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Very large, succulent and beautifully sweet, these Medjool dates are simply delicious. They onced graced the palaces of Arabia and it's no wonder with their glossy skin and toffeed texture. These have been harvested at the peak of ripeness, naturally sun-cured and then quickly chilled to retain their moistness and freshness
www.natoora.co.uk/shop/fruit/dried-fruit/medjool-dates/pr...
Portchester castle dates back to the Roman period, it was initially constructed in the AD280s to guard a harbour and trading centre against the increasing threat of raids from Germanic tribes (Saxons, Angles, Jutes and Franks). Since it was constructed there seems to have always been hat least some activity on the site, from the 5th Century is was used as a settlement. After the Norman Conquest a castle was constructed in the northwest corner (first documentary evidence AD1153). In the 12th century a small Augustinian priory was founded in the south east corner, where the church remains to this day. Further modifications were made to the castle, but the site began to loose its importance as nearby Portsmouth began to grow and prosper. From the mid17th-early19th century the castle was used as a prison.
Today Portchester Castle is cared for by English Heritage and is open to the public.
Grid Reference: SU 624 045
see: www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=238704
www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/portcheste...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portchester_Castle
Kite Aerial Photograph
27 August 2011
Junior high science students assist with writing the KUDOS information on the whiteboard in their classroom.
Looking into the cloister garth of the main cloister in Cloisters Museum, NYC. The Romanesque cloister dates to the 12th-century and is of Catalan origin.
*** UPDATED SCHEDULE ***
2 NEW DATES ADDED!
Sunday, August 10th & Monday, August 11th
🎶🌟🎡 GEN XYZ FEST 2025 🎡🌟🎶
August 4th through August 11th at Generation XYZ
***Special Event Build ***
Every night our DJs will be revisiting some of their favorite music festival lineups and playing the artists that made those festivals the special events that they are! We'll run the gamut of Rock, Pop, Country and more with events nightly 5p - 9p, and an early kick off Saturday at 3pm.
Wednesday, August 6th:
5pm - DJ John & Host Tru: Riverbend Festival
7pm - DJ Raven & Host Beckka: Ozzfest
Thursday, August 7th:
5pm - DJ Wednesdays & Host Buzz: Echoes of Lilith Fair
7pm - DJ JL & Host Raven: Summer Bash
Friday, August 8th:
5pm - DJ Kissa & Host Cell: Coachella 2024
7pm - DJ Sera & Host Katrina: Coachella 2022
Saturday, August 9th:
3pm - DJ Gailybean & Host Cutie: Another Roadside Attraction
5pm - DJ Steps & Host Wednesdays: Coachella 2025
7pm - DJ Leo & Host Tru: Vans Warped Tour
Sunday, August 10th:
5pm - DJ Buzz & Host Wednesdays: TBD
7pm - DJ Kissa & Host TBD: Lollapalooza
Monday, August 11th:
5pm - DJ Stonn & Host Cell : Woodstock '69
7pm - DJ Sera & Host Katrina: EDC Las Vegas 2025
SAVE THE DATES, PLAN THOSE OUTFITS, and watch this space for updates!
Location: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Beachwalk/232/105/22
Gen XYZ Socials: genxyzsl.carrd.co/
Primfeed: www.primfeed.com/leoprosperoresident
Primfeed: www.primfeed.com/seraphina.ravenhurst
info@houseisbeautiful.com
exhibition dates: March 18-April 21, 2012
opening reception: Sunday, March 18, 2012, 2-6pm
viewing hours: 12-5pm, Sundays and by appointment
Work by artists including Jamie Allen, Caitlin Bermingham, Maggie Butler, Elaine Chow, Jill Daves, John Delk, Paul Druecke, Terra Fuller, Alexa Gerrity, Sarah Hirzel, Janelle Keith, Lara Kohl, Joseph Maida, Klea McKenna, Sarah McNulty, John Moran, Sarah Murrie, Nate Page, Faith Purvey, Kim Roenigk, Jessica Rohrer, Sarah Ruggieri, Colby Shaft, Noam Toran, Jennifer Kay Tyre, Harry Tyre. Home solutions presented by Elaine Chow, Jill Daves, Janelle Keith, Lara Kohl and Jennifer Kay Tyre.
Set in a 1956 ranch style home on a cul-de-sac in the San Gabriel Valley, House Beautiful operates as both a celebration and critique of American suburban culture. Painting, photography, film, site-specific installations, objects for the home and “home solutions” are imagined as a contemporary art collection within a middle-class suburban home.
In the core of the house, the current status of the American dream is depicted with paintings of suburban developments by Kim Roenigk and photography by Joseph Maida and Colby Shaft. A large, lush hand-woven carpet by Terra Fuller occupies the dining area, drawing emphasis to the conventions of mid-century American domestic floor plans. A collection of family photographs salvaged from a home ravaged by fire are presented in meticulous archeological fashion by Klea McKenna. These charred distillations of a family history lead to McKenna’s abstract accounting above the credenza. Nearby, a constellation of elements comprises a ghostly image of domesticity by Sarah McNulty. Maggie Butler’s paintings serve as a bold, Pop-destroying counter to the image of the repressed American housewife of the 1950’s.
Tools for living and personal comforts as evidenced by consumption are represented by Jamie Allen’s laser-etched Kitchenwhere, Paul Druecke’s approach to portraiture with refrigerators, and Jessica Rohrer’s uncanny renderings of the contents of her kitchen pantry.
The home as a haven for wish fulfillment, self-gratification and desire is experienced in the master bedroom with Noam Toran’s Desire Management screening above the armoire. John Delk’s lead-cast Universal Remote stands opposite the darkened screen of the living room television, a monument to the pre-Internet era when television reigned as the primary source of information and anesthetization. Alexa Gerrity’s sanctuary of self-actualization created in the large bath holds Sarah Murrie’s unabashed longings for the ideal home and man, displayed above the tub.
Nate Page’s Suburban Reflecting Pool interrupts, reflects and diverts the desires and expectations of suburban dwellers as an architectural innovation on the facade of the home. Sculptural works by Sarah Hirzel and Faith Purvey address the artificiality, psychology and humor of the suburban landscape.
Home solutions appear throughout the exhibition. Jill Daves identified and honored the accumulation of marks in the walls of the rear bathroom, turning imperfections in the drywall into gestural, custom gilding. Jennifer Kay Tyre arranged a double posthumous collaboration between architect John Moran and self-taught craftsman Harry Tyre. Several home solutions were executed by the curator per the artists’ instruction. Elaine Chow’s solution is two-fold. Her diagrammatic instructions for furoshiki, the Japanese art of wrapping with cloth, also act as decorative designs on the linen cabinets housing the cloths. Janelle Keith designed a festive table runner long enough for a palace banquet, with one end tailored to encircle the spa. Lara Kohl presents a series of vignettes as three-dimensional freeze frames in the backyard pool area, creating an Altman-esque landscape specific to the Los Angeles suburbs.
House Beautiful is located at 8226 Halford Street, San Gabriel, CA 91775, and will open with a public reception on Sunday, March 18th, 2012, 2-6pm. Additional event dates to be announced.
House Beautiful is curated by artist Jane O’Neill. Special thanks to Lara Kohl, Trish Sie, Jennifer Kay Tyre, Sara Daleiden, MKE-LAX, and Carter & Citizen gallery for their support in the organization of this exhibition. Contact info@houseisbeautiful.com for more information.
Dates have a lot of texture on the skin. These were some dates that were samples, so I took the picture, then took a date :)
Abydos dates back to the dawn of Ancient Egyptian civilisation when it was established as the cult centre of the god of the Netherworld Osiris and the burial site for a number of the earliest kings. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abydos,_Egypt
Over the centuries several temples were constructed at the site on the edge of the desert, the Great Osiris Temple being at the heart of the god's cult but little remains of this structure. What visitors come to Abydos to see today are the far more substantial remains of the New Kingdom temples built by Seti I and his son Ramesses II.
The Temple of Seti I is the glory of Abydos, an impressive complex that originally comprised two large forecourts with towering pylons followed by a succession of pillared halls and chapels beyond. Today the forecourts and pylons are so ruined that only their lower parts remain, but beyond this the heart of the temple remains almost intact, and its many chambers, walls and pillars bear some of the very finest relief decoration in all of Egypt.
The interior is somewhat gloomy and takes a while to adjust to after the glare of the sun outside. The roof is largely a modern restoration in order to protect the ancient colouring that remains on much of the carving and admits little natural light. initially the decoration the visitor encounters in the first hypostyle hall is of a standard type, sunken relief from the reign of Ramesses II who fiinished his father's temple after the latter's death. It is only when one progresses into the second hypostyle halls and the group of chapels and chambers beyond that the fame of the art of Abydos becomes clear.
The relief sculpture of Seti I's reign are without parallel in the New Kingdom, the pinnacle of artistic achievement in the surviving temples of Egypt. The figures are all in raised (rather than the easier sunken) relief and the carving is of such delicacy that one can only assume that Seti must have placed great emphasis on the quality of the decoration he commissioned during his fifteen year reign (evidence of this can be seen in other projects commissioned by the king, but none more so than his temple at Abydos). The survival of much of the ancient colouring in many areas simply adds to the magic, with some scenes in pristine condition. Luckily the sort of vandalism that afflicted many temples during the post-Pharaonic period was only confined to one or two rooms and most decoration remains intact.
At the rear of the second hypostyle halls is a sequence of seven chapels dedicated to six major deities along with the pharaoh himself. Beyond these lie further sumptuously decorated rooms connected to various rituals of Osiris.
To the rear of the temple is a wing with further chambers accessed via a corridor inscribed with the famous Abydos 'King's List', which bears the cartouches of all the Pharaohs up to Seti's reign (with a few notable omissions). The corridor also leads out to a separate structure behind the temple known as the Osireon, a sunken monolithic chamber erected as a cenotaph to the god Osiris.
Some distance to the north of the Temple of Seti I lies the much smaller temple of his son Ramesses II (who decided to add his own temple in addition to finishing his father's). This is much less well preserved, with the walls only standing up to around three metres high, but much of the relief decoration of these lower courses remains, and much of the vivid colouring is beautifully preserved.
Abydos is one of Egypt's most important sites, both historically and artistically and will richly reward the visitor.
Architecture in the old town of Baku (Azerbaijan)
The first written reference to Baku dates from 885, although archaeologists have found remains of a settlement predating by several centuries the birth of Jesus. The city became important after an earthquake destroyed Shemakha and the of the 12th century and the Shirvanshah, Ahistan I, made Baku the new capital. In 1813 Russia signed the Treaty of Gulistan with Persia by which Baku and most of the Caucasus region were annexed from Iran and transferred to Russia.
