A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism, a monotheistic religion which originated during the 15th century in the Punjab region. The term "Sikh" has its origin in the Sanskrit words शिष्य (śiṣya; disciple, student) or शिक्ष (śikṣa; instruction). A Sikh is a disciple of a guru. According to Article I of the Sikh Rehat Maryada (the Sikh code of conduct), a Sikh is "any human being who faithfully believes in One Immortal Being; ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh; Guru Granth Sahib; the teachings of the ten Gurus and the baptism bequeathed by the tenth Guru". "Sikh" properly refers to adherents of Sikhism as a religion, not an ethnic group. However, because Sikhs often share strong ethno-religious ties, many countries, such as the U.K., recognize Sikh as a designated ethnicity on their censuses. The American non-profit organization United Sikhs has fought to have Sikh included on the U.S. census as well, arguing that Sikhs "self-identify as an 'ethnic minority'" and believe "that they are more than just a religion".

Male Sikhs usually have "Singh" (Lion), and female Sikhs have "Kaur" (Princess) as their middle or last name. Sikhs who have undergone the khanḍe-kī-pahul (the Sikh initiation ceremony) may also be recognized by the five Ks: uncut hair (kesh); an iron or steel bracelet (kara); a kirpan (a sword tucked into a gatra strap); kachehra, a cotton undergarment, and kanga, a small wooden comb. Baptized male Sikhs must cover their hair with a turban, which is optional for baptized female Sikhs. The greater Punjab region is the historic homeland of the Sikhs, although significant communities exist around the world.

HISTORY

Sikh political history may be said to begin with the death of the fifth Sikh guru, Guru Arjan Dev, in 1606. Guru Nanak was a religious leader and social reformer in the 15th-century Punjab. Religious practices were formalized by Guru Gobind Singh on 30 March 1699. Singh baptized five people from a variety of social backgrounds, known as the Panj Piare (the five beloved ones) to form the Khalsa, or collective body of initiated Sikhs. Sikhism has generally had amicable relations with other religions, except for the period of Mughal rule in India (1556–1707). Several Sikh gurus were killed by the Mughals for opposing their persecution of minority religious communities including Sikhs. Sikhs subsequently militarized to oppose Mughal rule. The emergence of the Sikh Confederacy under Ranjit Singh was characterized by religious tolerance and pluralism, with Christians, Muslims and Hindus in positions of power. The confederacy is considered the zenith of political Sikhism, encompassing Kashmir, Ladakh and Peshawar. Hari Singh Nalwa, the commander-in-chief of the Sikh army in the North West Frontier, expanded the confederacy to the Khyber Pass. Its secular administration implemented military, economic and governmental reforms. The months leading up to the partition of India in 1947 were marked by conflict in the Punjab between Sikhs and Muslims. This caused the religious migration of Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus from West Punjab, mirroring a similar religious migration of Punjabi Muslims from East Punjab.

The 1960s saw growing animosity between Sikhs and Hindus in India, with the Sikhs demanding the creation of a Punjab state on a linguistic basis similar to other states in India. This was promised to Sikh leader Master Tara Singh by Jawaharlal Nehru, in return for Sikh political support during negotiations for Indian independence. Although the Sikhs obtained the Punjab, they lost Hindi-speaking areas to Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. Chandigarh was made a union territory and the capital of Haryana and Punjab on 1 November 1966.

Tensions arose again during the late 1970s, fueled by Sikh claims of discrimination and marginalisation by the Hindu-dominated Indian National Congress party and tactics adopted by the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

According to Katherine Frank, Indira Gandhi's assumption of emergency powers in 1975 resulted in the weakening of the "legitimate and impartial machinery of government", and her increasing "paranoia" about opposing political groups led her to institute a "despotic policy of playing castes, religions and political groups against each other for political advantage". Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale articulated Sikh demands for justice, and this triggered violence in the Punjab. The prime minister's 1984 defeat of Bhindranwale led to an attack on the Golden Temple in Operation Blue Star and to her assassination by her Sikh bodyguards. Gandhi's assassination resulted in an explosion of violence against Sikh communities and the killing of thousands of Sikhs throughout India. Khushwant Singh described the riots as a Sikh pogrom; he "felt like a refugee in my country. In fact, I felt like a Jew in Nazi Germany". Since 1984, relations between Sikhs and Hindus have moved toward a rapprochement aided by economic prosperity. However, a 2002 claim by the Hindu right-wing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) that "Sikhs are Hindus" disturbed Sikh sensibilities. The Khalistan movement campaigns for justice for the victims of the violence, and for the political and economic needs of the Punjab.

In 1996, United Nations Commission on Human Rights Freedom of Religion or Belief Special Rapporteur Abdelfattah Amor (Tunisia, 1993–2004) visited India to report on religious discrimination. The following year Amor concluded, "In India it appears that the situation of the Sikhs in the religious field is satisfactory, but that difficulties are arising in the political (foreign interference, terrorism, etc.), economic (in particular with regard to sharing of water supplies) and even occupational fields. Information received from nongovernment (sic) sources indicates that discrimination does exist in certain sectors of the public administration; examples include the decline in the number of Sikhs in the police force and the military, and the absence of Sikhs in personal bodyguard units since the murder of Indira Gandhi".

Although Sikhs comprise 10 to 15 percent of all ranks of the Indian Army and 20 percent of its officers, they make up 1.87 percent of the Indian population.

During the 1999 Vaisakhi, Sikhs worldwide celebrated the 300th anniversary of the creation of the Khalsa. Canada Post honoured Sikh Canadians with a commemorative stamp in conjunction with the 300th anniversary of Vaisakhi. On April 9, 1999, Indian president K.R. Narayanan issued a stamp commemorating the 300th anniversary of the Khalsa.

DEFINITION

According to Guru Granth Sahib:

One who calls himself a Sikh of the Guru, the True Guru, shall rise in the early morning hours and meditate on the Lord's Name. Upon arising early in the morning, the Sikh is to bathe, and cleanse himself in the pool of nectar. Following the Instructions of the Guru, the Sikh is to chant the Name of the Lord, Har. All sins, misdeeds and negativity shall be erased. Then, at the rising of the sun, the Sikh is to sing Gurbani; whether sitting down or standing up, the Sikh is to meditate on the Lord's Name. One who meditates on my Lord, Har, with every breath and every morsel of food – that Gursikh becomes pleasing to the Guru's Mind. That person, unto whom my Lord and Master is kind and compassionate – upon that Gursikh, the Guru's Teachings are bestowed. Servant Nanak begs for the dust of the feet of that Gursikh, who himself chants the Naam, and inspires others to chant it.

Simran of the Lord's name is a recurring theme of Guru Granth Sahib, and Sukhmani Sahib were composed to allow a devotee to recite Nam throughout the day. Rising at Amrit Velā (before sunrise) is a common Sikh practice. Sikhism considers the spiritual and secular lives to be intertwined: "In the Sikh Weltanschauung ... the temporal world is part of the Infinite and partakes of its characteristics." According to Guru Nanak, living an "active, creative, and practical life" of "truthfulness, fidelity, self-control and purity" is superior to a purely contemplative life.

FIVE Ks

The five Ks (panj kakaar) are five articles of faith which all baptized Sikhs (Amritdhari Sikhs) are obliged to wear. The symbols represent the ideals of Sikhism: honesty, equality, fidelity, meditating on God and never bowing to tyranny. The five symbols are:

- Kesh: Uncut hair, usually tied and wrapped in a Dastar

- Kanga: A wooden comb, usually worn under a Dastar

- Katchera: Cotton undergarments, historically appropriate in battle due to increased mobility when compared to a dhoti. Worn by both sexes, the katchera is a symbol of chastity.

- Kara: An iron bracelet, a weapon and a symbol of eternity

- Kirpan: An iron dagger in different sizes. In the UK Sikhs can wear a small dagger, but in the Punjab they might wear a traditional curved sword from one to three feet in length.

MUSIC & INSTRUMENTS

The Sikhs have a number of musical instruments: the rebab, dilruba, taus, jori and sarinda. Playing the sarangi was encouraged in Guru Har Gobind. The rubab was first played by Bhai Mardana as he accompanied Guru Nanak on his journeys. The jori and sarinda were designed by Guru Arjan. The taus was made by Guru Hargobind, who supposedly heard a peacock singing and wanted to create an instrument mimicking its sounds (taus is the Persian word for peacock). The dilruba was made by Guru Gobind Singh at the request of his followers, who wanted a smaller instrument than the taus. After Japji Sahib, all of the shabda in the Guru Granth Sahib were composed as ragas. This type of singing is known as Gurmat Sangeet.

When they marched into battle, the Sikhs would play a Ranjit Nagara (victory drum) to boost morale. Nagaras (usually two to three feet in diameter, although some were up to five feet in diameter) are played with two sticks. The beat of the large drums, and the raising of the Nishan Sahib, meant that the singhs were on their way.

DISTRIBUTION

Numbering about 27 million worldwide, Sikhs make up 0.39 percent of the world population; approximately 83 percent live in India. About 76 percent of all Sikhs live in the north Indian State of Punjab, where they form a majority (about two-thirds) of the population. Substantial communities of Sikhs (more than 200,000) live in the Indian states or union territories of Haryana (more than 1.1 million), Rajasthan, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh Assam and Jammu and Kashmir.

Sikh migration from British India began in earnest during the second half of the 19th century, when the British completed their annexation of the Punjab. The British Raj recruited Sikhs for the Indian Civil Service (particularly the British Indian Army), which led to Sikh migration throughout India and the British Empire. During the Raj, semiskilled Sikh artisans were transported from the Punjab to British East Africa to help build railroads. Sikhs emigrated from India and Pakistan after World War II, most going to the United Kingdom but many to North America. Some Sikhs who had settled in eastern Africa were expelled by Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in 1972. Economics is a major factor in Sikh migration, and significant communities exist in the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Malaysia, East Africa, Australia and Thailand.

Although the rate of Sikh migration from the Punjab has remained high, traditional patterns of Sikh migration favouring English-speaking countries (particularly the United Kingdom) have changed during the past decade due to stricter immigration laws. Moliner (2006) wrote that as a consequence of Sikh migration to the UK "becom[ing] virtually impossible since the late 1970s", migration patterns evolved to continental Europe. Italy is a rapidly growing destination for Sikh migration, with Reggio Emilia and Vicenza having significant Sikh population clusters. Italian Sikhs are generally involved in agriculture, agricultural processing, the manufacture of machine tools and horticulture.

Primarily for socio-economic reasons, Indian Sikhs have the lowest adjusted growth rate of any major religious group in India, at 16.9 percent per decade (estimated from 1991 to 2001). Johnson and Barrett (2004) estimate that the global Sikh population increases annually by 392,633 (1.7 percent per year, based on 2004 figures); this percentage includes births, deaths and conversions.

REPRESENTATION

Sikhs have been represented in Indian politics by former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh and the deputy chairman of the Indian Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is also a Sikh. Past Sikh politicians in India include former president Giani Zail Singh, Sardar Swaran Singh (India's first foreign minister), Speaker of Parliament Gurdial Singh Dhillon and former Chief Minister of Punjab Pratap Singh Kairon.

Politicians from the Sikh diaspora include the first Asian American member of the United States Congress, Dalip Singh Saund, British MPs Piara Khabra, Parmjit Dhanda and Paul Uppal, the first couple to sit together in a Commonwealth parliament (Gurmant Grewal and Nina Grewal, who requested a Canadian government apology for the Komagata Maru incident), former Canadian Shadow Social Development Minister Ruby Dhalla, Canadian Minister of State for Sport Baljit Singh Gosal and Legislative Assembly of Ontario members Vic Dhillon and Jagmeet Singh. Ujjal Dosanjh was the New Democratic Party Premier of British Columbia from July 2004 to February 2005, and was later a Liberal frontbench MP in Ottawa. In Malaysia, two Sikhs were elected MPs in the 2008 general elections: Karpal Singh (Bukit Gelugor) and his son, Gobind Singh Deo (Puchong). Two Sikhs were elected assemblymen: Jagdeep Singh Deo (Datuk Keramat) and Keshvinder Singh (Malim Nawar).

Sikhs comprise 10 to 15 percent of all ranks in the Indian Army and 20 percent of its officers, while making up 1.87 percent of the Indian population. The Sikh Regiment is one of the most-decorated regiments in the army, with 73 Battle Honours, 14 Victoria Crosses, 21 first-class Indian Orders of Merit (equivalent to the Victoria Cross), 15 Theatre Honours, five COAS Unit Citations, two Param Vir Chakras, 14 Maha Vir Chakras, five Kirti Chakras, 67 Vir Chakras and 1,596 other awards. The highest-ranking general in the history of the Indian Air Force is a Punjabi Sikh, Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh. Plans by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence for a Sikh infantry regiment were scrapped in June 2007.

Historically, most Indians have been farmers and 66 percent of the Indian population are engaged in agriculture. Indian Sikhs are employed in agriculture to a lesser extent; India's 2001 census found 39 percent of the working population of the Punjab employed in this sector. The success of the 1960s Green Revolution, in which India went from "famine to plenty, from humiliation to dignity", was based in the Punjab (which became known as "the breadbasket of India"). The Punjab is the wealthiest Indian state per capita, with the average Punjabi income three times the national average. The Green Revolution centred on Indian farmers adopting more intensive and mechanised agricultural methods, aided by the electrification of the Punjab, cooperative credit, consolidation of small holdings and the existing, British Raj-developed canal system. According to Swedish political scientist Ishtiaq Ahmad, a factor in the success of the Indian green revolution was the "Sikh cultivator, often the Jat, whose courage, perseverance, spirit of enterprise and muscle prowess proved crucial". However, not all aspects of the green revolution were beneficial. Indian physicist Vandana Shiva wrote that the green revolution made the "negative and destructive impacts of science [i.e. the green revolution] on nature and society" invisible, and was a catalyst for Punjabi Sikh and Hindu tensions despite a growth in material wealth.

Punjabi Sikhs are engaged in a number of professions which include science, engineering and medicine. Notable examples are nuclear scientist Piara Singh Gill (who worked on the Manhattan Project), fibre-optics pioneer Narinder Singh Kapany and physicist, science writer and broadcaster Simon Singh.

In business, the UK-based clothing retailers New Look and the Thai-based Jaspal were founded by Sikhs. India's largest pharmaceutical company, Ranbaxy Laboratories, is headed by Sikhs. UK Sikhs have the highest percentage of home ownership (82 percent) of any religious community. UK Sikhs are the second-wealthiest (after the Jewish community) religious group in the UK, with a median total household wealth of £229,000. In Singapore Kartar Singh Thakral expanded his family's trading business, Thakral Holdings, into total assets of almost $1.4 billion and is Singapore's 25th-richest person. Sikh Bob Singh Dhillon is the first Indo-Canadian billionaire. The Sikh diaspora has been most successful in North America, especially in California’s fertile Central Valley. American Sikh farmers such as Harbhajan Singh Samra and Didar Singh Bains dominate California agriculture, with Samra specialising in okra and Bains in peaches.

