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Zur Zeit des römischen Pannoniens entstand in der Nähe des Martinsberges – dem späteren Standort des Klosters – eine römische Siedlung mit dem Namen Sabaria. Einige römische Steindenkmäler, die heute geschützt im Innenhof des Klosters aufbewahrt werden, sind frühe Zeugnisse der antiken regionalen Besiedlung. Während der Völkerwanderungszeit ging der antike Ort unter. Für das Selbstverständnis der mittelalterlichen Klostergründung war die Existenz Sabarias von großer Bedeutung, soll dort doch der lokalen Überlieferung nach der Heilige Martin um 316/317 geboren worden sein. Er gab der monastischen Gründung seinen Namen: Monasterium Sancti Martini – Kloster des Heiligen Martin. Da auch das heutige Szombathely in römischer Zeit Savaria hieß, wird bis heute über die wahre Herkunft des Heiligen diskutiert
Mural on the wall of Švejk Restaurant "Malostranská pivnice" (Lesser Town Ale House), Cihelná 3, Lesser Town (Malá Strana), Prague (Praha), Czech Republic.
Švejk is the main character of the czech satirical anti-war novel The Good Soldier Švejk by Jaroslav Hašek and is regarded as a typical Prague character.
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.
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Rose window of Starý kláštorný kostol minoritov / Gymnaziálny kostol (Old minorite monastery church / Gymnasium church) in Levoča, historical region Spiš, Prešovský kraj, Slovakia.
Starý kláštorný kostol minoritov (Gymnaziálny kostol, Čierny kostol
The Old Minorite Monastery Church
Gymnasium church
Black church
Levoča is a town in eastern Slovakia with a well preserved historical town center. Together with the nearby Spiš Castle, the church of Žehra and other associated monuments, Levoča is inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO.
---quotation from en.wikipedia.org:---
The old town is picturesquely sited and still surrounded by most of its ancient walls. In associating the town with Spiš Castle and Žehra in June 2009 as the renamed World Heritage Site of "Levoča, Spišský Hrad, and the Associated Cultural Monuments", UNESCO cites the town's historic center, its fortifications, and the works of Master Paul of Levoča preserved in the town.
The main entrance to the old town is via the monumental Košice Gate (15th century) behind which is located the ornate baroque Church of the Holy Spirit and the New Minorite Monastery (c. 1750).
The town square (Námestie Majstra Pavla - Master Paul’s Square) boasts three major monuments; the quaint Old Town Hall (15th-17th century) which now contains a museum, the domed Evangelical Lutheran Church (1837) and the 14th century Roman Catholic Church of St. James (in Slovak: Chrám svätého Jakuba, often mistakenly referred to in English as St. Jacob's). It houses a magnificently carved and painted wooden Gothic altar, the largest in Europe, (18.62 m (61.09 ft) in height), created by Master Paul around 1520. The square is very well preserved (despite one or two modern incursions) and contains a number of striking buildings which were the townhouses of the local nobility in the late Middle Ages. Also notable in the square is the wrought iron "Cage of Shame", dating back to the 17th century, used for public punishment of miscreants. A plaque on one of the houses records the printing and publication in the town of the most famous work of Comenius, the Orbis Pictus. Other buildings on the square house a historical museum and a museum dedicated to the work of Master Paul.
Behind the square on Kláštorská Street are the 14th-century church and remains of the old monastery of the Minorites, now incorporated into a Church grammar school. Nearby is the town's Polish Gate, a Gothic construction of the 15th century.
From the 16th century to the end of 1922, Levoca was the administrative center of the province of Szepes (Spiš). Between 1806 - 1826, the Hungarian architect from Eger Antal Povolny built a grandiose administration building, the Large Provincial House, as the seat of the town's administration. He adjusted its Classicist style to Levoca's Renaissance character by emphasizing the building's horizontal lines. The House is considered the most beautiful Provincial House in the former Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it is reconstructed and it is a seat of the administration.
The State Regional Archives (Štátny oblastný archív) are in a tan stone building on the north side of the square at nám. Majstra Pavla 60.
---end of quotation---
Slovakia holidays May 2016.
Strange plant at Puerto de la Escaleruela, municipality of Antequera, Province of Málaga, Andalusia, Spain.
Puerto de la Escaleruela (Escaleruela pass) is a mountain pass in the lower part of the Torcal mountain range ("El Torcal Bajo"), passing between "El Torcal Alto" and the Sierra de la Chimenea.
As part of the Antequera Dolmens Site, El Torcal was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2016.
