Chicago - Now Demolished, Lost, Destroyed, Razed...
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Metelkova is one of the weirdest places to see in Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital. Formerly, the site was the Slovenian headquarter of the Yugoslav National Army. The buildings have been squatted since September 1993 in a declared illegal way, mainly by artists, activists and young students. In 2005, Metelkova was declared a national cultural heritage site and the European Cultural Fund attributes financial support. If you like graffiti, weird art, and quirky sculptures then this is the place to head to.
NEO JAPAN
SEPTEMBER 25th ～ OCTOBER 16th
Credits
☆decor☆
〇back〇 * M^2 * Japanese City Complex #4 "Metro station" (note:poster Original texture）＠NEOJAPAN
〇Scull1〇 Zara Mesh - Halloween - Mexican Skull
〇Scull2〇 ::DisturbeD:: Calavera Catrina Skull
〇deco〇 Meshed Potato - Sci-Fi Biofuel Station
〇drone〇 ::DisturbeD:: Sci-Fi Camera Drone
〇phone〇 Meshed Potato - Cyberpunk Street Phone
left
＋hair＋ Exile- Knox split colors edition for Stay at Home(note:edited)
＋earring＋ QUIXE - Lux Earring
＋outfit＋ toksik - Raze Overall ＠NEOJAPAN toksik mainstore
＋gun＋ [SAC] P90 SMG v1.00 FULL Box ＠NEOJAPAN
＋tattoo＋ (originaltattoo)
＋shoes＋ Semller - Brit Platform Sandals Black
right
＋hair＋ Modulus - Andreas Hair - Blonds
＋glasses＋ MI960025 Square Glass Half Frame Glasses
＋earring＋ original
＋tattoo＋ .: Vegas :. Tattoo Applier Akuma ＠NEOJAPAN
＋outfit＋ [DS] (ADD) // Neo Warrior ＠NEOJAPAN
Thank youuu------目
Abstrakt Event is RUNNING!
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Planet29 is RUNNING!
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Credits and close-up in the link below ❤
Note: This is my all time fav pic :D I hope you guys like it as much as I do.
Mamiya RB67
Expired 1978 Kodak 120 Plus-X Pan Professional.
Shot at 100 asa
Developed in Promicrol for 15 minutes
Epson V700
My Website : Twitter : Facebook : Instagram : Photocrowd
The Piazza dell'Anfiteatro is another of the 'must see' sights when in Lucca. The oval town square, now filled with outdoor cafes, was once a Roman amphitheatre.
More photos from Tuscany here : www.flickr.com/photos/darrellg/albums/72157714689304067
From Wikipedia : "Piazza dell'Anfiteatro is a public square in the northeast quadrant of walled center of Lucca, region of Tuscany, Italy. The ring of buildings surrounding the square, follows the elliptical shape of the former second century Roman amphitheater of Lucca. The square can be reached through four gateways located at the four vertices of the ellipse. A cross is carved into the central tile of the square with the arms pointing to the four gateways of the square.
The base of the former amphitheater (dating back to the 1st or 2nd century BC) is now some 3 meters below the center. At its peak about 18 rows of amphitheater seats held some 10,000 spectators.
Now an urban square (piazza), surrounded by private residences built using the remaining structures of the Amphitheatre, and occupied by several outdoor cafes, created in 1830 by the architect Lorenzo Nottolini who razed some of the buildings inside the oval. It was originally refurbished to be a marketplace."
© D.Godliman
This necklace is made up entirely of 1920s glass bugle beads that were made in Toruń in northern Poland (then Pomerania). There are some unique shapes, and being made of glass, they are very heavy.
However, what is remarkable about these beyond their amazing and unusual looks, is their equally amazing and unusual history.
