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It is said that here people were hanged who stole wood or poached...not sure if that is true.
For more information regarding the wildlife park and the hiking route, see the set 'Germany, 2016, Hiking Schurwald, Wildpark'
I feel that this photo is the beginning of a new era in my photography, because of a couple reasons. Yesterday I bought a 50mm 1.4G lens, one of the best decissions ever, the depth of field is so much crazier than with my old 40mm 2.8G. I also bought a new timer remote, since my old one broke and I'm not comfortable with the 10 second timer. So today right after coming home from work I ran out into the forest, dragged this couch, which I've thought about for a while, out in an open location. After taking a refreshing shower I dressed up, put my new lens on the camera, and went to shoot. The execution didn't take too much time, and on my way home it started raining. I'm really happy with my new equipment and this photo, which I see as the start of something great. I hope that you will join me on this trip!
Well, the photographs of this series are probably nothing special, certainly not in terms of composition, or execution and accuracy. Yet I think or hope, there also is a place for this kind of thing in life (and on Flickr).
I feel these images have a subtleness, some kind of gentle in-the-moment-ness that I find very relaxing.
The halation and the thin DOF that comes with the wide aperture diverts the eye from too much detail, it simplifies and brings the muted vintage color palette in the foreground, which has some painterly quality to it.
I don't really get tired of looking at them, just enjoying the colors; but maybe it's just me, having the memories of taking them that provoke this type of emotional response?
Either way, perhaps some of you like staring at them too for a bit :)
Taken: mid October.
Nikon D7200 (APS-C crop sensor)
Minolta MD ROKKOR 50mm f/1.7
Fotodiox Pro MD - Nik adapter
(thus 75mm full frame equivalent)
ISO100, 50mm, f/1.7, 1/3200sec (-0.7EV)
single image, handheld, with joy..
...and in her dream she dreamed of a stranger falling, being pulled into a chair of inevitable departure.
Thanks to Brooke Shaden for the one of a kind workshop and inspiration.
view on black, please - will open in a new window.
A young Thai boy executes a double kick in a perfect manner to shatter two breaking boards at a taekwondo belt promotion test in Bangkok.
I headed to London with exactly this photo in mind. The execution isn't as good as I'd have liked, but I love the combination of the statue/fountain, the bridge, and The Shard in the background.
It was a bright sunny day...
Silver Efex Pro 2 magic again. Without SE Pro 2 this result simply wasn't possible.
Check out my website for an Ebook on long exposure fine art photography, written by award winning photographer Sharon Tenenbaum.
Check my profile for my website:)
Technical info:
ND110 x 2 - 20 stops.
f/3.5
ISO250
11 mm
331s (5min31sec) exposure
Software:
Lightroom 3.0
PS CS5 - Silver Efex Pro 2
Other Post processing equipment:
Wacom Intuos 4 tablet for some accurate editing.
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Dawn breaks the morning after yet another announcement to confirm the delay of the introduction of the new Mk5 stock on the Caledonian Sleeper Highlander service. With the Mk5s on that route now not likely to be introduced until the Autumn, the 35-40 year old Mk2s (pictured) and Mk3s will be kept running in full passenger service for another few months.
Likewise, the Class 90s which have worked Sleeper trains for three decades will perform one last stint before they are no longer able to work the trains anymore (due to ETS and coupling incompatibility).
Freightliner Class 90, 90049 - on hire to GB Railfreight for use on the sleeper services - works the Up Highlander (1M16) south through Winsford.
June 30
Saint Vincent ĐỖ YẾN
Dominican Priest
(1764-1838)
* An Elderly Wanderer
Saint Vincent Đỗ Yến was shown in portraits as an old man over 70 years old, full of gray hair, the result of 40 years plus devoting to Christians in many parishes in Hải Dương province. Like a conscientious doctor taking care of his patient, this lovable, spiritual, and gentle old priest had always been present among Christians in all their trials. Now, when the king ordered an all-out pursuit of priests with threats of ravaging any place that dared providing them safe haven., the old disciple, avoiding enmeshing others in his trouble, left the beloved Kẻ Sặt parish for undetermined destinations... like Christ said: “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” His farewell to his beloved sheep of this world had united Fr. Vincent Đỗ Yến with saints in Heaven. The old priest had received the crown of martyrdom as an everlasting reward from God.
* Priest of the Order of Preachers.
Vincent Đỗ Yến was born in 1764 (post-Le’s dynasty), in Trà Lũ, Phú Nhai parish, Nam Định province. This region was a fertile land having born many saints such as: Vincent Liêm, Thomas Dụ, Dominic Đạt... VIncent Yến answered God’s call for the religious life at an early age. After years of virtues formation, philosophy and theology training, he was ordained a priest by Bishop Delgado in 1798. People thought that his ministry would be cut short because he was arrested during Christian persecutions in King Cảnh Thịnh’s last years, and his freedom was bought with ransom money by Christians.
On 7/22/1807, Fr. Vincent Đỗ Yến received the Dominican habits and professed his solemn vow the following year. Religious life helped uniting him deeper with God. He lived simply, often made personal sacrifice and spent hours in meditation. His heart was always burned with love for God and man; he was devoted to evangelization, never worried about fatigue or personal safety. Under King Gia Long’s (1802-1820) and at the beginning of King Minh Mạng’s reigns, Fr. Vincent Yến carried his ministry in relative safety. He was initially responsible for Kẻ Mốt parish, then Kẻ Sặt parish, Hải Dương province. Everywhere he went, he poured out his heart to reinforce parishioners’ faith and to convert many nonbelievers into Christians. The faithful asserted that he was always happy, wise, calm, gentle, and saintly and that wherever he went he did his all to deepen the faith of Christians and to help many pagans believing in God.
* The Wandering Feet...
In 1838, King Minh Ming ordered the mandarins to strictly follow his edict of persecutions in the dioceses of Tonkin or North (Đàng Ngoài). Many bishops, priests, religious, and lay Christians had bravely sacrificed their lives for faith. Many churches, seminaries, religious community houses were destroyed. Fr. Vincent Đỗ Yến, pastor of Kẻ Sặt parish, was pained witnessing his flock being pressed into dismantling the spacious church which they had built with their own hands and money. Sympathizing with the flock’s misery, he stayed among them, moving from house to house, celebrating Mass at night, counseling and providing sacramental services during the day. Every thing was done in secrecy as it was done in the Church’s early days.
However, informed that Fr. Vincent Yến was still hiding out in Kẻ Sặt parish and determined to capture him, the authorities put the parish under surveillance and threatened to flatten the village. Wishing the parishioners to have peace, the shepherd quietly departed, taking with him the painful feelings of being separated from his beloved flock. He entrusted everything in God’ providence.
At first, he went to the community of Thừa, but sensing it unsafe, he went on to Lực Điền (Hưng Yên). Exhausted by the long trip, he stopped and rested under the shade of a bamboo bush. A passerby stopped and wondered: “Where are you going? Why are you sitting here?” To hide his identity, the priest feigned ignorance and asked for directions to Kẻ Sặt parish as well as to Lực Điền. The passerby gave directions then left. Continuing his trip, he met village chief Phan on June 8. Feigning sympathy, the village chief begged Fr. Vincent Yến to stay at his home. Then the chief made an about face and arrested the priest, put him in a cangue and prepared to have him brought to Hải Dương. Warned of the priests arrest, parishioners of Kẻ Sặt and Lực Điền brought buffaloes and money to buy his freedom, but the chief refused hoping for bigger reward from his superiors. Fr. Vincent Yến had to use all his persuasive power to prevent Christians of the two parishes against using force to free him.
In Hải Dương, the disciple was taken to the tribunal three days later. The town mandarin, already a humane man and with the advice of a physician named Hàn, the mandarin’s personal physician, did not want to spill the blood of a Christian. He advised the priest to admit to be a physician so that the mandarin could free him. The witness of faith responded: “No, I am not a physician. I am a priest who only preached and celebrated Mass to God. I am willing to die it, not lying to live.”
The mandarin tried to find other reasons to release Fr. Vincent Yến. He had a circle drawn around the priest and declared that he would considered the priest’s stepping out of the circle as walking over the cross and the priest could go free. Once more, the preacher of faith unwaveringly refused: “There is no difference between doing that and renouncing my faith.” Unable to shake the experienced priest’s faith plus not desiring to execute an innocent man, the mandarin sent a report to the royal city and petitioned the royal court to transfer the priest back to his home province of Nam Định.
* Hour of Reward...
King Minh Mạng did not approve the transfer request instead handed down the death sentence that was signed on 6/20/1838 and reached Hải Dương on June 30 with the following content:
“Đỗ Yến is a native and a Catholic priest, imprisoned but still faithful to his religion. He certainly is a stupid person who is determined to not conform to the right path, and therefore must be beheaded immediately; why send him back?”
In the three weeks of imprisonment, with the intervention of physician Hàn, Fr. Vincent Yến did not have to wear a cangue or shackles; he was allowed to have the food Christians brought in. Days and nights, he concentrated most of his time reciting prayers and in quite and lasting meditation.
On 6/30/1838, the prefecture mandarin carried out the newly received sentence. Fr. Vincent Yến proudly went to the execution site which was located at a crossroad not too far from the community of Bình Lao and about 1 kilometer from the western wall of Hải Dương. The gentle look of the respected and elderly priest with the dignified demeanor touched a lot of hearts. At the site, he kneeled down and prayed reverently. Then the executioner carried out his responsibility. With only one saber swing, the martyr’s head fell to the ground...
The mandarin gave a piece of cloth to shroud the body, had the head sown back into his neck, then allowed parishioners of the community of Bình Lao to carry it back the parish for burial. Eight months later, Christians exhumed his body to rebury it in the church of Thọ Ninh parish. During the exhumation, people discovered that his body looked the same as when he was just executed. Mr. Trưởng Dong, a pagan, who had witnessed the exhumation, said: “It’s true that a person who lived virtuously, died divinely. It had been 8 months, but there was no change, no bad odor; moreover, there was even an aromatic scent.”
The martyred hero Vincent Đỗ Yến, Dominican priest was elevated by Pope Leo XIII to the rank of blessed on 5/27/1900.
Columbia tower on a moody day. Cloud cover was perfect for what I had in mind, execution is a little on the iffy side. I'm not in love with the composition but it gives me a good idea what I would like to try in the future.
The Spanish Steps are a set of steps in Rome, Italy, climbing a steep slope between the Piazza di Spagna at the base and Piazza Trinità dei Monti, dominated by the Trinità dei Monti church at the top.