Sikh intellectuals, sportsmen and artists include writer Khushwant Singh, England cricketer Monty Panesar, former 400m runner Milkha Singh, Indian wrestler and actor Dara Singh, former Indian hockey team captains Ajitpal Singh and Balbir Singh Sr., former Indian cricket captain Bishen Singh Bedi, Harbhajan Singh (India's most successful off spin cricket bowler), Bollywood actress Neetu Singh, Sunny Leone, actors Parminder Nagra, Neha Dhupia, Gul Panag, Mona Singh, Namrata Singh Gujral, Archie Panjabi and director Gurinder Chadha.

Sikhs have migrated worldwide, with a variety of occupations. The Sikh Gurus preached ethnic and social harmony, and Sikhs comprise a number of ethnic groups. Those with over 1,000 members include the Ahluwalia, Arain, Arora, Bhatra, Bairagi, Bania, Basith, Bawaria, Bazigar, Bhabra, Chamar, Chhimba, Darzi, Dhobi, Gujar, Jatt, Jhinwar, Kahar, Kalal, Kamboj, Khatri, Kumhar, Labana, Lohar, Mahtam, Mazhabi, Megh, Mirasi, Mochi, Nai, Rajput, Ramgarhia, Saini, Sarera, Sikligar, Sunar, Sudh, Tarkhan and Zargar.

An order of Punjabi Sikhs, the Nihang or the Akalis, was formed during Ranjit Singh's time. Under their leader, Akali Phula Singh, they won many battles for the Sikh Confederacy during the early 19th century.

IN THE INDIAN & BRITISH ARMIES

Sikhs supported the British during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. By the beginning of World War I, Sikhs in the British Indian Army totaled over 100,000 (20 percent of the force). Until 1945 fourteen Victoria Crosses were awarded to Sikhs, a per-capita regimental record. In 2002 the names of all Sikh VC and George Cross recipients were inscribed on the monument of the Memorial Gates on Constitution Hill, next to Buckingham Palace. Chanan Singh Dhillon was instrumental in campaigning for the memorial.

During World War I, Sikh battalions fought in Egypt, Palestine, Mesopotamia, Gallipoli and France. Six battalions of the Sikh Regiment were raised during World War II, serving in the Second Battle of El Alamein, the Burma and Italian campaigns and in Iraq and receiving 27 battle honours. Around the world, Sikhs are commemorated in Commonwealth cemeteries.

In the last two world wars 83,005 turban wearing Sikh soldiers were killed and 109,045 were wounded. They all died or were wounded for the freedom of Britain and the world, and during shell fire, with no other protection but the turban, the symbol of their faith.

—General Sir Frank Messervy

British people are highly indebted and obliged to Sikhs for a long time. I know that within this century we needed their help twice [in two world wars] and they did help us very well. As a result of their timely help, we are today able to live with honour, dignity, and independence. In the war, they fought and died for us, wearing the turbans.

—Sir Winston Churchill

IN THE WEST

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Sikhs began to emigrate to East Africa, the Far East, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. In 1907 the Khalsa Diwan Society was established in Vancouver, and four years later the first gurdwara was established in London. In 1912 the first gurdwara in the United States was founded in Stockton, California.

Since Sikhs (like Middle Eastern men) wear turbans, some in Western countries have been mistaken for Muslim or Arabic men since the September 11 attacks and the Iraq War. Several days after the 9/11 attacks Sikh Balbir Singh Sodhi was murdered by Frank Roque, who thought Sodhi was connected with al-Qaeda. CNN suggested an increase in hate crimes against Sikh men in the United States and the UK after the 9/11 attacks.

Since Sikhism has never actively sought converts, the Sikhs have remained a relatively homogeneous ethnic group. The Kundalini Yoga-based activities of Harbhajan Singh Yogi in his 3HO (Happy, Healthy, Holy) organisation claim to have inspired a moderate growth in non-Indian adherents of Sikhism. In 1998 an estimated 7,800 3HO Sikhs, known colloquially as ‘gora’ (ਗੋਰਾ) or ‘white’ Sikhs, were mainly centred around Española, New Mexico and Los Angeles, California. Sikhs and the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund overturned a 1925 Oregon law banning the wearing of turbans by teachers and government officials.

In an attempt to foster Sikh leaders in the Western world, youth initiatives by a number of organisations have begun. The Sikh Youth Alliance of North America sponsors an annual Sikh Youth Symposium, a public-speaking and debate competition held in gurdwaras throughout the U.S. and Canada.

ART & CULTURE

Sikh art and culture are nearly synonymous with that of the Punjab, and Sikhs are easily recognised by their distinctive turban (Dastar). The Punjab has been called India’s melting pot, due to the confluence of invading cultures (Greek, Mughal and Persian) from the rivers from which the region gets its name. Sikh culture is therefore a synthesis of cultures. Sikhism has forged a unique architecture, which S. S. Bhatti described as "inspired by Guru Nanak’s creative mysticism" and "is a mute harbinger of holistic humanism based on pragmatic spirituality".

During the Mughal and Afghan persecution of the Sikhs during the 17th and 18th centuries, the latter were concerned with preserving their religion and gave little thought to art and culture. With the rise of Ranjit Singh and the Sikh Raj in Lahore and Delhi, there was a change in the landscape of art and culture in the Punjab; Hindus and Sikhs could build decorated shrines without the fear of destruction or looting.

The Sikh Confederacy was the catalyst for a uniquely Sikh form of expression, with Ranjit Singh commissioning forts, palaces, bungas (residential places) and colleges in a Sikh style. Sikh architecture is characterised by gilded fluted domes, cupolas, kiosks, stone lanterns, ornate balusters and square roofs. A pinnacle of Sikh style is Harmandir Sahib (also known as the Golden Temple) in Amritsar.

Sikh culture is influenced by militaristic motifs (with the Khanda the most obvious), and most Sikh artifacts - except for the relics of the Gurus - have a military theme. This theme is evident in the Sikh festivals of Hola Mohalla and Vaisakhi, which feature marching and displays of valor.

Although the art and culture of the Sikh diaspora have merged with that of other Indo-immigrant groups into categories like "British Asian", "Indo-Canadian" and "Desi-Culture", a minor cultural phenomenon which can be described as "political Sikh" has arisen. The art of diaspora Sikhs like Amarjeet Kaur Nandhra and Amrit and Rabindra Kaur Singh (the "Singh Twins") is influenced by their Sikhism and current affairs in the Punjab.

Bhangra and Giddha are two forms of Punjabi folk dancing which have been adapted and pioneered by Sikhs. Punjabi Sikhs have championed these forms of expression worldwide, resulting in Sikh culture becoming linked to Bhangra (although "Bhangra is not a Sikh institution but a Punjabi one").

PAINTING

Sikh painting is a direct offshoot of the Kangra school of painting. In 1810, Ranjeet Singh (1780–1839) occupied Kangra Fort and appointed Sardar Desa Singh Majithia his governor of the Punjab hills. In 1813 the Sikh army occupied Guler State, and Raja Bhup Singh became a vassal of the Sikhs. With the Sikh kingdom of Lahore becoming the paramount power, some of the Pahari painters from Guler migrated to Lahore for the patronage of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh and his Sardars.

The Sikh school adapted Kangra painting to Sikh needs and ideals. Its main subjects are the ten Sikh gurus and stories from Guru Nanak's Janamsakhis. The tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, left a deep impression on the followers of the new faith because of his courage and sacrifices. Hunting scenes and portraits are also common in Sikh painting.

WIKIPEDIA

The origins of the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen go back to 1638. The church was destroyed in the earthquakes of 1651 and 1717. It was rebuilt after that and re-dedicated in the current form in 1728; the stunning baroque façade dates to that period. The church was badly damaged in the earthquake of 1773 and by subsequent earthquakes.

2720x1530 / SweetFX / Merged Cielos and Sunbeams CT for Timestop and camera coordinates

taken accidentally... I like how it turned out

Shot it at Kumbha Mela,Allahabad,Uttar Pradesh,India,which is considered the biggest show on Earth.

In Hindu mythology, its origin is found in one of the popular creation myths and the Hindu theories on evolution, the Samudra manthan episode (Churning of the ocean of milk), which finds mention in the Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana, the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana.

The Gods had lost their strength, and to regain it, they thought of churning the Ksheera Sagara (primordial ocean of milk) for amrit (the nectar of immortality), this required them to make a temporary agreement with their arch enemies, the demons or Asuras, to work together with a promise of sharing the nectar equally thereafter. However, when the Kumbha (urn) containing the amrita appeared, a fight ensued. For twelve days and twelve nights (equivalent to twelve human years) the gods and demons fought in the sky for the pot of amrita. It is believed that during the battle, Lord Vishnu flew away with the Kumbha of elixir, and that is when drops of amrita fell at four places on earth: Prayag, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik, and that is where the Kumbh Mela is observed every twelve years.

First written evidence of the Kumbha Mela can be found in the accounts of Chinese traveller, Huan Tsang or Xuanzang (602 - 664 A.D.) who visited India in 629 -645 CE, during the reign of King Harshavardhana.

Source:-Wikipedia.

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Velles (Indre)

Château de Courcenay, lieu-dit Courcenay.

Le château de Courcenay date du XVe siècle. Il n'en reste que des ruines.

Le château de Courcenay, comme ceux de Beauregard et de Chabenet, a appartenu à la famille de Boisé dont le château d'origine est situé à 1 km. au nord (Lieu-dit Boisay).

"Près de Beauregard est le vieux château de Courcenay. Sur la route tracée dans les bois, se trouve, en contrebas une grosse tour entourée d'énormes lierres. Une jolie porte, dont l'écusson est effacé, y donne accès. L'étage supérieur de la tour offre des arêtes. La charpente de cette tour est curieuse. La construction offre les caractères du XVe siècle. La terre de Courcenay fait partie de la celle* de Beauregard. Le régisseur y demeure."

(Les vieux châteaux du bas-berry - Châteauroux, 1876 - E.Migné et Fauconneau-Dufresnes)

En 1589, René de Boisé, propriétaire de Courcenay, rejoint la Ligue, ces ultras-catholiques qui lors des guerres de Religion critiquèrent la politique royale : selon eux, les traités signés à la suite des batailles, même perdues par les protestants, étaient invariablement favorables à ces derniers. Un an auparavant, Henri III avait fait assassiner le duc de Guise, chef de la Ligue, à Blois. Velles est sur la ligne de front: Argenton-sur-Creuse est protestante et Déols est occupée par la Ligue. René perdra la vie lors d'un accrochage avec les forces d'Henri III et d'Henri de Navarre.

René était l'aîné d'une fratrie; il avait trois jeunes frères et deux soeurs : la plus jeune, Louise, est mariée avec un gentilhomme de Touraine, la plus âgée, Françoise, vit sur les terres de Courcenay. Françoise se fait appeler "Mademoiselle de la Motte", en référence à l'une des possessions familiales. Elle pratique volontiers les armes. A la mort de René, Mademoiselle de la Motte compte bien, en tant que cadette, devenir "chef" de famille, mais René avait désigné son successeur avant sa mort, en la personne de son beau-frère Antoine de Saint Flovier. Françoise commanditera l'agression du beau-frère et l'occupation du château, ce qui la discréditera aux yeux des châtelains du voisinage. C'est le roi Henri IV qui fera libérer le château de Courcenay. Mademoiselle de la Motte finira par se réconcilier avec la famille.

* La celle (cella) était au Moyen Âge une petite dépendance d'une abbaye ou d'un prieuré.

___________________________________________________

Du Fief de Courcenay (Histoire de Berry par Gaspard Thaumas de la Thaumassière avocat au Parlement. A Bourges 1689)

Chapitre LXVII.

Le Fief de Courcenay confifte en un ancien Château, groffe Tour & Fortereffe, plufieurs Arpens de Prez , Bois Taillis, Etangs, Dixmes , Cens & Rentes ; il eft jurable & rendable au Seigneur de Château-roux. Ce Fief a été poffedé de temps immemorial par des Seigneurs de la Maifon de Boifé, dont je rapporte la Genealogie au Chapitre fuivant ; & les Titres de Château-roux font foy que Geofroy de Boifé Ecuyer donna fon dénombrement au Seigneur de Château-roux, le Lundy devant la Saint Pierre d'Aouft 1373 & aprés luy Jaques de Boifé le 24 Juillet 1434. Le même reconnut le 28 Janvier 1437 que fa Fortereffe de Courcenay eft jurable & rendable au Seigneur de Château-roux, il promit & s'obligea tant pour luy que pour fes fucceffeurs de n'impetrer ny faire impetrer Guer ny provifions de Guer, du Roy , de Prince ou d'autre quelconque ayant à ce puiffance, fors que du Seigneur de Château-roux & de fes fucceffeurs, & de jamais croître fa Fortereffe, ny de la faire de plus grande enceinte & étenduë qu'elle étoit alors. Les décendans de Jacques de Boifé font encore aujourd'huy en poffeffion de ce Fief.

Des Seigneurs de Courcenay de la Maifon de Boifé.

Chapitre LXVIII.

Il y a plus de trois cens ans que cette Famille poffede la Seigneurie de Courcenay , mouvante de la Baronnie de Château-roux. Elle s'eft alliée en plufieurs nobles Maifons de cette Province & des voifines, comme en celles de la Châtre, Blanchefort, Seris, la Celle, la Trie, Barbançois, Coigné, Mareüil, Douaud, Magnac, S. Hilaire & autres.

Ils portent d'argent à la face de fable. Le plus ancien de ceux qui font venus à ma connoiffance eft

I.

Adenet de Boifé Damoifeau S. de Courcenay, vivoit en l'an 1327. avoit pour Femme Marguerite de la Châtre, laquelle en étoit veuve l'an 1361. d'où

II.

Pierre de Boifé Ecuyer S. de Courcenay, acquit le lieu de la Colombe en 1387. fut Pere de

III.

Geofroy de Boifé Ecuyer S. de Courcenay fit la foy & hommage de la Seigneurie de Courcenay au Seigneur de Chateau-roux, l'an 1399. d'où.

IV.

jacques de Boifé S. de Courcenay , obtint permiffion de Meffire Guy de Chauvigny S. de Château-roux, de fortifier fa Maifon de Courcenay, à la charge qu'elle luy feroit jurable & rendable à volonté, par Lettres du 28 juin 1437. il contracta mariage avec Souveraine de Blanchefort, Fille de jean de Blanchefort S. de Fourray & de Paudy, duquel elle partagea les biens avec fes coheritiers l'an 1452. d'où.

Charles de Boifé qui fuit.

Anne de Boifé, mariée le 7.Janvier 1469.

Françoife de Boifé conjointe avec Jean de Barbançois Ecuyer S.de Sarzay, le 27. Decembre 1453.

V.

Charles de Boifé fieur de Courcenay, époufa Catherine, dont je n'ay pû apprendre le furnom , d'où.

