini. The range and quality of the works gives the basilica a unique importance in demonstrating the development of Italian art of this period.

A walk in Cologne visiting its twelve large romanic churches ("Colonia Romanica") and other points of interest.

Construction of the Cologne Cathedral began in 1248 but it wasn't finished before 1880.

Still the largest gothic church in the world, the towers stand 157.22m/516ft tall, the cathedral is 144.50m/474.1ft long.

UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996 (ref. 0292).

Choir stalls of St. Jakobikirche (St.James's Church), Hanseatic City of Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

St. Jakobi is a three naved hall church in brick gothic style from around 1300. It is the church of the seamen (with the PAMIR International Seafaring Memorial) and a pilgrimage church (situated at the intersection of three historical pilgrimage routes). St. Jakobi also is famous for its three historical organs. As St. Jakobi is one of the few churches of Lübeck that was not destroyed during the British air raid on Palm Sunday 1942 in Word War II, its organs are the only remaining historical organs in Lübeck.

The old city center of Lübeck is in great parts inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO. A plan of the inscribed zones can be found here: whc.unesco.org/download.cfm?id_document=102311

---quotation from whc.unesco.org:---

Lübeck – the former capital and Queen City of the Hanseatic League – was founded in the 12th century and prospered until the 16th century as the major trading centre for northern Europe. It has remained a centre for maritime commerce to this day, particularly with the Nordic countries. Despite the damage it suffered during the Second World War, the basic structure of the old city, consisting mainly of 15th- and 16th-century patrician residences, public monuments (the famous Holstentor brick gate), churches and salt storehouses, remains unaltered.

---end of quotation---

Sightseeing tour with Ralph on Good Friday 2016.

Zeche Zollverein, Essen, Germany

UNESCO World Heritage since 2001

UWH0975

Half-timbered houses behind Johanniskloster (Monastery of St. John) in the Hanseatic Town of Stralsund, district of Vorpommern-Rügen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), Germany.

The houses behind Johanniskloster (most of them half-timbered) were used as an old people's home in former times. Today they are private homes.

The Franciscan Monastery of St. John was founded in 1254 and was built directly at the town wall in the north of the Old Town. It is a large complex of buildings grouped around two courtyards, decorated with precious medieval murals and vault paintings inside. The monastery church, however, fell to ruin due to a great fire in 1624 and the World War II air raid of 6 October 1944, with only the walls of the choir remaining.

----quotation from en.wikipedia.org:----

The town of Stralsund lies in Northeast Germany in the region of Western Pomerania in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

...

The town lies on the sound of Strelasund, a strait of the Baltic Sea. Its geographic proximity to the island of Rügen, whose only fixed link to the mainland, the Strelasund Crossing, runs between Stralsund and the village of Altefähr, has given Stralsund the sobriquet "Gateway to the Island of Rügen" (Tor zur Insel Rügen). Stralsund lies close to the Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park.

A municipal forest and three municipal ponds (the Knieperteich, Frankenteich and Moorteich) belong to the Stralsund's town borough . The three ponds and the Strelasund lend the Old Town, the original settlement site and historic centre of the town, a protected island location.

...

The centre of Stralsund has a wealth of historic buildings. Since 1990, large parts of the historic old town have been renovated with private and public capital, and with the support of foundations. As a result of the contempt for historic buildings in East Germany many houses were threatened by ruin. The Old Town in particular, offers a rich variety of historic buildings, with many former merchants' houses, churches, streets and squares. Of more than 800 listed buildings in Stralsund, more than 500 are designated as individual monuments in the Old Town. In twenty years, from the Wende in 1990 to November 2010, 588 of the more than 1,000 old buildings were completely refurbished, including 363 individual monuments. Because of its historical and architectural significance, in 2002 Stralsund's old town together with the old town of Wismar were added to entitled the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list as the "Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar".

----end of quotation----

----quotation from whc.unesco.org:----

The medieval towns of Wismar and Stralsund, on the Baltic coast of northern Germany, were major trading centres of the Hanseatic League in the 14th and 15th centuries. In the 17th and 18th centuries they became Swedish administrative and defensive centres for the German territories. They contributed to the development of the characteristic building types and techniques of Brick Gothic in the Baltic region, as exemplified in several important brick cathedrals, the Town Hall of Stralsund, and the series of houses for residential, commercial and crafts use, representing its evolution over several centuries.