The monumental stairway of 135 steps (the slightly elevated drainage system is often mistaken for the first step) was built with French diplomat Étienne Gueffier's bequeathed funds of 20,000 scudi, in 1723–1725, linking the Trinità dei Monti church that was under the patronage of the Bourbon kings of France and the Bourbon Spanish Embassy at the top of the steps to the Holy See in the Palazzo Monaldeschi at the bottom of the steps. The stairway was designed by architects Francesco de Sanctis and Alessandro Specchi.Generations of heated debate over how the steep, 29-meter slope to the church on a shoulder of the Pincio should be urbanized preceded the final execution. Archival drawings from the 1580s show that Pope Gregory XIII was interested in constructing a stair to the recently completed façade of the French church.
French diplomat to the Holy See Etienne Gueffier died in 1660, leaving part of his fortune for the construction of the stairs. The Roman-educated Cardinal Mazarin took a personal interest in the project and entrusted it to his agent in Rome, whose plan included an equestrian monument of Louis XIV of France, an ambitious intrusion that created a furore in papal Rome. Mazarin died in 1661, the pope in 1667, while Gueffier's will was successfully contested by a nephew who claimed half; so the project lay dormant until Pope Clement XI Albani renewed interest in it in the early 18th century.
A competition was held in 1717, which was won by the obscure Francesco de Sanctis, though Alessandro Specchi was long thought to have produced the winning entry. Little is known of the architect, who was favored by the French in the design process. His drawing was engraved by Girolamo Rossi in 1726, with a long dedication to Louis XV.
The solution is a gigantic inflation of some conventions of terraced garden stairs. The first such divided and symmetrical stairs were devised for the Belvedere Courtyard in the 1600s by Donato Bramante, while shaped and angled steps were introduced by Michelangelo in the vestibule to the Laurentian Library. The Bourbon fleur-de-lys and Innocent XIII's eagle and crown are carefully balanced in the sculptural details.
Mid-18th century writers Joseph de Lalande and Charles de Brosses noted that the steps were already in poor condition. They have been restored several times since, including from May to December 1995. A new renovation commenced on October 8, 2015, and the steps reopened on September 21, 2016.
Mid-air mastery as a young Thai taekwondo artist breaks the board with precision and power — a moment of flight, focus, and fearless execution.
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I begin this photographic story with a description, starting from far away, from very far away, it is a story that speaks of chains, innocent men condemned to death, a voice that comes from a painting, chains that break by themselves, a barred door that opens spontaneously: we are in Palermo (Sicily), it is the 23rd (18th is also reported) August 1392 during the reign of Martin V, the Marina square (located in the Kalsa district of Palermo), overlooking the port (Cala), is the place designated for capital executions by hanging, in this way the population and sailors can witness the hangings, a few meters from the square is the church of " Our Lady of the Port", also known as the "church of the chain" due to the presence nearby of one end of a large and long chain which, when hooked to the two sides of the entrance from the sea to the port, thus put under tension, the same prevented Saracen pirate ships from entering it; the gallows is now ready for three condemned men to death, the sudden arrival of a violent storm prevents the imminent execution, the gendarmes and the condemned men take refuge in the nearby church of Our Lady of the Port, avoiding reaching the prison, the gendarmes tie the three unfortunate men with double chains, barricade the heavy church door from inside, the execution is postponed until the next day; during the night the gendarmes fall asleep, the three condemned men certainly cannot sleep, that is their last night, they approach a painting of the Virgin Mary placed on the altar, ask mercy from the Holy Mother, they invoke her incessantly, a voice is heard coming from the Sacred Image, the Divine Infant that Mary holds in Her arms has granted them freedom, the chains break without making a sound, the door opens spontaneously, the three incredulous men come out into the square, news of what happened immediately spreads, the gendarmes awakened by the clamor recapture the three condemned men, but the population resists, requests the intervention of the king, who arrives and learns of what happened, since the miracle has occurred he considers them innocent and therefore declares them free. Thus was born the cult of the "Our Lady of the Chain", She holds a long chain in Her hands. She is attributed the gift of Powerful Liberator, from all kinds of constraints, both physical and psychological. This cult quickly spread throughout Sicily, but also beyond, to Calabria, Puglia, Campania, and Lazio. In the locality of Cronarmerina, in the Piazza Armerina area (Enna), it is said that in the event of a difficult birth, the chain held by the statue of Our Lady of the Chain was placed on the pregnant woman's belly, thus facilitating the birth. This beginning introduces the current photographic story made on the first Sunday of May 2025, taken on the occasion of the "Great Feast" that Castiglione di Sicilia (Catania) dedicates to its Most Holy. The patron saint, Our Lady of the Chain, is celebrated every 5 years (with several exceptions). This celebration is characterized by the carrying in procession of the heavy marble statue, weighing approximately 800 kgs, made by the Gagini school, through the streets of the town, together with the relic of the “Virgin Mary’s Hair”. Every year, the “normal” celebration is celebrated, without carrying the Sacred Effigy in procession, always on the first Sunday in May and the second Sunday in August. Extraordinary events attributed to this Virgin Mary Statue have occurred in Castiglione. In 1612, the "miracle of sweating" occurred, linked to the "redemption of the mere and mixed empire." In short, during the Aragonese and Spanish occupation, Castiglione di S. (S. as Sicily) was subject to the rule of feudal lords, who exercised the "mere and mixed empire," thus having full powers of jurisdictional sovereignty over Castiglione in place of the king. The population attempted to "redeem" these rights to escape taxes and feudal arbitration, obtain their own autonomy, and be administered by royal magistrates. It is said that during a critical moment in the attempt to redeem the "mere and mixed empire," the statue of the Our Lady of the Chain "sweated," a supernatural phenomenon interpreted as the participation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Her Infant in the suffering of the population, with her approval and protection in the process of redemption-liberation (a manuscript records what happened). In April 1809, after weeks of incessant prayers, the Statue was carried in procession to invoke Our Lady of the Chain to halt the advance of a lava flow from volcano Etna that threatened to destroy homes and fields in the Castiglione area. In 1879, the Statue was carried in procession behind the Castle to invoke the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary to put out a devastating fire; in 1946, at the end of World War II, a solemn procession was organized with the heavy Statue carried on shoulders, to thank the Blessed Virgin Mary for the end of the conflict; in 2020, the "Great Feast" was not celebrated due to the Covid-virus emergency. One aspect worthy of consideration is the deep attachment of the population of Castiglione di S. to the cult of Our Lady of the Chain, a cult that becomes a distinctive feature in the small communities of people of Castiglione scattered across many countries, some very far away. For example, in an interview with people who have moved to Australia (including their children or grandchildren) and now live in Brisbane or Sydney, we read that in every home of people off Castiglione there are always iconographic elements of Our Lady of the Chain, sacred images, small statues, postcards, paintings. And so, the anniversary of the "Great Feast” which occurs every 5 years, is a long-awaited moment for those who live abroad. The time comes to organize themselves into groups, take those who can, the same flight, and thus return to their native land, embrace their families again, and be able to see the Most Holy Mother again who "visits the town" walking its streets. A little curiosity: the first names "Cateno" or "Catena" are typically Sicilian names, originating from this Marian devotion. For example, our current and well-known mayor of Taormina (Messina), a politician, is named Cateno De Luca, as is the writer Catena Fiorello. Finally, a personal thought of mine: my paternal grandfather emigrated to the USA to find work and support his family. My grandmother remained in Taormina with their two children, her work as a photographer (she was the daughter of Gaetano D'Agata, assistant photographer of Baron-photographer Wilhelm von Gloeden, as I mentioned in a previous photo story) was not enough. My grandfather subsequently had to return to Sicily prematurely due to the outbreak of World War II. This photographic story of mine was created with constant, unceasing thought of all those Sicilians who emigrated abroad for work.
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Inizio questo racconto fotografico con descrizione, partendo da lontano, da molto lontano, è una storia che parla di catene, uomini innocenti condannati a morte, una voce che proviene da un quadro, catene che si spezzano da sole, un portone sbarrato che si apre spontaneamente: siamo a Palermo (Sicilia), è il 23 (viene anche riportato il 18) agosto 1392 durante il regno di Martino V, la Piazza Marina (si trova nel quartiere Kalsa di Palermo), si affaccia sul porto (Cala), è il luogo deputato alle esecuzioni capitali per impiccagione, in tal modo la popolazione ed i marinai possono assistere alle impiccagioni, a pochi metri dalla piazza si trova la chiesa di “S.Maria del porto”, conosciuta anche come la “chiesa della catena” per la presenza nelle vicinanze di una estremità di una grossa e lunga catena che, quando agganciata ai due lati dell’ingresso dal mare del porto, messa così in tensione, la stessa impediva alle navi pirata saracene di entrarvi dentro; la forca è ora pronta per tre condannati a morte, l’improvviso sopraggiungere di un violento temporale impedisce l’imminente esecuzione, gendarmi e condannati riparano nella vicina chiesa di S. Maria, evitando di raggiungere il carcere, i gendarmi legano i tre malcapitati con doppie catene, sbarrano da dentro il pesante portone della chiesa, l’esecuzione viene rimandata all’indomani; durante la notte i gendarmi si addormentano, i tre condannati non possono certo dormire, quella è la loro ultima notte, si avvicinano ad un quadro della Madonna posto sull’altare, chiedono misericordia alla Madre Santissima, la invocano incessantemente, una voce si ode provenire dalla Sacra Immagine, il Divino Infante che Maria sorregge in braccio ha concesso loro la libertà, le catene si spezzano senza fare rumore, il portone si spalanca spontaneamente, i tre increduli escono nella piazza, si sparge immediatamente la notizia di quanto accaduto, i gendarmi svegliati dal clamore riacciuffano i tre condannati, ma la popolazione si oppone, richiede l’intervento del re, il quale sopraggiunge e viene a conoscenza dell’accaduto, poiché c’è stato il miracolo li considera innocenti e quindi li dichiara liberi. Così nacque il culto per la “Madonna della Catena”, Ella