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During the 19th century, progress in construction techniques, especially the use of metal and glass as construction materials, made a new type of building possible: the greenhouse.
In 1873, architect Alphonse Balat designed for King Leopold II a complex of greenhouses which complement the castle of Laeken, built in the classical style. The complex has the appearance of a glass city set in an undulating landscape.
The monumental pavilions, glass cupolas, wide arcades that cross the site like covered streets, are much more than an anecdote on the architectural applications of iron and glass or on little greenhouses of exotic plants. What the Royal Greenhouses express concerns architecture and, specifically, a major construction programme: the "Ideal Glass Palace".
They are the culmination of various meetings, letters, sketches and plans exchanged between architect Alphonse Balat and King Leopold II. But above all, they inspired the new Belgian architecture of the day, and their influence spread, with Art Nouveau, throughout the world.
The present-day plant collection at the Greenhouses in Laeken is valuable from three viewpoints :
Some of the plants belonging to King Leopold II's original collections still exist.
The current collections still respect the spirit that prevailed when the original collections were planted.
Finally, the Royal Greenhouses still contain an enormous number of rare and valuable plants.
Each year, in the spring, the Greenhouses of Laeken are opened to the public, during almost three weeks. This tradition has been carried on for a century.
Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Complex by Jorge Ramos, in partnership with The Architects Collaborative (TAC), Pasay City, Metro Manila, completed 1995.
Photographed by Patrick Kasingsing
Density on field - TWDC - Designing connected places Summer School - Complexity Maps
Turin-Pollenzo 21-29 August
Pancha Rathas (also known as Pandava Rathas) is a monument complex at Mahabalipuram, on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, in the Kancheepuram district of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Pancha Rathas is an example of monolithic Indian rock-cut architecture. Dating from the late 7th century, it is attributed to the reign of King Mahendravarman I and his son Narasimhavarman I (630–680 AD; also called Mamalla, or "great warrior") of the Pallava Kingdom. An innovation of Narasimhavarman, the structures are without any precedent in Indian architecture. The complex is under the auspices of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site inscribed by UNESCO as Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram.
Each of the five monuments in the Pancha Rathas complex resembles a chariot (ratha), and each is carved over a single, long stone or monolith, of granite which slopes in north-south direction with a slight incline. Though sometimes mistakenly referred to as temples, the structures were never consecrated because they were never completed following the death of Narasimhavarman I. The structures are named after the Pancha Pandavas and their common wife Draupadi, of epic Mahabharata fame. In order of their size, they include the Dharmaraja Ratha, Bhima Ratha, Arjuna Ratha, Nakula Sahadeva Ratha, and Draupadi Ratha.
ETYMOLOGY
The monoliths are named after the Pandavas – Arjuna, Bhima, Yudhishthira ("Dharmaraja"), Nakula and Sahadeva – and Draupadi. These names are considered to be a misrepresentation as the structures have no link to the iconic characters of the Mahabharata epic. They have no religious significance either, as they remained unfinished and unconsecrated; the uncut rock parts at the base and top of the rathas are still visible. The ASI confirmed the unfinished nature of the structures and suggested that they instead be referred to as vimanas. However, the Pandava names have become permanent.
HISTORY
According to a plaque displayed at the site by the ASI, the Pallava dynasty had planned the structures as models of chariots in rock based on prototypes of ancient rathas built in wood. The Pancha Rathas were carved during the reign of King Mahendravarman I and his son Narasimhavarman I. Work on these five rathas was discontinued following the death of Narasimha Varman in 668 AD. The purpose of their construction is not known as the structures were not completed. Part of the collection within the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, they were classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.
GEOGRAPHY
The site is located at Mahabalipuram (previously known as Mammallapuram), on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, in Kancheepuram district. It is approximately 56 km south of Chennai (previously known as Madras), the capital city, while Chengalpattu is about 32 km distant. The structures are part of the nine monolithic rock cut structures seen here.
ARCHITECTURE
LAYOUT
Each of the five rathas is a monolith, carved whole from a rock outcropping of pink granite. They are carved over a common mounted plinth which is north-south oriented with a slight slope. Each has a different layout, such as square, rectangular, or apsidal plans. The largest measures 13×11 m, and the tallest is 12 m high.
REPRESENTATIONS
The Pancha rathas represent the diversity of Dravidian architecture of the time and it is likely that their original design traces back to wood constructions of temple chariots and were scale models or templates for much bigger temples built subsequently in Tamil Nadu. Most of the rathas are stated to be modelled on the Buddhist Viharas and Chaityas.
