View allAll Photos Tagged depopulation
This is a recently restored fountain located next to the Arco del Lavadero (Lavadero Arch) in the town of Palazuelos, which currently belongs to the municipality of Sigüenza, Province of Guadalajara, Spain.
The fountain is fed by the natural current of a nearby spring.
The town of Palazuelos must have been inhabited in pre-Roman times (part of the lands of the Arevaci), Roman times, Visigothic times, and Muslim times; but little remains of any significant date from each of these periods.
During the Middle Ages, the town had several owners, such as the Bishopric of Sigüenza, with the House of Mendoza being the longest-serving owner.
After the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), Palazuelos was located right on the front lines of the Battle of Guadalajara, suffering significant destruction and looting, which led to a serious depopulation phenomenon: the so-called "rural exodus."
In 1960, the evident loss of population led to the extinction of the municipality, and the town was incorporated into the Municipal Council of Sigüenza.
With Spain's entry into the European Union, this area has seen some repopulation, with the "dignification of agricultural work." (Source: Department of Culture of Castilla la Mancha).
LA FUENTE DE LOS SIETE CAÑOS (2) 2025
Se trata de una fuente recientemente restaurada, situada junto al Arco del Lavadero, en la localidad de Palazuelos, que actualmente pertenece al municipio de Sigüenza, Provincia de Guadalajara, España.
La fuente se nutre de la corriente natural de un manantial cercano.
La localidad de Palazuelos debió permanecer habitada en épocas pre-romana (integrada en las tierras de los arévacos), romana, visigoda y musulmana; pero de cada una de ellas apenas quedan restos.
Durante la Edad Media, la localidad tuvo varios propietarios, como el obispado de Sigüenza, siendo la Casa de Mendoza la que más tiempo fue propietaria del lugar.
Tras la Guerra Civil Española (1936-1939), Palazuelos quedó situado en pleno frente de la batalla de Guadalajara, sufriendo una importante destrucción y saqueo, lo que provocó un grave fenómeno de despoblación: el llamado "éxodo rural".
En 1960 la evidente pérdida de población determinó la extinción del municipio y que la villa quedase integrada en el Concejo Municipal de Sigüenza.
Con la entrada de España en la Unión Europea, esta zona ha tenido cierta repoblación, con la "dignificación del trabajo agrícola". (Fuente: Consejería de Cultura de Castilla la Mancha).
The Museum of Highland Life near Uig, Isle of Skye preserves a small number of Blackhouses, stone and straw traditional crofter's dwellings, Isle of Skye, Scotland. Note the stones attached to the thatched roof by ropes to prevent it from blowing away in the Highland gales.
Most of the crofter's houses in the Scottish Islands and Highlands were destroyed or fell into ruins during the Highland Clearances, the forced eviction of inhabitants of the Highlands and western islands of Scotland, beginning in the mid-to-late 18th century, following the defeat of the Highlanders at Culloden, and continuing intermittently into the mid-19th century. The removals cleared the land of people primarily to allow for the introduction of sheep farming. The Highland Clearances resulted in the destruction of the traditional clan society and began a pattern of rural depopulation and emigration from Scotland, many of whom ended up in Canada (e.g., my Clan Ranald MacDonald ancestors) and other British colonies.
31/01/2023 www.allenfotowild.com
Extensive high mountain livestock farming in the Pyrenees is an ancient and sustainable activity that must be protected because it has contributed to shaping and conserving the landscape by protecting forests from large fires, consuming exclusively natural resources and being the main means of subsistence for small communities. that otherwise would have disappeared long ago due to depopulation. It is totally opposite to the enormous intensive farms that consume immense quantities of water (increasingly scarce) and feed where thousands of animals survive in terrible conditions, generating tons of feces that contaminate the groundwater with nitrates and to which large quantities of amounts of antibiotics are supplied. These reach human consumers creating infections by resistant bacteria that are increasingly difficult to treat.
In the steep mountains and valleys of the Shikoku Range on Shikoku Island, Japan, the roads and houses lie in a narrow ribbon along the edge of the rivers that cut through the landscape. In the spring the water levels rise considerably as you can see on the retaining wall. This remote area is slowly depopulating as the people move away in search of jobs. Yamashiro-Cho village on the Fujikawadani River with fall foliage.
04/11/2019 www.allenfotowild.com
Taken in Orogrande, New Mexico, a gold mining boom town gone bust.
Originally a mining town named Jarilla Junction due to its proximity to the Jarilla Mountains, established in 1905, the town was renamed Orogrande (Spanish for big gold) in 1906 and is not far from similar mining towns (now completely abandoned ghost towns) named Brice and Ohaysi. The population soared to approximately 2000 as the result of a gold rush that occurred in 1905, but quickly collapsed almost to the point of depopulation when the gold deposits proved much less abundant than expected. There are still numerous abandoned mines in the area.
A truly rural part of England where time seems to have stood still. Take away the wire fences and one could make a 17th century Civil War film around here.
Part of one of my roughly circular walks from the rural (under threat) bus route up the A 361 between Banbury and Daventry.
A lovely and varied area; small pretty villages, Badby Woods, the Capability Brown landscape of Fawsley Park with its lakes and two stunning small and remote medieval churches.
The Holy Trinity Church at Church Charwelton dates to at least the 13th century, and apart from the 18th century manor house stands alone.
Its surrounding village, perhaps depopulated during the Black Death, was later cleared, probably to allow for extensive sheep farming, a not uncommon practice by the landowning gentry.
Back to the archives, and back to one of my favourite places in the world - Saskatchewan. This is the old, abandoned grain elevator in Moreland, Saskatchewan.
According to legend when local rancher, Bill Parry, was asked by the railway surveyors what lay ahead he said, "More Land". The town of Moreland was established in 1912 and this elevator was built in 1916 by Golden West. It was closed in 1963. - Jim Pearson, Vanishing Sentinels
At one time, grain elevators could be found every 8 to 10 miles along the railway lines in western Canada. That allowed most farmers to make a round trip to deliver grain with a horse and wagon in one day. Though they started appearing in the late 19th century, the number of grain elevators peaked in 1938, when there were nearly 6,000 primary (country) elevators in the Prairie provinces. Many factors led to the decline of the primary elevator: the Depression, increased mechanization, improved roads for transportation, rural depopulation, the closing of branch lines of the railway and the buying out or merging of the grain companies. In 2004 there were only 197 primary licenced grain elevators left in Saskatchewan. Many of the old, wooden elevators have been destroyed, but some, like this one in Dorothy Alberta, remain - weathered but beautiful and stalwart.
Source: Dommasch, H. (1986) Prairie Giants. Saskatoon: Western Producer Prairie Books.
From the archives: Moreland, Saskatchewan, Canada. 2018.
If you'd like to see more of my images from that trip, take a look at my Grain Elevator album or my Canadian Prairies album
I didn’t make it to the ocean on this road trip, but I got to the sea … the Salton Sea, that toxic oasis in the California desert!
This sunset scene is in Bombay Beach, a depopulated former resort community where trash-as-art is the coin of the realm. I guess this swing set was placed in the briny water as part of that post-apocalyptic aesthetic.
The one local watering hole was closed on this day, which was too bad. It would’ve been nice to hang here a little longer.
The Alblasserwaard is a country region in Holland in the south-east of the Dutch province ‘Zuid-Holland’. It also forms the southern part of the ‘Groene Hart’ (Green Heart) national landscape. It is a low-lying, thinly populated polder area that is surrounded by rivers and canals. The Alblasserwaard is crossed by ditches, canals and two small rivers: the Alblas and the Giessen. In the lowest, most western point of the Alblasserwaard, you will find the village of Kinderdijk, where 19 authentic, iconic windmills grace the polder landscape…
Past history
The Alblasserwaard is a beautiful, extensive peat landscape which is situated below sea level. The history of the Alblasserwaard goes back to over 10,000 years ago, when the wind sculpted sand dunes (called ‘donken’), some of which are still visible in today’s landscape. After the land was populated and depopulated a few times, the Alblasserwaard became permanently inhabited from the year 1000 onwards.
These days, the Alblasserwaard is considered one of the most beautiful country regions of the Netherlands. So don’t hesitate to stop by for an entertaining cultural day trip and a great opportunity to explore Holland’s gorgeous nature. Below, you will find additional information about the origin of the Alblasserwaard in general and the history of Kinderdijk in particular…
Insieme al mio fotoclub stamattina siamo stati a visitare Cancelli frazione di Foligno, provincia di Perugia, in Umbria, centro Italia, e i dintorni della montagna praticamente spopolata. A Cancelli la famiglia Cancelli, nella sua linea ereditaria maschile, storicamente ha la capacità di guarire dalla sciatica, capacità guaritive trasmesse nientemeno che dagli apostoli Ss. Pietro e Paolo.
Together with my photoclub this morning we went to visit Cancelli fraction of Foligno, province of Perugia, in Umbria, central Italy, and the surroundings of the practically depopulated mountain. In Cancelli the Cancelli family, in its male hereditary line, historically has the ability to heal from sciatic nerve disease, healing abilities transmitted by none other than the apostles Sts. Peter and Paul.
Questa foto fa parte del progetto "Porte chiuse"
This picture is part of the project "Closed doors"
Per secoli sono stati il centro della vita attiva delle nostre città, ma nel volgere di pochi decenni hanno subito un progressivo spopolamento e un veloce degrado. Sono i centri storici di molte aree del nostro Paese che, a causa di una politica che negli ultimi 40-50 anni ha favorito la cementificazione delle periferie con la creazione di quartieri dormitorio e lo spostamento delle attività commerciali e artigianali ai margini dei centri abitati, sembrano inesorabilmente destinati al totale abbandono. Dove una volta sorgevano abitazioni, negozi e botteghe ora è facile incontrare solo porte chiuse.
For many years they have been the center of the active life of our cities, but in a few decades have undergone a gradual depopulation and a faster degradation. These are the historical centers of many areas of our country that, because of a policy that in the last 40-50 years has favored the overbuilding of the suburbs with the creation of dormitory suburbs and the moving of businesses and crafts at the edge of towns, seem inexorably destined to total abandonment. Where once stood houses, shops and workshops is now easy to meet only closed doors.
They don't call it The Land of Living Skies for nothing!