----quotation from en.wikipedia.org----
El Torcal de Antequera is a nature reserve in the Sierra del Torcal mountain range located south of the city of Antequera, in the province of Málaga off the A45 road in Andalusia, Spain. It is known for its unusual landforms, and is one of the most impressive karst landscapes in Europe. The area was designated a Natural Site of National Interest in July 1929, and a Natural Park Reserve of about 17 square kilometres was created in October 1978.
...
El Torcal supports an impressive array of wildflowers including lilies, nazarenes, red peonies, wild rose trees and thirty varieties of orchid. The many species of reptiles include the Montpelier Snake and Eyed Lizard, both endemic to El Torcal. Other life includes the Griffon vulture, the Andalusian mountain goat, and nocturnal mammals such as badger, weasel and rodents.
----end of quotation----
Hiking tour Nacimiento de la Villa - Puerto de la Escaleruela
Andalusia holiday April 2012
Cupboard with old books in 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
The Historic Centre of Prague in 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.
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End of citation
Die Marksburg ist eine Höhenburg oberhalb der Stadt Braubach am Rhein, von der sie ihren ursprünglichen Namen Burg Brubach bezog. Sie steht auf einem Schieferkegel in 160 Meter Höhe und ist die einzige nie zerstörte mittelalterliche Höhenburg am Mittelrhein. Der Bau entstand zum Schutz und zur Verwaltung Braubachs und diente anfänglich auch als Zollburg.
Mit ihrem heutigen Aussehen gilt sie als die mittelalterliche Burg schlechthin und ist Vorbild für viele Phantasie-Burgen, insbesondere als Spielzeug-Burganlagen.
In den 1990ern wurde die Burg im Deutschen Kulturdorf Ueno auf der japanischen Insel Miyako-jima originalgetreu ohne Torhaus und Zwinger nachgebaut, nachdem der ursprünglich geplante Verkauf, Abtransport und Neuaufbau auf Miyako-jima vom Eigentümer der Burg abgelehnt wurde.
Seit 2002 ist die Marksburg Teil des UNESCO-Welterbe Oberes Mittelrheinta,
des Weiteren ist es ein geschütztes Kulturgut nach der Haager Konvention.
Bergfried
Der Bergfried wurde ab 1237, belegt durch die frühest datierbaren Baubefunde von 1238, durch Gerhard II. von Epstein als freistehender Turm mit quadratischem Querschnitt ( sechs Meter Seitenlänge ) und einer Mauerstärke von mehr als zwei Metern im staufischen Stil auf der höchsten Stelle des Burgberges errichtet. Er besaß als Abschluss eine quadratische Verteidigungsplattform mit Zinnenmauerwerk und in die dicken Mauern eingelassene Treppen sorgten für den Aufstieg bis auf das Dach.
Burgmuseum
Von der ursprünglichen Einrichtung ist nichts erhalten. Die Innenräume beherbergen heute vielmehr ein Museum mit charakteristischen Ausstattungen, die seit 1900 durch verschiedene Stiftungen und Käufe zur Dokumentation des mittelalterlichen Ritter-Alltags zusammengetragen wurden. Die anschauliche didaktische Aufbereitung durch die Burgführer macht die Marksburg seit der zweiten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts zu einem attraktiven Ausflugsziel insbesondere für Familien mit Kindern. In Spitzenzeiten werden während des Sommers bis zu 6000 Besucher täglich gezählt und finden fortlaufend Führungen statt. Im Winter gelten verkürzte Öffnungszeiten, und es gibt stündlich eine Führung.
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marksburg
________________________________
Die Marksburg zu Braubach
El Marksburg ( Castillo de Marcos ) es una fortaleza de la colina sobre la ciudad de Braubach en el Rin, de la que extrajo su nombre original castillo Brubach. Se encuentra en un cono de pizarra en 160 metros y es el único castillo medieval nunca destruida colina a orillas del Rin Medio. Fue construido para proteger y gestionar Braubach y sirvió inicialmente como un castillo de peaje.
En su forma actual, es visto como el castillo medieval y es absolutamente un modelo a seguir para muchos castillos de fantasía, sobre todo como un castillo de juguete.
En la década de 1990 el castillo en el alemán Ueno cultural del pueblo en la isla japonesa de Miyako-jima ha sido fielmente reproducida sin una casa de la puerta y la perrera después de la venta inicialmente previsto, la remoción y reconstrucción de Miyako-jima por el propietario del castillo fue rechazada.
Desde el año 2002, Marksburg parte de la UNESCO del Patrimonio del Mundo - Alto Valle del Rin Medio, y además hay un patrimonio cultural por la Convención de La Haya.