DESIGN
The structural design and elevation are with towers or domes with single (ekathala) to triple (trithala) towers, which present a unique exhibition of South Indian Dravidian architecture. The chiseling done by the stone sculptors are occasional along joints between the stones. The walls are arranged and sequentially partitioned. The projections and recesses in these walls give the appearance of a set of shallow pilasters. The niches created in the walls are of rectangular shape and have carved sculptures of gods, demi-gods and the kings. The skirting around the images are of wild aquatic animals with “foliated tails and open jaws.” The wall pilasters have curved brackets, and columns on the porch provide support to an overhanging eave; arch windows occasionally carved with images are located above them. The mouldings culminate in parapets. The carvings above the eave overhangs are decorated roof forms in miniature size, which are seen in rows all round each of the structure.
PRESERVATION
The rathas have been preserved well on account of the sturdiness of their material, granite, and in spite of constant salty winds from the Bay of Bengal and catastrophic tsunamis in 13th century and in 2004.
NOTABLE LANDMARKS
The architectural elegance of the Dharmaraja Ratha is its pyramidal structure which rises in three steps. It is built with a square layout. Its composition has been accentuated with carvings of Hindu gods Harihara, Brahma, Skanda, Ardhanarishvara and King Narasimhavarman I. One of the distinctive carvings seen on the eastern face of the rahta is of Indra (a demi-god of rain and thunderstorms), seated on his mount Airavata (meaning: "a White Elephant"). There is also an independent monolithic stone sculpture of Nandi, adjoining this ratha in the open space. The next in order is the Arjuna Ratha, which is well decorated with an elegant façade and is akin to the Dharmaraja Ratha. Next in line is the Bhima Ratha built to a rectangular plan and with lion mounted columned (four columns) galleries on both long sides. The Nakula Sahadeva Ratha is the next in line. It is built to a simple plan with no embellishing carvings in its apses. A stone monolithic sculpture of an elephant is fixed in the open space, next to this ratha. The Draupadi Ratha, which is the last in the line, is a square structure, which resembles a village hut with thatch roof. The fresco inside this shrine is of mother goddess Durga.
WIKIPEDIA
Gus, a domestic horse trained to lead horses into the trap, leads a large group of wild horses. These wild horses were gathered Jan. 12 from the Star Ridge portion of the Owyhee HMA. Approximately 150 wild horses will be gathered from this area where mares will be treated with the PZP fertility control agent and released. Yearlings will be transported to Palomino Valley Adoption Center and will be prepared for adoption.
Only showed center portion of the back as the rest is being worked on; I may release the center and bring it completly to the back. Super complex.
All buildings, recently built for chemistry departments, have such external piping racks, which give us distinctive impressions.
Immersive viewer / パノラマビューアでご覧下さい。
HDR handheld panorama stitched and toned with Hugin.
Pentax K100D + Peleng 8mm fisheye + swingrod II.
Density on field - TWDC - Designing connected places Summer School - Complexity Maps
Turin-Pollenzo 21-29 August
Oxford City leaders, leaders of the Muscogee Creek Nation and members of the GMC team at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Joint Fire Fighting: Two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters from the 129th Rescue Wing and one UH-60 from 1-140th Aviation Battalion (Air Assault) battling wildfires at the Jawbone Complex Fire in Kern County, Calif. The Three aircraft have been based out of the Tehachapi Municipal Airport in Tehachapi, Calif. since Sunday, Aug 12 and have dropped over 100,000 gallons of water. (Air National Guard photo/Master Sgt. Julie Avey)
Soldiers await the start of the USO Holiday Tour at Taji Military Complex, Dec. 25, 2017. Dunford and Troxell, along with USO entertainers, visited service members who are deployed during the holidays. This year’s entertainers are Chef Robert Irvine, wrestler Gail Kim, comedian Iliza Shlesinger, actor Adam Devine, country musician Jerrod Niemann, and WWE Superstars “The Miz” and Alicia Fox. (DoD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Dominique A. Pineiro/Released)
El Brujo Archaeological Complex, just north of Trujillo, La Libertad Province, Peru, is an ancient archaeological site of the Moche Civilisation in the Chicama Valley.
The Brujo Complex is represented by three major huacas. The Huaca Prieta mound dates back to the preceramic times. Huaca Cortada and Huaca Cao Viejo (the largest) are stepped truncated pyramids constructed at the northern corners of the terrace. Building archaeology unveils seven phases of construction spanning the early and middle phases of Moche era.
Huaca Cao Viejo is famous for its polychrome reliefs and mural paintings, and the discovery of the Señora de Cao. The 25 year old woman buried here was believed to be a 3rd century AD female ruler of the Moche state, and her tomb was full of gold and other previous artifacts.