At one time, grain elevators could be found every 8 to 10 miles along the railway lines in western Canada. That allowed most farmers to make a round trip to deliver grain with a horse and wagon in one day. Though they started appearing in the late 19th century, the number of grain elevators peaked in 1938, when there were nearly 6,000 primary (country) elevators in the Prairie provinces. Many factors led to the decline of the primary elevator: the Depression, increased mechanization, improved roads for transportation, rural depopulation, the closing of branch lines of the railway and the buying out or merging of the grain companies. In 2004 there were only 197 primary licenced grain elevators left in Saskatchewan. Many of the old, wooden elevators have been destroyed, but some, like this one in Dorothy Alberta, remain - weathered but beautiful and stalwart.
Source: Dommasch, H. (1986) Prairie Giants. Saskatoon: Western Producer Prairie Books.
From the archives: Parry, Saskatchewan, Canada. 2018.
If you'd like to see more of my images from that trip, take a look at my Grain Elevator album or my Canadian Prairies album
Après la chute de l’Empire Romain d’occident, l’archipel de La Maddalena s’est dépeuplé pour devenir le lieu de prédilection des corsaires, Sarrasins et Italiens.
Ce n’est qu’à l’époque médiévale que les îles de La Maddalena ont à nouveau accueilli quelques implantations humaines avec l’arrivée de petits groupes de moines et de quelques ermites.
En effet, l’épaisse végétation et les côtes bordées par une mer chaude et calme ont fait de nos îles un lieu de méditation et de recherche spirituelle privilégié.
🇬🇧 After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Maddalena archipelago was depopulated and became a favourite haunt of privateers, Saracens and Italians.
It was not until the Middle Ages that the islands of La Maddalena were once again settled by small groups of monks and hermits.
Indeed, the thick vegetation and coasts bordered by a warm, calm sea have made our islands a privileged place for meditation and spiritual research.
🇩🇪 Nach dem Untergang des Weströmischen Reiches wurde der Maddalena-Archipel entvölkert und zu einem beliebten Aufenthaltsort für Freibeuter, Sarazenen und Italiener.
Erst im Mittelalter wurden die Inseln von La Maddalena wieder von kleinen Gruppen von Mönchen und Eremiten besiedelt.
Die dichte Vegetation und die von einem warmen, ruhigen Meer umgebenen Küsten haben unsere Inseln zu einem bevorzugten Ort für Meditation und spirituelle Forschung gemacht.
🇪🇸 Tras la caída del Imperio Romano de Occidente, el archipiélago de la Maddalena se despobló y se convirtió en refugio favorito de corsarios, sarracenos e italianos.
No fue hasta la Edad Media cuando las islas de la Maddalena volvieron a ser colonizadas por pequeños grupos de monjes y ermitaños.
La densa vegetación y las costas rodeadas de un mar cálido y tranquilo han hecho de nuestras islas un lugar predilecto para la meditación y la búsqueda espiritual.
🇮🇹 Dopo la caduta dell'Impero Romano d'Occidente, l'arcipelago della Maddalena si spopolò e divenne il rifugio preferito di corsari, saraceni e italiani.
Solo nel Medioevo le isole della Maddalena furono nuovamente colonizzate da piccoli gruppi di monaci ed eremiti.
La fitta vegetazione e le coste circondate da un mare caldo e calmo hanno reso le nostre isole un luogo privilegiato per la meditazione e la ricerca spirituale.
Daingean, a clearance village, situated above Loch Garry was depopulated by the local laird in 1768 when crofting was replaced by large scale sheep farming. The site continued to be occupied to some extent by the workers on the new, larger, farm until they too were replaced as the estate turned to stalking and game hunting.
The site retains some evidence of the old enclosures associated with it's crofting origins, a corn drying kiln and a well preserved house that was probably the last one remaining occupied by the sheep farmers and later game keepers.
The defeat of the Eastern Roman empire at the battle of Manzikert in 1071 marked a major turning point in the history of Anatolia. The region that had long been Greek and Orthodox Christian was slowly becoming more Turkic and Islamic. The Eastern Romans would lose control of the central heartland of Anatolia, which was its main agricultural base since the loss of Egypt. The Seljuk Turks would use it as a virtual dumping ground for more hostile Turkic tribes that they did not want to deal with. It was their version of Australia. Nonetheless, these tribes would thrive in this new environment at the expense of the Eastern Romans.
The environment was similar to Central Asia and was perfect for the pastoral lifestyle of the Turks. The influx of Turks would see many Greeks fleeing to major cities on the coast as they were more firmly in the control of the Eastern Romans. As a result of this depopulation, farmland was abandoned and turned into grazing and pastureland. Those that did not flee were either enslaved or assimilated into Turkic culture. A new group of mixed Turkic and Greek descent would emerge known as "Mixouaruaroi". Social institutions of the empire like the church also collapsed as there were now less Christians and church property was constantly under attack. The institution that once provided social guidance, charity, and education for the empires citizens was gone. The void left by the church would be filled by Islam, which was patronized by Turkic leaders. Conversion would come either by force or by choice to adapt to the new order.
The transformation of Anatolia was not a short process as it took around 400 years. There was still a Greek presence in Anatolia, until the 1920s, but they were powerless and regulated to a dhimmi class. The political and cultural loss of Anatolia would be the worst defeat the Eastern Roman empire had suffered that would eventually lead to its downfall to the Ottoman Turks.
This big old boat looks like it washed ashore near what should be the edge of Owens Lake in Keeler, California.
The little city was all but depopulated over the decades as nearby mines shut down and the railroad tracks were pulled up. But most importantly, the lake was siphoned off by the city of Los Angeles and the dry lakebed became the largest single source of airborne PM10 dust in North America, by one estimate.
The dust is laced with arsenic, and when dust storms blew off the lakebed, people would have trouble breathing. So ... they moved away. A mitigation project reportedly has improved the situation in recent years.
I saw one person as I drove through. She waved hello. I waved back.
acrylic on canvas, 13 x 18 cm
Passeport sanitaire aryen
In Nazi Europe, the Aryan Vaccine Passport is necessary to participate in public life e.g. in France you will need such a pass from August 9, 2021 to be able to access certain places or events. The "aryan" ideas are being re-institutionalized (Gesundheitspass)
Surely vaccinated people shouldn't be afraid of non-vaccinated people? Or maybe those "vaccines" don't work? Or is there a different agenda?
Is there anyone who can explain to me why the vaccinated are screaming so much for exclusion of the unvaccinated?
Gevaccineerden moeten toch geen schrik hebben van niet-gevaccineerden? Of werken die "vaccins" misschien niet? Of is er een andere agenda?
www.fvd.nl/wie-antistoffen-kan-aantonen-krijgt-geen-coron...
The "aryan" ideas are being re-institutionalized
De "arische" denkbeelden worden opnieuw geïnstitutionaliseerd
Die "arische" Ideen werden re-institutionalisiert
Les idées «aryennes» sont en cours de réinstitutionnalisation
Le idee "ariane" vengono re-istituzionalizzate
Le lien du tweet du Docteur Louis FOUCHÉ sur son avis du PASS SANITAIRE de la HONTE comme au temps des juifs
www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8FWlzyR3Ak
Niet de Chinezen maar de Rockefeller Foundation in 2010
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwUXLykvBu4
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Stalag Zehn B
the feldwebel became a general
the campdoctor , a professor
and we the jews - it’s banal
we stayed jewish - no error
© by Jan Theuninck
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L'ausweiss vaccinal est illégal et viole toutes les lois CEDH. Alors avoir un faux pass n'est pas une fraude, puisque le pass est illegal.
CEDH = la Cour Européenne des Droits de L’Homme
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Jan Theuninck has been painting the evolution of Western totalitarianism for 20 years - he saw the evolution within the political spectrum where the socialist parties were lost (Fagospatose, 2001) in the Third Way (The third way is no way, 2004) movement of Clinton , Blair and Schröder with which they gave a face to communitarianism of the New World Order. He has often compared the latter to a new kind of National Socialism. His attention has always been fixed thanks to the more than 50 years of misery with blackmail games of the services and torture practices with chemical and energy weapons (Beyond the limit, 2001, Rinascimento, 2009, The culture of learned helplessness, 2011, Neostasi, 2012, Derailed system , 2012, The banality of Evil, 2013, Zersetzung, 2014, ils nous tiennent, 2015, Submission, 2015, Threat, 2016, Utopia, 2016, Conformity, 2017, Brainwashing, 2018, Warnung, 2019, Dein Kampf, 2019, Censorship, 2020, Post-truth society, 2020 and in 2021: Political Pandemic, New World Order, The Great Reset, Angel Vaccine, Aryan Corona Passport, Cytokine Storm, Back from never been away .
(In 2014 he already painted Virus Attack without believing that this would become a climax of the Davos counter-revolution years later)
www.agoravox.fr/actualites/societe/article/appel-antigone...
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Jan Theuninck is a Belgian painter
www.boekgrrls.nl/BgDiversen/Onderwerpen/gedichten_over_sc...
www.forumeerstewereldoorlog.be/wiki/index.php/Yperite-Jan...
www.graphiste-webdesigner.fr/blog/2013/04/la-peinture-bel... (année 2016)
www.eutrio.be/expo-west-meets-east
Castelluccio (Norcia) - Bloom 2016
Castelluccio è una frazione del comune di Norcia (PG) in Umbria.
Il paese si trova a circa 28 km da Norcia, raggiungibile attraverso una strada panoramica, posto in cima ad una colle che si eleva sull'omonimo altopiano (Piani di Castelluccio) tra i più vasti dell'Italia Centrale ed inserito nel Parco nazionale dei Monti Sibillini, ad una altitudine di 1.452 m s.l.m. che ne fanno uno dei centri abitati più elevati degli Appennini. Di fronte ad esso si erge la sagoma del Monte Vettore (2.476 m). Secondo i dati Istat, il paese si è spopolato molto velocemente, nel 2001 il paese era abitato da 150 residenti, mentre 7 anni dopo, nel 2008, sono stati censiti solo 8 abitanti fissi.
Castelluccio is a fraction of the Norcia town (PG) in Umbria.
The town is located about 28 km from Norcia, reached via a scenic route, place on top of a hill that rises on the plateau (Castelluccio Plains) are among the largest in Central Italy and inserted in the Mountains National Park sibillini, to an altitude of 1,452 m above sea level making it one of the highest towns of the Apennines. In front of it stands the silhouette of Mount Vettore (2,476 m). According to Istat, the country was depopulated very quickly, in 2001 the village was inhabited by 150 residents, while seven years later, in 2008, were counted only 8 permanent residents.
Cubillos, Soria.