Between 1923 and 1939, these beads and millions like them were produced from a very successful workshop on the outskirts of Toruń and sent to fashion houses both locally and in cities like Prague, Vienna and Paris. Then, with the coming of Hitler's invasion of Poland and the Second World War, the owners of the workshop closed their doors. They took the beads they had in the workshop and buried them in boxes in the ground beneath the floor of the workshop and then fled, hoping to return to reclaim them some day. And so the beads remained buried beneath the flagstones throughout the Second World War when the workshop was razed, and beyond during the re-building of post-war Poland. Although still in possession of the land on which the workshop had stood, the owners and their descendants never returned to Toruń to claim them, and the beads became a thing of legend. Nearly seventy years later, descendants of the original owners returned to Toruń to live, and decided to see if there was any truth to the stories of 'buried treasure'. Much to their astonishment and delight, what they uncovered beneath the flagstones were thirty great boxes, still well preserved in the earth, of 1920s and 1930s glass bugle beads!
The beads were split up amongst a few relations, including friends of mine who are artists. Knowing how much I love vintage clothing, beads and the 1920s, they made me a gift of four stunning necklaces made from the bugle beads in the ten boxes they inherited. This is the 'Naszyjnik Różany' or 'Rose Necklace'.
The theme for "Looking Close… on Friday" for Friday 13th of December is "multicoloured necklace", so I thought this necklace of buried treasure was a suitable choice. As it is near Christmas, I have given my image a Christmassy feel with presents, Christmas garlands and bows. I hope you like my choice of subject for this week's theme, and that it makes you smile!
ALL RIGHT RESERVED All material in my gallery CANNOT be reproduced, copied, edited, published, transmitted or uploaded in any way without my permission
The Urban Fox
Wild foxes have learned to adapt to the urban environment in order to survive. By nature, foxes are nocturnal and hunt at night, whereas the urban fox has adapted its behavior to survive and can be seen during daylight hours.
Locally, a fox vixen has located her den in the foundational remains of a razed building complex along the boardwalk at the Jersey Shore. She has six Kits, which can be seen frolicking in the debris and along the dunes during the day. The fox family has become local celebrities and unfortunately people have begun feeding them. Never feed wild animals. Although you may feel as if you’re helping them survive, you are actually harming them. Feeding foxes can alter their natural behavior and they may lose its fear of humans.
“Wildlife that is fed by people become less experienced at forging for their natural food and may become dependent on handouts that are not a part of their natural diets. This is especially true in juvenile animals that have not yet developed their own foraging skills and have little ability to fend for themselves once handouts cease.” ~ Julie King, Senior Wildlife Biologist
Please Do Not Feed the Wildlife!
Red Fox
The Red Fox, Vulpes vulpes, is the largest of the true foxes and the most abundant wild member of the Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, North America and Eurasia. It is listed as least concern by the IUCN. Its range has increased alongside human expansion, having been introduced to Australia, where it is considered harmful to native mammals and bird populations. Due to its presence in Australia, it is included among the list of the "world's 100 worst invasive species".
For more info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_fox
IN ENGLISH BELOW THE LINE
Fotografies de la zona de combats de la Batalla del Ebre (1938).
Corbera d'Ebre fou el poble més damnificat per la batalla, pràcticament arrasat. Per això fou reconstruit a la seva part baixa, arran de carretera. La part més antiga, al turó, fou abandonada i ha pràcticament desaparescut (crec que més per acció del temps sobre les ruines que pel propi bombardeig, tantmateix). Just en el limit on acaba la part habitada del poble hi ha encara aquest edifici supervivent del poble medieval, recordant-me cert gratacels de fama mundial (en faig col·lecció).
La batalla de l'Ebre (25 juliol - 16 novembre de 1938) fou la més important i mortifera de la guerra civil espanyola. Hi ha que també la consideren també la més decisiva, però crec que per desgracia la guerra ja estava decidida de molt abans, com a minim des del trencament del front d'Aragó el 9 de març del mateix any.
Tot i que l'exèrcit republicà creuà l'Ebre el 25 de juliol del 1938 per molts punts entre Mequinensa i Amposta, la major part dels combats de la batalla es donaren a la Terra Alta, a la zona entre Vilalba dels Arcs, La Fatarella, Camposines i Gandesa, a més de la Serra de Pandols.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLeClt23DxI
ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poble_Vell_de_Corbera_d%27Ebre
ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batalla_de_l%27Ebre
ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corbera_d%27Ebre
============================================
This is part of the Ebro battlefield (1938), in Southern Catalonia.