The murals at the complex also depict the ritual human sacrifice that took place here regularly: teams of men would engage in ritual battles and the losing team would willingly be sacrificed to the gods to ensure fertility and peace in the community. Murals show the naked warriors (with fully erect penis) being marched to the sacrificial platform to be decapitated and blood to be collected for the gods.
The ferris wheel here is a former traveling model made permanent (the wheels, kingpin & lighting/brake connectors are still there).
Weighing in at 125 pounds of taught steel and complex components, the robot created by the College of DuPage Engineering Club was the first ever from COD to participate in the 26th Annual Jerry Sanders Creative Design Competition at University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign.
In fact, College of DuPage, via the eight-member COD Engineering Club (“Team Vulcan”), is the only two-year school ever granted permission to fight for the title in this premium robotic contest. Other schools entered in this year's competition included UIUC, University of Illinois at Chicago, Valparaiso University, Northern Illinois University and the Illinois Institute of Technology.
emergence is the way complex systems and patterns arise out of a multiplicity of relatively simple interactions....
The Richfield Town Hall, Police Station, and Fire Station, circa 1988. The complex at 4410 Streetsboro Rd. was built in 1958-59.
Location of slide: Slide Notebook #1
...... I would say the 2nd model is at the 0.8 to 9 Standpoint.
It worked out luckily to a nice 22.5 reference point intersection in its beginning, instead of standard pleating. Major redo to the top front flap as well (after a few tests).. I may adjust the 4 inside / outside flaps (based on how you look at them) in a future version depending. Now to fold the exhibit version
FINALLY, the 3rd and last of the series will be the most challenging....... oh the precreasing......... and yes the front needs to be adjusted as well; which don't know how much of that I will do due to limited time. See you at convention.
PS On a final note, I was able to get a basic idea of the recent Skytones order (The ones that didn't match the weight) as more tests were done while I was folding. So the 60T Natural (Yes better than the brown).. while they still take more effort to make a fold.. YES THIS TIME it actually almost feels like elphant hide in the sense that it requires a bit more FORCE, Versus the thinner older batch, which I was able to fold along and accomplish a test ALOT Faster. Nevertheless, the newer batch; though not as good as the older, is still able to produce decent models... so far. Sufficient test models in my case; and probably neat folded ones as well.
The Drakelow Tunnels are a former underground military complex beneath the Kingsford Country Park near the village of Kinver, Staffordshire, which cover 250,000 sq ft (23,000 m2).
The tunnels, which have a total length of 3.5 mi (5.6 km) to 4 mi (6.4 km) have a very interesting past and are a historical monument to the military history of the United Kingdom.
Designed by Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners, the Drakelow Tunnel Complex (originally called "Drakelow Underground Dispersal Factory")[1] was excavated during World War II in sandstone hills near the village of Kinver and the town of Kidderminster, Worcestershire.
It was originally constructed as a shadow factory for the Rover car company who were at the time manufacturing engines for the Bristol Aeroplane Company.
It was also intended to supply components to Rover's main shadow factories at Acocks Green and Solihull, to supply spare parts, and to act as a backup facility if either of the main shadow factories was damaged by enemy action.
The cost of the facility was originally estimated at £285,000, and construction, which began in June 1941, was expected to take just one year.
In the event, the underground factory achieved full production in May 1943 and the final cost exceeded £1,000,000.
The site consists of numerous tunnels that stretch for around 3.5 mi (5.6 km), although public access on tours is limited to less than a quarter of the site.
The tunnels contained dormitories, storage areas, workshops, electrical equipment, toilets, offices, a BBC studio, a GPO Telephones communications facility and other facilities.
During the 1950s and the growing Cold War, the site was initially used by the Ministry of Supply for storage.
Then around 1958 part of the site was developed by the Home Office as a Regional Seat of Government (RSG9).
It was publicly exposed in a demonstration held there by the West Midlands Committee of 100 in the summer of 1963. Under later Home Defence schemes the bunker was designated a Sub-Regional Control (SRC), Sub-Regional Headquarters (SRHQ) and finally Regional Government Headquarters (RGHQ).
The site was greatly modernised in the early 1980s, only a small portion of the site was designated for use.
New blast doors were fitted in place of the previous wooden factory doors and the interior of the site was refurbished in the areas forward of tunnel 4.
In about 1990 there was a plan to move the RGHQ to a much smaller bunker, formerly used by UKWMO, at Lawford Heath near Rugby.
In the end this never happened, and the Drakelow site was decommissioned and sold in around 1993.
