Contributions of the group Directly from below - Admin Wanted - Archived

On the Pergola

nobody@ipernity.com (Bruce Dean (Puchinpappy)) — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 07:12:00 +0000

A grape leaf under the covering on the pergola.

Kraków - Kościół ŚŚ Piotra i Pawła

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 20:47:37 +0000

A legend attributes Kraków's founding to the mythical ruler Krakus, who built it above a cave occupied by a dragon, Smok Wawelski. The first written record dates to 965, when Kraków was described as a notable commercial center captured by a Bohemian duke Boleslaus I in 955. The first ruler of Poland, Mieszko I, took Kraków from the Bohemians.

In 1038, Kraków became the seat of the Polish government. By the end of the 10th century, the city was a center of trade. Brick buildings were constructed, including the Royal Wawel Castle. The city was sacked and burned during the Mongol invasion of 1241. It was rebuilt and incorporated in 1257 by Bolesław V the Chaste who introduced city rights. In 1259, the city was again ravaged by the Mongols. The third attack in 1287 was repelled thanks in part to the newly built fortifications.

The city rose to prominence in 1364, when Casimir III founded the University of Kraków, the second oldest university in central Europe. But after Casimir´s death in 1370 the campus did not get completed.

As the capital of the Kingdom of Poland and a member of the Hanseatic League, the city attracted craftsmen from abroad, guilds as science and the arts began to flourish. The 15th and 16th centuries are known as Poland's "Złoty Wiek" (Golden Age).

After childless King Sigismund II had died in 1572, the Polish throne passed to Henry III of France and then to other foreign-based rulers in rapid succession, causing a decline in the city's importance that was worsened by pillaging during the Swedish invasion and by an outbreak of bubonic plague that left 20,000 of the city's residents dead. In 1596, Sigismund III of the House of Vasa moved the capital of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from Kraków to Warsaw.
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The Baroque church of St. Peter and Paul stands next to the Romanesque church of St. Andrew (previous uploads). It was donated to the Jesuit order by Sigismund III. Wasa and designed on the model of the Roman church Il Gesù. It was completed in 1635 and was the first Baroque building in Krakow.

The church is a cruciform basilica with a dome over the crossing.

Limoges - Limoges-Bénédictins

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 10:24:49 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

The "Gare de Limoges-Bénédictins" is the main railway station of Limoges. It was named Bénédictins due to the presence of a Benedictine monastery closed during the French Revolution. The first railway line was opened in the 1850s, the wooden station got replaced by a stone-building in 1860. In 1918 an agreement was signed regarding the construction of a new station. Work lasted from 1924 and 1929.

The station, a kind of temple of a new age, was designed by architect Roger Gonthier.

Kloster Raitenhaslach

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sat, 30 Jan 2021 22:00:44 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

The Raitenhaslach monastery was founded in 1143. The water-rich location was ideal for the specific cultivation by the Cistercians, including in the form of pond management. The Cistercians ate a meat-free diet as pescetarians, so a sufficient supply of water and the possibility of extensive fish farming were essential. The monastery´s property grew rapidly through donations. It owned a number of villages and even a winery in what is now Lower Austria.

The House of Wittelsbach, residing in the nearby Burghausen castle, took on the role of sponsor and caretaker of the monastery in the mid 13th century. In the 15th century the monastery church served as a burial place for the ducal family from Burghausen, and at the beginning of the 16th century it was particularly Ludwig "the Rich" who supported the monastery in the fight against the Reformation.

Over the centuries, the monastery has been rebuilt and expanded several times. Construction activity was very lively in the 18th century, when the monastery church was given its present form for the 600th anniversary of the order and was converted from a Romanesque basilica into a Baroque church.

In 1803 the monastery was dissolved in the course of secularization, but only the lucrative parts of the monastery, such as the brewery, could be sold, the majority of the buildings were demolished. The immense inventory were sold to the highest bidder. Furniture and art objects to wealthy citizens and the nobility, and agricultural equipment to farmers in the area.

Looking up to the ceiling is - breathtaking.