Among all the towns in the former battlefield, Corbera d'Ebre was the most destroyed of them all (although Vilalba, La Fatarella, Flix, Garcia and Benifallet were also quite damaged). All the upper, medieval, town was utterly bombed by the fascist artillery and even the nazi Legion Condor. It was after the war rebuilt only arround the lower road side. The top of the hill remains mostly empty now, because almost all the houses were destroyed and have even been razed afterwards to prevent dangers for the visitors. Only the mighty baroque church remains, although it lost it's roof.
Here are some aerial images:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLeClt23DxI
This is the bombed and destroyed village of Corbera d'Ebre, in Republican hands from the 25th of July to the 3dr of September of 1938. Then it was utterly bombed alongside that sector of the front. Not only the fascist artillery was used, but also the German Legion Condor. Here it could be seen from the Coll del Moro viewpoint, the place from where Franco observed the battle several times. It had until several years ago a monument to the bloody dictator, but now it has been cleaned, moreover as it's an Iberian archaeological site.
The Battle of the Ebro (July 25 - November 16, 1938) was the most important and deadlier of the Spanish Civil War. There are those who also consider it the most decisive, but I think that unfortunately the war was already decided long before, at least since the breaking of the front of Aragon on March 9 of the same year.
The battle began with the greatest offensive made by the Republican forces, when they crossed the river Ebro between Mequinensa and Amposta (especially between Riba-roja and Miravet), and advanced to the line La Pobla de Massaluca -Vilalba dels Arcs -Gandesa - Serra de Pandols . But in just 48 hours, the dazzling advance was stopped short. Then Franco decided to crush the republican forces hill by hill (with massive artillery and bomber barrages), in a battle of attrition identical to the First World War for which the Republicans had no resources or alternative, especially with the river behind them. The main assaults, which lasted from August 10 to October 29, were concentrated in a very small and devastated area: the triangle Vertex Gaeta - Corbera - Camposines.
Finally, a final offensive on October 30 occupied the ridge of the Serra de Cavalls, making the entire Republican bridgehead unsustainable, which managed, however, to withdraw in an orderly manner until November 16. But the damage was already done, and there were no forces left for a proper defense of Catalonia, which fell three months later. Then, fascist darkness.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxQZ_gKCHtk
Tri-Mount Trio
June 29, 1965: The L&N Knoxville & Atlanta Division headend crew for Extra 1507 South makes the walk from the enginemen’s crew room at Corbin, Ky. to their mounts for this trip. The GE U25C on the point was only two weeks old, but the two grungy Alco C628s behind had been in service for eleven months. The trio with tri-mount trucks will take a Knoxville Turn out of the west yard at Corbin with a heavy train of southbound mixed freight. After swapping ends at West Knoxville, they’ll head north (as Extra 1411 North). While the steam-era roundhouse was razed in the late 50s, the turntable was still in service (on the right).
Caly: Is that a T80 Pac-Man?
Sienna: Yes, it is. (shows it to her) Good eye. You a gamer?
Caly: Not electronics.
Sienna: Boarder, huh? That's okay, no shade. Listen, have you heard
about Gamecock?
Caly: The illegal fighting bird?
Sienna: (chuckles) No, it's kind of a nightclub, gaming lounge. No
alcohol, looped music's not bad. Usually a low budget DJ on Friday and
Saturday nights. More during the summer when kids are out of school.
Gives us something to do. Keeps us out of trouble.
Caly: My dad would like me to stay out of trouble.
Sienna: Oh, do I hear the hint of rebel? (teases)
Caly: Rebel?
Sienna: I'm messing with you. Relax. You definitely need some Gamecock.
Caly: Can't wait to say THAT to my dad.
Sienna: Give me your phone.
(Caly fishes her phone from a shorts pocket, handing it to Sienna, who
quickly entered information then handed it back to Caly.)
Sienna: That's the address. You want to blend, show up casual.
Caly: I'll do my best, thanks.
Sienna: We go in through here.
(She stops at a side door marked "employees only" then looks toward the
lake when she hears her name, sighing.)