DRAKELOW TUNNELS...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drakelow_Tunnels
GHOST HUNTING IN THE TUNNELS...
www.dusktilldawnevents.co.uk/enter-the-abyss-drakelow-tun...
The Siilinjärvi carbonatite complex consists of a steeply dipping lenticular body roughly 16 km long with a maximum width of 1.5 km intruded into granite gneiss. The main rock types are: calcite carbonatite, phlogopite carbonatite, glimmerite and their apatite-bearing varieties. The fenite halo is represented mainly by quartz-aegirine syenite. Crosscuting the bedrock, the halo, and main body is a 4 km long, 20-30 m wide, melasyenite dike related to the same intrusive event as the carbonatite.
U-Pb zircon and baddeleyite age determinations yield a weighted mean age of 2610 Ma for the Siilinjärvi carbonatite (D. Zozulya, T. Bayanova, N. Eby, K. Kullerud, E.K. Ravna).
See also: National Land Survey of Finland
From the August 2016 return trip to Siem Reap and the Angkor complex:
I love the Angkor complex, Siem Reap, and the Cambodian people so much that I returned again for about a week to photograph as much of the “non-major” sites as I could. Some of them are slightly far from Angkor Wat (by that, I mean to say more than 10 kilometers away), and usually require a little more money to get to. Also, some of the sites (Beng Mealea, Phnom Kulen) are not included in the Angkor ticket price and have an additional admission fee.
I don’t know if there’s a set number of how many sites belong in the Angkor complex, though I’m sure it would vary. (Do you only count the major sites like Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm? Do you add the sites that aren’t included in the standard “Angkor Pass,” but are clearly of the same era? Do you include sites that aren’t even named (as are one of the sites in this series)? All in all, I’ll put a very rough number at…50 sites in the Siem Reap area, and that includes the sites that are about 100 km away. Of those, I would say I’ve been to all but 5-10 now. All are included here with the exception, obviously, of the sites that I didn’t visit. (Off the top of my head, I can say they include Koh Ker & that respective group, which is about 120 km ENE of Siem Reap; Phnom Krom, one of the three “mountains” with temples; Ta Prohm Kel; and Mangalartha.)
In practical terms, I’m afraid that with the volume of shooting (about 1,500 frames in the past 7 days), photos will start to look redundant to those who don’t have the same interest in ancient/historical architecture or Angkor as I do. That being said, there are a few things besides temples here. The Old Market area (now Night Market/Pub Street) is represented – a little – and Phnom Kulen has a pretty nice waterfall which is also in this series. Also, I tried to catch a few people in here, though didn’t get as many as I would’ve liked.
I had my friend Mao (tuktuk driver) take me around for 5 of these 7 days this time around. As I mentioned last time, he may cost a little more than what you can arrange through a hotel/guesthouse, but he’s well worth the money (and, in the grand scheme of things, not too expensive; I paid less than $200 for the five days, two of which were “long” trips). He loves his country and heritage, he knows what he’s showing you, he’s flexible, he gives you enough ice water to keep you hydrated, and he’s just a good guy. (He even bought me a birthday cake for cryin’ out loud…) Anyway, I highly recommend Mao. You can find him here: www.facebook.com/mao.khvan (or on Trip Advisor: www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297390-d10726821-R... )
Now that shameless plugs and other assorted rhetoric are out of the way, it’s time to get on to the temples, ruins, and other miscellany.
The fifth day (and last time I’ll see Mao unless I go back to Siem Reap again) started just the same as my birthday. Chhiengmai brought me a ham & cheese omelette at the hotel, then Mao picked me up and off we went.
Following the same route to Banteay Kdei, we took a right and headed out on the grand loop. The first stop was at Pre Rup, which I’d seen in May, but wanted to photograph again this time around. I love the May shots because it’s in afternoon light, so there are some nice silhouette shots in there. This time, however, was early morning. We didn’t shoot as extensively as we did in May; only staying on the eastern side of the temple and not ascending it. Still, it’s a rather striking temple and worth seeing, even with the restoration that looks as if it hasn’t been touched since May – and didn’t look like it was being touched then, either.
Pre Rup is on the southeast corner of the Grand Loop. From there, continue north. Right before you reach East Mebon is a road going east. (This is the road that would lead you to Banteay Samré if taken straight, or Banteay Srei, Phnom Kulen, and Kbal Spean, if you turn left at the first intersection about 1 kilometer east from here.)
Our second destination, though, was Phnom Bok. To reach here, continue east on the aforementioned road – pass Banteay Samré – taking the first left, then continuing north about 5-10 minutes. All in all, it’s about 20 minutes from the Grand Loop road.