Napoli - Galleria Umberto I

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 09:44:25 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Napoli is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy. Its metropolitan area has a population of more than 3 million.

Founded by Greek settlers before 900 BC, Napoli was an important part of Magna Graecia and played a major role in the merging of Greek and Roman society.

Following the decline of the Western Roman Empire Napoli was shortly ruled by the Ostrogoths. Byzantine troops captured the city in 536m but after the Byzantine exarchate Ravenna fell a Duchy of Naples was created. Over centuries the Duchy´s relations to Rome or Byzanz were hard-fought. In 836 Napoli could repel a siege of Lombard troops with the help of the Saracens, what did not prevent Muhammad I Abu 'l-Abbas in the 850s loot Napoli. In the 11th century, the Duchy hired Norman mercenaries and about 1140 it came under Norman control under Roger II, then King of Sicily.

In 1228 Emperor Frederick II founded the first university in Europe here, making Napoli the intellectual centre of the kingdom. The conflict between the House of Hohenstaufen and the Papacy led in 1266 to Pope Innocent IV crowning the Angevin duke Charles I King of Sicily. Charles officially moved the capital from Palermo to Napoli.

In 1282 after the "Sicilian Vespers", a successful rebellion on the island of Sicily against the rule of King Charles I, the Kingdom of Sicily was divided into two. The Angevin Kingdom of Naples included the southern part of the Italian peninsula, while the island of Sicily became the Aragonese Kingdom of Sicily.

By the 17th century, Naples had become Europe's second-largest city – second only to Paris – with around 250000 inhabitants.

Galleria Umberto I is a shopping gallery, located across from the San Carlo opera house. The galleria was built 1887–1891 during the rebuilding of Napoli, after cholera had hit Napoli severely in 1884. The time was called the "risanamento". Galleria Umberto I was designed by Emanuele Rocco and is reminiscent of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milano.

The giant dome.

Molfetta - Duomo di San Corrado

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 14:21:13 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Molfetta was probably been founded by the Greeks around the 4th century BC. Later it was Roman and after the fall of the Roman Empire, it was ruled by the Goths, who reinforced the city walls in the response of raids of Saracene pirates. The settlement developed under the alternate dominion of the Byzantines and Longobards. The Normans occupied Molfetta mid 11th century. Under the Norman rule, Molfetta became, just like Bari and Brindisi, an important starting point during the period of the crusades. Hospitals got erected to care for returning crusaders and hospices to host people heading to the "Holy Land".

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The "Duomo di San Corrado" was erected between the second half of the 12th and the first half of the 13th century on a cliff overlooking the sea. First dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta, it is now dedicated to "San Corrado", patron saint of Molfetta.

San Conrado (aka "Conrad of Bavaria", "Konrad von Bayern") was a son of Henry the Black, Duke of Bavaria. Conrad was a disciple of Bernard of Clairvaux and a Cistercian monk. He journeyed to the "Holy Land" with the purpose of living there as a hermit but had to return. Returning to Apulia he stopped near Bari, where he lived as a hermit.

The Duomo is a very special example of Apulian Romanesque architecture, as it is the largest of the Romanesque churches with the central nave covered with three domes. The diameter of the largest dome is about 8 metres.

Nouaillé-Maupertuis - Abbaye Saint-Junien

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sat, 02 May 2020 15:53:39 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

The abbey was founded at the end of the 7th century by monks from the abbey Saint-Hilaire de Poitiers. In the early years only a small convent existed, dependent from the abbey in Poitiers, just 15kms away. Since 830, when the remains of Saint Junien de Poitou (once befriended with Queen Radegunde) were transferred to the convent, it is known as "Abbaye Saint-Junien". At that time a church was built, equipped with a crypt, to receive the relics.

In the 11th century, under the protection of the Counts of Poitou, the abbey prospered and restorations were undertaken. In the 12th century, the vaulted nave was completed and the belltower got erected.