----end of quotation----

Stralsund short trip October 2012

Astronomical clock of St. Nikolaikirche (St. Nicholas' Church), Hanseatic Town of Stralsund, district of Vorpommern-Rügen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), Germany.

The astronomical clock of St. Nicholas' Church was built by the clockmaker Nikolaus Lilienfeld in 1394. It is the oldest nearly completely preserved astronomical clock in the Baltic Sea region and the oldest mechanical clock in the world still containing its original wheelwork. Although nearly completely preserved, the clock doesn't work anymore.

The clockface is decorated with a golden frame. It shows all the 24 hours of a day (midnight at the bottom, 6 am at the left, midday at the top, 6 pm at the right). A metallic belt which is fixed to a seperate clock hand shows the zodiac circle and the actual astrological sign.

The paintings in the four corners of the clockface show "Die vier Weltweisen" (The four Wise Men of the World):

Top left: Claudius Ptolemaeus, a Greek-Roman mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet from Egypt, one of the best known astronomers of the Antiquity, "inventor" of the Ptolemaic system, a geocentric model of the cosmos.

Top right: Alfonso X of Castile, called "the Wise", sponsored the Alfonsine tables for computing the position of the Sun, Moon and planets relative to the fixed stars.

Bottom left: Ali ibn Ridwan (Hali), an Egyptian physician, astrologer and astronomer.

Bottom right: Albumasar, a Persian astrologer, astronomer, and philosopher, thought to be the greatest astrologer of the Abbasid court in Baghdad.

The pedestal of the clock shows two allegoric figures: Morning (a person opening a door) and Evening (a person closing a door).

On the side of the clock is a portrait of the clockmaker, looking out of a window.

St. Nikolaikirche was built in Northern German Brick Gothic style. It's the oldest of Stralsund's main churches. Being the main church of the local council, St. Nikolaikirche is closely connected to the town hall.

----quotation from en.wikipedia.org:----

The town of Stralsund lies in Northeast Germany in the region of Western Pomerania in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

...

The town lies on the sound of Strelasund, a strait of the Baltic Sea. Its geographic proximity to the island of Rügen, whose only fixed link to the mainland, the Strelasund Crossing, runs between Stralsund and the village of Altefähr, has given Stralsund the sobriquet "Gateway to the Island of Rügen" (Tor zur Insel Rügen). Stralsund lies close to the Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park.

A municipal forest and three municipal ponds (the Knieperteich, Frankenteich and Moorteich) belong to the Stralsund's town borough . The three ponds and the Strelasund lend the Old Town, the original settlement site and historic centre of the town, a protected island location.

...

The centre of Stralsund has a wealth of historic buildings. Since 1990, large parts of the historic old town have been renovated with private and public capital, and with the support of foundations. As a result of the contempt for historic buildings in East Germany many houses were threatened by ruin. The Old Town in particular, offers a rich variety of historic buildings, with many former merchants' houses, churches, streets and squares. Of more than 800 listed buildings in Stralsund, more than 500 are designated as individual monuments in the Old Town. In twenty years, from the Wende in 1990 to November 2010, 588 of the more than 1,000 old buildings were completely refurbished, including 363 individual monuments. Because of its historical and architectural significance, in 2002 Stralsund's old town together with the old town of Wismar were added to entitled the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list as the "Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar".

----end of quotation----

----quotation from whc.unesco.org:----

The medieval towns of Wismar and Stralsund, on the Baltic coast of northern Germany, were major trading centres of the Hanseatic League in the 14th and 15th centuries. In the 17th and 18th centuries they became Swedish administrative and defensive centres for the German territories. They contributed to the development of the characteristic building types and techniques of Brick Gothic in the Baltic region, as exemplified in several important brick cathedrals, the Town Hall of Stralsund, and the series of houses for residential, commercial and crafts use, representing its evolution over several centuries.