Artus de Boifé , duquel cy-aprés.

Catherine de Boifé, mariée l'an 1492 , avec François Gédoyn Ecuyer fieur de Jotereau.

VI.

Artus de Boifé fieur de Courcenay , contracta Mariage avec Madelaine de la Trie Fille de jean de la Trie Chevalier , & de Jacquette de la Trie, d'où.

André de Boifé qui continua la pofterité.

François de Boifé fieur des Chezaux

VII.

André de Boifé fieur de Courcenay, fit partage avec fon frere le 12 May 1537 époufa Louife de Seris , d'où.

Jean de Boifé duquel cy.aprés.

Renée de Boifé , Epoufe de Pierre de Mareüil Ecuyer fieur de Treüillaud.

Françoife de Boifé, femme de François de Douhaud Ecuyer fieur de la Tour-Rancé.

VIII.

jean de Boifé fieur Courcenay , s'allia avec Paule de Coifgne, fille de René de Coifgne, Ecuyer fieur de Marteau & de la Roche, le 4. Février 1559. d'où.

IX.

René de Boifé fieur de Courcenay , contracta Mariage le 7. Février 158o. avec Marguerite de Magnac fille de Jean de Magnac fieur du Repaire, d'où.

X.

Claude de Boifé fieur de Courcenay, la Roche-Bordin , Bois-rond & du Repaire, époufa le 4. janvier 1624. Anne de S. Hilaire, veuve Gabriel de Mauvoifin Ecuyer fieur de la Forêts, fille de Chriftophle de S. Hilaire Ecuyer fieur de Coudreau, & de Catherine de la Tholiere, mourut en l'an 1638. d'où.

Claude de Boifé II. du nom , qui continua la pofterité.

Anne de Boifé, femme de Ferdinand de Ville-Lume Ecuyer fieur de Chamfort.

XI.

Claude de Boifé fieur de Courcenay , Chezaux , Chezefmes , Vernuffe & Relle, conjoint par Mariage le 4 Juin 1647 avec Marguerite le Roy, fille de Jean Jacques le Roy , Chevalier fieur de Marmagne & de Buffiere d'Aillac, & de Marie du Drac fa femme, d'où.

Anne de Boifé.

Jean Charles de Boifé.

Marie de Boifé.

Françoife de Boifé.

----------------------------------------

atelierhistoirevelles.blogspot.com/2013/09/mademoiselle-d...

(La Nouvelle République 19 juin 2013)

Little is known of the origins of the Church of St Martin, but it dates back at least to the Middle Ages. Christianity was brought here by people such as St David at Llanthony, and St Issui at Partrishow. It is more than likely that there was a church at Cwmyoy before the Norman Conquest.

The present church is dedicated to St Martin of Tours, which is not a common dedication in Monmouthshire. There was an ancient chapel at Bwlch Trewyn also bearing the dedication to St Martin. All traces of this chapel have disappeared. Both these churches would have been on the Pilgrim route to St David's in Pembrokeshire. In medieval times, two pilgrimages to St David's were considered the equivalent of one pilgrimage to Rome - an indication of how rough and hazardous travelling was at that time.

After the Norman Conquest the church came under the jurisdiction of Llanthony Priory which was founded in 1100 AD. The Manor of Cwmyoy was conferred to the Priory by Hugh de Lacy, son of the founder of the Priory, William de Lacy.

On 8th June 1538, after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Llanthony Priory, together with all the manors and churches under its control were given to Sir Nicholas Arnold, the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland.

During the monastic days, Cwmyoy was served by monks sent out by the Prior. After the dissolution, curates were appointed, but the names of those serving in the 17th century have never been recorded.

During the 18th century Cwmyoy became a perpetual curacy. Finally in 1830 it became a Vicarage, being formally joined to Llanthony. This was a formal recognition of an existing arrangement, since the curates had always shared both benefices.

To bring the record up to date, the two parishes of Cwmyoy and Llanthony became part of a larger grouping in 1969 when these parishes came together with Llanfihangel Crucorney and Oldcastle; in the 1990s Oldcastle church was closed, and the three remaining parishes joined to become the united parish of Llanfihangel Crucorney.

The name Cwmyoy - a phonetic spelling of the Monmouthshire pronunciation of "cwm lau" - means "valley (cwm) of the yoke (lau)" in reference to the curved shape of the valley near the church cutting deep into Hatterrall Hill behind (along which runs part of the long-distance trail, Offa's Dyke Path).

The Church of St Martin is probably unique. No part of it is square or at right angles with any other part. This striking irregularity is accounted for by the geology of the underlying rock. The shifting subsoil has caused the church to move, tilting to the north at the tower end and to the south, forward of the small window at the west end of the north wall. If you look towards the altar from inside the tower, you will see that the tower arch tilts to the left, and the chancel arch and east window tilt markedly to the right.

The tower itself, at the NW corner, leans 5.2 degrees out of perpendicular. The two large buttresses to support it were built in the 1960s.

The interior of the church is simple: it has a nave, chancel, tower and porch, and dates mainly from the 13th to 16th centuries. The remains of a stair in the chancel would have led to a rood loft (probably destroyed during the Reformation).

The church was restored in 1887, when the plaster ceiling of the nave was removed, and it is possible that moulded plaster decorations set in the porch wall are remnants of the ceiling.

There are interesting wall memorials, many of which are by members of the Bute family who carved many memorials in and around the churches of the Black Mountains.

The medieval cross in the centre of the church was dug up in 1861 at the nearby farm, and placed in the church in 1935. An unusual feature is the mitre with three crosses on the head of Christ. The chamfered edges indicate it is post-Conquest.

The simple font is medieval, the pulpit is 19th century.

NASA Senior Public Affairs Officer Dwayne Brown is seen during a briefing on NASA's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission, Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016 at NASA Headquarters in Washington. OSIRIS-REx is scheduled to launch on Sept. 8 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and will be the first U.S. mission to sample an asteroid, retrieve at least two ounces of surface material and return it to Earth for study. The asteroid, Bennu, may hold clues to the origin of the solar system and the source of water and organic molecules found on Earth. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

ORIGIN PETS – KIBU

Meet Kibu, a living AI companion for Second Life.

More than a pet, Kibu grows alongside its avatar through daily interactions, objectives, progression, memories, customization and future updates.

✨ Talk with your Kibu

✨ Build memories together

✨ Complete objectives and earn rewards

✨ Collect Flux and unlock new appearances

✨ Develop a unique bond over time

✨ Follow the evolution of an expanding project

Every Kibu has its own identity, rarity, element, progression and story. Your companion evolves through the relationship you build together.

This is only the beginning of the ORIGIN PETS universe.

Not Just A Pet – AI Companion

📍 Visit us in Second Life

🌐 Follow the project

linktr.ee/originkibu

Origin is an interactive sound and light installation that functions through the use of the electricity naturally produced from the bodies of the participants. Through this we are given the opportunity to experience a world of light and sound created by our own physicality.

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Want to own this custom figure, or one like it? Head on over to my eBay auctions to see what's available this week! ---> rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=...

To see more, visit ---> www.mintconditioncustom.com/batman-arkham-origins-shock-g...

To see exclusive WIP pics and more, check out the video ---> www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAqk_EePBnk

This custom Arkham Origins Batman action figure was really fun to work on, because I just got to go crazy with my dremel. Well, not completely. I wanted Batman to look battle damaged, as he does late in the game. I actually researched stills from the game to make sure the battle damage was accurate. To achieve the damage, I used my dremel on some parts (such as the bullet mark on the chest), but for most of it I used my carbide scriber to dig into the figure to actually give the damage dimension. I then painted inside each damage mark with some silver paint to show the metal plating underneath shining through. I also gave Batman his shock gloves. In the game, Batman gets these from the Electrocutioner. Once again, I wanted to make sure they were accurate. I used a combination of some styrene rods, Aves Apoxie Sculpt, and some electronic wiring to put the gloves together. I made sure they wouldn't interfere with articulation, and would be nice and sturdy. All that was left was to paint up the gloves, and dry brush some gray shades all over the figure to give it more of a weathered look, and now Batman, while tired I'm sure, is ready to fight for his life against Black Mask's assassins!

Le origini del Teatro risalgono all’inizio del XVIII secolo quando Vittorio Amedeo II decise di commissionare all’architetto Filippo Juvarra la progettazione e la costruzione di un nuovo grande teatro nell’ambito del più generale riassetto urbano della Piazza Castello.

L’intento venne però perfezionato solo qualche anno più tardi da Carlo Emanuele III (incoronato re nel 1730) il quale, in seguito alla morte di Juvarra, scelse di affidare il progetto all’architetto Benedetto Alfieri con la richiesta di progettare un teatro di grande prestigio. Il «Regio Teatro» di Torino, edificato nel tempo record di due anni, venne inaugurato il 26 dicembre del 1740 con l’Arsace di Francesco Feo, diventando subito un punto di riferimento internazionale per la capienza – circa 2.500 posti tra platea e cinque ordini di palchetti –, le magnifiche decorazioni della sala fra le quali spiccava la volta dipinta da Sebastiano Galeotti, gli imponenti scenari e le attrezzature tecniche, nonché la qualità delle rappresentazioni.

Ogni stagione aveva inizio il 26 dicembre, si concludeva con la fine del Carnevale e comprendeva due nuove opere serie composte appositamente per il Teatro: nel corso del XVIII secolo scrissero per il Regio celebri compositori italiani come Galuppi, Jommelli, Cimarosa, Paisiello e autori stranieri come Gluck, Johann Christian Bach e Hasse; vi cantarono inoltre i più celebri castrati e prime donne dell’epoca, contribuendo in modo determinante al successo degli spettacoli. Non minore interesse suscitavano i danzatori, che si esibivano nei due balli entr’acte e nell’azione coreografica finale che corredavano ogni opera.

1790-1814

Manfiesto della Fête de la St. Napoleon, 1813 Par ordre de S.A.I. le Prince Camilleur, Dimanche 15 Août Théâtre Imperial Entrée gratis TurinIn seguito a cinque anni di chiusura (1792/1797) il Regio cambia nome più volte, rispecchiando gli eventi storici: nel 1798 diviene Teatro Nazionale, nel 1801 Grand Théâtre des Arts e nel 1804 Théâtre Impérial.

Nel clima moralizzatore degli anni repubblicani è abolito il gioco d’azzardo e viene proibito l’ingaggio dei castrati (che torneranno in epoca imperiale). In repertorio continuano a esserci opere italiane, con libretti rimaneggiati più o meno superficialmente in senso giacobino. Napoleone presenzia agli spettacoli in tre occasioni e giungono a Torino interpreti di prima grandezza, come il soprano Isabella Colbran, il tenore Nicola Tacchinardi e il coreografo Salvatore Viganò.

1815-1870

Architettura neoclassicaCon la Restaurazione, il teatro rientra in possesso dei Savoia. All’epoca di Carlo Felice, grande appassionato di musica, calcano le scene del Regio virtuosi come Giuditta Pasta e Domenico Donzelli, ma nell’Ottocento Torino perde importanza rispetto a Milano, Napoli e Venezia.

Sotto Carlo Alberto la sala riceve un’impronta neoclassica (sottolineata dai lavori di rifacimento affidati a Ernesto Melano e Pelagio Palagi). Alla metà del secolo vengono introdotte alcune novità nella programmazione: si passa alla stagione di Carnevale-Quaresima, articolata in cinque o più opere, ora prevalentemente di repertorio (e non più scritte appositamente per il Teatro). Inoltre a partire dal Barbiere di Siviglia rossiniano (1855), il Regio si apre all’opera buffa.

Un nuovo restauro, realizzato da Angelo Moja nel 1861, cancella le modifiche palagiane conferendo alla sala una veste “neobarocca”.

1870-1936

Programma illustrato del decimottavo Concerto Popolare sotto la direzione del Maestro Cavalier Carlo Pedrotti, Teatro Vittorio Emanuele, 1876Nel 1870 la proprietà del Regio passa al Comune di Torino; in questi anni la storia del Teatro si intreccia con quella dell’Orchestra Civica e dei Concerti Popolari ideati da Carlo Pedrotti, il quale apporta forti innovazioni nel repertorio introducendo nella programmazione la musica di Wagner e Massenet. Nel nome di Wagner è pure l’esordio in Teatro di Arturo Toscanini, che collabora con l’Orchestra dal 1895 al 1898 e che il 26 dicembre 1905, dopo i lavori di ristrutturazione guidati da Ferdinando Cocito, inaugura la nuova sala con il Sigfrido.

Altri autori significativi nella storia del Regio sono Giacomo Puccini, che tiene a battesimo a Torino Manon Lescaut (1893) e La bohéme (1896), e Richard Strauss, che nel 1906 dirige Salome in “prima” italiana. L’ultima grande “prima” ospitata dal Regio antico è Francesca da Rimini di Riccardo Zandonai, su libretto di Gabriele D’Annunzio (1914). Dopo la chiusura nel periodo bellico, il Teatro si dedica a opere di repertorio.

Nella notte tra l’8 e il 9 febbraio 1936 il Teatro viene distrutto da un violento incendio: saranno necessari quasi quarant’anni per la sua ricostruzione.

1936-1973

ConcorsoDopo l’incendio del 1936, si pone il problema di stabilire a chi affidare il progetto di ricostruzione del Teatro. Il bando di concorso, pubblicato nel 1937, viene vinto dagli architetti Aldo Morbelli e Robaldo Morozzo della Rocca.

Il loro progetto, tuttavia, non si sarebbe mai concretizzato: nel 1965, infatti, l’amministrazione civica promuove una nuova soluzione con l’affidamento dell’incarico all’architetto Carlo Mollino e all’ingegner Marcello Zavelani Rossi. I lavori hanno inizio nel settembre 1967 per concludersi nei primissimi mesi del 1973.

Dal 1973 a oggi

Cancello Teatro Regio, OdisseaIl nuovo Teatro Regio viene inaugurato il 10 aprile 1973 con l’opera di Giuseppe Verdi I vespri siciliani, per la regia di Maria Callas e Giuseppe Di Stefano. Da quella data l’attività produttiva si è progressivamente incrementata, fino alle ricorrenze che hanno segnato la storia degli ultimi anni del Regio: nel 1990 il 250° anniversario dalla sua fondazione, nel 1996 il centenario dalla “prima” assoluta della Bohème in diretta tv, nel 1998 i 25 anni del nuovo teatro (con un importante restauro acustico), nel 2006 la straordinaria avventura dei XX Giochi Olimpici Invernali e delle Olimpiadi della Cultura.

