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The earliest National Bank of Australia in Colac established its premises in the town's main thoroughfare at 28 Murray Street in a two storey brick building erected in 1865 to a design by the architect, Leonard Terry. In 1886 the Leonard Terry bank was demolished to make way for the present two storey stucco and brick building which was completed in August 1887.
Designed by self-trained local Colac architect Alexander Hamilton (1825 - 1901), the current National Bank of Australia building is a good example of transitional boom Classicism architecture. Builders Taylor and Ellis of Ballarat erected the bank at a cost of £3,500.00. The building, which stands detached and complete like the nearby Colac Shire Hall has an iron palisade fence. The design, with rusticated ground floor facade, Corinthian porch, unusual enframed windows and pronounced parapet entablature, is illustrative of trends in bank architecture in the mid 1880s in Victoria and is one of Mr. Hamilton's most significant and scholarly works.
The bank has seen many uses over the years, and was at one stage in its life a gentleman's club for wealthy local landowners to socialise in. Today the National Bank of Australia has moved to more modern premises in Colac, but the building houses professional suites as befits a building which such a fine architectural pedigree.
Alexander Hamilton was born in Moffat, Scotland, but migrated to Australia in 1852. Originally based in Melbourne, he went to the Western District town of Mortlake before moving in 1871 to Colac where he was amongst other professions a millwright, builder and an architect. Alexander Hamilton really concentrated on his profession as an architect when he arrived in Colac and made his name in the area as a number of older homesteads and buildings in the district were built under his instruction and supervision. These include "Illewarra House" which was built for for John Calvert in 1873, "Tarndwarncoort" for Alexander Dennis in 1877 and "Talindert" for James Manifold in 1890. Mr. Hamilton also designed the Presbyterian manse in Colac in 1883 and the Bank of Australasia in Beeac in 1888.
Located approximately 150 kilometres to the south-west of Melbourne, past Geelong is the small Western District city of Colac. The area was originally settled by Europeans in 1837 by pastoralist Hugh Murray. A small community sprung up on the southern shore of a large lake amid the volcanic plains. The community was proclaimed a town, Lake Colac, in 1848, named after the lake upon which it perches. The post office opened in 1848 as Lake Colac and was renamed Colac in 1854 when the city changed its name. The township grew over the years, its wealth generated by the booming grazing industries of the large estates of the Western District and the dairy industry that accompanied it. Colac has a long high street shopping precinct, several churches, botanic gardens, a Masonic hall and a smattering of large properties within its boundaries, showing the conspicuous wealth of the city. Today Colac is still a commercial centre for the agricultural district that surrounds it with a population of around 10,000 people. Although not strictly a tourist town, Colac has many beautiful surviving historical buildings or interest, tree lined streets. Colac is known as “the Gateway to the Otways” (a reference to the Otway Ranges and surrounding forest area that is located just to the south of the town).
Located on Grant Street at the intersection of Perkins Street, the former Alexandra Mechanic’s Institute and Free Library, built in 1883, is a beautiful example of a Victorian Free Classical building, and is part of the north eastern Victorian town’s historical centre. It was originally designed as Alexandra’s Mechanics’ Institute with a billiard room extension added in 1892. The building has been lovingly restored, and features many features typical of Victorian Free Classical architecture. The style was ebullient and self confident as it expressed society’s growing prosperity and self confidence, and is mostly represented in civil, commercial and religious buildings, but spread to a certain degree to domestic structures as well. The parapet concealing the roof, decorative accents along the roofline and windows and doors with accentuated vertical proportions are all typical of the Victorian Free Classical architecture movement.
The Mechanics' Institute Movement began in British urban industrial cities in the early 1800s to enable men of the lower classes to improve themselves. A "mechanic" was a person applying skills and technology. During the Nineteenth Century, most towns in Victoria established a Mechanics' Institute or Athenaeum with a library and meeting hall. Common objects of the Mechanics' Institute Movement was to spread useful knowledge and provide rational (non alcoholic) recreation for the community.
The former Alexandra Mechanic’s Institute and Free Library is still used for its original literary purpose, and a modern extension, subtly attached to the historic building, doubles the library’s available floor space, allowing for a wider array of benefits.
Alexandra is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located at the junction of the Goulburn Valley Highway (B340) and Maroondah Highway (B360), 26 kilometres west of Eildon. The town was settled in the late 1860s, with a Post Office opening on 15 March 1867 (known until 24 April 1867) as Redgate. The town was originally known as Redgate, or Red Gate Diggings. The current name either derives from Alexandra of Denmark (Queen’s Consort to King Edward VII of England) when given a stature of her to the shire; or from three men named Alexander (Alesander, McGregor, Alexander Don, and Alexander Luckie) who discovered gold in the area in 1866. Charles Jones born Herefordshire also discovered Gold on the Luckie Mine in 1866. He bought a Hotel with John Henry Osborne and was the proprietor of the New York and London Hotel Grant Street Alexandra. The railway to Alexandra arrived in the town via Yea from Tallarook in 1909, and closed on November 18, 1978. The Rubicon Tramway connected Alexandra with the village of Rubicon, at the junction of the Rubicon and Royston Rivers. Today many tourists pass through Alexandra on their way to the Mount Buller ski resort from Melbourne. The town contains the Timber Tramway and Museum (located at the Alexandra Railway Station), and the National Trust classified post office and law courts. There is a local market on the second Saturday of each month from September to May, an annual art show at Easter, an agricultural show and rose festival in November, and the annual Truck, Rod and Ute Show in June.
The Appian Way (Latin and Italian: Via Appia) was one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, in southeast Italy.[1] Its importance is indicated by its common name, recorded by Statius:[2][3]
Appia longarum... regina viarum
"the Appian Way the queen of the long roads"
The road is named after Appius Claudius Caecus, the Roman censor who began and completed the first section as a military road to the south in 312 BC[4] during the Samnite Wars.
Contents [hide]
1Origins
1.1The need for roads
1.2The Samnite Wars
1.3The barrier of the Pontine Marshes
1.4Colonization to the southeast
1.5Appius Claudius' beginning of the works
1.6The success of the road
2Construction of the road
2.1Between Rome and Lake Albano
2.2Across the marsh
2.3Along the coast
2.4Extension to Beneventum
2.5Extension to Apulia and Calabria
2.6Extension by Trajan
3Notable historical events along the road
3.1The crucifixion of Spartacus' army
3.2The World War II battle of Anzio
3.31960 Summer Olympics
4Main sights
4.1Via Appia antica
4.2Monuments along the Via Appia
4.2.11st to 4th mile
4.2.25th mile
4.2.36th mile and beyond
4.2.4Roman bridges along the road
5See also
6References
7External links
Origins[edit]
Porta San Sebastiano is the gate of the Appia in the Aurelian Walls
The need for roads[edit]
The Appian Way was used as a main route for military supplies since its construction for that purpose in 312 B.C.[citation needed]
The Appian Way was the first long road built specifically to transport troops outside the smaller region of greater Rome (this was essential to the Romans). The few roads outside the early city were Etruscan and went mainly to Etruria. By the late Republic, the Romans had expanded over most of Italy and were masters of road construction. Their roads began at Rome, where the master itinerarium, or list of destinations along the roads, was located, and extended to the borders of their domain — hence the expression, "All roads lead to Rome".
The Samnite Wars[edit]
Rome had an affinity for the people of Campania, who, like themselves, traced their backgrounds to the Etruscans. The Samnite Wars were instigated by the Samnites when Rome attempted to ally itself with the city of Capua in Campania. The Italic speakers in Latium had long ago been subdued and incorporated into the Roman state. They were responsible for changing Rome from a primarily Etruscan to a primarily Italic state.
Dense populations of sovereign Samnites remained in the mountains north of Capua, which is just north of the Greek city of Neapolis. Around 343 BC, Rome and Capua attempted to form an alliance, a first step toward a closer unity. The Samnites reacted with military force.
The barrier of the Pontine Marshes[edit]
Priscilla tomb
Grave monument of Caius Rabirius Postumus Hermodorus, Lucia Rabiria Demaris and Usia Prima, priestess of Isis along the Via Appia, near Quarto Miglio
San Sebastiano fuori le Mura, located on the catacombs of San Sebastiano
Between Capua and Rome lay the Pontine Marshes (Pomptinae paludes), a swamp infested with malaria. A tortuous coastal road wound between Ostia at the mouth of the Tiber and Neapolis. The via Latina followed its ancient and scarcely more accessible path along the foothills of Monti Laziali and Monti Lepini, which are visible towering over the former marsh.
In the First Samnite War (343–341 BC) the Romans found they could not support or resupply troops in the field against the Samnites across the marsh. A revolt of the Latin League drained their resources further. They gave up the attempted alliance and settled with Samnium.
Colonization to the southeast[edit]
The Romans were only biding their time while they looked for a solution. The first answer was the colonia, a "cultivation" of settlers from Rome, who would maintain a permanent base of operations. The Second Samnite War (327–304 BC) erupted when Rome attempted to place a colony at Cales in 334 and again at Fregellae in 328 on the other side of the marshes. The Samnites, now a major power after defeating the Greeks of Tarentum, occupied Neapolis to try to ensure its loyalty. The Neapolitans appealed to Rome, which sent an army and expelled the Samnites from Neapolis.
Appius Claudius' beginning of the works[edit]
In 312 BC, Appius Claudius Caecus became censor at Rome. He was of the gens Claudia, who were patricians descended from the Sabines taken into the early Roman state. He had been given the name of the founding ancestor of the gens. He was a populist, i.e., an advocate of the common people. A man of inner perspicacity, in the years of success he was said to have lost his outer vision and thus acquired the name caecus, "blind".
Without waiting to be told what to do by the Senate, Appius Claudius began bold public works to address the supply problem. An aqueduct (the Aqua Appia) secured the water supply of the city of Rome. By far the best known project was the road, which ran across the Pontine Marshes to the coast northwest of Naples, where it turned north to Capua. On it, any number of fresh troops could be sped to the theatre of operations, and supplies could be moved en masse to Roman bases without hindrance by either enemy or terrain. It is no surprise that, after his term as censor, Appius Claudius became consul twice, subsequently held other offices, and was a respected consultant to the state even during his later years.
The success of the road[edit]
The road achieved its purpose. The outcome of the Second Samnite War was at last favorable to Rome. In a series of blows the Romans reversed their fortunes, bringing Etruria to the table in 311 BC, the very year of their revolt, and Samnium in 304. The road was the main factor that allowed them to concentrate their forces with sufficient rapidity and to keep them adequately supplied, wherein they became a formidable opponent.
Construction of the road[edit]
The main part of the Appian Way was started and finished in 312 BC.
The road began as a leveled dirt road upon which small stones and mortar were laid. Gravel was laid upon this, which was finally topped with tight fitting, interlocking stones to provide a flat surface. The historian Procopius said that the stones fit together so securely and closely that they appeared to have grown together rather than to have been fitted together.[5] The road was cambered in the middle (for water runoff) and had ditches on either side of the road which were protected by retaining walls.
Between Rome and Lake Albano[edit]
The Circus of Maxentius.
