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Established in 1880, the Taiping Lake Garden is one of the oldest garden in Malaysia. The huge lake was formerly a tin mine but was since transformed into a beautiful well used and well maintained park where flowers, birds, insects, animals and lush greenery thrive.
Excerpt from www.rideau-info.com/canal/history/merrickville-tour/index...:
Knox Presbyterian Church 1861 - 618 St Lawrence
Restored by Heritage Merrickville Foundation in 1983 to maintain its historic presence, this red-brick building, the earliest surviving church structure, has been preserved for community use as the Knox Hall.
Excerpt from Wikipedia:
Storkyrkan (lit. 'The Great Church'), also called Stockholms domkyrka (Stockholm Cathedral) and Sankt Nikolai kyrka (Church of Saint Nicholas), is the oldest church in Stockholm. Storkyrkan lies in the centre of Stockholm in Gamla stan, between Stockholm Palace and Stortorget, the old main square of Stockholm. It was consecrated to Saint Nicholas in 1306 but construction of the church probably started in the 13th century. Inside, Storkyrkan still maintains much of its late medieval appearance in the form of a hall church with a vaulted ceiling supported by brick pillars. The exterior of the church is however uniformly Baroque in appearance, the result of extensive changes made in the 18th century. The church played an important role during the Reformation in Sweden as the place where Mass was celebrated in Swedish for the first time. It currently serves as the seat of the Bishop of Stockholm within the Church of Sweden since the creation of the Diocese of Stockholm in 1942.
Storkyrkan was for a long time the only parish church of Stockholm, and from an early date it was connected with the Swedish royal family. It has been the scene of historical events on numerous occasions, and was used as a coronation church for centuries. More recently, the wedding between Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling took place in the church in 2010. Military victories as well as national tragedies have been commemorated in Storkyrkan, and it is still used for funerals of public figures such as the writers Astrid Lindgren and Sara Danius.
The church contains several important works of art as well as elaborate furnishings, among these a late medieval sculpture of Saint George and the Dragon and Vädersolstavlan, a painting which shows one of the earliest images of Stockholm.
The castle ruins are owned & maintained by the National Trust & open to visitors. This is especially interesting to children as special events like re-enactment of past battles take place
The first stone of Corfe Castle was laid more than 1,000 years ago. Since then it’s seen its fair share of battles, mysteries and plots. It’s been a treasury, military garrison, royal residence and family home.
The keep was built in the early 12th century for King Henry I, William the Conqueror’s son. It was designed to be impressive – and it certainly was. Standing 21m tall and on the top of a 55m high hill, this gleaming tower of Purbeck limestone could be seen from miles around.
After a brief period of confiscation, the castle was handed back to the Bankes family and remained in their ownership for three and a half centuries.
In 1982 Ralph Bankes gave it to the National Trust along with the family's extensive holdings in Purbeck, their mansion at Kingston Lacy near Wimborne and its adjoining land. The Bankes estate was one of the most generous gifts in the Trust's history.
Most of info from the NT site.
Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust maintains and protects the site at Hartslock NR of the ultra-rare natural hybrid between the Amber-listed monkey orchid, Orchis simia, and the Red-listed lady orchid, Orchis pupurea. There are also a few pure monkey orchids, but currently no lady orchids. (The advice we received was that lady orchid bulbs are probably still present under the ground and they will "come up again when they are ready".)
It's a challenge to get the best angles for photography, because the area is understandably roped off, but I did manage to get a few shots.
It's also a challenge to get there, being over two hours drive from Taunton (thanks for driving Max Thompson Photography!) and a two mile walk from the car park in Goring. Well worth it though, for the orchids and for the view from our lunch spot, as well as another great species along our walking route - more on that to come...
The red cliffs of Capitol Reef tower above the well maintained homestead in Fruita, Utah. Once one of the most isolated communities in the U.S., Fruita (formerly known as "Junction") is now HQ for the National Park Service, who maintain fruit orchards and a few of the old buildings. The campground is one of the most scenic in the NPS system, just a stones throw behind this scene. The park is a great example of how human impact on the landscape is nicely blended in with the surroundings, with "historical" orchards adjacent to 1500+ year old petroglyph panels, just below the cliffs of the reef.
