View allAll Photos Tagged discovering
It had long been our ambition to convert the basement of the Rotunda back to its condition in 1910. Ickworth Lives, a project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and your donations, is doing just that. Opened on 2nd March 2012, we invite you to discover the real lives of those who lived and worked in this party house in the 1930s.
The exterior of the Earl-Bishop’s Rotunda was virtually finished when he died in 1803, but the interior was still an empty shell, and the curving corridors and wings only a few feet above ground. It was left to the Earl-Bishop’s son, the future 1st Marquess of Bristol, to make what use he could of his father’s extraordinary plan. Having no need for massive galleries, in 1821 he instructed his architect, John Field, to redesign the East Wing as family living-quarters.
Field fitted out the ground floor of the Rotunda as state rooms in an austere Regency style. The West Wing was added purely for symmetry and so was left empty. The Trust is pleased to announce the go-ahead of a package for a project to develop the West Wing to provide new facilities for visitor reception, information, education, shop, restaurant, functions, conferences and events.
As the family lived mostly in the East Wing, the rooms that visitors see in the Rotunda spent much of the year under dust sheets, coming into their own mainly for parties and other special occasions. But as a result, their superb furnishings and decoration have survived in excellent condition and little changed since the heyday of the house in the Edwardian era.
The house, with much of its collections of family portraits, Huguenot silver, Regency furniture and china, and part of the ancient deer-park, passed to the National Trust in 1956.
The East Wing has been transformed into a four star hotel by the hotel company Luxury Family Hotels who lease the East Wing. Until 1997 the East Wing was home to the late 7th Marquis of Bristol who had leased the property from the National Trust.
The hotel has 35 luxury rooms - 11 in the Dower House a separate property situated on the north-west of the estate (opened in autumn 2002) - the hotel complex has three restaurants, a 50ft indoor pool, horse riding facilities and a tennis court.
Ickworth’s 18th-century parkland and gardens include some of the most stunning countryside to be found in East Anglia.
The Park
The extensive 1,800 acres of wooded parkland, created in part by 'Capability' Brown, is a living landscape rich in plant, animal, and bird life. Some parts cultivated and grazed yet much can be explored and enjoyed. Some waymarked field margins may also be walked. Access has been made possible through funding by the Forestry Commission’s Countryside Access scheme.
The Gardens
The gardens surrounding the house were created in the first half of the 19th century by the First Marquess of Bristol. Those in the formal Italian style to the south of the house feature the Gold and Silver Gardens, a Victorian Stumpery and the Temple Rose Garden. A raised terrace walk separates the south garden from the park.
Beyond the church are the remnants of an 18th-century garden created by the First Earl. His summerhouse (circa.1703) and ornamental canal still survive. The kitchen garden, protected by high brick walls, is now a vineyard producing Ickworth wines (available in the National Trust shop).
(for further pictures and informations please contact the link at the end of page!)
Schönbrunn Palace - History
Already in the 14th century was here a plot of land with buildings. The property was then called 'Katterburg', included a mill and a public house with wine and was in possession of the Klosterneuburg (small city in Lower Austria) Monastery. Over time the property was extended and by 1548 of Mayor Bayer to a manor expanded.
In 1569 the Habsburg Maximilian II purchased the property. His goal was primarily to build a zoo, which mainly consisted of indigenous poultry and wild game. After Maximilian's death in 1576 the Katterburg went into the possession of Rudolph II. In 1605, Hungarian troops destroyed the garden of Katterburg which was then only provisionally repaired. Namesake of Schönbrunn should have been Emperor Matthias, who while hunting on the premises discovered a source in 1612 which spawned crystal clear water.
The Katterburg about 1672
This fountain was so beautiful that he should give the property the future name. Emperor Ferdinand II, the successor Matthias', spent as a passionate hunter a lot of time in Schonbrunn. When he died spent his widow Eleonora Gonzaga, who was also very attached to the Jägertum (passion for hunting) a lot of time in Schönbrunn and indulged from then on a rich social life. This soon demanded a more representative environment as it was the old Katterburg, so she in 1642 had built a castle, whose name Schöbrunn in the same year for the first time was recorded in a document. At the same time she had also the garden broadened and expanded, often offering room for business meetings.
During the second Turkish siege in 1683 the grounds and Gebäulichkeiten (old buildings) were largely destroyed, whereupon the Emperor Leopold I., who acquired the plant in 1686, for his successor Joseph I wanted to have constructed a new building of the castle. For this project, the architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach was consulted, which submitted a draft in 1688 to prove his architectural skills. Then Fischer von Erlach was hired immediately and has since worked for the court and nobility. Finally, he was commissioned in 1693 by Leopold I to design a concrete blueprint for the castle. Three years later with the construction was begone, and in the spring of 1700 the central wing was completed and habitable. As a result of the Spanish war of succession arose financial gaps, which greatly slowed the progress of construction of the side wings. And when Joseph died suddenly, they were discontinued altogether. In the coming years the unfinished palace served the Wilhelmine Amalie as a widow seat.