Alla Stagione d’Opera e Balletto, che prevede almeno dieci titoli da ottobre a giugno, si affiancano molte altre attività: concerti sinfonico-corali e cameristici che vedono impegnati l’Orchestra e il Coro del Teatro Regio; una serie di spettacoli allestiti al Piccolo Regio e destinati al nuovo pubblico e alle famiglie; manifestazioni organizzate in collaborazione con le istituzioni locali come Torino Settembre Musica, Torinodanza, RegioneInTour, Punto Verde Giardini Reali e altre; La Scuola all’Opera, fitto calendario di attività e spettacoli destinati a bambini e ragazzi; e poi conferenze, visite guidate e mostre. Tutte manifestazioni che pongono il Teatro Regio al centro della vita culturale e artistica di Torino e del Piemonte ma non solo.

Iskanderkul (Russian: Искандеркуль; Tajik: Искандаркӯл) is a mountain lake of glacial origin in Tajikistan's Sughd Province. It lies at an altitude of 2,195 metres (7,201 ft) on the northern slopes of the Gissar Range in the Fann Mountains. Triangular in shape, it has a surface area of 3.4 square kilometres (1.3 sq mi) and is up to 72 metres (236 ft) deep. Formed by a landslide[citation needed] that blocks the Saratogh river, the outflow of the lake is called the Iskander Darya, which joins the Yaghnob River to form the Fan Darya, a major left tributary of the Zeravshan River.

134 km from Dushanbe and 23 km from the Dushanbe—Khujand road, Iskanderkul is a popular tourist destination.

The lake takes its name from Alexander the Great's passage in Tajikistan: Iskander is the Persian pronunciation of Alexander, and kul means lake in many Turkic languages. There are two legends connecting the lake to Alexander. The first one states it used to be a location the inhabitants of which resisted Alexander's rule, and in fury, the king ordered to divert a river and annihilate them. The second legend states that Bucephalus had drowned in the lake.

A 300 square kilometres (120 sq mi) tract of land including the lake and surrounding mountains has been designated a nature reserve. As well as the lake itself, habitats found in the reserve include rivers, water meadows, broad-leaved and juniper forests, mountain shrubland and sub-alpine meadows.

Over half of the reserve, comprising 177 square kilometres (68 sq mi), has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area because it supports significant numbers of the populations of various bird species, either as residents, or as breeding or passage migrants. These include Himalayan snowcocks, saker falcons, cinereous vultures, yellow-billed choughs, Hume's larks, sulphur-bellied warblers, wallcreepers, Himalayan rubythroats, white-winged redstarts, white-winged snowfinches, alpine accentors, rufous-streaked accentors, brown accentors, water pipits, fire-fronted serins, plain mountain finches, crimson-winged finches, red-mantled rosefinches and white-winged grosbeaks.

October rainy day drive to the Badlands near Cuba NM

Performed by Drum Feng at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre during Moonfest 2018 for the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations.

From 8th to 31st January

Centre Villiot-Rapée

36 quai de la Rapée

75012 Paris

Join me for the opening reception from 7pm to 10pm on Monday, January 8th !

www.claje.asso.fr/expositions/expo-origines

The Cirneco dell'Etna is a small breed of dog originally from Sicily. This hound was historically used to hunt rabbits and can work for hours without food or water.The breed also has a keen sense of smell and is primarily built for endurance over harsh terrain such as that of Mount Etna. It is the smallest of the Mediterranean island hunting hounds, the others being the Pharaoh Hounds and Ibizan Hounds.Today they are increasingly kept for the sport of conformation showing and as pets, due to their low coat maintenance and friendly nature, although as an active hound they do need regular exercise. A Cirneco should measure from 43-51 cm (17-20in) and weigh between 10–12 kg (22-26lb). As with other breeds, those from hunting stock can lie outside these ranges.

The Cirneco dell'Etna is a small hound-type dog used in Sicily for rabbit hunting. It is found all over the Italian island and particularly in the area surrounding the active volcano, Mount Etna,where the dogs hunt on terrain formed by volcanic lava. Its presence in Sicily is noteworthy as one of the few ancient breeds that have undergone very little manipulation by man. Instead, the breed has been rigorously selected by nature for its ability to work for hours. The dog we have today is an extremely hardy breed. Affectionate and friendly, it is considered easier to train than some of its sighthound cousins. The Cirneco has been in Sicily for thousands of years. Most authors agree that the origins of the hound-type dog lie among ancient Egyptian prick-eared dogs. Bas-reliefs discovered along the Nile and dated around 4000 B.C. depict what could be the Cirneco today. Most probably, the Phoenicians spread these prick-eared, hound-type dogs as they sailed along their trade routes between Northern Africa and the Mediterranean coasts. Ancient records of hounds with upright ears and a pointed muzzle are found in many countries in that part of the world. The most vivid proof of the presence of the Cirneco dell’Etna in Sicily for at least the past 2500 years is the many coins minted between the 5th and 3rd centuries B.C. depicting exemplars of the breed. In particular, the Cirneco dell’Etna is used on coins minted at Segesta, with about 150 variations. In 400 B.C., Dionysus was said to have built a temple dedicated to the God Adranos on the south-western slope of the volcano, just outside the city of Adrano. Many dogs were bred there and legend claims that a thousand Cirnechi guarded the temple.The Cirneco was rarely seen and little known outside Sicily until 1932. Now Cirnechi have also been exported to many European countries where their elegant conformation has helped make them a success in the show ring and many have become FCI International Show Champions. The dog's affectionate temperament and adaptability make it an excellent family companion.

El cirneco del Etna es una raza de perro oriunda de Sicilia. Este tipo de lebrel de pequeño tamaño forma parte de un conjunto de razas caninas del Mediterráneo cuyo origen se encuentra en Egipto, y entre las que se encuentra el podenco Ibicenco. Se trata de un perro adaptado a terrenos difíciles, apto para la caza de conejos y liebres.Los machos miden entre 46 y 50 cm, y pesan de 10 a 12 kg, y las hembras miden entre 42 y 46 cm, pesando de 8 a 10 kg. La cabeza es alargada y estrecha y el hocico afilado y puntiagudo, con un stop muy poco pronunciado. La trufa es de color marrón claro, y los ojos, pequeños, pueden ser ocre claro, ámbar o grises. Las orejas, erguidas, son triangulares y puntiagudas, y están implantadas altas. El lomo es recto y largo, y el pecho no demasiado amplio, con la musculatura pectoral poco desarrollada, al contrario que las patas, fuertes y con una musculatura bien desarrollada. La cola, implantada baja, es gruesa y de diámetro uniforme. El manto, de color tostado o tostado y blanco, tiene un pelaje corto y espeso en la cabeza, orejas y patas y liso y semilargo en el tronco y la cola.Su nombre puede proceder del de la antigua ciudad de Cirene, donde Aristóteles, en De natura animalium, dice haber visto un perro cuya descripción coincide con la de este.Aunque parece claro que la raza es autóctona de Sicilia, es posible que fuese anterior a la civilización egipcia, y que hubiese sido llevado al norte de África por los fenicios. Esta hipótesis se vería confirmada por la existencia de una estatuilla hallada cerca de Siracusa, datada alrededor del 4000 a.c.Se encuentran representaciones del cirneco en monedas sicilianas del siglo Vl al siglo III a.c., y parece que se le tenía en gran consideración, como demuestra el hecho de que en una de las monedas halladas en la antigua ciudad siciliana de Segesta se le represente junto a una divinidad fenicia con facciones humanas. Desde entonces las características de la raza han permanecido prácticamente inalteradas, gracias en gran medida a los campesinos, que conservaron su pureza criándolo por su utilidad para cazar en las pendientes del Etna, de lava solidificada y difícilmente accesibles.

Der Cirneco dell’ Etna ist eine von der FCI anerkannte italienische Hunderasse, die von der Insel Sizilien stammt (FCI-Gruppe 5, Sektion 7, Standard Nr. 199).Frühere Studien gingen davon aus, dass der Cirneco dell'Etna von Jagdhunden abstammt, die zur Pharaonenzeit im Niltal gezüchtet wurden. Der Cirneco dell'Etna sei dann mit den Phöniziern nach Sizilien gekommen. Neueste Untersuchungen unterstützen allerdings eine andere Theorie: Der Cineco dell'Etna stammt ursprünglich aus Sizilien und lebte an den Abhängen des Ätna. Münzen und Gravuren aus der römischen Epoche belegen, dass Hunde dieses Typs bereits vor Christi Geburt auf Sizilien vorkamen.

Der Cirneco dell'Etna ist mittelgroß (bis zu 50 cm und bis zu 12 kg schwer), quadratisch gebaut, schlank, aber dennoch widerstandsfähig und robust. Das Fell ist kurz, sehr glatt und fest. Dabei ist das Fell auf dem Rumpf und der Rute ungefähr 3 cm lang. Die Fellfarbe ist falbfarben, von intensiv bis verwaschen, wie isabell-sandfarben. Weiße oder gescheckte Exemplare können vorkommen; in der Regel weist der Cirneco dell'Etna jedoch nur geringe weiße Abzeichen auf.Die Ohren sind auffällig groß und stehend typisch wie auch bei den Podencos.Der Cirneco dell'Etna wird zur Jagd auf Wildkaninchen verwendet. Sein Verbreitungsgebiet umfasst vor allem die Region um den Ätna, an dessen Abhängen er die Kaninchen im Gebüsch und Geröll aufstöbert. Er treibt die Kaninchen aus ihren Verstecken hervor, so dass die Jäger zum Schuss kommen können.

Le Cirneco de l'Etna (Cirneco dell’Etna) est un chien originaire de Sicile. La Fédération cynologique internationale l'a répertorié dans le groupe 5, section 7, standard n° 199.

Cirneco de l'Etna.....Chien de type lévrier bien qu'il soit classé dans le groupe 5. Chien adapté aux terrains difficiles qui chasse le lapin sauvage.Chien de nationalité italienne primitif qui descendrait des chiens de l’époque des Pharaons. Mais il pourrait s’agir d’une race autochtone d’origine sicilienne.

O cirneco do Etna (em italiano: Cirneco dell’Etna) é uma raça quase desconhecida fora da Itália, já que permaneceu isolada na Sicília por praticamente 2 000 anos. Em 1939 foi reconhecida como raça. Comum aos cães de raças antigas, estes têm dificuldade de adaptação ao mundo urbano, pois precisam de constante atividade e são difíceis de adestrar, embora sejam vistos como animais muito fiéis. Podendo pesar até 12 kg, tem como peculiaridade as grandes orelhas largas e eretas, o longo pescoço e a cabeça estreita.

Сицилийская борзая или Чирнеко дель Этна — порода собак. Происходит с Сицилии. Изначально выращивалась для охоты на зайца. Классические исследования собачьих пород, распространенных в Средиземноморском регионе, пришли к заключению, что Чирнеко Дель Этна происходят от античных охотничьих собак, выведенных в долине Нила в эпоху фараонов, собак, получивших достигших Сицилии благодаря Финикийцам. Но согласно последним исследованиям получила одобрения теория, согласно которой эта порода имеет непосредственно сицилийское происхождение, зародившись в окрестностях Этны. Монеты и гравюры доказывают, что Чирнеки существовали в этом регионе за много веков до нашей эр Собака примитивного типа, элегантного и утонченного сложения, среднего размера, не громоздкая, сильная и крепкая. По морфологическому сложению — собака удлиненных линий, легкого сложения; квадратного формата; шерсть тонкая.

Охотничья собака, выведенная для охоты на кролика по сложной местности; обладает большим темпераментом, но в то же время мягкая и привязчивая.

Cirneco dell’etna on italialainen koirarotu. Se on vinttikoiran tyyppinen pystykorvainen, alkukantainen ja harvinainen rotu. Cirneco dell’etnan tarkka alkuperä jää hämärän peittoon, mutta se on hyvin vanha rotu ja muuttunut vuosisatojen saatossa vain vähän. Rotu on saanut olla melko rauhassa, ja vasta viime vuosina sen jalostukseen on puututtu.Rotu on nykyisin lähinnä seura- ja harrastekoira. Italiassa sitä käytetään yhä villikaniinien metsästykseen. Cirneco on nopea koira, ja ketteränä se pystyy vaihtamaan suuntaa nopeasti esimerkiksi metsästyksen aikana. Cirneco käyttää metsästäessään kuuloaan, näköään ja hajuaistiaan.Cirneco dell’etna on luonteeltaan temperamenttinen, eloisa, ystävällinen, iloinen ja leikkisä koira. Cirnecon leikkisyys säilyy yleensä vanhoihin päiviin asti. Cirneco on myös hyvin läheisyyttä rakastava koira, ja sen lempipaikka onkin yleensä kainalossa sohvalla tai peiton alla omistajansa vieressä. Cirneco kiintyy voimakkaasti perheeseensä ja tulee yleensä hyvin toimeen ystävällisenä ja lempeänä koirana kaikenikäisten ihmisten kanssa. Miellyttämisenhalua cirnecolla ei ole kovin paljon, joten ilman hyvää motivointikeinoa se ei välttämättä aina tottele ainakaan ensimmäisellä käskyllä. Cirnecolla on kuitenkin miellyttämisenhalua enemmän kuin yleensä vinttikoirilla. Cirneco tarvitsee johdonmukaisen ja määrätietoisen peruskasvatuksen.

Cirneco dell’etna on ikivanha rotu, jonka juuret johtavat 1000-luvulle ennen ajanlaskun alkua. Joidenkin mielestä se polveutuu Egyptin viimeisten dynastioiden faaraoiden koirista ja niistä koirista, joita foinikialaiset kauppiaat toivat Italiaan. Tutkimukset antavat aiheen olettaa, että se olisi Sisilian alkuperäisrotu. Cirneconnäköisiä korkokuvia on löydetty faaraoiden haudoista, mm. Luxorista ja Ben-Hassanista. Sisiliasta on myös löydetty 45 cm korkea luuranko, joka muistuttaa cirnecoa suuresti. Luuranko on paikallistettu vuoteen 1400 eaa. Nykyisin kyseinen luuranko on nähtävissä Pigorini-museossa Roomassa. Myös vanhoista Sisiliasta löytyneistä kolikoista on löydetty cirnecoa esittäviä koiran kuvia.