Sienna: That guy's a regular. He can never figure out how to untie the
canoes. You go on in, ask for Ronan, and I'll catch up with you. Tell
him, "Si said seafood." (she jogs off)
Caly: Maybe I should have applied at a stable. (to herself) Horses aren't as complicated.
(to be continued)
Sienna: Bailey
Caly: TB
This is Armada Road, one of the narrow back streets in the village of Cawsand in the far south-east of Cornwall. Many of the buildings here date from the 1700s and several are Grade II-listed. Cawsand and its twin village of Kingsand are on the Rame Peninsula, where they overlook Plymouth Sound.
Armada Road is aptly named. The defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 is well-known, but what is not so well known is that the Spanish made a number of smaller attacks on English towns and villages in the latter part of the 16th century. In 1595 the Spanish attacked Newlyn, Penzance, Mousehole and Paul, razing Mousehole to the ground. A year later a small raiding party attacked Cawsand and were chased off by the militia from Plymouth. Three years later four Spanish warships captured five fishing boats from Plymouth Sound. The war against Spain dragged on for many years.
Excerpt from Wikipedia:
The ruins of Liebeneck Castle were once a high mediaeval spur castle in the southwestern part of the Heckengäu, a forested region southeast of the village of Würm, in the county of Pforzheim in the south German state of Baden-Württemberg.
The castle ruins are situated on heights above the River Würm with a view over the Würm valley. They lie in a Bannwald, a protected forest, at 415 metres above sea level. The ruins of Liebeneck cannot be reached by car; only forest tracks such as the Ostweg lead to it.
The original castle was probably built in the 12th century. It is first mentioned in 1236 on the occasion of the transfer of the castle and village of Würm from the lords of Weißenstein at Kräheneck to Margrave Rudolph of Baden. The castle was intended to guard the rafting toll station by the river.
Later the castle was an inherited fief of the lords of Weißenstein before ending up in the possession of the lords of Leutrum von Ertingen.
In 1692, during the Orleans War, the castle was razed. In 1828 it was transferred to the state of Baden. The site was then deliberately destroyed so that "no riff-raff will find shelter there" ("Gesindel dort keinen Unterschlupf findet"). From 1968 to 1977 the 30-metre-high bergfried was renovated.
Kashgar or Kashi (Uyghur: قەشقەر, ULY: Qeshqer, Chinese: 喀什 pinyin: Kāshí, Persian, Hindustani: کاشغر / कशगार) is an oasis city with approximately 350,000 residents in the western part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China.
The city is located in the western extreme of China — within both the Tarim Basin and the Taklamakan Desert — where it experiences an extreme desert climate.
Kashgar’s Old City has been called the best-preserved example of a traditional Islamic city to be found anywhere in Central Asia, but it is now being razed by the Chinese government which plans to replace the old buildings with new.
カシュガル旧市街、職人街近くの路地にて。
ちまきのようなものを売っている屋台に木漏れ日が降り注いでいた。
Vertical aerial view of the results of a hot bushfire that had razed the forest days earlier, cool colours though. A few miles inland from the southern ocean, Cape Otway, Victoria
The photo is of Doylestown Presbyterian Church.
The Presbyterian Congregation of Doylestown started when the Reverend Uriah DuBois came to Doylestown to found Union Academy in 1804, at what is now the corner of East Court and Broad Streets. The Academy served as a private school from its inception until August 1849, when it became part of the public school system. The building was razed in 1889 to make way for the Doylestown Borough School which was destroyed by fire in 1973.
The founding of the Union Academy in 1804 provided an opportunity for the first religious services in the community. The Reverend Uriah DuBois, pastor of the Deep Run Presbyterian Church in Bedminster Township several miles north of Doylestown, was the first principal of Union Academy, and one room in the Academy was set aside for use by all Christian denominations.
