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An indisputable symbol of the renaissance of Le Havre, Saint Joseph’s Church is an extraordinary building.
Its impressive dimensions and trans-Atlantic allure disturb the religious landmarks which nevertheless make it one of the most remarkable achievements of the 20th century in France.
New-York in Le Havre
Every major city has its landmark that history has given it. In Le Havre, Saint Joseph’s Church quickly achieved this coveted status, despite its young age, since this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the first religious celebration. It is true that the ambition that prevailed in its construction, in the fever of post-war reconstruction, gave it serious assets to deserve this role as a flagship monument.
From afar, whether on land or at sea , its skyscraper-like appearance, so familiar to fans of New York, obviously owes nothing to chance. A true votive work in memory of the victims of the annihilation of Le Havre, Saint Joseph celebrates from the top of its 107 m height, the rebirth of a city that has established itself as the maritime gateway to France, thus endowing the religious building with another, more secular vocation.
Concrete and light
As we draw closer to this bitter hope, as if irresistibly attracted by its vertical thrust, we gradually grasp the incredible architectural dimension that led to the new emblem of the rebuilt Le Havre being classified as a historical monument less than ten years after its completion. Brought here to its climax, the magnificent expression that Auguste Perret managed to give to concrete brings out all the nuances of a hitherto unsuspected palette for this reconstituted stone.
However, the realisation is not complete until you cross the threshold into St Joseph’s, when the complicity between the concrete poet and master glassmaker Marguerite Huré explodes before your eyes: made entirely of openwork on its eight sides, the lantern tower perfects the liturgical principles thanks to the 12,768 multicoloured hand-blown stained-glass windows which, in a cleverly reinvented religious mysticism, touch the soul of the stunned visitor.
Source: www.lehavre-etretat-tourisme.com/en/discover/the-essentia...
Quentin Massys, also attested as Quinten or Kwinten and with the surname Matsys or Metsys or Matsijs, (Louvain, 1466 - Antwerp, 1530) - Madonna enthroned with Child (circa 1525) - oil on oak wood 138.2 x 91.5 cm - Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
La Madre di Dio è mostrata a figura intera quasi a grandezza naturale. Si siede su un trono di pietra, i cui lati sono adornati da colonne levigate di marmo rossastro. La parete di fondo forma un arco aperto, decorato con trafori gotici, che si inserisce nell'estremità semicircolare del tavolo. Maria indossa un abito blu con maniche iridescenti rosa e grigio-blu e un mantello rosso vivo che si estende in morbide pieghe sul gradino del trono fino al pavimento, che è disposto con piastrelle colorate. La testa di Maria è coperta da un velo trasparente che le ricade sulle spalle e avvolge il bambino inginocchiato sulle sue ginocchia. Il motivo del bacio, che dona all'immagine solennemente rappresentativa della Madonna un tocco di intimità, proviene dall'arte di Leonardo da Vinci. Il trattamento dei volti con le transizioni di luce e ombra appena percettibili testimonia la conoscenza e l'influenza dell'arte di Leonardo. Nella cura del paesaggio e nella natura morta preziosamente dipinta stesa sul tavolino davanti al trono della Madonna, Massys è completamente impegnato nel realismo dei dettagli dell'arte olandese. Le ampie vedute del paesaggio su entrambi i lati del trono mostrano l'influenza dell'arte paesaggistica di Joachim Patenier, per i cui paesaggi Massys a volte dipingeva le figure. Il giardino recintato con la siepe di rose e la fontana sull'altro lato del trono indica il significato profondo della nostra immagine della Madonna. Ricorda l'immagine dell '"hortus conclusus" tratta dal Cantico dei Cantici di Salomone, che simboleggia la verginità e l'impeccabilità della Madonna. La natura morta in primo piano ha anche un significato simbolico. Le ciliege rosse e luminose sono associate a un riferimento al sangue del Signore versato sulla croce, mentre la mela è da interpretare come un simbolo del peccato originale cancellato da Cristo. Pane e vino alludono al sacrificio di redenzione, che si rinnova perpetuamente nella Messa.
The Mother of God is shown almost full-length. She sits on a stone throne whose sides are adorned with polished columns of reddish marble. The back wall forms an open arch, decorated with Gothic openwork, which fits into the semi-circular end of the table. Maria wears a blue dress with pink and grey-blue iridescent sleeves and a bright red cloak that extends in soft folds on the throne step to the floor, which is arranged with coloured tiles. Maria's head is covered by a transparent veil that falls over her shoulders and envelops the child kneeling on her knees. The motif of the kiss, which gives the solemnly representative image of the Madonna a touch of intimacy, comes from the art of Leonardo da Vinci. The treatment of the faces with the barely perceptible transitions of light and shadow testifies to the knowledge and influence of Leonardo's art. In the care of the landscape and the preciously painted still life on the table in front of the Madonna's throne, Massys is completely committed to the realism of the details of Dutch art. The wide views of the landscape on both sides of the throne show the influence of Joachim Patenier's landscape art, for whose landscapes Massys sometimes painted the figures. The enclosed garden with the rose hedge and the fountain on the other side of the throne indicate the profound significance of our image of the Madonna. It recalls the image of the "hortus conclususus" taken from Solomon's Song of Songs, which symbolizes the virginity and impeccability of the Madonna. The still life in the foreground also has a symbolic meaning. The red and bright cherries are associated with a reference to the blood of the Lord shed on the cross, while the apple is to be interpreted as a symbol of original sin erased by Christ. Bread and wine allude to the sacrifice of redemption, which is renewed perpetually in the Mass.
Here the tower has been reworked. The buttresses are thinkened, and additional openwork has been added at the top. Looking at photo resources showed that the peaks over gothic arches tend to get darker over time (probably from soot) and so they have been repainted.
Borgund Stave Church is a stave church located in the village of Borgund in the municipality of Lærdal in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway.
built sometime between 1180 and 1250 AD with later additions and restorations. Its walls are formed by vertical wooden boards, or staves, hence the name "stave church". The four corner posts are connected to one another by ground sills, resting on a stone foundation. The intervening staves rise from the ground sills; each is tongued and grooved, to interlock with its neighbours and form a sturdy wall.
Borgund has tiered, overhanging roofs, topped with a tower. On the gables of the roof, there are four carved dragon heads, swooping from the carved roof ridge crests, recalling the carved dragon heads found on the prows of Norse ships. Borgund is one of the only churches to still have preserved its ridge crests, carved with openwork vine and vegetable repeating designs. The dragons on top of the church were often used as a form of drainage.
A new Borgund Church was built in 1868 right next to the old church, and the old church has not been in ordinary use since that year. Borgund Stave Church was bought by the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments in 1877. The first guidebook in English for the stave church was published in 1898!
The church served as the inspiring example for the reconstruction of the Fantoft Stave Church in Fana, Bergen, in 1883 and for its rebuilding in 1997. The Gustav Adolf Stave Church in Hahnenklee, Germany, built in 1908, is modelled on the Borgund church. Two replicas exist in the United States, one at Chapel in the Hills, Rapid City, South Dakota., another in Lyme, Connecticut.
La peau de dentelle enveloppant la partie du bâtiment qui donne sur la mer et sur le fort Saint-Jean, laisse filtrer la lumière qui dessine des ombres au sol et sur les parois vitrées, magnifiques jeux de lumière, de transparence et de couleurs. Dans ce volume intermédiaire se laisse admirer la structure du bâtiment composée d’une multitude de barres d’acier et de tirants solidement chevillés qui rythment le volume ombragé de la pente permet au visiteur de jouir de la vue sans être vu, derrière un moucharabieh minéral. Entre la structure qui soutient les parois de verre et l’enveloppe de béton noir ajourée, un passage permet de déambuler tout autour des salles du musée, de descendre ou de monter jusqu’au toit-terrasse panoramique. De là, une passerelle de 135 mètres de long, avec vue spectaculaire sur le grand large, rejoint le monument historique du fort Saint-Jean et son chemin de ronde.
The lace skin enveloping the part of the building overlooking the sea and Fort Saint-Jean, lets filter the light that draws shadows on the floor and on the glass walls, beautiful play of light, transparency and color. In this intermediate volume is admired the structure of the building consists of a multitude of steel bars and firmly pegged rods that punctuate the shaded volume of the slope allows the visitor to enjoy the view without being seen, behind a moucharabieh mineral . Between the structure that supports the glass walls and the openwork black concrete envelope, a passage allows you to wander all around the museum rooms, to go down or climb up to the panoramic roof terrace. From there, a footbridge 135 meters long, with spectacular views of the open sea, joins the historic monument of Fort Saint-Jean and its walkway.
Borgund Stave Church is a stave church located in the village of Borgund in the municipality of Lærdal in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway.
Built sometime between 1180 and 1250 AD with later additions and restorations. Its walls are formed by vertical wooden boards, or staves, hence the name "stave church". The four corner posts are connected to one another by ground sills, resting on a stone foundation. The intervening staves rise from the ground sills; each is tongued and grooved, to interlock with its neighbours and form a sturdy wall.
Borgund has tiered, overhanging roofs, topped with a tower. On the gables of the roof, there are four carved dragon heads, swooping from the carved roof ridge crests, recalling the carved dragon heads found on the prows of Norse ships. Borgund is one of the only churches to still have preserved its ridge crests, carved with openwork vine and vegetal repeating designs. The dragons on top of the church were often used as a form of drainage.
A new Borgund Church was built in 1868 right next to the old church, and the old church has not been in ordinary use since that year. Borgund Stave Church was bought by the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments in 1877. The first guidebook in English for the stave church was published in 1898!
The church served as the inspiring example for the reconstruction of the Fantoft Stave Church in Fana, Bergen, in 1883 and for its rebuilding in 1997. The Gustav Adolf Stave Church in Hahnenklee, Germany, built in 1908, is modelled on the Borgund church. Two replicas exist in the United States, one at Chapel in the Hills, Rapid City, South Dakota., another in Lyme, Connecticut.
La Catedral fue comenzada, según los Anales Compostelanos, en el año 1158, con el fin de cobijar los restos de uno de los santos más conocidos y venerados en el Camino de Santiago, santo Domingo de la Calzada, fallecido en el año 1109.
Conocemos el nombre del maestro que diseño y comenzó a erigir el templo, maese Garçión, el cual posiblemente fue de origen francés. Este maestro proyectó un gran templo tardorrománico acorde con la importancia del lugar, y del que aún se conservan importantes vestigios, en concreto la cabecera y el diseño del resto del templo. Desde el punto de vista arquitectónico destaca su estructura, con una Cabecera con deambulatorio que circunda el presbiterio, y tres capillas absidiales de las que original solo se conserva la central. En cuanto a la escultura de esta parte de la catedral, hay que destacar por su importancia toda la serie de capiteles historiados del deambulatorio y sobre todo las cuatro pilastras decoradas que dan al presbiterio. En ellas se ha visto representado un árbol de Jessé destacando por su calidad las imágenes de la Santísima Trinidad y de un Rey David músico.
El Coro de la Catedral es una gran pieza plateresca realizada en la década de 1520 por Andrés de Nájera y Guillén de Holanda entre otros. La calidad de sus tallas se aprecia en las labores de delicados calados o en la taracea de sus sitiales. Los relieves de las sillas representan figuras de santos y santas. Presidiendo, en la silla abacial, se encuentra santo Domingo. También es digno de reseñar el interesante programa simbólico de todo el conjunto, reafirmado por una serie de sentencias inscritas en muchos de los respaldos.
es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catedral_de_Santo_Domingo_de_la_Cal...
The Cathedral was started, according to the Compostela Annals, in 1158, in order to shelter the remains of one of the best known and most venerated saints on the Camino de Santiago, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, who died in 1109.
We know the name of the master who designed and began to erect the temple, Master Garçión, which was possibly of French origin. This master projected a great late-Romanesque temple in keeping with the importance of the place, and of which important vestiges are still preserved, specifically the head and the design of the rest of the temple. From an architectural point of view, its structure stands out, with a head with an ambulatory that surrounds the presbytery, and three apsidal chapels of which only the central one is preserved. As for the sculpture in this part of the cathedral, the entire series of historiated capitals in the ambulatory and especially the four decorated pilasters that overlook the presbytery should be noted for its importance. In them a tree of Jessé has been represented, highlighting the images of the Holy Trinity and a musician King David for their quality.
The Choir of the Cathedral is a great Plateresque piece made in the 1520s by Andrés de Nájera and Guillén de Holanda, among others. The quality of their carvings is appreciated in the delicate work of openwork or in the inlaying of their seats. The reliefs on the chairs represent figures of saints. Presiding, in the abbey chair, is Saint Dominic. It is also worth noting the interesting symbolic program of the whole set, reaffirmed by a series of sentences inscribed in many of the endorsements.
La Ceja, Antioquia, Colombia.
Esta es la casa de unos amigos en La Ceja. La construyeron en el estilo colonial que vino de España, especialmente de Andalucía. Tiene todos los elementos característicos, como el patio interno de piedra, las chambranas en madera que rodean la casa; los calados en puertas y ventanas, el techo en teja de barro y un jardín precioso lleno de flores.
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This is the house of some friends in La Ceja. They built it in the colonial style that came from Spain, especially Andalusia. It has all the characteristic elements, such as the internal stone patio, the wooden frames that surround the house; the openwork on doors and windows, the clay tile roof and a beautiful garden full of flowers.
The Torre de Belém in the Belém district at the mouth of the Tagus is one of the most famous landmarks in Lisbon. Along with the nearby Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, the tower is one of the few outstanding Manueline-style structures to have survived the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. The top, 35 meter high, exposed floor of the tower is now a viewing platform.
In 1515 the tower was commissioned by the Portuguese King Manuel I. It was completed six years later, the year Manuel died (1521). Since then it has symbolized the heyday of the Portuguese maritime and commercial empire. Located as a lighthouse on a rock in the Tejo estuary, it greeted the arriving explorers and merchant ships. Originally there was a second tower on the opposite side. Enemy ships could be caught in the crossfire. However, this twin tower was destroyed by the great earthquake of 1755.