Il cirneco dell'Etna è un cane appartenente ad una razza molto antica, che ha subito poche manipolazioni nel corso dei secoli.Le origini del cirneco risalgono al 1000 a.C. Si dice che questa razza derivi dai cani dei Faraoni egiziani delle ultime dinastie e da cani importati in Sicilia dai commercianti fenici. Successivi studi hanno indicato che molto probabilmente il Cirneco è una razza autoctona siciliana.Il cirneco dell'Etna appartiene alla classe dei cani da caccia di tipo primitivo; è un animale molto veloce e per questo viene utilizzato soprattutto nella caccia al coniglio selvatico e alla lepre.Si presenta con una figura molto snella, con gambe lunghe, orecchie dritte e con un corpo muscoloso ma nello stesso tempo molto elegante. Ha un fiuto eccezionale ed è agilissimo nel cambiare direzione durante l'inseguimento della preda. Da notare che, sebbene l'aspetto del cirneco ricordi quello dei levrieri, non caccia a vista ma usa l'olfatto, come un cane da cerca; secondo la classificazione della Federazione Cinologica Internazionale (F.C.I.), tutti i cani appartenenti alla razza dei "levrieri" appartengono al 10º gruppo, mentre il cirneco è inserito nel 5º Gruppo, quello delle razze di tipo primitivo.Generalmente raggiunge l'altezza di 46-50 cm al garrese negli esemplari maschi, mentre le femmine misurano dai 42 ai 46. Il peso del maschio si aggira intorno ai 10-12 kg, mentre le femmine raggiungono gli 8-10. La lunghezza del tronco è in media uguale all'altezza al garrese: il cirneco ha dunque una costruzione quadrata. È strutturato da una massa muscolare che comprende l'80% del corpo. Si presenta snello e, se nutrito in modo adeguato, mantiene una linea elegante e slanciata.Cane velocissimo e molto agile, è capace di raggiungere persino i 40/45 km/h nella corsa.I colori del mantello del cirneco dell'Etna vanno dal sabbia dorato al cervo scuro; non necessariamente devono essere presenti macchie bianche, ma possono essercene su tutto il corpo; sebbene molto rari, ne esistono colorati di bianco arancio (come nel setter inglese) e di bianco puro (pur non essendo propriamente albino). Il colore riconosciuto dagli standard di razza è il fulvo più o meno intenso, isabella e sabbia, con lista bianca in fronte, al petto, piedi bianchi, punta della coda bianca e ventre bianco.Dotato di grande intelligenza, è generalmente indipendente e solitario. Generalmente diffidente con gli estranei, si affeziona ad un solo padrone. Si può dire che abbia le sue simpatie e antipatie a pelle: con alcuni individui non socializza e alla loro vista abbaia; con altri inizialmente si mostra aggressivo ma poi socializza e con altri ancora prova un feeling immediato e socializza subito. È un cane che per il padrone darebbe tutto se stesso.Se correttamente socializzato da cucciolo, evidenzia un carattere molto disponibile e gioioso e privo di diffidenze anche verso le persone appena conosciute.Se cresce in un ambiente familiare, dove ha ricevuto tutti gli stimoli nei confronti dell'ambiente esterno, ama essere portato a spasso e incontrare altri cani e persone, anche se sconosciuti. Se lasciato libero, soprattutto in luoghi di campagna, cambia visibilmente espressione; tutti i muscoli si tendono, ama ispezionare l'ambiente circostante e, anche se all'inizio sembra indipendente, in realtà sa sempre dove si trova il suo padrone e puntualmente ritorna sotto la sua attenzione. Prima di liberare un cirneco in un luogo aperto occorre aver rafforzato un rapporto sereno e di fiducia. Il cirneco è un cane primitivo e rispetto ad altri animali domestici, molto spesso è un soggetto che porta rancore se trattato male, non dimentica facilmente uno sgarbo subito, non sopporta di essere rimproverato con eccessiva durezza.La vita media di questo cane è molto elevata, quindici anni circa, ma esistono esemplari che vivono anche venti anni.

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Lacar Lake - Lanin National Park - Patagonia - Argentina

The Lácar Lake (Spanish: Lago Lácar) is a lake of glacial origin in the province of Neuquén, Argentina. It is enclosed in a mountain range of the Andes, at 630 m above mean sea level, approximately at 40°11′S 71°32′W. The area around the lake is mostly uninhabited, except for the small city of San Martín de los Andes on its northeastern coast.

The lake has a surface area of 55 km² and a mean depth of 167 m, with a maximum of 277 m. Its catchment basin comprises 1,048 km². Like many Andean Argentine lakes, it drains across Chile and into the Pacific Ocean, in this case via the Huahum River that flows through Huahum Pass in the Andes.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%c3%a1car_Lake

Lago Lacar - Parque Nacional Lanin - Patagonia - Argentina

El Lácar es un lago ubicado en la provincia argentina del Neuquén. Tiene forma alargada, en clara dirección este a oeste. Como la mayoría de los lagos patagónicos, es de origen glaciar. Se encuentra en un profundo valle, cuya parte no inundada al este se denomina Vega de Maipú, donde se halla la ciudad costera de San Martín de los Andes. Mide unos 25 km de largo por un promedio de 3 km de ancho, su máxima profundidad es de 277 m frente al Cerro Abanico.

Ambas costas presentan sectores planos, con playas, aunque en su mayoría sectores bruscamente escarpados, con barrancas que cierran el valle, debido a su ya mencionado origen glaciar.

es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lago_L%c3%a1car

42 SAINT ETIENNE Et Jean-Henri Manara, niçois d'origine, débute sa carrière en 1960 comme assistant de mathématiques à la Faculté des sciences de Paris-Jussieu, après avoir étudié à l'Ecole normale de Nice et celle de Montpellier, puis à l'Ecole normale supérieure de Saint-Cloud. II s'oriente vers l'informatique, accompagnant le rapide développement de cette nouvelle technologie qu'il enseigne comme maître de conférence, toujours sur le site de Jussieu (Université Paris 7-Diderot), jusqu'à sa retraite en 1998. Avec son premier appareil photo, un Agfa Silette, il commence par immortaliser ses vacances dans divers lieux touristiques. Ce sont les premières des plus de 50 000 diapositives qu'il possède aujourd'hui. Le déclic en faveur des transports provient, se souvient-il, de la couverture d'un numéro de La Vie du Rail qui met en vedette un tramway PCC de Saint-Etienne, alors que ce mode de transport disparaît à vitesse accélérée de nos villes. Jean-Henri Manara "mitraille" alors les tramways survivants en France et franchit les frontières pour photographier ceux de réseaux allemands, suisses, belges, portugais, norvégiens, autrichiens et italiens. Il s'intéresse ensuite aux trains à voie métrique, puis au trolleybus, aux autobus et enfin aux autocars (son premier cliché concernant le transport routier est celui d'un trolleybus niçois, pris en 1961). Parmi ces milliers de clichés consacrés aux transports, 371 ont donné naissance à ce livre ! Nicolas Tellier, originaire de Caen, se passionne depuis toujours pour les autocars et les autobus, avec une prédilection pour les premiers. Depuis ses débuts professionnels en 1979, il a toujours travaillé chez un constructeur, d'abord allemand, puis suédois et aujourd'hui italien, dans différents domaines : commercial, marketing, communication et relations presse. En parallèle, il s'est activement penché sur l'histoire de la profession en écrivant trois livres (La grande aventure des cars Chausson, Edijac 1988 . La fabuleuse aventure du S 45 ou 40 ans d'histoire de cars Renault, Massin 1993 . Les cars Isobloc, ETAI 1998) ainsi que de nombreux articles, pour la revue Charge Utile, sur de nombreux transporteurs et carrossiers français. Parmi ces derniers, on peut citer Amiot, Belle-Clot, Besset, la Carrosserie dauphinoise, Currus, Di Rosa, Gangloff, Gruau, Ravistre & Martel, dont on retrouve certaines réalisations illustrées dans ce livre. Nicolas Tellier prend autant de plaisir à évoquer l'histoire de nos vénérables véhicules qu'à les conduire. Ainsi, il possède depuis 1985 un car ancien, qui fut tout à tour un Chausson ANG de 1959 suivi d'un APH 522 du même millésime. puis un Renault R 4192 de 1956, un Berliet PHC Escapade de 1958, et, aukourd'hui, un Saviem S 53 M Luxe de 1975. De quoi passer de joyeux moments avec famille et amis dans l'ouest francilien où il réside ! les passionnés du monde automobile, et particulièrement ceux dont les autocars, les autobus et les trolleybus sont les véhicules de prédilection ! Ouvrez grand les yeux, 371 photos en couleurs, toutes plus belles les unes que les autres - prises par Jean-Henri Manara, photographe émérite de véhicules de transport en commun depuis 1961, et légendées par Nicolas Tellier, historien reconnu en la matière - permettent de profiter sans retenue de ces véhicules dans leur merveilleux environnement des Trente Glorieuses. Ce périple photographique nous transporte un peu partout en France pour découvrir de nombreux autocars d'entreprises privées ainsi que des autobus et des trolleybus de la RATP et de plusieurs réseaux urbains de province. Le panorama des marques qu'arborent tous ces véhicules témoigne de la richesse de notre industrie, à l'époque : Berliet, Chausson, Delahaye, Floirat, Isobloc, Saviem, Somua, Verney, Vetra, entre autres, sans oublier d'illustres carrossiers comme Amiot, Besset, Currus, Gangloff, MGT, pour en citer quelques-uns. Les matériels étrangers roulant dans notre pays sont tout aussi présents, provenant d'Allemagne, d'Angleterre, de Belgique et d'Italie. Circulez, il y a plein de choses à voir ! transporturbain.canalblog.com/pages/l-histoire-des-trolle... @ Tramways mis en service le 4 décembre 1881 amtuir.org/03_htu_cp/03_reseau_france_cp/saint_etienne_cp...

Trolleybus mise en service courant 1940

Compléments des services assurés par des autobus

La ville de Saint-Etienne est bâtie sur un long axe nord-sud sur lequel s'étendent d'interminables communes étirées tout au long d'étroites vallées. La vocation de la région a très tôt été tournée vers l'industrie. La topographie de la vile a déterminé la structure des réseaux de transports. Ainsi, les premiers tramways ont-ils été construits au fond des vallées sur des itinéraires à gros trafic. En complément de ces lignes, d'autres itinéraires ont été desservis vers les collines à partir de cet axe central.En 1883, la Compagnie des Chemins de Fer à Voie Etroite de Saint-Etienne, Firminy, Rive-de-Gier et Extensions (CFVE) fut constituée. Deux lignes de tramways furent mises en chantier, d'une part entre Saint-Etienne et Firminy et, d'autre part, entre Saint-Etienne et Rive-de-Gier. Le 4 décembre 1881, le premier tronçon urbain entre Bellevue et Terrasse, fut mis en service, suivi le 20 mars 1882 par un court prolongement à La Digonnière.Le réseau suburbain fut ensuite achevé et ouvert à l'exploitation le 23 février 1882 vers Firminy, le 1er juillet 1882 entre Saint-Etienne et Saint-Chamond et le 16 novembre suivant entre Saint-Chamond et Rive-de-Gier. Toutes les lignes étaient construites à voie métrique, unique avec des évitements.L'exploitation était assurée par des train à vapeur comportant trois ou quatre voitures. Le parc comportait en 1884, 34 locomotives Winterthur, Brown ou Tubize, 97 voitures et 12 fourgons.

En 1907, les CFVE procédèrent à des extensions de leur réseau :la ligne de Rive-de-Gier est prolongée de 2 km vers La Madeleine, le 14 septembre 1907 ;

un embranchement de la ligne est mis en service vers Saint-Jean-Bonnefond, le 4 décembre 1907 ;

la ligne de Firminy est envoyée vers Pertuiset, sur 4 km supplémentaires, le 18 juin 1907.

Toujours en 1907, deux nouvelles lignes furent construites, l'une vers La Fouillouse, sur 7 km ; l'autre vers Saint-Genest-Lerpt (12 avril et 4 décembre 1907). Enfin, un embranchement de cette dernière ligne vers Riche-la-Molière fut mis en service le 15 avril 1908.Mais à la fin du XIX° siècle, une nouvelle compagnie stéphanoise était apparue : la Compagnie des Tramways Eletriques de Saint-Etienne (TE). Le 7 avril 1897, elle mit en service deux lignes à voie métrique reliant Bellevue et La Rivière à la Gare de Châteaucreux et le Rond-Point au Marais. Les deux lignes, parallèles à celles des CFVE, les concurrençaient directement. En 1906, les TE mirent en service une nouvelle ligne entre Châteaucreux et l'Hôtel de Ville. L'exploitation était assurée par des motrices électriques à deux essieux, de construction assez sommaire, avec un accès frontal par les plates-formes. Leur gabarit en largeur était limité à 1,87 m. En plus des CFVE et des TE, la Société des Tramways Electriques de Saint-Chamond (TSC) mit en service, le 1er juillet 1906, une petite ligne de 2 km, entre Izieux et saint-Chamond, en correspondance avec la ligne CFVE de Rive-de-Gier. L'exploitation était assurée par de petites motrices à deux essieux.Devant la concurrence de ces deux nouvelles compagnies, les CFVE modernisèrent leur propre réseau. La totalité des services furent électrifiés entre août 1907 et juin 1914. Une série de lourdes motrices à essieux radiants, de type H assurèrent dès lors l'exploitation. Elles tractaient les anciennes remorques des trains vapeur. Les motrices étaient équipées du frein à air mais ne possédaient pas de compresseur : les réservoirs étaient remplis à chaque terminus à l'aide de prise d'air comprimé. Ce système restera une particularité stéphanoise jusqu'à l'arrivée des PCC, en 1959. Après la première guerre, les CFVE complétèrent leur parc par du matériel d'occasion provenant de Nancy (type R). A partir de 1920, les TE rencontrèrent de graves difficultés financières et tombèrent en faillite en 1930. Leurs lignes furent alors reprises par les CFVE. Mais la concurrence des autocars qui commencaient à apparaître, provoqua des difficultés importantes aux CFVE. Ces derniers abandonnèrent alors les lignes interurbaines vers Rive-de-Gier, Saint-Jean-Bonnefonds, La Fouillouse et Saint-Genest-Lerpt. En contrepartie, les CFVE obtinrent le monopole sur les lignes de Firminy et de Terrenoire. En 1935-38, une nouvelle série de 8 motrice de type J furent construites neuves et mises en service. Parallèlement quelques morices H furent modernisées. Enfin, en 1941, une petite série de 10 nouvelles motrices de type K fut mise en service. Mais le tracé défecteux des lignes des anciens TE provoqua une première mise sur route en 1938. Dès lors, il fut envisagé de convertir une partie du réseau pour l'exploitation par trolleybus. Dès 1940, les CFVE avaient entamé la transformation de tout l'ancien réseau des TE. A la fin de 1940, la ligne Tardy - Le Soleil vit appraître 6 trolleybus Vétra CS35 prévus à l'origine pour le réseau de Poitiers. A la fin de 1942, 7 Vétra CS45 de 45 places remplacent les CS35 qui furent envoyé à Poitiers.

En 1947, 22 trolleybus de type CS60 remplacèrent les tramways sur la ligne de Bellevue à Firminy. De décembre 1947 à 1954, 6 trolleybus VBD, 40 VCR et 50 ELR furent mis en service sur les anciennes lignes de TE dont les derniers tramways disparurent en 1949.

En 1954, seule la ligne de Bellevue à Terrasse restait exploitée par tramways. Bien qu'envisagée, sa conversion en trolleybus ou autobus paraissait impossible ; son important trafic (70 à 80.000 voyageurs par jour) et son tracé dans des rues étroites, rendait quasi impossible une exploitation par véhicule routier.