#4
This is the totally eclipsed Moon of November 8, 2022 set in the stars of Aries, with the planet Uranus nearby, visible as the greenish star about three Moon diameters away from the Moon at the 10 o'clock position. Uranus was at oppostion the next night, November 9, at magnitude 5.6.
I shot the set of images for this scene at about 3:28 a.m. MST, about 20 minutes after the start of this long totality, so the right (lunar eastern) limb of the Moon was still fairly bright. The field of view is about 7.6° by 5°.
This is a blend of four exposures to compress the dynamic range and record the stars while maintaining the Moon more as the eye saw it. I blended a 5-second exposure at ISO 1600 for the stars, with 1-, 2-, and 5-second exposures at ISO 200 for the lunar disk, all with the Canon Ra on the SharpStar 61mm EDPH refractor with the Reducer/Flattener for f/4.6. The scope and camera were on the Star Adventurer tracker, turning at the sidereal rate for the long exposure for the stars but at the slower lunar rate for the shorter, lower ISO exposures for the Moon. Blending was with old-fashioned manual masking, not HDR routines or even luminosity masks.
It was -25° C this night, and with several inches of snow having just fallen that day, so I kept the gear complexity to a minimum. However, using a 280mm focal length scope on the tracker was pushing it. Most long exposures for the starfield were trailed. I shot several sets of "HDR" exposures to be sure I got one that worked.
After waiting for signal maintainers to release their track and time at Independence Jct., MNA Train KCMNA 29 sails down the east side of the hill on the UP Sedalia Sub.
The crew died the day before at UP Neff Yard, and they're making an unusual morning run eastbound out of the city with their train for Carthage.
Locomotives: MNA 3363, MNA 2760, MNA 9391
8-29-17
Independence, MO
Serving the popular tourist suburb of Arashiyama in western Kyoto is the Hankyu Railway's Arashiyama Line. This short local line connects Katsura Station with the namesake city and is served by these 1970's era 6000 Series EMU's every 10 minutes. Another aspect of this line that is noticeable is not just how well maintained and clean their trains are, but their lineside infrastructure as well. Silver riveted catenary gantries and silver signals with finials; how retro!
The "Handsome Railway" living up to its name, that's for sure.
Hankyu Electric Railway; Arashiyama Line
Hankyu 6000 Series
Arashiyama Hinokamicho, Nishikyo Ward, Kyoto
This house looks like it has good bones and likely would have been saved had someone maintained the windows and roof.
Sad to see these go, but I get it. Someone owns the land, the house is no longer desireable because "hey, I can get a mcmansion from a builder that does 300 a summer all the same, so why would I want this old house that is well built?"
It's a different time. Shiny over substance. Our forefathers would weep.
PANCHET Dam Maintained by DAMODAR VALLEY CORPORATION (DVC) over DAMODAR River During the Winter Season in a Bright Afternoon. Tourists Visit the Dam Situated in WEST BENGAL (PURULIA) - JHARKHAND (DHANBAD) Border Mostly in Monsoon and Winter. Though scenes of Water release from Dam during Monsoon Attracts more than Winter. Tourists Enjoy Boating Ride Facility on the River Which is Exquisite.
The high retail value of saffron is maintained on world markets because of labour-intensive harvesting methods, which require some 440,000 hand-picked saffron stigmas per kilogram (200,000 stigmas/lb) – equivalently, 150,000 crocus flowers per kilogram (70,000 flowers/lb). Forty hours of labour are needed to pick 150,000 flowers.
One freshly picked crocus flower yields on average 30 mg of fresh saffron or 7 mg dried; roughly 150 flowers yield 1 g (1⁄32 oz) of dry saffron threads; to produce 12 g (7⁄16 oz) of dried saffron, 450 g (1 lb) of flowers are needed; the yield of dried spice from fresh saffron is only 13 g/kg (0.2 oz/lb).
An outstanding attendant maintains a graceful demeanor at any and all times.
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An eastern grey squirrel eating an acorn that I observed it dig up in the backyard farm field near one of the old Garry Oak trees.