El diseño del castillo Marksburg fechas principalmente de los 13 primeros, pero su aspecto actual en la 14 ª Siglo. Las modificaciones y adiciones fueron de nuevo en el 18 Siglo en su lugar.
El torreón
fue construido a partir de 1237, evidenciado por las características primer edificio fechable de 1238 como una torre independiente con un cuadrado de sección transversal ( seis metros de largo ) y un espesor de pared de más de dos metros en el punto más alto de la colina del castillo. Había como una plataforma de defensa legal con muros almenados cuadrados y en los gruesos muros, pasos nicho siempre para la subida a la azotea.
Museo del Castillo
Desde el dispositivo original no se obtiene. El interior alberga un museo con las instalaciones más distintivos que han sido recopilados desde 1900 por diversas fundaciones y las compras para la documentación de la vida cotidiana del caballero medieval. La representación visual del castillo hace que el líder Marksburg desde la segunda mitad de la 20 ª Siglo en un destino atractivo para las familias con niños. En las horas punta durante el verano todos los días contados hasta 6.000 visitantes y tours en curso están en la naturaleza. En el invierno los horarios se acortan, y no son la gestión por hora.
traduccion con google
Inmitten des Naturparks Schlern – Rosengarten, zwischen dem Nigerpass und St. Zyprian bei Tiers, finden Sie die Plafötsch-Alm. Die Hütte liegt auf 1570 m Meereshöhe, inmitten von Almwiesen und Wäldern direkt unterhalb des beeindruckenden Bergpanoramas des Rosengartens und der Vajolettürme.
Obecní dům (Municipal house), námestí Republiky (Republic square), New Town (Nové Město), Prague (Praha), Czech Republic.
Obecní dům was built in Art Nouveau style in the first decade of the 20th century. It is a representative building and a place for social and cultural events.
There's a lot of interesting information on the website of Obecní dům (in English).
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.
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End of citation
Ceiling detail of Sala das Galés (Galleon Room), Palácio Nacional de Sintra (Sintra National Palast), Sintra, Portugal.
Sintra National Palace belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Cultural Lanscape of Sintra.
----quotation from en.wikipedia.org:----
The Sintra National Palace [...] is the best preserved mediaeval Royal Palace in Portugal, having been inhabited more or less continuously at least from the early 15th up to the late 19th century. It is an important tourist attraction and is part of the Cultural landscape of Sintra, designated World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The history of the Sintra Palace goes back to the times of Islamic domination, when Sintra had two different castles. [...] Its first historical reference dates from the 10th century [...]. In the 12th century, when the village was conquered by King Afonso Henriques, the King took the residence in his possession. The mixture of Gothic, Manueline and Moorish styles in the present palace is, however, mainly the result of building campaigns in the 15th and early 16th centuries.
Nothing built during Moorish rule or during the reign of the first Portuguese kings survives. The earliest surviving part of the palace is the Royal Chapel, possibly built during the reign of King Dinis I in the early 14th century. Much of the palace dates from the times of King John I, who sponsored a major building campaign starting around 1415.
[...]
The other major building campaign that defined the structure and decoration of the Palace was sponsored by King Manuel I between 1497 and 1530, using the wealth engendered by the exploratory expeditions in this Age of Discoveries. The reign of this King saw the development of a transitional Gothic-Renaissance art style, named Manueline, as well as a kind of revival of Islamic artistic influence (Mudéjar) reflected in the choice of polychromed ceramic tiles (azulejos) as a preferred decorative art form.
[...]
In the following centuries the Palace continued to be inhabited by Kings from time to time, gaining new decoration in the form of paintings, tile panels and furniture. A sad story associated with the Palace is that of the mentally unstable King Afonso VI, who was deposed by his brother Pedro II and forced to live without leaving the Palace from 1676 until his death in 1683.
The ensemble suffered damage after the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake but was restored in the "old fashion", according to contemporary accounts.
[...]
During the 19th century, Sintra became again a favourite spot for the Kings and the Palace of Sintra was frequently inhabited. [...] With the foundation of the Republic, in 1910, the Palace became a National Monument. [...] It has been an important historical tourist attraction ever since.
---end of quotation----
----quotation from en.wikipedia.org about Sintra:----
Sintra [...] is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion (Lisbon Region) of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.
In addition to the Sintra Mountains and Sintra-Cascais Nature Park, the parishes of the town of Sintra are dotted by royal retreats, estates, castles and buildings from the 8th-9th century, in addition to many buildings completed between the 15th and 19th century, including the Castelo dos Mouros, the Pena National Palace and the Sintra National Palace, resulting in its classification by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1995.