Après quelques années d'hésitation, la Ville de Saint-Etienne accepta le maintien des traways dans le centre - cas unique en France - et les CFVE passèrent commande de 30 motrices PCC de conception belge et construites à Strasbourg. Ces remarquables motrices étaient calquées pour la voie métrique sur celles circulant depuis 1951 à Bruxelles. Montées sur deux ogies à roues élastiques, elles comportaient quatre moteurs de 50 CV. Le confort intérieur était particulièrement soigné. Chaque motrice présente une caisse de 13,95 m de long.

En complément, les voies de la ligne furent réaménagée afin de permettre aux tramways de circuler sans être gênés par la circulation automobile.

La première motrice PCC fut livrée le 4 août 1958 et mise en service le 11 décembre suivant. Le 1er septembre 1959, le dernier tramway ancien fut retiré du service. Le succès fut complet : les critiques à l'encontre des anciens tramways s'évaporèrent et les Stéphanois pouvaient s'ennorgueillir de posséder la ligne urbaine la plus moderne de France.

En 1967, les CFVE commandèrent une nouvelle série de 5 motrices PCC articulées afin de renforcer la capacité de la ligne dont le tafic augmentait.

Parallèlement, le parc de trolleybus s'étoffa entre 1960 et 1970, de plusieurs séries de voitures Berliet ELR provenant de Nice et de quelques VA3B2 de Marseille. En 1972, le parc comprenait 35 motrices de tramways, 105 trolleybus et 80 autobus.

Contrairement à ce qui se rencontrait alors en France, le réseau de Saint-Etienne avait su conserver un grande qualité de service et une attractivité qui en faisait un des réseaux les plus efficaces. Cas rare, les CFVE réussissaient à maintenir l'équilibre de leurs comptes ...

Voir aussi :

les tramways de Saint-Etienne dans les années cinquante

le renouveau des tramways de Saint-Etienne

les trolleybus de Saint-Etienne

140 ans de tramway à Saint-Etienne – un record de longévité inégalé en France www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv6hWmCaLq8&feature=emb_imp_woyt - 1881 – 2021. Cela fait 140 ans que le tramway circule à Saint-Étienne sans discontinuité. À travers ce record de longévité inégalé en France pour un tramway intramuros, c’est aussi des milliers d’hommes et de femmes qui se sont succédés pour assurer au quotidien le déplacement de plusieurs milliards de voyageurs.

140 ans jour pour jour après le lancement de son premier tramway, la Société de Transport de l’Agglomération Stéphanoise et Saint-Étienne Métropole ont décidé de célébrer l’événement comme il se doit.

La journée à débuté par la sortie de la motrice J74 du dépôt de la STAS qui a repris du service pour 200 heureux voyageurs, qui, tirés au sort parmi près de 1000 inscrits, pourront circuler à bord de cette motrice emblématique toute la journée entre les stations. Terrasse et Bellevue, tronçon historique du réseau exploité dès 1881 ! Les locomotives à vapeur du réseau CFVE (Chemin de Fer à Voie Etroite) 1881 – 1914

Rue Gambetta sur la ligne Terrasse-Bellevue: En décembre 1881 pour l’ouverture de la ligne; le service est limité à un tram toutes les 1/2 heures pour que les stéphanois s’habituent à la présence des tramways.

C’est en 1981 que le nom STAS apparait pour la première fois, remplaçant la CFVE.

Quatre murs et un toit 1953 - Le Corbusier, l'architecte du bonheur 1957 conceptions architecturales le modulor, l'architecture de la ville radieuse, Chandigarh, Marseille, Nantes www.dailymotion.com/video/xw8prl Un documentaire consacré aux conceptions architecturales et urbanistiques de Le Corbusier.

Exposées par l'architecte lui-même et étayées par des plans, dessins et images de ses réalisations en France et à l'étranger, ces théories témoignent d'une réflexion approfondie et originale sur la ville et sa nécessaire adaptation à la vie moderne, notamment Paris dont l'aménagement révolutionnaire rêvé par Le Corbusier est ici exposé. Un classique du documentaire.

Les premiers projets de Le Corbusier resteront à l'état de maquette : le plan de modernisation de la ville d'Alger. Certains seront réalisés par d'autres architectes : ministère de l'éducation à Rio de Janeiro, Palais de l'ONU à New York. Dès l'après-guerre en moins de 10 ans, Le Corbusier réalise de grandes unités d'habitation à Marseille, Nantes une chapelle à Ronchamps, une usine à Saint-Dié, une ville Chandigarh en Inde. Par des schémas, l'architecte présente sa théorie de la "ville radieuse", le modulor clef mathématique de son œuvre ainsi que son projet de réorganisation de la campagne, des cités industrielles et urbaine en un regroupement autour d'un système coopératif. Le film expose les conceptions architecturales de Le Corbusier, dans la ligne des précurseurs de l'architecture moderne comme Claude-Nicolas Ledoux. Paris et le désert français 1957 réalisation : Roger Leenhardt et Sydney Jezequel, résoudre le déséquilibre démographique ville campagne www.dailymotion.com/video/x177lrp Film réalisé par Roger Leenhardt et Sydney Jezequel en 1957, d'après le livre de Jean-François Gravier. Document d'information général proposant les solutions de l'époque pour éviter la désertification des campagnes et la folie concentrationnaire des villes. Dès 1957, la désertification des campagnes prend des proportions tragiques. L'exemple est donné pour le village de Gourdon dans le Quercy.

Quelles évolutions proposer pour éviter l'exode rural et le développement anarchique, qui s'amorce, des villes champignons, construites en plein champ sans urbanisme et sans âme ? Le commentaire propose les solutions de l'époque : modernisation de l'agriculture, adaptation de l'artisanat, implantations d'industries dans les provinces. Gazoducs dans le sud-ouest, barrage en Haute-Savoie, polder en Bretagne semblaient à l'époque pouvoir résoudre le déséquilibre ville campagne. Visages de la France 1957 Production - réalisation Atlantic-Film Marcel de Hubsch www.dailymotion.com/video/x19g59p Le film commence avec des vues de villages et d'architecture traditionnelle du Pays Basque, des Landes, de la Touraine, de la Normandie, de la Bretagne, d'Alsace. La voix off s'interroge : faut il transformer la France en un musée de ses vieilles demeures ? et poursuit : pourquoi des maisons de 10 à 15 mètres de hauteur à Honfleur n'ont elles que 3 à 5 mètres de large ? Le commentaire se pose la question du nombre de maisons individuelles dans les villes qui entrainent l'étalement urbain. Lorsque les villes ont bâtit des immeubles, le commentaire se demande que cachent ces façades ? Des coures étroites que le soleil ne visite jamais, un enchevêtrement inouï de constructions hétéroclites. L'époque de grande prospérité de la troisième république n'a rien su construire de grand poursuit la voix off. Ce document nous propose ensuite une animation de maquette pour l'aménagement d'une friche. Dans un premier temps à la façon d'avant avec la maison individuelle. La voix off s'exclame : ce n'est pas autrement que d'affreuses banlieues naquirent que tant de villes furent à jamais enlaidies, essayons autre chose. L'animation se met à empiler les maisons individuelles et propose des bâtiments collectifs dans des jardins. Le commentaire poursuit : maintenant c'est l'heure de l'urbaniste à lui de répartir les constructions dans la cité. Plusieurs organisation de logements collectifs sont proposées en maquettes. La voix off pointe les défauts d'un urbanisme des grands ensemble trop ennuyeux. Puis une solution émerge de l'animation : pour que la cité vive il faut mettre au place d'honneur école, dispensaire, bibliothèque, salle de réunion, puis viennent les deux pièces maîtresse deux grands immeubles puis les rues se glissent dans la composition et enfin les pelouse et les jardins apparaissent et voila conclue le commentaire. Le film montre ensuite de réalisation de grands ensemble et on entre dans un immeuble au sein d'une famille : air et lumière sont au rendes-vous. On voit des enfants faire du patin à roulette dans le parc de l'immeuble la voix off annonce : finit l'individualisme renfrogné de l'échoppe d'antan : la cité tout entière est un jardin, les jeux d'enfants se mêlent aux fleurs. Le film se termine sur des vues de réalisation de grands ensemble sur toute la France (vue entre autre de la cité radieuse de Le Corbusier à Marseille). Production Films Caravelle MRU (ministère de la reconstruction et de l'urbanisme) Scenario et réalisation : Pierre JaLLAUD

Carol VanHook

Where I am From

I am from amusement parks and hula dancing in the streets

with cousins up North at Grandma's and Pa's

My memory treasure chest is filled with their shiny bush-coins

making playtime wealthy

I am from ancient pecans trees down South

bearing wheel barrow tree houses up high

Hearing the jingle

of the ice cream truck coming down the lane

I am from the Georgia - Florida line where a cold spring takes my breath away, dock fishing is a delight, and swimming in the seaweed is OK to do

I am from trips to the Piggly-Wiggly with Grand-papa and to the old pristine library in search of Nancy Drew

My home life featured a red Cocker, Flash, who would play hide and seek and a Siamese, Lucifer, who'd leave headless gifts in my closet

I am from country ham and biscuits, pecan pie, boiled peanuts, and pinto beans -- real soul food

I am from teenage shopping trips with Mom in search of Bobby Brooks

I am from big oaks and pines and rows of rainbow-colored flowers

I am from Daddy’s royal harvest of silver queen, red juicy tomatoes, and purple crowders just waiting for a scrumptious Sunday dinner

I am from visits to aunts and uncles who adored their nieces and nephews and offered words of wisdom to boost spirit and confidence

I am from the mindset that there is something good in everyone and that when you find your true love,

it's a 50/50 “give and take” relationship

I am from a family mix spanning all across America!

The memories are precious and give tribute to a happy childhood!

The origins of the Santo Niño of Cebu

In a week’s time, we will celebrate Fiesta Senyor again. Cebu, the oldest Christian settlement in the country will once again be busy with a flurry of activities in honor of the Santo Niño. Cebuanos from various parts of the country and from around the globe will be home again to gather with families and friends in order to pay homage to the protector of their ancestors. In the coming days, the Gozos ni Senyor Santo Niño (Hymn to the Holy Child), a serene but electrifying song, will once again resound in the airwaves, like in the centuries past, retelling the story of how the image was discovered and how the Cebuanos were eventually converted into Catholicism.

Even in the present times, many of us still do not know fully well the story about the most venerated image in the country – there are still those who hold on to pious tales concerning the origin and discovery of the said image. People who read from historical sources knew about this and this is the story I would like to share with you. In January 1929, a story about entitled “Kanus-a, Diin Hikaplagi ug Kinsay Nakakaplag sa Santo Ninyo sa Sugbu” (When, Where and Who discovered the Santo Niño of Cebu) appeared in the newspaper Bag-ong Kusog.

Magellan brought the image

“Many believe that the holy image of the Senyor that’s venerated, not only by the Cebuanos but also in the other islands like in Bohol, Negros, Leyte and Mindanao, was an image that was found floating in the sea by the ancients. There’s even a story that goes that the Santo Niño came from a piece of charcoal that was always fished by the fishermen of Pasil but later grew and turned into the image of the Senyor.”

The article, written by one who read from the Spanish sources claimed these stories are wrong because the Santo Niño was already being venerated by the Cebuanos even before Legaspi came. It said that the image was brought here by the Magellan expedition. Magellan was later slain in Mactan and it was only after many years that the Spaniards set foot in the island again. It continued that when the Legaspi expedition arrived, the Cebuanos fled to the hills and burned their village so that the Spaniards won’t be able to benefit from the latter:

The discovery

“That morning, a Saturday, 28 April 1565, a Spanish soldier from Vizcaya named Juan de Camus went inside the huts which were not burned down, and from one of these huts – which is said to be on the very place of the church of Saint Augustine – the said soldier found a small chest that was locked and tied very well. Juan untied the ropes and opened the wooden chest. He saw that there was yet another small chest inside that was again well tied.” The same act went on again and until the third time. “It was then that the soldiers believed that the chest was indeed mysterious. On the third time, he finally discovered the image of the Santo Niño – the one called Senyor by the Visayans (which is) now venerated in the church of St. Augustine. The image had a cap… and wore a flowing shirt. Its clothes were beautiful and resplendent and a knowledgeable writer believed that it was a miracle since he couldn’t believe that Cebuanos then could make such. “Ang duha ka tudlo sa kamut nga tuo gibakyaw ug nanalangin ug ang kamot nga wala nagasapnay sa usa ka bula nga malingin nga pinatuyboan sa usa ka kurus.” (Two fingers of the right hand is raised in blessing and the left hand is holding an orb with a small cross.)”

The Santo Niño

“There and then, the soldier Juan de Camus took it and secretly showed it to his superior named Mateo del Saz and it was this Saz who brought the Holy Image before General Legaspi. When Legaspi saw it, he commanded all his men to commemorate and venerate the image the whole year round and every 28th of April; in the same manner, Gen. Legaspi ordered that an Act be written for the discovery of the image of the Senyor by the scribe named Fernando Requiel. Since that day onwards, Cebu was renamed City of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. When the image had been placed inside the church, General Legaspi called for the Cebuanos to come back and not to fear and to continue to pray and venerate the Senyor because he is the true God, and that, they abandon animism.

Because of this, the Cebuanos who previously fled to the hills because of their fear for the explosion of Spanish cannons, slowly returned to their homes and with the encouragement of the Spanish priests who were with Legaspi, the Cebuanos venerated their Senyor again – whom they previously called Balahala – who returned in their hearts.

Since that time on, the veneration of the Holy Child, led by Legaspi and the Spanish priests was done all year round and this veneration of the Holy Child took root and flourished in the hearts of the Cebuanos....”

__________

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There is total disagreement about the origin of this breed. Spotted dogs are known throughout history in Africa, Europe and Asia. The breed may be related to the Pointer. Traces of spotted dogs are found in Egyptian bas-reliefs and Hellenic friezes, so it certainly is an ancient breed. In 1700 a dog known as the Bengal pointer, similar to the Dalmatian, existed in England, calling into question the Dalmatians Yugoslavian origin. Some claim the Dalmatian is a Croatian breed. Efforts to have it recognized as a Croatian breed had been rejected, up until 1993, when the FCI did finally recognize the Croatian roots of the Dalmatian dog, although they continue to deny Croatia standard patronage rights over the breed. In the Middle Ages it was used as a hound. The breed became popular as a carriage dog in the 1800s. They trotted beside and among the horses and carriages, very reliably following their masters, guarding the carriages and horses while the master was occupied elsewhere. Very hardy with great stamina, it was able to easily keep up whether its master was on foot, on horseback, or in the carriage. The versatile Dalmatian has seen many uses, such as a mascot for firemen, war sentinel, draft dog, circus performer, vermin hunter, fire-apparatus follower, bird dog, trail hound, retriever, shepherd and as a guard dog.

Dalmatians were bred to run under or alongside horse-drawn carriages and therefore have a vast amount of stamina and energy. They do not like to sit around all day with nothing to do. They are playful, happy, easy going and very dedicated. The Dalmatian needs a lot of leadership along with human companionship in order to be happy. They will not do well left out in the yard all day and have been known to dig crater-size holes when done so. The Dalmatian enjoys playing with children, but if they do not receive enough mental and physical exercise they may become high-strung, and too excitable for a small child.