A symbol of protection for seafarers, a statue of Our Lady of Safe Homecoming looks out to sea. On the northwest side of the tower there is also a sculpture of a rhinoceros head, which is the first plastic depiction of this animal in Europe.
The Indian rhinoceros, which Afonso de Albuquerque brought back from his trip to India in 1515 and which later also provided Albrecht Dürer with the template for the woodcut of his "Rhinoceros".
It is an illustration of the Indian rhinoceros, which Afonso de Albuquerque brought back from his trip to India in 1515 and which later also provided Albrecht Dürer with the template for the woodcut of his "Rhinoceros". The bastion gets its own character from the rich decorations with cord reliefs, shield-shaped battlements, openwork balconies and Moorish lookouts.
The gloomy interior served as a prison and armory well into the 19th century. In the 19th century there were deposits on the northern bank of the Tejou. Today the Torre is therefore only a few meters from the land. The Torre de Belém has been a World Heritage Site since 1983
The level of the Dead Sea is constantly falling. Approximately 1.2 meters per year. Retreating, the water exposes the openwork bottom woven from the salt. In a few months, these patterns will be part of the coast. And even after six months or a year, the coastal edge will move a few meters inside from this place.
DIAMOND AND RUBY SET GOLD TIARA
TURKEY, CIRCA 1800
A rare Ottoman Empire ca. 1800 tiara. The foliate openwork frame supports attached elements set with mine-cut diamonds. The center stone is a large diamond mounted on floral rosette with radiating diamond-set petals issuing floral sprays set with diamonds and rubies. The crown is in the shape of a star and crescent motif. Suspension loops to the sides
...IMAGINE TO BE HERE....
the most important Italian Gothic Cathedral for YOU
FOR A MAGIC MERRY CHRISTMAS...
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Milan Cathedral
is the cathedral church of Milan, Italy. Dedicated to St Mary of the Nativity (Santa Maria Nascente), it is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, currently Cardinal Angelo Scola. The Gothic cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete. It is the largest church in Italy (the larger St. Peter's Basilica is in the State of Vatican City) and the fifth largest in the world.
Milan's layout, with streets either radiating from the Duomo or circling it, reveals that the Duomo occupies what was the most central site in Roman Mediolanum, that of the public basilica facing the forum. The first cathedral, the "new basilica" (basilica nova) dedicated to St Thecla, was completed by 355. It seems to share, on a slightly smaller scale, the plan of the contemporaneous church recently rediscovered beneath Tower Hill in London. An adjoining basilica was erected in 836. The old octagonal baptistery, the Battistero Paleocristiano, dates to 335 and still can be visited under the Milan Cathedral. When a fire damaged the cathedral and basilica in 1075, they were rebuilt as the Duomo.
Construction begins
In 1386, Archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo began construction of the cathedral. Start of the construction coincided with the ascension to power in Milan of the archbishop's cousin Gian Galeazzo Visconti, and was meant as a reward to the noble and working classes, who had suffered under his tyrannical Visconti predecessor Barnabò. Before actual work began, three main buildings were demolished: the palace of the Archbishop, the Ordinari Palace and the Baptistry of St. Stephen at the Spring, while the old church of Sta. Maria Maggiore was exploited as a stone quarry. Enthusiasm for the immense new building soon spread among the population, and the shrewd Gian Galeazzo, together with his cousin the archbishop, collected large donations for the work-in-progress. The construction program was strictly regulated under the "Fabbrica del Duomo", which had 300 employees led by first chief engineer Simone da Orsenigo. Orsenigo initially planned to build the cathedral from brick in Lombard Gothic style.
Visconti had ambitions to follow the newest trends in European architecture. In 1389, a French chief engineer, Nicolas de Bonaventure, was appointed, adding to the church its Rayonnant Gothic, a French style not typical for Italy. He decided that the brick structure should be panelled with marble. Galeazzo gave the Fabbrica del Duomo exclusive use of the marble from the Candoglia quarry and exempted it from taxes. Ten years later another French architect, Jean Mignot, was called from Paris to judge and improve upon the work done, as the masons needed new technical aid to lift stones to an unprecedented height. Mignot declared all the work done up till then as in pericolo di ruina ("peril of ruin"), as it had been done sine scienzia ("without science"). In the following years Mignot's forecasts proved untrue, but they spurred Galeazzo's engineers to improve their instruments and techniques. Work proceeded quickly, and at the death of Gian Galeazzo in 1402, almost half the cathedral was complete. Construction, however, stalled almost totally until 1480, for lack of money and ideas: the most notable works of this period were the tombs of Marco Carelli and Pope Martin V (1424) and the windows of the apse (1470s), of which those extant portray St. John the Evangelist, by Cristoforo de' Mottis, and Saint Eligius and San John of Damascus, both by Niccolò da Varallo. In 1452, under Francesco Sforza, the nave and the aisles were completed up to the sixth bay.
Giovanni Antonio Amadeo on the "Amadeo's Little Spire".
In 1500 to 1510, under Ludovico Sforza, the octagonal cupola was completed, and decorated in the interior with four series of 15 statues each, portraying saints, prophets, sibyls and other characters of the Bible. The exterior long remained without any decoration, except for the Guglietto dell'Amadeo ("Amadeo's Little Spire"), constructed 1507-1510. This is a Renaissance masterwork which nevertheless harmonized well with the general Gothic appearance of the church.
During the subsequent Spanish domination, the new church proved usable, even though the interior remained largely unfinished, and some bays of the nave and the transepts were still missing. In 1552 Giacomo Antegnati was commissioned to build a large organ for the north side of the choir, and Giuseppe Meda provided four of the sixteen pales which were to decorate the altar area (the program was completed by Federico Borromeo). In 1562, Marco d' Agrate's St. Bartholomew and the famous Trivulzio candelabrum (12th century) were added.
The plan consists of a nave with four side-aisles, crossed by a transept and then followed by choir and apse. The height of the nave is about 45 meters, the highest Gothic vaults of a complete church (less than the 48 meters of Beauvais Cathedral, which was never completed).
The roof is open to tourists (for a fee), which allows many a close-up view of some spectacular sculpture that would otherwise be unappreciated. The roof of the cathedral is renowned for the forest of openwork pinnacles and spires, set upon delicate flying buttresses.
The cathedral's five broad naves, divided by 40 pillars, are reflected in the hierarchic openings of the façade. Even the transepts have aisles. The nave columns are 24.5 metres (80 ft) high, and the apsidal windows are 20.7 x 8.5 metres (68 x 28 feet). The huge building is of brick construction, faced with marble from the quarries which Gian Galeazzo Visconti donated in perpetuity to the cathedral chapter. Its maintenance and repairs are very complicated.
FORE MORE INFORMATIONS:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milan_Cathedral
FOR THE PLACE:
wikimapia.org/#lang=it&lat=45.464119&lon=9.191753...
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“It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera…
they are made with the eye, heart and head.”
[Henry Cartier Bresson]
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Please don't use any of my images on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit written permission.
© All rights reserved
Last week, I visited our group's photo exhibition in Ebisu, Tokyo.
I met up these beautiful doors on way to the exhibition.
the doors are back doors of Thai restaurant.
Aged texture, decoration, it was nice atmosphere.
Borobudur temple in Jogjakarta at sunrise. Located at the Java Island, it is the world's largest Buddhist temple. Now it is a UNESCO heritage and the most visited tourist attraction in Indonesia.
Extract from UNESCO
"This famous Buddhist temple, dating from the 8th and 9th centuries, is located in central Java. It was built in three tiers: a pyramidal base with five concentric square terraces, the trunk of a cone with three circular platforms and, at the top, a monumental stupa. The walls and balustrades are decorated with fine low reliefs, covering a total surface area of 2,500 m2. Around the circular platforms are 72 openwork stupas, each containing a statue of the Buddha. The monument was restored with UNESCO's help in the 1970s."
This isn't exactly the 'flagship' piece of the YSP's exhibition of the works of Catalan artist Jaume Plensa, but it and its partner 'Irma' featured heavily in exhibition publicity, presumably because it highlights both Plensa's exploration of the human body's architectural nature and the YSP's objective to display sculpture as a seamless element of the landscape of Bretton Hall's gardens.
That may be a reason why it's taken me 5 years to write a caption and upload this photo, though I processed it at the same time as others from this day and uploaded them rather promptly: pretty as it may be, the photo was taken from the most 'obvious' (cliched!) angle, captured by virtually every visitor.
For the record, then: this excellent exhibition is long over, and all (but one) of the installations gone. I understand this one is in a private collection in the USA.
As usual for Plensa, the huge (4×4×3 m) head is based on a scan of a real person, the young daughter of a Chinese restaurateur in Barcelona, though it's somewhat idealised.
Many of Plensa's heads are digitally distorted before being carved or cast, with elongation or flattening of such familar forms challenging the eye, but in this case, the computer model was physically rendered at 'normal' proportions, in a white-painted stainless steel openwork mesh which both stands-out well from the terrestrial background and vanishes against the sky. Yet the translucence alone has a disorientating effect: when standing on the right it's easy to think the left ear is the nearer one, and seeing the face through the mesh, inside-out, is distinctly odd. There's even an aspect of the 'hollow face' optical illusion whereby the huge head seems to turn to follow the viewer.
To see the official National Trust website please click:-
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/gawthorpe-hall
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gawthorpe_Hall
Gawthorpe Hall is an Elizabethan country house on the banks of the River Calder, in the civil parish of Ightenhill in the Borough of Burnley, Lancashire, England. Its estate extends into Padiham, with the Stockbridge Drive entrance situated there. Since 1953 it has been designated a grade I listed building.[1] The hall is financed and run by the National Trust in partnership with Lancashire County Council.[2] In 2015 the Hall was given £500,000 funding from Lancashire County Council for vital restoration work needed on the south and west sides of the house.
History
Gawthorpe Hall's origins are in a pele tower, a strong fortification built by the Shuttleworths in the 14th century as a defence against invading Scots.[4] The Shuttleworths occupied Shuttleworth Hall near Hapton from the 12th century.[5] The Elizabethan house was dovetailed around the pele tower from plans drawn up by Richard Shuttleworth but carried out after his death by his brother the Reverend Lawrence Shuttleworth. The foundation stone was laid on 26 August 1600.[6] The architect is not recorded, but the house is generally attributed to Robert Smythson.[7]
In 1604 Richard Stone, from Carr House in Bretherton, imported Irish panel boards and timber and stored 1,000 pieces in the tithe barn at Hoole until they were needed.[8] The mottoes of the Kay-Shuttleworths are Prudentia et Justitia (Prudence and Justice – Shuttleworth) and Kynd Kynn Knawne Kepe (Kind Friends Know and Keep – Kay).[9] Mottoes are found in the front porch and around the top of the tower.[10] The initials KS, Kay-Shuttleworth occur in decoration throughout the house, on the front door and plaster roundels on the ceiling in the main dining room.
An early occupant was Colonel Richard Shuttleworth (MP), who inherited it in about 1607 from his uncle. Colonel Shuttleworth was High Sheriff of Lancashire for 1637, Member of Parliament for Preston (1640 to 1648 and 1654 to 1659) and commander of the Parliamentarian Army of the Blackburn Hundred during the Civil War. After his death Gawthorpe was leased to tenants, the Shuttleworths preferring to live at Forcett Hall near Richmond.
After Forcett was sold the Shuttleworths returned to Gawthorpe. In 1818 barrister, Robert Shuttleworth died and his daughter Janet inherited the estate at an early age. Her mother remarried and remained at Gawthorpe to protect her inheritance. In 1842 Janet married Sir James Kay of Rochdale, who adopted the surname Kay-Shuttleworth and commissioned Sir Charles Barry to carry out restoration and improvements to the house in the 1850s.[1] Sir James was made a baronet in 1849 and served as High Sheriff of Lancashire for 1864. Charlotte Brontë, a family friend visited the house. In 1953 Charles Kay-Shuttleworth, 4th Baron Shuttleworth, left Gawthorpe to live at Leck Hall near Kirby Lonsdale and in 1970, after the death of Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth, Gawthorpe was gifted to the National Trust.
The National Trust described the hall as "an Elizabethan gem in the heart of industrial Lancashire". Nicholas Cooper described the hall's plan as an early example in which the main stair is immediately accessible from the main entrance, a feature that became standard.[11] The hall has a collection of 17th and 18th century portraits on permanent loan from the National Portrait Gallery and is notable for its textiles, collected by the last resident family member Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth, about a fifth of which is on display.