Cubillos es un despoblado perteneciente al termino de Cubilla en la parte sur de la Tierra de Pinares.
Alrededor de ochenta personas residían en las veinticuatro viviendas que componían esta población. Casas de sencilla construcción, todas ellas orientadas hacia el sur.
En los años 60 el campo y el ganado ya no daba trabajo para todos en familias donde había varios hijos. puesto que los bienes a repartir no eran muy amplios, por lo que los más jóvenes fueron emigrando en busca de una mejor calidad de vida a las grandes ciudades, principalmente Barcelona, otros se fueron para Madrid y otros se establecieron en Soria capital y distintos lugares de la provincia, si a ello se le añade que los más mayores fueron falleciendo en el pueblo pues Cubillos estaba abocado a quedarse vacío, así en el año 1970 las tres ultimas familias que quedaban se fueron a vivir a Cubilla y aunque siguieron trabajando las tierras, el termino municipal fue absorbido por el de Cubilla por lo que desapareció administrativamente.
Cubillos is a depopulated belonging to the term Cubilla in the southern part of the Land of Pinares.
About eighty people resided in the twenty-four houses that made up this population. Houses of simple construction, all facing south.
In the 1960s the countryside and livestock no longer gave work for everyone in families where there were several children. Since the goods to be distributed were not very wide, so the younger ones were emigrating in search of a better quality of life to the big cities, mainly Barcelona, others went to Madrid and others settled in Soria capital and different places Of the province, if to this it is added that the older ones were passing away in the town because Cubillos was destined to remain empty, so in 1970 the last three families that remained left to live in Cubilla and although they continued working the lands , The municipal term was absorbed by the one of Cubilla by what disappeared administratively.
Ksar di Ait-Ben-Haddou.
Oggi lo ksar è abitato solo da poche famiglie.
Lo spopolamento nel corso del tempo è il risultato della perdita di importanza strategica della valle nel XX secolo.
La maggior parte degli abitanti locali ora vive in abitazioni moderne nel villaggio sull'altra sponda del fiume e la loro economia è basata sull'agricoltura e soprattutto sul commercio legato al turismo.
Nel 2011 venne completato un nuovo ponte pedonale che collega il vecchio ksar con il villaggio moderno, con l'obiettivo di rendere lo ksar più accessibile e di incoraggiare gli abitanti a trasferirsi nelle case storiche.
Il sito è stato danneggiato dal terremoto del settembre 2023 che ha colpito il sud del Marocco.
Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou.
Today the ksar is inhabited by only a few families.
Depopulation over time is the result of the valley's loss of strategic importance in the 20th century.
Most of the local inhabitants now live in modern homes in the village on the other side of the river and their economy is based on agriculture and especially tourism-related trade.
In 2011, a new pedestrian bridge connecting the old ksar with the modern village was completed, with the aim of making the ksar more accessible and encouraging residents to move into historic houses.
The site was damaged by the September 2023 earthquake that hit southern Morocco.
_MG_7754m
Castelluccio (Norcia) - Bloom 2016
Castelluccio è una frazione del comune di Norcia (PG) in Umbria.
Il paese si trova a circa 28 km da Norcia, raggiungibile attraverso una strada panoramica, posto in cima ad una colle che si eleva sull'omonimo altopiano (Piani di Castelluccio) tra i più vasti dell'Italia Centrale ed inserito nel Parco nazionale dei Monti Sibillini, ad una altitudine di 1.452 m s.l.m. che ne fanno uno dei centri abitati più elevati degli Appennini. Di fronte ad esso si erge la sagoma del Monte Vettore (2.476 m). Secondo i dati Istat, il paese si è spopolato molto velocemente, nel 2001 il paese era abitato da 150 residenti, mentre 7 anni dopo, nel 2008, sono stati censiti solo 8 abitanti fissi.
Castelluccio is a fraction of the Norcia town (PG) in Umbria.
The town is located about 28 km from Norcia, reached via a scenic route, place on top of a hill that rises on the plateau (Castelluccio Plains) are among the largest in Central Italy and inserted in the Mountains National Park sibillini, to an altitude of 1,452 m above sea level making it one of the highest towns of the Apennines. In front of it stands the silhouette of Mount Vettore (2,476 m). According to Istat, the country was depopulated very quickly, in 2001 the village was inhabited by 150 residents, while seven years later, in 2008, were counted only 8 permanent residents.
Looking out from Cwmorthin Road which travels underneath the Ffestiniog Narrow Gauge Railway in the village of Tanygrisiau, near to Blaenau Ffestiniog in Gwynedd, North Wales.
Tanygrisiau is Welsh for "below the steps", referring to the stepped cliffs above the village. Tanygrisiau was famous for its slate mining, producing a high quality black slate that was used across the world. The major quarries above the village were Cwmorthin, Wrysgan and Conglog.
Tanygrisiau railway station is on the famous Ffestiniog Railway, a narrow gauge railway built to carry slate from the mines down to the sea at Porthmadog where it was shipped all around the world, mostly for use in roofing.
The nearby Ffestiniog power station, the high Stwlan Dam and Llyn Ystradau, colloquially known as Tanygrisiau Reservoir, are part of a pumped storage hydroelectricity installation. Much nearer the railway station is a waterfall on the Afon Cwmorthin and below the falls, and powered by a different water source, is a very small hydro-electric power station.
The closure of the slate mines during the late 1970s led to massive depopulation of the area from which it has only recently begun to recover. Tanygrisiau has close links with the regiment of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
Kalarites is a depopulated Aromanian mountainous village in the Ioannina regional unit, Epirus, Greece
La configuración geográfica de Pedraza favorece un asentamiento temprano; hay indicios de población prehistórica en los valles que arropan al río Cega y se han encontrado restos junto a la actual explanada del castillo de cerámica hecha a mano que hacen suponer que la propia roca donde hoy se asienta Pedraza estaba ya habitada hacia el s. IV a. C. por un núcleo de población celtibérica. Posteriormente, hay certeza de una ocupación en época romana, incluso existe una teoría que sitúa el origen del emperador Trajano en Pedraza.
Pero hemos de dar un salto a la Edad Media, para encontrar datos más fiables; en el siglo XI se produce la Reconquista definitiva y queda definida la frontera entre Castilla y Al-Andalus. Es entonces cuando aparecen las llamadas Comunidades o Universidades de Tierra, a través de los cuales se realizó la colonización y repoblación de las tierras reconquistadas. Se trataba de concejos comuneros que eran la federación de varios municipios enmarcados dentro de una cierta unidad geográfica, histórica y cultural que se autogobernaban, reclutaban tropas, recaudaban tributos y administraban justicia a sus ciudadanos no teniendo que responder ante el rey o señor más que en última instancia. La Comunidad de la Villa y Tierra de Pedraza abarca hoy 18 municipios y funciona como una institución administrativa de su patrimonio comunal.
Desde mediados del s. XIV, Pedraza fue dominio señorial situación que se mantuvo hasta comienzos del s. XIX en que los señoríos fueron abolidos. D. Bernardino Fernández de Velasco, Condestable de Castilla y primer duque de Frías obtiene el señorío de Pedraza en el s. XV a través de una dote matrimonial. Con ello, Pedraza pasa a ser residencia de varios señores de la poderosa Casa de Velasco, condestables de Castilla desde mediados del s. XV a mediados del XVI. A partir de la llegada de los Velasco, la villa comienza a llenarse de casas nobles cubiertas de blasones. Además los ganaderos más ricos acuden a avecindarse en la villa, pues ello les da derecho a que sus ovejas merinas pasten en prados comunales.
Los s. XVI y XVII corresponden a la época de mayor esplendor de Pedraza, gracias a la cabaña de ovejas merinas y al Honrado Concejo de la Mesta, una tupida red de cañadas para facilitar el tráfico ganadero que llegó a controlar tres millones de cabezas. Los talleres segovianos se hicieron famosos en toda Europa y la lana castellana abastecía talleres de Brujas y Florencia; en La Velilla aún en el s. XIX subsistían un lavadero de lanas y dos batanes.
En el s. XVIII comienza a apuntarse una decadencia que se acentuará de forma brusca en el s. XIX como consecuencia de la crisis ganadera que afectará a toda la meseta. Además se produce la abolición del antiguo régimen señorial de 1811 en las Cortes de Cádiz, uno de los cuales era el ejercido en Pedraza por el Duque de Frías. Por otro lado, se abre paso a una transformación de los antiguos lugares de la Comunidad de la Tierra en concejos con Ayuntamiento propio, con lo que Pedraza queda en pie de igualdad con respecto a los municipios de su Tierra.
Como consecuencia del proceso de despoblación del campo que marca los inicios del s.XX y que continuará agravándose hasta bien pasada su primera mitad, las casas quedan abandonadas expuestas a la ruina y se venden a bajo precio. Éste es el factor que contribuyó a dar un giro a la situación, a que se produjera el golpe de péndulo al retorno, que en Pedraza se inició en los años sesenta consolidándose ya en los ochenta; La gente de la ciudad compraba y restauraba casas para convertirlas en segunda residencia, y ese flujo cada vez mayor de urbanitas que llegan a la zona en fines de semana y festivos impone un esquema y un ritmo económico diferentes a los tradicionales.
El pulso inusitado recuperado por Pedraza es un mérito reconocido recientemente por la fundación internacional Europa Nostra, que en 1996 concedió a Pedraza un diploma "por la recuperación de la vida de esta Villa Medieval amurallada, mediante una respetuosa rehabilitación de sus viejos edificios, con la frecuente colaboración de la iniciativa privada".
The geographical configuration of Pedraza favours a settlement early; there is evidence of prehistoric population in the arropan River Cega and found next to the current Esplanade of handmade ceramic castle remains that suggest the own rock where today sits Pedraza was already inhabited towards century valleys IV BC by a core of celtibérica population. Then there is an occupation certainty in Roman times, even exists a theory which puts the origin of Emperor Trajan in Pedraza.
But we must take a leap to the middle ages to find more reliable data; in the 11th century the definitive reconquest occurs and defined the border between Castilla and Al - Andalus. It is then when they appear the so-called communities or universities Earth, of whom performed colonization and reconquistadas land resettlement. It was comuneros Councils which were the Federation of several municipalities framed within a certain geographical, historical and cultural unit that is autogobernaban, reclutaban troops, made tributes and managed justice to its citizens not having to answer before the King or than ultimately Mr. Villa community and Pedraza earth today covers 18 municipalities and operates as an administrative institution of their communal heritage.