The road began in the Forum Romanum, passed through the Servian Wall at the porta Capena, went through a cutting in the clivus Martis, and left the city. For this stretch of the road, the builders used the via Latina. The building of the Aurelian Wall centuries later required the placing of another gate, the Porta Appia. Outside of Rome the new via Appia went through well-to-do suburbs along the via Norba, the ancient track to the Alban hills, where Norba was situated. The road at the time was a via glarea, a gravel road. The Romans built a high-quality road, with layers of cemented stone over a layer of small stones, cambered, drainage ditches on either side, low retaining walls on sunken portions, and dirt pathways for sidewalks. The via Appia is believed to have been the first Roman road to feature the use of lime cement. The materials were volcanic rock. The surface was said to have been so smooth that you could not distinguish the joints. The Roman section still exists and is lined with monuments of all periods, although the cement has eroded out of the joints, leaving a very rough surface.
Across the marsh[edit]
The road concedes nothing to the Alban hills, but goes straight through them over cuts and fills. The gradients are steep. Then it enters the former Pontine Marshes. A stone causeway of about 31 kilometers (19 mi) led across stagnant and foul-smelling pools blocked from the sea by sand dunes. Appius Claudius planned to drain the marsh, taking up earlier attempts, but he failed. The causeway and its bridges subsequently needed constant repair. No one enjoyed crossing the marsh.[citation needed] In 162 BC, Marcus Cornelius Cathegus had a canal constructed along the road to relieve the traffic and provide an alternative when the road was being repaired. Romans preferred using the canal.
Mausoleum of Caecilia Metella and the castrum Caetani
Along the coast[edit]
The via Appia picked up the coastal road at Tarracina (Terracina). However, the Romans straightened it somewhat with cuttings, which form cliffs today. From there the road swerved north to Capua, where, for the time being, it ended. Caudine Forks was not far to the north. The itinerary was Aricia (Ariccia), Tres Tabernae, Forum Appii, Tarracina, Fundi (Fondi), Formiae (Formia), Minturnae (Minturno), Suessa ([[S.P.Q.S[6][better source needed]]]), Casilinum and Capua, but some of these were colonies added after the Samnite Wars. The distance was 212 kilometers (132 mi). The original road had no milestones, as they were not yet in use. A few survive from later times, including a first milestone near the porta Appia.
Extension to Beneventum[edit]
Via Appia within the ancient Minturno
The Third Samnite War (298–290 BC) is perhaps misnamed. It was an all-out attempt by all the neighbors of Rome: Italics, Etruscans and Gauls, to check the power of Rome. The Samnites were the leading people of the conspiracy. Rome dealt the northerners a crushing blow at the Battle of Sentinum in Umbria in 295. The Samnites fought on alone. Rome now placed 13 colonies in Campania and Samnium. It must have been during this time that they extended the via Appia 35 miles beyond Capua past the Caudine forks to a place the Samnites called Maloenton, "passage of the flocks". The itinerary added Calatia, Caudium and Beneventum (not yet called that). Here also ended the via Latina.[citation needed]
Extension to Apulia and Calabria[edit]
By 290 BC, the sovereignty of the Samnites had ended. The heel of Italy lay open to the Romans. The dates are somewhat uncertain and there is considerable variation in the sources, but during the Third Samnite War the Romans seem to have extended the road to Venusia, where they placed a colony of 20,000 men. After that they were at Tarentum.
Roman expansion alarmed Tarentum, the leading city of the Greek presence (Magna Graecia) in southern Italy. They hired the mercenary, King Pyrrhus of Epirus, in neighboring Greece to fight the Romans on their behalf. In 280 BC the Romans suffered a defeat at the hands of Pyrrhus at the Battle of Heraclea on the coast west of Tarentum. The battle was costly for both sides, prompting Pyrrhus to remark "One more such victory and I am lost." Making the best of it, the Roman army turned on Greek Rhegium and effected a massacre of Pyrrhian partisans there.
Rather than pursue them, Pyrrhus went straight for Rome along the via Appia and then the via Latina. He knew that if he continued on the via Appia he could be trapped in the marsh. Wary of such entrapment on the via Latina also, he withdrew without fighting after encountering opposition at Anagni. Wintering in Campania, he withdrew to Apulia in 279 BC, where, pursued by the Romans, he won a second costly victory at the Battle of Asculum. Withdrawing from Apulia for a Sicilian interlude, he returned to Apulia in 275 BC and started for Campania up the nice Roman road.
Supplied by that same road, the Romans successfully defended the region against Pyrrhus, crushing his army in a two-day fight at the Battle of Beneventum in 275 BC. The Romans renamed the town from "Maleventum" ("site of bad events") to Beneventum ("site of good events") as a result. Pyrrhus withdrew to Greece, where he died in a street fight in Argos in 272 BC. Tarentum fell to the Romans that same year, who proceeded to consolidate their rule over all of Italy.[7]
The Romans pushed the via Appia to the port of Brundisium in 264 BC. The itinerary from Beneventum was now Venusia, Silvium, Tarentum, Uria and Brundisium. The Roman Republic was the government of Italy, for the time being. Appius Claudius died in 273, but in extending the road a number of times, no one has tried to displace his name upon it.
Extension by Trajan[edit]
The emperor Trajan built the Via Traiana, an extension of the Via Appia from Beneventum, reaching Brundisium via Canusium and Barium rather than via Tarentum. This was commemorated by an arch at Beneventum.
Notable historical events along the road[edit]
The crucifixion of Spartacus' army[edit]
Emperor Trajan built a deviation of Via Appia. This is a tract of Via Appia Traiana near Egnatia.
The column in Brindisi, marking the end of the Via Appia
Further information: Third Servile War
In 73 BC, a slave revolt (known as the Third Servile War) under the ex-gladiator of Capua, Spartacus, began against the Romans. Slavery accounted for roughly every third person in Italy.
Spartacus defeated many Roman armies in a conflict that lasted for over two years. While trying to escape from Italy at Brundisium he unwittingly moved his forces into the historic trap in Apulia/Calabria. The Romans were well acquainted with the region. Legions were brought home from abroad and Spartacus was pinned between armies. The ex-slave army was defeated at Siler River by Crassus. Pompey's armies captured and killed several thousand rebels that escaped from the battle and Crassus captured several thousand more. The Romans judged that the slaves had forfeited their right to live. In 71 BC, 6,000 slaves were crucified along the 200-kilometer (120 mi) Via Appia from Rome to Capua.[8]
The World War II battle of Anzio[edit]
Main article: Operation Shingle
In 1943, during World War II, the Allies fell into the same trap Pyrrhus had retreated to avoid, in the Pomptine fields, the successor to the Pomptine marshes. The marsh remained, despite many efforts to drain it, until engineers working for Benito Mussolini finally succeeded. (Even so, the fields were infested with malarial mosquitos until the advent of DDT in 1950s.)
Hoping to break a stalemate at Monte Cassino, the Allies landed on the coast of Italy at Nettuno, ancient Antium, which was midway between Ostia and Terracina. They found that the place was undefended. They intended to move along the line of the via Appia to take Rome, outflanking Monte Cassino, but they did not do so quickly enough. The Germans occupied Mounts Laziali and Lepini along the track of the old Via Latina, from which they rained down shells on Anzio. Even though the Allies expanded into all the Pomptine region, they gained no ground. The Germans counterattacked down the via Appia from the Alban hills in a front four miles wide, but could not retake Anzio. The battle lasted for four months, one side being supplied by sea, the other by land through Rome. In May 1944, the Allies broke out of Anzio and took Rome. The German forces escaped to the north of Florence.
1960 Summer Olympics[edit]
For the 1960 Summer Olympics, it served as part of the men's marathon course that was won by Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia.[9][10]
Main sights[edit]
Via Appia Antica 4.1 km South-East from Porta Appia (Porta San Sebastiano), the gate of the Aurelian Walls
Via Appia antica[edit]
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the road fell out of use; Pope Pius VI ordered its restoration. A new Appian Way was built in parallel with the old one in 1784 as far as the Alban Hills region. The new road is the Via Appia Nuova ("New Appian Way") as opposed to the old section, now known as Via Appia Antica. The old Appian Way close to Rome is now a free tourist attraction. It was extensively restored for Rome's Millennium and Great Jubilee celebrations. The first 5 kilometers (3 mi) are still heavily used by cars, buses and coaches but from then on traffic is very light and the ruins can be explored on foot in relative safety. The Church of Domine Quo Vadis is in the second mile of the road. Along or close to the part of the road closest to Rome, there are three catacombs of Roman and early Christian origin and one of Jewish origin.
The construction of Rome's ring road, the Grande Raccordo Anulare or GRA, in 1951 caused the Appian Way to be cut in two. More recent improvements to the GRA have rectified this through the construction of a tunnel under the Appia, so that it is now possible to follow the Appia on foot for about 16 km (10 mi) from its beginning near the Baths of Caracalla.
Many parts of the original road beyond Rome's environs have been preserved, and some are now used by cars (for example, in the area of Velletri). The road inspires the last movement of Ottorino Respighi's Pini di Roma. To this day the Via Appia contains the longest stretch of straight road in Europe,[11] totaling 62 km (39 mi).
Monuments along the Via Appia[edit]
The Appian Way as it appeared in Piranesi's imagination (1756)
1st to 4th mile[edit]
Porta Appia (Porta San Sebastiano), the gate of the Aurelian Walls
Church of Domine Quo Vadis
Tomb of Priscilla
Catacomb of Callixtus
San Sebastiano fuori le mura
Catacombs of St Sebastian
Vigna Randanini Jewish catacombs
Circus of Maxentius
Tomb of Caecilia Metella
Roman baths of Capo di Bove
Tomb of Hilarus Fuscus
5th mile[edit]
The Mausoleum of the Curiazi has been dated to between the end of the Republic and the beginning of the Empire
Mausoleum of the Orazi and Curiazi
Villa dei Quintili, with nympheum, theatre, and baths
Mausoleum of Casal Rotondo
Torre Selce, a 12th-century tower built on a much older mausoleum
6th mile and beyond[edit]
Minucia tomb
Torre Selce
Temple of Hercules
Berrettia di Prete (tomb and later church)
Mausoleum of Gallienus
Tres Tabernae
Villa of Publius Clodius Pulcher (in the Villa Santa Caterina, owned by the Pontifical North American College), 14th mile
Villa of Pompey
Roman bridges along the road[edit]
For an overview of the location of Roman bridges, see List of Roman bridges.
There are the remains of several Roman bridges along the road, including the Ponte di Tre Ponti, Ponte di Vigna Capoccio, Viadotta di Valle Ariccia, Ponte Alto and Ponte Antico.
A look around the Piazza del Duomo in Siena, mainly to look at Siena Cathedral (Duomo di Siena) but there was other buildings around the square and some sculptures to admire!
Piazza del Duomo in Siena flanks the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta with an "L" shape and with an ideal continuation in the missing nave of the "New Cathedral", today Piazza Jacopo della Quercia. In addition to the famous religious building, there is the museum complex of Santa Maria della Scala .
The square is located at the top of the hill of Santa Maria, near the oldest part of the Roman city, the Castelvecchio . The birth of the religious center can be referred, hypothetically and circumstantially, to the seventh century or so (although it can not be excluded that the hill hosted a sort of more ancient acropolis ), when the episcopal see and the cathedral were moved there from a place unspecified of Castelvecchio. The entire apiscopis pit was in fact included in the first circle of the early medieval walls , which passed more or less along the current via del Fosso di Sant'Ansano, that is on the back of the Santa Maria della Scala building .