Having seen snow-capped mountains enough in my life, I chuckle to call these mountains instead of hills. However, Angkor is in a large plain, as you can see in these pictures, so any hill looks like a mountain. In the same breath, these aren’t baby hills.
Mao’s wife and daughter stayed with the tuktuk while we went clambering up the hill. I was giving Mao a good ribbing about him not being my friend for making me climb a mountain in tropical heat, but it really wasn’t too bad. He said, “there are only 100 stairs to the top!” I laughed and said there’s no way that’s a mountain then. We walked up a hill for about five minutes before getting to the bottom of the staircase on the south side of the mountain that goes to the summit. He still insisted it was only 100 steps. I counted, just for fun. Turns out, there are 626 steps, give or take one, to the top of the hill and, even when you get to the top, you still have to climb up…a little farther.
As I mentioned, though, it wasn’t a bad climb. The first 400 or so steps are forested, so you’re in shade, though it’s hot and humid. After that, the views of the surrounding plains open up which are quite nice. Mostly, you can see to the south or southeast. I couldn’t see any of the main temples which would be southwest from here. (I couldn’t see them from the peak when looking southwest, though, either…)
At the top of Phnom Bok, there’s a little shelter/rest area where you can sit and buy ice cold drinks. There’s a new Hindu temple up there, and also the ruins of an Angkor-era temple. Sadly, there are also remnants of the Khmer Rouge era, too; machine gun mounts and the like, surrounding the temple.
After 30-45 minutes on the mountaintop, we went back down and I was glad to have a rest in the tuktuk while we made our way back to the Grand Loop. It was a good chance to rest up and enjoy the scenery (in addition to waving like a fool at every passerby as I’m wont to do).
Upon returning to the Grand Loop road, we made a quick right heading north for about 200 meters to the East Mebon. In May, we stopped here, but didn’t do anything other than climb the main stairs, take a few shots, and head off to lunch. (We were tired by that point.)
Because of that, I told Mao I wanted to take time to extensively go around the East Mebon. It’s a surprisingly nice temple mount. (I don’t know how the West Mebon compares; unlike this one, there is still water in the west baray, and I didn’t go out there.) All told, Mao and I wandered our separate ways here for about half an hour or so. I got back to the tuktuk right before one of the daily summer downpours. Mao was stuck out in the rain, but had my backpack, P&S, and umbrella, so was fine.
After a 5-10 minute rest, a Coke and a smile later, the four of us went back on our way around the Grand Loop continuing clockwise. We bypassed Ta Seo (which I’d shot well enough in May) and stopped for a very quick shoot at Prasat Krol Ko. This is a very small temple built in the late 12th and early 13th century by Jayavarman VII. It looks like many of the other temples, so most don’t stop here as it’s not terribly interesting. It’s a temple surrounded by two concentric enclosures, in the Bayon style, and rather small. However, it’s near Neak Pean and Preah Khan, so there’s no reason not to stop. This is a Hindu (I believe) temple, as it’s named/dedicated to a cow. I enjoyed it.
The next stop – Neak Pean – was less than two minutes down the road. (Again, no reason not to stop at both. Neak Pean (sometimes spelled “Neak Poan” and pronounced “neek poh-an”) is architecturally different than most of the other sites, as is the setting. Neak Pean is a cruciform arrangement of ponds that centers on a sanctuary tower on a circular island in the middle. Currently, access is limited and you can’t go all the way around it. You approach from the north over a boardwalk – this crosses over the Jayatataka baray, which offers some nice panoramic views of Phnom Bok about 5 kilometers to the east – and finally arrive at the north end of the monument. You can walk around either side to the eastern and western corners, but can go no farther. There are (were) four different sculpted animals on each of the four small ponds around the sanctuary. Eavesdropping a tour guide, he said the four ponds represent earth, air, fire, and water. I had read somewhere what the four animals were, but can’t seem to find that information now. I was very pleased with this stop, too, mainly because it offered a little variety.
After the nice stroll over the boardwalk back to the tuktuk, we continued heading west. At the turn off for Preah Khan (which I skipped this time since we spent a bit of time here in May), there are also two other nearby, rarely visited temples: Banteay Prei and Prasat Prei. These are immediately north of Preah Khan on the outside of the Loop road. Preah Khan is about 200 meters south on the inside of the loop. Neither of these two temples are listed in either LP Cambodia or my Ancient Angkor guidebook, so I unfortunately can’t tell you a thing about them, but would venture to say they were probably built by Jayavarman VII…but, that’s pure conjecture. They were both rather nice to see, and in a fair state of decomposition, so it lent to nice photography. As they are so close to Preah Khan, again…I don’t see why you wouldn’t visit here. You can see both temples in about 20 minutes without going out of your way to do so.