Yes, believe it or not, the origin of the mighty Range Rover goes back to the communistic clumsiness of British Leyland, where, in one of their rare moments of genius, they realised the dream that a contemporary 4x4 could be married with the luxuries and styling of a regular saloon car!

The original concept of the Range Rover can be traced back to the groundbreaking original Land Rover of the 1940's, where upon its introduction in 1948 as an extended development of the American Willy's Jeep, the Land Rover had taken the world by storm and become the most desired 4x4 in the world. Light, practical, endlessly tunable and easy to maintain, the Land Rover was a hit across the globe, primarily in the colonies of the British Empire, taking people to remote regions that had once been only within the reach of a Horse or a Camel. Initially, a plan was made to create a saloon style version of the Land Rover in 1949 with the help of coachbuilder Tickford, dubbed the 'Land Rover Station-Wagon', but this was not exactly a success and sold only 700 examples before the car was withdrawn from production in 1951. The main features of the Station-Wagon were a wooden-framed body, seven seats, floor carpets, a heater, a one-piece windscreen and other car-like features, its hand-built nature kept prices high.

In 1954 Land Rover took another stab at the Station Wagon concept, only this time it was built in-house rather than outsourced to a different company. This version's primary market was for those who required an off-road vehicle with greater capacity, such as ambulances or even small buses in remote regions such as the Scottish Highlands. But even though this second incarnation of the Station Wagon was available with features such as an interior light, heater, door and floor trims and upgraded seats, the basic Land Rover roots of this car meant it was still tough and capable, but the firm suspension made its road performance somewhat mediocre.

In 1958, Land Rover took yet another stab with the Road Rover, a development of combining the Land Rover chassis and running gear with the internal furnishings and body of a regular saloon car. The intended audience of the Road Rover was again in the remote British Colonies of Africa and the Australian Outback, where the firm suspension would be useful on the long, uneven roads. By the 1960's however, developments across the pond in the United States were starting to rock Rover's boat, as the newly coined Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) began to make progress. International Harvester released the Scout, and Ford the Bronco, offering a different blend of off and on-road ability from existing utility 4x4s such as the Land Rover and the Jeep, proving capable of good on-road comfort and speed while retaining more than adequate off-road ability for most private users. The Jeep Wagoneer proved the concept further, being both spacious and practical, but still with the raunchy off-road abilities to conquer the harsh American terrain.

Being frontline observers to this, Rover dealers in the United States looked on in horror as the American motor industry cornered the market for the SUV, and through frustration the president of Rover's USA division sent head office a Land Rover Series II 88 fitted with a Buick V8, designed for contemporary American pickup trucks, which offered far greater on-road performance and refinement than any Land Rover then in production.

Things came full circle though thanks to a man named Charles Spencer King, a former apprentice at Rolls Royce and one of the most prominent figures in the ownership of Rover and its transition to British Leyland. Taking over the development, he began the development program with the 100-inch Station Wagon project, taking the original concepts of the previous Road Rover and fitting it with coil springs after coming to the conclusion that only long-travel coil springs could provide the required blend of luxury car comfort and Land Rover's established off-road ability. His realisation of this apparently came when he drove a Rover P6 across rough scrubland adjacent to Land Rover's Solihull Factory, but was also helped by the fact that Land Rover purchased the coil springs from a Ford Bronco and began developing from those. Permanent 4WD was also necessary so as to provide both adequate handling and to reliably absorb the power that would be required by the vehicle if it was to be competitive, which came through in the form of a new transmission known as the Land Rover 101 Forward Control. The final piece to the puzzle though was the use of the Buick derived Rover V8, a strong, reliable, lightweight and endlessly tunable engine. In addition to the regular V8, the car was fitted with both a starting handle for emergencies, and carburettors to help continue to supply fuel at extreme angles.

The final design, launched in 1970 with bodywork styled largely by the engineering team rather than David Bache's styling division, was marketed as 'A Car For All Reasons'. In its original guise, the Range Rover was more capable off-road than the Land Rover but was much more comfortable, offering a top speed in excess of 100mph, a towing capacity of 3.5 tons, spacious accommodation for five people and groundbreaking features such as a four-speed, dual-range, permanent four-wheel-drive gearbox and hydraulic disc brakes on all wheels. The body was constructed, in keeping with other Rover products, of lightweight aluminium, and in its first incarnation was only available as a two-door utilitarian runabout, rather than the five-door luxury car we know today. This was rectified in 1981 when a 4-door version was made available, but this doesn't mean that the Range Rover wasn't a success before this change.

Upon its launch in June 1970, the Range Rover was lauded with critical acclaim, and Rover was praised for succeeding in marrying the practicalities of a modern 4x4 with the luxury capabilities of a standard road car. With a top speed of 95mph and a 0-60 acceleration of less than 15 seconds, performance was stated as being better than many family saloon cars of its era, and off-road performance was good, owing to its long suspension travel and high ground clearance. The bulky but practical design was also praised, with many considering it a piece of artwork, with one example being put on display in the Louvre in Paris! Early celebrity ownership also helped the sales quota, but not in the same way you'd expect today. Instead of Musicians and Movie Stars buying up stashes of Range Rovers like they do nowadays, people of established wealth such as Princess Diana and Government bodies became proud custodians of these mighty machines.

Problems however were quick to occur, as let's not forget, this was a British Leyland product. Reliability was a major issue, with strike cars being especially poor as many would leave the factory with vital components missing or not installed properly. To save costs, many pieces of the cars were carried over from other Leyland products, with switches and dials being donated from Austin Allegros, and the door handles coming direct from Morris Marinas. Name any of the faults endemic to British Leyland products of the time, and the Range Rover suffered from the same curse, be they mechanical, electric, cosmetic, or, worst of all, the demon rust!

But the Range Rover survived to see the 1980's despite its faults, and after the introduction of an extra set of doors it started to gain a true identity as the luxury motor of choice for the new money. With the additional 5-door layout, new variants such as the long wheelbase Vogue and the SE (Special Equipment) versions took many of the luxury items of the Jaguar XJ series such as leather seats and hazelnut wooden trim and placed them into the Range Rover. In the 1980s as well, special utility versions began to be developed, including a 6x6 Fire Tender for airfields and small airports, Ambulances for military bases and remote regions, and one special variant for his holiness the Pope, affectionately dubbed the Popemobile!

However, towards the late 1980's the Range Rover in its original incarnation was starting to look very much its age. The angular design was looking tired, and internally its utilitarian roots were in evidence. The dashboard was not much like that of a regular saloon car, but more a bus or a truck, with a huge steering wheel like that from a tractor, and was not particularly well equipped. Land Rover however intended to narrow the Range Rover's portfolio to the truly luxury market rather than having the low end versions which didn't sell as well due to their expense. In 1989 Land Rover launched the Discovery, which was similar in size to the Range Rover but cheaper and given a more family layout with seats and furnishings being carried over from the Austin Montego. To bring the Range Rover back into the front line of luxury motors for the 1990's, Rover Group (the descendant of British Leyland) put together a plan to design a new car under the chassis codenumber P38A (or just P38 for short). Four years of development and £300 million later, the car was launched to a whirlwind of critical acclaim. With a beautifully equipped interior, a more car-like design of dashboard and with a wider variety of luxury trim levels, including the personalised Autobiography editions, the P38 was the first of the mighty Range Rovers to appeal to the bling-bling generation.

This, however, left the original Range Rover out in the cold, and even though it was still a much loved part of the British motoring scene, the time had come for the original, dubbed the Range Rover Classic after launch of the P38. The last of the original Range Rovers slunk silently of the production line at Solihull in 1996, with production now fully based on the new P38, as well as to future developments such as the Freelander of 1997 and ongoing Discovery and Defender. Today original Range Rovers are somewhat easy to come by depending on where you look. In London you'll find a fair few (after all, these were the original Chelsea Tractors), but even in the country you'll bump into these things, especially around my home of Devon where the Range Rover/Land Rover products were perfect for the rugged Moorland terrain. Early British Leyland ones you'd be hard pressed to find, most rusting away in the 1980's, but the Rover Group ones of the 80's and 90's are by no means rare.

But even so, 45 years after the first Range Rover left the factory in Solihull, Range Rovers continue to be produced today, now in it's 4th Generation and available in more variations than ever before! Although British Leyland has long since died together with their many woeful products such as the Morris Marina and the Austin Allegro, the Range Rover is very much their legacy, the last of their original products to survive the strikes and bankruptcy, fighting off the fuel crisis and privatisation by the Thatcher Government, and then being split in 2000 by BMW and juggled between owners Ford and TATA Steel, and still being the luxury motorised toy of the modern day rich! :)

Nerium oleander most commonly known as oleander or nerium, is a shrub or small tree cultivated worldwide in temperate and subtropical areas as an ornamental and landscaping plant. It is the only species currently classified in the genus Nerium, belonging to subfamily Apocynoideae of the dogbane family Apocynaceae. It is so widely cultivated that no precise region of origin has been identified, though it is usually associated with the Mediterranean Basin.

Nerium grows to 2–6 metres (7–20 feet) tall. It is most commonly grown in its natural shrub form, but can be trained into a small tree with a single trunk. It is tolerant to both drought and inundation, but not to prolonged frost. White, pink or red five-lobed flowers grow in clusters year-round, peaking during the summer. The fruit is a long narrow pair of follicles, which splits open at maturity to release numerous downy seeds.

Nerium contains several toxic compounds, and it has historically been considered a poisonous plant. However, its bitterness renders it unpalatable to humans and most animals, so poisoning cases are rare and the general risk for human mortality is low. Ingestion of larger amounts may cause nausea, vomiting, excess salivation, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea and irregular heart rhythm. Prolonged contact with sap may cause skin irritation, eye inflammation and dermatitis.

Description

Oleander grows to 2–6 metres (7–20 feet) tall, with erect stems that splay outward as they mature; first-year stems have a glaucous bloom, while mature stems have a grayish bark. The leaves are in pairs or whorls of three, thick and leathery, dark-green, narrow lanceolate, 5–21 centimetres (2–8 inches) long and 1–3.5 cm (3⁄8–1+3⁄8 in) broad, and with an entire margin filled with minute reticulate venation web typical of eudicots. The leaves are light green and very glossy when young, maturing to a dull dark green.

The flowers grow in clusters at the end of each branch; they are white, pink to red, 2.5–5 cm (1–2 in) diameter, with a deeply 5-lobed fringed corolla round the central corolla tube. They are often, but not always, sweet-scented. The fruit is a long narrow pair of follicles 5–23 cm (2–9 in) long, which splits open at maturity to release numerous downy seeds.

Taxonomy

Nerium oleander is the only species currently classified in the genus Nerium. It belongs to (and gives its name to) the small tribe Nerieae of subfamily Apocynoideae of the dogbane family Apocynaceae. The genera most closely related thus include the equally ornamental (and equally toxic) Adenium G.Don and Strophanthus DC. - both of which contain (like oleander) potent cardiac glycosides that have led to their use as arrow poisons in Africa. The three remaining genera Alafia Thouars, Farquharia Stapf and Isonema R.Br. are less well-known in cultivation.

Synonymy

The plant has been described under a wide variety of names that are today considered its synonyms:

Oleander Medik.

Nerion Tourn. ex St.-Lag.

Nerion oleandrum St.-Lag.

Nerium carneum Dum.Cours.

Nerium flavescens Spin

Nerium floridum Salisb.

Nerium grandiflorum Desf.

Nerium indicum Mill.

Nerium japonicum Gentil

Nerium kotschyi Boiss.

Nerium latifolium Mill.

Nerium lauriforme Lam.

Nerium luteum Nois. ex Steud.

Nerium madonii M.Vincent

Nerium mascatense A.DC.

Nerium odoratissimum Wender.

Nerium odoratum Lam.

Nerium odorum Aiton

Nerium splendens Paxton

Nerium thyrsiflorum Paxton

Nerium verecundum Salisb.

Oleander indica (Mill.) Medik.

Oleander vulgaris Medik.

Etymology

The taxonomic name Nerium oleander was first assigned by Linnaeus in 1753. The genus name Nerium is the Latinized form of the Ancient Greek name for the plant nẽrion (νήριον), which is in turn derived from the Greek for water, nẽros (νηρός), because of the natural habitat of the oleander along rivers and streams.

The origins of the species name are disputed. The word oleander appears as far back as the first century AD, when the Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides cited it as one of the terms used by the Romans for the plant. Merriam-Webster believes the word is a Medieval Latin corruption of Late Latin names for the plant: arodandrum or lorandrum, or more plausibly rhododendron (another Ancient Greek name for the plant), with the addition of olea because of the superficial resemblance to the olive tree (Olea europea) Another theory posited is that oleander is the Latinized form of a Greek compound noun: οllyo (ὀλλύω) 'I kill', and the Greek noun for man, aner, genitive andros (ἀνήρ, ἀνδρός). ascribed to oleander's toxicity to humans.

The etymological association of oleander with the bay laurel has continued into the modern day: in France the plant is known as "laurier rose", while the Spanish term, "Adelfa", is the descendant of the original Ancient Greek name for both the bay laurel and the oleander, daphne, which subsequently passed into Arabic usage and thence to Spain.

The ancient city of Volubilis in Morocco may have taken its name from the Berber name alili or oualilt for the flower.

Distribution and habitat

Nerium oleander is either native or naturalized to a broad area spanning from Northwest Africa and Iberian and Italian Peninsula eastward through the Mediterranean region and warmer areas of the Black Sea region, Arabian Peninsula, southern Asia, and as far east as Yunnan in southern parts of China. It typically occurs around stream beds in river valleys, where it can alternatively tolerate long seasons of drought and inundation from winter rains. N. oleander is planted in many subtropical and tropical areas of the world.

On the East Coast of the US, it grows as far north as Virginia Beach, while in California and Texas miles of oleander shrubs are planted on median strips. There are estimated to be 25 million oleanders planted along highways and roadsides throughout the state of California. Because of its durability, oleander was planted prolifically on Galveston Island in Texas after the disastrous Hurricane of 1900. They are so prolific that Galveston is known as the 'Oleander City'; an annual oleander festival is hosted every spring. Moody Gardens in Galveston hosts the propagation program for the International Oleander Society, which promotes the cultivation of oleanders. New varieties are hybridized and grown on the Moody Gardens grounds, encompassing every named variety.

Beyond the traditional Mediterranean and subtropical range of oleander, the plant can also be cultivated in mild oceanic climates with the appropriate precautions. It is grown without protection in warmer areas in Switzerland, southern and western Germany and southern England and can reach great sizes in London and to a lesser extent in Paris due to the urban heat island effect. This is also the case with North American cities in the Pacific Northwest like Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver. Plants may suffer damage or die back in such marginal climates during severe winter cold but will rebound from the roots.