With the construction of the Duomo , from the eleventh century, the square began to have the current configuration, which became mostly definitive only in the seventeenth century, when the ancient bishop's palace (eleventh century) was demolished, freeing the right flank of the cathedral, while on the northern side was demolished the loggia that connected the old Canonica to the Duomo itself.
The extraordinary façade of the Duomo visually dominates the square, with the light that illuminates it for most of the day without shadows from the surrounding buildings, which are however closely calibrated. It was built in the lower part between 1285 and 1296 by Giovanni Pisano in Gothic style with rayonnant influences, and in the upper part by Camaino di Crescentino and finished in 1317 . The steps that lift the cathedral are concluded in a proportionate platform that is the base of the monument, on which are located marble, in correspondence of the main entrances marble (today copies of the originals) representing the ceremonies of the initiation of Nastagio di Gaspare , datable to 1450 .
At the corners of the staircase two Lupe with the marble twins on columns are respectively works by Giovanni Pisano and Urbano da Cortona , both admitted to the nearby Museo dell'Opera Metropolitana and replaced by copies. The right side of the building, the one that gives onto the square, is simpler, standing out the only Door of Forgiveness adorned with a bas-relief of the Madonna and Child by Donatello (also in copy).
The bell tower , with white and black bands, was built by incorporating part of the ancient tower of the Bisdomini, towards the end of the thirteenth century.
The opposite side of the cathedral façade is occupied by the former hospital of Santa Maria della Scala , which owes its name to the steps of the Cathedral. Founded by the same canons to give hospitality to the pilgrims, assist the poor, the sick and welcome orphan children, it was one of the largest and most important structures of this kind in Tuscany between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Its prestige is reflected today in the rich decoration of the complex, which in the meantime became a museum. Inside there are only a small part of the works of art owned by the hospital (many are in the National Gallery ), but sufficient to give an idea of the ancient splendor. It also houses the National Archaeological Museum (in the basement) and the original pieces of the Fonte Gaia , both by Jacopo della Quercia and the nineteenth-century reconstruction by Tito Sarrocchi .
The north side of the square is occupied by the Archbishop's Palace , which today has an eighteenth-century facade, but camouflaged by the use of the Gothic-Sienese style of the fourteenth century. Here, up to the middle of the seventeenth century, the Canons and the rector of the Opera were seated, while the archbishop , as already mentioned, lived in a palace that was leaning against the right side of the cathedral.
The main facade of Siena Cathedral.
Siena Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Siena) is a medieval church in Siena, Italy, dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church, and now dedicated to the Assumption of Mary.
Previously the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Siena, from the 15th century the Archdiocese of Siena, it is now that of the Archdiocese of Siena-Colle di Val d'Elsa-Montalcino.
The cathedral itself was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower. The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade. Black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena, etiologically linked to black and white horses of the legendary city's founders, Senius and Aschius.
The façade of Siena Cathedral is one of the most fascinating in all of Italy and certainly one of the most impressive features in Siena. Each of the cardinal points (west, east, north, and south) has their own distinct work; by far the most impressive of these is the west façade. Acting as the main entryway to the Duomo proper, it boasts three portals (see Portal (architecture)); the central one is capped by a bronze-work sun.
Built in two stages and combining elements of French Gothic, Tuscan Romanesque architecture, and Classical architecture, the west façade is a beautiful example of Sienanise workmanship. Work began on the lower part around 1284. Built using polychrome marble, the work was overseen by Giovanni Pisano whose work on the Duomo’s façade and pulpit was influenced by his father Nicola Pisano.
The lower portion of the façade is designed from Giovanni's original plans. Built in Tuscan Romanesque style it emphasizes a horizontal unity of the area around the portals at the expense of the vertical bay divisions. The three portals, surmounted by lunettes, are based on Giovanni Pisano’s original designs, as are much of the sculpture and orientation surrounding the entrances. The areas around and above the doors, as well as the columns between the portals, are richly decorated with acanthus scrolls, allegorical figures and biblical scenes.
Giovanni Pisano was able to oversee his work until about 1296 when he abruptly left Siena, reportedly over creative differences with the Opera del Duomo, the group that oversaw the construction and maintenance of the Siena cathedrals. Pisano's work on the lower façade was continued under the direction of Camaino di Crescentino, but a number of changes were made to the original plan. These included raising the façade due to the raising of the nave of the church and the instillation of a larger rose window based on designs by Duccio di Buoninsegna and commissioned by the city of Siena. Work on the west façade came to an abrupt end in 1317 when the Opera del Duomo redirected all efforts to the east façade.
Upper façade
There is debate as to when work on the upper façade was completed. Most scholars agree that it was finished sometime between 1360 and 1370, though when it began again is not known. The work continued to use Pisano's plans for the façade with some adaptations under the direction of Giovanni di Cecco. Di Cecco preferred more elaborate designs, most likely inspired by the Orvieto Cathedral. The façade needed to be much higher than foreseen as the nave had, once again, been raised.
The changes were probably needed to accommodate the raised nave and di Cecco's more elaborate design scheme, heavily influenced by French Gothic architecture, caused the apparent division of the upper portion of the cathedral. Most noticeably the pinnacles of the upper portion do not continue from the columns flanking the central portal as they normally would in such cathedrals. Instead they are substantially offset, resulting in a vertical discontinuity which is uncommon cathedrals of the time as it can lead to structural weakness. To adjust for this imbalance, the towers on each side of the cathedral were opened by adding windows, reducing the weight they needed to support. The upper portion also features heavy Gothic decoration, a marked contrast to the simple geometric designed common to Tuscan Romanesque architecture.
Façade sculpture
While most of the sculpture decorating the lower level of the lavish façade was sculpted by Giovanni Pisano and assistant depicting prophets, philosophers and apostles, the more Gothic statuary adorning the upper portion—including the half-length statues of the patriarchs in the niches around the rose window—are works of later, unattributed, sculptors. Almost all the statuary adorning the cathedral today are copies. The originals are kept in the Crypt of the Statues in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.
Three large mosaics on the gables of the façade were made in Venice in 1878. The large central mosaic, the Coronation of the Virgin, is the work of Luigi Mussini. The smaller mosaics on each side, Nativity of Jesus and Presentation of Mary in the Temple, were made by Alessandro Franchi.
The bronze central door is a recent addition to the cathedral, replacing the original wooden one. The large door, known as the Porta della Riconoscenza, was commissioned in 1946 near the end of the German occupation of Siena. Sculpted by Vico Consorti and cast by Enrico Manfrini, the scenes on the door represent the Glorification of the Virgin, Siena’s patron saint.
On the left corner pier of the façade is a 14th-century inscription marking the grave of Giovanni Pisano. Next to the façade stands a column with a statue of the Contrade Lupa, a wolf breast-feeding Romulus and Remus. According to local legend Senius and Aschius, sons of Remus and founders of Siena, left Rome with the statue, stolen from the Temple of Apollo in Rome.
statues
The Yea Shire Hall in Yea’s main thoroughfare of High Street was originally a single storey building erected in 1877. The grander double storey Victorian Academic Classical building with a tower that stands on the site today was built in 1894 by architect L. J. Bishop. Its construction is of concrete with cement rendering. Its facilities include a ballroom, a stage, two dressing rooms and a supper room.
The Yea Shire Hall has aesthetic appeal and is of social significance, as it was the headquarters of the shire and council meetings, which were conducted in the building’s supper room. Today, the hall caters for the cultural, amusement, entertainment and recreation needs of the community. Remodelling was undertaken in 1894 and extensions in 1923 when the building’s kitchens were finally sewered. The office accommodation was converted to sewered toilet rooms in 1968.
The hall is typical of the mid Victorian eclectic revival and modification of various stands of European Renaissance architecture that culminated in the Academic Classical style. The building is symmetrical with rounded windows and entrance inspired by Roman or Renaissance architecture. The construction date of 1894 and building’s name appear above the doorway on the pediment. The pedemented portico is inspired by a classical temple front, which may also have inspired the Corinthian topped columns that ornament the front. The façade itself, covered in cement render, has the ground floor as a base and the main floor treated like a piano nobile. Other typical attributes of the Victorian Academic Classical style include the balustrade ornamented parapet, which conceals the roof, and perhaps the building’s most impressive feature, the prominent central tower with its mansard roof. The tower employs classical motifs and garland boiseries and features a working clock.
Yea is a small country town located 109 kilometres (68 miles) north-east of Melbourne in rural Victoria. The first settlers in the district were overlanders from New South Wales, who arrived in 1837. By 1839, settlements and farms dotted the area along the Goulburn River. The town was surveyed and laid out in 1855 and named after Colonel Lacy Walter Yea (1808 – 1855); a British Army colonel killed that year in the Crimean War. Town lots went on sale at Kilmore the following year. Settlement followed and the Post Office opened on 15 January 1858. The town site was initially known to pioneer settlers as the Muddy Creek settlement for the Yea River, called Muddy Creek until 1878. When gold was discovered in the area in 1859 a number of smaller mining settlements came into existence, including Molesworth. Yea expanded into a township under the influx of hopeful prospectors, with the addition of several housing areas, an Anglican church (erected in 1869) and a population of 250 when it formally became a shire in 1873. Yea was promoted as something of a tourist centre in the 1890s with trout being released into King Parrot Creek to attract recreational anglers. A post office was built in 1890, followed by a grandstand and a butter factory (now cheese factory) in 1891. There was a proposal in 1908 to submerge the town under the Trawool Water Scheme but it never went ahead. Today Yea is a popular stopping point for tourists on their way from Melbourne to the Victorian snow fields and Lake Eildon, and is very popular with cyclists who traverse the old railway line, which has since been converted into a cycling trail.
view National Theater Hall (left) and National Concert Hall (right) at rosy dawn after summer shower.
The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a Taiwanese national monument, landmark and tourist attraction erected in memory of Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China.
The monument, surrounded by a park, stands at the east end of Memorial Hall Square. The structure is framed on the north and south by the National Theater and National Concert Hall.
Taipei, Taiwan.
2016/7/10
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It was Saturday, November 4, 1989 and I was in Athens. The first thing I did after finding cheap accommodation, was head to the Acropolis. This analogue selfie at the Parthenon I shot by placing my SLR on a block of stone and discharging the shot using the camera's mechanical timer. I distinctly remember jumping over that chain in front of me as I hurried to get into shot :-) I visted the site again a few years ago, with my wife and son, and it's just remarkable just how few people there were there back in 1989.
35mm Pentax ME Super with 50mm lens and screw-on fisheye attachment from Jessop, Oxford Street, London.
Google Maps - not looking very good in 2017.
37.971402, 23.726020
A galeria porticada no piso inferior da Reggia di Caserta, projetada por Luigi Vanvitelli no século XVIII, é uma estrutura fundamental que conecta os quatro pátios internos e permite a circulação entre as áreas de entrada e de serviço do palácio, um dos maiores da Europa. Composta por colunas toscanas em pedra clara e um teto de caixotões, a sua organização rítmica de arcos reflete a influência do classicismo na arquitetura da época. Este corredor não só serve para o trânsito funcional dos visitantes e bens, mas também destaca a utilização de pedra calcária local e pavimento em basalto vesuviano, escolhido pela sua resistência ao intenso movimento da corte borbónica. A Reggia, construída como um símbolo do poder da Casa de Bourbon, exemplifica a adaptabilidade dos princípios clássicos às necessidades de uma residência real e a organização administrativa do Reino de Nápoles.