The next stop on today’s private tour is Krol Romeas. This is a very unassuming structure that is less than five minutes outside the North Gate of Angkor Thom. I’m a little confused about what “romeas” means. At first Mao’s wife told me it meant sheep. Then I believe she said it meant hippopotamus. Either way, this structure was an animal pen for one of those. Given the size and depth, I’ll say hippo enclosure is probably correct. Currently, it’s just a very nice setting in the forest. It’s a round enclosure about 20 meters in diameter, just east of the Grand Loop road.
After Krol Romeas, our next stops were the remaining (for me) gates of Angkor Thom: first, the North Gate for a very quick shoot, then down to Bayon and due west on a relaxing, rarely traveled road to the West Gate. The West Gate is supposed to be the one in the most pristine (unrestored) state, though I thought it looked fine. The setting was good.
By this time, it was getting to be early afternoon, probably around 4:00. The next – and last – stop of the day was south of town, away from the majority of Angkor sites. Going south from the Night Market area of Siem Reap along the river, there are two sites of interest: The main one Is the third of the “major” hills – Phnom Krom. This is supposed to be a nice place to see the sunset. However, from having climbed Phnom Bok earlier in the day, I wasn’t inclined to go here, though it was on my original “wish list” that I gave to Mao. Instead, we just went to the other temple in the area: Wat Athvea (sometimes also written Athwea). This is a very tranquil temple and is great in the late afternoon. It’s attached to a functioning monastery, but isn’t noisy. There is a pagoda built on the site of an ancient temple here. What you see here is a 12th century Hindu temple. There is a cemetery adjacent, but that’s not included in this set.
Upon finishing for the day, Mao dropped me back off at my guesthouse. This would be the last time I saw Mao on this trip, though his wife and daughter insisted on taking me to the airport on Tuesday, so I would see them one more time. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Mao’s a good man (Cambodian Mao, that is…)
As always, I hope you enjoy this set. I appreciate you taking time to look. If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message or leave it via comment.
Het Bredase Begijnhof is een door muren omringd complex bestaande uit huisjes en een kleine kerk in het centrum van Breda. De 29 huisjes verdeeld over twee hofjes zijn gegroepeerd rondom een kruidentuin. Hier staat ook een beeldje van twee begijnen in gesprek. Het is gelegen dicht bij het Park Valkenberg.
De begijnen waren sinds het eind van de 12e eeuw een beweging van vrome katholieke vrouwen, die in kuisheid een leven van bezinning en gebed wilden leiden. Zij legden niet zoals kloosterlingen een gelofte van eeuwige trouw en armoede af. De begijnen waren veelal van adellijke afkomst. De beweging ontstond in het bisdom Luik en weldra ontstonden in geheel Europa gemeenschappen van begijnen. In Breda ontstond vermoedelijk rond 1240 een begijnengemeenschap. Een onbewezen legende verhaalt dat deze gesticht zou zijn door Machteld van Diest. Op 22 maart 1267 schonk Hendrik V samen met zijn vrouw Sofia van Berthout aan de Bredase begijnengemeenschap de grond waarop zij zich gevestigd had in eigendom voor de ontwikkeling van een eigen begijnhof met kerk en begraafplaats. In 1270 bevestigde ook de bisschop van Luik dat deze gemeenschap een eigen kerk en begraafplaats mocht hebben.Een eenvoudige houten kapel werd gebouwd tussen 1275 en 1325.
Het middeleeuwse begijnhof bevond zich naast het huidige Kasteelplein bij het Kasteel van Breda de huidige Koninklijke Militaire Academie (KMA). De fundamenten hiervan werden in de jaren 90 van de 20e eeuw blootgelegd en onderzocht. Het Middeleeuwse begijnhof was omgracht, had een kerk met ommuurd kerhof, een hoofdgebouw, drie woonhuizen, een ziekenhuis (in 1334) en een open terrein. De eerste houten kapel werd later vervangen door een stenen zaalvormige kerk met rechthoekig koor. Omstreeks 1500 werd deze kerk afgebroken waarna er op dezelfde plaats een nieuwe stenen kerk verscheen, nu met apsis en traptoren. Deze kerk was gewijd aan de Heilige Catharina. Een eikenhouten beeld (circa 1520) en een koperen processiekruis uit deze kerk zijn bewaard gebleven. Deze kerk zou slechts drie decenia bestaan.