During the autumn and winter months, the eastern grey squirrel’s diet consists mainly of nuts and seeds. Throughout the year, tree squirrels store large quantities of seeds and nuts, especially acorns to see them through the winter months.
Tree squirrels are one of the most important animals for helping oaks spread, because they store acorns in the ground, helping to maintain and regenerate second-growth oak forests.
Palacio de Miramar, San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, País Vasco, España.
El Palacio de Miramar, también denominado Palacio Municipal de Miramar o Palacio Real, es un palacio de estilo inglés situado en la ciudad guipuzcoana de San Sebastián, en España. Fue construido en 1893 por José Goicoa, por encargo de la Casa Real española, con base en un proyecto de 1889 del arquitecto inglés Ralph Selden Wornum. Situado frente a la bahía de La Concha, dispone de una de las más espectaculares vistas de la ciudad.
El palacio de Miramar es de estilo puramente inglés y presenta ciertos elementos decorativos neogóticos. En su interior dispone de ciertas zonas nobles que se mantienen fieles a su configuración original, como el Salón Blanco, el Salón de Música, el Salón de Madera, el Petit Salón, la Biblioteca y el Comedor Real. El resto del palacio ha sido reformado sucesivamente desde su compra por parte del Ayuntamiento, convirtiéndolo en un recinto más funcional aunque algo desvirtuado. Las últimas obras acometidas en el mismo, en 2001, tuvieron como objeto la construcción de aulas para Musikene. Posteriormente, en 2007, se restauró la torre del edificio.
En cualquier caso, el palacio mantiene su aspecto externo original y es habitual la celebración de ciertas fiestas en sus jardines y zonas nobles, principalmente las del Festival de Cine de San Sebastián.
Miramar Palace, also known as Miramar Municipal Palace or Royal Palace, is an English-style palace located in the city of San Sebastián, Guipuzcoa, Spain. It was built in 1893 by José Goicoa, commissioned by the Spanish Royal Family, based on a project from 1889 by the English architect Ralph Selden Wornum. Located in front of La Concha Bay, it has one of the most spectacular views of the city.
Miramar Palace is purely English in style and has certain neo-Gothic decorative elements. Inside it has certain noble areas that remain faithful to their original configuration, such as the White Room, the Music Room, the Wooden Room, the Petit Room, the Library and the Royal Dining Room. The rest of the palace has been successively renovated since its purchase by the City Council, turning it into a more functional although somewhat distorted enclosure. The last works undertaken there, in 2001, were aimed at building classrooms for Musikene. The tower of the building was later restored in 2007.
In any case, the palace maintains its original external appearance and it is common to hold certain parties in its gardens and public areas, mainly those of the San Sebastian Film Festival.
This competitor in the Perth & District Motor Club - Glenalmond Trial goes all out to maintain balance and forward motion.
The dance performance "Field" takes us to the fields of captivating beauty. A journey where beauty, happiness, and joy manifest as accidental side effects of a bad situation, offering support and helping to maintain hope.
Maintaining track speed, WAMX 4174 leads the pack as T6 sweeps through photogenic downtown Edgerton.
Edgerton, WI
2022.06.24
We made a family trip to Sigmaringen. This little city in the Danube valley features this fabulous castle right in its center. We also had the chance to accompany a guided tour through the castle, which is very well maintained. Unfortunately it is forbidden to make captures. Here, I was playing around a bit with Photomatix and Gimp.
Following the death of the 4th earl in 1960, an agreement was reached whereby the estate would pass to the National Trust in lieu of death duties. The deal was finalised and the house opened to the public in 1966. The estate was immediately leased to Staffordshire County Council, who managed and maintained it on behalf of the National Trust, with Lord Lichfield retaining an apartment in the hall until his death in 2005, paying a nominal rent to the new owners. His successor, the 6th Earl, decided to relinquish the lease of the apartments, thus severing the family's direct links with the estate.
In 2016 Staffordshire County Council handed the estate back to the National Trust
"Peacetime" during the Cold War still has the Empire keeping on the watch and having many military units maintaining ships, weapons, and droids. Ready for whenever the Republic breaks the treaty bringing in another war.
Took me like, 3 weeks to finish this simple build. Procrastinating and such plus with the new SWtOR expansion and Battlefront which had my attention for a while. I finally felt like finishing and adding finale touches to it.