House
Porch
The porch was rebuilt by Sir Charles Barry in 1851 who replaced the round-headed archway over the door with a four-centred arch on columns set on raised plinths and installed a three-light mullioned window above it to create a tile-floored vestibule. A stone plaque displaying the Shuttleworth, (three weaver's shuttles) Kay and Kay-Shuttleworths arms carved by Thomas Hurdeys in 1605 was retained. The Kay motto was inscribed on the outside of the door lintel and the Shuttleworth's on the inside.[12] The door's decorative ironwork was designed by Pugin and made by Hardman's of Birmingham in 1851 at a cost of £17 1s 6d. The interior is decorated with a carved stone panel bearing Sir James Kay-Shuttleworth's arms and two ceremonial sheriff's javelins and a black oak sword-chest dated to about 1500.[12]
Entrance hall
The entrance hall was extended at its east end and reordered when the 17th-century mezzanine bedroom, a low-ceilinged pantry and the buttery were removed in the 1850s. The fireplace's stone over-mantel was used in the vestibule. The fireplace was given a marble surround, incorporating family initials in 1856 and an iron grate with lions-head dampers was supplied in 1852.[13] A Renaissance-style panelled and arcaded openwork wooden screen was constructed in 1851 by William Horne. Oak panelling was installed framing two internal windows between which is a Jacobean panel and above it was a gallery for family portraits.[14]
An Edwardian photograph shows the hall with a billiard table, upholstered bobbin-turned chairs, two wicker chairs and a Glastonbury armchair. The entrance hall was converted into a kitchen in 1945. The archway blocked, the screen dismantled, panelling removed and an internal window made into a serving hatch. Only the fireplace and geometrical ceiling were left intact. The room was later made into a study. In 1986 the screen was reconstructed, surviving woodwork re-installed and missing pieces re-carved and some stonework was repaired.[15]
Portraits from the mid 17th century, include four on loan from the National Portrait Gallery, commemorating Roundheads imprisoned in Windsor Castle. There are portraits of Lord and Lady Derby, and of their contemporaries.[16] Furniture includes a hutch cupboard inlaid with holly and bog oak from 1630 on a late 17th-century cupboard, two panel-back carved armchairs and a blanket chest. An ornate eight-day bracket clock from about 1725 is signed by Louis Mynuel.[15]
Great Hall
The 17th century Great Hall was used for formal dinners, performing plays, music and dancing and from 1816 became the family dining room. It was refurnished after restoration by Barry in 1852. Its galleried entrance screen was built by Thomas Hurdeys, Hugh Sandes and Cornelius Towndley in 1604-05. Above its doorways is the date 1605 and the initials of Hugh Shuttleworth and his sons - Richard, Lawrence and Thomas. By 1850 the gallery was unsafe and shored up with pillars. An 18th-century over-mantel mirror, from the drawing room, was cut up to provide panels.[16] Barry's 1851 carved stone chimney piece is superimposed on a wider 17th-century fireplace with an elliptical arch. Its sides are concealed with oak panelling and wall benches. The over-mantel has the Kay-Shuttleworth coat of arms, flanked by shields of Shuttleworth, Kay, and their wives - Fleetwood Barton, Jane Kirke, Catherine Clark and Mary Holden. The cast-iron fire grate and andirons were made in 1852 and the encaustic tiles in 1880.[17]
Barry intended to retain its 1605 plaster ceiling but replaced it with a design reproducing the old pattern in an enriched form. In May 1852 red flock wallpaper designed to simulate 16th-century Italian velvets was supplied from J. G. Crace & Co. It survived until the 1960s and in 1987 new wallpaper was reprinted from the original "Rutland blocks", using distempered colours. Wool and silk brocade curtains by Crace have a pattern based on 15th-century Italian figured silk velvets devised by Pugin in 1844.
An 1850s Renaissance style trestle table was supplied by Crace. Two alabaster models by G Andreoni of Pisa representing the Baptistry and church of Santa Maria della Spina were purchased by Blanche Kay-Shuttleworth in about 1880. An oak dining table with turned legs was made in 1881 by Gillows of Lancaster and the twist-turned oak dining chairs may also be by them. A carved oak Charles II armchair is one of' a pair made in Yorkshire in 1808 with seat panels in petitpoint floral work. The trestle fire screen has an embroidered panel. The mid-19th-century Feraghan carpet is of the same date, style and manufacture as one shown in N. F. Green's 1884 watercolour.[18]
The hall contains portraits of Sir Thomas Aylesbury painted in about 1642 by William Dobson, James Harrington and Nathaniel Highmore.[19]
Drawing Room
Robert Shuttleworth changed the medieval "dyning chamber" into a drawing room retaining its Jacobean panelling and plasterwork. The Italian Renaissance-style inlaid panelling with arabesques in semicircular arcading by the craftsmen who made the entrance screen, was started in 1603 and took a year to complete. The panelling's cornice supports a frieze and ceiling by Francis and Thomas Gunby. The frieze's contains a grotesque in which human, half-human and animal figures are entwined with fruiting stems and foliage. The ceiling is decorated with vines and oak branches in the spaces between strapwork ribbing. The plaster work took five months to complete in 1605. The fireplace arch was renewed by Barry in 1851 retaining the l7th-century hearthstone and stone fender and has a cast-iron gothic fire grate, designed by Pugin. Its andirons have armorial plates and wrought brass finials.The overmantel is dated 1604 above the Shuttleworth arms.
Of the Victorian furnishings and decoration, the bright green curtains were replaced by silk and linen brocatelle, re-woven from a fragment of material found in the house, with a pattern of stylised pomegranates and pineapples. A mid-19th-century blue and red Mahal carpet produced by Ziegler & Co. is a replacement and a Shirvan hearthrug dates from the 19th century. Portraits of Sir Ughtred and Lady Kay-Shuttleworth from1884 are by John Collier.[20]
Garden and grounds
The small ornamental garden was laid out on a terrace overlooking the River Calder at the rear of the house by Charles Barry. The semicircular terrace wall is Grade II listed.[21] The course of the river was diverted away from Gawthorpe Hall in the 19th century because of pollution and again diverted to accommodate an open cast coal scheme north of the river in Padiham in the 1960s.[22]
Other listed buildings associated with the hall are the Great Barn (built 1602–04),[23] the old farmhouse (1605–06, now used as the estate offices),[24] the game larder,[25] the coach house (1870),[26] and the lodges and gateways on Habergham and Stockbridge drives (both c.1849).[27][28][29]
Burnley F.C. have trained at a centre in the grounds since the 1950s.[30]
Gawthorpe is one of the trailheads of the Brontë Way, a 43-mile (69 km) long-distance footpath that crosses the South Pennines to Haworth, continuing to Oakwell Hall, Birstall, West Yorkshire.[31]
Bronze mirror disc framed by birds, palmettes, and flowers is mounted on an original convex wooden block. This is unusual as ancient wood rarely survives. The wooden section might have been covered with fabric that would be visible through the openwork silver-gilt frame. A bronze loop in the back could have held the fabric in place.
The subject seems to be a naked male attacked by a griffin.
Hellenistic or Early Roman, 2nd century BCE-1st century CE. Said to be from Olbia (near modern Parutyne, Northern Black Sea region, formerly Russian Empire, now Ukraine).
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (22.50.1)
La Ceja, Antioquia, Colombia.
Esta es la casa de unos amigos en La Ceja. La construyeron en el estilo colonial que vino de España, especialmente de Andalucía. Tiene todos los elementos característicos, como el patio interno de piedra, las chambranas en madera que rodean la casa; los calados en puertas y ventanas, el techo en teja de barro y un jardín precioso lleno de flores.
______________________________________
This is the house of some friends in La Ceja. They built it in the colonial style that came from Spain, especially Andalusia. It has all the characteristic elements, such as the internal stone patio, the wooden frames that surround the house; the openwork on doors and windows, the clay tile roof and a beautiful garden full of flowers.
Bij het conceptualiseren van de renovatie werd onder andere overwogen om de koloniale beelden in de grote rotonde uit hun nissen te halen. De bevoegde diensten voor Onroerend
Erfgoed wezen het museum erop dat de kunstwerken integraal deel uitmaakten van het beschermde gebouw, ook al stonden er bij de opening van het museum in 1910 slechts twee van deze beelden.
Het AfricaMuseum heeft dan beslist elementen toe te voegen in plaats van weg te nemen. In 2015 organiseerde het museum een wedstrijd en richtte zich daarbij op Afrikaanse kunstenaars of kunstenaars van Afrikaanse oorsprong om een kunstwerk te creëren dat een tegenwicht zou bieden aan de koloniale beelden. De jury selecteerde Aimé Mpane, een Congolese kunstenaar, met zijn werk Nouveau souffle ou le Congo bourgeonnant, een monumentaal beeld in opengewerkt hout dat kort voor de heropening van het museum in de grote rotonde werd geplaatst.
In de maanden na de heropening van het museum gaven veel bezoekers echter uiting aan hun onbegrip over het behoud van de koloniale beelden in de grote rotonde. De wil van het museum om een dekoloniale boodschap te brengen, werd door de bezoekers niet altijd opgevangen, ondanks de verklarende teksten.
Een werkgroep van de Verenigde Naties (Human Rights Council) bezocht het museum in februari 2019 in het kader van een evaluatie van de toestand van de rechten van mensen van Afrikaanse afkomst die in België wonen. Hij wees erop dat de reorganisatie van het museum niet ver genoeg ging. Het museum werd sterk aangespoord om alle koloniale propaganda achterwege te laten en het geweld en de ongelijkheden van het Belgische koloniale verleden klaar en duidelijk voor te stellen.
Naar aanleiding van deze opmerkingen en op uitnodiging van het AfricaMuseum stelde Aimé Mpane voor om een tweede beeld in de grote rotonde te plaatsen. Dit kunstwerk, ook in
opengewerkt hout, stelt de schedel van chef Lusinga voor. Het beeld verwijst naar de raid van de Belgische officier Émile Storms op het dorp van Lusinga in 1884. Tijdens deze expeditie werd het hoofd van de chef afgehakt en nadien naar België meegenomen. Tot 1964 bevond deze schedel zich in het KMMA en werd daarna overgedragen aan het Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen.
De twee houten beelden staan tegenover elkaar en verwijzen enerzijds naar de dood en het geweld van het verleden (Schedel van Lusinga), en anderzijds naar de waardigheid en de beloften voor de toekomst (Nouveau souffle ou le Congo bourgeonnant).
Bron: www.africamuseum.be/sites/default/files/media/press/doc/D...
Persdossier – AfricaMuseum; Een stap Dichter naar de dekolonisatie | 27 februari 2020
--------------------
When conceptualising the renovation, consideration was given, among other things, to removing the colonial statues in the large rotunda from their niches. The competent heritage services pointed out to the museum that the works of art were an integral part of the protected building.
The AfricaMuseum then decided to add elements instead of taking them away. In 2015, the museum organised a competition and focused on African artists or artists of African origin to create a work of art that would counterbalance the colonial images. The jury selected Aimé Mpane, a Congolese artist, with his work Nouveau souffle ou le Congo bourgeonnant, a monumental sculpture in openwork wood that was placed in the large rotunda shortly before the museum reopened.
However, in the months following the museum's reopening, many visitors expressed their incomprehension about the preservation of the colonial images in the large rotunda. The museum's desire to convey a decolonial message was not always received by visitors, despite the explanatory texts.
A United Nations working group (Human Rights Council) visited the museum in February 2019 as part of an evaluation of the state of rights of people of African descent living in Belgium. It pointed out that the reorganisation of the museum
did not go far enough. The museum was strongly urged to abandon all colonial propaganda and to present the violence and inequalities of Belgium's colonial past clearly and clearly.
Following these comments and at the invitation of the AfricaMuseum, Aimé Mpane proposed placing a second statue in the large rotunda. This work of art, also in
openwork wood, represents the skull of Chief Lusinga. The statue refers to the raid by the Belgian officer Émile Storms on the village of Lusinga in 1884. During this expedition,
the chief's head was chopped off and then taken to Belgium. Until 1964, this skull was in the KMMA and was then transferred to the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. The two wooden statues face each other and refer on the one hand to the death and violence of the past (Skull of Lusinga), and on the other hand to the dignity and promises for the future (Nouveau souffle ou le Congo bourgeonnant).
Source: Text translated from Dutch
and
photo rights reserved by B℮n
Sameba Cathedral in Tbilisi is one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world and the main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church. The cathedral is located on the hilltop of Elijah in the historic center of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, and dominates the city skyline with its impressive architecture. Completed in 2004, the cathedral combines elements of traditional Georgian architecture with Byzantine influences. The design incorporates classic Georgian elements such as cruciform structures and details found in older monasteries and churches in Georgia. The dome of the church, covered in gold, rises 87 meters above the ground, giving the cathedral an impressive height difference and making it visible from many parts of the city. The construction of the cathedral was intended to symbolize Georgian unity and revival after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The project began in the 1990s and was largely funded by donations from both the Georgian government and the Georgian people.
The exterior of Sameba Cathedral in Tbilisi is beautifully decorated with openwork decorations that add to the impressive appearance of the building. Inspired by traditional Georgian architecture, these decorative elements feature intricate patterns and symbols that have been carefully carved into the sand-colored stone facade. The image above shows a beautiful relief that is part of the decoration of Sameba Cathedral. In this relief we see two angels, each dressed in elaborate robes and holding a staff, symbolizing their role as messengers and protectors. Together they hold an image that is believed to show the Mandylion, a traditional representation of the face of Christ without human intervention, according to Orthodox Christian tradition. The style of the relief is typical of Georgian Orthodox art, with attention to symmetry and detailing. The faces of the figures and the decorations in their clothing have been carefully carved, which is a testament to the craftsmanship of the artists. This type of iconography reinforces the spiritual symbolism of the cathedral and emphasizes the importance of saints and angels in the Orthodox tradition, who are seen as mediators between man and the divine.