The Reverend DuBois divided his pastoral duties between Deep Run and Doylestown. In 1813, the year after Doylestown was made the county seat, the Presbyterians built their first church building on a lot purchased from John Shaw for $400. The new building was dedicated on August 13, 1815. It was constructed of stone, cost about $4200 to build, and stood on the site of the present church building. In 1871, the old church building was torn down and a new edifice was constructed facing East Court Street. The first building had faced Church Street. The new church edifice was dedicated on May 16, 1872. The Reverend DuBois continued to serve as pastor at Deep Run and Doylestown, as well as principal of the Union Academy, until his death in 1821. The congregation was served by supplies, interims, and short pastorates until the Reverend Silas Milton Andrews, D.D., came to serve as minister in 1831. Dr. Andrews' pastorate continued for fifty years. When he came in 1831, there were only 95 members in the two churches at Deep Run and Doylestown. By 1877, membership had grown to 400.
In 1913, the Deep Run and Doylestown congregations were officially merged to become the Deep Run-Doylestown Presbyterian Church. In 1957, a new church was established on the original site at Deep Run and both churches then resumed separate and respective histories.
In 1940, an educational building was constructed behind the church edifice on Mechanics Street. The building was enlarged in 1965 and renamed Andrews Hall in honor of Dr. Silas Andrews who served for fifty years as minister (1831-1881). In the fall of 2011, an eighteen-month project ended that included the expansion of Andrews Hall, renovation of the sanctuary, and construction of an enclosed bridge connecting the two buildings. At the same time, a new mission statement was approved declaring our ongoing resolve to be a "Bridge for Christ and a Beacon of His Love."
Since Dr. Andrews' ministry, the congregation has been served by the Reverends: William A. Patton, 1881-1890; W. Hayes Moore, 1890-1897; Robert M. Labaree, 1899-1904; John M. Waddell, 1904-1907; William E. Steckel, 1908-1920; George M. Whitenack, 1921-1937; Meyer M. Hostetter, 1938-1957; Dr. Thomas S. Goslin II, 1957-1967; George M. Haines, 1968-1970; Kenneth H. Hollenbaugh, 1971-1976; Dr. William C. Barger, 1978-2000; Dr. John M. Willingham, 2003-present.
Dawn Razer is coming to Ostara's Altar. Comes in sheer and solid for the Maitreya, Slink and Belleza Mesh bodies. Eight colors in one hud.
España - Ciudad Real - Viso del Marqués - Palacio del Marqués de Santa Cruz
***
ENGLISH:
It was built at the end of the 16th century by Álvaro de Bazán, first Marquis of Santa Cruz. It is currently the headquarters of the General Archive of the Navy.
It is one of the two palaces built by this sailor, knight of the Order of Santiago, captain of the Ocean Sea and admiral of the Spanish Navy. It is located next to the church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, and since 1948 it has been rented by its owners, the Marquises of Santa Cruz, to the Spanish Navy, who first used it as a Museum of the Spanish Navy and later expanded its functions by also establishing the General Archive of the Navy.
The building was frequented by the first marquis thanks to its location, halfway between Madrid, where the Court was, and Seville, whose port he often went to as the Spanish Navy was anchored there, of which he was admiral during the reign of Philip II.
The palace was nearly destroyed by the Austrian troops of Edward Hamilton during the War of the Spanish Succession at the beginning of the 18th century, but was saved by the actions of the Marquis's chaplain, the poet Carlos de Praves, thanks to whom we can admire it today. It suffered some damage due to the Lisbon earthquake in 1755, which collapsed the ceiling of the hall of honour, where the great fresco depicting the Battle of Lepanto had been painted, and toppled the four corner towers, which the chronicles of Philip II described as magnificent.
In it we can find maritime objects from the period. A figurehead belonging to a ship commanded by the Marquis is noteworthy. During the War of Independence, the French razed it, and by the time the Civil War came it had served as a granary, school, stable, prison and hospital, until in 1948 and at the request of Julio Guillén Tato, director of the Naval Museum, Mrs. Casilda de Silva Fdez. de Henestrosa, descendant of Álvaro de Bazán, rented it to the Navy for 90 years as a museum-archive, which is its current function. Also, in the adjoining parish church there is a 4m long stuffed crocodile attached to one of the vaults, which was offered by the Marquis as a votive offering upon his return from one of his voyages.
Between March and April 1823, King Ferdinand VII spent the night there, after leaving Madrid for Seville, before the entry of the French contingent called the Hundred Thousand Sons of Saint Louis, about whose stay Ferdinand VII did not write a word in his travel diary. The palace was declared a National Monument in 1931 and was restored from 1948 by the Navy under the direction of Admiral Guillén.