Enjoy!(?)
Tempio di Bulguksa.
Lo stagno, si incontra prima di accedere al tempio, circondato da una splendida vegetazione ben studiata e ben curata.
Bulguksa Temple.
The pond is encountered before entering the temple, surrounded by splendid, well-studied and well-maintained vegetation.
IMG20240419093340m
The historic and beautifully maintained revival-style mansion was built in 1851 and occupies 29+ acres. There are 24 rooms including 7 guest bedrooms, 8 full bathrooms and private living quarters on the 3rd floor. Comes with a fully furnished gourmet kitchen. Banquet facility can accomodate up to 200. An octagon banquet hall provides additional opportunities for the owner and adds to the splendor of the structure. There is a cottage with 3 private bedrooms as well as 3 additional structures. The inn is situated in the charming Gaslight Village of Wyoming, NY which features quaint shops and the Appleumpkin Fall Harvest Festival. Letchworth State Park (the “Grand Canyon of the East”) is just a stone’s throw away, where there are many activities such as hiking, hot air ballooning, museums, historical sites and much more! Rochester, Buffalo and Niagara Falls all within about an hour’s drive from this location, giving the new owner access to approximately 2 million people in a 60 mile radius. An hour’s drive (or less) from these cities brings you back to the restful elegance of the Hillside Inn.
Historic Hillside Inn mansion built in 1851. Formerly both a spa in the 1850?s, to private residence, to Bed & Breakfast. Twenty four fully furnished rooms (7 which are guest rooms) with 8 full bathrooms, 13 fireplaces, private living quarters on the 3rd floor of the main house are loaded to the rafters with history and charm. An octagon banquet hall as well as 3 additional structures add to the grandeur of this 29+ acre estate. Could be used for a private estate or Commercial. Visited by Susan B Anthony, The Roosevelt's, and many other historic figures. Mineral water stream on the premises with natural granite. This site is truly picturesque with beautiful surroundings and loaded with history.
España - Málaga - El caminito del Rey
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC1W96UTycE
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjcZGvytKaU
www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3xVf_0f49Q
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ENGLISH:
The Gorge Desfiladero de los Gaitanes is a natural beauty spot, placed in the centre of the province, between the towns of Alora, Antequera and Ardales. This is one of the most beautiful spots of the Malaga Mountains. Between its steep and considerably high walls, the River Guadalhorce flows, after having passed through the reservoirs El Chorro (The Spurt), Guadalhorce, Guadalteba and Gaitanejo.
The Gaitanes Gorge is a canyon, carved by the river Guadalhorce in the territory of Álora, which at some points is only 10 meters wide and 700 meters deep. The nothern access to it is via Guadalhorce reservoirs and the southern is via El Chorro.
The construction of a water channel from the reservoirs in the north to El Chorro, which was meant to make the most of the slope in a hydroelectric power station, was carried out together with a path for maintaining the channel. This one is known as El Caminito del Rey Path (The Kings’s Little Pathway) because it was first opened by King Alfonso XIII in 1921. This path, about 3 kilometers long, has just been refurbished, and it goes along vertical walls and a footbridge over the gorge on the same waterway.
Until the arrival of the High Speed Train (AVE), the gorge was the only rail access to Málaga from the inland part of Andalusia, with a long tunnel in the east wall of the gorge. Today, there is another tunnel located one kilometer east, under Huma Mountain, used as an access by high-speed rail.
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ESPAÑOL:
El Paraje Natural Desfiladero de los Gaitanes se encuentra en el centro de la provincia de Málaga, entre los municipios de Álora, Antequera y Ardales. Constituye uno de los paisajes más espectaculares de la sierra malagueña, con paredes escarpadas y de altura considerable, entre las que discurre el río Guadalhorce después de pasar por los embalses de El Chorro, Guadalhorce, Guadalteba y Gaitanejo.
El Desfiladero de los Gaitanes es un cañón excavado por el río Guadalhorce en el término municipal de Álora, con acceso desde el norte por los embalses del Guadalhorce y desde el sur por El Chorro, que en algunos puntos sólo tiene 10 metros de anchura y que alcanza los 700 metros de profundidad.