Emperor Charles VI. bought the chateau in 1728 with the baroque garden. However, he remained there merely for pheasant hunting. Therefore, he gave the whole castle to his daughter Maria Theresa, who has since always had a heart for the Palace Schönbrunn. This meant the beginning of the first heyday of Schönbrunn Palace. End of 1742, construction work on the castle was resumed and led to the great complex as it is found today. Maria Theresa engaged the experienced architect Nikolaus Pacassi for the management of construction. 1745 the new palais chapel was opened which still completely was based on the plans of Fischer von Erlach. In the following year, already could be moved into the residential and audience spaces in the east wing. Thus, the completion went on until an extension of the castle was needed because the imperial family experienced brisk growth. Between the main floor and the upper floors a mezzanine was inserted with living spaces for the imperial children. The baroque garden was subjected to strict symmetrical order, which was particularly manifested in the application of the flower beds and paths. The beds were in large part made ​​of boxwood and were lined with colorful stones. The plant was like a carpet with rich ornaments.
It was Maria Theresa's desire to accommodate a castle theater in the building. It found its place in the northern courtyard wing and was opened in 1747. The Empress herself namely was a talented singer, and also her children were involved artistically at New Castle Theatre appearing themselves as singers and actors. Yet shortly after 1750, Maria Theresa had to expand the castle one more time, as the imperial family had grown again. In the west wing arose another mezzanine, now leading to the outer appearance of the castle, representing a symmetry and thus the facade could finally be completed. Here ended the first renovation phase.
The second renovation phase was less object of spatial extensions, because rather were made ​​changes to existing premises. The big and the small gallery received a vaulted ceiling with lavish stucco of Albert Bolla and huge frescoes by Gregorio Guglielmi. The result was a masterpiece of Rococo. The neighboring rooms were of a similar standard, and nowhere with rocaille, mirrors, tapestries, paintings, and other precious decorative elements was economized. From 1753 Franz Stephan in the Hietzinger area of the castle park had laid out the so-called Dutch garden, in which arose an extensive collection of exotic plants, which should serve scientific purposes.
Another phase of equipment activities began after the death of Emperor Franz I. Stephan in 1765, Maria Theresa profoundly affecting. In order to express her grief and to commemorate her late husband, she had in the eastern wing numerous rooms equipped to Memorial rooms. In doing so, to her nothing was too expensive, and so arose richly decorated rooms with precious lacquer panels, specially acquired wood panelings from distant lands, finest fabric upholstery and many other exclusivities.
One last important phase of expansion began in the 70s of the 18th century, as Empress Maria Theresa had the gardens by the court architect Johann Ferdinand Hetzendorf of Hohenberg expanded.
Under his leadership, the Gloriette, the monumental Fountain of Neptune, the Roman artificial ruin, the Obelisk, the avenues and all the places and ways with the countless statues and sculptures, mainly originating from Wilhelm Beyer emerged. The design of the whole complex was until shortly before Maria Theresa's death in 1780 under way. From 1779 on, the park was open to the public. After that, the castle stood empty except for the years 1805 and 1809, in which Napoleon Schönbrunn occupied. After the Congress of Vienna in the years 1814/15 came up renewals, which were urgently needed. The facade was given according to plans by Johann Adam a completely new face: He removed the exuberant Rococo paneling and gave the castle its present appearance.
Another golden age began for Schönbrunn when Emperor Franz Joseph I in 1848 took over the Austrian rule. Schönbrunn was in fact already in his childhood his favorite. He inhabited as Emperor the premises of the West Wing, where he remained throughout his life. Except for the audience rooms, the rooms were refurbished in Franz Joseph's living area.
With a comparatively sober and simple setup of bourgeois character they were provided, which enables to conclude on Franz Joseph's personality. Even with the marriage and the arrival of Elisabeth of Bavaria ("Sisi" or the "Sissi") and on the occasion of the later family growth extensive device-specific changes have been made, yet much remained from the time of Maria Theresa. On the occasion of the World Exhibition in Vienna in 1873 even a large part has been restored. Extensive renovations, extensions and additions to the Maria Theresa Rococo style were made mainly to the galleries and to the premises in the east wing. The Dutch garden was transformed into an English garden and in it in the years 1880-82 was built the famous Palm House, a huge building made ​​of glass and iron. Now, the final face of Schönbrunn was created, as it is known today throughout the world.
I like this shot as it shows the lights of two or three rides - the Hurricane, the Ferris Wheel, and possibly the Orbiter.
Discover Financial Services headquarters has held twice-yearly book fairs for the past several years benefiting Children’s Memorial Hospital’s Literacy Program. The events offer books, photo albums, stationery, music, gifts, eco-friendly shopping bags and more at discounted prices. In addition to sponsoring the book fair, the Books Are Fun® Reader’s Digest company donates a percentage of every purchase. Discover employees raised $510 at November’s book fair.
A musician from Jazz Combo Box plays to a small child, fascinated by the entertainment at Millennium Square.
Annual Campus Preview Day for prospective students and their families to discover and learn more about CSU Channel Islands.