regge tra le mani una lunga catena, Le viene attribuito il dono di Potente Liberatrice, da ogni sorta di costrizione in senso lato, fisico e psichico, culto che rapidamente si diffonde maggiormente in tutta la Sicilia, ma anche oltre, in Calabria, Puglia, Campania, Lazio. In località Cronarmerina, sul territorio di Piazza Armerina (Enna), si racconta che in presenza di un parto difficile, sulla gestante si adagiava sul ventre la catena tenuta in mano dalla statua della Madonna della Catena, per favorirne così il parto. Questo incipit, per introdurre l’attuale racconto fotografico, realizzato la prima domenica di maggio del 2025, in occasione della “Festa Grande” che Castiglione di Sicilia (Catania) dedica alla sua SS. Patrona, la Madonna della Catena, che viene celebrata ogni 5 anni (con diverse eccezioni) caratterizzata dal portare in processione la pesante statua di marmo, del peso di circa 800 kg, ad opera della scuola dei Gagini, per le vie del paese, insieme alla reliquia del “Capello della Madonna”, mentre ogni anno si celebra la festa “normale”, senza portare in processione il Sacro Simulacro, sempre la prima domenica di maggio, e la seconda domenica di agosto. Eventi straordinari in quel di Castiglione, attribuiti a questa Madonna ne sono accaduti, nel 1612 avvenne il “miracolo della sudorazione”, legato al “riscatto del mero et mixto imperio”, in breve, Castiglione di S. durante l’occupazione aragonese e spagnola, era soggetta al dominio da parte di signori feudali, che esercitavano il “mero et mixto imperio”, avevano così pieni poteri di sovranità giurisdizionale su Castiglione al posto del re, la popolazione cercò di “riscattare” questi diritti per sottrarsi a tasse ed arbìtri feudali, ottenere una propria autonomia, ed essere amministrati dai magistrati regi, si narra che durante un momento critico del tentativo di riscatto del “mero et mixto imperio” la statua della Madonna della Catena avrebbe “sudato”, fenomeno sovrannaturale interpretato come partecipazione della SS. Maria e del Suo Infante alle sofferenze della popolazione, con la Sua approvazione e protezione nel processo di riscatto – liberazione (si legge quanto accaduto in un manoscritto). Nell’aprile 1809 dopo settimane di incessanti preghiere, la statua fu portata in processione, per invocare la Madonna della Catena nel fermare l’avanzare di una colata lavica proveniente dall’Etna che minacciava di distruggere case e campi del territorio di Castiglione; nel 1879 la statua fu portata in processione dietro il Castello, per invocare l’intercessione della SS. Maria per far cessare un devastante incendio; nel 1946 alla fine della seconda guerra mondiale, si organizzò una solenne processione con la pesante statua portata in spalla, per ringraziare la SS. Maria per la fine del conflitto mondiale; nel 2020 la “Festa Grande” non fu celebrata, causa l’emergenza dettata dal Covid-virus. Un aspetto degno di considerazione è il profondo attaccamento della popolazione di Castiglione di S. al culto della Madonna della Catena, culto che diviene una nota distintiva nelle piccole comunità di Castiglionesi che si trovano sparse in molte nazioni, alcune lontanissime, ad esempio, in una intervista a persone trapiantate in Australia (anche, i loro figli od i loro nipoti) che vivono a Brisbane od a Sydney, si legge che in ogni casa di castiglionesi sono sempre presenti elementi iconografici della Madonna della Catena, immagini sacre, piccole statue, cartoline, quadri, ed ecco che la ricorrenza della “Festa Grande” che si verifica ogni 5 anni, è un momento attesissimo da coloro che vivono all’estero, giunge il momento di organizzarsi in gruppi, prendere chi può, lo stesso volo aereo, e così ritornare alla terra natia, riabbracciare i familiari, poter rivedere la SS. Madre che “fa visita al paese” percorrendo le sue strade. Una piccola curiosità, il nome proprio di persona “Cateno o Catena”, sono nomi tipicamente siciliani, provengono da questa devozione mariana, ad esempio il nostro attuale e conosciuto sindaco di Taormina (ME), uomo politico, si chiama Cateno De Luca, od anche la scrittrice Catena Fiorello. Infine, un mio personale pensiero, mio nonno paterno emigrò negli USA per cercare lavoro e così poter mantenere la famiglia, mia nonna restò a Taormina con i loro due figli, il suo lavoro come fotografa (era la figlia di Gaetano D’Agata, assistente fotografo del barone-fotografo Wilhelm von Gloeden, ne ho parlato in un mio precedente racconto fotografico) non era sufficiente, successivamente mio nonno dovette anzitempo rientrare in Sicilia per il presentarsi del conflitto mondiale, questo mio racconto fotografico è stato realizzato pensando costantemente, incessantemente, a tutti quei Siciliani emigrati all’estero per necessità di lavoro.
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The Elven High Adjudicator oversees a new execution. The sacred tree Saibakan houses an ancient court. Here wanted creatures are put to rest. Often caught by Centaur Bounty Hunters. A perfect trade as the Centaurs are addicted to shrooms, which grows on the heads of former criminals...
台南安南區 - 空地雜草 / 人類消失植物進駐
Before Tainan Annan District - Open space weeds / Human disappearing plants stationed
Antes del districto de Tainan Annan - Malezas de espacio abierto / plantas humanas desaparecidas estacionadas
台南安南区 - スペースの雑草 / 人類は消えてなくなって植物進駐します
Vor Bezirk Tainan-Annan - Unkräuter des offenen Raumes / menschliche verschwindende Anlagen stationiert
Avant zone de Tainan Annan - Mauvaises herbes en espace ouvert / plantes en voie de disparition humaines stationnées
Tainan Taiwan / Tainan Taiwán / 台灣台南
管樂小集 2017/10/07 台南孔子廟 Confucian temple Tainan performances 1080P
{ 旅笠道中 Wearing hats travel in road }
{View large size on fluidr / 觀看大圖}
{My Blog / 管樂小集精彩演出-觸動你的心}
{My Blog / Great Music The splendid performance touches your heart}
{My Blog / 管楽小集すばらしい公演-はあなたの心を心を打ちます}
{Mi blog / La gran música el funcionamiento espléndido toca su corazón}
{Mein Blog / Große Musik die herrliche Leistung berührt Ihr Herz}
{Mon blog / La grande musique l'exécution splendide touche votre coeur}
Melody 曲:JAPAN / Words 詞:Sheesen / Singing : Sheesen
{ 夢旅人 1990 Dream Traveler 1990 }
家住安南鹽溪邊
The family lives in nearby the Annan salt river
隔壁就是聽雨軒
The next door listens to the rain porch
一旦落日照大員
The sunset Shineing to the Taiwan at once
左岸青龍飛九天
The left bank white dragon flying in the sky
行政院農業委員會畜產試驗所 - 楓香 / 綠色樹蔭下 - 令人好精神
Livestock Research Institute, Council Of Agriculture, Excutive Yuan - Maple / Under the shade of green - It makes me spirit
Instituto de investigación del ganado, consejo de la agricultura, Excutive Yuan - Arce / Bajo la sombra del verde - Me hace espíritu
家畜の研究所、農業、委員の議会 - フウ / 綠の色の樹の蔭の下 - 人の良い精神をさせます
Viehbestand-Forschungsinstitut, Rat der Landwirtschaft, Excutive Yuan - Ahorn / Im Schatten von Grün - Es macht mich zum Geist
Institut de recherche de bétail, le Conseil de l'agriculture, yuan d'Excutive - Érable / Sous l'ombre du vert - Ça me fait l'esprit
Sin-Hua Tainan Taiwan / Sin-Hua Tainan Taiwán / 台灣台南新化
管樂小集 2018/03/18 安平古堡 Fort Zeelandia performances 1080P
{View large size on fluidr/觀看大圖}
{My Blog / 管樂小集精彩演出-觸動你的心}
{My Blog / Great Music The splendid performance touches your heart}
{My Blog / 管楽小集すばらしい公演-はあなたの心を心を打ちます}
{Mi blog / La gran música el funcionamiento espléndido toca su corazón}
{Mein Blog / Große Musik die herrliche Leistung berührt Ihr Herz}
{Mon blog / La grande musique l'exécution splendide touche votre coeur}
Melody 曲:JAPAN / Words 詞:Sheesen / Singing : Sheesen
{ 夢旅人 1990 Dream Traveler 1990 }
家住安南鹽溪邊
The family lives in nearby the Annan salt river
隔壁就是聽雨軒
The next door listens to the rain porch
一旦落日照大員
The sunset Shineing to the Taiwan at once
左岸青龍飛九天
The left bank white dragon flying in the sky
Without doubt my favourite buses in the East Yorkshire fleet, the Plaxton President have given sterling service to East Yorkshire. Earmarked for withdrawal when the new e400mmcs arrived for the x46 service, social distancing regulations has meant every double decker is needed and so 673, alongside its sisters have had a stay in execution!
From the much maligned Alien 3, here is my Lego version of the Dragon and Ellen Ripley.
The execution may not have been the best but I have always thought this movie the perfect ending to my favorite film franchise. I mean the balls they had to kill off their main character in the manner they did. Forgotten on a forsaken planet, surrounded by strangers. This is pure myth. The hero excepting their fate and committing the ultimate sacrifice.
This build utilizes custom parts from Brickforge and Citizenbrick.
PLEASE, NO invitations or self promotions, THEY WILL BE DELETED. My photos are FREE to use, just give me credit and it would be nice if you let me know, thanks.
The first lighthouse on Georges Island was established in 1876. In 1916 the lighthouse was destroyed by fire. A temporary light was established from a dwelling on the island.
Early in 1919, the light was lit in a new concrete lighthouse. The same design was used at Louisbourg in 1923. This is the lighthouse that stands on the island today. It is about 200 feet from the keeper's dwelling, which is still standing.
Tower Height: 15.85 meters (52ft)
Light Height: 17.1 meters (56ft) above water level
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George's Island in the middle of Halifax harbour has a lighthouse and a military fortification, no longer in use.
Parks Canada - Georges Island, a small drumlin located in the middle of Halifax harbour, was shaped by glaciers which swept Nova Scotia thousands of years ago. Its strategic location and glacial till made it ideally suited to becoming the heart of the seaward defences for Halifax's important naval base. For nearly two hundred years Georges Island was the scene of constant military activity. Tales of executions, forts and hidden tunnels surround the folklore associated with the mysterious island.
The Halifax harbour defence system has been recognized as unique on the North American continent because it contains a complete conspectus of shore defences from the mid-18th century to the Second World War. Georges Island was an integral part of that system. Between 1750 and 1815, the works on Georges Island evolved from a rather simple earthen battery to a sophisticated masonry fortification, Fort Charlotte, with a Martello tower in its centre. Improvements continued and by the 1830s it was the most powerful smooth-bore fort in the Halifax defence system. The introduction of the rifled muzzle-loading artillery necessitated the reconstruction of Fort Charlotte between 1864 and 1870.
By the end of 19th century, changes in military technology altered the island's military usefulness. As a consequence, the island lost its significance as the key counter-bombardment battery and assumed a minor role as part of the inner line of defence. It became the depot for the submarine mines which were assembled and stored for laying in time of attack. In 1960, Georges Island was declared surplus to the needs of the Department of National Defence and was designated as a national historic site in 1965.
Today, Parks Canada is responsible for the preservation and stabilization of the cultural resources on Georges Island. Although, the island is not open to the public due to the fragile condition of resources. Parks Canada is now preparing this heritage site for future visitation.
The Victory I Class Star Destroyer Gallant short after the execution from Order 66 in orbit about Murkhana.
Hello there!
I finally finished the first edited picture of my Victory 1 Class Star Destroyer. It's named the Gallant like the Victory Star Destroyer in the book Dark Lord rise of Darth Vader. The shot is inspired by this comic scene who also appeared in the novel Dark Lord. The star destroyer is flying above Murkhana.