There are a few theories about the origin of the name, the most widely known being that Baku comes from the Persian word Bagh-Kuh (the Mount of God). The Name of Baku is also popularly explained as coming from the Persian word "bad kube", meaning "city of winds".
Opening Reception: Saturday April 25, 2015, 6 PM – 10 PM
Exhibition Dates: April 25 – May 9, 2015
Modern Eden Gallery is excited to present the third curated exhibition by photojournalist Michael Cuffe, Editor in Chief of the international arts documagazine Warholian. This exhibition brings together over 65 artists from a range of styles and mediums to interpret beloved childhood narratives in their own unique styles. Iconic books such as Clifford the Big Red Dog, Goodnight Moon, The Cat in The Hat, and many more have been fantastically recreated with creative approaches and from adult perspectives.
FEATURED ARTISTS INCLUDE: Amandalynn, Jaclyn Alderete, Brianna Angelakis, Susanne Apgar, Paul Barnes, Jasmine Becket-Griffith, CIOU, Cory Benhatzel, Rick Berry, Pakayla Biehn, Zofia Bogusz, Brenton Bostwick, Robert Bowen, Jana Brike, Laurie Lee Brom, Valentina Brostean, Leilani Bustamante, C3, Adam Caldwell, Simona Candini, Steve Chmilar, Joshua Coffy, Michael Cuffe, Lara Dann, Lena Danya, Sheri DeBow, Jel Ena, Kohshin Finley, Ashton Gallagher, Jacqueline Gallagher, Lyrica Glory, Alec Huxley, Steve Javiel, Aunia Kahn, Tara Krebs, Marcos LaFarga, Marie Larkin, Kim Larson, Edith Lebeau, Chris Leib, Steven Lopez, Calvin Ma, Malojo, Megan Majewski, Kelly McKernan, Amy Minchew, David Molesky, Catherine Moore, Melissa Morgan, David Natale, Lori Nelson, Johannah O’Donnell, Richard James Oliver, Augie Pagan, PECA, Rich Pellegrino, Bradley Platz, Michael Ramstead, Joshua Roman, Isabel Samaras, Erika Sanada, Eve Skylar, Laura Startzman, Ania Tomicka, Daniel J. Valadez, Liz Vranesh, Helice Wen, Sandra Yagi, Hannah Yata, Trevor Young, and others.
The opening reception for “Storybook” will be held at Modern Eden Gallery on Saturday, April 25 from 6 –10 pm. Exhibition Curator, Michael Cuffe and select participating artists will be in attendance at the reception. The exhibition will be on display through May 9, 2015 and is free and open to the public.
For details and updates visit: www.moderneden.com/pages/storybook
VEGAN NO-BAKE STRAWBERRY PIE
1/2 cup raw cashews
8 medjool dates, pitted and chopped
1 cup old fashioned rolled
2-3 tablespoons apple juice
1 12.3-ounce package Morinu organic firm silken tofu
2 medjool dates, pitted and chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon ground chia seeds,
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
1/2 cup apple juice
2 teaspoons agar powder (or 2 tablespoons agar flakes)
stevia, erythritol, or other sweetener to taste
12 ounces strawberries, stemmed and sliced
Place the cashews in a small bowl and add water to cover them by about 1 inch. Soak for at least 2 hours or in the refrigerator overnight. Place the 8 chopped dates into a food processor. Add the oats and process until crumbly. With the machine running, add 2 tablespoons of apple juice. Continue to process until mixture begins to adhere together. If necessary, add more juice a teaspoon at a time. You want it to be sticky but not wet. Press into the bottom of an 8-inch pie pan and up the sides about 1 inch. Set aside. Drain cashews and place in blender. Add tofu, 2 dates, lemon juice, chia seeds, and lemon rind. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds inside; add them to the blender. Blend on high speed until completely smooth. Taste the filling mixture and add sweetener to taste. Heat the 1/2 cup of apple juice in a small sauce pan. Sprinkle in agar powder. Stir and heat until agar dissolves and juice begins to boil. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute after boiling. Add the agar mixture to the contents of the blender. Put the top on the blender and blend at high speed until well-blended. Pour into the prepared crust and smooth the top. Refrigerate until chilled and set. Top with sliced strawberries before serving.
Rikki's Refuge
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Some background:
The origin of Rescue Labors dates back to 1998, when both the Tokyo fire and police departments were called out for a high risk job when a fire broke out at the Tower City skyscraper under construction in Tama.
As the fire fighters dealt with the fire, the police's AV-98 Ingrams carried out a rescue of the personnel and dignitaries trapped high in the tower. The impressive potential of the Labors in this scenario led city officials to publish a tender for a dedicated fire-fighting Labor.
In 1999, a design competition was held, with three contenders. These were the ARV-99 Rescue Labor by Shinohara Industries (based on the AV-98 Ingram chassis of the police Labor), the CRL-98 “Pyro-Buster”, produced by Hishii Heavy Industries, and the SEE (Schaft Enterprise Europe) Type-8FF Rescue Labor.
The latter was a civil adaptation of the military Type-8 “Brocken” labor for the German Bundesheer (Army Forces). All designs offered sophisticated solutions and equipment for the fire-fighting job: Because the Rescue Labor works in high heat environments, the units were designed to be fire and heatproof to protect the pilot. To fulfill its main role of extinguishing fires, the Rescue Labors were to be equipped with a pair of water cannons, one on the forearm and one on its shoulders, fed by an internal tank and/or by an external source.
Additionally, the competition’s rescue Labors were to deal with hazardous chemical situations. A respective protection system had to be provided, too, as well as precise manipulator fingers for delicate handling.
Detecting life under harsh conditions, in any weather and at day and night, necessitated a complex sensor suite, including a telescopic camera boom.
Schaft Enterprise Europe’s Type-8FF was the most impressive design, standing more than 10 metres tall. It was also the most powerful – but also the most bulky type, since it was originally developed for more spacious European cities.
Beyond the standard requirements the “Florian”, how the Labor was unofficially dubbed (after the Christian patron saint of firefighters), offered a huge array of extra equipment, including an extendable hydraulic crusher, an extra CO2 tank, a high performance water pump (the Type-8FF could be operated as a water manifold when it was not directly involved in rescue duties), a powerful searchlight array and a winch.
Two prototypes were delivered to Japan and took part in the evaluation process, which encompassed both clinical trials as well as field tests that would prove the concepts and uncover strengths and weaknesses of the three designs.
In December 1999 the ARV-99 was chosen as primary Rescue Labor for the Tokyo Fire Department – and the rejection of SEE’s Type-8FF was even more bitter as the CRL-98 was ordered into production, too – only as a supportive vehicle, but it was also promoted to private/industrial fire-fighting units in the Tokyo region.
The “Florian” did not enter production for Japan, since it was deemed to be too large for the Japanese urban environment – but it was developed further for the European market, eventually entering rescue services in Germany, France and Great Britain.
A final, rather disturbing note is that it is uncertain where the two Type-8FF prototypes ended up. SEE took them back into custody after completion of the competition process in early 2000, but there has been no official record or documentation that the vehicles actually left Japan. Rumor has it that they are still on private SEE ground in the Tokyo region.
Technical Data:
Code name: Type-8FF "Florian"
Unit type: fire emergency labor prototype
Manufacturer: SEE (Schaft Enterprises Europe)
Operator: SEJ (Schaft Enterprises Japan), proposed to the Tokyo Fire Department
Rollout: April 1999 AD
Number built: 2
Accommodation: pilot only, in heat- and ABC-insulated cockpit in front torso
Dimensions:
Overall height 10,50 meters
Overall width 5.40 meters
Minimum revolving radius: 6.0 meters
Weight:
Standard 7.05 metric tons
Full 8.81 metric tons
Armor materials:
none
Powerplant:
unknown
Maximum weight lifting capacity:
4.00 metric tons
Equipment and design features:
Visual and acoustic sensors, range unknown
Highly articulated manipulator hands
White and IR searchlights
2x water cannon, mounted on shoulders and on right forearm
Extendable hydraulic crusher on left forewarm
Auxillary CO2 tank, mounted on backpack
Autonomous water turbo pump for in- and external operation
Winch (2.00 metric tons)
Fixed or optional armaments:
none
This model is a thorough conversion of a 1:60 "SEE Type-7 Brocken" IP kit from Bandai, and it is part of a Group Build at whatifmodelers.com under the theme "De-/Militarize it" (which still runs until the end of August 2015).
The mecha belongs into the Patlabor anime TV series. Anime is certainly not everyone's business, but it has a lot to offer.
The charm of the Patlabor universe is that these vehicles exist (these are no robots, except for rare cases there's a pilot inside) in everyday life. When the series was conceived in the 80ies it was a near-future setting in the nineties - SF, but VERY down to earth and "realistic".
The 'Labors', how these more or less humanoid vehicles are called, are special duty heavy machinery, e. g. for construction, loading, hazmat handling. They are also employed by the police (hence the title of the series, Patlabor, which circles around a police unit which fights labor crime) and by the military.
The Brocken is one of the dedicated military designs. It actually comes from Germany, hence probably the plate mail armor design. I am not certain if its name, Brocken, is the German word for hulk, or the mountain close to the inner German border in FRG/GDR times, because the Brocken was designed to patrol and protect this border - the Cold War was still part of the series' script!
There are actually firefighting Labors in the TV series, and the background story is built around the two types I am aware of. And in order to de-militarize the Brocken and change its look so far that the kit appears like a different vehicle, a lot of things had to be modified.
The head is completely new and supposed to remind of typical firefighter helmets. The cockpit section (in the breast) was changed, too, as well as the knee sections and different hands. Parts from other mecha kits (e. g. from a 1:72 Battroid VF-1 , a 1:100 Gerwalk VF-1, a 1:100 Destroid Phalanx, a 1:144 Gundam Zaku and even from an NGE EVA) were intergrated, but a lot of details were scratched.
For instance, the head with its sensor booms and the complex shape consists of ~30 pieces and putty, and the flashlights were completely scratched from clear sprue, styrene sheet and parts of PET toothbrush head protectors!
Having a dedicated duty, a lot of special equipment had to be integrated - in a fashion that it looks plausible and as an integral part, not just an add-on. Therefore, several light installations were added, two water cannons (one on the shoulder, one on the right forearm), a scratched winch, plus several protection bars all around the hull.
