Album Art Nouveau - Jugenstil - Modernisme from Martin M. Miles

Nicosia

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sun, 10 May 2026 20:24:53 +0000

Many houses in the old part of Nicosia needs a renovation with tender loving care

North Nicosia - Bandabuliya Municipal Bazaar

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Wed, 06 May 2026 13:34:11 +0000

As early as the Venetian period (1489–1570), the area around St. Sophia's Cathedral—today's Selimiye Mosque—developed into one of Nicosia's most important trading centers.

The Bandabuliya municipal bazaar continues this tradition and was built during the British colonial period. After a period of decline, the market was renovated in the 2010s and closed at the end of December.

Nicosia - Art Deco

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 20:54:23 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Nicosia (aka Lefkosia) is the capital of Cyprus. Its northern part is the de facto capital of Northern Cyprus. Nicosia has been continuously inhabited for over 5,500 years. The town has been documented since the 7th century BC under the name of was Ledra.

By the 4th century, the town had become the seat of a bishopric. Following the destruction of Cyprus's coastal settlements during Arab raids in 647, the inland towns gained in relative significance. The town developed sufficiently for the Byzantine Empire to select Nicosia as the capital of the island around 965.
In 1191, Richard the Lionheart conquered Cyprus during the Third Crusade. In 1192, he sold the island to Guy of Lusignan. Therefore, from 1192 to 1489, the island was under the control of the House of Lusignan as the Kingdom of Cyprus.

In 1489 Cyprus came under the rule of the Republic of Venice. Due to the Ottoman threat in 1567, the Venetians built new fortifications in Nicosia. The new walls took the shape of a star with eleven bastions. The design of the bastion is more suitable for artillery and a better control for the defenders.
With the capture of Famagusta in 1571, all of Cyprus came under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Nicosia remained the island's capital during this time and served as the administrative center.

Following the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, the Sultan ceded Cyprus to Great Britain.
In 1960, Nicosia became the capital of the Republic of Cyprus, a state established by the Greek and Turkish Cypriots. In 1974, there was a coup d'état led by the Greek military junta to unite the island with Greece. The coup ousted president Makarios III and precipitated the invasion of the island by the Turkish army. The Turkish army advanced their positions, eventually capturing 37% of Cypriot territory including the northern part of Nicosia.

Today, Nicosia is divided by the Green Line into a Greek Cypriot and a Turkish Cypriot quarter, which is monitored by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force.

An obviously abandoned Art Deco-style building

Larnaca - Rex

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 19:30:35 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

With a population of over 50,000, Larnaca is one of the largest cities in Cyprus.

After the previous cinema, “Salon Pink,” burned down in 1948, the new Rex cinema was built in 1950, but it ceased regular cinema operations in 2018.

The municipality of Larnaca intends to convert the building into the “Larnaca Film Center.” Renovations are planned, but the characteristic retro façade will be preserved.

Reims - Cinéma Opéra

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 14:56:52 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

The original cinema, destroyed in a bombing raid in 1912, was rebuilt in 1922 with an Art Deco and Art Nouveau facade. The cinema is the work of architects Émile Thion and Marcel Rousseau.

From 2017 to 2019, the cinema was rebuilt approximately one kilometer to the northeast. This resulted in a larger and more modern multiplex cinema with eleven screens.

In 2021, an apartment building was constructed on the site of the former cinema, necessitating the partial demolition of the old cinema, although the listed facade was largely preserved.

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Over the years, I have already added many photos taken in and around the stunning Reims Cathedral. I will not be adding any more.

Paris - La Samaritaine

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 20:03:57 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Paris is the capital and largest city of France, with over 2 million inhabitants and more than 13 million in the greater metropolitan area.

La Samaritaine has been a Parisian department store since 1869.

Since 2001, it has been owned by the luxury goods group LVMH.
La Samaritaine was closed in 2005 due to fire safety regulations and subsequently renovated. It reopened in 2021.

Paris - La Samaritaine

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 19:38:28 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Toulouse - Hôtel Central des Postes

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 20:48:02 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Toulouse, then known as Tolose, was an important Gallic city. It became part of the Roman Empire under the name of Tolosa. It was the capital of the province of Gallia Narbonensis, situated between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. From the 4th century onward, Toulouse was the seat of the Archdiocese of Toulouse.