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Natur und Kultur in Mittelportugal (Nature and Culture in Mid-Portugal), Wikinger-Reisen, September 2011
Warning sign at Levada do Norte near Encumeada pass, island of Madeira, Portugal.
Hiking tour "Two levadas near Encumeada pass": Levada das Rabaças and Levada do Norte.
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.
The Torņa iela follows the old medieval city wall of which some remnants are still in existence. In the 17th century, new ramparts were build outside the wall were better able to withstand artillery.
In the 18th century, military barracks (Jacob's Barracks; Jēkaba kazarmas) were built between wall and ramparts--the long yellow building in view here. The buildings are now used as restaurants and shops.
built between 1792-1796 by Giacomo Quarenghi, architect, by Catherine II as a home for her favorite grandson Alexander I . later residents: Nicholas I, his wife Alexandra Feodorovna (who died there), Alexander III, and most famously, Nicholas II and his family, who avoided St. Petersburg after the 1905 revolution and later lived here as prisoners for 5 months.
DSCN6847
Im Gewölbe der Halle im 2. Stock sind Fresken des ligurischen Malers Luca Cambiaso (1527 - 1585) zu sehen, die den von Megollo Lercari in Auftrag gegebenen Bau einer genuesischen Handelsniederlassung (Fondaco) in Trabzon am Schwarzen Meer darstellt. Genua war sehr erfolgreich im Handel mit dem vorderen Orient und besaß von 1289 – 1575 Kolonien am Schwarzen Meer. Das Fresko ist umgeben von Medaillons mit Darstellungen von Familienmitgliedern der Lercaris..
Franco Lercari, der aus einem alten Adelsgeschlecht stammte und bereits in Genua einen Palast besaß, ließ von 1571 – 1578 den Palast in der Via Garibaldi 3 als Statussymbol erbauen. Er war ein einflussreicher Politiker und Bankier und hatte den Spitzenamen „der Reiche“. Zu seinen Kunden gehörte Kaiser Karl V., dessen Kredite zur Hälfte von reichen Genueser Bankiers kamen. 1845 wurde der Palast, der auf der Liste der „Palazzi die Rolli“ steht und zum UNESCO-Welterbe gehört, von der Familie Parodi erworben, die ihn noch heute besitzt.
Funny misspelling on the billboard of Švejk Restaurant "Malostranská pivnice" (Lesser Town Ale House), Cihelná 3, Lesser Town (Malá Strana), Prague (Praha), Czech Republic.
You can eat Czech cuisine everywhere in Prague, but only here you also get Czech relatives...
(Yes, I know, the English word cousin is spelled without the "e" at the end, but in German, "Cousine" would be the female form of cousin)
Švejk is the main character of the czech satirical anti-war novel The Good Soldier Švejk by Jaroslav Hašek and is regarded as a typical Prague character.
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
Sundial above Puerta del Perdón (Door of Forgiveness) in Patio de los Naranjos (Courtyard of the Orange Trees), Catedral de Santa María de la Sede (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See), better known as Catedral de Sevilla (Seville Cathedral), Sevilla (Seville), Province of Sevilla (Seville), Andalusia, Spain.
Seville Cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral and the third largest church in the world.
Together with the Alcázar and the General Archive of the Indies of Seville it is inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO.
-----quotation from whc.unesco.org:------
Together the Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias as a series, form a remarkable monumental complex in the heart of Seville. They perfectly epitomize the Spanish "Golden Age", incorporating vestiges of Islamic culture, centuries of ecclesiastical power, royal sovereignty and the trading power that Spain acquired through its colonies in the New World.
Founded in 1403 on the site of a former mosque, the Cathedral, built in Gothic and Renaissance style, covers seven centuries of history. With its five naves it is the largest Gothic building in Europe. Its bell tower, the Giralda, was the former minaret of the mosque, a masterpiece of Almohad architecture and now is important example of the cultural syncretism thanks to the top section of the tower, designed in the Renaissance period by Hernán Ruiz. Its "chapter house" is the first known example of the use of the elliptical floor plan in the western world. Ever since its creation, the Cathedral has continued to be used for religious purposes.
----end of quotation-----
-----quotation from en.wikipedia.org:-----
Seville ... is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville, Spain. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of 7 metres (23 ft) above sea level. The inhabitants of the city are known as sevillanos (feminine form: sevillanas) or hispalenses, following the Roman name of the city, Hispalis.
Seville is the fourth largest city of Spain with a municipal population of about 703,000 as of 2011, and a metropolitan population (including satellite towns) of about 1.2 million, making it the 31st most populous municipality in the European Union. Its Old Town is one of the three largest in Europe along with Venice and Genoa (covering almost four square kilometers), which includes three UNESCO World Heritage Sites (the Alcázar palace complex, the Cathedral and the General Archive of the Indies). The Seville harbor, located about 80 km from the Atlantic Ocean, is the only river port in Spain.