La construcción de un canal de agua desde los embalses del norte hasta El Chorro para aprovechar aquí el desnivel en una central hidroeléctrica, llevó aparejado un camino de mantenimiento de dicho canal, conocido como Caminito del Rey porque la obra fue inaugurada por el rey Alfonso XIII en 1921. Este camino (lo que se conoce como las pasarelas), de unos 3 kilómetros de longitud, acaba de ser restaurado, y discurre entre paredes verticales y un puente en el mismo desfiladero sobre el canal de agua.
Hasta la llegada del AVE, el desfiladero era el único acceso ferroviario a Málaga capital desde el interior de Andalucía, con un largo túnel excavado en la pared este del desfiladero. En la actualidad existe otro túnel situado a un kilómetro al este, bajo la Peña Huma, para el acceso ferroviario de alta velocidad.
As I approached a small car show in my area, I was immediately captured by this beautifully maintained 1967 Mustang Fastback.
The owner of this fine looking classic muscle car told me that he has owned this car for 43 years. It had begun life as a six-cylinder - it now sports a 302c.i. V-8 taken out of a 85’GT Mustang. Power/torque to the rear wheels/tires is handled by a nine-inch Detroit locker differential. Amenities include; A/C, cruise control and a tilt steering wheel. Rack and pinion steering along with power disk front brakes compliment the steering and braking. Under the hood the 302 is fed by a Holly Sniper EFI with matching distributor. An aluminum radiator and electric cooling fan keep this little pony running efficiently.
I was told that originally, the car was yellow but now, as everyone can see, it's dressed in a striking rich, flawless red paint. A real “eye catcher”.
Hope ya’all enjoy ……………….
Btw- I also have front end views of this fine car that I may be posting later.
Note: I would love to have the opportunity to shoot these cars on location (a "location of my choosing") but this doesn't seem to be in the cards so I have to deal with the cards I am dealt with.
The Basilica of Esztergom holds many secrets and is a fascinating testimony of Hungarian history. The construction of the imposing building took 54 years and was shaped by three famous architects.
Originally, on the site of the basilica in the 18th century stood a theater known for its animal fights. But in 1838 a huge flood devastated the city, which became known as the Great Flood of Budapest. The square where the basilica stands today rose from the plain of Budapest and provided refuge for hundreds of people during the disaster. The survivors saw their fate as a miracle of God and decided to build a church at the place of their survival. However, it took several years before construction actually began.
The construction of the basilica finally began in 1851 under the supervision of József Hild. Later, the renowned architect Miklós Ybl took over and replaced the earlier classical style with neo-Renaissance concepts. Ybl was one of the most famous Hungarian architects of his time and also designed the State Opera House and the building of the Burggarten Bazaar. Work on the basilica was finally completed in 1905 by József Kauser.
During World War II, the basilica served as a refuge for many refugees and also protected the valuable collection of the Hungarian National Archives from bombing in the basement of the massive building. However, the church, like much of the city, was badly damaged and required extensive renovation. In 1983, the city government finally decided to completely renovate the basilica, and the work continued until August 2003.
The Esztergom Basilica is not only an impressive architectural masterpiece, but also the largest and highest-ranking church in the country. As the cathedral of the Primate of the country, it has a special significance for Hungary. Already in the first decade of our statehood, Stephen I, the Holy King, endowed the first church at this place. The Castle Hill of Esztergom has always played an important role in Hungarian history since the founding of the state and maintained its significance despite the turbulence and challenges of the times. With its picturesque location above the Danube bend and the natural beauty marked by the surrounding mountains, the place was both easily accessible and isolated, easily defensible and at the same time attractive and relaxing.
So it is not surprising that the castle hill of Esztergom became first the seat of the Hungarian kings and later the most important center of the Hungarian Catholic Church. The Basilica of Esztergom stands as an impressive symbol of Hungary's faith, history and beauty, attracting visitors from all over the world.
www.strassederkaiserundkoenige.com/en/location/esztergome...
Looking at some of my old photos from our trip to Scotland. I have seen many images of this scene and decided to add mine to the collection.