Mid century XIV, Pedraza was situation remained until the early century manor domain 19th the seigniories were abolished. D. Bernardino Fernández de Velasco, Constable of Castile and 1st Duke of Frías gets Pedraza Lordship in the s. a dowry XV. Thus Pedraza becomes several gentlemen of the powerful Casa de Velasco, condestables of Castile mid century residence XV mid-16th. The arrival of the Velasco, the village began to fill with noble houses covered with blasones. In addition richer farmers come to avecindar in the village, because this entitles them to his Merina sheep pasten in communal meadows.
The s. 16th and 17TH correspond to the time of greatest splendour of Pedraza, thanks to the hut Merina sheep and the Council Mesta Honrado, a bushy network of canyons to facilitate livestock traffic to handle three million head. Segovianos workshops became famous throughout Europe and the Castilian wool abastecía Bruges and Florence; workshops in Velilla still in the s. 19th remained a wool laundry and two batanes.
In century 18th begins to join a decline which rise sharply in century 19th as a result of the livestock crisis that will affect all the plateau. Additionally occurs the abolition of the old manor 1811 regime in the Cadiz Cortes, one which was exercised in Pedraza by the Duke of Frías. The other hand, opens step to a transformation of former places of the community of the Earth in Councils with own city, with what Pedraza is equal with regard to the municipalities of their land.
As a result of the process of depopulation of the field that marks the beginning of the s.XX and will continue to deteriorate well passed its first half, houses remain abandoned exposed to the ruin and sold at low prices. This is the factor which contributed to give a twist to the situation to occurred the coup of pendulum to return, Pedraza started in the 1960s consolidating already in the 1980s; the people of the city bought and restauraba houses into second residence, and that increasing urbanitas flow arriving in the zone on weekends and holidays imposes a schema and an economic rate different from those traditionally.
The unusual pulse recovered by Pedraza is a merit recently acknowledged by the International Foundation Europe Nostra, which in 1996 granted Pedraza a diploma "for the recovery of the life of this Medieval Villa walled, through a respectful rehabilitation of old buildings, in collaboration with the frequent private initiative".
Dance lime tree and church in the centre of the little village of Peesten, Franconia (Bavaria), Germany
Some background information:
The so-called dance lime tree stands in the center of the village of Peesten, next to the little church dedicated to St Mary from the 14th century and opposite the hunting château of the noble family von Giech. A dance lime tree at the same spot was already mentioned in writing in 1657, indicating that it was planted between 1550 and 1600. It survived until 1947, when it had died back because of its great age, the effects of weather, and the lack of care during World War II. In 1953, a new dance lime tree was replanted at its historic location.
A listed historical monument is the four-sided dance platform with its timber-framed superstructure, which is virtually in the tree’s "first floor". Beneath it are twelve octagonal support pillars from 1770, and it is accessible via a stone spiral staircase from 1837. The tree hall beneath the tree crown has an area of 87 square metres. The lime tree itself is a protected natural monument. The cube-shaped form of the tree crown is considered unique in Europe. In the region, lime tree festivals (in German: "Lindenkirchweihen") are an old tradition. During these festivals, young residents of the villages dance on the plattforms under their local lime trees.
With ist less than 230 residents, Peesten is a little village located in the district of Kulmbach in the Bavarian administrative region of Upper Franconia. The settlement lies about 20 km (12.5 miles) to the northwest of the city of Bayreuth and about 40 km (25 miles) to the northeast of the city of Bamberg. The name of the village is derived from the Sorbian word "pĕsčane" meaning "sandy place", which implies that it was founded by the West Slavic ethnic group of the Sorbs.
In 1295, Peesten was first mentioned in a document. For almost three centuries, the village was in possession of the knightly vassals of the family Förtsch von Thurnau. A document from 1516 reveals that two members of the noble Förtsch family, Martin and Jorg, divided their properties in Peesten, each receiving a manor and half of the village from Friedrich V, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach-Kulmbach. However, both manors were destroyed in 1553 during the Second Margrave War.
After Jorg Förtsch von Thurnau had died in 1566 and his house had become extinct, his sons-in-law Hans Georg von Giech and Johann Friedrich von Künssberg inherited his estates. Both families then divided the inheritance, with Peesten falling to the lords von Giech. In the course of the Thirty Years‘ War, the village was plundered several times by both war parties. In addition to the turmoil of war, the plague struck, almost completely depopulating Peesten. In the year 1634 alone, 103 people died, prompting the local pastor to leave the now-deserted village.
By the late 18th century, Peesten consisted of 36 properties, a church, a rectory, and a schoolhouse. Jurisdiction over the area was held by the manorial court of the noble family von Giech in the nearby little town of Thurnau, which also exercised local and municipal authority as well as lordship over all the estates. From 1797 to 1810, the village fell under the patrimonial court of Thurnau. In 1810, Peesten became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. As part of the municipal reform of 1811, the tax district of Peesten was established, including twelve even smaller villages in the proximity.
With the Second Municipal Edict of 1818, the rural municipality of Peesten was formed. Administratively and judicially, it was assigned to the lordly court of Thurnau, and in fiscal matters to the tax office of Kulmbach. In matters of voluntary jurisdiction, almost all properties remained under the patrimonial court of Thurnau until 1848. From 1862, Peesten belonged to the Kulmbach district office. In 1976, the municipality of Peesten was finally incorporated into the town of Kasendorf.
I couldn't believe my eyes when I walked up to this wreck out in the middle of Pilling sands. It's a car, submerged by water and buried in sand. It's a good mile out from the coast line and looks as if it has been here many years.
Pilling is close to Morecambe bay, so you can imagine how far you can walk out. I found two wrecks of boats too.
acrylic on canvas, 13 x 18 cm
Der Große Umbruch
Professor Klaus Schwab's World Economic Forum, the United Nations and the World Health Organisation are the co-ordinators of the conspiracy known as The Great Reset that wants to impose collective psychopathy on humanity (Dr Thomas Binder)
cfr the book : Covid-19: The Great Reset by
Thierry Malleret & Klaus Schwab
www.brooklinebooksmith.com/book/9782940631124
"The pandemic represents a rare but narrow window of opportunity to reflect, reimagine, and reset our world" - Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum.
www.weforum.org/focus/the-great-reset
The establishment has launched its attempted takeover of the West. The media is pretending nothing is going on. - counter revolution - economic slavery
Now is the time for a 'great reset'
www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/now-is-the-time-for-a-grea...
Here's Prince Charles in a WEF video literally advocating the Great Reset, saying we have no alternative to it.
The establishment has launched its attempted takeover of the West. The media is pretending nothing is going on.
www.weforum.org/videos/great-reset-hrh-prince-of-wales-we...
Duitse psycholoog legt het duidelijk uit, de coronamaatregelen zijn foltermethodes die ook worden toegepast in China en Noord Korea
German psychologist explains it clearly, the corona measures are torture methods that are also used in China and North Korea
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdUNkPERLbg
twitter.com/i/status/1387893178267848706
Niet de Chinezen maar de Rockefeller Foundation in 2010
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwUXLykvBu4
Tracing the terminology to find an entire system which had infiltrated our governments and was rewriting state policies and objectives. Civil and individual rights and freedoms are abolished and the life becomes micromanaged.
The third way is no way - 2004 (logo ACL)
"we must renounce thinking that our rulers are acting with our good in mind, and more generally we must stop believing that those who speak to us are honest, sincere, and motivated by good principles".(Mgr Vigano, 15 May 2021, It is our duty to unveil the deception of the Great Reset”)
www.aldomariavalli.it/2021/05/19/monsignor-vigano-lies-em...
www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/vigano-considerations-on-the...
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Grote Reset is erger dan Hitlers ‘meesterplan’!
dutchawakener.wixsite.com/website/post/holocaust-overleve...?
the third way was apparently also a plan for genocide
cfr Jacques Attali
theuninck.blogspot.com/2011/04/die-neue-mitte-ist-eine-ne...
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mRNA do reset( and reduce) your immune system
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Jan Theuninck has been painting the evolution of Western totalitarianism for 20 years - he saw the evolution within the political spectrum where the socialist parties were lost (Fagospatose, 2001) in the Third Way (The third way is no way, 2004) movement of Clinton , Blair and Schröder with which they gave a face to communitarianism of the New World Order. He has often compared the latter to a new kind of National Socialism. His attention has always been fixed thanks to the more than 50 years of misery with blackmail games of the services and torture practices with chemical and energy weapons (Beyond the limit, 2001, Rinascimento, 2009, The culture of learned helplessness, 2011, Neostasi, 2012, Derailed system , 2012, The banality of Evil, 2013, Zersetzung, 2014, ils nous tiennent, 2015, Submission, 2015, Threat, 2016, Utopia, 2016, Conformity, 2017, Brainwashing, 2018, Warnung, 2019, Dein Kampf, 2019, Censorship, 2020, Post-truth society, 2020 and in 2021: Political Pandemic, New World Order, The Great Reset, Angel Vaccine, Aryan Corona Passport, Cytokine Storm, Back from never been away .
(In 2014 he already painted Virus Attack without believing that this would become a climax of the Davos counter-revolution years later)
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Jan Theuninck is a Belgian painter
www.boekgrrls.nl/BgDiversen/Onderwerpen/gedichten_over_sc...
www.forumeerstewereldoorlog.be/wiki/index.php/Yperite-Jan...
www.graphiste-webdesigner.fr/blog/2013/04/la-peinture-bel... (année 2016)
www.eutrio.be/expo-west-meets-east
Difficult economic conditions created a strong depopulation of the Maggia valley which in turn led to new emigration. The result was an architectual simplification of the buildings.
Panasonic DMC-LX7
Mijas, Málaga (Spain).
ENGLISH
Mijas is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, in Andalusia, southern Spain. It is a typically Andalusian white-washed village located at a mountain side about 400 m above mean sea level, in the heart of the Costa del Sol region. There are some local history museums and many souvenir shops, Mijas also has seven golf courses (four more are under construction). Like much of this coast, it continues to grow in urban development, although at a somewhat more low-key pace. In addition, there are several places to explore the countryside from horseback.
The municipality includes: Mijas Pueblo (the hillside village), Mijas Costa (main commercial and residential area adjacent to (but not strictly part of) Fuengirola), La Cala de Mijas (separate village and small resort by the sea to the west) and Las Lagunas (largely suburban and mixed commercial to the north of Fuengirola).
We must go back at the age of Bronze to locate the first establishments in this zone. It is told that Mijas belonged to a Tartesia civilization, the Turdetans.