De Sameba-kathedraal in Tbilisi is een van de grootste orthodoxe kerken ter wereld en de belangrijkste kathedraal van de Georgisch-Orthodoxe Kerk. De kathedraal staat op de heuveltop van Elia in het historische centrum van Tbilisi, de hoofdstad van Georgië, en domineert de skyline van de stad met zijn indrukwekkende architectuur. De kathedraal, voltooid in 2004, combineert elementen van traditionele Georgische architectuur met Byzantijnse invloeden. Het ontwerp bevat klassieke Georgische elementen zoals kruisvormige structuren en details die je ook terugziet in oudere kloosters en kerken in Georgië. De koepel van de kerk, bedekt met goud, steekt 87 meter boven de grond uit, wat de kathedraal een indrukwekkend hoogteverschil geeft en zorgt dat deze vanuit veel delen van de stad zichtbaar is. De constructie van de kathedraal was bedoeld als symbool voor de Georgische eenheid en heropleving na het uiteenvallen van de Sovjet-Unie. Het project begon in de jaren 90 en werd voor een groot deel gefinancierd door donaties van zowel de Georgische regering als het Georgische volk. De buitenkant van de Sameba-kathedraal in Tbilisi is prachtig versierd met opengewerkte decoraties die bijdragen aan de indrukwekkende uitstraling van het gebouw. Deze decoratieve elementen zijn geïnspireerd op traditionele Georgische architectuur en bevatten complexe patronen en symbolen die zorgvuldig zijn uitgehouwen in de zandkleurige stenen gevel. De bovenstaande afbeelding toont een prachtig reliëf dat onderdeel is van de decoratie van de Sameba-kathedraal. In dit reliëf zien we twee engelen afgebeeld, elk gekleed in gedetailleerde gewaden en met een staf in de hand, wat symbool staat voor hun rol als boodschappers en beschermers. Ze houden samen een afbeelding vast die vermoedelijk het Mandylion toont, een traditionele weergave van het gezicht van Christus zonder menselijke tussenkomst, volgens de orthodoxe christelijke traditie. De stijl van het reliëf is typisch voor de Georgisch-orthodoxe kunst, met aandacht voor symmetrie en detaillering. De gezichten van de figuren en de versieringen in hun kleding zijn zorgvuldig uitgehouwen, wat getuigt van het vakmanschap van de kunstenaars. Dit soort iconografie versterkt de spirituele symboliek van de kathedraal en benadrukt het belang van heiligen en engelen in de orthodoxe traditie, die worden gezien als bemiddelaars tussen de mens en het goddelijke.
Very often they call Bruges the Northern Venice. And it’s not only because here and there are many canals.All mystical, magic atmosphere of the city reminds Venice. Especially in twilight time, when the canals are empty (without tourists) you can feel that enigma and think out what’s hidden in deep dark waters of canals... like this one... Canal Rozenhoedkaai with well-proportioned beautiful Belfry in background... The belfry of Bruges, or Belfort, is a medieval bell tower in the historical center of the city. One of the most prominent symbols, the belfry formerly housed a treasury and the municipal archives, and served as an observation post for spotting fires and other danger. A narrow, steep staircase of 366 steps leads to the top of the 83-meter-high building. The belfry was added to the market square around 1240, when Bruges was prospering as an important center of the Flemish cloth industry. After a devastating fire in 1280, the tower was largely rebuilt. The city archives, however, were forever lost to the flames. The octagonal upper stage of the belfry was added between 1483 to 1487, and capped with a wooden spire bearing an image of Saint Michael, banner in hand and dragon underfoot. The spire did not last long: A lightning strike in 1493 reduced it to ashes, and destroyed the bells as well. A wooden spire crowned the summit again for some two-and-a-half centuries, before it, too, fell victim to flames in 1741. The spire was never replaced again, thus making the current height of the building somewhat lower than in the past; but an openwork stone parapet in Gothic style was added to the rooftop in 1822. A poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, titled "The Belfry of Bruges," refers to the building's checkered history:
In the market-place of Bruges stands the belfry old and brown;
Thrice consumed and thrice rebuilded, still it watches o'er the town.
Much better viewed large on black View On Black
"Simón de Colonia created this openwork stone fable – the highest expression of Flamboyant Gothic – between 1482 and 1496." catedraldeburgos.es/visita-cultural/capilla-de-los-condes... [translated]
capilla del Condestable [or] capilla de los Condestables [or] capilla de la Purificación de la Virgen ✶ Burgos Cathedral ✶ Catedral de Burgos
IMG_3154
New breath or the budding Congo
--------
Nieuwe adem of het ontluikende Congo
When conceptualising the renovation, consideration was given, among other things, to removing the colonial statues in the large rotunda from their niches. The competent heritage services pointed out to the museum that the works of art were an integral part of the protected building.
The AfricaMuseum then decided to add elements instead of taking them away. In 2015, the museum organised a competition and focused on African artists or artists of African origin to create a work of art that would counterbalance the colonial images. The jury selected Aimé Mpane, a Congolese artist, with his work Nouveau souffle ou le Congo bourgeonnant, a monumental sculpture in openwork wood that was placed in the large rotunda shortly before the museum reopened.
However, in the months following the museum's reopening, many visitors expressed their incomprehension about the preservation of the colonial images in the large rotunda. The museum's desire to convey a decolonial message was not always received by visitors, despite the explanatory texts.
A United Nations working group (Human Rights Council) visited the museum in February 2019 as part of an evaluation of the state of rights of people of African descent living in Belgium. It pointed out that the reorganisation of the museum
did not go far enough. The museum was strongly urged to abandon all colonial propaganda and to present the violence and inequalities of Belgium's colonial past clearly and clearly.
Following these comments and at the invitation of the AfricaMuseum, Aimé Mpane proposed placing a second statue in the large rotunda. This work of art, also in
openwork wood, represents the skull of Chief Lusinga. The statue refers to the raid by the Belgian officer Émile Storms on the village of Lusinga in 1884. During this expedition,
the chief's head was chopped off and then taken to Belgium. Until 1964, this skull was in the KMMA and was then transferred to the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. The two wooden statues face each other and refer on the one hand to the death and violence of the past (Skull of Lusinga), and on the other hand to the dignity and promises for the future (Nouveau souffle ou le Congo bourgeonnant).
Source: Text translated from Dutch
and
www.africamuseum.be/en/about_us/history_renovation
------------------
Bij het conceptualiseren van de renovatie werd onder andere overwogen om de koloniale beelden in de grote rotonde uit hun nissen te halen. De bevoegde diensten voor Onroerend
Erfgoed wezen het museum erop dat de kunstwerken integraal deel uitmaakten van het beschermde gebouw, ook al stonden er bij de opening van het museum in 1910 slechts twee van deze beelden.
Het AfricaMuseum heeft dan beslist elementen toe te voegen in plaats van weg te nemen. In 2015 organiseerde het museum een wedstrijd en richtte zich daarbij op Afrikaanse kunstenaars of kunstenaars van Afrikaanse oorsprong om een kunstwerk te creëren dat een tegenwicht zou bieden aan de koloniale beelden. De jury selecteerde Aimé Mpane, een Congolese kunstenaar, met zijn werk Nouveau souffle ou le Congo bourgeonnant, een monumentaal beeld in
opengewerkt hout dat kort voor de heropening van het museum in de grote rotonde werd geplaatst.
In de maanden na de heropening van het museum gaven veel bezoekers echter uiting aan hun onbegrip over het behoud van de koloniale beelden in de grote rotonde. De wil van het museum om een dekoloniale boodschap te brengen, werd door de bezoekers niet altijd opgevangen, ondanks de verklarende teksten.
Een werkgroep van de Verenigde Naties (Human Rights Council) bezocht het museum in februari 2019 in het kader van een evaluatie van de toestand van de rechten van mensen van Afrikaanse afkomst die in België wonen. Hij wees erop dat de reorganisatie van het museum niet ver genoeg ging. Het museum werd sterk aangespoord om alle koloniale propaganda achterwege te laten en het geweld en de ongelijkheden van het Belgische koloniale verleden
klaar en duidelijk voor te stellen.
Naar aanleiding van deze opmerkingen en op uitnodiging van het AfricaMuseum stelde Aimé Mpane voor om een tweede beeld in de grote rotonde te plaatsen. Dit kunstwerk, ook in
opengewerkt hout, stelt de schedel van chef Lusinga voor. Het beeld verwijst naar de raid van de Belgische officier Émile Storms op het dorp van Lusinga in 1884. Tijdens deze expeditie werd het hoofd van de chef afgehakt en nadien naar België meegenomen. Tot 1964 bevond deze schedel zich in het KMMA en werd daarna overgedragen aan het Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen.
De twee houten beelden staan tegenover elkaar en verwijzen enerzijds naar de dood en het geweld van het verleden (Schedel van Lusinga), en anderzijds naar de waardigheid en de beloften voor de toekomst (Nouveau souffle ou le Congo bourgeonnant).
Bron: www.africamuseum.be/sites/default/files/media/press/doc/D...
Persdossier – AfricaMuseum; Een stap Dichter naar de dekolonisatie | 27 februari 2020
View on top of the Milan's Chathedral
Milan Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Milano) is the cathedral church of Milan, Italy. Dedicated to Santa Maria Nascente (Saint Mary Nascent), it is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, currently Cardinal Angelo Scola.
The Gothic cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete. It is the fourth largest cathedral in the world[ and the largest in the Italian state territory.
Architecture and art
The plan consists of a nave with four side-aisles, crossed by a transept and then followed by choir and apse. The height of the nave is about 45 meters, the highest Gothic vaults of a complete church (less than the 48 meters of Beauvais Cathedral, which was never completed).
The roof is open to tourists (for a fee), which allows many a close-up view of some spectacular sculpture that would otherwise be unappreciated. The roof of the cathedral is renowned for the forest of openwork pinnacles and spires, set upon delicate flying buttresses.
The cathedral's five broad naves, divided by 40 pillars, are reflected in the hierarchic openings of the façade. Even the transepts have aisles. The nave columns are 24.5 metres (80 ft) high, and the apsidal windows are 20.7 x 8.5 metres (68 x 28 feet). The huge building is of brick construction, faced with marble from the quarries which Gian Galeazzo Visconti donated in perpetuity to the cathedral chapter. Its maintenance and repairs are very complicated.
Milan’s cathedral has recently developed a new lighting system, based on LED lights.
BRYNDERWEN BRIDGE spans 109 feet across the Severn River, with a smaller span over the canal. It is supported by five iron girders, with openwork lettering on the outer girders stating: "This second iron bridge constructed in Montgomery County was erected in 1852"; "Thomas Penson, County Surveyor"; "Brymbo Company, Ironfounders" (referring to Brymbo Ironworks near Wrexham).
SOBRE LAS CALLES DEL ZÓCALO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO
Grouping of Charros in Paseo de la Reforma is a popular character who fulfills the functions of landowner and rider in rural areas of the country. Icon of Mexicanness, present in the collective imagination as well as in literature, cinema, painting. The costume of the charro represents the wealth of the hacendados, since it has silver buttons. In addition to economic power, the charros held an important social power as owners of large areas of land producing.
Charro is documented in the seventeenth century (1627)
The Mexican saddle, which is the daughter of the Spanish and granddaughter of the Arab, despite the fact that it is relatively heavy compared to others, is very comfortable for both the horse and the rider and basically consists of a "shaft" "or wooden skeleton, leather and stirrups among other accessories. There are such beautiful saddles that are authentic works of art: leather saddled or matted that form figures in all their elements or harness; there are with silver moldings, with colored threads that brighten and embellish the harness, and are usually accompanied by tientos, where a machete is tied and hung the same as a fourth or a shaft, a rifle or a coat
By the mid-nineteenth century, those on horseback in Mexico fought in the War of Reform, the charros of ancestry approached the foreign prince Maximilian of Habsburg who sought to surround themselves with them to integrate into Mexico and its traditions, even attributed to the modification to charro trousers. On the other hand, the silver ones, who were wealthy but liberal ranchers and the chinacos fought for the Republic.
The regulated charro suit, which can be worn or dressed, must be made with wool, suede or the combination of both materials. It consists of trousers, jacket, shirt (sometimes vest), boots and rebozo tie.
The colors allowed are the entire range of coffee, dark blue, brown, gray and dry green which contrast with the "frets" or openwork and buttons. The dark red mixed with black is also used only in the caporal pants and in the accessories of the mount. Colors like white or pink are outlawed.
The booties must be the color of the chair's cueing, that is, honey, coffee or bayo. The black suit is only for weddings or funerals and is the only one that should wear black booties.
The shirt, which may be military collar also known as "pachuqueña" or civil neck also called "bent neck", giving preference to white and bone color, the color pink and black are outlawed.
the charro hat is wide-brimmed, lifted from the back; He carries four "stones" in the cup that give him resistance in case of impact. For the latter case, the hat made of palm is better, which is more solid without being too heavy.
...IMAGINE TO BE HERE....
the most important Italian Gothic Cathedral for YOU
FOR A MAGIC MERRY CHRISTMAS...
*******************************************************
Milan Cathedral
is the cathedral church of Milan, Italy. Dedicated to St Mary of the Nativity (Santa Maria Nascente), it is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, currently Cardinal Angelo Scola. The Gothic cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete. It is the largest church in Italy (the larger St. Peter's Basilica is in the State of Vatican City) and the fifth largest in the world.
Milan's layout, with streets either radiating from the Duomo or circling it, reveals that the Duomo occupies what was the most central site in Roman Mediolanum, that of the public basilica facing the forum. The first cathedral, the "new basilica" (basilica nova) dedicated to St Thecla, was completed by 355. It seems to share, on a slightly smaller scale, the plan of the contemporaneous church recently rediscovered beneath Tower Hill in London. An adjoining basilica was erected in 836. The old octagonal baptistery, the Battistero Paleocristiano, dates to 335 and still can be visited under the Milan Cathedral. When a fire damaged the cathedral and basilica in 1075, they were rebuilt as the Duomo.
Construction begins
In 1386, Archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo began construction of the cathedral. Start of the construction coincided with the ascension to power in Milan of the archbishop's cousin Gian Galeazzo Visconti, and was meant as a reward to the noble and working classes, who had suffered under his tyrannical Visconti predecessor Barnabò. Before actual work began, three main buildings were demolished: the palace of the Archbishop, the Ordinari Palace and the Baptistry of St. Stephen at the Spring, while the old church of Sta. Maria Maggiore was exploited as a stone quarry. Enthusiasm for the immense new building soon spread among the population, and the shrewd Gian Galeazzo, together with his cousin the archbishop, collected large donations for the work-in-progress. The construction program was strictly regulated under the "Fabbrica del Duomo", which had 300 employees led by first chief engineer Simone da Orsenigo. Orsenigo initially planned to build the cathedral from brick in Lombard Gothic style.