The porticoed gallery on the lower floor of the Reggia di Caserta, designed by Luigi Vanvitelli in the 18th century, is a fundamental structure that connects the four internal courtyards and allows circulation between the entrance and service areas of the palace, one of the largest in Europe. Composed of Tuscan columns in light stone and a coffered ceiling, its rhythmic arrangement of arches reflects the influence of classicism on the architecture of the time. This corridor not only serves the functional transit of visitors and goods, but also highlights the use of local limestone and Vesuvian basalt flooring, chosen for its resistance to the intense movement of the Bourbon court. The Reggia, built as a symbol of the power of the House of Bourbon, exemplifies the adaptability of classical principles to the needs of a royal residence and the administrative organization of the Kingdom of Naples.
During the guided tour of Siena. Skyline view was near the Basilica of San Domenico, although from where I was standing was trees in the way of part of this view.
Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral)
Siena Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Siena) is a medieval church in Siena, Italy, dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church, and now dedicated to the Assumption of Mary.
Previously the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Siena, from the 15th century the Archdiocese of Siena, it is now that of the Archdiocese of Siena-Colle di Val d'Elsa-Montalcino.
The cathedral itself was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower. The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade. Black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena, etiologically linked to black and white horses of the legendary city's founders, Senius and Aschius.
The façade of Siena Cathedral is one of the most fascinating in all of Italy and certainly one of the most impressive features in Siena. Each of the cardinal points (west, east, north, and south) has their own distinct work; by far the most impressive of these is the west façade. Acting as the main entryway to the Duomo proper, it boasts three portals (see Portal (architecture)); the central one is capped by a bronze-work sun.
Built in two stages and combining elements of French Gothic, Tuscan Romanesque architecture, and Classical architecture, the west façade is a beautiful example of Sienanise workmanship. Work began on the lower part around 1284. Built using polychrome marble, the work was overseen by Giovanni Pisano whose work on the Duomo’s façade and pulpit was influenced by his father Nicola Pisano.
The lower portion of the façade is designed from Giovanni's original plans. Built in Tuscan Romanesque style it emphasizes a horizontal unity of the area around the portals at the expense of the vertical bay divisions. The three portals, surmounted by lunettes, are based on Giovanni Pisano’s original designs, as are much of the sculpture and orientation surrounding the entrances. The areas around and above the doors, as well as the columns between the portals, are richly decorated with acanthus scrolls, allegorical figures and biblical scenes.
Giovanni Pisano was able to oversee his work until about 1296 when he abruptly left Siena, reportedly over creative differences with the Opera del Duomo, the group that oversaw the construction and maintenance of the Siena cathedrals. Pisano's work on the lower façade was continued under the direction of Camaino di Crescentino, but a number of changes were made to the original plan. These included raising the façade due to the raising of the nave of the church and the instillation of a larger rose window based on designs by Duccio di Buoninsegna and commissioned by the city of Siena. Work on the west façade came to an abrupt end in 1317 when the Opera del Duomo redirected all efforts to the east façade.
Upper façade
There is debate as to when work on the upper façade was completed. Most scholars agree that it was finished sometime between 1360 and 1370, though when it began again is not known. The work continued to use Pisano's plans for the façade with some adaptations under the direction of Giovanni di Cecco. Di Cecco preferred more elaborate designs, most likely inspired by the Orvieto Cathedral. The façade needed to be much higher than foreseen as the nave had, once again, been raised.
The changes were probably needed to accommodate the raised nave and di Cecco's more elaborate design scheme, heavily influenced by French Gothic architecture, caused the apparent division of the upper portion of the cathedral. Most noticeably the pinnacles of the upper portion do not continue from the columns flanking the central portal as they normally would in such cathedrals. Instead they are substantially offset, resulting in a vertical discontinuity which is uncommon cathedrals of the time as it can lead to structural weakness. To adjust for this imbalance, the towers on each side of the cathedral were opened by adding windows, reducing the weight they needed to support. The upper portion also features heavy Gothic decoration, a marked contrast to the simple geometric designed common to Tuscan Romanesque architecture.
Façade sculpture
While most of the sculpture decorating the lower level of the lavish façade was sculpted by Giovanni Pisano and assistant depicting prophets, philosophers and apostles, the more Gothic statuary adorning the upper portion—including the half-length statues of the patriarchs in the niches around the rose window—are works of later, unattributed, sculptors. Almost all the statuary adorning the cathedral today are copies. The originals are kept in the Crypt of the Statues in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.
Three large mosaics on the gables of the façade were made in Venice in 1878. The large central mosaic, the Coronation of the Virgin, is the work of Luigi Mussini. The smaller mosaics on each side, Nativity of Jesus and Presentation of Mary in the Temple, were made by Alessandro Franchi.
The bronze central door is a recent addition to the cathedral, replacing the original wooden one. The large door, known as the Porta della Riconoscenza, was commissioned in 1946 near the end of the German occupation of Siena. Sculpted by Vico Consorti and cast by Enrico Manfrini, the scenes on the door represent the Glorification of the Virgin, Siena’s patron saint.
On the left corner pier of the façade is a 14th-century inscription marking the grave of Giovanni Pisano. Next to the façade stands a column with a statue of the Contrade Lupa, a wolf breast-feeding Romulus and Remus. According to local legend Senius and Aschius, sons of Remus and founders of Siena, left Rome with the statue, stolen from the Temple of Apollo in Rome.
"Der in den Künsten zu unterweisenden Jugend"
UdK-Hauptgebäude, Hauptgebäude der Universität der Künste (UdK), 1899–1902, ehemals Hochschule der Künste (HdK), davor Königlich Preußische Hochschule für bildende Künste, Entwurf von Heinrich Joseph Kayser und Karl von Großheim (Büro Kayser & von Großheim), Hardenbergstraße, Berlin-Charlottenburg
Standing in the middle of Memorial Square in the heart of Colac, facing Murray Street is the Colac War Memorial.
Built rather like a classical temple of Roman or Grecian origin, the war memorial is built of sandstone and was erected as a tribute to those who both fought and died in the Great War (1914 - 1918), but it has been supplemented with plaques to other conflicts that occurred in later times. The shrine is engraved "1914 The Shire's Tribute 1918" and features places where conflict took place during the Great War; Egypt, Gallipoli, Palestine, Flanders, Pozieres, Polygon Wood, Bullecourt, Paschendale, Viller Brettoneux and Mont St Quinton. The Colac War Memorial was unveiled by Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Chauvel (1865 - 1945) on the 15th November, 1924. The cost of the memorial was ₤3600.00 and it was built by the monument manufacturers Sale and Keape. There are the names of 1665 men who had enlisted during the war. Those who died as a result of the conflict have their names picked out in gold lettering. A pine tree taken as a cutting from the original Lone Pine tree in Galippoli has been planted at the rear of the shrine on a lush piece of lawn.
Located approximately 150 kilometres to the south-west of Melbourne, past Geelong is the small Western District city of Colac. The area was originally settled by Europeans in 1837 by pastoralist Hugh Murray. A small community sprung up on the southern shore of a large lake amid the volcanic plains. The community was proclaimed a town, Lake Colac, in 1848, named after the lake upon which it perches. The post office opened in 1848 as Lake Colac and was renamed Colac in 1854 when the city changed its name. The township grew over the years, its wealth generated by the booming grazing industries of the large estates of the Western District and the dairy industry that accompanied it. Colac has a long high street shopping precinct, several churches, botanic gardens, a Masonic hall and a smattering of large properties within its boundaries, showing the conspicuous wealth of the city. Today Colac is still a commercial centre for the agricultural district that surrounds it with a population of around 10,000 people. Although not strictly a tourist town, Colac has many beautiful surviving historical buildings or interest, tree lined streets. Colac is known as “the Gateway to the Otways” (a reference to the Otway Ranges and surrounding forest area that is located just to the south of the town).
Ancient Roman theatre thought built in C2AD near the site of an earlier Greek one. Designed for about 7,000 spectators. Catania, Sicily, Italy.
After passing the Fortezza Medicea in Siena, before heading into the City Centre for our guided tour, we stopped off for this view of the skyline of the City!
From near Viale XXV Aprile.
Vista Panoramica de Siena
Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral)
Siena Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Siena) is a medieval church in Siena, Italy, dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church, and now dedicated to the Assumption of Mary.
Previously the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Siena, from the 15th century the Archdiocese of Siena, it is now that of the Archdiocese of Siena-Colle di Val d'Elsa-Montalcino.
The cathedral itself was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower. The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade. Black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena, etiologically linked to black and white horses of the legendary city's founders, Senius and Aschius.
The façade of Siena Cathedral is one of the most fascinating in all of Italy and certainly one of the most impressive features in Siena. Each of the cardinal points (west, east, north, and south) has their own distinct work; by far the most impressive of these is the west façade. Acting as the main entryway to the Duomo proper, it boasts three portals (see Portal (architecture)); the central one is capped by a bronze-work sun.
Built in two stages and combining elements of French Gothic, Tuscan Romanesque architecture, and Classical architecture, the west façade is a beautiful example of Sienanise workmanship. Work began on the lower part around 1284. Built using polychrome marble, the work was overseen by Giovanni Pisano whose work on the Duomo’s façade and pulpit was influenced by his father Nicola Pisano.
The lower portion of the façade is designed from Giovanni's original plans. Built in Tuscan Romanesque style it emphasizes a horizontal unity of the area around the portals at the expense of the vertical bay divisions. The three portals, surmounted by lunettes, are based on Giovanni Pisano’s original designs, as are much of the sculpture and orientation surrounding the entrances. The areas around and above the doors, as well as the columns between the portals, are richly decorated with acanthus scrolls, allegorical figures and biblical scenes.
Giovanni Pisano was able to oversee his work until about 1296 when he abruptly left Siena, reportedly over creative differences with the Opera del Duomo, the group that oversaw the construction and maintenance of the Siena cathedrals. Pisano's work on the lower façade was continued under the direction of Camaino di Crescentino, but a number of changes were made to the original plan. These included raising the façade due to the raising of the nave of the church and the instillation of a larger rose window based on designs by Duccio di Buoninsegna and commissioned by the city of Siena. Work on the west façade came to an abrupt end in 1317 when the Opera del Duomo redirected all efforts to the east façade.
Upper façade
There is debate as to when work on the upper façade was completed. Most scholars agree that it was finished sometime between 1360 and 1370, though when it began again is not known. The work continued to use Pisano's plans for the façade with some adaptations under the direction of Giovanni di Cecco. Di Cecco preferred more elaborate designs, most likely inspired by the Orvieto Cathedral. The façade needed to be much higher than foreseen as the nave had, once again, been raised.