The palace was built between 1564 and 1586 with subsequent modifications. It is a square-shaped building in the Renaissance style, built around a Renaissance atrium with a recumbent tomb. The walls and ceilings are covered with frescoes with two themes: mythological scenes on the one hand and naval battles and Italian cities related to the military career of the Marquis and his family on the other. The frescoes are by Italian Mannerist painters, the Péroli family. Upon seeing them, Philip II commissioned them to do work for El Escorial and the Alcázar of Toledo.
For its construction, the Marquis hired a team of architects, painters and decorators who worked on the building from 1564 to 1586. For some, the design of the building was due to the Italian Giovanni Battista Castello, known as the Bergamasco, who later worked in El Escorial; for others, it was designed, at least in its original plan, by Enrique Egas el Mozo.
The architecture is perceived as typically Spanish, without Italian arches, with smooth walls and square towers at the corners, influenced by the austerity of El Escorial and the Alcázar of Toledo, within the harmonious relationships characteristic of the Renaissance. The central space is occupied by a porticoed courtyard that, together with the staircase, forms a typically mannerist ensemble understood as an elegant and courtly style that goes beyond the merely architectural framework.
***
ESPAÑOL:
Fue construido a finales del siglo XVI por Álvaro de Bazán, primer marqués de Santa Cruz. Actualmente es la sede del Archivo General de la Marina.
Se trata de uno de los dos palacios construidos este marino, caballero de la Orden de Santiago, capitán del Mar Océano y almirante de la Marina española. Está situado al lado de la iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, y desde el año 1948 es alquilado por parte de sus propietarios, los marqueses de Santa Cruz, a la Armada Española, quien primero lo destinó a Museo de la Marina Española y más tarde amplió sus funciones estableciendo también el Archivo General de la Marina.
El edificio era frecuentado por el primer marqués gracias a su ubicación, a medio camino entre Madrid, donde estaba la Corte, y Sevilla, a cuyo puerto acudía a menudo al mantener allí anclada la Armada Española, de la cual fue almirante durante el reinado de Felipe II.
El palacio estuvo a punto de ser destruido por las tropas austracistas de Edward Hamilton durante la Guerra de Sucesión Española a principios del siglo XVIII, salvándose por la actuación del capellán del marqués, el poeta Carlos de Praves, gracias a lo cual hoy podemos admirarlo. Sufrió algunos daños a causa del terremoto de Lisboa en 1755: el cual hundió el techo del salón de honor, donde se había pintado el gran fresco que representaba la batalla de Lepanto, y desmochó las cuatro torres de las esquinas, que las crónicas de Felipe II describían como magníficas.
En él podemos encontrar objetos marineros de la época. Llama la atención un mascarón de proa perteneciente a una nave que dirigió el marqués. Durante la Guerra de la Independencia, los franceses lo arrasaron, y para cuando llegó la Guerra Civil había servido de granero, colegio, establo, cárcel y hospital, hasta que en 1948 y a instancias de Julio Guillén Tato, director del Museo Naval, doña Casilda de Silva Fdez. de Henestrosa, descendiente de Álvaro de Bazán se lo rentó a la Armada por 90 años como museo-archivo, que es en la actualidad su función. Asimismo, en la iglesia parroquial aledaña hay un cocodrilo disecado de 4m de largo adosado a una de las bóvedas, que fue ofrecido por el marqués como exvoto al regreso de uno de sus viajes.
Entre marzo y abril de 1823, el rey Fernando VII pernoctó allí, tras abandonar Madrid rumbo a Sevilla, ante la entrada del contingente francés llamado los Cien Mil Hijos de San Luis, de cuya estancia Fernando VII no escribió ni una palabra en su diario del viaje. El palacio fue declarado Monumento Nacional en 1931 siendo restaurado a partir de 1948 por la Armada bajo la dirección del Almirante Guillén.