Visconti had ambitions to follow the newest trends in European architecture. In 1389, a French chief engineer, Nicolas de Bonaventure, was appointed, adding to the church its Rayonnant Gothic, a French style not typical for Italy. He decided that the brick structure should be panelled with marble. Galeazzo gave the Fabbrica del Duomo exclusive use of the marble from the Candoglia quarry and exempted it from taxes. Ten years later another French architect, Jean Mignot, was called from Paris to judge and improve upon the work done, as the masons needed new technical aid to lift stones to an unprecedented height. Mignot declared all the work done up till then as in pericolo di ruina ("peril of ruin"), as it had been done sine scienzia ("without science"). In the following years Mignot's forecasts proved untrue, but they spurred Galeazzo's engineers to improve their instruments and techniques. Work proceeded quickly, and at the death of Gian Galeazzo in 1402, almost half the cathedral was complete. Construction, however, stalled almost totally until 1480, for lack of money and ideas: the most notable works of this period were the tombs of Marco Carelli and Pope Martin V (1424) and the windows of the apse (1470s), of which those extant portray St. John the Evangelist, by Cristoforo de' Mottis, and Saint Eligius and San John of Damascus, both by Niccolò da Varallo. In 1452, under Francesco Sforza, the nave and the aisles were completed up to the sixth bay.
Giovanni Antonio Amadeo on the "Amadeo's Little Spire".
In 1500 to 1510, under Ludovico Sforza, the octagonal cupola was completed, and decorated in the interior with four series of 15 statues each, portraying saints, prophets, sibyls and other characters of the Bible. The exterior long remained without any decoration, except for the Guglietto dell'Amadeo ("Amadeo's Little Spire"), constructed 1507-1510. This is a Renaissance masterwork which nevertheless harmonized well with the general Gothic appearance of the church.
During the subsequent Spanish domination, the new church proved usable, even though the interior remained largely unfinished, and some bays of the nave and the transepts were still missing. In 1552 Giacomo Antegnati was commissioned to build a large organ for the north side of the choir, and Giuseppe Meda provided four of the sixteen pales which were to decorate the altar area (the program was completed by Federico Borromeo). In 1562, Marco d' Agrate's St. Bartholomew and the famous Trivulzio candelabrum (12th century) were added.
The plan consists of a nave with four side-aisles, crossed by a transept and then followed by choir and apse. The height of the nave is about 45 meters, the highest Gothic vaults of a complete church (less than the 48 meters of Beauvais Cathedral, which was never completed).
The roof is open to tourists (for a fee), which allows many a close-up view of some spectacular sculpture that would otherwise be unappreciated. The roof of the cathedral is renowned for the forest of openwork pinnacles and spires, set upon delicate flying buttresses.
The cathedral's five broad naves, divided by 40 pillars, are reflected in the hierarchic openings of the façade. Even the transepts have aisles. The nave columns are 24.5 metres (80 ft) high, and the apsidal windows are 20.7 x 8.5 metres (68 x 28 feet). The huge building is of brick construction, faced with marble from the quarries which Gian Galeazzo Visconti donated in perpetuity to the cathedral chapter. Its maintenance and repairs are very complicated.
FORE MORE INFORMATIONS:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milan_Cathedral
FOR THE PLACE:
wikimapia.org/#lang=it&lat=45.464119&lon=9.191753...
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“It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera…
they are made with the eye, heart and head.”
[Henry Cartier Bresson]
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Please don't use any of my images on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit written permission.
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The Diana Temple in Autumn. Park in Arkadia, Poland.
The Diana Temple was designed and raised by Szymon Bogumił Zug in 1783. The construction of classical proportions decorated with the openwork ornamentation is based on four lonic columns. Under the tympanum facing the pond you can see Latin inscription: "Dove pace trovai d'ogni mia guerra" (it was here that I found peace after each of the battles).
The interior of the temple constitute: the Vestibule, the Etruscan Cabinet, the oval Bedroom abd the Presence Chamber called Pantheon decorated with the stucco columns, ornamented mould and the plafond depicting Aurora pained by Jan Piotr Norblin.
The park was founded in 1778 by Princess Helena Radziwiłł, who lived in Nieborow. For designing and decorating its numerous pavilions she employed the most outstanding Polish architects and painters of the time. She also gathered one of the first antique art collections in Poland in the park. Owing to her, Arkadia enjoyed the status of one of the greatest cultural centers of the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. In the park, nature and art are in harmony: the complex is composed of buildings imitating ancient ruins or the English Gothic style (Murgrabia House, Little Gothic House, Stone Arch, Diana's Temple with a Pantheon and Etruscan Room, the Sanctuary of the High Priest, the Cave of Sybil, the Tomb of Illusions, Circus and Amphitheatre). Arkadia is the only such classical-romantic historical complex in Europe, and the Museum received the European Award for the Protection of Historic Sites in 1994 for its restoration.
ENGLISH :
Like that of the nave, the elevation of the choir is on three levels: large arches, triforium and high windows. But contrary to what one sees in the nave, clerestory here is openworked and the high windows have 6 lancets and not 4.
The Grade I listed City Walls of Chester are some of the best-preserved in England, and form a complete two mile rectangular circuit around the city. On each of the sides was a city gate; the gate on the east side has survived as the Eastgate. The road running through the gate led to Manchester, then across the Pennines to York.
By the 18th century the city walls were no longer needed for defensive purposes and so, rather than being pulled down, they were converted into walkways. The medieval gateways were obstructing the traffic into the city and were replaced by wider-arched gateways with balustraded parapets. The first gateway to be replaced was Eastgate in 1768, which was rebuilt as an "elegant arch". It was built at the expense of Richard Grosvenor, 1st Earl Grosvenor, and designed by Mr Hayden (or Heyden), the earl's surveyor of buildings.
In 1899 a clock was added to the top of the gateway to celebrate the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria two years earlier. It is carried on openwork iron pylons, has a clock face on all four sides, and a copper ogee cupola. The clock was designed by the Chester architect John Douglas. The whole structure - gateway and clock - is Grade I listed.
Most of the black-and-white buildings within the city centre are Victorian.
Notre-Dame-de-Berven chapel and surroundings in Plouzévédé
PA00090273
Address entered in the Mérimée database:
29440 Plouzévédé - France
Insee code of the municipality: 29213
Finistère [29] - Quimper - Brittany
Approximate address taken from GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude):
81 Rue de Berven 29440 Plouzévédé
Protected elements:
Chapel, with the fence and the stalls of the choir: classification by decree of June 14, 1909; Triumphal arch included in the fence of the cemetery in the center of which is the chapel, and fence of the cemetery: classification by decree of July 23, 1909; Fountain known as Notre-Dame-de-Berven (i.e. not registered; public domain): classification by decree of November 27, 1968
History:
The chapel was reputed to be able to get children walking early. They were taken there three Mondays in a row to walk around it nine times. The building was built from 1567 to 1575. It includes a nave with side aisles, a transept, all covered with paneling. The choir is surrounded by a carved wooden fence. The bell tower has an openwork upper part, surmounted by a small dome and pinnacles. An important 17th century triumphal arch forms the main entrance to the cemetery. It consists of three arcades decorated with columns with Corinthian capitals. The fountain is surrounded by an enclosure and surmounted by an aedicule topped with a hemispherical cap. A cross added in 1936 surmounts it. In a niche is a statue of the Virgin holding the Child Jesus.
Periods of construction:
3rd quarter 16th century, 17th century, 18th century
The Town Hall (Dutch: Stadhuis of Oudenaarde, Belgium was built by architect Hendrik van Pede in 1526–1537 to replace the medieval Schepenhuis (Aldermen's House) that occupied the same site. Another older structure, the 14th-century Cloth Hall, was retained and now forms a sort of extension at the back of the Town Hall proper.
The Oudenaarde Town Hall was a late flowering of secular Brabantine Gothic architecture, carrying on the stylistic tradition of the town halls at Leuven, Brussels, and Middelburg. Above the ground-story arcade with vaulted ceiling, the building displays typical features of its regional forerunners: a richly decorated facade with pointed-arch windows separated by canopied niches, and a steep, dormered roof surrounded by an openwork parapet. The niches, although designed to contain statues, stand empty.
Atop the central belfry tower of six stories with three terraces, a stone crown supports a gilded brass figure of Hanske de Krijger (Hans the Warrior), mythical guardian of the city. The crown on the tower and the double-headed eagles over the attic windows pay homage to a famous visitor to Oudenaarde, Emperor Charles V, who fathered Margaret of Parma here a few years before construction of the Town Hall began. ~Wikipedia
Knobbed cobalt blue glass beaker with a plain ground rim, bulging sides and a flat base. It was blown into a silver case with openwork designs.
This may illustrate a special technique described by Pliny the Elder and probably fashionable in his day (about 50-100 CE), whereby openwork designs were cut in silver perhaps as casings for glass.
On the beaker is written 'Brindisi 2 Febr 1865,' inferring that it was found at this site (perhaps).
Roman, ca. 50-100 CE. Perhaps found at Brindisi, Puglia, Italy.
British Museum, London (1870,0901.2)
Circa 1824 - Orangery at Alton Towers, Staffordshire on 10 August 2021.
Grade II listed.
Plus circa early 19th century fountain.
The following is from the historic England website.
Name: THE ORANGERY
Designation Type: Listing
Grade: II
List UID: 1374705
Former orangery. c 1824. Probably by Robert Abraham. Ashlar with wrought iron dome. Aligned east-west facing south. One storey; 1:4:1 bays, the central bays have rounded segmental arches with glazed spandrels, springing from openwork piers, the end bays have rounded segmental arches flanked by panelled pilasters, and bracketed eaves, the left hand bay retains its decorative glazed dome.
Name: POOL AND FOUNTAIN APPROXIMATELY 10 YARDS SOUTH OF THE ORANGERY
Designation Type: Listing
Grade: II
List UID: 1191842
Pool and fountain. Early C19. Circular ashlar pool with concave sides and central lead figure holding a basin and fountain.
This is Islam's fourth most holiest site
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosque_of_Uqba
The Great Mosque of Kairouan (جامع القيروان الأكبر), also known as the Mosque of Uqba (Arabic: جامع عقبة), is one of the most important mosques in Tunisia, situated in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Kairouan.
Built by the Arab general Uqba ibn Nafi from 670 AD (the year 50 according to the Islamic calendar) at the founding of the city of Kairouan, the mosque is spread over a surface area of 9,000 square metres and it is one of the oldest places of worship in the Islamic world, as well as a model for all later mosques in the Maghreb.[1] The Great Mosque of Kairouan is one of the most impressive and largest Islamic monuments in North Africa,[2] its perimeter is almost equal to 405 metres (1,328 feet). This vast space contains a hypostyle prayer hall, a huge marble-paved courtyard and a massive square minaret. In addition to its spiritual prestige,[3] the Mosque of Uqba is one of the masterpieces of both architecture and Islamic art.[4][5][6]
Under the Aghlabids (9th century), huge works gave the mosque its present aspect.[7] The fame of the Mosque of Uqba and of the other holy sites at Kairouan helped the city to develop and repopulate increasingly. The university, consisting of scholars who taught in the mosque, was a centre of education both in Islamic thought and in the secular sciences.[8] Its role can be compared to that of the University of Paris in the Middle Ages.[9] With the decline of the city of Kairouan from the mid 11th century, the centre of intellectual thought moved to the University of Ez-Zitouna in Tunis.
Location and general aspect
Located in the north-east of the medina of Kairouan, the mosque is in the intramural district of Houmat al-Jami (literally "area of the Great Mosque").[11] This location corresponded originally to the heart of the urban fabric of the city founded by Uqba ibn Nafi.
But because of the specific nature of the land, crossed by several tributaries of the wadis, the urban development of the city stretched southwards. Then there are the upheavals of Kairouan following Hilalian's invasions in 449 AH (or 1057 AD) and which led to the decline of the city. For all these reasons, the mosque (which occupies the same place since its founding in 670) is not any more situated in the center of the medina, and is thereby positioned on the extremity, near the walls.
The building is a vast irregular quadrilateral, longer (with 127.60 meters) from the eastern side than on the opposite side (with 125.20 meters) and less wide (with 72.70 meters) on the north side (in the middle of which stands the minaret) that the opposite side (with 78 meters). It covers a total area of 9000 m2.
From the outside, the Great Mosque of Kairouan is a fortress-like building, which required as much by its massive ocher walls of 1.90 meters thick composed of well-worked stones, courses of rubble stone and courses of baked bricks,[12] as the square angle towers measuring 4.25 meters on each side and the solid and projecting buttresses that support and bind. More than a defensive role, the buttresses and towers full serve more to enhance the stability of the mosque built on a soil subject to compaction.[13] Although a seemingly harsh, the external facades, punctuated with powerful buttresses and towering porches, some of which are surmounted by cupolas, give to the sanctuary a striking aspect characterized by majestic sobriety.
History
Evolution
At the foundation of Kairouan in 670, the Arab general and conqueror Uqba Ibn Nafi (himself the founder of the city) chose the site of his mosque in the center of the city, near the headquarters of the governor. Around 690, shortly after its construction, the mosque was destroyed[15] during the occupation of Kairouan by the Berbers, originally conducted by Kusaila. It was rebuilt by the Ghassanid general Hasan ibn al-Nu'man in 703.[16] With the gradual increase of the population of Kairouan and the consequent increase in the number of faithful, Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, Umayyad Caliph in Damascus, charged his governor Bishr ibn Safwan to carry out development work in the city which include the renovation and expansion of the mosque around the years 724–728.[17] In view of its expansion, he pulled down the mosque and rebuilt it with the exception of the mihrab. It was under his auspices that the construction of the minaret began.[18] In 774, a new reconstruction accompanied by modifications and embellishments[19] took place under the direction of the Abbasid governor Yazid Ibn Hatim.[20]
Plan architect of the building.