In 1525 besloot graaf Hendrik III van Nassau-Breda, Heer van Breda, het Kasteel van Breda uit te breiden tot een renaissancepaleis. Het middeleeuwse begijnhof moest daarvoor wijken. De begijnen, onder leiding van de meesteressen Katherijn Jansdochter Marcelissen en Cornelia Dornincx, zagen deze gedwongen verhuizing niet direct zitten, waarna jarenlange onderhandelingen volgden. In 1531 werd met toestemming van de bisschop van Luik een overeenkomst gesloten voor verplaatsing van het hof naar de huidige locatie aan de Catharinastraat in welke overeenkomst tevens werd bepaald dat het Begijnhof voortaan onder persoonlijke bescherming zou blijven van de familie van Nassau. Tegen een vergoeding van 600 gulden verhuisden de begijnen in 1535 naar de huidige locatie. Hier kregen ze de beschikking over de St. Wendelinuskapel. Het oorspronkelijke middeleeuwse complex werd afgebroken in 1535.
Na de inname van Breda door de Staatsen op 4 maart 1590 ontstond er een juridisch geschil van de begijnen met de nieuwe gouverneur Charles de Héraugière, zijn latere weduwe en nakomelingen. Aanleiding was de aanleg van een afscheidingsmuur en pad over het begijnhof. Het geschil zou eindigen met de verovering van Breda door de Spanjaarden in 1625.
Vanwege de in 1531 toegezegde bescherming door het huis Oranje-Nassau genoot het Begijnhof ook na de Reformatie bescherming van deze familie waardoor het als vrijwel enige katholieke instelling in de stad mocht blijven voortbestaan. Wel werd in 1590 en 1637 de kapel geconfisqueerd en ingericht als Waalse kerk. Overigens mochten de begijnen wel in deze kerk begraven blijven worden. Na het wegvallen van de kapel richtten de begijnen twee huizen aan de noordzijde van het Begijnhof in als noodkerk. Na 1648 is deze noodkerk uitgebreid. Deze kerk zou tot de negentiende eeuw dienstdoen.
In 1731 en 1739 mochten de Begijnen geen novicen meer aannemen door een besluit van de Staten Generaal. Hierdoor werd het voortbestaan van het Begijnhof bedreigd. Op basis van de capitulatievoorwaarden bij de verovering van Breda door het Staatse leger van Frederik Hendrik in 1637 bepaalde Stadhouder Willem IV in 1747 dat de situatie van vóór 1625 hersteld moest worden en dat de begijnen weer novicen mochten aannemen.
Vanaf 1829[n 1] en werden de begijnen begraven op een eigen kerkhof op begraafplaats Zuylen.
In de negentiende eeuw verbeterde de toestand van de katholieken en kregen zij toestemming om weer eigen kerken te bouwen. Willem van Zon bouwde in de periode 1836-1838 de huidige Sint-Catharinakerk, een klein gebouw in neoclassicistische stijl.
Sinds het herstel van de bisschoppelijke hiërarchie in Nederland werd Breda in 1853 een eigen bisdom. De eerste bisschop van Breda, mgr. van Hooydonk legde de begijnen in 1855 nieuwe statuten op waardoor de gekozen meesteres haar historische positie als 'superieure' van het Hof verloor. In de eeuwen daarvoor had de meesteres, die democratisch door de begijnen werd gekozen, opgetreden als beheerster van alle roerende en onroerende goederen van het Begijnhof. Begin twintigste eeuw had de pastoor van het begijnhof, de latere bisschop Petrus Hopmans, het voornemen het begijnhof verder om vormen tot een semi-kloostergemeenschap. Hij had hiervoor in 1909 de statuten gewijzigd. Ondanks het heftige verzet van meesteres Maria Jansen werden de wijzigingen doorgevoerd. Vanaf dat moment werden de begijnen aangesproken met zuster (voorheen was dat juffrouw) en hun meesteres met overste.
Vanaf de jaren vijftig van de vorige eeuw kregen sommige begijnhuisjes een andere bestemming. Huisje 49 werd bijvoorbeeld een Scoutshop (vanaf 1959), huisjes 51 tot en met 59 werden gehuurd door de Katholieke Actie en na 1952 werd huisje 47 het secretariaat van de Mater Amabilis-school. Verder werd de neoclassicistische poort vervangen door een nieuwe toegangspoort. Ook deze werd in 1980 vervangen door de huidige toegangspoort.
Eind jaren zeventig van de vorige eeuw werd archeologisch onderzoek gedaan in de Waalse kerk. De tijdens dit onderzoek gevonden botten van begijnen en hun pastoors zijn in een grafkelder in de kerk herbegraven.