I put a lot of time and work into creating this moc/image. Please tell me your opinion about the edit and the moc, more pictures from the Star Destroyer will be online soon!
#legostarwars #lego #starwars #Victory1ClassStarDestroyer
If you are interested in my works, they are available on Getty Images.
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Follow me on Facebook | Portfolio | Tumblr | Blog | 500px | Flickriver | Fluidr | Flavors.me | Google+ | Twitter | exfm | Vimeo
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攝影，作為一種強而有力的表達及溝通工具，提供了千變萬化的感受、詮釋及表現。
Photography, as a powerful medium of expression and communications, offers an infinite variety of perception, interpretation and execution.
～Ansel Adams
五條港風情畫 - 普濟殿 / 祈禱上天保佑台南 - 震不倒歷史文化
The Five ports Graffiti - Puji Temple / Pray God bless Tainan - History and Culture shock does not fall
El Graffiti Cinco puertos - Templo de Puji / Ore para que Dios bendiga a Tainan - Historia y Cultura de choque no se cae
五條港の風情の絵 - 普済殿 / 禱が天に昇って台南を守ってくださりを祈ります - 震動して歷史の文化を入れません
Die Fünf-Ports Graffiti - Puji Temple / Gebe Gott, segne Tainan - Geschichte und Kulturschock fällt nicht
Le Graffiti Cinq ports - Puji Temple / Priez Dieu bénisse Tainan - Histoire et choc culturel ne tombe pas
Tainan Taiwan / Tainan Taiwán / 台灣台南
管樂小集 2016/01/31 安平古堡 Fort Zeelandia performances
{View large size on fluidr / 觀看大圖}
{My Blog / 管樂小集精彩演出-觸動你的心}
{My Blog / Great Music The splendid performance touches your heart}
{My Blog / 管楽小集すばらしい公演-はあなたの心を心を打ちます}
{Mi blog / La gran música el funcionamiento espléndido toca su corazón}
{Mein Blog / Große Musik die herrliche Leistung berührt Ihr Herz}
{Mon blog / La grande musique l'exécution splendide touche votre coeur}
家住安南鹽溪邊
The family lives in nearby the Annan salt river
隔壁就是聽雨軒
The next door listens to the rain porch
一旦落日照大員
The sunset Shineing to the Taiwan at once
左岸青龍飛九天
The left bank white dragon flying in the sky
Internationaler Feuerwerkswettbewerb 2019 zu Herrenhausen (Region Hannover). Hier in der Ausführung: ITALIEN, Pirotecnica Vaccalluzzo, Sizilien/Italia.
International Fireworks Competition 2019 to Herrenhausen (Region Hannover). Here in the execution: ITALY, Pirotecnica Vaccalluzzo, Sicily / Italia.
Concorso internazionale di fuochi d'artificio 2019 a Herrenhausen (regione di Hannover). Qui nell'esecuzione: ITALIA, Pirotecnica Vaccalluzzo, Sicilia / Italia.
Early life
Ziaur Rahman was born in the village of Bagbari in the Bogra District of the province of Bengal (now in northwest Bangladesh), although by some other accounts he was born in the city of Calcutta. His father, Mansur Rahman, was a chemist working for a government department in Kolkata. Zia's childhood was divided between living in the village and the city. He was later enrolled into the Hare School in Kolkata. With the partition of India in 1947, Mansur Rahman opted to join the new Muslim state of Pakistan, moving his family to East Pakistan. The family later moved to Karachi, the national capital located in West Pakistan, where Mansur Rahman had been transferred to work for the Government of Pakistan. Zia was enrolled in the Academy School in Karachi. Zia spent his adolescent years in Karachi and enrolled in the D. J. College there in 1953. In the same year, he entered the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul as an officer cadet. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Pakistan Army in 1955. After serving for two years in Karachi, he was transferred to the East Bengal Regiment in 1957. From 1959 to 1964 he worked in the department of military intelligence. In 1960, his marriage was arranged to Khaleda Zia, a young Bengali girl from the Dinajpur District who was 15 years old. Khaleda Zia remained with her parents in East Pakistan to complete her studies and joined her husband in Karachi in 1965. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Zia served in the Khemkaran sector in Punjab as the commander of a company unit of 300–500 soldiers. The sector was the scene of the most intense battles between the rival armies. Zia's unit won one of the highest numbers of gallantry awards for heroic performances. Ziaur Rahman himself won the distinguished and prestigious Hilal-e-Jurat medal , and his unit won 7 Sitara-e-Jurat medals and 12 Tamgha-e-Jurat medals for their brave roles in the 1965 War with India. In 1966, Zia was appointed military instructor at the Pakistan Military Academy, later going on to attend the prestigious Command and Staff College in Quetta, where he completed a course in command and tactical warfare. Advocating that the Pakistan Army make greater efforts to recruit and encourage Bengali military officers, Zia helped raise two Bengali battalions during his stint as instructor. Trained for high-ranking command posts, Zia joined the 2nd East Bengal regiment as its second-in-command at Joydevpur in 1969. Although sectarian tensions between East and West Pakistan were intensifying, Zia travelled to West Germany to receive advanced military and command training with the German Army. Zia returned to Pakistan the following year, and witnessed political turmoil and regional division. East Pakistan had been devastated by the 1970 Bhola cyclone, and the population had been embittered by the slow response of the central government. The political conflict between Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Awami League, which had won a majority in the 1970 elections, the President Yahya Khan and West Pakistani politician Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had brought sectarian tensions to a climax. Sheikh Mujib laid claim to form a government, but Yahya Khan postponed the convening of the legislature under pressure from West Pakistani politicians. Bengali civil and military officers had alleged institutional discrimination through the 1960s, and now distrust had divided the Pakistani Army. Upon his return, Zia attained the rank of Major and was transferred to the 8th East Bengal regiment stationed in Chittagong to serve as its second-in-command.
Sector Commander of Bangladesh Liberation Forces
Following the failure of last-ditch talks, Yahya Khan declared martial law and ordered the army to crack down on Bengali political activities. Before his arrest, Sheikh Mujib declared the independence of Bangladesh on March 26, 1971 and exhorted the people of East Pakistan to resist the army. One of the highest-ranking Bengali officers, Zia led his unit in mutiny of the Pakistan Army, killing the West Pakistani officers and capturing a radio station in Kalurghat near Chittagong and calling it the Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendro. On March 27, addressing the people via radio, Zia delivered Sheikh Mujib's address and declared independence on his behalf and pronounced himself "Head of the Republic": This is Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendro. I, Major Ziaur Rahman, at the direction of Bangobondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, hereby declare that the independent People's Republic of Bangladesh has been established. At his direction, I have taken command as the temporary Head of the Republic. In the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, I call upon all Bengalis to rise against the attack by the West Pakistani Army. We shall fight to the last to free our Motherland. By the grace of Allah, victory is ours. Joy Bangla Zia was appointed commander of Mukti Bahini (Liberation Army) forces in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, working under General M. A. G. Osmani, the supreme commander. He worked to provide support and resources to the Mukti Bahini guerilla force and coordinate attacks against the West Pakistani army. At a later phase of the war, Zia travelled across the border into India to receive military resources and training for his troops. Zia also helped coordinate the work of Bangladesh's government-in-exile of Mujibnagar. On June 1, 1971 Zia became the commander of the first conventional brigade of the Mukti Bahini, which was named "Z Force," after the first initial of his name. This brigade consisted of 1st, 3rd and 8th East Bengali regiments, enabling Zia to launch major attacks on Pakistani forces. During the war his family was placed under house arrest. The guerrilla war continued until the direct intervention of the Indian Army, which captured Dhaka and forced the surrender of Pakistani forces on December 16, 1971. Upon his release, Sheikh Mujib assumed charge of the new state's government, and the Indian Army transferred control to the newly-formed Bangladesh Army on March 17, 1972. Having earned a reputation for courageous leadership during the war, Zia was awarded the Bir Uttom, the second-highest military honour. He was given command of a brigade stationed in Comilla, and in June he was appointed deputy chief of army staff. He was later promoted to the rank of Major General by the end of 1973. As a high-ranking commander, Zia oversaw the training and development of the army.
Coup of 1975 and its aftermath
By 1975, Sheikh Mujib's assumption of dictatorial powers had disillusioned and angered many Bangladeshis, including army officers. On August 15, 1975 Sheikh Mujib and his family were murdered by a group of military officers. One Sheikh Mujib's cabinet ministers Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad was appointed the president and, subsequently, Major General Ziaur Rahman was appointed as the chief of army staff after removal of Major General Shafiullah. It is not known if Zia had himself helped plot the coup against Sheikh Mujib, but he had now become one of the most powerful men in the nation. However, the coup caused a period of instability and unrest in Bangladesh. Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf and the Dhaka Brigade under Colonel Shafat Jamil made a counter-coup on November 3, 1975, and Ziaur Rahman was forced to resign and was put under house arrest. A third coup was staged under Colonel Abu Taher and a group of socialist military officers and supporters of the left-wing Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal on November 7, called the Sipoy-Janata Biplob (Soldiers and People's Coup). Brigadier Mosharraf was killed and Colonel Jamil arrested, while Colonel Taher freed Ziaur Rahman and re-appointed him as army chief. Following a major meeting at the army headquarters, an interim government was formed with Justice Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem as chief martial law administrator and Zia, Air Vice Marshal M. G. Tawab and Rear Admiral M. H. Khan as his deputies. Zia also took on the portfolios of finance, home affairs, industry and information along with becoming the army chief of staff. Fearing that Abu Taher, a well-known socialist, would attempt to organise another revolt, Zia ordered his arrest. Following a secret trial in a military court, Zia authorised the execution of Colonel Taher on July 21, 1976. Zia became the chief martial law administrator (CMLA) following Justice Sayem's elevation to the presidency on November 19, 1976. He tried to integrate the armed forces, giving repatriates a status appropriate to their qualifications and seniority. While this angered some veterans of the Mukti Bahini, who had rapidly reached high positions, Zia defused potential threats from discontented officers by sending them on diplomatic missions abroad.
President of Bangladesh
Major General Ziaur Rahman became the 6th President of Bangladesh on April 21, 1977 following Justice Sayem's resignation on grounds of "ill health," which many believed was simply a pretext for Zia's rise to power with the army's backing. Although Sayem had held the title of president, historians believe it was Zia who exercised real power. Sayem had promised early elections, but Zia postponed the plans. The years of disorder had left most of Bangladesh's state institutions in disarray, with constant threats of military coups amidst strikes and protests. Assuming full control of the state, Zia banned political parties, censored the media, re-imposed martial law and ordered the army to arrest dissidents. Martial law restored order across the country to a large measure, although Zia crushed several attempted uprisings with ruthless measures. In late September 1977, a group of Japanese Red Army terrorists hijacked an airplane and forced it to land in Dhaka. On September 30, while the attention of the government was riveted on this event, a mutiny broke out in Bogra. Although the mutiny was quickly quelled on the night of October 2, a second mutiny occurred in Dhaka. The mutineers unsuccessfully attacked Zia's residence, captured Dhaka Radio for a short time and killed a number of air force officers at Dhaka international airport, where they were gathered for negotiations with the hijackers. The army quickly put down the rebellion, but the government was severely shaken. Government intelligence had failed and Zia promptly dismissed both the military and the civilian intelligence chiefs. Special tribunals dealt harshly with the large groups of bandits, smugglers and guerrilla bands operating across the country. The size of Bangladeshi police forces was doubled and the strength of the army increased from 50,000 to 90,000 soldiers.