Under the rule of Aghlabid sovereigns, Kairouan was at its apogee, and the mosque profited from this period of stability and prosperity. In 836, Ziadet-Allah I reconstructed the mosque once more:[21] this is when the building acquired, at least in its entirety, the appearance we see today.[22][23] At the same time, the mihrab's ribbed dome on squinches was raised.[24] Around 862-863, Abul Ibrahim enlarged the oratory, with three bays to the north, and added the cupola over the arched portico which precedes the prayer hall.[25] In 875 Ibrahim II built another three bays, thereby reducing the size of the courtyard which was further limited on the three other sides by the addition of double galleries.[26]
The current state of the mosque can be traced back to the reign of Aghlabids—no element is earlier than the ninth century besides the mihrab—except for some partial restorations and a few later additions made in 1025 during the reign of Zirids,[27] 1248 and 1293-1294 under the reign of Hafsids,[28] 1618 at the time of mouradites beys,[29] in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. In 1967, major restoration works, executed during five years and conducted under the direction of the National Institute of Archeology and Art, were achieved throughout the monument, and were ended with an official reopening of the mosque during the celebration of Mawlid of 1972.[30]
Host stories
Several centuries after its founding, the Great Mosque of Kairouan is the subject of numerous descriptions by Arab historians and geographers in the Middle Ages. The stories concern mainly the different phases of construction and expansion of the sanctuary, and the successive contributions of many princes to the interior decoration (mihrab, minbar, ceilings, etc.). Among the authors who have written on the subject and whose stories have survived[31] are Al-Bakri (Andalusian geographer and historian who died in 1094 and who devoted a sufficiently detailed account of the history of the mosque in his book Description of Septentrional Africa), Al-Nuwayri (historian who died in Egypt, 1332) and Ibn Nagi (scholar and historian of Kairouan who died around 1435).
On additions and embellishments made to the building by the Aghlabid sovereign Abul Ibrahim, Ibn Nagi gives the following account :
« He built in the mosque of Kairouan the cupola that rises over the entrance to the central nave, together with the two colonnades which flank it from both sides, and the galleries were paved by him. He then made the mihrab. »[22]
Among the Western travelers, poets and writers who visited Kairouan, some of them leave impressions and testimonies sometimes tinged with emotion or admiration on the mosque. From the eighteenth century, the French doctor and naturalist John Andrew Peyssonnel, conducting a study trip to 1724, during the reign of sovereign Al-Husayn Bey I, underlines the reputation of the mosque as a deemed center of religious and secular studies :
« The Great Mosque is dedicated to Uqba, where there is a famous college where we will study the remotest corners of this kingdom : are taught reading and writing of Arabic grammar, laws and religion. There are large rents for the maintenance of teachers. »[32]
At the same time,the doctor and Anglican priest Thomas Shaw (1692–1751),[33] touring the Tunis Regency and passes through Kairouan in 1727, described the mosque as that : " which is considered the most beautiful and the most sacred of Berberian territories ", evoking for example : " an almost unbelievable number of granite columns ".[34]
At the end of the nineteenth century, the French writer Guy de Maupassant expresses in his book La vie errante (The Wandering Life), his fascination with the majestic architecture of the Great Mosque of Kairouan as well as the effect created by countless columns : " The unique harmony of this temple consists in the proportion and the number of these slender shafts upholding the building, filling, peopling, and making it what it is, create its grace and greatness. Their colorful multitude gives the eye the impression of unlimited ".[35] Early in the twentieth century, the Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke describes his admiration for the impressive minaret :
« Is there a more beautiful than this still preserved old tower, the minaret, in Islamic architecture ? In the history of Art, its three-storey minaret is considered such a masterpiece and a model among the most prestigious monuments of Muslim architecture. »
Architecture and decoration
Exterior
Enclosure
Today, the enclosure of the Great Mosque of Kairouan is pierced by nine gates (six opening on the courtyard, two opening on the prayer hall and a ninth allows access to the maqsura) some of them, such as Bab Al-Ma (Gate of water) located on the western facade, are preceded by salient porches flanked by buttresses and surmounted by ribbed domes based on square tholobate which are porting squinches with three vaults.[12][37] However, Arab geographers and historians of the Middle Ages Al-Muqaddasi and Al-Bakri reported the existence, around the tenth and eleventh centuries, of about ten gates named differently from today. This reflects the fact that, unlike the rest of the mosque, the enclosure has undergone significant changes to ensure the stability of the building (adding many buttresses). Thus, some entries have been sealed, while others were kept.[12]
During the thirteenth century, new gates were opened, the most remarkable, Bab Lalla Rihana dated from 1293, is located on the eastern wall of the enclosure.[12] The monumental entrance, work of the Hafsid sovereign Abu Hafs `Umar ibn Yahya (reign from 1284 to 1295),[38] is entered in a salient square, flanked by ancient columns supporting Horseshoe arches and covered by a dome on squinches.[12] The front facade of the porch has a large horseshoe arch relied on two marble columns and surmounted by a frieze adorned with a blind arcade, all crowned by serrated merlons (in a sawtooth arrangement).[39] Despite its construction at the end of the thirteenth century, Bab Lalla Rihana blends well with all of the building mainly dating from the ninth century.[39]
Enclosure and gates of the Mosque of Uqba
Courtyard
The courtyard is a vast trapezoidal area whose interior dimensions are approximately 65 by 50 meters.[40] It is surrounded on all its four sides by a portico with double rows of arches, opened by slightly horseshoe arches supported by columns in various marbles, in granite or in porphyry, reused from Roman, Early Christian or Byzantine monuments particularly from Carthage.[14] Access to the courtyard by six side entrances dating from the ninth and thirteenth centuries.
The portico on the south side of the courtyard, near the prayer hall, includes in its middle a large dressed stone pointed horseshoe arch which rests on ancient columns of white veined marble with Corinthian capitals. This porch of seven meters high is topped with a square base upon which rests a semi-spherical ribbed dome ; the latter is ribbed with sharp-edged ribs. The intermediary area, the dodecagonal drum of the dome, is pierced by sixteen small rectangular windows set into rounded niches.[41] The great central arch of the south portico, is flanked on each side by six rhythmically arranged horseshoe arches, which fall on twin columns backed by pillars.[42] Overall, the proportions and general layout of the facade of the south portico, with its thirteen arches of which that in the middle constitutes a sort of triumphal arch crowned with a cupola, form an ensemble with " a powerful air of majesty ", according to the French historian and sociologist Paul Sebag (1919–2004).[43]
Courtyard area and porticoes
Details of the courtyard
The combination formed by the courtyard and the galleries that surround it covers an immense area whose dimensions are about 90 meters long and 72 meters in width.[44] The northern part of the courtyard is paved with flagstones while the rest of the floor is almost entirely composed of white marble slabs. Near its center is an horizontal sundial, bearing an inscription in naskhi engraved on the marble dating from 1258 AH (which corresponds to the year 1843) and which is accessed by a little staircase ; it determines the time of prayers. The rainwater collector or impluvium, probably the work of the Muradid Bey Mohamed Bey al-Mouradi (1686–1696), is an ingenious system that ensures the capture (with the slightly sloping surface of the courtyard) then filtering stormwater at a central basin furnished with horseshoe arches sculpted in white marble.[45] Freed from its impurities, the water flows into an underground cistern supported by seven meters high pillars. In the courtyard there are also several water wells some of which are placed side by side. Their edges, obtained from the lower parts of ancient cored columns,[46] support the string grooves back the buckets.
Minaret
A square stone tower rises high above a wall.
The minaret, which occupies the center of the northern facade of the complex's enclosure, is 31.5 meters tall and is seated on a square base of 10.7 meters on each side.[47] It is located inside the enclosure and does not have direct access from the outside. It consists of three tapering levels, the last of which is topped with a small ribbed dome that was most probably built later than the rest of the tower.[48] The first and second stories are surmounted by rounded merlons which are pierced by arrowslits. The minaret served as a watchtower, as well as to call the faithful to prayer.[48]
The door giving access to the minaret is framed by a lintel and jambs made of recycled carved friezes of antique origin.[49] There are stone blocks from the Roman period that bear Latin inscriptions. Their use probably dates to the work done under the Umayyad governor Bishr ibn Safwan in about 725 AD, and they have been reused at the base of the tower.[49] The greater part of the minaret dates from the time of the Aghlabid princes in the ninth century. It consists of regular layers of carefully cut rubble stone, thus giving the work a stylistically admirable homogeneity and unity.[50]
The interior includes a staircase of 129 steps, surmounted by a barrel vault, which gives access to the terraces and the first tier of the minaret. The courtyard facade (or south facade) of the tower is pierced with windows that provide light and ventilation,[51] while the other three facades—facing north, east and west—are pierced with small openings in the form of arrowslits.[47] The minaret, in its present aspect, dates largely from the early ninth century, about 836 AD. It is the oldest minaret in the Muslim world,[52][53] and it is also the world's oldest minaret still standing.[54]
Due to its age and its architectural features, the minaret of the Great Mosque of Kairouan is the prototype for all the minarets of the western Islamic world : it served as a model in both North Africa and in Andalusia.[55] Despite its massive form and austere decoration, it nevertheless presents a harmonious structure and a majestic appearance.[51][56]
Minaret
Domes
The Mosque has several domes, the largest being over the mihrab and the entrance to the prayer hall from the courtyard. The dome of the mihrab is based on an octagonal drum with slightly concave sides, raised on a square base, decorated on each of its three southern, Easter and western faces with five flat-bottomed niches surmounted by five semi-circular arches,[24][57] the niche in the middle is cut by a lobed oculus enrolled in a circular frame. This dome, whose construction goes back to the first half of the ninth century (towards 836), is one of the oldest and most remarkable domes in the western Islamic world.[58]
Interior
Prayer hall
The prayer hall is located on the southern side of the courtyard ; and is accessed by 17 carved wooden doors. A portico with double row of arches precede the spacious prayer hall, which takes the shape of a rectangle of 70.6 meters in width and 37.5 meters depth.[59]
The hypostyle hall is divided into 17 aisles of eight bays, the central nave is wider, as well as the bay along the wall of the qibla.[60] They cross with right angle in front of the mihrab, this device, named "T shape", which is also found in two Iraqi mosques in Samarra (around 847) has been adopted in many North African and Andalusian mosques where it became a feature.[61]
The central nave, a sort of triumphal alley which leads to the mihrab,[62] is significantly higher and wider than the other sixteen aisles of the prayer hall. It is bordered on each side of a double row of arches rested on twin columns and surmounted by a carved plaster decoration consisting of floral and geometric patterns.[63]
Enlightened by impressive chandeliers which are applied in countless small glass lamps,[64] the nave opens into the south portico of the courtyard by a monumental delicately carved wooden door, made in 1828 under the reign of the Husainids.[65] This sumptuous door, which has four leaves richly carved with geometric motifs embossed on the bottom of foliages and interlacing stars, is decorated at the typanum by a stylized vase from which emerge winding stems and leaves.[66] The other doors of the prayer hall, some of which date from the time of the Hafsids,[67] are distinguished by their decoration which consists essentially of geometric patterns (hexagonal, octagonal, rectangular patterns, etc.).[59]
Columns and ceiling
In the prayer hall, the 414 columns of marble, granite or porphyry[68] (among more than 500 columns in the whole mosque),[69] taken from ancient sites in the country such as Sbeïtla, Carthage, Hadrumetum and Chemtou,[59] support the horseshoe arches. A legend says they could not count them without going blind.[70] The capitals resting on the column shafts offer a wide variety of shapes and styles (Corinthian, Ionic, Composite, etc..).[59] Some capitals were carved for the mosque, but others come from Roman or Byzantine buildings (dating from the second to sixth century) and were reused. According to the German archaeologist Christian Ewert, the special arrangement of reused columns and capitals surrounding the mihrab obeys to a well-defined program and would draw symbolically the plan of the Dome of the Rock.[71] The shafts of the columns are carved in marble of different colors and different backgrounds. Those in white marble come from Italy,[59] some shafts located in the area of the mihrab are in red Porphyry imported from Egypt,[72] while those made of greenish or pink marble are from quarries of Chemtou, in the north-west of current Tunisia.[59] Although the shafts are of varying heights, the columns are ingeniously arranged to support fallen arches harmoniously. The height difference is compensated by the development of variable bases, capitals and crossbeams ; a number of these crossbeams are in cedar wood.[59] The wooden rods, which usually sink to the base of the transom, connect the columns together and maintain the spacing of the arches, thus enhancing the stability of all structures which support the ceiling of the prayer hall.[73]
The covering of the prayer hall consists of painted ceilings decorated with vegetal motifs and two domes : one raised at the beginning of the central nave and the other in front of the mihrab. The latter, which its hemispherical cap is cut by 24 concave grooves radiating around the top,[74] is based on ridged horns shaped shell and a drum pierced by eight circular windows which are inserted between sixteen niches grouped by two.[57][75] The niches are covered with carved stone panels, finely adorned with characteristic geometric, vegetal and floral patterns of the Aghlabid decorative repertoire : shells, cusped arches, rosettes, vine-leaf, etc.[57] From the outside, the dome of the mihrab is based on an octagonal drum with slightly concave sides, raised on a square base, decorated on each of its three southern, Easter and western faces with five flat-bottomed niches surmounted by five semi-circular arches,[24][57] the niche in the middle is cut by a lobed oculus enrolled in a circular frame.
The painted ceilings are a unique ensemble of planks, beams and brackets, illustrating almost thousand years of the history of painting on wood in Tunisia. Wooden brackets offer a wide variety of style and decor in the shape of a crow or a grasshopper with wings or fixed, they are characterized by a setting that combines floral painted or carved, with grooves. The oldest boards date back to the Aghlabid period (ninth century) and are decorated with scrolls and rosettes on a red background consists of squares with concave sides in which are inscribed four-petaled flowers in green and blue, and those performed by the Zirid Dynasty (eleventh century) are characterized by inscriptions in black kufic writing with gold rim and the uprights of the letters end with lobed florets, all on a brown background adorned with simple floral patterns.