During the 100 Years´ War, it was necessary to fortify the abbey. Walls and ditches surrounded the complex in the 14th century. After a century of prosperity, when again buildings got added, the Wars of Religion started and during the siege of Poitiers in 1569, the Protestant army of Gaspard II de Coligny pillaged and burned the abbey. When the troops left choir and cloister were gone, while the nave was relatively spared.

The restoration of the damage took a century. In 1734 the abbey only had seven monks, in 1790, when the Revolution had taken over there were only four. The abbey was sold in 1792, the church since then serves the parish. Today large parts are privately owned.

Staring up - into the 12th century tower.

Cahors - Cathédrale Saint-Étienne

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 23:00:05 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

The Cahors Cathedral was erected between 1080 and 1135. It got consecrated by Pope Calixtus II in 1119. The same pope, who two years later could imprison his rival "Antipope" Gregory VIII. Four years later, Calixtus ended the Investiture Controversy by agreeing with Emperor Henry V on the Concordat of Worms.

During the times of medieval pilgrimage, this cathedral was an important place on the "Via Podiensis", as the "Sainte Coiffe" could be venerated here. This "Holy Headdress" was believed to have been used during Jesus' burial. Legends tell, that it had been given to the Bishop of Cahors by Charlemagne, but what is more likely it was brought to Cahors by Bishop Gerard de Cardillac after his trip to the Holy Land in 1113. A relic similar to the "Shroud of Turin"..

A prominent feature of the cathedral are the two domes over the (a third one collapsed in the 13th century). Here is one. The paintings were coated with plaster and got rediscovered in the 19th century. Seen in the centre is the martyrdom of Saint Steven (Stephanus, Etienne) to whom the church is dedicated.

Uppsala Cathedral, Sweden

nobody@ipernity.com (Pilago) — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 09:16:48 +0000

Pilago has posted:

A church of the Church of Sweden, the national church, in the Lutheran tradition, Uppsala Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Uppsala, the primate of Sweden. It is also the burial site of King Eric IX (c. 1120-1160, reigned 1156-1160), who became the patron saint of the nation, and it was the traditional location for the coronation of new Kings of Sweden.

Münster, Diözesanbibliothek

nobody@ipernity.com (Pilago) — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 18:39:21 +0000

Pilago has posted:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Frederikskirche (Marmorkirche), Frederiks Kirke, Kopenhagen

nobody@ipernity.com (Pilago) — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 08:41:44 +0000

Pilago has posted:

Evangelische Kirche aus dem 18. Jh. mit der größten Kuppel Skandinaviens

Asti - Collegiata di San Secondo

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 10:48:50 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

A city named "Hasta" evolved from a Roman camp and received the status of a "municipium" in 49BC.

After the fall of the Western Empire and the invasion of the Visigoths, the importance of the city declined.

In 774 the Franks conquered Northern Italy and in the late Carolingian age Asti was ruled directly by the bishops, who were the main landlords of the area.

The bishopric of Asti remained a powerful entity well into the 11th century, when Pietro II received privileges by emperor Henry II. In the second half of the century, Bishop Otto tried to resist the aims of the powerful countess Adelaide of Susa, who damaged the city several times. During Otto's reign, a commune and the consul magistrates are mentioned for the first time (1095) and make this City-State the first republic of Europe. In 1140 Asti received the right to mint coins of its own by Conrad II.

As the commune, however, had begun to erode the lands of the bishop, he sued for help to Frederick Barbarossa, who arrived with a huge army in February 1155. After a short siege, Asti was stormed and burnt.
Subsequently, in 1169 Asti adhered to the Lombard League against the Barbarossa, but was again defeated in 1174.

The following century Asti saw the peak of economic and cultural splendour, trying to gain control over the trade routes leading northwards from the Ligurian ports. This period resulted in conflicts between Guelph and Ghibelline supporters. During the wars led by Emperor Frederick II the city chose his side. Asti was defeated by the Guelphs, but thanks to Genoese help, it recovered easily. After Frederick's death, the struggle against the Ghibelline House of Savoy became fierce, what after the "Battle of Montebruno" (1255) led to the intervention of Charles I of Anjou, then King of Naples and the most powerful man in Italy. Asti and its allies were victorious over the Angevins at the Battle of Roccavione (1275), ending Charles' attempt to expand in Piedmont.