The changes were probably needed to accommodate the raised nave and di Cecco's more elaborate design scheme, heavily influenced by French Gothic architecture, caused the apparent division of the upper portion of the cathedral. Most noticeably the pinnacles of the upper portion do not continue from the columns flanking the central portal as they normally would in such cathedrals. Instead they are substantially offset, resulting in a vertical discontinuity which is uncommon cathedrals of the time as it can lead to structural weakness. To adjust for this imbalance, the towers on each side of the cathedral were opened by adding windows, reducing the weight they needed to support. The upper portion also features heavy Gothic decoration, a marked contrast to the simple geometric designed common to Tuscan Romanesque architecture.
Façade sculpture
While most of the sculpture decorating the lower level of the lavish façade was sculpted by Giovanni Pisano and assistant depicting prophets, philosophers and apostles, the more Gothic statuary adorning the upper portion—including the half-length statues of the patriarchs in the niches around the rose window—are works of later, unattributed, sculptors. Almost all the statuary adorning the cathedral today are copies. The originals are kept in the Crypt of the Statues in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.
Three large mosaics on the gables of the façade were made in Venice in 1878. The large central mosaic, the Coronation of the Virgin, is the work of Luigi Mussini. The smaller mosaics on each side, Nativity of Jesus and Presentation of Mary in the Temple, were made by Alessandro Franchi.
The bronze central door is a recent addition to the cathedral, replacing the original wooden one. The large door, known as the Porta della Riconoscenza, was commissioned in 1946 near the end of the German occupation of Siena. Sculpted by Vico Consorti and cast by Enrico Manfrini, the scenes on the door represent the Glorification of the Virgin, Siena’s patron saint.
On the left corner pier of the façade is a 14th-century inscription marking the grave of Giovanni Pisano. Next to the façade stands a column with a statue of the Contrade Lupa, a wolf breast-feeding Romulus and Remus. According to local legend Senius and Aschius, sons of Remus and founders of Siena, left Rome with the statue, stolen from the Temple of Apollo in Rome.
A neoclassical installation, falling into disrepair, in the heart of Wroclaw (pronounced Vratslav") In Poland. It was attached to a park, in what appeared to be a low income section of town., a few kilometers from the Rynek, or old market and very beautiful square. This type of abandoned, decaying park was not characteristic of Wroclaw, which boasts a stunningly beautiful university and town centre.
I was struck by the thought that it could have been a fighting arena for one of Captain Kirk's alien brawls. Just missing a large stiff looking reptile in a leopard skin walking erect and hissing "I hear you human"!
The ceilings in the hermitage are not your ordinary painted ceilings, but hand painted murals framed by gilded frames and other art work.
Continuing on our visit last summer to St. Petersburg, Russia. Another highlight was the Hermitage, formerly known as the Winter Palace of the Russian Czars.
The State Hermitage (Russian: Государственный Эрмитаж) is a museum of art and culture situated in Saint Petersburg, Russia. One of the largest[1] and oldest museums of the world, it was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great and open to the public since 1852. Its collections, of which only a small part is on permanent display, comprise nearly 3 million items, including the largest collection of paintings in the world. The collections occupy a large complex of six historic buildings along Palace Embankment, including the Winter Palace, a former residence of Russian emperors. Apart from them, the Menshikov Palace, Museum of Porcelain, Storage Facility at Staraya Derevnya and the eastern wing of the General Staff Building also make part of the museum. The museum has several exhibition centers abroad. The Hermitage is a federal state property. Since 1990, the director of the museum has been Mikhail Piotrovsky.
Out of six buildings of the main museum complex, four, namely the Winter Palace, Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage and New Hermitage, are partially open to the public. The other two are Hermitage Theatre and the Reserve House. The entrance ticket for foreign tourists costs several times as much as the fee paid by Russian citizens. However, the entrance is free of charge first Thursday of every month for all visitors and daily for students and children. The museum is closed on Mondays. Entrance is in the Winter Palace from Palace Embankment or the Courtyard.
Ashford Castle is a medieval castle near Cong in County Mayo, Ireland on the shore of Lough Corrib.
The castle was built in 1228 by the Anglo-Norman de Burgo family following their defeat of the O'Connors, the Royal House of Connacht, who are still extant in the person of the O Connor Donn.The de Burgo's would build several such castles throughout the province, including one on the mouth of the River Corrib around which was to grow the City of Galway, but Ashford would remain their principal stronghold in the vastness of a wild and untamed province. The principal legacy of the native O'Connors is to be seen at the gates of the Estate in the form of the magnificent Romanesque Augustinian Abbey of Cong. It is in this Abbey that Ireland's last High King Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair died and from which came the greatest relic of his Court, the Cross of Cong created to hold a piece of the True Cross and now in the National Museum of Ireland.
After more than three and a half centuries under the de Burgo's, Ashford passed into the hands of a new master, when following a fierce battle between the forces of the de Burgo's and those of the English official Sir Richard Bingham, Lord President of Connaught, a truce was agreed and the castle fell to Bingham in 1589 who adds a fortified enclave within its precincts. In 1715 the estate of Ashford is established by the Browne Family (Baron Oranmore) and a lodge in the style of a 17th Century French chateau was added to the medieval splendour of the castle.
The Estate was purchased in 1852 by Sir Benjamin Guinness, he extended the estate to 26,000 acres, built new roads, planted thousands of trees and added two large victorian style extensions. On his death in 1868 the estate passed to his son Lord Ardilaun, an avid gardener who oversaw the development of massive woodlands and rebuilt the entire west wing of the castle. He also subsidised the operation of several steamboats, the most notable of which was the Lady Eglinton, which plied between the villages of the Upper Lough Corrib region and Galway City, thus opening the area to increased commerce. In a time of agitation by tenant farmers in the Land Wars of the late 19th Century, epitomised by the action of tenants at nearby Lough Mask House (home of Captain Charles Boycott) he was considered by many to be an 'improving' landlord. Although some of these were not always successful, particularly the Cong Canal also known as the "Dry Canal. It was built to link Lough Mask and Lough Corrib but was a failure, primarily due to its inability to hold water. Despite such setbacks the love borne by he and his wife Olive, daughter of the 3rd Earl of Bantry for the Castle and the estate was deep and best epitomised by that fact that when he was ennobled in 1880 he derived his title from the island of Ardilaun, which formed part of the Estate on Lough Corrib.
The Castle remained in the hands of the family and its Iveagh Trust until it was sold to Noel Huggard in 1939; he opened the estate as a hotel, which it became renowned for the provision of its country pursuits, such as angling & shooting.
In 1951 the film director John Ford came to the west of Ireland to film what would become a movie classic The Quiet Man. Starring John Wayne and Maureen O Hara, Ashford Castle and its grounds, as well as nearby Cong formed the backdrop for much of the action in the film.
In 1970 Ashford Castle was bought by John Mulcahy who oversaw its complete restoration and expansion, doubling its size with the addition of a new wing in the early 1970s, building a golf course and developing the grounds and gardens. While in 1985 a group of Irish American investors, which included Chuck Feeney and Prescott Bush purchased Ashford. The Castle was sold on by these investors in 2008 and is now in the possession of the Galway-based property investor Gerry Barrett and his family.
In its time the castle has played host to many notable guests, including: HM King George V of the United Kingdom, his consort Queen Mary, Oscar Wilde (his father Sir William Wilde had an estate adjacent to Ashford and where the author, playwright and poet spent much of his childhood), U.S. President Ronald Reagan, HRH the Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, John Wayne, HSH Prince Rainier III of Monaco & his consort HSH the Princess Grace.
The official site for the castle - www.ashford.ie/index.php
Muckross House (Irish: Theach Mhucrois) is located on the small Muckross Peninsula between Muckross Lake and Lough Leane, two of the Lakes of Killarney, 6 kilometers (4 mi) from the town of Killarney in County Kerry, Ireland.
Muckross House is a mansion designed by the Scottish architect, William Burn, that was built in 1843 for Henry Arthur Herbert and his wife, the watercolourist Mary Balfour Herbert. With sixty-five rooms, it was built in the Tudor style. Extensive improvements were undertaken in the 1850s in preparation for the visit of Queen Victoria in 1861. It is said that these improvements for the Queen's visit were a contributory factor in the financial difficulties suffered by the Herbert family which consequenced in the sale of the estate.
Killarney National Park was formed principally from a donation of Muckross Estate, which was presented to the state in 1932 by Senator Arthur Rose Vincent and his parents-in-law Mr. and Mrs. William Bowers Bourn II, in memory of Senator Vincent's late wife, Maud. The park was substantially expanded by acquisition of land from the former Earl of Kenmare's estate.
The house, gardens and traditional farms are all open to the public with guided tours of the house's rooms.
Rollins Chapel, Dartmouth College, College Street, Hanover, New Hampshire, 1884–1885, John Lyman Faxon
The earliest National Bank of Australia in Colac established its premises in the town's main thoroughfare at 28 Murray Street in a two storey brick building erected in 1865 to a design by the architect, Leonard Terry. In 1886 the Leonard Terry bank was demolished to make way for the present two storey stucco and brick building which was completed in August 1887.
Designed by self-trained local Colac architect Alexander Hamilton (1825 - 1901), the current National Bank of Australia building is a good example of transitional boom Classicism architecture. Builders Taylor and Ellis of Ballarat erected the bank at a cost of £3,500.00. The building, which stands detached and complete like the nearby Colac Shire Hall has an iron palisade fence. The design, with rusticated ground floor facade, Corinthian porch, unusual enframed windows and pronounced parapet entablature, is illustrative of trends in bank architecture in the mid 1880s in Victoria and is one of Mr. Hamilton's most significant and scholarly works.
The bank has seen many uses over the years, and was at one stage in its life a gentleman's club for wealthy local landowners to socialise in. Today the National Bank of Australia has moved to more modern premises in Colac, but the building houses professional suites as befits a building which such a fine architectural pedigree.
Alexander Hamilton was born in Moffat, Scotland, but migrated to Australia in 1852. Originally based in Melbourne, he went to the Western District town of Mortlake before moving in 1871 to Colac where he was amongst other professions a millwright, builder and an architect. Alexander Hamilton really concentrated on his profession as an architect when he arrived in Colac and made his name in the area as a number of older homesteads and buildings in the district were built under his instruction and supervision. These include "Illewarra House" which was built for for John Calvert in 1873, "Tarndwarncoort" for Alexander Dennis in 1877 and "Talindert" for James Manifold in 1890. Mr. Hamilton also designed the Presbyterian manse in Colac in 1883 and the Bank of Australasia in Beeac in 1888.
Located approximately 150 kilometres to the south-west of Melbourne, past Geelong is the small Western District city of Colac. The area was originally settled by Europeans in 1837 by pastoralist Hugh Murray. A small community sprung up on the southern shore of a large lake amid the volcanic plains. The community was proclaimed a town, Lake Colac, in 1848, named after the lake upon which it perches. The post office opened in 1848 as Lake Colac and was renamed Colac in 1854 when the city changed its name. The township grew over the years, its wealth generated by the booming grazing industries of the large estates of the Western District and the dairy industry that accompanied it. Colac has a long high street shopping precinct, several churches, botanic gardens, a Masonic hall and a smattering of large properties within its boundaries, showing the conspicuous wealth of the city. Today Colac is still a commercial centre for the agricultural district that surrounds it with a population of around 10,000 people. Although not strictly a tourist town, Colac has many beautiful surviving historical buildings or interest, tree lined streets. Colac is known as “the Gateway to the Otways” (a reference to the Otway Ranges and surrounding forest area that is located just to the south of the town).