----end of quotation----

Stralsund short trip October 2012

St. Marienkirche" (St. Mary's Church), Hanseatic City of Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

---quotation from en.wikipedia.org/ about St. Marienkirche:---

The Lutheran Marienkirche (St. Mary's church) in Lübeck (German: Lübecker Marienkirche or officially St. Marien zu Lübeck: St. Mary's of Lübeck) was constructed between 1250 and 1350. For many years it has been a symbol of the power and prosperity of the old Hanseatic city, and as Germany's third largest church it remains the tallest building of the old part of Lübeck. It is larger than Lübeck Cathedral. Along with the city, the church has been listed by UNESCO as of cultural significance.

It is a model for the brick Gothic style of northern Germany, reflected in approximately 70 churches in the Baltic Area. In Lübeck, the high-rising Gothic style of France was adapted to north German brick. At 38.5 meters (125 ft) the church has the highest brick vault in the world. Taking the weather vanes into account, the towers are 124.95 meters (406 ft) and 124.75 meters (405.5 ft) high.

St. Mary's is located in the merchant's borough, which stretches from the docks of the River Trave all the way up to the church itself. It is the main church of the local council and the people of Lübeck, and was erected near the market and town hall. (...)

On the night of Palm Sunday from 28 to 29 March 1942, the church was almost completely burnt out during an Allied bombing raid along with about a fifth of Lübeck city centre, including the Lübeck Cathedral and St. Peter's Church. (...) Reconstruction began in 1947, and, in 12 years, the majority was complete.

---end of quotation---

The old city center of Lübeck is in great parts inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO. A plan of the inscribed zones can be found here: whc.unesco.org/download.cfm?id_document=102311

---quotation from whc.unesco.org:---

Lübeck – the former capital and Queen City of the Hanseatic League – was founded in the 12th century and prospered until the 16th century as the major trading centre for northern Europe. It has remained a centre for maritime commerce to this day, particularly with the Nordic countries. Despite the damage it suffered during the Second World War, the basic structure of the old city, consisting mainly of 15th- and 16th-century patrician residences, public monuments (the famous Holstentor brick gate), churches and salt storehouses, remains unaltered.

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February 2018.

Candle holder inside Heiligen-Geist-Hospital (Hospital of the Holy Spirit) in Hanseatic City of Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

Heiligen-Geist-Hospital is one of the oldest and best preserved civil hospitals of the Middle Age. It is furthermore one of the earliest institutions of social welfare in Europe and belongs to the most significant monumental architecture of the Middle Age.

It was a combination of wealth and piety that brought the mercantile patricians and other wealthy citizens of Lübeck to establish a lot of foundations and institutions for social welfare.

The building of the Heiligen-Geist-Hospital began in 1280, 4 years after the great fire of Lübeck, and was ready in 1286. It has been modified later several times.

The complex consists of a hospital church, an elongate hospital hall (called long house), some auxiliary buildings around a small courtyard and two citizens’ houses.

In the beginning, the patients / residents only had one bed each, and the beds simply were laid out in 4 lines across the long house of the hospital.

Not before 1820 there were built really small cabins of about 4 m² for the residents. These cabins were made out of wood and were open at the top. They are called “Kabäuschen” in German. The last residents moved out of the “Kabäuschen” not before 1970, and they did it only reluctantly.

From 1973 to 1976 a part of the complex was converted into a modern old people’s home for 85 people. The church hall has been restored from 1977-1984. Today, the historic rooms of the church hall and the long house are regularly used for a very famous artisan market in Christmas time, and for other exhibitions and touristic activities.

The church hall of Heiligen-Geist-Hospital is filled with precious artwork. Vaults and walls are covered with frescoes, the windows are made of stained glass. There are two altarpieces, a pulpit, many wooden sculptures of Saints and a richly decorated rood screen, its balustrade showing in 23 painted wooden panels the legend of Saint Elisabeth of Hungary.

The old city center of Lübeck is in great parts inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO. A plan of the inscribed zones can be found here: whc.unesco.org/download.cfm?id_document=102311

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Lübeck – the former capital and Queen City of the Hanseatic League – was founded in the 12th century and prospered until the 16th century as the major trading centre for northern Europe. It has remained a centre for maritime commerce to this day, particularly with the Nordic countries. Despite the damage it suffered during the Second World War, the basic structure of the old city, consisting mainly of 15th- and 16th-century patrician residences, public monuments (the famous Holstentor brick gate), churches and salt storehouses, remains unaltered.

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July 2009.