In the 800 a.C. the Phoenicians and the Greeks arrive attracted by the mining wealth from these earth. The Romans called Tarnisa, city that went prospering thanks to the quarries of marble and the commerce.
During the Arab domination and after some fights it pass to comprise of the Nazarí kingdom. During these centuries, agriculture takes an important step. The systems of irrigated land, rain tanks and the new cultures brought by the Muslims initiate a prosperous period in the region.
In 15th century, Catholic Kings conquer Mijas and, little later, after the expulsion of the moriscos, it is almost depopulated. At the end of this century it begins a repopulation with the offer of house and lands. In 16th century they grant the title of Villa.
In 19th century the population of Mijas lived on the fishing and agriculture. The wars and the poverty made notch, but little by little it was recovering.
In the middle of 20th century the arrival of the tourism gave him a fort pushes, filling of visitors who look for the beauty of one of the prettiest towns of Andalusia, declared Pueblo Blanco (White Town) of Andalusia.
------------------------------
CASTELLANO
Mijas es un municipio de la provincia de Málaga, situado en la Costa del Sol, a 30 km de la capital. Bañado por el Mediterráneo, limita con las localidades de Fuengirola, Benalmádena, Alhaurín de la Torre, Alhaurín el Grande, Marbella, Ojén y Coín. En Mijas también podemos encontrar el famoso barrio de Las Lagunas.
Se divide en tres núcleos urbanos: Mijas Pueblo, en la Sierra de Mijas, Las Lagunas, en Mijas Costa, y La Cala, núcleo costero.
La ciudad se encuentra en un enclave único, estando el núcleo central (Mijas Pueblo), en la sierra a más de 400 metros de altura, y, además, dispone de una línea de costa propia de 12 km.
Debemos remontarnos a la Edad de Bronce para localizar los primeros asentamientos en esta zona. Se cuenta que Mijas pertenecía a una civilización Tartesia, los Turdetanos.
En el 800 a.C. llegan los fenicios y los griegos atraídos por la riqueza minera de estas tierras. Los romanos la llamaron Tarnisa, ciudad que fue prosperando gracias a las canteras de mármol y al comercio.
Durante la dominación árabe y tras algunas luchas pasa a formar parte del reino Nazarí. Durante estos siglos, la agricultura da un paso importante. Los sistemas de regadío, aljibes y los nuevos cultivos traídos por los musulmanes inician un periodo prospero en la región.
En el siglo XV, los Reyes Católicos conquistan Mijas y, poco más tarde, tras la expulsión de los moriscos, queda casi despoblada. A finales de este siglo se inicia una repoblación con el ofrecimiento de casa y tierras. En el siglo XVI le otorgan el titulo de Villa.
En el siglo XIX la población de Mijas vivía de la pesca y la agricultura. Las guerras y la pobreza hicieron mella, pero poco a poco fue recuperándose.
A mediados del siglo XX la llegada del turismo le dió un fuerte empuje, llenándose de visitantes que buscan la hermosura de uno de los pueblos más bonitos de Andalucía, declarado Pueblo Blanco de Andalucía.
Fuentes: es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mijas, www.a-andalucia.com/mijas/index.htm
taken June 13, 2020
@Kuriyama, Nikko
こんなに苔に覆われた二宮金次郎の銅像を始めてみました。
撮らずにはいられなかった被写体です。
旧栗山村の小学校は今は、公民館になっていましたが、あまり使われていないようでした。旧小学校の跡地にポツンと立っていた二宮金次郎です。
Après la chute de l’Empire Romain d’occident, l’archipel de La Maddalena s’est dépeuplé pour devenir le lieu de prédilection des corsaires, Sarrasins et Italiens.
Ce n’est qu’à l’époque médiévale que les îles de La Maddalena ont à nouveau accueilli quelques implantations humaines avec l’arrivée de petits groupes de moines et de quelques ermites.
En effet, l’épaisse végétation et les côtes bordées par une mer chaude et calme ont fait de nos îles un lieu de méditation et de recherche spirituelle privilégié.
🇬🇧 After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Maddalena archipelago was depopulated and became a favourite haunt of privateers, Saracens and Italians.
It was not until the Middle Ages that the islands of La Maddalena were once again settled by small groups of monks and hermits.
Indeed, the thick vegetation and coasts bordered by a warm, calm sea have made our islands a privileged place for meditation and spiritual research.
🇩🇪 Nach dem Untergang des Weströmischen Reiches wurde der Maddalena-Archipel entvölkert und zu einem beliebten Aufenthaltsort für Freibeuter, Sarazenen und Italiener.
Erst im Mittelalter wurden die Inseln von La Maddalena wieder von kleinen Gruppen von Mönchen und Eremiten besiedelt.
Die dichte Vegetation und die von einem warmen, ruhigen Meer umgebenen Küsten haben unsere Inseln zu einem bevorzugten Ort für Meditation und spirituelle Forschung gemacht.
🇪🇸 Tras la caída del Imperio Romano de Occidente, el archipiélago de la Maddalena se despobló y se convirtió en refugio favorito de corsarios, sarracenos e italianos.
No fue hasta la Edad Media cuando las islas de la Maddalena volvieron a ser colonizadas por pequeños grupos de monjes y ermitaños.
La densa vegetación y las costas rodeadas de un mar cálido y tranquilo han hecho de nuestras islas un lugar predilecto para la meditación y la búsqueda espiritual.
🇮🇹 Dopo la caduta dell'Impero Romano d'Occidente, l'arcipelago della Maddalena si spopolò e divenne il rifugio preferito di corsari, saraceni e italiani.
Solo nel Medioevo le isole della Maddalena furono nuovamente colonizzate da piccoli gruppi di monaci ed eremiti.
La fitta vegetazione e le coste circondate da un mare caldo e calmo hanno reso le nostre isole un luogo privilegiato per la meditazione e la ricerca spirituale.
The Lost Coast is a wild and rugged region of Northern California coastline that experienced depopulation in 1930s and so became the “Lost Coast.”
There are no major roads or highways that serve the area and the roads that do exists are subject to being destroyed by landslides or washed away by flooding. The small communities that still exist in the Lost Coast region are very isolated from the rest of California. The Lost coast is one of the wettest regions of the California coast having a distinct wet and dry season. Much of the Lost Coast is still owned by the federal government.
The Lost Coast offers some of the most pristine environments one could hope to experience. It is possible to encounter a wide variety of terrestrial wildlife including, bears, mountain lions, foxes and raccoons. The opportunities to see marine wildlife also abound with a healthy presence of Elephant Seals, Harbor Seals, California Sea Lions and Steller Sea Lions. Sightings of Harbor Porpoises and Gray Whales are also quite possible.
Along this wild stretch of coastline, it is also possible to see the remains of ship wrecks that date back to the early 1900s
I thought it would be nice to add a cheery colour image from my Prairie trip.
At one time, grain elevators could be found every 8 to 10 miles along the railway lines in western Canada. That allowed most farmers to make a round trip to deliver grain with a horse and wagon in one day. Though they started appearing in the late 19th century, the number of grain elevators peaked in 1938, when there were nearly 6,000 primary (country) elevators in the Prairie provinces. Many factors led to the decline of the primary elevator: the Depression, increased mechanization, improved roads for transportation, rural depopulation, the closing of branch lines of the railway and the buying out or merging of the grain companies. In 2004 there were only 197 primary licenced grain elevators left in Saskatchewan. Many of the old, wooden elevators have been destroyed, but some, like this one in Dankin, Saskatchewan, remain - weathered but beautiful and stalwart.
Source: Dommasch, H. (1986) Prairie Giants. Saskatoon: Western Producer Prairie Books.
In July 2013 I flew to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, rented a car and drove 2,400 kilometres over the next 6 days via Prince Albert, Kindersley and Calgary to visit and photograph old, unused grain elevators and churches. If you'd like, you can take a look at more images from my Prairie adventure.
I visited the old ghost town of Neidpath twice - in 2014 and 2016. This image is from 2016 when there was a lot more rain than this year in which farmers and ranchers are suffering from near drought conditions.
There were once 4 elevators in this town; only two are left. This one (the Pioneer) was built in 1924 and closed in the early 80s.
From the archives: Neidpath, Saskatchewan, Canada. 2016.
At one time, grain elevators could be found every 8 to 10 miles along the railway lines in western Canada. That allowed most farmers to make a round trip to deliver grain with a horse and wagon in one day. Though they started appearing in the late 19th century, the number of grain elevators peaked in 1938, when there were nearly 6,000 primary (country) elevators in the Prairie provinces. Many factors led to the decline of the primary elevator: the Depression, increased mechanization, improved roads for transportation, rural depopulation, the closing of branch lines of the railway and the buying out or merging of the grain companies. In 2004 there were only 197 primary licenced grain elevators left in Saskatchewan. Many of the old, wooden elevators have been destroyed, but some, like this one in Dorothy Alberta, remain - weathered but beautiful and stalwart.
Source: Dommasch, H. (1986) Prairie Giants. Saskatoon: Western Producer Prairie Books.
If you'd like to see more of my images from that trip, take a look at my Grain Elevator album or my Canadian Prairies album
For 23 years Ibn Battuta had traveled across the Islamic world and beyond. He went from his home city of Tangiers in Morocco to as far east as Quanzhou in China, as far south as Kilwa in East Africa, and as far north as Sarai in Russia. He would meet many heads of state like Abu Sa'id, Khan of the Mongol Ilkhanate, Muhammad Tughluq, the Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate, and Oz Beg, Khan of the Mongol Golden Horde. He would have many highs and lows during this journey becoming wealthy, but also losing it from time to time and almost dying.
It was in 1346 when he decided to return to Morocco. He would make his way from Quanzhou in China, to Calicut in India, and to Basra in the Persian Gulf. It was there he would learn about the greatest disaster to shake the medieval world, the black death. His friend, Khan Abu Sa'id had died from the disease and the Ilkhanate was plunged into civil war. He would arrive in Damascus in 1348 where he decided to retrace his route to the hajj before he returned home. He would learn from a friend that his father had died in Morocco 15 years earlier. Death was everywhere as the plague spread throughout the Middle East. He would leave for Egypt and on the way there he saw that the city of Gaza was depopulated.