View of the Duomo of Siena from the Piazza del Duomo.
Siena Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Siena) is a medieval church in Siena, Italy, dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church, and now dedicated to the Assumption of Mary.
Previously the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Siena, from the 15th century the Archdiocese of Siena, it is now that of the Archdiocese of Siena-Colle di Val d'Elsa-Montalcino.
The cathedral itself was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower. The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade. Black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena, etiologically linked to black and white horses of the legendary city's founders, Senius and Aschius.
The façade of Siena Cathedral is one of the most fascinating in all of Italy and certainly one of the most impressive features in Siena. Each of the cardinal points (west, east, north, and south) has their own distinct work; by far the most impressive of these is the west façade. Acting as the main entryway to the Duomo proper, it boasts three portals (see Portal (architecture)); the central one is capped by a bronze-work sun.
Built in two stages and combining elements of French Gothic, Tuscan Romanesque architecture, and Classical architecture, the west façade is a beautiful example of Sienanise workmanship. Work began on the lower part around 1284. Built using polychrome marble, the work was overseen by Giovanni Pisano whose work on the Duomo’s façade and pulpit was influenced by his father Nicola Pisano.
The lower portion of the façade is designed from Giovanni's original plans. Built in Tuscan Romanesque style it emphasizes a horizontal unity of the area around the portals at the expense of the vertical bay divisions. The three portals, surmounted by lunettes, are based on Giovanni Pisano’s original designs, as are much of the sculpture and orientation surrounding the entrances. The areas around and above the doors, as well as the columns between the portals, are richly decorated with acanthus scrolls, allegorical figures and biblical scenes.
Giovanni Pisano was able to oversee his work until about 1296 when he abruptly left Siena, reportedly over creative differences with the Opera del Duomo, the group that oversaw the construction and maintenance of the Siena cathedrals. Pisano's work on the lower façade was continued under the direction of Camaino di Crescentino, but a number of changes were made to the original plan. These included raising the façade due to the raising of the nave of the church and the instillation of a larger rose window based on designs by Duccio di Buoninsegna and commissioned by the city of Siena. Work on the west façade came to an abrupt end in 1317 when the Opera del Duomo redirected all efforts to the east façade.
Upper façade
There is debate as to when work on the upper façade was completed. Most scholars agree that it was finished sometime between 1360 and 1370, though when it began again is not known. The work continued to use Pisano's plans for the façade with some adaptations under the direction of Giovanni di Cecco. Di Cecco preferred more elaborate designs, most likely inspired by the Orvieto Cathedral. The façade needed to be much higher than foreseen as the nave had, once again, been raised.
The changes were probably needed to accommodate the raised nave and di Cecco's more elaborate design scheme, heavily influenced by French Gothic architecture, caused the apparent division of the upper portion of the cathedral. Most noticeably the pinnacles of the upper portion do not continue from the columns flanking the central portal as they normally would in such cathedrals. Instead they are substantially offset, resulting in a vertical discontinuity which is uncommon cathedrals of the time as it can lead to structural weakness. To adjust for this imbalance, the towers on each side of the cathedral were opened by adding windows, reducing the weight they needed to support. The upper portion also features heavy Gothic decoration, a marked contrast to the simple geometric designed common to Tuscan Romanesque architecture.
Façade sculpture
While most of the sculpture decorating the lower level of the lavish façade was sculpted by Giovanni Pisano and assistant depicting prophets, philosophers and apostles, the more Gothic statuary adorning the upper portion—including the half-length statues of the patriarchs in the niches around the rose window—are works of later, unattributed, sculptors. Almost all the statuary adorning the cathedral today are copies. The originals are kept in the Crypt of the Statues in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.
Three large mosaics on the gables of the façade were made in Venice in 1878. The large central mosaic, the Coronation of the Virgin, is the work of Luigi Mussini. The smaller mosaics on each side, Nativity of Jesus and Presentation of Mary in the Temple, were made by Alessandro Franchi.
The bronze central door is a recent addition to the cathedral, replacing the original wooden one. The large door, known as the Porta della Riconoscenza, was commissioned in 1946 near the end of the German occupation of Siena. Sculpted by Vico Consorti and cast by Enrico Manfrini, the scenes on the door represent the Glorification of the Virgin, Siena’s patron saint.
On the left corner pier of the façade is a 14th-century inscription marking the grave of Giovanni Pisano. Next to the façade stands a column with a statue of the Contrade Lupa, a wolf breast-feeding Romulus and Remus. According to local legend Senius and Aschius, sons of Remus and founders of Siena, left Rome with the statue, stolen from the Temple of Apollo in Rome.
Standing in the middle of Memorial Square in the heart of Colac, facing Murray Street is the Colac War Memorial.
Built rather like a classical temple of Roman or Grecian origin, the war memorial is built of sandstone and was erected as a tribute to those who both fought and died in the Great War (1914 - 1918), but it has been supplemented with plaques to other conflicts that occurred in later times. The shrine is engraved "1914 The Shire's Tribute 1918" and features places where conflict took place during the Great War; Egypt, Gallipoli, Palestine, Flanders, Pozieres, Polygon Wood, Bullecourt, Paschendale, Viller Brettoneux and Mont St Quinton. The Colac War Memorial was unveiled by Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Chauvel (1865 - 1945) on the 15th November, 1924. The cost of the memorial was ₤3600.00 and it was built by the monument manufacturers Sale and Keape. There are the names of 1665 men who had enlisted during the war. Those who died as a result of the conflict have their names picked out in gold lettering. A pine tree taken as a cutting from the original Lone Pine tree in Galippoli has been planted at the rear of the shrine on a lush piece of lawn.
Located approximately 150 kilometres to the south-west of Melbourne, past Geelong is the small Western District city of Colac. The area was originally settled by Europeans in 1837 by pastoralist Hugh Murray. A small community sprung up on the southern shore of a large lake amid the volcanic plains. The community was proclaimed a town, Lake Colac, in 1848, named after the lake upon which it perches. The post office opened in 1848 as Lake Colac and was renamed Colac in 1854 when the city changed its name. The township grew over the years, its wealth generated by the booming grazing industries of the large estates of the Western District and the dairy industry that accompanied it. Colac has a long high street shopping precinct, several churches, botanic gardens, a Masonic hall and a smattering of large properties within its boundaries, showing the conspicuous wealth of the city. Today Colac is still a commercial centre for the agricultural district that surrounds it with a population of around 10,000 people. Although not strictly a tourist town, Colac has many beautiful surviving historical buildings or interest, tree lined streets. Colac is known as “the Gateway to the Otways” (a reference to the Otway Ranges and surrounding forest area that is located just to the south of the town).
These are some windows of the Palazzo Bembo, a 15th century Gothic palace turned into a hotel, situated on the Grand Canal. It is the birthplace of the Renaissance cardinal and scholar , Pietro Bembo who wrote one of the earliest Italian grammars.
For more info: www.palazzobembo.com/Palazzo_Bembo-en.htm
The earliest National Bank of Australia in Colac established its premises in the town's main thoroughfare at 28 Murray Street in a two storey brick building erected in 1865 to a design by the architect, Leonard Terry. In 1886 the Leonard Terry bank was demolished to make way for the present two storey stucco and brick building which was completed in August 1887.
Designed by self-trained local Colac architect Alexander Hamilton (1825 - 1901), the current National Bank of Australia building is a good example of transitional boom Classicism architecture. Builders Taylor and Ellis of Ballarat erected the bank at a cost of £3,500.00. The building, which stands detached and complete like the nearby Colac Shire Hall has an iron palisade fence. The design, with rusticated ground floor facade, Corinthian porch, unusual enframed windows and pronounced parapet entablature, is illustrative of trends in bank architecture in the mid 1880s in Victoria and is one of Mr. Hamilton's most significant and scholarly works.
The bank has seen many uses over the years, and was at one stage in its life a gentleman's club for wealthy local landowners to socialise in. Today the National Bank of Australia has moved to more modern premises in Colac, but the building houses professional suites as befits a building which such a fine architectural pedigree.
Alexander Hamilton was born in Moffat, Scotland, but migrated to Australia in 1852. Originally based in Melbourne, he went to the Western District town of Mortlake before moving in 1871 to Colac where he was amongst other professions a millwright, builder and an architect. Alexander Hamilton really concentrated on his profession as an architect when he arrived in Colac and made his name in the area as a number of older homesteads and buildings in the district were built under his instruction and supervision. These include "Illewarra House" which was built for for John Calvert in 1873, "Tarndwarncoort" for Alexander Dennis in 1877 and "Talindert" for James Manifold in 1890. Mr. Hamilton also designed the Presbyterian manse in Colac in 1883 and the Bank of Australasia in Beeac in 1888.
Located approximately 150 kilometres to the south-west of Melbourne, past Geelong is the small Western District city of Colac. The area was originally settled by Europeans in 1837 by pastoralist Hugh Murray. A small community sprung up on the southern shore of a large lake amid the volcanic plains. The community was proclaimed a town, Lake Colac, in 1848, named after the lake upon which it perches. The post office opened in 1848 as Lake Colac and was renamed Colac in 1854 when the city changed its name. The township grew over the years, its wealth generated by the booming grazing industries of the large estates of the Western District and the dairy industry that accompanied it. Colac has a long high street shopping precinct, several churches, botanic gardens, a Masonic hall and a smattering of large properties within its boundaries, showing the conspicuous wealth of the city. Today Colac is still a commercial centre for the agricultural district that surrounds it with a population of around 10,000 people. Although not strictly a tourist town, Colac has many beautiful surviving historical buildings or interest, tree lined streets. Colac is known as “the Gateway to the Otways” (a reference to the Otway Ranges and surrounding forest area that is located just to the south of the town).
Standing in the middle of Memorial Square in the heart of Colac, facing Murray Street is the Colac War Memorial.
Built rather like a classical temple of Roman or Grecian origin, the war memorial is built of sandstone and was erected as a tribute to those who both fought and died in the Great War (1914 - 1918), but it has been supplemented with plaques to other conflicts that occurred in later times. The shrine is engraved "1914 The Shire's Tribute 1918" and features places where conflict took place during the Great War; Egypt, Gallipoli, Palestine, Flanders, Pozieres, Polygon Wood, Bullecourt, Paschendale, Viller Brettoneux and Mont St Quinton. The Colac War Memorial was unveiled by Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Chauvel (1865 - 1945) on the 15th November, 1924. The cost of the memorial was ₤3600.00 and it was built by the monument manufacturers Sale and Keape. There are the names of 1665 men who had enlisted during the war. Those who died as a result of the conflict have their names picked out in gold lettering. A pine tree taken as a cutting from the original Lone Pine tree in Galippoli has been planted at the rear of the shrine on a lush piece of lawn.