The Lagangarbh Cottage is owned by the National Trust for Scotland and is maintained by the Scottish Mountaineering Club, providing accommodations for members and guests.
The garden at Sissinghurst Castle in the Weald of Kent, in England at Sissinghurst village, is owned and maintained by the National Trust. It is among the most famous gardens in England and is grade I listed.
Sissinghurst's garden was created in the 1930s by Vita Sackville-West, poet and gardening writer, and her husband Harold Nicolson, author and diplomat. Sackville-West was a writer on the fringes of the Bloomsbury Group who found her greatest popularity in the weekly columns she contributed as gardening correspondent of The Observer, which incidentally—for she never touted it—made her own garden famous. The garden itself is designed as a series of 'rooms', each with a different character of colour and/or theme, the walls being high clipped hedges and many pink brick walls. The rooms and 'doors' are so arranged that, as one enjoys the beauty in a given room, one suddenly discovers a new vista into another part of the garden, making a walk a series of discoveries that keeps leading one into yet another area of the garden. Nicolson spent his efforts coming up with interesting new interconnections, while Sackville-West focused on making the flowers in the interior of each room exciting.
For Sackville-West, Sissinghurst and its garden rooms came to be a poignant and romantic substitute for Knole, reputedly the largest house in Britain, which as the only child of Lionel, the 3rd Lord Sackville she would have inherited had she been a male, but which had passed to her cousin as the male heir.
The site is ancient; "hurst" is the Saxon term for an enclosed wood. A manor house with a three-armed moat was built here in the Middle Ages. In 1305, King Edward I spent a night here. It was long thought that in 1490 Thomas Baker, a man from Cranbrook, purchased Sissinghurst, although there is no evidence for it. What is certain is that the house was given a new brick gatehouse in the 1530s by Sir John Baker, one of Henry VIII's Privy Councillors, and greatly enlarged in the 1560s by his son Sir Richard Baker, when it became the centre of a 700-acre (2.8 km2) deer park. In August 1573 Queen Elizabeth I spent three nights at Sissinghurst.
After the collapse of the Baker family in the late 17th century, the building had many uses: as a prisoner-of-war camp during the Seven Years' War; as the workhouse for the Cranbrook Union; after which it became homes for farm labourers.
Sackville-West and Nicolson found Sissinghurst in 1930 after concern that their property Long Barn, near Sevenoaks, Kent, was close to development over which they had no control. Although Sissinghurst was derelict, they purchased the ruins and the farm around it and began constructing the garden we know today. The layout by Nicolson and planting by Sackville-West were both strongly influenced by the gardens of Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens; by the earlier Cothay Manor in Somerset, laid out by Nicolson's friend Reginald Cooper, and described by one garden writer as the "Sissinghurst of the West Country"; and by Hidcote Manor Garden, designed and owned by Lawrence Johnston, which Sackville-West helped to preserve. Sissinghurst was first opened to the public in 1938.
The National Trust took over the whole of Sissinghurst, its garden, farm and buildings, in 1967. The garden epitomises the English garden of the mid-20th century. It is now very popular and can be crowded in peak holiday periods. In 2009, BBC Four broadcast an eight-part television documentary series called Sissinghurst, describing the house and garden and the attempts by Adam Nicolson and his wife Sarah Raven, who are 'Resident Donors', to restore a form of traditional Wealden agriculture to the Castle Farm. Their plan is to use the land to grow ingredients for lunches in the Sissinghurst restaurant. A fuller version of the story can be found in Nicolson's book, Sissinghurst: An Unfinished History (2008).
For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sissinghurst_Castle_Garden and www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst-castle-garden
Both rice and laugh (ing) in Italian are "riso"....It is Known that " laughing maintain good blood flow" but sometimes also eating a good "Riso".....Risotto.....has similar effect!
The recipe:
Ingredients:
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup Arborio rice -- unwashed
2 eggs -- room temperature
2 lemons
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Pour broth into a saucepan to simmer slowly while cooking rice.
Heat butter in a saute pan or skillet, add rice, and stir for 1 minute until each grain of rice is coated with butter. Add 1 cup hot broth, stir, and cook about 3 minutes until broth is absorbed.