The boards painted under the Hafsid period (during the thirteenth century) offers a floral decor consists of white and blue arches entwined with lobed green. The latest, dated the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (mostly dating from the time of the Muradid Beys), are distinguished by an epigraphic decoration consists of long black and red texts on olive green background to those painted from 1618 to 1619, under the reign of Murad I Bey (1613-1631), while those back to the eighteenth century have inscriptions in white naskhi script on an orange background.[76]
Mihrab and minbar
Close view of the mihrab, whose current state dates from the ninth century
The mihrab, which indicates the Qibla (direction of Mecca), in front of which stands the imam during the prayer, is located in the middle of the southern wall of the prayer hall. It is formed by an oven-shaped niche framed by two marble columns and topped by a painted wooden half-cupola. The niche of the mihrab is two meters long, 4.5 meters high and 1.6 meters deep.[77]
The mosque's mihrab, whose decor is a remarkable witness of Muslim art in the early centuries of Islam, is distinguished by its harmonious composition and the quality of its ornaments. Considered as the oldest example of concave mihrab, it dates in its present state to 862-863 AD.[78]
Upper Part of The Mihrab
It is surrounded at its upper part by 139 lusterware tiles (with a metallic sheen), each one is 21.1 centimeters square and they are arranged on the diagonal in a chessboard pattern. Divided into two groups, they are dated from the beginning of the second half of the ninth century but it is not determined with certainty whether they were made in Baghdad or in Kairouan by a Baghdadi artisan, the controversy over the origin of this precious collection agitates the specialists. These tiles are mainly decorated with floral and plant motifs (stylized flowers, palm leaves and asymmetrical leaves on bottom hatch and checkered) belong to two series : one polychrome characterized by a greater richness of tones ranging from light gold to light, dark or ocher yellow, and from brick-red to brown lacquer, the other monochrome is a beautiful luster that goes from smoked gold to green gold. The coating around them is decorated with blue plant motifs dating from the eighteenth century or the first half of the nineteenth century. The horseshoe arch of the mihrab, stilted and broken at the top, rest on two columns of red marble with yellow veins, which surmounted with Byzantine style capitals that carry two crossbeams carved with floral patterns, each one is decorated with a Kufic inscription in relief.
Detail of the marble cladding
The wall of the mihrab is covered with 28 panels of white marble, carved and pierced, which have a wide variety of plant and geometric patterns including the stylized grape leaf, the flower and the shell. Behind the openwork hint, there is an oldest niche on which several assumptions were formulated. If one refers to the story of Al-Bakri, an Andalusian historian and geographer of the eleventh century, it is the mihrab which would be done by Uqba Ibn Nafi, the founder of Kairouan, whereas Lucien Golvin shares the view that it is not an old mihrab but hardly a begun construction which may serve to support marble panels and either goes back to work of Ziadet Allah I (817-838) or to those of Abul Ibrahim around the years 862-863.[79] Above the marble cladding, the mihrab niche is crowned with a half dome-shaped vault made of manchineel bentwood. Covered with a thick coating completely painted, the concavity of the arch is decorated with intertwined scrolls enveloping stylized five-lobed vine leaves, three-lobed florets and sharp clusters, all in yellow on midnight blue background.[80]
The minbar, situated on the right of the mihrab, is used by the imam during the Friday or Eids sermons, is a staircase-shaped pulpit with an upper seat, reached by eleven steps, and measuring 3.93 meters length to 3.31 meters in height. Dated from the ninth century (about 862) and erected under the reign of the sixth Aghlabid ruler Abul Ibrahim (856-863), it is made in teak wood imported from India.[81] Among all the pulpits of the Muslim world, it is certainly the oldest example of minbar still preserved today.[82] Probably made by cabinetmakers of Kairouan (some researchers also refer to Baghdad), it consists of an assembly of more than 300 finely carved wood pieces with an exceptional ornamental wealth (vegetal and geometric patterns refer to the Umayyad and Abbasid models), among which about 90 rectangular panels carved with plenty of pine cones, grape leaves, thin and flexible stems, lanceolate fruits and various geometric shapes (squares, diamonds, stars, etc.). The upper edge of the minbar ramp is adorned with a rich and graceful vegetal decoration composed of alternately arranged foliated scrolls, each one containing a spread vine-leaf and a cluster of grapes. In the early twentieth century, the minbar had a painstaking restoration. Although more than eleven centuries of existence, all panels, with the exception of nine, are originals and are in a good state of conservation, the fineness of the execution of the minbar makes it a great masterpiece of Islamic wood carving referring to Paul Sebag.[83] This old chair of the ninth century is still in its original location, next to the mihrab.
Maqsura
The maqsura, located near the minbar, consists of a fence bounding a private enclosure that allows the sovereign and his senior officials to follow the solemn prayer of Friday without mingling with the faithful. Jewel of the art of woodwork produced during the reign of the Zirid prince Al-Muizz ibn Badis and dated from the first half of the eleventh century, it is considered the oldest still in place in the Islamic world. It is a cedar wood fence finely sculpted and carved on three sides with various geometric motifs measuring 2.8 meters tall, eight meters long and six meters wide.[84] Its main adornment is a frieze that crowns calligraphy, the latter surmounted by a line of pointed openwork merlons, features an inscription in flowery kufic character carved on the background of interlacing plants. Carefully executed in relief, it represents one of the most beautiful epigraphic bands of Islamic art.[84]
The library is near located, accessible by a door which the jambs and the lintel are carved in marble, adorned with a frieze of floral decoration. The library window is marked by an elegant setting that has two columns flanking the opening, which is a horseshoe arch topped by six blind arches and crowned by a series of berms sawtooth.[85]
Artworks
The Mosque of Uqba, one of the few religious buildings of Islam has remained intact almost all of its architectural and decorative elements, is due to the richness of its repertoire which is a veritable museum of Islamic decorative art and architecture. Most of the works on which rests the reputation of the mosque are still conserved in situ while a certain number of them have joined the collections of the Raqqada National Museum of Islamic Art ; Raqqada is located about ten kilometers southwest of Kairouan.
From the library of the mosque comes a large collection of calligraphic scrolls and manuscripts, the oldest dating back to the second half of the ninth century. This valuable collection, observed from the late nineteenth century by the French orientalists Octave Houdas and René Basset who mention in their report on their scientific mission in Tunisia published in the Journal of African correspondence in 1882, comprises according to the inventory established at the time of the Hafsids (circa 1293-1294) several Qur'ans and books of fiqh that concern mainly the Maliki fiqh and its sources. These are the oldest fund of Maliki legal literature to have survived.[86]
Among the finest works of this series, the pages of the Blue Qur'an, currently exhibited at Raqqada National Museum of Islamic Art, from a famous Qur'an in the second half of the fourth century of the Hegira (the tenth century) most of which is preserved in Tunisia and the rest scattered in museums and private collections worldwide. Featuring kufic character suras are written in gold on vellum dyed with indigo, they are distinguished by a compact graph with no marks for vowels. The beginning of each surah is indicated by a band consisting of a golden stylized leafy foliage, dotted with red and blue, while the verses are separated by silver rosettes. Other scrolls and calligraphic Qur'ans, as that known as the Hadinah's Qur'an, copied and illuminated by the calligrapher Ali ibn Ahmad al-Warraq for the governess of the Zirid prince Al-Muizz ibn Badis at about 1020 AD, were also in the library before being transferred to Raqqada museum. This collection is a unique source for studying the history and evolution of calligraphy of medieval manuscripts in the Maghreb, covering the period from the ninth to the eleventh century.
Other works of art such as the crowns of light (circular chandeliers) made in cast bronze, dating from the Fatimid-Zirid period (around tenth-early eleventh century), originally belonged to the furniture of the mosque. These polycandelons, now scattered in various Tunisian museums including Raqqada, consist of three chains supporting a perforated brass plate, which has a central circular ring around which radiate 18 equidistant poles connected by many horseshoe arches and equipped for each of two landmarks flared. The three chains, connected by a suspension ring, are each fixed to the plate by an almond-shaped finial. The crowns of light are marked by Byzantine influence to which the Kairouanese artisan brought the specificities of Islamic decorative repertoire (geometric and floral motifs).[
Role in Muslim civilization
At the time of its greatest splendor, between the ninth and eleventh centuries AD, Kairouan was one of the greatest centers of Islamic civilization and its reputation as a hotbed of scholarship covered the entire Maghreb. During this period, the Great Mosque of Kairouan was both a place of prayer and a center for teaching Islamic sciences under the Maliki current. One may conceivably compare its role to that of the University of Paris during the Middle Ages.
In addition to studies on the deepening of religious thought and Maliki jurisprudence, the mosque also hosted various courses in secular subjects such as mathematics, astronomy, medicine and botany. The transmission of knowledge was assured by prominent scholars and theologians which included Sahnun ibn Sa'id and Asad ibn al-Furat, eminent jurists who contributed greatly to the dissemination of the Maliki thought, Ishaq ibn Imran and Ibn al-Jazzar in medicine, Abu Sahl al-Kairouani and Abd al-Monim al-Kindi in mathematics. Thus the mosque, headquarters of a prestigious university with a large library containing a large number of scientific and theological works, was the most remarkable intellectual and cultural center in North Africa during the ninth, tenth and eleventh centuries
Openwork furniture plaque with a striding, ram-headed sphinx
Assyrian - ca. 9th–8th century BCE – Metmuseum; Object Number: 64.37.7
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A ram-headed sphinx, a fantastic creature drawn from Egyptian art that combines the head of a ram with the body of a winged lion, strides through a landscape of voluted palmettes in this rectangular openwork plaque.
This piece was found in a storeroom at Fort Shalmaneser, a royal building at Nimrud that was probably used to store tribute and booty collected by the Assyrians while on military campaign. Ram-headed sphinxes were often depicted in Egyptian art during the time when this ivory was carved by Phoenician artisans. This suggests that Phoenicians, whose home cities were along the eastern Mediterranean coast, were aware of contemporary Egyptian art. The slender proportions of this composite creature’s leonine body are typical of Phoenician ivories, as are several elements drawn from Egyptian art including the pschent crown (the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt), the chevron-patterned apron hanging from the chest, the nemes cloth (a royal, pleated headdress), and the uraeus (a mythical, fire-spitting serpent) that projects from the apron. The plaque is framed on one side by a stylized palmette tree and on the other three by thin strips of ivory. A tenon preserved above the upper edge suggests that the plaque may have been fitted into a frame, likely as part of a piece of furniture. Three holes drilled into the plaque may have originally aided in the attachment of this piece to a frame by means of dowels. Difficult to see, they are visible at the curve of the uraeus, through the plant growing behind the right foreleg, and in the loops of the tail. Like many Phoenician works, the original composition may have been symmetrical, with an identical sphinx facing this one.
Built by the Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II, the palaces and storerooms of Nimrud housed thousands of pieces of carved ivory. Most of the ivories served as furniture inlays or small precious objects such as boxes. While some of them were carved in the same style as the large Assyrian reliefs lining the walls of the Northwest Palace, the majority of the ivories display images and styles related to the arts of North Syria and the Phoenician city-states. Phoenician style ivories are distinguished by their use of imagery related to Egyptian art, such as sphinxes and figures wearing pharaonic crowns, and the use of elaborate carving techniques such as openwork and colored glass inlay. North Syrian style ivories tend to depict stockier figures in more dynamic compositions, carved as solid plaques with fewer added decorative elements. However, some pieces do not fit easily into any of these three styles.
Most of the ivories were probably collected by the Assyrian kings as tribute from vassal states, and as booty from conquered enemies, while some may have been manufactured in workshops at Nimrud. The ivory tusks that provided the raw material for these objects were almost certainly from African elephants, imported from lands south of Egypt, although elephants did inhabit several river valleys in Syria until they were hunted to extinction by the end of the eighth century B.C.
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A text, in english, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Milan Cathedral
Milan Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Milano; Milanese: Domm de Milan) is the cathedral church of Milan in Lombardy, northern Italy. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, currently Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi.
History:
Milan's layout, with streets either radiating from the Duomo or circling it, reveals that the Duomo occupies the most central site in Roman Mediolanum, that of the public basilica facing the forum. Saint Ambrose's 'New Basilica' was built on this site at the beginning of the 5th century, with an adjoining basilica added in 836. When a fire damaged both buildings in 1075, they were rebuilt as the Duomo.
Um texto, em português, do Site "Fatos e fotos de viagens", que pode ser visto no endereço interata.squarespace.com/jornal-de-viagem/2006/11/27/duom...
In 1386 archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo began construction in a rayonnant Late Gothic style more typically French than Italian. Construction coincided with the accession to power in Milan of the archbishop's cousin Gian Galeazzo Visconti, and was meant as a reward to the noble and working classes which had been suppressed by his tyrannical Visconti predecessor Barnabò. Before actual work began, three main buildings were demolished: the palace of the Archbishop, the Ordinari Palace and the Baptistry of 'St. Stephen at the Spring', while the old church of Sta. Maria Maggiore was exploited as a stone quarry. Enthusiasm for the immense new building soon spread among the population, and the shrewd Gian Galeazzo, together with his cousin the archbishop, collected large donations for the work-in-progress. The construction program was strictly regulated under the "Fabbrica del Duomo", which had 300 employees led by first chief engineer Simone da Orsenigo. Galeazzo gave the Fabbrica exclusive use of the marble from the Candoglia quarry and exempted it from taxes.
In 1389 a French chief engineer, Nicolas de Bonaventure, was appointed, adding to the church its strong Gothic imprint. Ten years later another French architect, Jean Mignot, was called from Paris to judge and improve upon the work done, as the masons needed new technical aid to lift stones to an unprecedented height. Mignot declared all the work done up till then as in pericolo di ruina ("peril of ruin"), as it had been done sine scienzia ("without science"). In the following years Mignot's forecasts proved untrue, but anyway they spurred Galeazzo's engineers to improve their instruments and techniques. Work proceeded quickly, and at the death of Gian Galeazzo in 1402, almost half the cathedral was complete. Construction, however, stalled almost totally until 1480, due to lack of money and ideas: the most notable works of this period were the tombs of Marco Carelli and Pope Martin V (1424) and the windows of the apse (1470s), of which those extant portray St. John the Evangelist, by Cristoforo de' Mottis, and Saint Eligius and San John of Damascus, both by Niccolò da Varallo. In 1452, under Francesco Sforza, the nave and the aisles were completed up to the sixth bay.