Domestic and foreign policies
Zia had taken charge of a nation suffering from severe poverty, chronic unemployment, shortages and economic stagnation. Muting the state's commitment to socialism, Zia announced a "19-point programme" which emphasised self-reliance, rural development, decentralisation and population control. Zia worked energetically and spent much of his time traveling throughout the country, preaching the "politics of hope" by continually urging all Bangladeshis to work harder and to produce more. Zia focused on boosting agricultural and industrial production, especially in food and grains, and to integrate rural development through a variety of programs, of which population planning was the most important. Working with the proposals of international lending agencies, he launched an ambitious rural development program in 1977, which included a highly visible and popular food-for-work program. He promoted private sector development, exports growth and the reversing of the collectivisation of farms. His government reduced quotas and restrictions on agriculture and industrial activities. Zia launched major projects to construct irrigation canals, power stations, dams, roads and other public works. Directing his campaign to mobilise rural support and development, Zia established Gram Sarkar (Village Councils) system of self-government and the "Village Defence Party" system of security and crime prevention. Programmes to promote primary and adult education on a mass scale were initiated and focused mainly across rural Bangladesh. During this period, Bangladesh's economy achieved fast economic and industrial growth. Zia began reorienting Bangladesh's foreign policy, addressing the concerns of nationalists who believed that Bangladesh was reliant on Indian economic and military aid. Zia withdrew from his predecessors' affinity with the Soviet bloc, developing closer relations with the United States and Western Europe. Zia also moved to harmonise ties with Saudi Arabia and the People's Republic of China, who had opposed Bangladesh's creation and had not recognised it till 1975. Zia also dropped the demands of reparations and an official apology demanded by Sheikh Mujib and moved to normalise relations with Pakistan. While distancing Bangladesh from India, Zia sought to improve ties with other Islamic nations. Zia's move towards Islamic state policies improved the nation's standing in the Middle East. Zia also proposed an organisation of the nations of South Asia to bolster economic and political co-operation at a regional level. This proposal materialised in 1985 with the creation of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation in Dhaka.
Islam and nationalism
Zia moved to lead the nation in a new direction, significantly different from the ideology and agenda of Sheikh Mujib. He issued a proclamation order amending the constitution, increasing the direct influence and role of Islam on the government. In the preamble, he inserted the salutation "Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Rahim" (In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful). In Article 8(1) and 8(1A) the statement "absolute trust and faith in Almighty Allah" was added, replacing the commitment to secularism. Socialism was redefined as "economic and social justice." Zia further introduced provisions to allow Muslims to practice the social and legal injunctions of the Shariat and Sunnah. In Article 25(2), Zia introduced the principle that "the state shall endeavour to consolidate, preserve and strengthen fraternal relations among Muslim countries based on Islamic solidarity." Zia's edits to the constitution redefined the nature of the republic from the secularism laid out by Sheikh Mujib and his supporters. Islamic religious education was introduced as a compulsory subject in Bangladeshi schools, with provisions for non-Muslim students to learn of their own religions. In public speeches and policies that he formulated, Zia began expounding "Bangladeshi nationalism," as opposed to Mujib's assertion of a Bengali national identity. Zia emphasised the national role of Islam (as practised by the majority of Bangladeshis). Claiming to promote an inclusive national identity, Zia reached out to non-Bengali minorities such as the Santals, Garos, Manipuris and Chakmas, as well as the Urdu-speaking peoples of Bihari origin. However, many of these groups were predominantly Hindu and Buddhist and were alienated by Zia's promotion of political Islam. In an effort to promote cultural assimilation and economic development, Zia appointed a Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Commission in 1976, but resisted holding a political dialogue with the representatives of the hill tribes on the issue of autonomy and cultural self-preservation. On July 2, 1977 Ziaur Rahman organised a tribal convention to promote a dialogue between the government and tribal groups. However, most cultural and political issues would remain unresolved and intermittent incidents of inter-community violence and militancy occurred throughout Zia's rule.
[ENG] Saint Andrew's of Creek Monastery is surrounded by a perimeter fence and it accedes through the Romanesque late gate of beautiful execution full of floral details and capitals from the own style. On having penetrated the gate we can estimate the Jurisdictional Roll and the bell gable of the "strangers' chapel " (ancient "chapel of the executed convicts") to the left side, the western exterior of church and porch to the front, and the guest quarters to the right, where we will accede to the visit of cloister and chapterhouse.
[ESP] El Monasterio de San Andrés de Arroyo se halla rodeado por una valla perimetral y se accede a través una portada románica tardía de bella factura plena de detalles florales y capiteles de estilo "andresino". Al traspasar la portada podemos apreciar el Rollo Jurisdiccional y la espadaña de la "capilla de forasteros" (antigua "capilla de los ajusticiados") a la izquierda, el exterior occidental de iglesia y pórtico al frente, y la hospedería a la derecha, por donde accederemos a la visita de claustro y sala capitular.
103457
my workshop on my Facebook just like ;-) Clic Here
my 500px Clic Here
Origins
Although there are no historical records that deal directly with the founding of Venice,[10] tradition and the available evidence have led several historians to agree that the original population of Venice consisted of refugees from Roman cities near Venice such as Padua, Aquileia, Treviso, Altino and Concordia (modern Portogruaro) and from the undefended countryside, who were fleeing successive waves of Germanic and Hun invasions.[11] Some late Roman sources reveal the existence of fishermen on the islands in the original marshy lagoons. They were referred to as incolae lacunae ("lagoon dwellers"). The traditional founding is identified with the dedication of the first church, that of San Giacomo at the islet of Rialto (Rivoalto, "High Shore"), which is said to have been at the stroke of noon on 25 March 421.[12][13]
The last and most enduring immigration into the north of the Italian peninsula was that of the Lombards in 568, leaving the Eastern Roman Empire a small strip of coast in the current Veneto, including Venice. The Roman/Byzantine territory was organized as the Exarchate of Ravenna, administered from that ancient port and overseen by a viceroy (the Exarch) appointed by the Emperor in Constantinople, but Ravenna and Venice were connected only by sea routes and with the Venetians' isolated position came increasing autonomy. New ports were built, including those at Malamocco and Torcello in the Venetian lagoon. The tribuni maiores, the earliest central standing governing committee of the islands in the Lagoon, dated from c. 568.[14]
The traditional first doge of Venice, Paolo Lucio Anafesto, was actually Exarch Paul, and his successor, Marcello Tegalliano, Paul's magister militum (General; literally, "Master of Soldiers.") In 726 the soldiers and citizens of the Exarchate rose in a rebellion over the iconoclastic controversy at the urging of Pope Gregory II. The Exarch was murdered and many officials put to flight in the chaos. At about this time, the people of the lagoon elected their own leader for the first time, although the relationship of this ascent to the uprisings is not clear. Ursus would become the first of 117 "doges" (doge is the Venetian dialect development of the Latin dux ("leader"); the corresponding word in English is duke, in standard Italian duce.) Whatever his original views, Ursus supported Emperor Leo's successful military expedition to recover Ravenna, sending both men and ships. In recognition, Venice was "granted numerous privileges and concessions" and Ursus, who had personally taken the field, was confirmed by Leo as dux[15] and given the added title of hypatus (Greek for "Consul".)[16]
In 751, the Lombard King Aistulf conquered most of the Exarchate of Ravenna, leaving Venice a lonely and increasingly autonomous Byzantine outpost. During this period, the seat of the local Byzantine governor (the "duke/dux", later "doge"), was situated in Malamocco. Settlement on the islands in the lagoon probably increased in correspondence with the Lombard conquest of other Byzantine territories as refugees sought asylum in the lagoon city. In 775/776, the episcopal seat of Olivolo (Helipolis) was created. During the reign of duke Agnello Particiaco (811–827), the ducal seat was moved from Malamocco to the highly protected Rialto, the current location of Venice. The monastery of St. Zachary and the first ducal palace and basilica of St. Mark, as well as a walled defense (civitatis murus) between Olivolo and Rialto, were subsequently built here. Winged lions, which may be seen throughout Venice, are a symbol for St. Mark.
Charlemagne sought to subdue the city to his own rule. He ordered the Pope to expel the Venetians from the Pentapolis along the Adriatic coast,[17] and Charlemagne's own son Pepin of Italy, king of the Lombards under the authority of his father, embarked on a siege of Venice itself. This, however, proved a costly failure. The siege lasted six months, with Pepin's army ravaged by the diseases of the local swamps and eventually forced to withdraw. A few months later, Pepin himself died, apparently as a result of a disease contracted there. In the aftermath, an agreement between Charlemagne and Nicephorus in 814 recognized Venice as Byzantine territory and granted the city trading rights along the Adriatic coast.
In 828, the new city's prestige was raised by the acquisition of the claimed relics of St. Mark the Evangelist from Alexandria, which were placed in the new basilica. The patriarchal seat was also moved to Rialto. As the community continued to develop and as Byzantine power waned, it led to the growth of autonomy and eventual independence.[18]
Expansion
Piazza San Marco in Venice, with St Mark's Campanile and Basilica in the background
These Horses of Saint Mark are a replica of the Triumphal Quadriga captured in Constantinople in 1204 and carried to Venice as a trophy.
From the 9th to the 12th century, Venice developed into a city state (an Italian thalassocracy or Repubblica Marinara, the other three being Genoa, Pisa, and Amalfi). Its strategic position at the head of the Adriatic made Venetian naval and commercial power almost invulnerable. With the elimination of pirates along the Dalmatian coast, the city became a flourishing trade center between Western Europe and the rest of the world (especially the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic world).
The Republic of Venice seized a number of places on the eastern shores of the Adriatic before 1200, mostly for commercial reasons, because pirates based there were a menace to trade. The Doge already carried the titles of Duke of Dalmatia and Duke of Istria. Later mainland possessions, which extended across Lake Garda as far west as the Adda River, were known as the "Terraferma", and were acquired partly as a buffer against belligerent neighbours, partly to guarantee Alpine trade routes, and partly to ensure the supply of mainland wheat, on which the city depended. In building its maritime commercial empire, the Republic dominated the trade in salt,[19] acquired control of most of the islands in the Aegean, including Cyprus and Crete, and became a major power-broker in the Near East. By the standards of the time, Venice's stewardship of its mainland territories was relatively enlightened and the citizens of such towns as Bergamo, Brescia and Verona rallied to the defence of Venetian sovereignty when it was threatened by invaders.