-----end of quotation------
Andalusia holiday April 2012
Stained glass window of the Church of Santa Maria, Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Hieronymites Monastery), Belém, Lisboa (Lisbon), Portugal.
Beside others, the window shows Saint Jerome (top) and King Manuel I (kneeling in the middle).
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.
----end of quotation-----
Natur und Kultur in Mittelportugal (Nature and Culture in Mid-Portugal), Wikinger-Reisen, September 2011
The Railway Bridge (Dzelzceļa tilts) was inaugurated in 1914 and had to be restored after being damaged in both world wars.
The tower of St. Peter's Church (Svētā Pētera baznīca) offers an exquisite view of Riga. In view is the Daugava river which joins the Baltic just a few miles from here.
Oaxaca - Mexico
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Theological Hall, 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
Half-timbered brick house in Finkenherd (Finch trapping place), Quedlinburg in the Harz mountains, Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt), Germany.
According to legend, Finkenherd was the place where Heinrich I. (Henry the Fowler) was offered the royal crown in 919 while he was hunting finches.
----quotation from en.wikipedia.org:----
Henry the Fowler (German: Heinrich der Finkler or Heinrich der Vogler; Latin: Henricius Auceps) (876 – 2 July 936) was the Duke of Saxony from 912 and German king from 919 until his death. First of the Ottonian Dynasty of German kings and emperors, he is generally considered to be the founder and first king of the medieval German state, known until then as East Francia. An avid hunter, he obtained the epithet "the Fowler" because he was allegedly fixing his birding nets when messengers arrived to inform him that he was to be king.
----end of quotation----
Quedlinburg is a beautiful medieval town in the north of the Harz mountains. With its many half-timbered houses, the Quedlinburg castle (which later became a house of secular canonesses) and the Romanesque Collegiate Church of St. Servatius it is inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO.
----quotation from whc.unesco.org:----
Quedlinburg, in the Land of Sachsen-Anhalt, was a capital of the East Franconian German Empire at the time of the Saxonian-Ottonian ruling dynasty. It has been a prosperous trading town since the Middle Ages. The number and high quality of the timber-framed buildings make Quedlinburg an exceptional example of a medieval European town. The Collegiate Church of St Servatius is one of the masterpieces of Romanesque architecture. (...)
The importance of Quedlinburg rests on three main elements: the preservation of the medieval street pattern; the wealth of urban vernacular buildings, especially timber-framed houses of the 16th and 17th centuries, and the important Romanesque collegiate church of St Servatius. The original urban layout is remarkably well preserved: it is a classic example of the growth of European medieval towns. The history of the medieval and early modern town is perfectly illustrated by the street pattern of the present-day town. (...)
Situated in a hilly region to the north of the Harz Mountains, the villa Quitilingaburg is first mentioned in 922 in an official document of Henry I (the Fowler), who was elected German King in 919. He built a castle on what became known as the Castle Hill (Burgberg), one of the two sandstone hills that overlook the Harz valley, and this became one of his favourite residences. It became the capital of the East Franconian German Empire and was the place where many important political and religious assemblies and festivals took place. The town owes its wealth and importance during the Middle Ages to Henry I and his successors. German Kings are known to have stayed at Quedlinburg on 69 occasions between 922 and 1207.
On the death of Henry I in 936 his widow Mathilde remained in Quedlinburg at the collegiate church of St Servatius on the Castle Hill, founded by Henry's son and successor Otto I as a collegial establishment for unmarried daughters of the nobility. It was to become one of the most influential foundations of its type in the Holy Roman Empire. From 944 the abbesses (many of whom were members of the Imperial family and were buried in the crypt of the church) had the right to mint coins at Quedlinburg.
----end of quotation----
Harz weekend June 2012
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%BCbeck
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%BCbeck
____________________________________________________
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Gargoyle with moon in the 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
Tavern sign in Quedlinburg in the Harz mountains, Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt), Germany.
Quedlinburg is a beautiful medieval town in the north of the Harz mountains. With its many half-timbered houses, the Quedlinburg castle (which later became a house of secular canonesses) and the Romanesque Collegiate Church of St. Servatius it is inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO.
----quotation from whc.unesco.org:----
Quedlinburg, in the Land of Sachsen-Anhalt, was a capital of the East Franconian German Empire at the time of the Saxonian-Ottonian ruling dynasty. It has been a prosperous trading town since the Middle Ages. The number and high quality of the timber-framed buildings make Quedlinburg an exceptional example of a medieval European town. The Collegiate Church of St Servatius is one of the masterpieces of Romanesque architecture. (...)