Located approximately 150 kilometres to the south-west of Melbourne, past Geelong is the small Western District city of Colac. The area was originally settled by Europeans in 1837 by pastoralist Hugh Murray. A small community sprung up on the southern shore of a large lake amid the volcanic plains. The community was proclaimed a town, Lake Colac, in 1848, named after the lake upon which it perches. The post office opened in 1848 as Lake Colac and was renamed Colac in 1854 when the city changed its name. The township grew over the years, its wealth generated by the booming grazing industries of the large estates of the Western District and the dairy industry that accompanied it. Colac has a long high street shopping precinct, several churches, botanic gardens, a Masonic hall and a smattering of large properties within its boundaries, showing the conspicuous wealth of the city. Today Colac is still a commercial centre for the agricultural district that surrounds it with a population of around 10,000 people. Although not strictly a tourist town, Colac has many beautiful surviving historical buildings or interest, tree lined streets. Colac is known as “the Gateway to the Otways” (a reference to the Otway Ranges and surrounding forest area that is located just to the south of the town).
Located near the top end of the main shopping strip, the Commercial Banking Company’s former Korumburra bank branch is a tribute to 1930s architectural style and stands out sharply amid its Victorian and Edwardian neighbours with its clean lines and bold brown brick and white painted colour scheme.
Like the Korumburra Masonic Hall around the corner, the Art Deco facade of the former bank branch, is extremely stripped back. The only piece of ornamentation identifying it as a branch of the Commercial Banking Company is the cartouche above the central window of the building, in which appear the letters CBC intertwined in classical script. Whilst the building now houses a firm of barristers and solicitors, when the building was occupied by its original owners there would not have been any more signage to advertise the business inside. There were identically designed and decorated branches in towns across South Gippsland to give uniformity and help with the recognition of the bank’s brand. There is still an existing example in Korumburra’s neighbouring town, Leongatha.
The building is very Inter-War Stripped Classical in style because of the limited decoration, its symmetrical façade, the division of the frontage into vertical bays indicating classical origin, vestigial classical columns and the element of the Art Deco style in its decoration. This Art Deco detailing is perhaps the building’s main attraction as it is very much in the “Egyptomania” or “Tutmania” style that gripped the world after the discovery of Pharaoh Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922. The columns have stylised papyrus capitals and the portico they hold up is decorated in the same patterns which is so evocative of the Jazz Age. A similar design of papyrus flowers top each of the three windows appearing on the bank’s façade. The bank also features Functionalist Moderne metal windows.
The Commercial Banking Company began operations on 1 November 1834 as The Commercial Banking Company of Sydney. In 1848 it was incorporated by an Act of the New South Wales Parliament. 1981 saw the bank amalgamate with the National Bank of Australasia Limited.
Korumburra is a medium-sized dairy and farming town in country Victoria, located on the South Gippsland Highway, 120 kilometres south-east of Melbourne. Surrounded by rolling green hills, the town has a population of a little over 4,000 people. Korumburra has built itself on coal mining (after the discovery of a coal seam in 1870), local forestry and dairy farming. Whilst the coal seam has been used up, farming in the area still thrives and a great deal of dairy produce is created from the area. The post office in the area opened on the 1st of September in 1884, and moved to the township on the railway survey line on the 1st of November 1889, the existing office being renamed Glentress. The steam railway connecting it with Melbourne arrived in 1891. Whilst the train line has long since operating commercially, it has found a new life as the popular tourist railway the South Gippsland Railway which operates a heritage railway service between the major country centre of Leongatha and the small market town of Nyora.
Ehemalige Französische Friedrichstadtkirche, Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin-Mitte, Kirchbau 1701–1705, Jean Louis Cayart und Abraham Quesnay, Kirchturm 1781–1785 Carl von Gontard und Georg Christian Unger, neobarocke Umgestaltung 1905, Otto March, Planung Wiederaufbau Gendarmenmarkt-Ensemble 1978–1983, Manfred Prasser
The Appian Way (Latin and Italian: Via Appia) was one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, in southeast Italy.[1] Its importance is indicated by its common name, recorded by Statius:[2][3]
Appia longarum... regina viarum
"the Appian Way the queen of the long roads"
The road is named after Appius Claudius Caecus, the Roman censor who began and completed the first section as a military road to the south in 312 BC[4] during the Samnite Wars.
Contents [hide]
1Origins
1.1The need for roads
1.2The Samnite Wars
1.3The barrier of the Pontine Marshes
1.4Colonization to the southeast
1.5Appius Claudius' beginning of the works
1.6The success of the road
2Construction of the road
2.1Between Rome and Lake Albano
2.2Across the marsh
2.3Along the coast
2.4Extension to Beneventum
2.5Extension to Apulia and Calabria
2.6Extension by Trajan
3Notable historical events along the road
3.1The crucifixion of Spartacus' army
3.2The World War II battle of Anzio
3.31960 Summer Olympics
4Main sights
4.1Via Appia antica
4.2Monuments along the Via Appia
4.2.11st to 4th mile
4.2.25th mile
4.2.36th mile and beyond
4.2.4Roman bridges along the road
5See also
6References
7External links
Origins[edit]
Porta San Sebastiano is the gate of the Appia in the Aurelian Walls
The need for roads[edit]
The Appian Way was used as a main route for military supplies since its construction for that purpose in 312 B.C.[citation needed]
The Appian Way was the first long road built specifically to transport troops outside the smaller region of greater Rome (this was essential to the Romans). The few roads outside the early city were Etruscan and went mainly to Etruria. By the late Republic, the Romans had expanded over most of Italy and were masters of road construction. Their roads began at Rome, where the master itinerarium, or list of destinations along the roads, was located, and extended to the borders of their domain — hence the expression, "All roads lead to Rome".
The Samnite Wars[edit]
Rome had an affinity for the people of Campania, who, like themselves, traced their backgrounds to the Etruscans. The Samnite Wars were instigated by the Samnites when Rome attempted to ally itself with the city of Capua in Campania. The Italic speakers in Latium had long ago been subdued and incorporated into the Roman state. They were responsible for changing Rome from a primarily Etruscan to a primarily Italic state.
Dense populations of sovereign Samnites remained in the mountains north of Capua, which is just north of the Greek city of Neapolis. Around 343 BC, Rome and Capua attempted to form an alliance, a first step toward a closer unity. The Samnites reacted with military force.
The barrier of the Pontine Marshes[edit]
Priscilla tomb
Grave monument of Caius Rabirius Postumus Hermodorus, Lucia Rabiria Demaris and Usia Prima, priestess of Isis along the Via Appia, near Quarto Miglio
San Sebastiano fuori le Mura, located on the catacombs of San Sebastiano
Between Capua and Rome lay the Pontine Marshes (Pomptinae paludes), a swamp infested with malaria. A tortuous coastal road wound between Ostia at the mouth of the Tiber and Neapolis. The via Latina followed its ancient and scarcely more accessible path along the foothills of Monti Laziali and Monti Lepini, which are visible towering over the former marsh.
In the First Samnite War (343–341 BC) the Romans found they could not support or resupply troops in the field against the Samnites across the marsh. A revolt of the Latin League drained their resources further. They gave up the attempted alliance and settled with Samnium.
Colonization to the southeast[edit]
The Romans were only biding their time while they looked for a solution. The first answer was the colonia, a "cultivation" of settlers from Rome, who would maintain a permanent base of operations. The Second Samnite War (327–304 BC) erupted when Rome attempted to place a colony at Cales in 334 and again at Fregellae in 328 on the other side of the marshes. The Samnites, now a major power after defeating the Greeks of Tarentum, occupied Neapolis to try to ensure its loyalty. The Neapolitans appealed to Rome, which sent an army and expelled the Samnites from Neapolis.
Appius Claudius' beginning of the works[edit]
In 312 BC, Appius Claudius Caecus became censor at Rome. He was of the gens Claudia, who were patricians descended from the Sabines taken into the early Roman state. He had been given the name of the founding ancestor of the gens. He was a populist, i.e., an advocate of the common people. A man of inner perspicacity, in the years of success he was said to have lost his outer vision and thus acquired the name caecus, "blind".
Without waiting to be told what to do by the Senate, Appius Claudius began bold public works to address the supply problem. An aqueduct (the Aqua Appia) secured the water supply of the city of Rome. By far the best known project was the road, which ran across the Pontine Marshes to the coast northwest of Naples, where it turned north to Capua. On it, any number of fresh troops could be sped to the theatre of operations, and supplies could be moved en masse to Roman bases without hindrance by either enemy or terrain. It is no surprise that, after his term as censor, Appius Claudius became consul twice, subsequently held other offices, and was a respected consultant to the state even during his later years.
The success of the road[edit]
The road achieved its purpose. The outcome of the Second Samnite War was at last favorable to Rome. In a series of blows the Romans reversed their fortunes, bringing Etruria to the table in 311 BC, the very year of their revolt, and Samnium in 304. The road was the main factor that allowed them to concentrate their forces with sufficient rapidity and to keep them adequately supplied, wherein they became a formidable opponent.
Construction of the road[edit]
The main part of the Appian Way was started and finished in 312 BC.
The road began as a leveled dirt road upon which small stones and mortar were laid. Gravel was laid upon this, which was finally topped with tight fitting, interlocking stones to provide a flat surface. The historian Procopius said that the stones fit together so securely and closely that they appeared to have grown together rather than to have been fitted together.[5] The road was cambered in the middle (for water runoff) and had ditches on either side of the road which were protected by retaining walls.
Between Rome and Lake Albano[edit]
The Circus of Maxentius.
The road began in the Forum Romanum, passed through the Servian Wall at the porta Capena, went through a cutting in the clivus Martis, and left the city. For this stretch of the road, the builders used the via Latina. The building of the Aurelian Wall centuries later required the placing of another gate, the Porta Appia. Outside of Rome the new via Appia went through well-to-do suburbs along the via Norba, the ancient track to the Alban hills, where Norba was situated. The road at the time was a via glarea, a gravel road. The Romans built a high-quality road, with layers of cemented stone over a layer of small stones, cambered, drainage ditches on either side, low retaining walls on sunken portions, and dirt pathways for sidewalks. The via Appia is believed to have been the first Roman road to feature the use of lime cement. The materials were volcanic rock. The surface was said to have been so smooth that you could not distinguish the joints. The Roman section still exists and is lined with monuments of all periods, although the cement has eroded out of the joints, leaving a very rough surface.
Across the marsh[edit]
The road concedes nothing to the Alban hills, but goes straight through them over cuts and fills. The gradients are steep. Then it enters the former Pontine Marshes. A stone causeway of about 31 kilometers (19 mi) led across stagnant and foul-smelling pools blocked from the sea by sand dunes. Appius Claudius planned to drain the marsh, taking up earlier attempts, but he failed. The causeway and its bridges subsequently needed constant repair. No one enjoyed crossing the marsh.[citation needed] In 162 BC, Marcus Cornelius Cathegus had a canal constructed along the road to relieve the traffic and provide an alternative when the road was being repaired. Romans preferred using the canal.
Mausoleum of Caecilia Metella and the castrum Caetani
Along the coast[edit]
The via Appia picked up the coastal road at Tarracina (Terracina). However, the Romans straightened it somewhat with cuttings, which form cliffs today. From there the road swerved north to Capua, where, for the time being, it ended. Caudine Forks was not far to the north. The itinerary was Aricia (Ariccia), Tres Tabernae, Forum Appii, Tarracina, Fundi (Fondi), Formiae (Formia), Minturnae (Minturno), Suessa ([[S.P.Q.S[6][better source needed]]]), Casilinum and Capua, but some of these were colonies added after the Samnite Wars. The distance was 212 kilometers (132 mi). The original road had no milestones, as they were not yet in use. A few survive from later times, including a first milestone near the porta Appia.