In 413, Toulouse became part of the Visigothic Kingdom. In 507, following the Visigoths' defeat by the Franks, the Visigothic kingdom of Toulouse came to an end. In 721, the city was unsuccessfully besieged by Arabs for several months. Upto 843, Toulouse was the seat of the Kingdom of Aquitaine, after which the independent County of Toulouse was established, a center of Languedoc culture.

In 1208 Pope Innocent III called for a crusade against the Albigensians, during which the city was plundered. In 1228, after a grueling and destructive war of almost 20 years, Raymond VII of Toulouse gave up resistance and signed the Treaty of Paris.

During the Renaissance, Toulouse was one of the wealthiest cities in France. Woad a plant that at the time provided the only stable blue dye, thrived well in the near Lauragais region. The city's dominant market position gradually ended after 1550, when the Portuguese began importing the more affordable indigo from their colonies.

The main post office is a reinforced concrete structure designed and built in 1932 by architect Léon Jaussely. The pink facing bricks and bands of glass blend and interpenetrate in the Art Deco style.

Rodez - Paul Fraysse

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 19:15:47 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

With about 25,000 inhabitants, Rodez is today the economic and cultural center of the Aveyron department.

The city has a history spanning over 2,000 years and was known as Segodunum under the Romans. After the Romans, Rodez was occupied by the Visigoths, the Franks, the armies of the Dukes of Aquitaine and the Counts of Toulouse, and by the Moors, who besieged the city in 725 and destroyed the old church. Several centuries later, the English besieged the city during the Hundred Years' War.

Today there two universities here, whose more than 3000 students bring life to the city.

In the early 1900s Paul Fraysse probably had the nicest shoe shop in town.

Rodez - La Poste

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 21:32:09 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

With about 25,000 inhabitants, Rodez is today the economic and cultural center of the Aveyron department.

The city has a history spanning over 2,000 years and was known as Segodunum under the Romans. After the Romans, Rodez was occupied by the Visigoths, the Franks, the armies of the Dukes of Aquitaine and the Counts of Toulouse, and by the Moors, who besieged the city in 725 and destroyed the old church. Several centuries later, the English besieged the city during the Hundred Years' War.

Today there are many museums and two universities here, whose more than 3000 students bring life to the city.

The Main Post Office

Carcassonne - La Maison de L' Ambassadeur

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 21:13:54 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Built in 1740, the Ambassador's House is a significant building in Carcassonne. Its unique Art Nouveau facade was added in 1910. The house owes its name to the French ambassador to Finland, who lived there and gave it to his wife in the early 20th century.

Today tourists can rent the building.
There are 8 bedrooms, 3 living rooms, 8 bathrooms and 1 kitchen

ambassadeurcarcassonne.com

Montdidier - Cinema

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 21:32:16 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Montdidier - Hôtel de Ville

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 20:07:38 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

The name of the town "Montdidier" comes from the fact that in 774 Didier, king of the Lombards defeated by Charlemagne, and his wife "Desiderada" were imprisoned on an estate belonging to the Abbey of Corbie, which was situated on a hill on the site where the town was later built, which was given the name "Montdidier".

The original town hall was destroyed in the First World War. The current town hall is a brick building in the Art Deco style with stepped gables and a wavy brick pattern. It was built between 1927 and 1930 according to designs by the architects Charles Duval and Emmanuel Gonse.

Inside the town hall

Montdidier - Hôtel de Ville

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 19:11:56 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Dortmund - Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 20:09:30 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

The Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte (Museum of Art and Cultural History) is currently located in an Art Deco building which was formerly the Dortmund Savings Bank, erected in 1924.

The collection ranges from prehistoric and early history to the 20th century.

Émile Gallé (1846 - 1904), c 1902

Dumfries

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 20:07:30 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

In 1069, Malcolm Canmore (aka Malcolm III of Scotland) and William the Conqueror held a conference about Edgar Ætheling's claims to the English crown. They met at Abernithi. This may have been here. About 2 km upstream, Lincluden Abbey was founded around 1160. In 1186, Dumfries was granted the rights of a Royal Burgh.

Robert the Bruce, the future King of Scotland, arrived in Dumfries on 10 February 1306 with information that John Comyn was also there. The two met for a private conversation in the Franciscan church there. Bruce accused Comyn of betraying him, but Comyn denied this. Filled with anger, Bruce drew his dagger and seriously wounded his opponent. As Bruce fled the church in fear, his companion Sir Roger de Kirkpatrick entered the building, found Comyn still alive and killed him, saying "I mak siccar" (in Scots, this means "I'll play it safe"). This remains the Kirkpatrick family motto to this day.
The Midsteeple is the former town hall. At the beginning of the 18th century, it was decided to replace the city's old town hall with a new building. Construction began in 1705 and lasted until 1707. The Midsteeple was redesigned and modernized several times over the centuries. By the early 20th century, the building was no longer used as a town hall.