A CO2 tank was added on the back, plus a turbo pump installation that would drive the two water cannons and allow external water supply. An extandable hydraulic crusher on the right forearm was added, too, when knocking on the door simply does not meet the situation. Integrating the stuff into the hull meant much body work, and all the devices were meant to appear plausible and functional.
The paint scheme was simple: an all-red livery, inspired by typical German fire engines which wear RAL 3000 as official color. With some shading this eventually turned into a rather orange hue, but the Florian still looks like a fire fighting vehicle.
The yellow trim for a more international look was created with decals from several HO scale firefighting vehicle aftermarket sheets. Finally, after a black ink wash and some dry-painting, the kit received a coating with semi-matt acrylic varnish, and some pigment dust around the legs.
I posted a note about the need for good/innovative calendars up on GDO and got two great examples.
Thanks greggles for this and the link to the Calendar Block Module.
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Author: Andreas Nierhaus, Curator of Architecture/Wien Museum
Last updated January 2014
Architecture in Vienna
Vienna's 2,000-year history is present in a unique density in the cityscape. The layout of the center dates back to the Roman city and medieval road network. Romanesque and Gothic churches characterize the streets and squares as well as palaces and mansions of the baroque city of residence. The ring road is an expression of the modern city of the 19th century, in the 20th century extensive housing developments set accents in the outer districts. Currently, large-scale urban development measures are implemented; distinctive buildings of international star architects complement the silhouette of the city.
Due to its function as residence of the emperor and European power center, Vienna for centuries stood in the focus of international attention, but it was well aware of that too. As a result, developed an outstanding building culture, and still today on a worldwide scale only a few cities can come up with a comparable density of high-quality architecture. For several years now, Vienna has increased its efforts to connect with its historical highlights and is drawing attention to itself with some spectacular new buildings. The fastest growing city in the German-speaking world today most of all in residential construction is setting standards. Constants of the Viennese architecture are respect for existing structures, the palpability of historical layers and the dialogue between old and new.
Culmination of medieval architecture: the Stephansdom
The oldest architectural landmark of the city is St. Stephen's Cathedral. Under the rule of the Habsburgs, defining the face of the city from the late 13th century until 1918 in a decisive way, the cathedral was upgraded into the sacral monument of the political ambitions of the ruling house. The 1433 completed, 137 meters high southern tower, by the Viennese people affectionately named "Steffl", is a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture in Europe. For decades he was the tallest stone structure in Europe, until today he is the undisputed center of the city.
The baroque residence
Vienna's ascension into the ranks of the great European capitals began in Baroque. Among the most important architects are Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt. Outside the city walls arose a chain of summer palaces, including the garden Palais Schwarzenberg (1697-1704) as well as the Upper and Lower Belvedere of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1714-22). Among the most important city palaces are the Winter Palace of Prince Eugene (1695-1724, now a branch of the Belvedere) and the Palais Daun-Kinsky (auction house in Kinsky 1713-19). The emperor himself the Hofburg had complemented by buildings such as the Imperial Library (1722-26) and the Winter Riding School (1729-34). More important, however, for the Habsburgs was the foundation of churches and monasteries. Thus arose before the city walls Fischer von Erlach's Karlskirche (1714-39), which with its formal and thematic complex show façade belongs to the major works of European Baroque. In colored interior rooms like that of St. Peter's Church (1701-22), the contemporary efforts for the synthesis of architecture, painting and sculpture becomes visible.
Upgrading into metropolis: the ring road time (Ringstraßenzeit)
Since the Baroque, reflections on extension of the hopelessly overcrowed city were made, but only Emperor Franz Joseph ordered in 1857 the demolition of the fortifications and the connection of the inner city with the suburbs. 1865, the Ring Road was opened. It is as the most important boulevard of Europe an architectural and in terms of urban development achievement of the highest rank. The original building structure is almost completely preserved and thus conveys the authentic image of a metropolis of the 19th century. The public representational buildings speak, reflecting accurately the historicism, by their style: The Greek Antique forms of Theophil Hansen's Parliament (1871-83) stood for democracy, the Renaissance of the by Heinrich Ferstel built University (1873-84) for the flourishing of humanism, the Gothic of the Town Hall (1872-83) by Friedrich Schmidt for the medieval civic pride.
Dominating remained the buildings of the imperial family: Eduard van der Nüll's and August Sicardsburg's Opera House (1863-69), Gottfried Semper's and Carl Hasenauer's Burgtheater (1874-88), their Museum of Art History and Museum of Natural History (1871-91) and the Neue (New) Hofburg (1881-1918 ). At the same time the ring road was the preferred residential area of mostly Jewish haute bourgeoisie. With luxurious palaces the families Ephrussi, Epstein or Todesco made it clear that they had taken over the cultural leadership role in Viennese society. In the framework of the World Exhibition of 1873, the new Vienna presented itself an international audience. At the ring road many hotels were opened, among them the Hotel Imperial and today's Palais Hansen Kempinski.
Laboratory of modernity: Vienna around 1900
Otto Wagner's Postal Savings Bank (1903-06) was one of the last buildings in the Ring road area Otto Wagner's Postal Savings Bank (1903-06), which with it façade, liberated of ornament, and only decorated with "functional" aluminum buttons and the glass banking hall now is one of the icons of modern architecture. Like no other stood Otto Wagner for the dawn into the 20th century: His Metropolitan Railway buildings made the public transport of the city a topic of architecture, the church of the Psychiatric hospital at Steinhofgründe (1904-07) is considered the first modern church.
With his consistent focus on the function of a building ("Something impractical can not be beautiful"), Wagner marked a whole generation of architects and made Vienna the laboratory of modernity: in addition to Joseph Maria Olbrich, the builder of the Secession (1897-98) and Josef Hoffmann, the architect of the at the western outskirts located Purkersdorf Sanatorium (1904) and founder of the Vienna Workshop (Wiener Werkstätte, 1903) is mainly to mention Adolf Loos, with the Loos House at the square Michaelerplatz (1909-11) making architectural history. The extravagant marble cladding of the business zone stands in maximal contrast, derived from the building function, to the unadorned facade above, whereby its "nudity" became even more obvious - a provocation, as well as his culture-critical texts ("Ornament and Crime"), with which he had greatest impact on the architecture of the 20th century. Public contracts Loos remained denied. His major works therefore include villas, apartment facilities and premises as the still in original state preserved Tailor salon Knize at Graben (1910-13) and the restored Loos Bar (1908-09) near the Kärntner Straße (passageway Kärntner Durchgang).
Between the Wars: International Modern Age and social housing
After the collapse of the monarchy in 1918, Vienna became capital of the newly formed small country of Austria. In the heart of the city, the architects Theiss & Jaksch built 1931-32 the first skyscraper in Vienna as an exclusive residential address (Herrengasse - alley 6-8). To combat the housing shortage for the general population, the social democratic city government in a globally unique building program within a few years 60,000 apartments in hundreds of apartment buildings throughout the city area had built, including the famous Karl Marx-Hof by Karl Ehn (1925-30). An alternative to the multi-storey buildings with the 1932 opened International Werkbundsiedlung was presented, which was attended by 31 architects from Austria, Germany, France, Holland and the USA and showed models for affordable housing in greenfield areas. With buildings of Adolf Loos, André Lurçat, Richard Neutra, Gerrit Rietveld, the Werkbundsiedlung, which currently is being restored at great expense, is one of the most important documents of modern architecture in Austria.
Modernism was also expressed in significant Villa buildings: The House Beer (1929-31) by Josef Frank exemplifies the refined Wiener living culture of the interwar period, while the house Stonborough-Wittgenstein (1926-28, today Bulgarian Cultural Institute), built by the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein together with the architect Paul Engelmann for his sister Margarete, by its aesthetic radicalism and mathematical rigor represents a special case within contemporary architecture.
Expulsion, war and reconstruction
After the "Anschluss (Annexation)" to the German Reich in 1938, numerous Jewish builders, architects (female and male ones), who had been largely responsible for the high level of Viennese architecture, have been expelled from Austria. During the Nazi era, Vienna remained largely unaffected by structural transformations, apart from the six flak towers built for air defense of Friedrich Tamms (1942-45), made of solid reinforced concrete which today are present as memorials in the cityscape.
The years after the end of World War II were characterized by the reconstruction of the by bombs heavily damaged city. The architecture of those times was marked by aesthetic pragmatism, but also by the attempt to connect with the period before 1938 and pick up on current international trends. Among the most important buildings of the 1950s are Roland Rainer's City Hall (1952-58), the by Oswald Haerdtl erected Wien Museum at Karlsplatz (1954-59) and the 21er Haus of Karl Schwanzer (1958-62).
The youngsters come
Since the 1960s, a young generation was looking for alternatives to the moderate modernism of the reconstruction years. With visionary designs, conceptual, experimental and above all temporary architectures, interventions and installations, Raimund Abraham, Günther Domenig, Eilfried Huth, Hans Hollein, Walter Pichler and the groups Coop Himmelb(l)au, Haus-Rucker-Co and Missing Link rapidly got international attention. Although for the time being it was more designed than built, was the influence on the postmodern and deconstructivist trends of the 1970s and 1980s also outside Austria great. Hollein's futuristic "Retti" candle shop at Charcoal Market/Kohlmarkt (1964-65) and Domenig's biomorphic building of the Central Savings Bank in Favoriten (10th district of Vienna - 1975-79) are among the earliest examples, later Hollein's Haas-Haus (1985-90), the loft conversion Falkestraße (1987/88) by Coop Himmelb(l)au or Domenig's T Center (2002-04) were added. Especially Domenig, Hollein, Coop Himmelb(l)au and the architects Ortner & Ortner (ancient members of Haus-Rucker-Co) by orders from abroad the new Austrian and Viennese architecture made a fixed international concept.
MuseumQuarter and Gasometer
Since the 1980s, the focus of building in Vienna lies on the compaction of the historic urban fabric that now as urban habitat of high quality no longer is put in question. Among the internationally best known projects is the by Ortner & Ortner planned MuseumsQuartier in the former imperial stables (competition 1987, 1998-2001), which with institutions such as the MUMOK - Museum of Modern Art Foundation Ludwig, the Leopold Museum, the Kunsthalle Wien, the Architecture Center Vienna and the Zoom Children's Museum on a wordwide scale is under the largest cultural complexes. After controversies in the planning phase, here an architectural compromise between old and new has been achieved at the end, whose success as an urban stage with four million visitors (2012) is overwhelming.