The Collegiate Church of San Secondo, patron saint of the city, is one of the oldest Gothic churches in Asti. According to tradition the church was built on the site of the saint´s martyrdom and burial.

The oldest document mentioning the church dates back to 880.
Within the 10th century first works to enlarge the church were carried out.

In 1256 the chapter of the Canons decreed the beginning of the construction of the present church. Only the Romanesque bell tower remained of the old building. The work continued throughout the century, until the second half of the 14th century. In 1440, the church was completed. Under the crossing dome.

Novara - Baptistery

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Tue, 03 Dec 2019 16:52:10 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Ancient Novara, which dates to the time of the Ligures and the Celts, was a "municipium", that got its name, by the Romans, when the local Gauls obtained the Roman citizenship. It was destroyed by in 386 by Magnus Maximus, rebuilt by Theodosius I., in 405 sacked by Gothic king Radagaisus and again by Attila in 452.

Under the Lombards, Novara became a duchy; under Charles III (aka "Charles the Fat"), emperor of the Carolingian Empire, a countship. In 1110, it was conquered by Henry V and destroyed, but in 1167 it joined the Lombard League. At the end of the 12th century, it accepted the protection of Milan and became practically a dominion of the Visconti and later of the Sforza. In the Battle of Novara in 1513, Swiss mercenaries defending Novara routed the French troops besieging the city. This ended the French invasion of Italy in the "War of the Holy League".

Novara was the centre of a bishopric already within the 4th century. A large cathedral was erected within the 11th century. It was demolished in the mid-19th century to make way for the current Neo-Classical structure, built 1863 - 1869.

The baptistery was spared from Antonelli´s renovation. It is the earliest Christian monument in Novara, dating back to the early 5th century, built on a side already occupied in Roman times. Standing inside - the dome.

Carignano - Duomo di Carignano

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Mon, 09 Dec 2019 16:37:11 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

The "Duomo di Carignano" (aka "Duomo Santi Giovanni Battista e Remigio") was erected 1757 - 1767 after the preceding Gothic church on the same spot had been demolished. The Baroque church was designed by Benedetto Alfieri and has a unique layout. The structure is a kind of "part-rotunda", as the layout is based on a segment of a circle.

Pure

nobody@ipernity.com (Gisela Plewe) — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 19:36:51 +0000

Gisela Plewe has posted:

Casalvecchio Siculo - Santi Pietro e Paolo d'Agrò

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Thu, 14 Nov 2019 11:44:20 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, has a long history, that starts around 8000 BC, but later there were Phoenician, Carthaginian, Greek and Roman periods. After the Roman Empire had fallen apart the Vandals tried to take over the island but failed. Finally, the Ostrogoths took possession.

Mid of the 6th century Sicily was conquered by troops of the Byzantine Empire. After the advent of Islam, Sicily got attacked by the Arab forces. Raids seeking loot continued until the mid-8th century.

A Muslim army was sent to the island in 827 but met with much resistance. So it took a century to conquer it and even later revolts constantly occurred

In 1038 the Byzantines invaded the island supported by Norman mercenaries, led by Roger. In 1072, after the siege of Palermo, most of Sicily was under Norman control. Roger´s son Roger II raised the status +of the island to a kingdom in 1130. During this period, the Kingdom of Sicily was prosperous and powerful,

The court of Roger II became melting out of culture from Europe and the Middle East. This attracted scholars, scientists, artists, and artisans. Muslims, Jews, Greeks, Lombards, and Normans cooperated and created some extraordinary buildings.

In 1186 the last descendant of Roger, Constance of Sicily married Emperor Henry VI, the second son of Barbarossa. So the crown of Sicily was passed on to the Hohenstaufen Dynasty. Frederick II, the only son of Constance, was crowned King of Sicily at the age of four in 1198. He became "Stupor Mundi", one of the greatest and most cultured men of the Middle Ages.