The Art Deco building at Great King Street was for sale in 2022

Llanes - Casino de Llanes

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 21:05:36 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Parts of the preserved city wall of Llanes date back to 1206, the year in which the city was granted city rights by King Alfonso IX. Llanes is a traditional fishing port, with an active harbour. Meanwhile Llanes economy is boosted by tourists as there are a lot of large and small beaches nearby.

During the Civil War, there was an airfield south-east of Llanes from where the German Condor Legion flew attacks. The aeroplanes that bombed Guernica took off from here.
The Casino is located in the centre of the town where the municipal market used to be held. This building was constructed in 1910 by the Sociedad Casino de Llanes.

At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a desire for a dignified place of recreation that led to the construction of this building. The casino reflects the exoticism that was typical and stands out from the houses in Llanes. It shows a preference for early 20th century modernism, which is reflected in the decorative elements of the façade, with ornate balconies, panelling with plant ornaments and female masks, with a general preference for the visual overload typical of the Baroque style.

Oviedo - Mantequería Loli Arrieta

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 21:09:14 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Oviedo was founded on a hill that the Romans called Ovetao. The monks Máximo and Fromestano founded a monastery on the Roman road in 761 and built a hermitage. Later, two dozen monks from the Muslim south joined the founders and, according to a document, chose Fromestano as their first abbot. They were under the protection of Fruela I, who chose the place as a residence for his wife Munia, who gave birth here to their son and later King Alfonso II.

Alfonso II (aka "the Chaste", "el Casto" moved the capital here in 812 and made Oviedo the seat of the bishopric. In 912, however, Oviedo lost its function as capital to León under García I in the course of the reconquest. Alfonso II fortified Oviedo and furnished it with palaces and churches.

During his reign, a tomb attributed to St James the Elder was discovered in Santiago de Compostela in 812. The king travelled from Oviedo to Santiago and is said to have been the first pilgrim to Santiago. He is also said to have opened the first Way of St James, the Camino Primitivo. Until the city of León was established as both the capital of the Kingdom of León and the nexus of a safe route — the Camino Francés — the Camino Primitivo remained the most frequented route for those going to Santiago.

I learned, that Mantequería Loli Arrieta is one of the very best bakeries in Oviedo.

Chaves

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sun, 15 Sep 2024 22:00:45 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

People have lived in this area since the Neolithic period, but it has been continuously inhabited since the conquest by Roman legions, who established an outpost and took over the existing castros in the area. It developed into a military centre known for its baths. The Romans built defensive walls, spanned the river with a bridge, and exploited the local mines. The importance of the town led to it being elevated to the status of a city in 79 AD, during the reign of the first Flavian Caesar, which was also reflected in its name, Aquae Flaviae.

Rome's hegemony lasted until the 3rd century, when, successively, the Suebi and Visigoths as well as the Alani colonized the settlements of Chaves. The area surrendered to Islamic forces at around 714-716. The city was conquered by Alfonso I of Asturias in 773 and repopulated in 868 by Alfonso III of Asturias. Battles between Christian and Muslim forces then continued until the 11th century, when Alfonso V of León permanently reconquered Coimbra, establishing a firm buffer-zone to the south. He reconstructed, settled and encircled the settlement of Chaves with walls, in addition to establishing a Jewish quarter in the community. It was in the reign of Afonso I of Portugal that it was taken from León and firmly integrated into the Kingdom of Portugal domain (1160). Owing to its geographic location King Denis, ordered the construction of a castle to protect the kingdom's border.

Vila Real

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 19:20:31 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Vila Real (population 17,500) is located on a plateau above the headland formed by the gorges of the rivers Corgo and Cabril. This is where the oldest part of the town is located, framed by the slopes of the Corgo gorge.

The area has been inhabited since the Palaeolithic period. The rock sanctuary of Panóias bears witness to the presence of the Romans. However, during the migration period and the Muslim invasion, the area gradually became depopulated.

At the end of the 11th century the colonisation of the region was encouraged. It was not until 1289 that a charter from King D. Dinis founded the royal town of Panóias, which became the current town.