Pour in second cup hot broth and simmer 4-5 minutes until rice is soft but firm in center; add 1/2 cup hot broth if rice needs longer cooking.
Whisk eggs until frothy in a bowl; add juice of lemons and cheese. When rice is soft in center, stir egg mixture into rice in pan and cook over low heat 1 minute; rice should be very creamy.
The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Italian pronunciation: [katteˈdraːle di ˈsanta maˈriːa del ˈfjoːre]; in English "Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flowers") is the main church of Florence, Italy. Il Duomo di Firenze, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style with the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi. The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris.
The cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile. These three buildings are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site covering the historic centre of Florence and are a major attraction to tourists visiting Tuscany. The basilica is one of Italy's largest churches, and until development of new structural materials in the modern era, the dome was the largest in the world. It remains the largest brick dome ever constructed.
The cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Florence, whose archbishop is currently Giuseppe Betori.
Santa Maria del Fiore was built on the site of an earlier cathedral dedicated to Saint Reparata. The ancient structure, founded in the early 5th century and having undergone many repairs, was crumbling with age, according to the 14th-century Nuova Cronica of Giovanni Villani, and was no longer large enough to serve the growing population of the city. Other major Tuscan cities had undertaken ambitious reconstructions of their cathedrals during the Late Medieval period, such as Pisa and particularly Siena where the enormous proposed extensions were never completed.
Giotto's bell tower (campanile)
The new church was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio and approved by city council in 1294. Di Cambio was also architect of the church of Santa Croce and the Palazzo Vecchio. He designed three wide naves ending under the octagonal dome, with the middle nave covering the area of Santa Reparata. The first stone was laid on September 9, 1296, by Cardinal Valeriana, the first papal legate ever sent to Florence. The building of this vast project was to last 140 years; Arnolfo's plan for the eastern end, although maintained in concept, was greatly expanded in size.
After Arnolfo died in 1310, work on the cathedral slowed for thirty years. When the relics of Saint Zenobius were discovered in 1330 in Santa Reparata, the project gained a new impetus. In 1331, the Arte della Lana, the guild of wool merchants, took over patronage for the construction of the cathedral and in 1334 appointed Giotto to oversee the work. Assisted by Andrea Pisano, Giotto continued di Cambio's design. His major accomplishment was the building of the campanile. When Giotto died in 1337, Andrea Pisano continued the building until work was halted due to the Black Death in 1348.
In 1349, work resumed on the cathedral under a series of architects, starting with Francesco Talenti, who finished the campanile and enlarged the overall project to include the apse and the side chapels. In 1359, Talenti was succeeded by Giovanni di Lapo Ghini (1360–1369) who divided the center nave in four square bays. Other architects were Alberto Arnoldi, Giovanni d'Ambrogio, Neri di Fioravante and Andrea Orcagna. By 1375, the old church Santa Reparata was pulled down. The nave was finished by 1380, and by 1418, only the dome remained incomplete.
On 18 August 1418, the Arte della Lana announced an architectural design competition for erecting Neri's dome. The two main competitors were two master goldsmiths, Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi, the latter of whom was supported by Cosimo de Medici. Ghiberti had been the winner of a competition for a pair of bronze doors for the Baptistery in 1401 and lifelong competition between the two remained sharp. Brunelleschi won and received the commission.
Ghiberti, appointed coadjutator, drew a salary equal to Brunelleschi's and, though neither was awarded the announced prize of 200 florins, was promised equal credit, although he spent most of his time on other projects. When Brunelleschi became ill, or feigned illness, the project was briefly in the hands of Ghiberti. But Ghiberti soon had to admit that the whole project was beyond him. In 1423, Brunelleschi was back in charge and took over sole responsibility.
Work started on the dome in 1420 and was completed in 1436. The cathedral was consecrated by Pope Eugene IV on March 25, 1436, (the first day of the year according to the Florentine calendar). It was the first 'octagonal' dome in history to be built without a temporary wooden supporting frame. It was one of the most impressive projects of the Renaissance. During the consecration in 1436, Guillaume Dufay's motet Nuper rosarum flores was performed. The structure of this motet was strongly influenced by the structure of the dome.