The dialogue between old and new, which has to stand on the agenda of building culture of a city that is so strongly influenced by history, also features the reconstruction of the Gasometer in Simmering by Coop Himmelb(l)au, Wilhelm Holzbauer, Jean Nouvel and Manfred Wehdorn (1999-2001). Here was not only created new housing, but also a historical industrial monument reinterpreted into a signal in the urban development area.
New Neighborhood
In recent years, the major railway stations and their surroundings moved into the focus of planning. Here not only necessary infrastructural measures were taken, but at the same time opened up spacious inner-city residential areas and business districts. Among the prestigious projects are included the construction of the new Vienna Central Station, started in 2010 with the surrounding office towers of the Quartier Belvedere and the residential and school buildings of the Midsummer quarter (Sonnwendviertel). Europe's largest wooden tower invites here for a spectacular view to the construction site and the entire city. On the site of the former North Station are currently being built 10,000 homes and 20,000 jobs, on that of the Aspangbahn station is being built at Europe's greatest Passive House settlement "Euro Gate", the area of the North Western Railway Station is expected to be developed from 2020 for living and working. The largest currently under construction residential project but can be found in the north-eastern outskirts, where in Seaside Town Aspern till 2028 living and working space for 40,000 people will be created.
In one of the "green lungs" of Vienna, the Prater, 2013, the WU campus was opened for the largest University of Economics of Europe. Around the central square spectacular buildings of an international architect team from Great Britain, Japan, Spain and Austria are gathered that seem to lead a sometimes very loud conversation about the status quo of contemporary architecture (Hitoshi Abe, BUSarchitektur, Peter Cook, Zaha Hadid, NO MAD Arquitectos, Carme Pinós).
Flying high
International is also the number of architects who have inscribed themselves in the last few years with high-rise buildings in the skyline of Vienna and make St. Stephen's a not always unproblematic competition. Visible from afar is Massimiliano Fuksas' 138 and 127 meters high elegant Twin Tower at Wienerberg (1999-2001). The monolithic, 75-meter-high tower of the Hotel Sofitel at the Danube Canal by Jean Nouvel (2007-10), on the other hand, reacts to the particular urban situation and stages in its top floor new perspectives to the historical center on the other side.
Also at the water stands Dominique Perrault's DC Tower (2010-13) in the Danube City - those high-rise city, in which since the start of construction in 1996, the expansion of the city north of the Danube is condensed symbolically. Even in this environment, the slim and at the same time striking vertically folded tower of Perrault is beyond all known dimensions; from its Sky Bar, from spring 2014 on you are able to enjoy the highest view of Vienna. With 250 meters, the tower is the tallest building of Austria and almost twice as high as the St. Stephen's Cathedral. Vienna, thus, has acquired a new architectural landmark which cannot be overlooked - whether it also has the potential to become a landmark of the new Vienna, only time will tell. The architectural history of Vienna, where European history is presence and new buildings enter into an exciting and not always conflict-free dialogue with a great and outstanding architectural heritage, in any case has yet to offer exciting chapters.
Abydos dates back to the dawn of Ancient Egyptian civilisation when it was established as the cult centre of the god of the Netherworld Osiris and the burial site for a number of the earliest kings. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abydos,_Egypt
Over the centuries several temples were constructed at the site on the edge of the desert, the Great Osiris Temple being at the heart of the god's cult but little remains of this structure. What visitors come to Abydos to see today are the far more substantial remains of the New Kingdom temples built by Seti I and his son Ramesses II.
The Temple of Seti I is the glory of Abydos, an impressive complex that originally comprised two large forecourts with towering pylons followed by a succession of pillared halls and chapels beyond. Today the forecourts and pylons are so ruined that only their lower parts remain, but beyond this the heart of the temple remains almost intact, and its many chambers, walls and pillars bear some of the very finest relief decoration in all of Egypt.
The interior is somewhat gloomy and takes a while to adjust to after the glare of the sun outside. The roof is largely a modern restoration in order to protect the ancient colouring that remains on much of the carving and admits little natural light. initially the decoration the visitor encounters in the first hypostyle hall is of a standard type, sunken relief from the reign of Ramesses II who fiinished his father's temple after the latter's death. It is only when one progresses into the second hypostyle halls and the group of chapels and chambers beyond that the fame of the art of Abydos becomes clear.
The relief sculpture of Seti I's reign are without parallel in the New Kingdom, the pinnacle of artistic achievement in the surviving temples of Egypt. The figures are all in raised (rather than the easier sunken) relief and the carving is of such delicacy that one can only assume that Seti must have placed great emphasis on the quality of the decoration he commissioned during his fifteen year reign (evidence of this can be seen in other projects commissioned by the king, but none more so than his temple at Abydos). The survival of much of the ancient colouring in many areas simply adds to the magic, with some scenes in pristine condition. Luckily the sort of vandalism that afflicted many temples during the post-Pharaonic period was only confined to one or two rooms and most decoration remains intact.
At the rear of the second hypostyle halls is a sequence of seven chapels dedicated to six major deities along with the pharaoh himself. Beyond these lie further sumptuously decorated rooms connected to various rituals of Osiris.
To the rear of the temple is a wing with further chambers accessed via a corridor inscribed with the famous Abydos 'King's List', which bears the cartouches of all the Pharaohs up to Seti's reign (with a few notable omissions). The corridor also leads out to a separate structure behind the temple known as the Osireon, a sunken monolithic chamber erected as a cenotaph to the god Osiris.
Some distance to the north of the Temple of Seti I lies the much smaller temple of his son Ramesses II (who decided to add his own temple in addition to finishing his father's). This is much less well preserved, with the walls only standing up to around three metres high, but much of the relief decoration of these lower courses remains, and much of the vivid colouring is beautifully preserved.
Abydos is one of Egypt's most important sites, both historically and artistically and will richly reward the visitor.
As a decadent Ramadaan snack, i packaged an assortment of Medinah dates that were filled with home-made toffee studded with an almond, cream enveloped with fresh grated coconut and chopped almonds, a Nikki-bar filling and chocolate coated kajoor.
Neidpath Castle dates back to the late 1300s and has seen its fair share of turmoil and romance. Once visited by Mary, Queen of Scots, and later a retreat for the poet William Wordsworth, the castle sits just west of Peebles overlooking the River Tweed. It’s privately owned now, but still a compelling part of the Borders landscape: a fortress of both history and melancholy.
. . . Kirtimata is the mother of the city of Kirtipur. She is depicted on her back giving birth to a still unidentified creature. Dates from 4th century.
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Kirtipur (Nepali: कीर्तिपुर, Nepal Bhasa: किपू Kipu) is an ancient city in Nepal. It is located in the Kathmandu Valley 5 km south-west of the city of Kathmandu. It is one of the five municipalities in the valley, the others being Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and Madhyapur Thimi.
ETYMOLOGY
The name Kirtipur comes from Kirti (glory) and pur (city).
DEMOGRAPHICS
Originally a Newar foundation, Kirtipur is still a center of Newar culture. It has been merged with surrounding villages to form the municipality of Kirtipur with a population of 67,171.
It consists of many temples, gumbas (Buddhist monastery) and churches too. Due to the presence of Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur is also a popular area for out-of-town students and professors to rent houses and they are major contributors to the local economy.
HISTORY
Kirtipur's history dates from 1099 AD. It was part of the territory of Lalitpur at the time of the invasion of the Kathmandu Valley by the Gorkhali king Prithvi Narayan Shah in the 18th century.
In 1767, Kirtipur was annexed to the Gorkhali kingdom by Prithvi Narayan following the Battle of Kirtipur. He took the town on his twenty third attempt, after entering it by trickery. After this, he cut off the noses and lips of everybody in the city.
This was the site of an inspirational peaceful demonstration of the people in the 2006 mass uprising that overthrew the powers of the king. It is considered to be an anti-monarchy city due to its bitter history against the Shah dynasty whose modern founder conquered the city insultingly, which was followed by negligence of the administration and development by subsequent rulers.
PLACES OF INTEREST
BAGH BHAIRAB
Bagh Bhairab temple is one of the most popular temples dedicated to the God Bhairab in the form of a tiger. This god is regarded as the guardian of Kirtipur and the locals call it Ajudeu, a grandfather god. Bhairab, the most terrifying and awful form of Shiva is the destroyer on one hand and the guardian on the other. Ceremonial rituals in relation to the important events of life such as rice-feeding, puberty, marriage and even the construction of houses cannot be done without propitiating this deity in most of the towns and cities of Nepal.
The present three storeyed temple of Bagh Bhairab probably built in 16th century stands in the brick-paved rectangular courtyard with the rest houses around it. There are some small shrines and stone images spread over the courtyard. The main gate is at the southern side. There are two other gates in the eastern and western sides. The two roofs of the temple are of tiles while the third one is covered with gilt-copper. There are wooden pillars carved with Hindu gods and goddesses. They have been erected in between windows of the second storey and the names of the carved deities have been finely cut out below them on the pedestals.
There are eighteen pinnacles-one in the first roof, six in the middle and eleven in the top roof. Beneath the eaves of the first roof there are very old but faded murals depicting the stories of Ramayan. Maha Bharat and the various manifestations of Durga, the mighty mother goddess. These paintings are frescoes in red with white plaster background. At the right side of the main gate of the temple there is Hifa Dyo, the god of blood sacrifice is allowed directly to Bagh Bhairab, all animal offerings to the deity are made here on behalf of this deity just as the animal sacrifices are made to Kumari, a stone idol, placed at the second gate in the left side of Chandeswori at Banepa and to the Chhetrapal which is at the very beginning of the final series of the steps to the temple of Khadga Jogini at Sankhu.
There are two torans over Hifa Dyo. They bear very fine cuttings of Asta-Matriks, Asta-Bhairabs and other gods and goddesses. In the western wall of the temple there is a hollow space regarded by the local people as Nasa Dyo, the god of music and dance. Bagh Bhairab made of clay has been enshrined in the left side corner in the temple. The three glass-eyed tiger-god is tongue-less and tooth-less but covered with silver and copper plates and heavily ornamented. This deity as mentioned in the stone inscriptions has been called Bagheswor (the tiger god), Bhimsen Bhattarak (Bhimsen, the governing deity), Gudei Sthanadhipati (the lord in the form of tiger) and Ajudyo(the ancestral god).
The local peoples hail this deity as the embodiment of prudence, knowledge, productivity and strength to resist all evils. Hence, the auspicious ceremonies such as weddings, hair-cuttings, rice-feedings and other ritual performances in Kirtipur are done only after a puza to this deity.