Tussen 1994 en 1996 werden tijdens archeologisch onderzoek de resten gevonden van 123 personen die begraven waren op de locatie van het eerste begijnhof in de periode 1267 - 1534. Op woensdag 7 september 2016 zijn deze bijgezet in een nieuwe grafkelder die voor dat doel op het huidige begijnhof was aangelegd.
De laatste begijn van Breda, Cornelia Frijters, overleed in 1990. Zij werd als laatste begijn begraven op de begraafplaats Zuylen.
In 2017 vierde het Begijnhof Breda met tal van activiteiten haar 750-jarig bestaan. De rechtspersoon die thans het Begijnhof beheert is nog steeds dezelfde als die in 1267 als begunstigde partij optrad. Het is de oudste nog bestaande begijnhof-rechtspersoon in Europa.
The 41 Complex Fires in 2011 consisted of 5 lightning caused fires that burned more than 15,200 acres on the Darby Ranger District of the Bitterroot National Forest. All of the fires were located in the Sapphire Mountains approximately 10 miles east of Hamilton. The largest fire, Up Top, grew to more than 12,300 acres and burned across Skalkaho Highway, closing the road to motorists for several weeks. The fire burned completely around the historic Gird Point Lookout which was saved by firefighters. More than 530,000 gallons of water and 150,000 gallons of fire retardant were dropped on the fires and more than 350 firefighters were assigned to the 41 Complex. To see more fire photos visit www.inciweb.org/incident/2544
Designed by me. Crane with baby cranes 2004 (top) & opposite cranes 2005 (bottom) are both from 1 piece.
The hotel complex Antares Olimpo-Le Terrazze is located along the Sicilian Ionic coast, on a hill overlooking Letojanni and just few km. from Taormina: a fantastic position, with a stunning panoramic view over Taormina Bay. All single hotels of the complex are connected with a panoramic lift; a conventioned equipped beach is just approx. 300 mts distance and is easily reachable with a lift carved in the rocky hill and under a short gallery.
Il complesso alberghiero Antares Olimpo Le Terrazze è situato lungo la costa Ionica della Sicilia, sulla collina che sovrasta Letojanni a pochi chilometri da Taormina Centro: splendida posizione dalla quale si può godere una fantastica vista panoramica sulla Baia di Taormina.
Letojanni is a comune (municipality), and coastal resort in the Province of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, located about 170 km east of Palermo and about 32 km southwest of Messina. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,634 and an area of 6.8 km².Letojanni borders the following municipalities: Castelmola, Forza d'Agrò, Gallodoro, Mongiuffi Melia, Taormina.Main economic activities are agriculture and fishing. Products mostly cultivated are corn, olives, wine-grapes, almonds, lemons, mulberries, fruit. Interesting is the yearly manifestation "Agosto a Letojanni" (August at Letojanni) in which the festival of fish and water-melon and the parade of the Sicilian cart take place. It is also to underline the strong inclination of territory to tourism. In fact in the place there is a good receptive offer both hotel and camping supplied with facilities fit to receive very many tourists especially during summer.The etymology of Letojanni is a mixture of Latin and Arabic. The place-name derives in fact from Latin Laetum,that is "rich", and from Arabic Ayn, that means "spring". There are not many information about origin of the little town but it is known that until half of the XVIII century it has been under the jurisdiction of Gallodoro town. In the XIX century it was involved in a high economic increase and in 1880 it gained administrative equality with Gallodoro. The earthquake of 1908 damaged some of its buildings later rebuilt. In 1952 it became an independent commune. The most interesting monuments are the Parish Church in neogothic style, rebuilt in 1929 and keeps inside a beautiful picture of Piety of 1700. An important figure original of Letojanni is the famous surgeon Francesco Durante (1844-1934), who was teacher of surgery of the joints and bony at the University of Studies of Roma and he was together with Guido Baccelli founder of the General hospital of Roma and finally he was also named senator of the Reign.
Letojanni è un comune italiano di 2.760 abitanti della provincia di Messina in Sicilia.Distante 32 km da Messina e 45 km da Catania, la cittadina fa parte del comprensorio turistico di Taormina.Sino alla metà dell'Ottocento Letojanni fungeva da marina, o borgo dei pescatori, del comune di Gallodoro; la costruzione di una strada provinciale e successivamente della ferrovia favorirono lo sviluppo del borgo, al punto che nel 1879 la sede comunale fu trasferita da Gallodoro a Letojanni, e il comune prese il nome di Letojanni-Gallodoro. Nel 1952 le due località furono separate..Ricco di infrastrutture alberghiere in estate ospita innumerevoli turisti
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