The decoration of the exterior of the cathedral, begun in the 14th century, was not completed until 1887, when the polychrome marble façade was completed with the design of Emilio De Fabris. The floor of the church was relaid in marble tiles in the 16th century.
The exterior walls are faced in alternate vertical and horizontal bands of polychrome marble from Carrara (white), Prato (green), Siena (red), Lavenza and a few other places. These marble bands had to repeat the already existing bands on the walls of the earlier adjacent baptistery the Battistero di San Giovanni and Giotto's Bell Tower. There are two side doors: the Doors of the Canonici (south side) and the Door of the Mandorla (north side) with sculptures by Nanni di Banco, Donatello, and Jacopo della Quercia. The six side windows, notable for their delicate tracery and ornaments, are separated by pilasters. Only the four windows closest to the transept admit light; the other two are merely ornamental. The clerestory windows are round, a common feature in Italian Gothic.
During its long history, this cathedral has been the seat of the Council of Florence (1439), heard the preachings of Girolamo Savonarola and witnessed the murder of Giuliano di Piero de' Medici on Sunday, 26 April 1478 (with Lorenzo Il Magnifico barely escaping death), in the Pazzi conspiracy.
For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_del_Duomo,_Florence
Florence (/ˈflɒrəns/ FLOR-əns; Italian: Firenze [fiˈrɛntse] ( listen)) is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the Metropolitan City of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 382,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1,520,000 in the metropolitan area.
Florence was a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of the time, is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and has been called "the Athens of the Middle Ages". A turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family, and numerous religious and republican revolutions. From 1865 to 1871 the city was the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy.
The Historic Centre of Florence attracts 13 millions of tourists each year, and Euromonitor International ranked the city as the world's 89th most visited in 2012, with 1.8 million visitors. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. The city is noted for its culture, Renaissance art and architecture and monuments. The city also contains numerous museums and art galleries, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Palazzo Pitti, and still exerts an influence in the fields of art, culture and politics. Due to Florence's artistic and architectural heritage, it has been ranked by Forbes as one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Florence is an important city in Italian fashion, being ranked in the top 51 fashion capitals of the world; furthermore, it is a major national economic centre, as well as a tourist and industrial hub. In 2008, the city had the 17th highest average income in Italy.
For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence
Rescued after being hit by a motor vehicle, a young male woodchuck is receiving rehabilitation, at...
A.W.A.R.E. (Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Effort)
DeKalb County (Lithonia), Georgia, USA.
4 March 2023.
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▶ "The AWARE Wildlife Center rehabilitates injured and orphaned native Georgia wild animals and educates the public about peaceful coexistence with wildlife."
▶ The shelter has named the woodchuck...Diggy Stardust!
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▶ "The groundhog (Marmota monax) —also known as a woodchuck, whistlepig, etc.— is a rodent of the family Sciuridae (squirrel family), belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. The groundhog is a lowland creature of North America; it is found through much of the Eastern United States, across Canada and into Alaska.
Adults may measure from 16 to 27 inches in total length (41 to 68 cm), including a tail of (3 3⁄4 to 7 3⁄8 inches (9.5 to 19 cm). Weights of adult groundhogs typically fall between 4 and 14 pounds (2 to 6.3 kg).
Most marmots live in rocky and mountainous areas. The groundhog, however, is a lowland animal, and plays an important role maintaining healthy soil in woodlands and plains. Groundhogs are extremely intelligent animals, forming complex social networks, able to understand social behavior, form kinship with their young, understand and communicate threats through whistling, and work cooperatively to solve tasks such as burrowing.
Monax (Móonack), the Algonquian name of the woodchuck, means 'digger.'"
— Wikipedia.
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Starting the New Year with the first collage for January.
The new year never seems to really be here until the first month is over - possibly because it takes me that long to stop writing 2018 and having to correct myself ;o) This January I've done my usual mix of landscape, macro B+W, and still-life. I've also been using a variety of camera lenses (something that is hard to maintain when winter keeps me indoors a lot) - so a mix of Lensbaby, Russian lenses, macro and zoom and my trusty 'pocket rocket' the RX100. And I've started using the iPhone camera for the first time. All I need now is more hours in the day, and boundless energy to go with it ;o)
At a glance: At a Glance