The importance of Quedlinburg rests on three main elements: the preservation of the medieval street pattern; the wealth of urban vernacular buildings, especially timber-framed houses of the 16th and 17th centuries, and the important Romanesque collegiate church of St Servatius. The original urban layout is remarkably well preserved: it is a classic example of the growth of European medieval towns. The history of the medieval and early modern town is perfectly illustrated by the street pattern of the present-day town. (...)
Situated in a hilly region to the north of the Harz Mountains, the villa Quitilingaburg is first mentioned in 922 in an official document of Henry I (the Fowler), who was elected German King in 919. He built a castle on what became known as the Castle Hill (Burgberg), one of the two sandstone hills that overlook the Harz valley, and this became one of his favourite residences. It became the capital of the East Franconian German Empire and was the place where many important political and religious assemblies and festivals took place. The town owes its wealth and importance during the Middle Ages to Henry I and his successors. German Kings are known to have stayed at Quedlinburg on 69 occasions between 922 and 1207.
On the death of Henry I in 936 his widow Mathilde remained in Quedlinburg at the collegiate church of St Servatius on the Castle Hill, founded by Henry's son and successor Otto I as a collegial establishment for unmarried daughters of the nobility. It was to become one of the most influential foundations of its type in the Holy Roman Empire. From 944 the abbesses (many of whom were members of the Imperial family and were buried in the crypt of the church) had the right to mint coins at Quedlinburg.
----end of quotation----
Harz weekend June 2012
outside Saint Petersburg, Russia.
▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐ ▐
The Chinese Village in the Alexander Park of Tsarskoe Selo, Russia was Catherine the Great's attempt to follow the 18th-century fashion for the Chinoiserie.
Probably inspired by a similar project in Drottningholm, Catherine ordered Antonio Rinaldi and Charles Cameron to model the village after a contemporary Chinese engraving from her personal collection. The village was to consist of 18 stylized Chinese houses (only ten were completed), dominated by an octagonal domed observatory (never completed at all). After Catherine failed in her ambition to procure a genuine Chinese architect, the Russian ambassador in London was instructed to obtain for Tsarskoe Selo a replica of William Chambers' pagoda in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew - a central structure of the Chinoiserie architecture.
DSCN8861
A walk in Cologne visiting its twelve large romanic churches ("Colonia Romanica") and other points of interest.
The great architect John Wood, the Elder, conceived this wonderful piece of architecture. It was finished by his son John Wood, the Younger. Originally named the "King's Circus" the buildings were inspired by the spirit of Palladian arcitecture. It took 14 years (from 1754-1768) to design, build and finish the project. Thomas Gainsborough had his portrait studio in House No. 17. What an impressive historic site this is!
Vaults of Catedral de Santa María de la Sede (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See), better known as Catedral de Sevilla (Seville Cathedral), Sevilla (Seville), Province of Sevilla (Seville), Andalusia, Spain.
Seville Cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral and the third largest church in the world.
Together with the Alcázar and the General Archive of the Indies of Seville it is inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO.
-----quotation from whc.unesco.org:------
Together the Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias as a series, form a remarkable monumental complex in the heart of Seville. They perfectly epitomize the Spanish "Golden Age", incorporating vestiges of Islamic culture, centuries of ecclesiastical power, royal sovereignty and the trading power that Spain acquired through its colonies in the New World.
Founded in 1403 on the site of a former mosque, the Cathedral, built in Gothic and Renaissance style, covers seven centuries of history. With its five naves it is the largest Gothic building in Europe. Its bell tower, the Giralda, was the former minaret of the mosque, a masterpiece of Almohad architecture and now is important example of the cultural syncretism thanks to the top section of the tower, designed in the Renaissance period by Hernán Ruiz. Its "chapter house" is the first known example of the use of the elliptical floor plan in the western world. Ever since its creation, the Cathedral has continued to be used for religious purposes.
----end of quotation-----
-----quotation from en.wikipedia.org:-----
Seville ... is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville, Spain. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of 7 metres (23 ft) above sea level. The inhabitants of the city are known as sevillanos (feminine form: sevillanas) or hispalenses, following the Roman name of the city, Hispalis.