In Egypt he would see that the plague was taking its toll on Cairo. He would continue south on one of the many caravan and pilgrimage routes to the red sea ports across from Mecca. These routes during this time were likely more dangerous given the chaos in the wider world. Banditry was likely at an all time high as people were desperate and the Mamluks in Egypt devoted more time to maintaining order in the larger cities. Its possible that Ibn Battuta and his caravan of servants and concubines travelled with groups. He would finally arrive in Mecca where he decided it was time to go home.
Ever since I got that adventurers canister at BFVA this year, I knew I had to use it in a moc. I decided on using it for a buried statue, possibly one of the many statues of Ramesses II or another Pharaoh seen across Egypt. Did Ibn Battuta himself see one? Maybe, they're everywhere.
My entry to the Brickscalibur "Rogues and Outlaws" category.
Blogged: bricknerd.com/home/the-lego-dark-arts-incorporating-lego-...
The remains of a near-border settlement (Nová Ves 1791 - 1953) depopulated and demolished by the communist regime. The perpetrators of crimes committed in the Czechoslovak borderlands were never brought to justice.
Company housing on the abandoned mining town of Gilman, Colorado. The mines shut down for economic reasons and the houses were ordered abandoned due to water contamination.
De La Canal
De la Canal es una localidad argentina del partido de Tandil, Provincia de Buenos Aires. Cuenta con 57 habitantes (INDEC, 2010), lo que representa un descenso del 8% frente a los 62 habitantes (INDEC, 2001) del censo anterior. El 3 de diciembre de 1889 el gobierno de la Provincia de Bs.As. autorizó la construcción del tramo del Ferrocarril Las Flores – Tandil, de 122 km que se terminó en Agosto de 1890. La Estación De la Canal fue inaugurada en 1891, y recibe ese nombre porque Don Victorio De la Canal, hacendado, donó su campo para la construcción del edificio.
Así fue aumentando su población a la vera de las vías. Aproximadamente en los años 1945 al 1947 ya había dos días fijos a la semana de embarque de vacunos y lanares con destino a Kilo 5 (Avellaneda y Mataderos), además de transportarse granos, gallinas, chanchos, huevos, etc.Con los años, De La Canal se fue despoblando, así como sus vecinos asentamientos rurales, que dejaron de recibir al ferrocarril de pasajeros. Se accede por la ruta provincial 30 y sus calles fueron mejoradas con tosca. Ubicado al norte de Tandil, De La Canal es atravesado por el arroyo Langueyú, que en lengua mapuche significa “lugar de muerte” Se lo puede bordear transitando los 30 kilómetros que separan Tandil del pueblo, por un sendero ideal para la práctica del mountain bike. El lugar característico y, por lo que se conoce al despoblado paraje, es el almacén de los hermanos Lazarte, un auténtico almacén de ramos generales.
UNA HISTORIA TRAGICA DE LA ZONA
es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masacre_de_Tandil
TRASLATOR
De La Canal
De la Canal is an Argentine locality of the Tandil party, Province of Buenos Aires. It has 57 inhabitants (INDEC, 2010), which represents a decrease of 8% compared to 62 inhabitants (INDEC, 2001) of the previous census. On December 3, 1889 the government of the Province of Buenos Aires authorized the construction of the stretch of Ferrocarril Las Flores - Tandil, of 122 km that was completed in August of 1890. The Canal Station was inaugurated in 1891, and it was named because Don Victorio De la Canal, landowner, donated his field to the construction of the building.
This is how the population grew along the roads. Approximately in the years 1945 to 1947 there were already two fixed days a week of shipment of cattle and sheep to Kilo 5 (Avellaneda and Mataderos), in addition to transporting grains, chickens, pigs, eggs, etc. Over the years, The Canal became depopulated, as well as its neighboring rural settlements, which stopped receiving the passenger railroad. It is accessed by provincial route 30 and its streets were improved with tosca. Located north of Tandil, De La Canal is crossed by the Langueyú stream, which in the Mapuche language means "place of death" It can be skirted by traveling the 30 kilometers that separate Tandil from the town, by an ideal path for the practice of mountain biking . The characteristic place and, for what is known the depopulated place, is the warehouse of the brothers Lazarte, an authentic warehouse of general branches.
A TRAGIC HISTORY OF THE AREA
Kamera: Nikon FE2
Linse: Nikkor-O Auto 35mm f2 (1970)
Film: Kodak 5222 @ ISO 250
Kjemi: Rodinal (1:50 / 9 min. @ 20°C)
John Lennon: Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (1971)
A SONG FOR ALL YOU BASTARDS
***
HRF Files Criminal Complaint in Italy Against IDF Soldier Israel Yitzhki for War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, and Genocide
Brussels / Rome – 15 December 2025:
The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) has filed a criminal complaint before the Italian judicial authorities against Israeli soldier Israel Yitzhki, a member of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), for his alleged involvement in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide committed during Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
The complaint was submitted to the Procura della Repubblica on the basis of universal jurisdiction, following confirmation that Yitzhki is currently present on Italian territory. Under international and Italian law, Italy is legally obliged to investigate and prosecute individuals suspected of grave international crimes when they are found on its soil.
Why Italy Has a Duty to Act
Italy is a State Party to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and the UN Convention Against Torture. These instruments impose a clear obligation on States to search for, investigate, and prosecute individuals suspected of grave breaches of international humanitarian law, regardless of nationality or where the crimes were committed.
The complaint explicitly invokes:
* Article 146 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which establishes mandatory universal jurisdiction over grave breaches;
* Article 5(2) of the Convention Against Torture, requiring prosecution when a suspect is present and not extradited;
* The principle of aut dedere aut judicare — extradite or prosecute.
As the filing makes clear, States cannot lawfully become safe havens for suspected perpetrators of international crimes.
The Context: Gaza as a Crime Scene
The complaint situates Yitzhki’s actions within the broader context of Israel’s campaign in Gaza, which UN bodies have repeatedly characterized as involving systematic violations of international law.
* Over 70,000 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 20,000 children;
* More than 170,000 people have been injured;
* 92% of homes, 88% of schools, 81% of roads, and 80% of commercial infrastructure have been destroyed or damaged;
* Hundreds of civilians have died from starvation and malnutrition, caused by the deliberate obstruction of food and humanitarian aid.
UN agencies, the International Court of Justice, and the International Criminal Court have all confirmed the seriousness of these crimes. Arrest warrants have already been issued by the ICC against Israeli leaders Benjamin Netanyahu (b. 1949) and Yoav Gallant (b. 1958) for crimes against humanity.
Alleged Crimes by Israel Yitzhki
According to HRF’s investigative findings, Israel Yitzhki served in the 432nd Battalion of the Givati Brigade and participated in operations involving:
* Extensive destruction of civilian property without military necessity;
* Attacks on undefended towns, residential buildings, and civilian objects;
* Arson and controlled demolitions of homes and shelters;
* Occupation and destruction of schools used as civilian refuges;
* Unlawful detention and humiliating treatment of Palestinian civilians, including the publication of images showing detainees blindfolded, handcuffed, and kneeling.
The complaint argues that these acts constitute war crimes under Article 8 of the Rome Statute, including:
* destruction of property not justified by military necessity;
* attacks against civilian objects;
* illegal detention of protected persons;
* outrages upon personal dignity and degrading treatment;
* and, potentially, torture and inhuman treatment.
Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide
Beyond individual war crimes, the filing asserts that Yitzhki’s actions may also qualify as crimes against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute, including extermination, unlawful imprisonment, torture, and other inhumane acts committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack against a civilian population.
Crucially, the complaint also addresses genocide. It argues that the systematic destruction of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure — homes, schools, water systems, healthcare facilities — amounts to:
* causing serious bodily and mental harm; and
* deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of the Palestinian population, in whole or in part.
These conclusions align with findings issued in September 2025 by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, which determined that Israeli authorities are committing genocide in Gaza.
Request for Urgent Precautionary Measures
Given the gravity of the allegations and the risk that Yitzhki may leave Italy, HRF has requested that the Italian authorities consider urgent precautionary measures, including:
* seizure of passports and travel documents;
* preservation of digital evidence.
The filing also formally requests notification of any prosecutorial decisions, including extensions of investigations or potential dismissal, in accordance with Italian criminal procedure.
Abou Jahjah: No Safe Haven in Europe
This filing is part of HRF’s broader strategy to ensure that no European country becomes a refuge for perpetrators of atrocities committed in Gaza.
"International law is meaningless if it stops at borders", HRF General Director Dyab Abou Jahjah (b. 1971) stated.
"When those suspected of war crimes and genocide enter Europe, States must choose between impunity and justice. There is no third option", he added.
The Hind Rajab Foundation will continue to pursue accountability across jurisdictions until those responsible for crimes in Gaza — perpetrators, accomplices, and inciters alike — are brought before competent courts.
Source: Hind Rajab Foundation - HRF Files Criminal Complaint in Italy Against IDF Soldier Israel Yitzhki for War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, and Genocide (Publ. 15 Dec. 2025)
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HRF Seeks Arrest of Israeli Soldier in Spain Over the Destruction of Beit Hanoun
Barcelona / Brussels – 3 December 2025:
The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) has filed a criminal complaint in Spain against Israeli soldier Benayau Nahum for his alleged responsibility in genocide and serious war crimes committed during Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip, particularly in the northern town of Beit Hanoun.
The complaint was submitted after confirming that the suspect was present on Spanish territory, triggering Spain’s obligations under international law to investigate and prosecute grave international crimes. HRF has formally requested the urgent arrest of the suspect to prevent his departure and to ensure accountability.
The Accused and His Military Unit
Benayau Nahum served as a soldier in the 97th Netzah Yehuda Battalion of the 900th Kfir Brigade. This unit has a long record of serious human rights violations, including:
* The killing of unarmed civilians,
* Abuse and torture of detainees,
* And the systematic destruction of Palestinian property.
The battalion has previously been implicated in internationally condemned cases and has repeatedly operated in occupied Palestinian territory with near-total impunity.
*** [ [Personal note: I can confirm this based on what I personally saw during my 2007-2011 UN-affiliated service in the Occupied West Bank. The worst criminal Israeli IDF "military" units by far are certainly the Kfir Brigade and the Nahal of the Nahal brigade.
These two units in particular - their history and all their members ought to be intensively investigated all the way back to 1967 and beyond. Consisting of predominantly jewish fundamentalists, religious zealots, zionists, criminals, kahanists, no-goods and madmen they certainly would be akin to any former member of the Nazi Waffen-SS in my eyes.