El palacio fue construido entre 1564 y 1586 con modificaciones posteriores, y se trata de un edificio de planta cuadrada y estilo renacentista articulado en torno a un atrio renacentista con una tumba yacente. Los muros y techos se hallan cubiertos de frescos de doble temática: por un lado, escenas mitológicas y, por otro, batallas navales y ciudades italianas relacionadas con la trayectoria militar del marqués y de sus familiares. Los frescos se deben a unos pintores manieristas italianos, los Péroli. Al verlos, Felipe II les encargaría trabajos para El Escorial y el Alcázar de Toledo.
Para su construcción, el marqués contrató a un equipo de arquitectos, pintores y decoradores que trabajaron en la obra desde 1564 hasta 1586. Para algunos, el diseño del edificio se debió al italiano Giovanni Battista Castello, conocido como el Bergamasco, que más tarde trabajó en El Escorial; para otros lo trazó, al menos en su plan original, Enrique Egas el Mozo.
La arquitectura se percibe como típica española, sin las arquerías italianas, con paramentos lisos y torres cuadradas en las esquinas, influidos por la austeridad de El Escorial y el Alcázar de Toledo, dentro de las relaciones armónicas características del Renacimiento. El espacio central está ocupado por un patio porticado que junto con la escalera forma un conjunto típicamente manierista entendido como estilo elegante y cortesano que desborda el marco meramente arquitectónico.
I have titled this series Romanesque England, and so far it does correspond fairly well to what we have seen. Today however, and for the last church in the series, we visit a truly pre-Romanesque wonder, which also claims to be the oldest wooden church in the world: Saint Andrew in the hamlet of Greensted-juxta-Ongar (isn’t that a delicious name in and of itself?) in Essex.
There have been various attempts at dendrochronology dating on the timbers, bringing back results ranging from 845 to 1055 (the latter with a margin of error of 10 to 55 years). The differing results are not surprising: even though the best oak wood was certainly selected for the walls, it is to be expected that a lesser specimen went undetected and had to be replaced a couple hundred years down the road. The oldest parts (the walls of the nave) indeed appear to be what we in Continental Europe would call Carolingian, and even though that church was subjected to a lot of later alterations (the chancel is 16th century and the wooden tower 17th), it retains a unique and enormously attractive atmosphere as an ancient place of worship. The southern porch and three dormer windows were also added during the 17th century, and unfortunately further remodeled during the extensive Victorian “restoration” this church had to undergo —or should I say withstand?
Archæologists even tell us that a previous, very basic church, probably existed here as early as the late 500s, as traces of it have been found under the present chancel, which replaced an earlier, timber-made one. It may even have succeeded a more ancient, and Pagan, place of worship: early Christianity is known for having so “appropriated” (or should I say “expropriated”?) temples and oratories of cults it sought to replace. Building a church over them was a convenient way to obliterate previous constructions, effectively wiping them from the sight of the next generation —and generational succession happened quickly in those times when life was terribly short. Memory often remained through spoken tradition, though, and sometimes still remains to this day, albeit deformed by the many retellings...
Most of the generations that came before, say, the second half of the 20th century, either didn’t care about maintaining old buildings they inherited from their forefathers, or didn’t know how to do the job properly. They razed and replaced, or they maimed and rent, however well-intentioned they may have been. Considering, it is kind of miraculous that this extremely old church, even more so as it is made of a material not as durable as stone, has managed to reach our times relatively unscathed, at least as far as the nave is concerned.
This is a must-see for anyone interested in the Middle Ages, a truly unique survivor of Carolingian times... even if finding it isn’t the easiest thing, even with a good satnav!
Inside the venerable nave, managing to “unsee” all the ugliness superimposed by modernizers and other “restorators” is not easy, but try and focus on the splendid wood frame, which does indeed show, maybe, some inspiration from Scandinavian countries, as some authors think that was where this church got some of its stylistic flair...
My keyboard setup for my PC games. I have an external keyboard on my left hand and my mouse has 12 numerical buttons on the side. I thought it would be fun to get a picture of my setup in the dark, i had a mini flashlight light up my hand through the exposure.
F 4.8
6 "
ISO 100
And edit of the first Raze shot, cropped. Thank to Ted and Lynn for the advice! I think it does look better now.