CHILANCHO STUPA
A Buddhist shrine, is situated on the southern hill. It is located in Kirtipur, Nepal. It was made in medieval period. An inscription of Nepal Samvat 635 is found in this Chaitya. Therefore, it is one of the most important historical stupa of this region.
UMA MAHESHWAR
Uma Maheshwar temple (locally, Kwacho Dega) is one of the important heritage sites of Kirtipur. This pagoda-style three-storied temple is situated at the highest point (1414 m) of Kirtipur. Since this temple is at the top of the hill, one can enjoy picturesque view of the Kathmandu valley and mountains like Langtang, Dorge Lakkpa, Chobhu Bhamure, and Gaurishankar.
The temple was constructed in 1655 AD by Rautra Vishwanath Babu, a son of king Sidhhi Narsinga Malla. It was destructed in an earthquake in 1832 AD. After remained dilapidated for about a century, it was restored in 1933 AD after it was again destroyed by an earthquake. Local people and government made a herculean effort to renovate it into the current state. The restoration process was completed only in 1982 AD. Recently, in 2008 some work was done to preserve the arts of temple.
There is an artistic stone gate at the entrance. On each side of the stone staircase leading to the temple, there is a stone elephant, with sculptures of Bhimsen and Kuber as protectors of the temple. The main deities in this temple are standing Lord Shiva and Parvati. There are other images of deities like Sarasvati and Mahismardini on false doors around temple.
The wooden doors, pillars, and beams are crafted with artistic figures of different gods and goddess such as Astamatrika and Asta Bhairav. Similarly, erotic figures are also carved in wooden beams. According to archeologists, these figures on beams have tantric values.
The bell on the northern side of temple was cast in 1895 by Gillett & Johnston Founders, Corydon. It was one of the four quarter bells of Ghantaghar of the central Kathmandu and was reallocated to this temple after the Ghantaghar was destroyed by the earthquake in 1933.
SHRI KIRTI BIHAR
A Theravada Buddhist monastery built in traditional Thai architectural style, is situated near the entrance to the city.
MEDIA
To Promote local culture Kirtipur has one FM radio station Radio Newa F.M. - 106.6 MHz Which is a Community radio Station.There are several weekly newspaper published from Kirtipur. They are Shahid Weekly, Kirtipur Darpan, Kirtipur Sandesh. Also there is a local television station, Kirtipur Channel and some more local channel.
WIKIPEDIA
Italien / Toskana - Lucca
View from Torre Guinigi
Aussicht vom Torre Guinigi
Lucca (/ˈluːkə/ LOO-kə, Italian: [ˈlukka]) is a city and comune in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its province has a population of 383,957.
Lucca is known as an Italian "Città d'arte" (City of Art) from its intact Renaissance-era city walls and its very well preserved historic center, where, among other buildings and monuments, are located the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, which has its origins in the second half of the 1st century A.D. and the Guinigi Tower, a 45-metre-tall (150 ft) tower that dates from the 1300s.
The city is also the birthplace of numerous world-class composers, including Giacomo Puccini, Alfredo Catalani, and Luigi Boccherini.
Toponymy
By the Romans, Lucca was known as Luca. From more recent and concrete toponymic studies, the name Lucca has references that lead to "sacred grove" (Latin: lucus), "to cut" (Latin: lucare) and "luminous space" (leuk, a term used by the first European populations). The origin apparently refers to a wooded area deforested to make room for light or to a clearing located on a river island of Serchio debris, in the middle of wooded areas.
History
Antiquity
The territory of present-day Lucca was certainly settled by the Etruscans, having also traces of a probable earlier Ligurian presence (called Luk meaning "marsh", which has already been speculated as a possible origin for the city's name), dating from 3rd century BC. However, it was only with the arrival of the Romans, that the area took on the appearance of a real town, obtaining the status of a Roman colony in 180 BC, and transformed into a town hall in 89 BC.
The rectangular grid of its historical centre preserves the Roman street plan, and the Piazza San Michele occupies the site of the ancient forum. The outline of the Roman amphitheatre is still seen in the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, and the outline of a Roman theater is visible in Piazza Sant'Augostino. Fragments of the Roman-era walls are incorporated into the church of Santa Maria della Rosa.
At the Lucca Conference, in 56 BC, Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus reaffirmed their political alliance known as the First Triumvirate.
Middle Ages
Frediano, an Irish monk, was bishop of Lucca in the early sixth century. At one point, Lucca was plundered by Odoacer, the first Germanic King of Italy. Lucca was an important city and fortress even in the sixth century, when Narses besieged it for several months in 553. From 576 to 797, under the Lombards, it was the capital of a duchy, known as Ducato di Tuscia, which included a large part of today's Tuscany and the province of Viterbo, during this time the city also minted its own coins. The Holy Face of Lucca (or Volto Santo), a major relic supposedly carved by Nicodemus, arrived in 742.
Among the population that inhabited Lucca in the medieval era, there was also a significant presence of Jews. The first mention of their presence in the city is from a document from the year 859. The jewish community was led by the Kalonymos family (which later became a major component of proto-Ashkenazic Jewry).
Thanks above all to the Holy Face and to the relics of important saints, such as San Regolo and Saint Fridianus, the city was one of the main destinations of the Via Francigena, the major pilgrimage route to Rome from the north.
The Lucca cloth was a silk fabric that was woven with gold or silver threads. It was a popular type of textile in Lucca throughout the mediaeval period.
Lucca became prosperous through the silk trade that began in the eleventh century, and came to rival the silks of Byzantium. During the tenth–eleventh centuries Lucca was the capital of the feudal margraviate of Tuscany, more or less independent but owing nominal allegiance to the Holy Roman Emperor.
In 1057, Anselm of Baggio (later Pope Alexander II) was appointed bishop of Lucca, a position he held also during the papacy. As bishop of Lucca he managed to rebuild the patrimony of the Church of Lucca, recovering alienated assets, obtaining numerous donations thanks to his prestige, and had the Cathedral of the city rebuilt. From 1073 to 1086, the bishop of Lucca was his nephew Anselm II, a prominent figure in the Investiture Controversy.
During the High Middle Ages, one of the most illustrious dynasties of Lucca was the noble Allucingoli family, who managed to forge strong ties with the Church. Among the family members were Ubaldo Allucingoli, who was elected to the Papacy as Pope Lucius III in 1181, and the Cardinals Gerardo Allucingoli and Uberto Allucingoli.
After the death of Matilda of Tuscany, the city began to constitute itself an independent commune with a charter in 1160. For almost 500 years, Lucca remained an independent republic. There were many minor provinces in the region between southern Liguria and northern Tuscany dominated by the Malaspina; Tuscany in this time was a part of feudal Europe. Dante’s Divine Comedy includes many references to the great feudal families who had huge jurisdictions with administrative and judicial rights. Dante spent some of his exile in Lucca.
In 1273 and again in 1277, Lucca was ruled by a Guelph capitano del popolo (captain of the people) named Luchetto Gattilusio. In 1314, internal discord allowed Uguccione della Faggiuola of Pisa to make himself lord of Lucca. The Lucchesi expelled him two years later, and handed over the city to another condottiero, Castruccio Castracani, under whose rule it became a leading state in central Italy. Lucca rivalled Florence until Castracani's death in 1328. On 22 and 23 September 1325, in the battle of Altopascio, Castracani defeated Florence's Guelphs. For this he was nominated by Louis IV the Bavarian to become duke of Lucca. Castracani's tomb is in the church of San Francesco. His biography is Machiavelli's third famous book on political rule.
Occupied by the troops of Louis of Bavaria, the city was sold to a rich Genoese, Gherardino Spinola, then seized by John, king of Bohemia. Pawned to the Rossi of Parma, by them it was ceded to Mastino II della Scala of Verona, sold to the Florentines, surrendered to the Pisans, and then nominally liberated by the emperor Charles IV and governed by his vicar.
In 1408, Lucca hosted a convocation organized by Pope Gregory XII with his cardinals intended to end the schism in the papacy.
Lucca managed, at first as a democracy, and after 1628 as an oligarchy, to maintain its independence alongside of Venice and Genoa, and painted the word Libertas on its banner until the French Revolution in 1789.
Early modern period
Lucca had been the second largest Italian city state (after Venice) with a republican constitution ("comune") to remain independent over the centuries.
Between 1799 and 1800, it was contested by the French and Austrian armies. Finally the French prevailed and granted a democratic constitution in the 1801. However, already in 1805 the Republic of Lucca was converted into a monarchy by Napoleon, who installed his sister Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi as "Princess of Lucca".
From 1815 to 1847, it was a Bourbon-Parma duchy. The only reigning dukes of Lucca were Maria Luisa of Spain, who was succeeded by her son Charles II, Duke of Parma in 1824. Meanwhile, the Duchy of Parma had been assigned for life to Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma, the second wife of Napoleon. In accordance with the Treaty of Vienna (1815), upon the death of Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma in 1847, Parma reverted to Charles II, Duke of Parma, while Lucca lost independence and was annexed to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. As part of Tuscany, it became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1860 and finally part of the Italian State in 1861.
World War II internment camp
In 1942, during World War II, a prisoner-of-war camp was established at the village of Colle di Compito, in the municipality of Capannori, about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from Lucca. Its official number was P.G. (prigionieri di guerra) 60, and it was usually referred to as PG 60 Lucca. Although it never had permanent structures and accommodation consisted of tents in an area prone to flooding, it housed more than 3,000 British and Commonwealth prisoners of war during the period of its existence. It was handed over to the Germans on 10 September 1943, not long after the signing of the Italian armistice. During the Italian Social Republic, as a puppet state of the Germans, political prisoners, foreigners, common law prisoners and Jews were interned there, and it functioned as a concentration camp. In June 1944, the prisoners were moved to Bagni di Lucca.
Culture
Lucca is the birthplace of composers Giacomo Puccini (La Bohème and Madama Butterfly), Nicolao Dorati, Francesco Geminiani, Gioseffo Guami, Luigi Boccherini, and Alfredo Catalani. It is also the birthplace of artist Benedetto Brandimarte. Since 2004, Lucca is home to IMT Lucca, a public research institution and a selective graduate school and part of the Superior Graduate Schools in Italy (Grandes écoles).
Events
Lucca hosts the annual Lucca Summer Festival. The 2006 edition featured live performances by Eric Clapton, Placebo, Massive Attack, Roger Waters, Tracy Chapman, and Santana at the Piazza Napoleone.