You have to be quite oblivious to history if you cannot see the similarities between Nazi Germany and these Israeli paramilitary / military groups represented by the Kfir, the Gadna and the Nahal. Israel is through and through a jewish supremacist militaristic fascist society.] ] ***
Its presence in Gaza formed part of Israel’s large-scale ground operations in the north of the Strip.
Destruction of Beit Hanoun
Between late 2024 and early 2025, Beit Hanoun was subjected to near-total destruction as part of a broader military strategy aimed at emptying northern Gaza of its population. Entire neighborhoods were set on fire, leveled by heavy machinery, and erased from the map.
The evidence in HRF’s possession places Benayau Nahum directly on the ground during these operations. It shows his participation in systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure, including homes and public buildings, at a time when Beit Hanoun was already largely depopulated and defenseless.
The scale of destruction in northern Gaza during this period rendered vast areas uninhabitable and made return impossible for most of the displaced population.
Legal Qualification of the Crimes
The complaint accuses Benayau Nahum of:
* Genocide, for contributing to conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of part of the Palestinian population;
* War crimes, including:
- Extensive destruction of civilian property not justified by military necessity;
- Attacks against civilian buildings and undefended towns;
- Participation in the forcible displacement of a protected civilian population.
Under international humanitarian law, civilian objects are strictly protected. The large-scale, methodical destruction documented in Beit Hanoun cannot be justified by any lawful military objective.
Spain’s Obligation to Act
Spain is bound by international law, including the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute, to either prosecute or extradite individuals suspected of committing genocide and war crimes when they are found on its territory.
Given the presence of the suspect in Spain and the lack of genuine proceedings elsewhere, HRF has requested:
* The opening of a criminal investigation;
* The immediate detention of the suspect;
* And the adoption of urgent measures to prevent his escape.
Breaking the Wall of Impunity
This complaint is part of HRF’s broader effort to dismantle the system of impunity protecting perpetrators of crimes against the Palestinian people. It sends a clear message that:
Participation in genocide and war crimes carries personal criminal responsibility, wherever the perpetrator may attempt to hide.
HRF continues to pursue similar cases across multiple jurisdictions and will not relent until justice is served.
Source: Hind Rajab Foundation - HRF Seeks Arrest of Israeli Soldier in Spain Over the Destruction of Beit Hanoun (Publ. 5 Dec. 2025)
***
Why Bar Associations Must Act: The Dutch Debate on Complicity and the Responsibility of Lawyers in International Crimes
3 November 2025:
On 2 December, the Dutch Bar Association (NOvA) [Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten] will hold an extraordinary assembly to address a question that is rapidly becoming unavoidable across the global legal profession:
What is the responsibility of lawyers when their work intersects with a state committing international crimes?
The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) welcomes the participation of its co-founder, Haroon Raza, a criminal defence attorney with more than twenty years of experience, in this meeting. Mr. Raza's contribution focuses on a reality many in the profession have long avoided confronting — that legal advice, corporate structuring, and financial facilitation can play a direct role in sustaining Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The Professional Environment: A Legal System Intertwined with Global Capital
The Netherlands stands at the centre of a dense network of financial and corporate structures. Tens of billions of euros connected to Israeli entities — including companies tied to the military, surveillance, technological development, and settlement expansion [ *** Personal note: For instance American Airbnb and Dutch Booking.com - just to mention a few! *** ] — flow through Dutch holding companies, investment funds, and advisory firms.
Lawyers are involved at every step: drafting corporate agreements, approving investments, advising on compliance, structuring acquisitions, and legitimising transactions.
When these structures are linked to a state perpetrating mass killing, starvation, forced displacement, and systematic destruction of civilian life, the role of the legal profession must be examined with honesty rather than ritualised neutrality.
Motion 3: An Attempt to Define Professional Boundaries
At the centre of the upcoming assembly is Motion 3, a proposal seeking to address precisely this challenge. The motion calls for the establishment of an independent committee within the Dutch Bar Association to evaluate the responsibilities of lawyers involved in high-risk transactions — particularly those connected to situations where there is a serious risk of contributing to war crimes, crimes against humanity, apartheid, or genocide.
Its purpose is straightforward:
* to articulate clear due-diligence requirements in high-risk contexts,
* to identify warning signs of potential complicity,
* to define professional standards of conduct, and
* to provide guidance on when lawyers must decline or withdraw from engagements.
Motion 3 is not a political statement. It is an attempt to bring the profession’s established principles — independence, integrity, and the duty to avoid unlawful conduct — into alignment with the realities of modern global practice. Comparable standards already exist for sanctions regimes, anti-money-laundering responsibilities, and other areas where legal services intersect with international harm.
The question is why similar principles have not yet been applied to Israel’s actions in Gaza, despite the scale and severity of the crimes.
A Profession Confronted With Its Own Infrastructure
Large law firms and corporate practices in major financial centres — London, New York, Paris, Frankfurt, Singapore, Dubai, Toronto — routinely advise clients with direct or indirect links to Israeli institutions, military industries, and settlement enterprises.
[ *** Personal note: A huge amount of these settlements are funded directly from the USA and needs to be examined most thoroughly - Example: The US 501(c) tax-exempted Hebron Fund ! Like WTF!? ]
In many cases, risk assessments are superficial or absent. The assumption that “legal advice is neutral” has become a shield against accountability.
This assumption is no longer tenable.
Speaking ahead of the assembly, Mr. Raza addressed the profession with unusual clarity:
"When a legal opinion, a contract, or a corporate structure helps sustain a system committing genocide, the lawyer involved cannot hide behind claims of neutrality. Our profession must recognise that routine legal work can become a vehicle for atrocity. Motion 3 is about safeguarding the integrity of the law — and ensuring we do not enable Israel’s crimes in Gaza."
His statement reflects a broader shift: lawyers are beginning to acknowledge that their professional activities can contribute materially to the functioning of systems responsible for mass violence.
The Broader Context: Accountability Beyond the Battlefield
The Hind Rajab Foundation’s work has repeatedly demonstrated that atrocity crimes do not occur in isolation. They are supported by corporate supply chains, financial networks, investment portfolios, digital infrastructure, and legal advice. Israel’s genocide in Gaza is no exception.
Legal professionals occupy a crucial position within these systems. Without their services, many transactions linked to military procurement, settlement construction, surveillance systems, or economic extraction simply cannot proceed.
The question for bar associations worldwide is not whether their members have political opinions. The question is whether their work strengthens — knowingly or unknowingly — the machinery of genocide.
A Necessary Evolution in Professional Self-Regulation
Motion 3 offers a model of what serious professional self-governance can look like. Bar associations across Europe, North America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia should consider similar mechanisms:
* independent oversight bodies,
* mandatory due-diligence frameworks,
* explicit standards on complicity,
* and training on international criminal liability for legal advisors.
Such measures are not symbolic. They reflect the reality that the legal profession is now deeply embedded in the structures that make international crimes possible.
The Moment Ahead
Israel’s actions in Gaza — mass killing, destruction of civilian infrastructure, systematic starvation, and the targeted annihilation of families — constitute genocide. In this context, the legal profession’s responsibilities cannot remain undefined.
The debate within the Dutch Bar Association is a signal to bar associations everywhere:
The age of pretending that legal work exists outside the world’s worst crimes is over.
The credibility of the profession depends on its willingness to recognise this moment — and to act accordingly.
Source: Hind Rajab Foundation - Why Bar Associations Must Act: The Dutch Debate on Complicity and the Responsibility of Lawyers in International Crimes (Publ. 24 Nov. 2025)
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Some find the road out west on Ardnamurchan pretty intimidating. But turn on to the little roads that lead out to the lighthouse at the end, or to the heavenly white sand beach at Sanna, and the road becomes even more of an adventure. However park your car at the side of the road and head off into the crater of the ancient Ardnamurchan volcano and things become a whole lot more desolate and remote. Over a hill and far away, where there has never been electricity or a road, and you find a place called Glendrian, Glendryen, Glendrain....all of them, where there was once a thriving crofting community. And it's site is now a Scheduled Monument giving Guardian readers and amazing insight into what post-Brexit Britain would look like.
Glendrian is a depopulated settlement of post-medieval date. It is located on the Ardnamurchan Peninsular on the West Coast of Scotland, situated within a ring of hills forming the caldera of the former volcanic crater of Ben Hiant. The exceptional preservation of the settlement remains, including cruck-slots within house walls, led to the scheduling of the settlement, which is considered to be of regional and national importance.
Settlement at Glendrian was first documented in the early 17th century, in 1618, when 8 families were recorded living there. From 1723, the population grew, jumping from 29 people to 39 in 1841 and 47 in 1861. The census records show a decrease in the population after this however, and it was during the mid-19th century that the smaller townships on the Ardnamurchan peninsular, including Glendrian, were cleared for larger sheep farms. The population fell to 20 in 1881 and 11 in 1901. By the 1930s, only two houses were occupied, and by the 1940s, the settlement was completely deserted.
Glendrian does not appear on Roy’s Military Maps of 1747-55, but it does appear on Bald’s map of 1806, on which it comprised 17 buildings, two enclosures, fields and walls. By the time of the 1st Edition OS 6 Inch map of 1876, three unroofed buildings, 17 roofed buildings, 6 enclosures and field systems were present. More buildings were depicted as unroofed on the 1896 2nd Edition OS 6 inch map, with only 8 roofed. A walkover survey was undertaken in 2011 in advance of a bracken control programme and this revealed many more features than mapped however, including previously unrecorded shielings, enclosures and boundaries. A total of 43 individual features were identified; more than half of these related to use of the landscape and transhumance including areas of rig and furrow cultivation and boundary walls, but the rest were structures and features associated directly with the post-medieval settlement, including houses, a revetted spring, a sheep fank and numerous enclosures.
Although a walkover survey does not record sufficient detail for a full assessment and discussion of sites, at Glendrian, it did discover clear evidence of modification and development through time to the settlement. Houses were of varied style and contained evidence for different phases. For example, some buildings had clearly had extensions and additional rooms attached to the pre-existing structures, and the construction of fireplaces within some of the houses were likely related to the latest phase of use. Additionally, the boundary walls and enclosures were all of drystone construction, but these construction techniques varied and these structures also exhibited characteristics of modification.
The level of preservation at Glendrian is considered to be exceptional, especially when compared to similar types of settlements in the Highlands, as most do not usually preserve evidence of modification and phasing through time. In light of this, the site represents a valuable resource into understanding the changes that took place in post-medieval settlement and economy in the Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries, and a closer study of the architecture of Glendrian would allow for an interesting study into vernacular Highland settlements.