Venice remained closely associated with Constantinople, being twice granted trading privileges in the Eastern Roman Empire, through the so-called Golden Bulls or 'chrysobulls' in return for aiding the Eastern Empire to resist Norman and Turkish incursions. In the first chrysobull, Venice acknowledged its homage to the Empire but not in the second, reflecting the decline of Byzantium and the rise of Venice's power.[20][21]
Venice became an imperial power following the Fourth Crusade, which, having veered off course, culminated in 1204 by capturing and sacking Constantinople and establishing the Latin Empire. As a result of this conquest, considerable Byzantine plunder was brought back to Venice. This plunder included the gilt bronze horses from the Hippodrome of Constantinople, which were originally placed above the entrance to St Mark's cathedral in Venice, although the originals have been replaced with replicas and are now stored within the basilica. Following the fall of Constantinople, the former Roman Empire was partitioned among the Latin crusaders and the Venetians. Venice subsequently carved out a sphere of influence in the Mediterranean known as the Duchy of the Archipelago, and captured Crete.[22]
The seizure of Constantinople would ultimately prove as decisive a factor in ending the Byzantine Empire as the loss of the Anatolian themes after Manzikert. Although the Byzantines recovered control of the ravaged city a half century later, the Byzantine Empire was terminally weakened, and existed as a ghost of its old self until Sultan Mehmet The Conqueror took the city in 1453.
View of San Giorgio Maggiore Island from St. Mark's Campanile
Situated on the Adriatic Sea, Venice always traded extensively with the Byzantine Empire and the Muslim world. By the late 13th century, Venice was the most prosperous city in all of Europe. At the peak of its power and wealth, it had 36,000 sailors operating 3,300 ships, dominating Mediterranean commerce. During this time, Venice's leading families vied with each other to build the grandest palaces and support the work of the greatest and most talented artists. The city was governed by the Great Council, which was made up of members of the noble families of Venice. The Great Council appointed all public officials and elected a Senate of 200 to 300 individuals. Since this group was too large for efficient administration, a Council of Ten (also called the Ducal Council or the Signoria), controlled much of the administration of the city. One member of the great council was elected "Doge", or duke, the ceremonial head of the city, who normally held the title until his death.
The Venetian governmental structure was similar in some ways to the republican system of ancient Rome, with an elected chief executive (the Doge), a senate-like assembly of nobles, and a mass of citizens with limited political power, who originally had the power to grant or withhold their approval of each newly elected Doge. Church and various private properties were tied to military service, although there was no knight tenure within the city itself. The Cavalieri di San Marco was the only order of chivalry ever instituted in Venice, and no citizen could accept or join a foreign order without the government's consent. Venice remained a republic throughout its independent period, and politics and the military were kept separate, except when on occasion the Doge personally headed the military. War was regarded as a continuation of commerce by other means (hence, the city's early production of large numbers of mercenaries for service elsewhere, and later its reliance on foreign mercenaries when the ruling class was preoccupied with commerce).
Francesco Guardi, The Grand Canal, 1760 (Art Institute of Chicago)
The chief executive was the Doge, who theoretically held his elective office for life. In practice, several Doges were forced by pressure from their oligarchical peers to resign the office and retire into monastic seclusion when they were felt to have been discredited by perceived political failure.
Although the people of Venice generally remained orthodox Roman Catholics, the state of Venice was notable for its freedom from religious fanaticism and it enacted not a single execution for religious heresy during the Counter-Reformation. This apparent lack of zeal contributed to Venice's frequent conflicts with the Papacy. In this context, the writings of the Anglican Divine, William Bedell, are particularly illuminating. Venice was threatened with the interdict on a number of occasions and twice suffered its imposition. The second, most famous, occasion was in 1606, by order of Pope Paul V.
Venetian ambassadors sent home still-extant secret reports of the politics and rumours of European courts, providing fascinating information to modern historians.
The newly invented German printing press spread rapidly throughout Europe in the 15th century, and Venice was quick to adopt it. By 1482, Venice was the printing capital of the world, and the leading printer was Aldus Manutius, who invented the concept of paperback books that could be carried in a saddlebag. His Aldine Editions included translations of nearly all the known Greek manuscripts of the era.[23]
Decline
The Grand Canal in Venice
Venice's long decline started in the 15th century, when it first made an unsuccessful attempt to hold Thessalonica against the Ottomans (1423–1430). It also sent ships to help defend Constantinople against the besieging Turks (1453). After Constantinople fell to Sultan Mehmet II he declared war on Venice. The war lasted thirty years and cost Venice much of its eastern Mediterranean possessions. Next, Christopher Columbus discovered the New World. Then Portugal found a sea route to India, destroying Venice's land route monopoly. France, England and the Dutch Republic followed them. Venice's oared galleys were at a disadvantage when it came to traversing the great oceans, and therefore Venice was left behind in the race for colonies.
The Black Death devastated Venice in 1348 and once again between 1575 and 1577.[24] In three years the plague killed some 50,000 people.[25] In 1630, the plague killed a third of Venice's 150,000 citizens.[26] Venice began to lose its position as a center of international trade during the later part of the Renaissance as Portugal became Europe's principal intermediary in the trade with the East, striking at the very foundation of Venice's great wealth, while France and Spain fought for hegemony over Italy in the Italian Wars, marginalising its political influence. However, the Venetian empire was a major exporter of agricultural products and, until the mid-18th century, a significant manufacturing center.
Modern age[edit source | editbeta]
A map of the sestiere of San Marco
The Republic lost independence when Napoleon Bonaparte conquered Venice on 12 May 1797 during the First Coalition. The French conqueror brought to an end the most fascinating century of its history: during the 18th century, Venice became perhaps the most elegant and refined city in Europe, greatly influencing art, architecture and literature. Napoleon was seen as something of a liberator by the city's Jewish population, although it can be argued they had lived with fewer restrictions in Venice. He removed the gates of the Ghetto and ended the restrictions on when and where Jews could live and travel in the city.
Venice became Austrian territory when Napoleon signed the Treaty of Campo Formio on 12 October 1797. The Austrians took control of the city on 18 January 1798. It was taken from Austria by the Treaty of Pressburg in 1805 and became part of Napoleon's Kingdom of Italy, but was returned to Austria following Napoleon's defeat in 1814, when it became part of the Austrian-held Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia. In 1848–1849, a revolt briefly reestablished the Venetian Republic under Daniele Manin. In 1866, following the Third Italian War of Independence, Venice, along with the rest of the Veneto, became part of the newly created Kingdom of Italy.
During the Second World War, the historic city was largely free from attack, the only aggressive effort of note being Operation Bowler, a successful Royal Air Force precision strike on the German naval operations there in March 1945. The targets were destroyed with virtually no architectural damage done the city itself.[27] However the industrial areas in Mestre and Marghera and the railway lines to Padua, Trieste and Trento were repeatedly bombed.[28] On 29 April 1945, New Zealand troops under Freyberg reached Venice and relieved the city and the mainland, which were already in partisan hands.[29]
Subsidence[edit source | editbeta]
Further information: Acqua alta
Acqua alta or high water in Venice.
Venice and surroundings in false colour, from Terra. The picture is oriented with North at the top.
Foundations
The buildings of Venice are constructed on closely spaced wooden piles. Most of these piles are still intact after centuries of submersion. The foundations rest on the piles, and buildings of brick or stone sit above these footings. The piles penetrate a softer layer of sand and mud until they reach a much harder layer of compressed clay.
Submerged by water, in oxygen-poor conditions, wood does not decay as rapidly as on the surface.
Most of these piles were made from trunks of alder trees,[30] a wood noted for its water resistance.[31] The alder came from the westernmost part of today's Slovenia (resulting in the barren land of the Kras region), in two regions of Croatia, Lika and Gorski kotar (resulting in the barren slopes of Velebit) and south of Montenegro.[citation needed] Leonid Grigoriev has stated that Russian larch was imported to build some of Venice's foundations.[32] Larch is also used in the production of Venice turpentine.[33]
History[edit source | editbeta]
The city is often threatened by flood tides pushing in from the Adriatic between autumn and early spring. Six hundred years ago, Venetians protected themselves from land-based attacks by diverting all the major rivers flowing into the lagoon and thus preventing sediment from filling the area around the city. This created an ever-deeper lagoon environment.
In 1604, to defray the cost of flood relief, Venice introduced what could be considered the first example of a 'stamp tax'. When the revenue fell short of expectations in 1608, Venice introduced paper with the superscription 'AQ' and imprinted instructions, which was to be used for 'letters to officials'. At first, this was to be a temporary tax, but it remained in effect until the fall of the Republic in 1797. Shortly after the introduction of the tax, Spain produced similar paper for general taxation purposes, and the practice spread to other countries.
During the 20th century, when many artesian wells were sunk into the periphery of the lagoon to draw water for local industry, Venice began to subside. It was realised that extraction of water from the aquifer was the cause. The sinking has slowed markedly since artesian wells were banned in the 1960s. However, the city is still threatened by more frequent low-level floods (called Acqua alta, "high water") that creep to a height of several centimetres over its quays, regularly following certain tides. In many old houses, the former staircases used to unload goods are now flooded, rendering the former ground floor uninhabitable.
Some recent studies have suggested that the city is no longer sinking,[34][35] but this is not yet certain; therefore, a state of alert has not been revoked. In May 2003, the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi inaugurated the MOSE project (Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico), an experimental model for evaluating the performance of hollow floatable gates; the idea is to fix a series of 78 hollow pontoons to the sea bed across the three entrances to the lagoon. When tides are predicted to rise above 110 centimetres, the pontoons will be filled with air, causing them to float and block the incoming water from the Adriatic Sea. This engineering work is due to be completed by 2014.[36]
Geography
Sestieri of Venice:
Cannaregio
Castello
Dorsoduro
San Marco
San Polo
Santa Croce
The historical city is divided into six areas or "sestiere" (while the whole comune (municipality) is divided into 6 boroughs of which one is composed of all 6 sestiere). These are Cannaregio, San Polo, Dorsoduro (including the Giudecca and Isola Sacca Fisola), Santa Croce, San Marco (including San Giorgio Maggiore) and Castello (including San Pietro di Castello and Sant'Elena). Each sestiere was administered by a procurator and his staff. Nowadays each sestiere is a statistic and historical area without any degree of autonomy.
These districts consist of parishes – initially seventy in 1033, but reduced under Napoleon and now numbering just thirty-eight. These parishes predate the sestieri, which were created in about 1170.