Lucca hosts the annual Lucca Comics and Games festival, Europe's largest festival for comics, movies, games and related subjects.
Other events include:
Lucca Film Festival
Lucca Digital Photography Fest
Procession of Santa Croce, on 13 September. Costume procession through the town's roads.
Lucca Jazz Donna
Moreover, Lucca hosts Lucca Biennale Cartasia, an international biennial contemporary art exhibition focusing solely on Paper Art.
Film and television
Mauro Bolognini's 1958 film Giovani mariti, with Sylva Koscina, is set and was filmed in Lucca.
Top Gear filmed the third episode of the 17th season here.
Architecture
Lucca is also known for its marble deposits. After a fire in the early 1900s, the West Wing of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario was rebuilt with marble sourced in Lucca. The floor mosaic in the West Wing was hand-laid and is constructed entirely of Italian, Lucca marble.
Main sights
Walls, streets, and squares
The walls encircling the old town remain intact, even though the city has expanded and been modernised, which is unusual for cities in this region. These walls were built initially as a defensive rampart which, after losing their military importance, became a pedestrian promenade (the Passeggiata delle Mure Urbane) atop the walls which not only links the Bastions of Santa Croce, San Frediano, San Martino, San Pietro/Battisti, San Salvatore, La Libertà/Cairoli, San Regolo, San Colombano, Santa Maria, San Paolino/Catalani and San Donato but also passes over the gates (Porte) of San Donato, Santa Maria, San Jacopo, Elisa, San Pietro, and Sant'Anna. Each of the four principal sides of the structure is lined with a tree species different from the others.
The walled city is encircled by Piazzale Boccherini, Viale Lazzaro Papi, Viale Carlo Del Prete, Piazzale Martiri della Libertà, Via Batoni, Viale Agostino Marti, Viale G. Marconi (vide Guglielmo Marconi), Piazza Don A. Mei, Viale Pacini, Viale Giusti, Piazza Curtatone, Piazzale Ricasoli, Viale Ricasoli, Piazza Risorgimento (vide Risorgimento), and Viale Giosuè Carducci.
The town includes a number of public squares, most notably the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, (site of the ancient Roman amphitheater), the Piazzale Verdi, the Piazza Napoleone, and the Piazza San Michele.
Palaces, villas, houses, offices, and museums
Ducal Palace: built on the site of Castruccio Castracani's fortress. Construction was begun by Ammannati in 1577–1582 and continued by Juvarra in the eighteenth century
Pfanner Palace
Villa Garzoni, noted for its water gardens
Casa di Puccini: House of the opera composer, at the nearby Torre del Lago, where the composer spent his summers. A Puccini opera festival takes place every July–August
Torre delle Ore: ("The Clock Tower")
Guinigi Tower and House: Panoramic view from tower-top balcony with oak trees
National Museum of Villa Guinigi
National Museum of Palazzo Mansi
Orto Botanico Comunale di Lucca: botanical garden dating from 1820
Academy of Sciences (1584)
Teatro del Giglio: nineteenth-century opera house
Churches
There are many medieval, a few as old as the eighth century, basilica-form churches with richly arcaded façades and campaniles
Duomo di San Martino: St Martin's Cathedral
San Michele in Foro: Romanesque church
San Giusto: Romanesque church
Basilica di San Frediano
SanSan Romano, Luccat'Alessandro an example of medieval classicism
Santa Giulia: Lombard church rebuilt in thirteenth century
San Michele: church at Antraccoli, founded in 777, it was enlarged and rebuilt in the twelfth century with the introduction of a sixteenth-century portico
San Giorgio church in the locality of Brancoli, built in the late twelfth century has a bell tower in Lombard-Romanesque style, the interior houses a massive ambo (1194) with four columns mounted on lion sculptures, a highly decorated Romanesque octagonal baptismal fount, and the altar is supported by six small columns with human figures
San Lorenzo di Moriano, a 12th century Romanesque style parish church
San Romano, erected by the Dominican order in the second half of the 13th century, is today a deconsecrated Roman Catholic Church located on Piazza San Romano in the center of Lucca
Museums
Museo della Cattedrale
Orto Botanico Comunale di Lucca
(Wikipedia)
The Torre Guinigi is a tower in Lucca, Tuscany, central Italy. It is a typical example of local Romanesque-Gothic architecture. The height of the tower is 45 meters with a total of 233 steps to reach the top.
The tower dates from the 1300s, when a number of wealthy families were building bell towers within the walls of Lucca as status symbols. It is one of the few remaining towers within the walls. It is known for the tall trees (holm oaks) growing on top of the tower - The kitchen was originally on the floor below with the rooftop serving as a kitchen garden.
The tower was donated to the local government by the descendants of the Guinigi family.
(Wikipedia)
Lucca (in der Antike: Luca) ist die Hauptstadt der Provinz Lucca in der Toskana mit 90.055 Einwohnern (Stand 31. Dezember 2019). Sie liegt im Tal des Flusses Serchio etwa 20 km nordöstlich von Pisa und 20 km östlich der toskanischen Küste. Im 13. und 14. Jahrhundert zählte Lucca zu den einflussreichsten europäischen Städten. Große Bedeutung hatte insbesondere die Textilindustrie. Die großen Plätze, die romanischen Kirchen und die mittelalterlichen Türme zeugen von der einstigen Bedeutung dieser Stadt. Ihre von vier Toren durchbrochenen Befestigungsanlagen wurden 1504 begonnen und 1645 fertiggestellt. Die heute noch gut erhaltenen Anlagen, die lange zu den bemerkenswertesten in Italien zählten, tragen eine von Bäumen gesäumte Promenade um den Stadtkern.
Geschichte
Antike bis Renaissance
Das antike etruskische Lucca, das das Tal des Serchio beherrschte, findet erstmals Erwähnung beim Historiker Livius als der Ort, wohin sich Sempronius 218 v. Chr. vor Hannibal zurückzog; es gibt Zweifel an der Korrektheit von Livius’ Feststellung, denn obwohl es kontinuierlich Kriege mit den Ligurern gab, wird Lucca erst 180 v. Chr. erneut genannt. Damals wurde Lucca gleichzeitig mit Pisa (ebenfalls 180) und Luna (177) als römische Kolonie gegründet, um die Herrschaft der bis dahin in diesem Raum ansässigen Apuaner endgültig brechen zu können und das Land für Rom in Besitz zu nehmen. Durch die Lex Julia von 90 v. Chr. muss es ein municipium geworden sein; hier hielt Julius Caesar 56 v. Chr. seine berühmte Besprechung mit Pompeius und Crassus. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt gehörte Lucca noch zu Ligurien, nicht zu Etrurien. Wenig später wurde hier durch das Triumvirat oder durch Octavian eine Kolonie geführt, ob nach der Schlacht von Philippi oder nach der von Actium ist unklar.
In der augusteischen Unterteilung Italiens wurde Lucca der siebten Region (Etruria) zugeordnet. Aus der Periode des Kaiserreichs ist wenig bekannt, außer dass es eine Kreuzung der Straßen nach Florentia (siehe Via Clodia), Luna und Pisae war. Obwohl es von Odoaker geplündert und eines Teils seines Territoriums beraubt wurde, erscheint Lucca zur Zeit von Narses, der es 553 drei Monate lang belagerte, als wichtige Stadt und Festung. Unter den Langobarden war Lucca die Residenz eines Herzogs oder Markgrafen, welche das Münzprivileg hatte. Die Herzöge erweiterten ihre Macht allmählich auf die ganze Toskana, aber nach dem Tod der berühmten Matilda begann sich die Stadt als unabhängige Kommune zu konstituieren. 1160 erhielt sie vom bayerischen Herzog und toskanischen Markgrafen Welf VI. im Gegenzug für einen jährlichen Tribut die Herrschaft über ein Territorium um die Stadt. Der Reichtum und Einfluss der Stadt Lucca im 13. Jahrhundert basierte zu einem großen Teil auf ihrer Textilindustrie.
Innere Uneinigkeit gab Uguccione della Faggiola, mit dem Dante einige Zeit dort verbrachte, Gelegenheit, sich 1314 zum Herrn von Lucca zu machen, aber die Lucchesi verstießen ihn zwei Jahre später und übergaben die Stadt an Castruccio Castracani, unter dessen geschickter Tyrannei sie für kurze Zeit bis zu seinem Tod 1328 – sein Grab befindet sich in der Kirche San Francesco – die führende Stadt Italiens wurde.
Von den Truppen Ludwigs des Bayern besetzt, an den reichen Genueser Gheradino Spinola verkauft, vom böhmischen König Johann besetzt, an die Rossi aus Parma verpfändet, von denen an Mastino della Scala aus Verona abgetreten, an die Florentiner verkauft, an die Pisaner übergeben, nominell befreit von Kaiser Karl IV. und von seinem Vikar regiert, gelang es Lucca, ab 1369 zuerst als Demokratie, nach 1628 als patrizisch-aristokratische Oligarchie, seine Unabhängigkeit als Stadtrepublik neben Venedig und Genua zu behaupten. Bis zur Französischen Revolution schrieb es das Wort Libertas auf seine Fahnen. Die politischen Wirren des 13. und 14. Jahrhunderts wurden von Dante in seinem Werk thematisiert, so führt Leeck (2007) anhand der Fallbeispiele Alessio Interminelli, Bonturo Dati und Bonagiunta aus.
Ab dem 16. Jahrhundert
Anfang des 16. Jahrhunderts unternahm einer seiner führenden Bürger, Francesco Burlamacchi, einen Versuch, Italien politischen Zusammenhalt zu verleihen, er fiel aber auf dem Schafott; sein Denkmal von Ulisse Cambi wurde 1863 auf der Piazza San Michele aufgestellt.