Seville is the fourth largest city of Spain with a municipal population of about 703,000 as of 2011, and a metropolitan population (including satellite towns) of about 1.2 million, making it the 31st most populous municipality in the European Union. Its Old Town is one of the three largest in Europe along with Venice and Genoa (covering almost four square kilometers), which includes three UNESCO World Heritage Sites (the Alcázar palace complex, the Cathedral and the General Archive of the Indies). The Seville harbor, located about 80 km from the Atlantic Ocean, is the only river port in Spain.
-----end of quotation------
Andalusia holiday April 2012
Naumburg (Saale) ist eine Mittelstadt im Süden Sachsen-Anhalts. Naumburg ist Verwaltungssitz des Burgenlandkreises und Mittelpunkt des nördlichsten deutschen Qualitätswein-Anbaugebietes Saale-Unstrut. Die Stadt ist ein Knotenpunkt im deutschen Schienennetz. Sie ist geprägt durch eine reichhaltige, fast 1000-jährige Geschichte, insbesondere als historischer Sitz des Bistums Naumburg. Wahrzeichen ist der Naumburger Dom in der mittelalterlichen Altstadt, der seit dem 1. Juli 2018 zum UNESCO-Weltkulturerbe gehört.
Die Farbglasfester der Liebfrauenkirche wurden von dem französischen Glaskünstler Jacques Le Chevallier (1896 - 1987) geschaffen.
Seit 1986 ist die Liebfrauenkirche Teil des UNESCO-Welterbes Römische Baudenkmäler, Dom und Liebfrauenkirche in Trier.
Die Geschichte der Liebfrauen-Basilika führt in das Jahr 326 n. Chr. Zum 20-jährigen Regierungsjubiläum machte Kaiser Konstantin große Stiftungen. Unter anderem ließ er an den bedeutendsten Orten der Christenheit Kirchen bauen: die Geburtskirche in Bethlehem, die Grabeskirche in Jerusalem, die 1. Sophienkirche in Konstantinopel, die Peterskirche und die Laterankirche in Rom und eben die Doppelkirchenanlage in Trier, aus der die Hohe Domkirche und die Liebfrauenkirche hervorgegangen sind.
Nach den Wechselfällen der Geschichte stand der Erzbischof Theoderich von Wied (1212 - 1242) im Blick auf die Südkirche, die den Titel einer Aula beatae Mariae Virginis trug, vor einem Neuanfang. Die Baufälligkeit der Kirche ließ ihn französischen Baumeistern Gehör schenken, die aus der Champagne kamen, in der gerade die Gotik erfunden worden war. Was sie dem Erzbischof anboten, war eine Kirche im allerfeinsten hochgotischen Stil. Auf der Basis einer zwölfblättrigen Rose (Rosa Mystica) wollten sie eine Kirche bauen, die - vom Kreuz durchwebt - wie ein Juwel in der Sonne funkeln sollte, mit großen, die Heilsgeschichte erzählenden Fenstern, licht und weit und himmelhoch. Zwölf schlanke Säulen sollten das Gewölbe tragen, das, übersät mit leuchtenden Lilien, den Garten des Paradieses vorstellen sollte, in dem Maria und Jesus dargestellt sind. Eine Aula Dei als Liebeserklärung an die Gottesmutter. Der Kurfürst war begeistert. 1227 begannen die unbekannten gotischen Baumeister ihre Arbeit, die sie 33 Jahre an Trier binden sollte. Es entstand im reinsten Stil der Hochgotik der Champagne, als eines der Wunder der Gotik eine der ganz seltenen gotischen Zentralkirchen von außerordentlicher Schönheit und Harmonie.
1803 wurde Liebfrauen vom Dom getrennt und trat in eine neue Phase ihrer Geschichte: Sie wurde Pfarrkirche und nahm die Laurentiuspfarrei auf. Als Trier 1944 schwer bombardiert wurde, traf es mit aller Härte auch die Liebfrauenkirche; unter größter Anstrengung wurde sie nach dem Krieg gerettet und wiederhergestellt.
Quelle: www.liebfrauen-trier.de/pfarrkirche liebfrauen.htm
Roof work on Großes Heiliges Kreuz (Great Holy Cross), Goslar, Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Germany.
When we passed this building, we saw two men doing some repairs on the slate roof.
Please also note the funny "benches" in front of the house!
The house called Great Holy Cross was built in 1254 and was a kind of hostel where poor or weak people and orphans as well as pilgrims and other travellers got a place for the night and some food. In 1650 the hall was divided into little cabins with a bed, a cupboard and a little table for the residents.
Although today there are artisans' shops in those little cabins, the building still serves its original social purpose as there are (modern) apartments for old people in a side wing.
Goslar is a historic town at the foot of the Harz mountain range. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site "Mines of Rammelsberg, Historic Town of Goslar and Upper Harz Water Management System".