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Santi Pietro e Paolo d'Agrò is located very remote and not easy to find. The church, one of the foremost examples of Norman architecture on the island, was built in 1116/1117 replacing a 6th century building destroyed in battles between Islamic and Christian rulers.

It belonged to a Greek Orthodox Basilian monastery to which Roger II transferred property to finance the reconstruction in 1116. A Greek inscription tells, that the damage caused by the earthquake of 1169 was repaired 1172 by "Gherardo il Franco".

The church is about 11 metres wide, 20 metres long and 17 metres high. It is characterised by its block-like form, but the facade is richly decorated. Inside, the church has the plan of a basilica with three aisles. Two domes rise from the central nave, one above its centre and one above the choir.

The block-like form is reminiscent of North African architecture while the floor plan is similar to the way churches were built in the Byzantine tradition.

Palermo - San Cataldo

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 21:10:52 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, has a long history, that starts around 8000 BC, but later there were Phoenician, Carthaginian, Greek and Roman periods. After the Roman Empire had fallen apart the Vandals tried to take over the island but failed. Finally, the Ostrogoths took possession.

Mid of the 6th century Sicily was conquered by troops of the Byzantine Empire. After the advent of Islam, Sicily got attacked by the Arab forces. Raids seeking loot continued until the mid-8th century.

A Muslim army was sent to the island in 827 but met with much resistance. So it took a century to conquer it and even later revolts constantly occurred

In 1038 the Byzantines invaded the island supported by Norman mercenaries, led by Roger. In 1072, after the siege of Palermo, most of Sicily was under Norman control. Roger´s son Roger II raised the status +of the island to a kingdom in 1130. During this period, the Kingdom of Sicily was prosperous and powerful,

The court of Roger II became melting out of culture from Europe and the Middle East. This attracted scholars, scientists, artists, and artisans. Muslims, Jews, Greeks, Lombards, and Normans cooperated and created some extraordinary buildings.

In 1186 the last descendant of Roger, Constance of Sicily married Emperor Henry VI, the second son of Barbarossa. So the crown of Sicily was passed on to the Hohenstaufen Dynasty. Frederick II, the only son of Constance, was crowned King of Sicily at the age of four in 1198. He became "Stupor Mundi", one of the greatest and most cultured men of the Middle Ages.

Palermo, founded in 734 BC by the Phoenicians, became a possession of Carthage and later was part of the Roman Empire. From 831 to 1072 the city was under Arab rule. Following the Norman conquest, Palermo became the capital of a new Kingdom of Sicily and the capital of the Holy Roman Empire under Emperor Frederick II and King Conrad IV.

The Church of San Cataldo is located at Piazza Bellini next to "Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio", better known under the name the Martorana. The church was erected 1154-1160 as the private church of Maio of Bari, Admiral of King William I (aka "William the Wicked"). At that time it was part of a palace-complex, that no longer exists.

The church is a typical example of the Arab-Norman architecture. It has a rectangular floor plan with blind arches. The roof has three characteristics red, hemispherical domes and Arab-style merlons. All around under the roof runs a long inscription in Kufic script.

In 1182 William II donated the church to the Benedictine community in Monreale.

In the 19th century the building was used as a post office. Since 1938 it is owned by the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

Inside the pavilion

nobody@ipernity.com (Adam *) — Sat, 22 Jun 2019 16:43:32 +0000

Adam * has posted:

Temporary pavilion designed by Juniya Ishigami for the annual Sepentine Gallery architectural event. See: www.serpentinegalleries.org/exhibitions-events/serpentine-pavilion-2019-designed-junya-ishigami

Sunrise

nobody@ipernity.com (Gisela Plewe) — Sun, 05 May 2019 23:03:57 +0000

Gisela Plewe has posted:

Pinhole Tulips under the Tree (without lens)

nobody@ipernity.com (Gisela Plewe) — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 07:23:55 +0000

Gisela Plewe has posted:

Lochkamera-Aufnahme