Durch die militärische Macht der siegreichen französischen Revolutionsarmeen, die die österreichische Oberherrschaft über Italien beendeten, wurde die Republik Lucca 1799/1800 gezwungen, eine moderne „Demokratie“ nach französischem Muster und in völliger Abhängigkeit vom Frankreich Napoleon Bonapartes einzuführen (Lucchesische Republik). Im Juni 1805 dekretierte der unterdessen zum Kaiser der Franzosen und zum König von Italien proklamierte Napoleon Bonaparte die Abschaffung der Republik, die stattdessen zugunsten seiner Schwester Elisa und ihres Ehemanns Félix Baciocchi zum Fürstentum Lucca umgebildet wurde. Lucca wurde im Zuge des Sturzes Napoleons 1814 kurzfristig von neapolitanischen, dann von österreichischen Truppen besetzt. Auf dem Wiener Kongress, der 1814/15 über die Neuordnung Europas entschied, wurde der kleine, aber wohlhabende Staat Lucca zur Verschiebe- und Entschädigungsmasse für dynastische und machtpolitische Interessen. Das Kaisertum Österreich verweigerte damals – trotz des ansonsten von ihm hochgehaltenen dynastischen Legitimitätsprinzips – dem bourbonischen Herzog von Parma die Rückkehr in dessen Hauptstädte Parma und Piacenza, die auf Lebenszeit als Versorgungsgebiet für Napoleons Ehefrau, die ehemalige französische Kaiserin Marie Louise († 1847), eine Tochter von Franz I., vorgesehen wurden. Die parmesischen Bourbonen sollten, solange Marie Louise lebte, stattdessen mit der ehemaligen Republik Lucca als Herzogtum entschädigt werden, das allerdings nach einem Überwechseln der Bourbonen nach Parma und Piacenza an das habsburgische Großherzogtum Toskana (und damit in den Einflussbereich Österreichs) fallen sollte. Nach längerem Widerstand des Hauses Bourbon-Parma, das darin (vergeblich) vom eng verwandten spanischen König Ferdinand VII. unterstützt wurde, trat Ferdinands Schwester Maria Luisa (die unter Napoleon zeitweilig Königin und Regentin des in der Toskana gebildeten „Königreiches Etrurien“ gewesen war), im November 1817 die Herrschaft als Herzogin von Lucca an. Mit ihrem Tode 1824 folgte ihr Sohn Karl Ludwig († 1883), der ehemalige Kind-König von Etrurien. Dieser verzichtete aufgrund der sich verschärfenden innenpolitischen Lage im Vorfeld der Revolution von 1848/49 jedoch im Oktober 1847 schon vor dem Tode der parmesisch-habsburgischen Herrscherin Marie Louise zugunsten des Großherzogs der Toskana auf die Regierung in Lucca. Das Herzogtum bildete seither einen Teil der Toskana, mit der es im Laufe des Risorgimento 1859/61 zunächst an Sardinien, dann an den neuen Einheitsstaat Italien angeschlossen wurde.
Wirtschaft
Lucca war früher ein Zentrum der Luxusstoffindustrie. Berühmt war die Stadt unter anderem für ihre Seide, deren Farbenpracht in Europa als unübertroffen galt.[3] Politische Unruhen zu Beginn des 14. Jahrhunderts führten dazu, dass viele Luccheser Färber und Seidenweber nach Venedig flohen. Die Stadt Venedig bot den Flüchtlingen großzügig Asyl und finanzielle Hilfe an, allerdings unter der Bedingung, dass sie in Venedig ihr Gewerbe praktizierten. Die Luccheser Zunftgesetze sahen zwar den Tod für alle Bürger vor, die ihr Textilhandwerk außerhalb der Stadtmauern praktizierten, angesichts ihrer finanziellen Lage nahmen jedoch viele Luccheser Handwerker die venezianischen Bedingungen an.
Begonnen um 1300, ist die Papierindustrie seit vielen Jahren eine der wichtigsten Säulen für die Wirtschaft der gesamten Provinz. Hinzu kommt für Lucca unter anderem der Fremdenverkehr, die chemische, pharmazeutische und mechanische Industrie.
Sehenswürdigkeiten
Das rechtwinklige Straßennetz im historischen Zentrum lässt noch die Struktur der römischen Anlage erkennen. Die antike Stadtmauer verlief entlang der heutigen Straßen Via San Giorgio/A. Mordini – Via dell’Angelo Custode/della Rosa – Corso Garibaldi – Via della Cittadella/Galli Tassi. Das Forum befand sich am Kreuzungspunkt von Cardo und Decumanus, seit dem Mittelalter die Piazza San Michele. Im Namen der Kirche San Michele in Foro lebt dieses römische Erbe bis in unsere Zeit fort.
Lucca ist reich an Sehenswürdigkeiten und daher auch touristisch von großem Interesse. Das historische Zentrum stand von 2006 bis 2021 auf der Welterbe-Tentativliste, dann wurde die Kandidatur entweder zurückgezogen oder von der UNESCO abgelehnt.
Mit mehr als 200.000 Besuchern ist Lucca Comics & Games ist die zweitgrößte Comicbuch- und Gaming-Messe der Welt.
Das Geburtshaus des Komponisten Giacomo Puccini beherbergt heute ein Museum. Der italienische Staat hat das Haus – zusammen mit den Museums-Geburtshäusern von Gioachino Rossini und Giuseppe Verdi – mit dem Europäischen Kulturerbe-Siegel ausgezeichnet (nach dem alten System bis 2010).
Stadtmauer und Stadttore
Das womöglich beeindruckendste Bauwerk der Stadt ist die vollständig erhaltene Stadtmauer von Lucca, italienisch Mura di Lucca. Ihr Ursprung liegt im Mittelalter, als sie im 12./13. Jahrhundert die römische Mauer ablöste, um im Nordosten die Borghi San Frediano, San Pietro Somaldi und Santa Mari Forisportam mit einzuschließen. Der nächsten, eher marginalen Erweiterung folgte 1504 – 1648 der Ausbau zur Stadtmauer, wie sie sich heute darbietet: 4,2 km lang, mit 11 Bastionen und 12 Kurtinen. Das Kuriose: Die Mauer wurde nie wirklich zur Verteidigung gebraucht. Immerhin bewahrte sie ganz Lucca vor der Überschwemmung durch das Hochwasser 1812. Maria Luisa von Bourbon-Spanien, 1815 – 1824 Herzogin von Lucca, ließ auf der Mauer eine Promenade errichten und die Bastionen und Außenbereiche begrünen. Sowohl der Spazierweg als auch die Grünflächen sind äußerst beliebte Areale für sportliche Aktivitäten und Veranstaltungen.
Beim Ausbau der Mauer waren ursprünglich nur drei Stadttore vorgesehen: die Porta di Santa Maria im Norden, die Porta di San Donato im Nordwesten und die Porta di San Pietro im Südwesten. Der Ostteil erhielt erst 1804 ein Tor. Es heißt nach seiner Erbauerin, der Fürstin von Lucca Elisa Bonaparte, Porta Elisa. Zwei weitere Torbauten, die Porta San Jacopo im Nordosten und die Porta Sant‘Anna im Westen sind jüngeren Datums. Die mittelalterliche Stadtmauer hatte ebenfalls vier Stadttore. Die beiden heute noch erhaltenen, die Porta San Gervasio (oder Portone dell‘Anunziata) und die Porta dei Borghi, befinden sich jetzt innerhalb des Mauerrings.
(Wikpedia)
Der Guinigiturm (ital. Torre Guinigi) ist der wichtigste Geschlechterturm der Stadt Lucca in der Toskana (Italien) und einer der wenigen erhaltenen innerhalb der Stadt. Er kann mit Zugang von der Via Sant’Andrea 45 aus besichtigt werden.
Geschichte
Der aus Steinen und Ziegeln erbaute Turm ist eines der repräsentativsten und berühmtesten Denkmäler Luccas; sein Hauptmerkmal ist das Hinauswachsen einiger Steineichen aus seiner Spitze. Im frühen vierzehnten Jahrhundert war Lucca stolz auf die mehr als 250 Türme und zahlreichen Glockentürme, die die Stadt im Mittelalter, in einem Kreis von Mauern, der viel enger als die heutige Stadtmauer ist, bereicherten. Die Guinigi, die die Herrscher der Stadt waren, wollten ihre bisher eher strengen Behausungen mit einem mit Bäumen gesäumten Turm, der zum Symbol der Wiedergeburt wurde, veredeln.
Auf Wunsch des letzten Nachkommen der Familie gingen der mit Bäumen gesäumte Turm und der Palast in der Via Sant’Andrea an die Gemeinde Lucca über.
Unter den mittelalterlichen Türmen, die im Privatbesitz waren, ist es der einzige, der im 16. Jahrhundert nicht abgerissen oder gekürzt wurde.
Beschreibung
Der Turm befindet sich an der Ecke Via Sant’Andrea und Via delle Chiavi D’Oro, erhebt sich 44,25 Meter über Grund und unterscheidet sich damit von allen anderen Gebäuden der Altstadt. Das Erreichen der Spitze wird durch 25 Treppenabsätze – mit insgesamt 230 Stufen – ermöglicht. Einfach ist der Turm im ersten Teil zu besteigen, nicht aber im letzten Teil, wo man nur dank kleineren Metallrampen weiter steigen kann. An den Innenwänden hängen zahlreiche Gemälde, die Szenen des mittelalterlichen Lebens darstellen. Von oben kann man das Stadtzentrum, die Piazza Anfiteatro und die Landschaft der umliegenden Berge, die Apuanischen Alpen im Nordwesten, den Apennin im Nordosten und den Monte Pisano im Süden betrachten.
Der hängende Garten
Oben auf dem Turm befindet sich ein kleiner Hängegarten, der aus einer mit Erde gefüllten Wandkiste besteht, in die sieben Steineichen gepflanzt wurden.
Es ist nicht genau bekannt, wann der Garten angelegt wurde, aber auf einem Bild, das in der Chronik von Giovanni Sercambi (15. Jahrhundert) enthalten ist, kann man sehen, dass unter den vielen Türmen von Lucca ein mit Bäumen gekrönter Turm steht. Es wird daher davon ausgegangen, dass die Anlage am Guinigiturm sehr alt ist, obwohl die heute vorhandenen Steineichen sicherlich im Laufe der Zeit neu gepflanzt wurden.
(Wikipedia)
Although most of the 2004 romantic comedy "50 First Dates" (top) was filmed in Hawaii, the scene that takes place at the Callahan Institute for Brain Injurys was shot at L.A. County's Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro.
The Cabrillo Beach Bathhouse was built in 1932 and is the last standing example of the bathhouses that used to line Southern California's shoreline. After falling into disrepair over the years, it was closed, fully remodeled, and reopened in 2002.
This is the enclosed balcony which is adjacent to the second floor ballroom.
This location was also used as the chapel for the 1997 thriller "Face/Off".
Chinguetti afternoon - a wander around an area of date palms (key cash crop in Chinguetti) and their wells - often a two-part well, with a dry well having steps leading to a pump for the second well
Dates - a wonderful part of my life in Bahrain. Someone brought over 13 pounds of dates. We pitted them and strained out the tough parts and made date paste in the upper right corner. The lower right corner has unripened dates that will have to sit out for a while.