In 1500-1510, under Ludovico Sforza, the octagonal cupola was completed, and decorated in the interior with four series of fifteen statues each, portraying saints, prophets, sibyls and other characters of the Bible. The exterior long remained without any decoration, except for the Guglietto dell'Amadeo ("Amadeo's Little Spire"), constructed 1507-1510. This is a Renaissance masterwork which nevertheless harmonized well with the general Gothic appearance of the church.
The famous "Madunina" atop the main spire of the cathedral, a baroque gilded bronze artwork.
During the subsequent Spanish domination, the new church proved usable, even though the interior remained largely unfinished, and some bays of the nave and the transepts were still missing. In 1552 Giacomo Antegnati was commissioned to build a large organ for the north side of the choir, and Giuseppe Meda provided four of the sixteen pales which were to decorate the altar area (the program was completed by Federico Borromeo). In 1562 Marco d' Lopez's St. Bartholomew and the famous Trivulzio candelabrum (12th century) were added.
After the accession of the ambitious Carlo Borromeo to the archbishop's throne, all lay monuments were removed from the Duomo. These included the tombs of Giovanni, Barnabò and Filippo Maria Visconti, Francesco and his wife Bianca, Galeazzo Maria and Lodovico Sforza, which were brought to unknown destinations. However, Borromeo's main intervention was the appointment, in 1571, of Pellegrino Pellegrini as chief engineer— a contentious move, since to appoint Pellegrino, who was not a lay brother of the duomo, required a revision of the Fabbrica's statutes.
Borromeo and Pellegrino strove for a new, Renaissance appearance for the cathedral, that would emphasise its Roman / Italian nature, and subdue the Gothic style, which was now seen as foreign. As the façade still was largely incomplete, Pellegrini designed a "Roman" style one, with columns, obelisks and a large tympanum. When Pellegrini's design was revealed, a competition for the design of the facade was announced, and this elicited nearly a dozen entries, including by Antonio Barca [1].
This design was never carried out, but the interior decoration continued: in 1575-1585 the presbytery was rebuilt, while new altars and the baptistry were added in the nave.
Wooden choirstalls were constructed by 1614 for the main altar by Francesco Brambilla.
In 1577 Borromeo finally consecrated the whole edifice as a new church, distinct from the old Santa Maria Maggiore and Santa Tecla (which had been unified in 1549 after heavy disputes).
At the beginning of the 17th century Federico Borromeo had the foundations of the new façade laid by Francesco Maria Richini and Fabio Mangone. Work continued until 1638 with the construction of five portals and two middle windows. In 1649, however, the new chief architect Carlo Buzzi introduced a striking revolution: the façade was to revert to original Gothic style, including the already finished details within big Gothic pilasters and two giant belfries. Other designs were provided by, among others, Filippo Juvarra (1733) and Luigi Vanvitelli (1745), but all remained unapplied. In 1682 the façade of Santa Maria Maggiore was demolished and the cathedral's roof covering completed.
The ultimate facade with its striking rosy marble revetment
In 1762 one of the main features of the cathedral, the Madonnina's spire, was erected at the dizzying height of 108.5 m. The spire was designed by Francesco Croce and sports at the top a famous polychrome Madonnina statue, designed by Giuseppe Perego that befits the original stature of the cathedral.[2] Given Milan's notoriously damp and foggy climate, the Milanese consider it a fair-weather day when the Madonnina is visible from a distance, as it is so often covered by mist.
On May 20, 1805, Napoleon Bonaparte, about to be crowned King of Italy, ordered the façade to be finished. In his enthusiasm, he assured that all expenses would fall to the French treasurer, who would reimburse the Fabbrica for the real estate it had to sell. Even though this reimbursement was never paid, it still meant that finally, within only seven years, the Cathedral had its façade completed. The new architect, Francesco Soave, largely followed Buzzi's project, adding some neo-Gothic details to the upper windows. As a form of thanksgiving, a statue of Napoleon was placed at the top of one of the spires.
In the following years, most of the missing arches and spires were constructed. The statues on the southern wall were also finished, while in 1829-1858, new stained glass windows replaced the old ones, though with less aesthetically significant results. The last details of the cathedral were finished only in the 20th century: the last gate was inaugurated on January 6, 1965. This date is considered the very end of a process which had proceeded for generations, although even now, some uncarved blocks remain to be completed as statues. The Duomo's main facade is under renovation as of 2007; canvas-covered scaffolding obscures most of the facade.
he cathedral of Milano is often described as one of the greatest churches in the world. The ground plan is of a nave with 5 aisles, crossed by a transept and then followed by choir and apsis. The height of the nave is about 45 meters, the highest Gothic vaults of a complete church (less than the 48 meters of Beauvais Cathedral that was never completed).
The roof is open to tourists (for a fee), which allows many a close-up view of some spectacular sculpture that would otherwise be unappreciated. The roof of the cathedral is renowned for the forest of openwork pinnacles and spires, sitting upon delicate flying buttresses.
The cathedral's five wide naves, divided by forty pillars, are reflected in the hierarchic openings of the facade. Even the transepts have aisles. The nave columns are 24.5 metres (80 ft) high, and the apsidal windows are 20.7 x 8.5 metres (68 x 28 feet). The huge building is of brick construction, faced with marble from the quarries which Gian Galeazzo Visconti donated in perpetuity to the cathedral chapter. Its maintenance and repairs are very complicated.
The interior of the cathedral includes a huge number of monuments and artworks. These include:
* The Archbishop Alberto da Intimiano's sarcophagus, which is overlooked by a Crucifix in copper laminae (a replica).
* The sarcophagi of the archbishops Ottone Visconti and Giovanni Visconti, created by a Campionese master in the 14th century.
* The sarcophagus of Marco Carelli, who donated 35,000 ducati to accelerate the construction of the cathedral.
* The three magnificent altars by Pellegrino Pellegrini, which include the notable Federico Zuccari's Visit of St. Peter to St. Agatha jailed.
* In the right transept, the monument to Gian Giacomo Medici di Marignano, called "Medeghino", by Leone Leoni, and the adjacent Renaissance marble altar, decorated with gilt bronze statues.
* In front of the former mausoleum is the most renowned work of art of the cathedral, the St. Bartholomew statue by Marco D'Agrate.
* The presbytery is a late Renaissance masterpiece composing a choir, a Temple by Pellegrini, two pulpits with giant telamones covered in copper and bronze, and two large organs. Around the choir the two sacristies' portals, some frescoes and a fifteenth-century statue of Martin V by Jacopino da Tradate) can be seen.
* The transepts house the Trivulzio Candelabrum, which is in two pieces. The base (attributed to Nicolas of Verdun, 12th century), characterized by a fantastic ensemble of vines, vegetables and imaginary animals; and the stem, of the mid-16th century.
* In the left aisle, the Arcimboldi monument by Alessi and Romanesque figures depicting the Apostles in red marble and the neo-Classic baptistry by Pellegrini.
* A small red light bulb in the dome above the apse marks the spot where one of the nails from the Crucifixion of Christ has been placed.
* In November-December, in the days surrounding the birthdate of the San Carlo Borromeo, a series of large canvases, the Quadroni are exhibited along the nave.
DUOMO - A Catedral de Milão
O Duomo é apenas mais um dos fabulosos exemplos de arquitetura e monumentalidade dirigida ao culto ao divino entre tantas outras catedrais construídas na Europa durante a Idade Média, entre os séculos 9 e 12.
Dizem que o Duomo foi projetado pelo pintor, escultor, arquiteto, engenheiro, cientista e inventor italiano Leonardo da Vinci, nascido em Vinci e falecido em Amboise, na França.
Igrejas como as de Chartres , Amiens e Notre Dame de Paris (França), Sevilha e Santiago de Compostela (Espanha), Colônia (Alemanha) e o Duomo de Milão (Itália) são o exemplo máximo do estilo gótico — caracterizado pelo uso das ogivas (cruzamento de arcos), que possibilitavam a construção de altas estruturas. No apogeu do fervor católico, elas foram projetadas usando medidas que reproduziam as proporções do corpo humano.
Situado no centro da cidade , o Duomo é o marco zero geográfico da cidade e ponto de partida para se conhecer a cidade. Muitas de suas atrações estão nas proximidades ou vizinhanças.
Pode-se visitar internamente a igreja e seu telhado. Todos os dias, de 7 às19h de junho a setembro, e de 9 às 16h, de outubro a maio. Para ingressar na igreja nada se paga, mas para subir ao seu telhado paga-se o preço de 4 Euros, por elevador.
Duomo é uma gigantesca igreja catedral, uma das maiores em estilo gótico em todo o mundo, em dimensões, pois tem cerca de 160 m de comprimento por 92 de largura. Suas dimensões representam aquilo que mais impressiona e provoca admiração a quem a visita, num primeiro olhar.
igreja começou a ser construída no Século 14 mas só foi concluída 500 (!!) anos depois.
Uma das coisas mais interessantes a ser fazer em toda Milão é visitar o telhado do Duomo, todo em placas de mármore, da mesma pedra de sua fachada, suas esculturas (santos, gárgulas e agulhas) e de onde se tem uma bela vista de toda a cidade.
A fachada do Duomo não tem apenas um estilo arquitetônico: eles vão do gótico ao renascentista, com alguns elementos neoclássicos.
Ainda no exterior, antes de entrar na igreja, não deixe de observar o rendilhado que envolve as janelas-vitrais e também as belíssimas e enormes portas de bronze, nas quais estão esculturas em baixos e altos-relevos que mostram cenas da história da cidade.
O que mais impressiona no interior é a altura dos enormes pilares góticos que suportam o telhado de toda a igreja e que delimitam suas naves laterais, secundárias e principal, além do altar-mór. Elas enquadram os vitrais igualmente gigantescos e belíssimos.
O interior não impressiona tanto quanto o exterior, ainda que seja solene, grandioso e tenha cinco naves e 52 gigantescas colunas de pedra.
Também o maravilhoso piso de mármore de três ou quatro tonalidades, que formam belos desenhos, dão, na nave central, a verdadeira impressão das dimensões desta fabulosa igreja. Observe o piso (de preferência ajoelhado nele) posisionando-se de costas para o altar-mór e olhando para o portão principal.
Em Milão quase tudo gira ao redor do Duomo, a Catedral de Milão, a terceira maior igreja da cristandade depois da Basílica de São Pedro, em Roma, e da Catedral de Sevilha.
No telhado as centenas de agulhas altíssimas, de arcos e gárgulas, estátuas e cariátides esculpidos em mármore impressionam tanto quanto sua fachada, vista do nível da rua. A mais magestosa das imagens é a estatua dourada da Madonnina do Perego, situada no topo da agulha maior, onde foi colocada em 1744.
Uma visita ao seu telhado dá-nos a dimensão exata da grandiosidade do trabalho de construção desta monumental escultura e nos leva a imaginar o quão difícil deve ter sido, compreendendo-se porque ela iniciou-se em 1386 e terminou em 1887!
O Duomo di Milano é um monumento símbolo do patrimônio Lombardo, dedicado à Santa Maria Nascente e situado na praça central da cidade de Milão, Itália. É uma das mais célebres e complexas construções em estilo Gótico do mundo.
Leia mais sobre a catedral de Milão no endereço www.maconaria.net/portal/index.php?view=article&catid...
Yasaka Pagoda (Hōkan-ji)
Against a pale sky, the pagoda finial climbs like a helix of prayer, iron rings stepping toward silence as a lone crow lifts into the empty light; feather and metal, motion and stillness, a brief crossing where the day’s breath threads through openwork and the city below forgets itself.
The observation tower was built of larch wood with a total volume of 35.5 m³. It rests on 54 piles almost 24 m high, arranged in a circle with a diameter of 5 m. The tower's foundations consumed 35 m³ of concrete (1,800 kg), and twelve thousand screws and over eight thousand bolts were used to erect the structure.
The openwork tangle of boards, stringers, posts, and crossbars, with arched bands, creates an unusual impression. On the one hand, the tower looks very complicated, and on the other, it resembles a wicker basket or a basket weaver. Two staircases ensure the comfort of visitors. They spiral around the tower in a double helix. This allows visitors to descend and ascend to/from the observation deck at the top of the tower without colliding. There are 99 steps in one direction and 90 in the other.
Blog post and more photos from this place here: staszczuk.blogspot.com/2025/09/wieza-w-hermanice-i-pogans...
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(C)2025 Jacek Staszczuk, all rights reserved
Photo-blog: staszczuk.blogspot.com/
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Circa 1832 - The Pagoda Fountain at Alton Towers, Staffordshire on 10 August 2021.
Grade II star listed.
The following is from the Historic England website.
Name: The Pagoda Fountain and bridge pier
Designation Type: Listing
Grade: II*
List UID: 1192054
Fountain and bridge pier. Circa 1832. By Robert Abraham. Painted cast iron on a stone base. Octagonal plan; in the form of a Chinese pagoda. Octagonal base with five steps, leading to a pagoda of three stages, each stage with openwork sides of fishscale pattern and ogee-headed openings, the upper two stages each have a low balustrade; bracketed roof and canopies with bells hanging from the scrolls at each angle, the tall roof is surmounted by a finial. A stone pier approximately 10 yards to the north formerly supported a bridge which led from the north bank of the Fishpond within which the building stands. The Pagoda Fountain is a copy of the To-ho pagoda in Canton, as illustrated by Chambers and recreated in an essentially C19 and European form.