In contrast to the previous three icons from Halychyna, this one was painted in Slobozhanshchyna — a sparsely populated region on the Left Bank (of the Dnipro river) of Ukraine, to which many Ukrainian families relocated at the time, fleeing the endless and devastating wars that had begun with Bohdan Khmelnytsky's uprising against the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1648.
This period in Ukrainian historiography is known as the 'Ruin' (Ukr. Ruyina), as after Khmelnytsky’s death, the Cossack elite split into rival factions and soon began fighting one another. The ethnically Ukrainian lands on the Right Bank were ravaged and depopulated, while Ukraine itself was divided among the Ottoman Empire, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Moskovia (under the Treaty of Andrusovo in 1667, and later the Treaty of Perpetual Peace in 1686).
Nevertheless, on the Left Bank, its own style of icon painting began to develop at monasteries in cities such as Valky, Izium, Okhtyrka, and Kharkiv. This style borrowed traditions from the Baroque style as well as local color. In general, in the art and architecture of the late 16th century on the Left Bank of Ukraine, a distinctive authentic style emerged — the so-called 'Ukrainian Baroque".
Saint Anne — the mother of the Most Holy Theotokos, in the Orthodox tradition is often depicted as a symbol of family holiness, maternal love, and intercession.
The icon is executed in the traditional style of Ukrainian Baroque icon painting. This period is characterized by bright colors, delicate linearity, decorative elements, and attempts to give the figure more volume and expressiveness than in earlier icons.
Usually, such icons were painted on wooden panels using egg tempera and gilding to highlight the holiness of the image.
Icons of Saint Anne were often commissioned for use in the private homes of wealthy Ukrainians; most likely, this was one of them.
La Mussara, Tarragona (Spain).
EnFoCa: 2ª KDD - "Los Castillejos" i La Mussara [22/03/2009].
ENGLISH
La Mussara is a town in Tarragona that has been left about 50 years ago. It is on the edge of a cornice of the Muntanyes de Prades, at 990m. height, and thence there are spectacular views of all Tarragona.
It appears mentioned in documents in 1173 where it states that the town already was inhabited. The church of La Mussara appears mentioned in a bull of Celestine III in 1194. The temple maintained the category of parish until in 1534 it passed to depend on the one on Vilaplana. Nowadays about the church of San Salvador, built on the previous one of gothic style, it only left the four walls and the bell tower of 1859. As peculiar things of this town, it was named ranas to its inhabitants because when it rained a little, it formed a great pool in the only street of the town. Also from here it comes the Catalan saying “baixar de La Mussara” (to lower of La Mussara), equivalent to the Castilian “bajar de la higuera” or “bajar de la parra”.
The Mussara gave up exist officially in January 1960, and nobody knows so that of its depopulation. It is attributed mainly to the phylloxera plague, but that is not a zone in which the culture of the grapevine is important, reason why almost surely that the abandonment could have to the water shortage... or simply that the population was scattered and there they lacked the more basic things like a doctor, a rector, electricity or telephone. All this halo of mystery in the disappearance of the town and the place in which it has given cause to a series of histories and legend that borders the fantasy and the superstition, cataloguing La Mussara like a “damn town”.
Inside the church and in the cemetery black masses are celebrated. Proof of it is the esoteric symbols that sometimes appear painted in the walls. In many corners of the town also they are deposited branches of flowers. There is one who has heard helmets of horses in the neighborhood of the church, or even chimes of the same church (that does not have bell). There is people who say to feel a species of call that it impels to him to go to La Mussara. A friend mine, who is neighboring of the zone, commented me that some years ago a man raised in his car, stopped minutes next to the pool, and soon he went at full speed to the precipice of the viewpoint.
Some hikers who have themselves bold to spend the night there have seen luminous shades, or figures moving between the houses and losing themselves behind the trees. Even there are witnesses of UFO sightings. But in which they agree more most of phenomena it is in the cold fog that appears suddenly and that it disorients people immersed in her, in such a way that what for them can seem minutes, soon they discover in its clocks that have spent hours. The electrical apparatuses also are altered.
From remote times to well entered 20th century, that zone has been land of witches. It counts the legend that during the carlists wars soldiers went to the cemetery of La Mussara to unearth a carlist general called Cercós (really Isidre Pàmies i Borràs, named general for a reason or purpose posthumous by Carlos VII) to shoot it (or to hang it, according to other sources), although already was dead. The fog confused to them and unearthed and shot the body of a old witch (l'àvia Boronada). This caused that the fog thickened still more to his around and that the soldiers fled terrified when occurring account of the error. One tells that this unleashed a curse on them.
Another legend talks about a rock near, which who steps on it or it jumps it passes to a parallel dimension, “Vila del Sis” (Town of the Six). It is know the case of a pair of “boletaires” (pickers of mushrooms) that went by the zone looking for mushrooms in October 1991. They were speaking one with another one calmly, watching the ground, when one of them, Enrique Martinez Ortiz, it let respond, and until now it has not been known nothing else about him. He was neighboring of the place and he perfectly knew the land, reason why doubt that was had lost. Searches by the zone were organized during days, with the participation of soldiers of a close barracks, with unfruitful result.
It is all truth or lie, which is clear is that La Mussara is a place surrounded by natural beauty by its landscape, and of mystery by its undocumented history.
-----------------------------
CASTELLANO
La Mussara es un pueblo de Tarragona que lleva unos 50 años abandonado. Está al borde de una cornisa de las Muntanyes de Prades, a unos 990m. de altura, y desde allí hay unas vistas espectaculares de toda Tarragona.
Aparece citado en documentos de 1173 donde consta que el pueblo estaba ya habitado. La iglesia de La Mussara aparece citada en un bula de Celestino III de 1194. El templo mantuvo la categoría de parroquia hasta que en 1534 pasó a depender de la de Vilaplana. Hoy en día de la iglesia de San Salvador, construída sobre la anterior de estilo gótico, sólo quedan las cuatro paredes y el campanario de 1859. Como cosas curiosa de este pueblo, a sus habitantes se les llamaba ranas porque cuando llovía un poco se formaba una gran charca en la única calle del pueblo. También de aquí proviene el dicho catalán "baixar de la Mussara" (bajar de la Mussara), equivalente al castellano "bajar de la higuera" o "bajar de la parra".
La Mussara dejó de existir oficialmente en enero de 1960, y nadie sabe el por qué de su despoblación. Se atribuye principalmente a la plaga de filoxera, pero aquella no es una zona en que el cultivo de la vid sea importante, por lo que casi seguro que el abandono se pudo deber a la escasez de agua... o simplemente que la población ya estaba muy diseminada y allí faltaban las cosas más básicas, como médico, rector, electricidad o teléfono. Todo este halo de misterio en la desaparición del pueblo y el lugar en que se encuentra han dado pie una serie de historias y leyendas que rozan la fantasía y la superstición, catalogando La Mussara como "pueblo maldito".
En el interior de la iglesia y en el cementerio se celebran misas negras. Prueba de ello son los símbolos esotéricos que a veces aparecen pintados por las paredes. En muchos rincones del pueblo también se encuentran depositados ramos de flores. Hay quien ha oído cascos de caballos en los alrededores de la iglesia, o incluso campanadas de la misma iglesia (que no tiene campana). Hay gente que dice sentir una especie de llamada que le impulsa a ir a La Mussara. Un amigo mío, que es vecino de la zona, me comentó que no hace muchos años un hombre subió en su coche, se detuvo unos minutos al lado de la charca, y luego se dirigió a toda velocidad al barranco del mirador.
Algunos excursionistas que se han atrevido a pasar la noche allí han visto sombras, o figuras luminosas moviéndose entre las casas y perdiéndose tras los árboles. Incluso hay testigos de avistamientos OVNI. Pero en lo que más coinciden la mayoría de fenómenos es en la fría niebla que aparece de repente y que desorienta a los que se ven inmersos en ella, de tal modo que lo que para ellos pueden parecer minutos, luego descubren en sus relojes que han pasado horas. Los aparatos eléctricos también se ven alterados.
Desde tiempos remotos hasta bien entrado el siglo XX, aquella zona ha sido tierra de brujas. Cuenta la leyenda que durante las guerras carlistas unos soldados fueron al cementerio de La Mussara a desenterrar a un general carlista llamado Cercós (realmente Isidre Pàmies i Borràs nombrado general a título póstumo por Carlos VII) para fusilarlo (o colgarlo, según otras fuentes), aunque ya estuviera muerto. La niebla les confundió y desenterraron y fusilaron el cuerpo de una anciana bruja (l'àvia Boronada). Esto provocó que la niebla se espesara aún más a su alrededor y que los soldados huyeran despavoridos al darse cuenta del error. Se cuenta que esto desató una maldición sobre ellos.
Otra leyenda habla de una roca cercana, que quien la pisa o la salta pasa a una dimensión paralela, a la "Vila del Sis" (Villa del Seis). Se conoce el caso de una pareja de "boletaires" (recolectores de setas) que iban por la zona buscando setas en octubre de 1991. Iban hablando uno con otro tranquilamente, mirando al suelo, cuando uno de ellos, Enrique Martínez Ortiz, dejó de responder, y hasta ahora no se ha sabido nada más de él. Era vecino del lugar y se conocía perfectamente el terreno, por lo que se duda que se hubiera perdido. Se organizaron batidas por la zona durante días, con la participación de soldados de un cuartel próximo, con resultado infructuoso.
Sea todo ello verdad o mentira, lo que está claro es que La Mussara es un lugar rodeado de belleza natural por su paisaje, y de misterio por su historia indocumentada.
Más info: ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Mussara, www.franrecio.com/investigaciones/la_mussara_pueblo_maldi...
Dritvík (quite literally: Shit Cove) is a desolate piece of coast on the tip of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in W-Iceland. It is part of a National Park that covers the glacier-covered volcanic cone of Snæfellsjökull and some of the most varied and fascinating coastline of Iceland. It is hard to believe, but Dritvík used to be one of the most populated places in Iceland, but from the 15th to the 19th Century it was one of the main fishing stations in the country, owing to the fact that it was close to rich fishing grounds for Icelanders' small rowboats. At its heyday there were perhaps 5-600 people in Dritvík during the fishing season in tent-covered stone shelters; a small number by any measure except for that of the completely rural society of pre-1800 Iceland. The National Park has done a stellar job in setting up footpaths and information signs in Dritvík and other places of historical interest in this once teeming and now depopulated part of Iceland.