Extension to Beneventum[edit]
Via Appia within the ancient Minturno
The Third Samnite War (298–290 BC) is perhaps misnamed. It was an all-out attempt by all the neighbors of Rome: Italics, Etruscans and Gauls, to check the power of Rome. The Samnites were the leading people of the conspiracy. Rome dealt the northerners a crushing blow at the Battle of Sentinum in Umbria in 295. The Samnites fought on alone. Rome now placed 13 colonies in Campania and Samnium. It must have been during this time that they extended the via Appia 35 miles beyond Capua past the Caudine forks to a place the Samnites called Maloenton, "passage of the flocks". The itinerary added Calatia, Caudium and Beneventum (not yet called that). Here also ended the via Latina.[citation needed]
Extension to Apulia and Calabria[edit]
By 290 BC, the sovereignty of the Samnites had ended. The heel of Italy lay open to the Romans. The dates are somewhat uncertain and there is considerable variation in the sources, but during the Third Samnite War the Romans seem to have extended the road to Venusia, where they placed a colony of 20,000 men. After that they were at Tarentum.
Roman expansion alarmed Tarentum, the leading city of the Greek presence (Magna Graecia) in southern Italy. They hired the mercenary, King Pyrrhus of Epirus, in neighboring Greece to fight the Romans on their behalf. In 280 BC the Romans suffered a defeat at the hands of Pyrrhus at the Battle of Heraclea on the coast west of Tarentum. The battle was costly for both sides, prompting Pyrrhus to remark "One more such victory and I am lost." Making the best of it, the Roman army turned on Greek Rhegium and effected a massacre of Pyrrhian partisans there.
Rather than pursue them, Pyrrhus went straight for Rome along the via Appia and then the via Latina. He knew that if he continued on the via Appia he could be trapped in the marsh. Wary of such entrapment on the via Latina also, he withdrew without fighting after encountering opposition at Anagni. Wintering in Campania, he withdrew to Apulia in 279 BC, where, pursued by the Romans, he won a second costly victory at the Battle of Asculum. Withdrawing from Apulia for a Sicilian interlude, he returned to Apulia in 275 BC and started for Campania up the nice Roman road.
Supplied by that same road, the Romans successfully defended the region against Pyrrhus, crushing his army in a two-day fight at the Battle of Beneventum in 275 BC. The Romans renamed the town from "Maleventum" ("site of bad events") to Beneventum ("site of good events") as a result. Pyrrhus withdrew to Greece, where he died in a street fight in Argos in 272 BC. Tarentum fell to the Romans that same year, who proceeded to consolidate their rule over all of Italy.[7]
The Romans pushed the via Appia to the port of Brundisium in 264 BC. The itinerary from Beneventum was now Venusia, Silvium, Tarentum, Uria and Brundisium. The Roman Republic was the government of Italy, for the time being. Appius Claudius died in 273, but in extending the road a number of times, no one has tried to displace his name upon it.
Extension by Trajan[edit]
The emperor Trajan built the Via Traiana, an extension of the Via Appia from Beneventum, reaching Brundisium via Canusium and Barium rather than via Tarentum. This was commemorated by an arch at Beneventum.
Notable historical events along the road[edit]
The crucifixion of Spartacus' army[edit]
Emperor Trajan built a deviation of Via Appia. This is a tract of Via Appia Traiana near Egnatia.
The column in Brindisi, marking the end of the Via Appia
Further information: Third Servile War
In 73 BC, a slave revolt (known as the Third Servile War) under the ex-gladiator of Capua, Spartacus, began against the Romans. Slavery accounted for roughly every third person in Italy.
Spartacus defeated many Roman armies in a conflict that lasted for over two years. While trying to escape from Italy at Brundisium he unwittingly moved his forces into the historic trap in Apulia/Calabria. The Romans were well acquainted with the region. Legions were brought home from abroad and Spartacus was pinned between armies. The ex-slave army was defeated at Siler River by Crassus. Pompey's armies captured and killed several thousand rebels that escaped from the battle and Crassus captured several thousand more. The Romans judged that the slaves had forfeited their right to live. In 71 BC, 6,000 slaves were crucified along the 200-kilometer (120 mi) Via Appia from Rome to Capua.[8]
The World War II battle of Anzio[edit]
Main article: Operation Shingle
In 1943, during World War II, the Allies fell into the same trap Pyrrhus had retreated to avoid, in the Pomptine fields, the successor to the Pomptine marshes. The marsh remained, despite many efforts to drain it, until engineers working for Benito Mussolini finally succeeded. (Even so, the fields were infested with malarial mosquitos until the advent of DDT in 1950s.)
Hoping to break a stalemate at Monte Cassino, the Allies landed on the coast of Italy at Nettuno, ancient Antium, which was midway between Ostia and Terracina. They found that the place was undefended. They intended to move along the line of the via Appia to take Rome, outflanking Monte Cassino, but they did not do so quickly enough. The Germans occupied Mounts Laziali and Lepini along the track of the old Via Latina, from which they rained down shells on Anzio. Even though the Allies expanded into all the Pomptine region, they gained no ground. The Germans counterattacked down the via Appia from the Alban hills in a front four miles wide, but could not retake Anzio. The battle lasted for four months, one side being supplied by sea, the other by land through Rome. In May 1944, the Allies broke out of Anzio and took Rome. The German forces escaped to the north of Florence.
1960 Summer Olympics[edit]
For the 1960 Summer Olympics, it served as part of the men's marathon course that was won by Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia.[9][10]
Main sights[edit]
Via Appia Antica 4.1 km South-East from Porta Appia (Porta San Sebastiano), the gate of the Aurelian Walls
Via Appia antica[edit]
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the road fell out of use; Pope Pius VI ordered its restoration. A new Appian Way was built in parallel with the old one in 1784 as far as the Alban Hills region. The new road is the Via Appia Nuova ("New Appian Way") as opposed to the old section, now known as Via Appia Antica. The old Appian Way close to Rome is now a free tourist attraction. It was extensively restored for Rome's Millennium and Great Jubilee celebrations. The first 5 kilometers (3 mi) are still heavily used by cars, buses and coaches but from then on traffic is very light and the ruins can be explored on foot in relative safety. The Church of Domine Quo Vadis is in the second mile of the road. Along or close to the part of the road closest to Rome, there are three catacombs of Roman and early Christian origin and one of Jewish origin.
The construction of Rome's ring road, the Grande Raccordo Anulare or GRA, in 1951 caused the Appian Way to be cut in two. More recent improvements to the GRA have rectified this through the construction of a tunnel under the Appia, so that it is now possible to follow the Appia on foot for about 16 km (10 mi) from its beginning near the Baths of Caracalla.
Many parts of the original road beyond Rome's environs have been preserved, and some are now used by cars (for example, in the area of Velletri). The road inspires the last movement of Ottorino Respighi's Pini di Roma. To this day the Via Appia contains the longest stretch of straight road in Europe,[11] totaling 62 km (39 mi).
Monuments along the Via Appia[edit]
The Appian Way as it appeared in Piranesi's imagination (1756)
1st to 4th mile[edit]
Porta Appia (Porta San Sebastiano), the gate of the Aurelian Walls
Church of Domine Quo Vadis
Tomb of Priscilla
Catacomb of Callixtus
San Sebastiano fuori le mura
Catacombs of St Sebastian
Vigna Randanini Jewish catacombs
Circus of Maxentius
Tomb of Caecilia Metella
Roman baths of Capo di Bove
Tomb of Hilarus Fuscus
5th mile[edit]
The Mausoleum of the Curiazi has been dated to between the end of the Republic and the beginning of the Empire
Mausoleum of the Orazi and Curiazi
Villa dei Quintili, with nympheum, theatre, and baths
Mausoleum of Casal Rotondo
Torre Selce, a 12th-century tower built on a much older mausoleum
6th mile and beyond[edit]
Minucia tomb
Torre Selce
Temple of Hercules
Berrettia di Prete (tomb and later church)
Mausoleum of Gallienus
Tres Tabernae
Villa of Publius Clodius Pulcher (in the Villa Santa Caterina, owned by the Pontifical North American College), 14th mile
Villa of Pompey
Roman bridges along the road[edit]
For an overview of the location of Roman bridges, see List of Roman bridges.
There are the remains of several Roman bridges along the road, including the Ponte di Tre Ponti, Ponte di Vigna Capoccio, Viadotta di Valle Ariccia, Ponte Alto and Ponte Antico.
Nicolas Poussin (French; 1594–1665). Oil on canvas, 1626–27. Le Petit Palais, Paris, France.
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. (Matthew 2:16)
Standing in the middle of Memorial Square in the heart of Colac, facing Murray Street is the Colac War Memorial.
Built rather like a classical temple of Roman or Grecian origin, the war memorial is built of sandstone and was erected as a tribute to those who both fought and died in the Great War (1914 - 1918), but it has been supplemented with plaques to other conflicts that occurred in later times. The shrine is engraved "1914 The Shire's Tribute 1918" and features places where conflict took place during the Great War; Egypt, Gallipoli, Palestine, Flanders, Pozieres, Polygon Wood, Bullecourt, Paschendale, Viller Brettoneux and Mont St Quinton. The Colac War Memorial was unveiled by Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Chauvel (1865 - 1945) on the 15th November, 1924. The cost of the memorial was ₤3600.00 and it was built by the monument manufacturers Sale and Keape. There are the names of 1665 men who had enlisted during the war. Those who died as a result of the conflict have their names picked out in gold lettering. A pine tree taken as a cutting from the original Lone Pine tree in Galippoli has been planted at the rear of the shrine on a lush piece of lawn.
Located approximately 150 kilometres to the south-west of Melbourne, past Geelong is the small Western District city of Colac. The area was originally settled by Europeans in 1837 by pastoralist Hugh Murray. A small community sprung up on the southern shore of a large lake amid the volcanic plains. The community was proclaimed a town, Lake Colac, in 1848, named after the lake upon which it perches. The post office opened in 1848 as Lake Colac and was renamed Colac in 1854 when the city changed its name. The township grew over the years, its wealth generated by the booming grazing industries of the large estates of the Western District and the dairy industry that accompanied it. Colac has a long high street shopping precinct, several churches, botanic gardens, a Masonic hall and a smattering of large properties within its boundaries, showing the conspicuous wealth of the city. Today Colac is still a commercial centre for the agricultural district that surrounds it with a population of around 10,000 people. Although not strictly a tourist town, Colac has many beautiful surviving historical buildings or interest, tree lined streets. Colac is known as “the Gateway to the Otways” (a reference to the Otway Ranges and surrounding forest area that is located just to the south of the town).
I was so taken with this lovely little church in Barbados and it's beautiful architecture, that I thought I'd create a set just for it ... little gems like this that I discover in my travels deserve to be noticed and recognized.
St. James Parish Church, is located in Holetown, Saint James, Barbados. It stands on one of the oldest parcels of consecrated land on the Island, often known in Barbados as "God's acre".
It dates back to 1626! More info here - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._James_Church,_Barbados
Piazza Museo Nazionale
Guessed in the Guess Where Naples Group by yellowpeppers!
Click here to see where this photo was taken. By courtesy of BeeLoop SL (the Mapware & Mobility Solutions Company).