Ecology

Some invertebrates are known to be unaffected by oleander toxins, and feed on the plants. Caterpillars of the polka-dot wasp moth (Syntomeida epilais) feed specifically on oleanders and survive by eating only the pulp surrounding the leaf-veins, avoiding the fibers. Larvae of the common crow butterfly (Euploea core) and oleander hawk-moth (Daphnis nerii) also feed on oleanders, and they retain or modify toxins, making them unpalatable to potential predators such as birds, but not to other invertebrates such as spiders and wasps.

The flowers require insect visits to set seed, and seem to be pollinated through a deception mechanism. The showy corolla acts as a potent advertisement to attract pollinators from a distance, but the flowers are nectarless and offer no reward to their visitors. They therefore receive very few visits, as typical of many rewardless flower species. Fears of honey contamination with toxic oleander nectar are therefore unsubstantiated.

Leaf scorch

A bacterial disease known as oleander leaf scorch (Xylella fastidiosa subspecies sandyi) has become a serious threat to the shrub since it was first noticed in Palm Springs, California, in 1992. The disease has since devastated hundreds of thousands of shrubs mainly in Southern California, but also on a smaller scale in Arizona, Nevada and Texas. The culprit is a bacterium which is spread via insects (the glassy-winged sharpshooter primarily) which feed on the tissue of oleanders and spread the bacteria. This inhibits the circulation of water in the tissue of the plant, causing individual branches to die until the entire plant is consumed.

Symptoms of leaf scorch infection may be slow to manifest themselves, but it becomes evident when parts of otherwise healthy oleanders begin to yellow and wither, as if scorched by heat or fire. Die-back may cease during winter dormancy, but the disease flares up in summer heat while the shrub is actively growing, which allows the bacteria to spread through the xylem of the plant. As such it can be difficult to identify at first because gardeners may mistake the symptoms for those of drought stress or nutrient deficiency.

Pruning out affected parts can slow the progression of the disease but not eliminate it. This malaise can continue for several years until the plant completely dies—there is no known cure. The best method for preventing further spread of the disease is to prune infected oleanders to the ground immediately after the infection is noticed.

The responsible pathogen was identified as the subspecies sandyi by Purcell et al., 1999.

Cultivation

Nerium oleander has a history of cultivation going back millennia, especially amongst the great ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean Basin. Some scholars believe it to be the rhodon (rose), also called the 'Rose of Jericho', mentioned in apocryphal writings (Ecclesiasticus XXIV, 13) dating back to between 450 and 180 BC.

The ancient Greeks had several names for the plant, including rhododaphne, nerion, rhododendron and rhodon. Pliny confirmed that the Romans had no Latin word for the plant, but used the Greek terms instead. Pedanius Dioscorides states in his 1st century AD pharmacopeia De Materia Medica that the Romans used the Greek rhododendron but also the Latin Oleander and Laurorosa. The Egyptians apparently called it scinphe, the North Africans rhodedaphane, and the Lucanians (a southern Italic people) icmane.

Both Pliny and Dioscorides stated that oleander was an effective antidote to venomous snake bites if mixed with rue and drunk. However, both rue and oleander are poisonous themselves, and consuming them after a venomous snake bite can accelerate the rate of mortality and increase fatalities.

A 2014 article in the medical journal Perspectives in Biology and Medicine posited that oleander was the substance used to induce hallucinations in the Pythia, the female priestess of Apollo, also known as the Oracle of Delphi in Ancient Greece. According to this theory, the symptoms of the Pythia's trances (enthusiasmos) correspond to either inhaling the smoke of or chewing small amounts of oleander leaves, often called by the generic term laurel in Ancient Greece, which led to confusion with the bay laurel that ancient authors cite.

In his book Enquiries into Plants of circa 300 BC, Theophrastus described (among plants that affect the mind) a shrub he called onotheras, which modern editors render oleander: "the root of onotheras [oleander] administered in wine", he alleges, "makes the temper gentler and more cheerful".

The root of onotheras [oleander] administered in wine makes the temper gentler and more cheerful. The plant has a leaf like that of the almond, but smaller, and the flower is red like a rose. The plant itself (which loves hilly country) forms a large bush; the root is red and large, and, if this is dried, it gives off a fragrance like wine.

In another mention, of "wild bay" (Daphne agria), Theophrastus appears to intend the same shrub.

Oleander was a very popular ornamental shrub in Roman peristyle gardens; it is one of the flora most frequently depicted on murals in Pompeii and elsewhere in Italy. These murals include the famous garden scene from the House of Livia at Prima Porta outside Rome, and those from the House of the Wedding of Alexander and the Marine Venus in Pompeii.

Carbonized fragments of oleander wood have been identified at the Villa Poppaea in Oplontis, likewise buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. They were found to have been planted in a decorative arrangement with citron trees (Citrus medica) alongside the villa's swimming pool.

Herbaria of oleander varieties are compiled and held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and at Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas.

Ornamental gardening

Oleander is a vigorous grower in warm subtropical regions, where it is extensively used as an ornamental plant in parks, along roadsides and in private gardens. It is most commonly grown in its natural shrub form, but can be trained into a small tree with a single trunk. Hardy versions like white, red and pink oleander will tolerate occasional light frost down to −10 °C (14 °F), though the leaves may be damaged. The toxicity of oleander renders it deer-resistant and its large size makes for a good windbreak – as such it is frequently planted as a hedge along property lines and in agricultural settings.

The plant is tolerant of poor soils, intense heat, salt spray, and sustained drought – although it will flower and grow more vigorously with regular water. Although it does not require pruning to thrive and bloom, oleander can become unruly with age and older branches tend to become gangly, with new growth emerging from the base. For this reason gardeners are advised to prune mature shrubs in the autumn to shape and induce lush new growth and flowering for the following spring. Unless they wish to harvest the seeds, many gardeners choose to prune away the seedpods that form on spent flower clusters, which are a drain on energy. Propagation can be made from cuttings, where they can readily root after being placed in water or in rich organic potting material, like compost.

In Mediterranean climates oleanders can be expected to bloom from April through October, with the heaviest bloom usually occurring between May and June. Free-flowering varieties like 'Petite Salmon' or 'Mont Blanc' require no period of rest and can flower continuously throughout the year if the weather remains warm.

In cold winter climates, oleander is a popular summer potted plant readily available at most nurseries. They require frequent heavy watering and fertilizing as compared to being planted in the ground, but oleander is nonetheless an ideal flowering shrub for patios and other spaces with hot sunshine. During the winter they should be moved indoors, ideally into an unheated greenhouse or basement where they can be allowed to go dormant. Once they are dormant they require little light and only occasional watering. Placing them in a space with central heating and poor air flow can make them susceptible to a variety of pests – aphids, mealybugs, oleander scale, whitefly and spider mites.

Colors and varieties

Oleander flowers are showy, profuse, and often fragrant, which makes them very attractive in many contexts. Over 400 cultivars have been named, with several additional flower colors not found in wild plants having been selected, including yellow, peach and salmon. Many cultivars, like 'Hawaii' or 'Turner's Carnival', are multi-colored, with brilliant striped corollas. The solid whites, reds and a variety of pinks are the most common. Double flowered cultivars like 'Mrs. Isadore Dyer' (deep pink), 'Mathilde Ferrier' (yellow) or 'Mont Blanc' (white) are enjoyed for their large, rose-like blooms and strong fragrance. There is also a variegated form, 'Variegata', featuring leaves striped in yellow and white. Several dwarf cultivars have also been developed, offering a more compact form and size for small spaces. These include 'Little Red', 'Petite White', 'Petite Pink' and 'Petite Salmon', which grow to about 8 feet (2.4 m) at maturity.

Toxicity

Oleander has historically been considered a poisonous plant because of toxic compounds it contains, especially when consumed in large amounts. Among these compounds are oleandrin and oleandrigenin, known as cardiac glycosides, which are known to have a narrow therapeutic index and are toxic when ingested.

Toxicity studies of animals concluded that birds and rodents were observed to be relatively insensitive to the administered oleander cardiac glycosides. Other mammals, however, such as dogs and humans, are relatively sensitive to the effects of cardiac glycosides and the clinical manifestations of "glycoside intoxication".

In reviewing oleander toxicity cases seen in-hospital, Lanford and Boor concluded that, except for children who might be at greater risk, "the human mortality associated with oleander ingestion is generally very low, even in cases of moderate intentional consumption (suicide attempts)." In 2000, a rare instance of death from oleander poisoning occurred when two toddlers adopted from an orphanage ate the leaves from a neighbor's shrub in El Segundo, California. Because oleander is extremely bitter, officials speculated that the toddlers had developed a condition caused by malnutrition, pica, which causes people to eat otherwise inedible material.

Effects of poisoning

Ingestion of this plant can affect the gastrointestinal system, the heart, and the central nervous system. The main effect of cardiotoxic glycosides is positive inotropy. Glycosides bind to the sarcolemma transmembrane ATPase of cardiac muscle cells and compete with K+ ions, inactivating the enzyme. This results in an accumulation of Na+ and Ca2+ ions into the cardiac muscle cells, leading to stronger and faster heart contractions. Moreover, the increased amount of extracellular K+ ions may lead to lethal hyperkalemia. Therefore, clinical features of oleander poisoning are similar to digoxin toxicity and include nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting due to stimulation of the area postrema of the medulla oblongata, neuropsychic disorders, and pathological motor manifestations. Cardiotoxic glycosides are also responsible for stimulating the vagus nerve (leading to sinus bradycardia) and the phrenic nerve (leading to hyperventilation), and lethal brady- and tachyarrhythmias, including asystole and ventricular fibrillation. Oleander poisoning can also result in blurred vision, and vision disturbances, including halos appearing around objects. Oleander sap can cause skin irritations, severe eye inflammation and irritation, and allergic reactions characterized by dermatitis.

The severity of the intoxication can vary based on the quantity ingested and an individual's physiological response, as well as the time of symptom onset after oleander ingestion: they can rapidly occur after drinking teas prepared with oleander leaves or roots or develop more slowly due to the ingestion of unprepared plant parts.

Treatment

Poisoning and reactions to oleander plants are evident quickly, requiring immediate medical care in suspected or known poisonings of both humans and animals. Induced vomiting and gastric lavage are protective measures to reduce absorption of the toxic compounds. Activated carbon may also be administered to help absorb any remaining toxins. Further medical attention may be required depending on the severity of the poisoning and symptoms. Temporary cardiac pacing will be required in many cases (usually for a few days) until the toxin is excreted.

Digoxin immune fab is the best way to cure an oleander poisoning if inducing vomiting has no or minimal success, although it is usually used only for life-threatening conditions due to side effects.

Drying of plant materials does not eliminate the toxins. It is also hazardous for animals such as sheep, horses, cattle, and other grazing animals, with as little as 100 g being enough to kill an adult horse. Plant clippings are especially dangerous to horses, as they are sweet. In July 2009, several horses were poisoned in this manner from the leaves of the plant. Symptoms of a poisoned horse include severe diarrhea and abnormal heartbeat. Aśvamāra (अश्वमार) in Sanskrit refers to this plant, meaning Aśva ‘horse’ and Māra ‘killing’. There is a wide range of toxins and secondary compounds within oleander, and care should be taken around this plant due to its toxic nature. Different names for oleander are used around the world in different locations, so, when encountering a plant with this appearance, regardless of the name used for it, one should exercise great care and caution to avoid ingestion of any part of the plant, including its sap and dried leaves or twigs. The dried or fresh branches should not be used for spearing food, for preparing a cooking fire, or as a food skewer. Many of the oleander relatives, such as the desert rose (Adenium obesum) found in East Africa, have similar leaves and flowers and are equally toxic.

Research

Drugs derived from N. oleander have been investigated as a treatment for cancer, but have failed to demonstrate clinical utility. According to the American Cancer Society, the trials conducted so far have produced no evidence of benefit, while they did cause adverse side effects.

Culture

In a research study done by Haralampos V. Harissis, he claims that the laurel the Pythia is commonly depicted with is actually an oleander plant, and the poisonous plant and its subsequent hallucinations are the source of the oracle's mystical power and subsequent prophecies. Many of the symptoms that primary sources such as Plutarch and Democritus report align with results of oleander poisoning. Harissis also provides evidence claiming that the word laurel may have been used to describe an oleander leaf.

Folklore

The toxicity of the plant makes it the center of an urban legend documented on several continents and over more than a century. Often told as a true and local event, typically an entire family, or in other tellings a group of scouts, succumbs after consuming hot dogs or other food roasted over a campfire using oleander sticks. Some variants tell of this happening to Napoleon's or Alexander the Great's soldiers.

There is an ancient account mentioned by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History, who described a region in Pontus in Turkey where the honey was poisoned from bees having pollinated poisonous flowers, with the honey left as a poisonous trap for an invading army. The flowers have sometimes been mis-translated as oleander, but oleander flowers are nectarless and therefore cannot transmit any toxins via nectar. The actual flower referenced by Pliny was either Azalea or Rhododendron, which is still used in Turkey to produce a hallucinogenic honey.

Oleander is the official flower of the city of Hiroshima, having been the first to bloom following the atomic bombing of the city in 1945.

In painting

Oleander was part of subject matter of paintings by famous artists including:

Gustav Klimt, who painted "Two Girls with an Oleander" between 1890 and 1892.

Vincent van Gogh painted his famous "Oleanders" in Arles in 1888. Van Gogh found the flowers "joyous" and "life-affirming" because of their inexhaustible blooms and vigour.

Anglo-Dutch artist Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema incorporated oleanders into his classically inspired paintings, including "An Oleander" (1882), "Courtship", "Under the Roof of Blue Ionian Weather" and "A Roman Flower Market" (1868).

"The Terrace at Méric (Oleanders)", an 1867 Impressionist painting by Frédéric Bazille.

In literature, film and music

Janet Fitch's 1999 novel White Oleander is centered around a young Southern California girl's experiences growing up in foster care after her mother is imprisoned for poisoning an ex-boyfriend with the plant. The book was adapted into a 2002 film of the same name starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Alison Lohman.

In the 17th century AD Farsi-language book the Jahangirnama, the Mughal emperor Jahangir passes a stream overgrowing with oleanders along its banks. He orders the nobles in his train to adorn their turbans with oleander blossoms, creating a "field of flowers" on their heads.

Steely Dan's 1973 song "My Old School" contains the line "Oleanders growing outside her door, soon they're gonna be in bloom up in Annandale" in the second verse. It has been theorized that this reference is either a metaphor for a harmful relationship, or marijuana, which is the subcontext of the song.

The Yeasayer song "I Am Chemistry" contains the refrain "My momma told me not to fool with oleander, and never handle the deadly quaker buttons again".

Indie rock band Mother Mother has a song called "Oleander" on their 2011 album Eureka.

In video games

Red Dead Redemption 2 features a deadly plant, oleander sage, which may be used to craft poisonous weapons, and is based on nerium oleander.

Found at salvage store.

Assassins Creed origins

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