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Rammelsberg-Goslar is the largest and longest-lived mining and metallurgical complex in the central European metal-producing region whose role was paramount in the economy of Europe for many centuries. It is a very characteristic form of urban-industrial ensemble which has its most complete and best preserved expression in Europe at Rammelsberg-Goslar.
Rammelsberg lies 1 km south-east of Goslar, in the Harz Mountains. It has been the site of mining for metalliferous ores and metal production (silver, copper, lead, zinc and gold) since as early as the 3rd century BC. The first documentary mention of Rammelsberg is from the beginning of the 11th century. The rich deposits of silver ore there were one of the main reasons for siting an imperial residence at the foot of the Rammelsberg mountain by Emperor Henry II; he held his first Imperial Assembly there in 1009. The town of Goslar grew up around the imperial residence. The town was to play an important role in the economic operations of the Hanseatic League and achieved great prosperity, which reached a peak around 1450. The revenues from mining, metal production, and trade financed the creation of the late medieval townscape of fortifications, churches, public buildings, and richly decorated mine-owners' residences which distinguish the present-day town.
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The town was not significantly damaged in the Second World War and so the historic centre has survived intact, with its original medieval layout and many Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings of high quality.
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Harz weekend June 2012
Love padlocks on Hohenzollernbrücke (Hohenzollern bridge) in Köln (Cologne), Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia), Germany.
Hohenzollern bridge is a bridge for railway and pedestrian traffic crossing the river Rhine. The fence between the footpath and the line of rails is almost completely covered with love padlocks.
Summer holiday August 2014
"Kabäuschen" (little cabins) of 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.
Carriages below Catedral de Santa María de la Sede (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See), better known as Catedral de Sevilla (Seville Cathedral), Sevilla (Seville), Province of Sevilla (Seville), Andalusia, Spain.
Seen from the Giralda (the cathedral's bell tower).
Seville Cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral and the third largest church in the world.
Together with the Alcázar and the General Archive of the Indies of Seville it is inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO.
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Together the Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias as a series, form a remarkable monumental complex in the heart of Seville. They perfectly epitomize the Spanish "Golden Age", incorporating vestiges of Islamic culture, centuries of ecclesiastical power, royal sovereignty and the trading power that Spain acquired through its colonies in the New World.
Founded in 1403 on the site of a former mosque, the Cathedral, built in Gothic and Renaissance style, covers seven centuries of history. With its five naves it is the largest Gothic building in Europe. Its bell tower, the Giralda, was the former minaret of the mosque, a masterpiece of Almohad architecture and now is important example of the cultural syncretism thanks to the top section of the tower, designed in the Renaissance period by Hernán Ruiz. Its "chapter house" is the first known example of the use of the elliptical floor plan in the western world. Ever since its creation, the Cathedral has continued to be used for religious purposes.
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Seville ... is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville, Spain. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of 7 metres (23 ft) above sea level. The inhabitants of the city are known as sevillanos (feminine form: sevillanas) or hispalenses, following the Roman name of the city, Hispalis.
Seville is the fourth largest city of Spain with a municipal population of about 703,000 as of 2011, and a metropolitan population (including satellite towns) of about 1.2 million, making it the 31st most populous municipality in the European Union. Its Old Town is one of the three largest in Europe along with Venice and Genoa (covering almost four square kilometers), which includes three UNESCO World Heritage Sites (the Alcázar palace complex, the Cathedral and the General Archive of the Indies). The Seville harbor, located about 80 km from the Atlantic Ocean, is the only river port in Spain.
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Andalusia holiday April 2012
This is one of UNESCO's "World Heritage Sites". It's the famous "Zollverein" colliery in Essen (Germany). In its best days it was known as the most beautiful and most productive coal mines in the world. The buildings of this complex have been designed in the late 1920s in pure Bauhaus style. Architects are Fritz Schupp and Martin Kremmer. In 1986 the mine closed down. 15 years later the preserved structures were registered as part of the world cultural heritage. I took this shot from the escalator which leads to the former coal washing plant. It now hosts the "Ruhr Museum" which documents the natural, industrial and social history of the Ruhr region.
The Nativity of Christ Cathedral (Kristus Piedzimšanas pareizticīgo katedrāle) was designed by Nikolai Chagin in a Neo-Byzantine style and built 1876-1884 under the direction of Robert Pflug, during the period when Latvia was part of the Russian Empire. The cathedral was part of a Tsarist effort to russianize Latvia in the late 19th century. In 1963, during the Soviet period, the cathedral was closed and converted into a planetarium. Newly-independent Latvia restored the cathedral and re-opened it in 1991.