The oldest document pertaining to the use of masks in Venice dates back to 2nd May 1268. In the document it is written that it was forbidden for masqueraders to practice the game of the "eggs". From the early 14th century onwards, new laws started to be promulgated, with the aim of stopping the relentless moral decline of the Venetian people of the day. This restrictive carnival legislation started with a decree on 22nd February 1339 prohibiting masqueraders from going around the city at night. A decree that helps us understand just how libertine the Venetians of the day were, is that of the 24th January 1458 which forbade men from entering convents dressed as women to commit "multas inhonestates"! In a similar vein, the decree of 3rd February 1603 is interesting in that it attempted to restore morality in the convents.
Masqueraders were banned from entering the nuns’ parlous – it had been the convention to sit in the parlous and talk to the nuns. Frequently, decrees were promulgated prohibiting masqueraders from carrying arms or any instrument which could cause harm, or other decrees which forbade masqueraders from entering churches. This obligation was extended to the townsfolk who were not allowed to enter churches wearing "indecent attire". 1608 was an important year, the 13th August to be precise, when a decree from the council of 10 was issued declaring that the wearing of the mask throughout the year posed a serious threat to the Republic. To avoid the terrible consequences of this immoral behavior, every citizen, nobleman and foreigner alike, was obliged to only wear a mask during the days of carnival and at official banquets.
The penalties inflicted for breaking this law were heavy – for a man this meant two years in jail, 18 months’ service to the Republic galley-rowing (with ankles fettered) and not only that, a 500 lire fine to the Council of 10. As for women, they were whipped from St Mark’s all the way to Rialto, then held to public ridicule between the two columns in St Mark’s. They were banned from entering the territory of the Venetian Republic for 4 years and had to pay the 500 lire fine to the Council of 10. 50 years after the decree of 1608, the Council of 10 published a proclamation on the 15th January reaffirming the ban on wearing masks and bearing arms.
It was further prohibited to enter holy places wearing a mask and it was expressly forbidden to wear religious clothes with a mask. In the same decree the use of drums was banned before midday, and even dancing of any description was prohibited outside of the carnival period. Seeing that many Venetian nobles used to go gambling wearing a mask to avoid their creditors, in 1703, masks were banned all year round from casinos.
Two different decrees (1699 and 1718) saw the prohibition of wearing a mask during Lent and other religious festivals which took place during carnival. In 1776, an act introduced to protect the by now forgotten "family honor", forbade all women from going to the theatre without a mask and cloak. After the fall of the Republic, the Austrian government forbade the use of masks for both private parties and elite parties (e.g., la Cavalchina della Fenice) . The Italo-American government was more open but now it was the Venetians who were being diffident. Venice was no longer the city of carnival, but just a little imperial province without personal liberty. During the second Austrian government it was once again permitted to wear masks.
This little tank dates from World War II and is on display at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. Shot with my very cool Crown Graphic with a 135mm f4.7 Schneider-Kreuznach lens on Foma 100. Developed in Stearman Press SP-76 developer in a Stearman SP-445 tank.
28 Light Based exhibits at 25 locations throughout Downtown Long Beach. December 5 -January 15, 2010
Let there be Light
28 Light based installations in 25 locations for 42 nights.
Pedestrian viewing, 5pm – 1 am nightly.
Let there be Light
28 Light based installations in 25 locations for 42 nights.
Pedestrian viewing, 5pm – 1 am nightly.
Self Guided Art Walk. Published and online Map and Cell Phone Audio Tour guide available at DowntownLongBeachArtWalk.com and throughout Downtown Long Beach.
Dates: December 5– January 15, 2010
Artist Reception/Celebration: December 19, 2010
Locations: 390-342, 122, 106, 104, 102 E 3rd Street, Pine Ave at 3rd St, 309, 248, 246, 257 Pine Ave, 170 N Promenade, The Pike at Rainbow Harbor 81 Pine Ave, 150 Bay Street, 21 & 24 Aquarium way.
Media Contact:
Contact: Liza Simone, Executive Director, Phantom Galleries L.A., 213.626.2854. Liza@phantomgalleriesla.com
Long Beach, CA: Phantom Galleries L.A. brightens up this holiday season by invigorating the streets of Downtown Long Beach with 28 light-based art exhibitions that illuminate 25-plus vacant storefront windows along Downtown Long Beach’s Pine Avenue, East 3rd Street, Promenade and The Pike at Rainbow Harbor.
Just after sundown on December 5, Phantom Galleries L.A. will switch on Let There Be Light, a stellar display of artists and art installations, including video, neon, and kinetic light sculptures.
Let There be Light hosts an impressive array of 28 artists, both emerging and renowned, including: Richard Ankrom (neon sculpture), Kent Anderson Butler (video), Laddie John Dill ( Neon and Sand installation), Nancy Braver (sculpture/installation), Enrique Chiu (neon), Susan Chorpenning (site-specific installation), McLean Fahnestock (site specific installation) , Candice Gawne (neon), Richard Godfrey (Sculpture of light and Movement), Parichard Holm (video installation) Beth King (glass sculpture), Helen Lessick (site specific intallation) Karen Lofgren (light based sculpture) Justin Lui (light based sculpture) Joella March (neon), Eric Medine (video), Uudam Nguyen (Light Based Sculpture) , Rebecca Niederlander (Light based Sculpture), Christina Pierson (video instllation) Astra Price (video installation), Jeremy J Quinn (video), Deanne Sabeck (ligh based sculpture), Ben Shaffer (site specific installation), Klutch Stanaway (sculpture) Kazumi Svenson, David Svenson (neon), and Philip Vaughan (neon works and installation), Meeson Pae Yang (site specific installation).
Each exhibition and site-specific installation is accompanied by a Guide by Cell Audio Tour, allowing viewers to listen to an illuminating description of the art on view.
Highlights
Returning Phantom Galleries L.A. artist Richard Godfrey’s site-specific TwentyFourSeven installation is an exciting integration of light, space, and motion. His piece, TwentyFourSeven, is in constant rotation and infuses the storefront in a vibrant hue. (on view thru March 1, 2010)
Susan Chorpenning will present Fiat Lux IV, her most ambitious installment of her series Fiat Lux (“Let There Be Light,”), three in the series presented through Phantom Galleries L.A. The dazzling new work expands 11 ft x 35 ft, and will invigorate the space with the joyous commingling of numerous brightly-colored twinkle lights, lava lamps, collored bulb and light based works, both wall-bound and strung. (On View thru March 1)
Known for his iconic neon sculpture set atop the Hayward Gallery in London, Philip Vaughan will present the West Coast debut of “freefall” featuring a colorful cascade of neon tubes.
Nancy Braver will display an enchanting mobile-like piece comprised of die-cut luminous butterflies, made of mirror that float, swirl, and cast a warm glow.
Laddie John Dill, a Los Angeles native, who was born in Long Beach, creates a new site-specific work of silica sand mix and neon.
Seven days a week, from dusk till dawn, Long Beach locals and visitors, holiday shoppers, and art-minded and art-curious alike can embark on a self-guided Art Walk and Audio Tour of Let There be Light. At each storefront, viewers can connect via cell phone with a personalized message from the exhibiting artist or curator through the Guide by Cell Audio Tour, presented in partnership with The Long Beach Redevelopment Agency.
Trifold map of the exhibition sites are available at various Downtown Long Beach restaurants, vendors, hotels, as well as at various exhibition locales. Maps may also be downloaded from DowntownLongBeachArtWalk.com or PhantomGalleriesLA.com. The exhibitions are on view 24/7 however, it is recommended that the exhibits be viewed from 5 pm- 1am order to see all the works turned on and at its best and brightest. Richard Godfrey and Susan Chorpennings work is best viewed at various times of the day.
Phantom Galleries L.A. is a Los Angeles County-based organization that transforms properties in transition into 24/7 public art galleries. Each installation forms a unique collaboration between the participating artist, curator, and property owner. Exhibits are curated by local arts organizations, galleries, independent curators, and artists.
For more information on Let There Be Light and Phantom Galleries L.A., please visit www.PhantomGalleries LA or DowntownLongBeachArtWalk.com
Special thank you to Hillcrest Development Partners, Pacifica HOA, Wokcano Restaurants, Charles Dunn Company. The Pike at Rainbow Harbor, Dev Mavi, Dr Illya Zak, and to The Downtown Long Beach Associates for helping to make programming possible.
Partners
"The Long Beach Redevelopment Agency is proud to partner with Phantom Galleries LA, not only to revive empty storefronts along our major corridors, but also to showcase the arts and build a sense of community and culture in our Downtown," said Craig Beck, Executive Director of the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency. LongBeachRDA.org
The Western Wall (Hebrew: הכותל המערבי, translit.: HaKotel HaMa'aravi), or simply The Kotel, is a retaining wall in Jerusalem that dates from the time of the Jewish Second Temple (516 BCE - 70 CE). It is sometimes referred to as the Wailing Wall (Arabic: il-Mabka), referring to Jews mourning the destruction of the Temple. The Western Wall is part of the bigger religious site in the Old City of Jerusalem called Har ha-Bayit (the Temple Mount) to Jews and Christians, or Al-Haram al-Qudsi al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary) to Muslims. The Western Wall is revered for its proximity to the sacred Holy of Holies on the Temple Mount, which is the Most Holy Place in Judaism. This means that for Jews the Western Wall is the holiest location that is currently generally accessible to the Jewish people for prayer. There is a small area below ground level, called "The Cave", in the Western Wall Tunnel, that is closest to the site of the Holy of Holies. However, as this area is not amenable to the large groups that frequent the wall, most people limit their visits to the outdoor plaza.
At any hour, Jewish men and women can be found praying at the wall, which is actually a large outdoor synagogue. As is traditional in Jewish synagogues, there are a number of holy arks containing Torah scrolls, tables for reading of the law and a mechitza, or divider, separating the men's and women's sections of the wall. B'nai Mitzvah celebrations are frequently held here, and people of various ages travel from all over the world to have their ceremonies at the Kotel. It is also a tradition to deposit slips of paper with wishes or prayers on them in the crevices and crannies of the wall. Looking closely, one can see hundreds of tiny, folded papers stuffed inside every space that will hold them.
The Temple in Jerusalem was the most sacred building in Judaism. Herod the Great built vast retaining walls around Mount Moriah, expanding the small, quasi-natural plateau on which the First and Second Temples stood into the wide open spaces of the Temple Mount seen today.