Other islands of the Venetian Lagoon do not form part of any of the sestieri, having historically enjoyed a considerable degree of autonomy.
Each sestiere has its own house numbering system. Each house has a unique number in the district, from one to several thousand, generally numbered from one corner of the area to another, but not usually in a readily understandable manner.
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification, Venice has a Humid subtropical climate (Cfa), with cool winters and very warm summers. The 24-hour average in January is 2.5 °C (36.5 °F), and for July this figure is 22.7 °C (72.9 °F). Precipitation is spread relatively evenly throughout the year, and averages 801 millimetres (31.5 in).
Origins
Although there are no historical records that deal directly with the founding of Venice,[10] tradition and the available evidence have led several historians to agree that the original population of Venice consisted of refugees from Roman cities near Venice such as Padua, Aquileia, Treviso, Altino and Concordia (modern Portogruaro) and from the undefended countryside, who were fleeing successive waves of Germanic and Hun invasions.[11] Some late Roman sources reveal the existence of fishermen on the islands in the original marshy lagoons. They were referred to as incolae lacunae ("lagoon dwellers"). The traditional founding is identified with the dedication of the first church, that of San Giacomo at the islet of Rialto (Rivoalto, "High Shore"), which is said to have been at the stroke of noon on 25 March 421.[12][13]
The last and most enduring immigration into the north of the Italian peninsula was that of the Lombards in 568, leaving the Eastern Roman Empire a small strip of coast in the current Veneto, including Venice. The Roman/Byzantine territory was organized as the Exarchate of Ravenna, administered from that ancient port and overseen by a viceroy (the Exarch) appointed by the Emperor in Constantinople, but Ravenna and Venice were connected only by sea routes and with the Venetians' isolated position came increasing autonomy. New ports were built, including those at Malamocco and Torcello in the Venetian lagoon. The tribuni maiores, the earliest central standing governing committee of the islands in the Lagoon, dated from c. 568.[14]
The traditional first doge of Venice, Paolo Lucio Anafesto, was actually Exarch Paul, and his successor, Marcello Tegalliano, Paul's magister militum (General; literally, "Master of Soldiers.") In 726 the soldiers and citizens of the Exarchate rose in a rebellion over the iconoclastic controversy at the urging of Pope Gregory II. The Exarch was murdered and many officials put to flight in the chaos. At about this time, the people of the lagoon elected their own leader for the first time, although the relationship of this ascent to the uprisings is not clear. Ursus would become the first of 117 "doges" (doge is the Venetian dialect development of the Latin dux ("leader"); the corresponding word in English is duke, in standard Italian duce.) Whatever his original views, Ursus supported Emperor Leo's successful military expedition to recover Ravenna, sending both men and ships. In recognition, Venice was "granted numerous privileges and concessions" and Ursus, who had personally taken the field, was confirmed by Leo as dux[15] and given the added title of hypatus (Greek for "Consul".)[16]
In 751, the Lombard King Aistulf conquered most of the Exarchate of Ravenna, leaving Venice a lonely and increasingly autonomous Byzantine outpost. During this period, the seat of the local Byzantine governor (the "duke/dux", later "doge"), was situated in Malamocco. Settlement on the islands in the lagoon probably increased in correspondence with the Lombard conquest of other Byzantine territories as refugees sought asylum in the lagoon city. In 775/776, the episcopal seat of Olivolo (Helipolis) was created. During the reign of duke Agnello Particiaco (811–827), the ducal seat was moved from Malamocco to the highly protected Rialto, the current location of Venice. The monastery of St. Zachary and the first ducal palace and basilica of St. Mark, as well as a walled defense (civitatis murus) between Olivolo and Rialto, were subsequently built here. Winged lions, which may be seen throughout Venice, are a symbol for St. Mark.
Charlemagne sought to subdue the city to his own rule. He ordered the Pope to expel the Venetians from the Pentapolis along the Adriatic coast,[17] and Charlemagne's own son Pepin of Italy, king of the Lombards under the authority of his father, embarked on a siege of Venice itself. This, however, proved a costly failure. The siege lasted six months, with Pepin's army ravaged by the diseases of the local swamps and eventually forced to withdraw. A few months later, Pepin himself died, apparently as a result of a disease contracted there. In the aftermath, an agreement between Charlemagne and Nicephorus in 814 recognized Venice as Byzantine territory and granted the city trading rights along the Adriatic coast.
In 828, the new city's prestige was raised by the acquisition of the claimed relics of St. Mark the Evangelist from Alexandria, which were placed in the new basilica. The patriarchal seat was also moved to Rialto. As the community continued to develop and as Byzantine power waned, it led to the growth of autonomy and eventual independence.[18]
Expansion
Piazza San Marco in Venice, with St Mark's Campanile and Basilica in the background
These Horses of Saint Mark are a replica of the Triumphal Quadriga captured in Constantinople in 1204 and carried to Venice as a trophy.
From the 9th to the 12th century, Venice developed into a city state (an Italian thalassocracy or Repubblica Marinara, the other three being Genoa, Pisa, and Amalfi). Its strategic position at the head of the Adriatic made Venetian naval and commercial power almost invulnerable. With the elimination of pirates along the Dalmatian coast, the city became a flourishing trade center between Western Europe and the rest of the world (especially the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic world).
The Republic of Venice seized a number of places on the eastern shores of the Adriatic before 1200, mostly for commercial reasons, because pirates based there were a menace to trade. The Doge already carried the titles of Duke of Dalmatia and Duke of Istria. Later mainland possessions, which extended across Lake Garda as far west as the Adda River, were known as the "Terraferma", and were acquired partly as a buffer against belligerent neighbours, partly to guarantee Alpine trade routes, and partly to ensure the supply of mainland wheat, on which the city depended. In building its maritime commercial empire, the Republic dominated the trade in salt,[19] acquired control of most of the islands in the Aegean, including Cyprus and Crete, and became a major power-broker in the Near East. By the standards of the time, Venice's stewardship of its mainland territories was relatively enlightened and the citizens of such towns as Bergamo, Brescia and Verona rallied to the defence of Venetian sovereignty when it was threatened by invaders.
Venice remained closely associated with Constantinople, being twice granted trading privileges in the Eastern Roman Empire, through the so-called Golden Bulls or 'chrysobulls' in return for aiding the Eastern Empire to resist Norman and Turkish incursions. In the first chrysobull, Venice acknowledged its homage to the Empire but not in the second, reflecting the decline of Byzantium and the rise of Venice's power.[20][21]
Venice became an imperial power following the Fourth Crusade, which, having veered off course, culminated in 1204 by capturing and sacking Constantinople and establishing the Latin Empire. As a result of this conquest, considerable Byzantine plunder was brought back to Venice. This plunder included the gilt bronze horses from the Hippodrome of Constantinople, which were originally placed above the entrance to St Mark's cathedral in Venice, although the originals have been replaced with replicas and are now stored within the basilica. Following the fall of Constantinople, the former Roman Empire was partitioned among the Latin crusaders and the Venetians. Venice subsequently carved out a sphere of influence in the Mediterranean known as the Duchy of the Archipelago, and captured Crete.[22]
The seizure of Constantinople would ultimately prove as decisive a factor in ending the Byzantine Empire as the loss of the Anatolian themes after Manzikert. Although the Byzantines recovered control of the ravaged city a half century later, the Byzantine Empire was terminally weakened, and existed as a ghost of its old self until Sultan Mehmet The Conqueror took the city in 1453.
View of San Giorgio Maggiore Island from St. Mark's Campanile
Situated on the Adriatic Sea, Venice always traded extensively with the Byzantine Empire and the Muslim world. By the late 13th century, Venice was the most prosperous city in all of Europe. At the peak of its power and wealth, it had 36,000 sailors operating 3,300 ships, dominating Mediterranean commerce. During this time, Venice's leading families vied with each other to build the grandest palaces and support the work of the greatest and most talented artists. The city was governed by the Great Council, which was made up of members of the noble families of Venice. The Great Council appointed all public officials and elected a Senate of 200 to 300 individuals. Since this group was too large for efficient administration, a Council of Ten (also called the Ducal Council or the Signoria), controlled much of the administration of the city. One member of the great council was elected "Doge", or duke, the ceremonial head of the city, who normally held the title until his death.
The Venetian governmental structure was similar in some ways to the republican system of ancient Rome, with an elected chief executive (the Doge), a senate-like assembly of nobles, and a mass of citizens with limited political power, who originally had the power to grant or withhold their approval of each newly elected Doge. Church and various private properties were tied to military service, although there was no knight tenure within the city itself. The Cavalieri di San Marco was the only order of chivalry ever instituted in Venice, and no citizen could accept or join a foreign order without the government's consent. Venice remained a republic throughout its independent period, and politics and the military were kept separate, except when on occasion the Doge personally headed the military. War was regarded as a continuation of commerce by other means (hence, the city's early production of large numbers of mercenaries for service elsewhere, and later its reliance on foreign mercenaries when the ruling class was preoccupied with commerce).
Francesco Guardi, The Grand Canal, 1760 (Art Institute of Chicago)
The chief executive was the Doge, who theoretically held his elective office for life. In practice, several Doges were forced by pressure from their oligarchical peers to resign the office and retire into monastic seclusion when they were felt to have been discredited by perceived political failure.
Although the people of Venice generally remained orthodox Roman Catholics, the state of Venice was notable for its freedom from religious fanaticism and it enacted not a single execution for religious heresy during the Counter-Reformation. This apparent lack of zeal contributed to Venice's frequent conflicts with the Papacy. In this context, the writings of the Anglican Divine, William Bedell, are particularly illuminating. Venice was threatened with the interdict on a number of occasions and twice suffered its imposition. The second, most famous, occasion was in 1606, by order of Pope Paul V.
Venetian ambassadors sent home still-extant secret reports of the politics and rumours of European courts, providing fascinating information to modern historians.
The newly invented German printing press spread rapidly throughout Europe in the 15th century, and Venice was quick to adopt it. By 1482, Venice was the printing capital of the world, and the leading printer was Aldus Manutius, who invented the concept of paperback books that could be carried in a saddlebag. His Aldine Editions included translations of nearly all the known Greek manuscripts of the era.[23]
Decline
The Grand Canal in Venice
Venice's long decline started in the 15th century, when it first made an unsuccessful attempt to hold Thessalonica against the Ottomans (1423–1430). It also sent ships to help defend Constantinople against the besieging Turks (1453). After Constantinople fell to Sultan Mehmet II he declared war on Venice. The war lasted thirty years and cost Venice much of its eastern Mediterranean possessions. Next, Christopher Columbus discovered the New World. Then Portugal found a sea route to India, destroying Venice's land route monopoly. France, England and the Dutch Republic followed them. Venice's oared galleys were at a disadvantage when it came to traversing the great oceans, and therefore Venice was left behind in the race for colonies.
The Black Death devastated Venice in 1348 and once again between 1575 and 1577.[24] In three years the plague killed some 50,000 people.[25] In 1630, the plague killed a third of Venice's 150,000 citizens.[26] Venice began to lose its position as a center of international trade during the later part of the Renaissance as Portugal became Europe's principal intermediary in the trade with the East, striking at the very foundation of Venice's great wealth, while France and Spain fought for hegemony over Italy in the Italian Wars, marginalising its political influence. However, the Venetian empire was a major exporter of agricultural products and, until the mid-18th century, a significant manufacturing center.
Modern age[edit source | editbeta]
A map of the sestiere of San Marco
The Republic lost independence when Napoleon Bonaparte conquered Venice on 12 May 1797 during the First Coalition. The French conqueror brought to an end the most fascinating century of its history: during the 18th century, Venice became perhaps the most elegant and refined city in Europe, greatly influencing art, architecture and literature. Napoleon was seen as something of a liberator by the city's Jewish population, although it can be argued they had lived with fewer restrictions in Venice. He removed the gates of the Ghetto and ended the restrictions on when and where Jews could live and travel in the city.
Venice became Austrian territory when Napoleon signed the Treaty of Campo Formio on 12 October 1797. The Austrians took control of the city on 18 January 1798. It was taken from Austria by the Treaty of Pressburg in 1805 and became part of Napoleon's Kingdom of Italy, but was returned to Austria following Napoleon's defeat in 1814, when it became part of the Austrian-held Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia. In 1848–1849, a revolt briefly reestablished the Venetian Republic under Daniele Manin. In 1866, following the Third Italian War of Independence, Venice, along with the rest of the Veneto, became part of the newly created Kingdom of Italy.
During the Second World War, the historic city was largely free from attack, the only aggressive effort of note being Operation Bowler, a successful Royal Air Force precision strike on the German naval operations there in March 1945. The targets were destroyed with virtually no architectural damage done the city itself.[27] However the industrial areas in Mestre and Marghera and the railway lines to Padua, Trieste and Trento were repeatedly bombed.[28] On 29 April 1945, New Zealand troops under Freyberg reached Venice and relieved the city and the mainland, which were already in partisan hands.[29]
Subsidence[edit source | editbeta]
Further information: Acqua alta
Acqua alta or high water in Venice.
Venice and surroundings in false colour, from Terra. The picture is oriented with North at the top.
Foundations
The buildings of Venice are constructed on closely spaced wooden piles. Most of these piles are still intact after centuries of submersion. The foundations rest on the piles, and buildings of brick or stone sit above these footings. The piles penetrate a softer layer of sand and mud until they reach a much harder layer of compressed clay.
Submerged by water, in oxygen-poor conditions, wood does not decay as rapidly as on the surface.
Most of these piles were made from trunks of alder trees,[30] a wood noted for its water resistance.[31] The alder came from the westernmost part of today's Slovenia (resulting in the barren land of the Kras region), in two regions of Croatia, Lika and Gorski kotar (resulting in the barren slopes of Velebit) and south of Montenegro.[citation needed] Leonid Grigoriev has stated that Russian larch was imported to build some of Venice's foundations.[32] Larch is also used in the production of Venice turpentine.[33]
History[edit source | editbeta]
The city is often threatened by flood tides pushing in from the Adriatic between autumn and early spring. Six hundred years ago, Venetians protected themselves from land-based attacks by diverting all the major rivers flowing into the lagoon and thus preventing sediment from filling the area around the city. This created an ever-deeper lagoon environment.
In 1604, to defray the cost of flood relief, Venice introduced what could be considered the first example of a 'stamp tax'. When the revenue fell short of expectations in 1608, Venice introduced paper with the superscription 'AQ' and imprinted instructions, which was to be used for 'letters to officials'. At first, this was to be a temporary tax, but it remained in effect until the fall of the Republic in 1797. Shortly after the introduction of the tax, Spain produced similar paper for general taxation purposes, and the practice spread to other countries.
During the 20th century, when many artesian wells were sunk into the periphery of the lagoon to draw water for local industry, Venice began to subside. It was realised that extraction of water from the aquifer was the cause. The sinking has slowed markedly since artesian wells were banned in the 1960s. However, the city is still threatened by more frequent low-level floods (called Acqua alta, "high water") that creep to a height of several centimetres over its quays, regularly following certain tides. In many old houses, the former staircases used to unload goods are now flooded, rendering the former ground floor uninhabitable.
Some recent studies have suggested that the city is no longer sinking,[34][35] but this is not yet certain; therefore, a state of alert has not been revoked. In May 2003, the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi inaugurated the MOSE project (Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico), an experimental model for evaluating the performance of hollow floatable gates; the idea is to fix a series of 78 hollow pontoons to the sea bed across the three entrances to the lagoon. When tides are predicted to rise above 110 centimetres, the pontoons will be filled with air, causing them to float and block the incoming water from the Adriatic Sea. This engineering work is due to be completed by 2014.[36]
Geography
Sestieri of Venice:
Cannaregio
Castello
Dorsoduro
San Marco
San Polo
Santa Croce
The historical city is divided into six areas or "sestiere" (while the whole comune (municipality) is divided into 6 boroughs of which one is composed of all 6 sestiere). These are Cannaregio, San Polo, Dorsoduro (including the Giudecca and Isola Sacca Fisola), Santa Croce, San Marco (including San Giorgio Maggiore) and Castello (including San Pietro di Castello and Sant'Elena). Each sestiere was administered by a procurator and his staff. Nowadays each sestiere is a statistic and historical area without any degree of autonomy.
These districts consist of parishes – initially seventy in 1033, but reduced under Napoleon and now numbering just thirty-eight. These parishes predate the sestieri, which were created in about 1170.
Other islands of the Venetian Lagoon do not form part of any of the sestieri, having historically enjoyed a considerable degree of autonomy.
Each sestiere has its own house numbering system. Each house has a unique number in the district, from one to several thousand, generally numbered from one corner of the area to another, but not usually in a readily understandable manner.
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification, Venice has a Humid subtropical climate (Cfa), with cool winters and very warm summers. The 24-hour average in January is 2.5 °C (36.5 °F), and for July this figure is 22.7 °C (72.9 °F). Precipitation is spread relatively evenly throughout the year, and averages 801 millimetres (31.5 in).
台南安南區 - 家門前的花 / 蜘蛛站在花苞上好幾天
Before Tainan Annan District - Home in front of a flower / Spider standing on the flowerbed for several days
Antes del districto de Tainan Annan - Inicio delante de una flor / Araña de pie en el macizo de flores durante varios días
台南安南区 - 家族の前の花 / クモはつぼみの極上の幾の日に立ちます
Vor Bezirk Tainan-Annan - Start vor einem Blumen / Spinne, die für einige Tage auf dem Blumenbeet steht
Avant zone de Tainan Annan - Accueil devant une fleur / Araignée debout sur le parterre de fleurs pendant plusieurs jours
Tainan Taiwan / Tainan Taiwán / 台灣台南
管樂小集 2018/01/20 安平古堡 Fort Zeelandia performances 1080P
{ 熱蘭古典小集 Zeelandia Classical small set クラシックな小さなセット }
{View large size on fluidr / 觀看大圖}
{My Blog / 管樂小集精彩演出-觸動你的心}
{My Blog / Great Music The splendid performance touches your heart}
{My Blog / 管楽小集すばらしい公演-はあなたの心を心を打ちます}
{Mi blog / La gran música el funcionamiento espléndido toca su corazón}
{Mein Blog / Große Musik die herrliche Leistung berührt Ihr Herz}
{Mon blog / La grande musique l'exécution splendide touche votre coeur}
Melody 曲:JAPAN / Words 詞:Sheesen / Singing : Sheesen
{ 夢旅人 1990 Dream Traveler 1990 }
Name: Desert rose
The branch leaves: Apocynaceae
Systematic name: Adeniuum obesum
Alias: The Tianbao flower, the short egg are colored
Nombre: El desierto se levantó
Las hojas de la rama: Apocynaceae
Nombre sistemático: Obesum de Adeniuum
Alias: Se colorea la flor de Tianbao, el huevo corto
花名:沙漠玫瑰
科別:夾竹桃科
學名:Adeniuum obesum
別名:天寶花、矮性雞蛋花
花の名:砂漠のバラの
科:キョウチクトウ
科の学名:Adeniuum obesum
別名:天宝は、低い性の卵の花を使います
家住安南鹽溪邊
The family lives in nearby the Annan salt river
隔壁就是聽雨軒
The next door listens to the rain porch
一旦落日照大員
The sunset Shineing to the Taiwan at once
左岸青龍飛九天
The left bank white dragon flying in the sky
♫Eminem - Like toy soldiers(instrumental)♫
I am embarking on another saga within my 365. Photos that have awe struck me, or held major influence on me over the years. I will try and incorporate myself into Life's most influential photos ever.
This photo was taken by photographer Eddie Adams of the Associated Press, he won a Pulitzer prize for this often "misinterpreted" scene, as South Vietnamese police chief Nguyen Ngoc Loan executed a viet cong captian.
this photo has always been very striking to me, very powerful, i hope one day to have a full scale print of it in my house.. i got this idea from an episode of mTV cribs i seen in middle school, i believe it was Dave Navarro.
Metroline VWH2227 (LK66EOB) on Route N98 to Holborn, Red Lion Square.
The 98 and N98 were due to be cutback to Marble Arch in light of the Oxford Street pedestrianisation but with the project seemingly cancelled, both routes will still be continuing along Oxford Street to Holborn for the moment.
15/06/2006, Het Scheur, Vlaardingen, Netherlands.
Click on the IMO tag below, to see a few more photos of this vessel.
Outward bound to the Dutch coast near Scheveningen for, I believe, shipyard trials.
A subsea rock installation (SRI) aka pipe burying vessel / Oil Service / Pipe Layer.
Dutch owned by Royal Boskalis, with Cypriot registry.
The 'Windpiper' is a subsea rock installation vessel designed to operate on and around offshore structures. Its role is to combine large transport capacity with precise execution on the seabed, a central requirement in this type of operation.
The vessel was originally ordered as a specialized deep-sea mining vessel to be named the 'Mac Goliath' but later changed to 'Nautilus New Era'.
In December 2017, the contracting purchaser failed to pay the third construction installment of approximately US$18 million plus interest to the Fujian Mawei shipyard.
The shipbuilder officially canceled the contract in July 2018.
Following its acquisition by Royal Boskalis, the massive 227-meter-long hull underwent a full conversion in the Netherlands. It will be transformed into the world's largest subsea rock installation (SRI) vessel
Floated out of the building dock in October 2016, and semi-completed on 28/03/2018 by Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding, Fuzhou, China (MW301-1)
50,316 g.t. & 70,165 dwt., as:
'Nautilus New Era', to 2025, &
'Windpiper' since.