Contributions of the group Vaults

Panagia tou Sinti Monastery

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 21:00:38 +0000

The abandoned monastery of Panagia tou Sinti is situated "in the wildernes" off the village of Kelokedara. A 4WD would have been great.

The monastery was founded during the Venetion period in the beginning of the 16th century and remained in operation until 1927. The church has an octagonal dome with four windows.

The dome

Paris - Musée de Cluny

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 12:57:45 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

The Hôtel de Cluny was built in the late 15th century on the site of an older building constructed after the Abbey of Cluny acquired the ancient Roman baths in 1340.

The manor house was rebuilt under Jacques d’Amboise, Abbot Commander of Cluny (1485–1510). In the 18th century, the tower of the Hôtel de Cluny served as an observatory for the astronomers Joseph-Nicolas Delisle, Jérôme Lalande, and Charles Messier. During the French Revolution in 1789, the manor house was confiscated.

In 1832, the archaeologist and art collector Alexandre Du Sommerard acquired the Hôtel de Cluny and used it to display his extensive collection of medieval artifacts. After his death, the collection became the property of the French state. The building opened as a museum in 1843.

The museum underwent a complete renovation over three years and reopened in 2022.

The chapel
was part of the Hotel de Cluny.

Almost square in space it features a stunning flamboyant gothic style

Le Pouget - Sainte-Catherine

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sat, 18 Oct 2025 10:55:46 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

From the 14th century onward, this church replaced the old Romanesque church as a parish church. The Gothic church has a characteristic floor plan with a single nave covered by a pointed barrel vault and a polygonal apse with ribbed vaulting and external buttresses. In the 19th century, two side chapels were added, forming a transept, followed by a west bay with a monumental neo-Gothic façade.

The choir

Bayeux - Cathedrale

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 20:16:39 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

The cathedral "Notre-Dame de Bayeux" is the seat of the Bishop of Bayeux. It was the original home of the Bayeux Tapestry, that by now can be seen in the "Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux".

As seen on the Bayeux Tapestry, it was here that William the Bastard forced Harold Godwinson to take the oath, the breaking of which led to the Norman conquest of England. So William got "the Conqueror".

The preceding carolingian cathedral burnt down in 1047 and soon after the construction of the church seen today started. The cathedral got consecrated in 1077 by power-hungry Odon de Bayeux, who was William´s half-brother, well known warrior and bishop here. Of course, William was present during the consecration, as then he was Duke of Normandy and King of England.

At that time the building was not completed, the construction site was seriously damaged twice by fire during the 12th century and, when the walls of the nave were built (1180) the style changed from Romanesque to Gothic.

The cathedral got pillaged by Huguenots during the Wars of Religions, during the French Cathedral this was a "Temple de la Raison". Renovation and restauration of the cathedral started mid 19th century under the direction of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc.

The nave, facing east to the choir. In medieval times the Bayeux Tapestry, which is more than 68m long, was displayed here once per year. The structure of the nave is still Romanesque, so are many decorating carvings.

Liège - Collégiale Saint-Jean l'Évangéliste

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 17:19:16 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Liège is the center of the largest Walloon agglomeration, and the cultural center of the Walloon region of Belgium. The city, with a population of about 200.000, is located at the confluence of the Ourthe and Meuse rivers.

Around 705, Saint Lambert of Maastricht is credited with completing the Christianization of the region, but conversion may still not have been quite universal, since Lambert was murdered in Liège. To enshrine his relics, the successor, Hubertus (later St. Hubert), built a basilica which became the nucleus of the city.
In 1468, following an uprising of the inhabitants against Burgundian rule, xof Burgundy had the city plundered and systematically destroyed. The few survivors who had fled into the forests—Charles the Bold allegedly had more than 5,000 inhabitants murdered—were only able to return to the city for reconstruction after seven years.

In 1789, partly in connection with the French Revolution, the Liège Revolution occurred. It was directed against the absolutist rule of the Prince-Bishop and was crushed in early 1791 by troops commissioned by the Holy Roman Empire. In 1795, Liège was occupied by French troops and became part of the First French Republic. The Congress of Vienna annexed it to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which in 1830 became the Kingdom of Belgium, to which Liège has belonged ever since.

The Collegiate Church of St. John the Evangelist was founded as a collegiate church by Notker of Liège around 980, and consecrated in 987. The church was a kind of replica of Charlemagne's Aachen Cathedral. It was suppressed in 1797 during the French Revolution, the building being confiscated and sold in 1798.

The center, originally an octagonal building in Mosan Romanesque style, incorporating elements of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the church was completely rebuilt in a late Baroque style in 1754–1784. It has been in use as a parish church since 1809.

The church is currently being restored.

Liège - Cathédrale Saint-Paul

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 12:38:42 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Liège is the center of the largest Walloon agglomeration, and the cultural center of the Walloon region of Belgium. The city, with a population of about 200.000, is located at the confluence of the Ourthe and Meuse rivers.

Around 705, Saint Lambert of Maastricht is credited with completing the Christianization of the region, but conversion may still not have been quite universal, since Lambert was murdered in Liège. To enshrine his relics, the successor, Hubertus (later St. Hubert), built a basilica which became the nucleus of the city.
In 1468, following an uprising of the inhabitants against Burgundian rule, xof Burgundy had the city plundered and systematically destroyed. The few survivors who had fled into the forests—Charles the Bold allegedly had more than 5,000 inhabitants murdered—were only able to return to the city for reconstruction after seven years.

In 1789, partly in connection with the French Revolution, the Liège Revolution occurred. It was directed against the absolutist rule of the Prince-Bishop and was crushed in early 1791 by troops commissioned by the Holy Roman Empire. In 1795, Liège was occupied by French troops and became part of the First French Republic. The Congress of Vienna annexed it to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which in 1830 became the Kingdom of Belgium, to which Liège has belonged ever since.
Bishop Ebrachar founded a collegiate here in 966 on what was then an island between two branches of the Meuse.

Construction of the present church began in 1240. The first phase included the choir, the transept, and the two bays of the eastern nave. The church was consecrated in1289. The second, High Gothic construction phase began after 1333 and included the four western bays of the nave, the side portal, the chapels of the side aisles, the polygonal apse, and finally the tower. At the beginning of the 16th century, the west portal was added next to the tower.

In 1794, during the French Revolution, the demolition of the huge St. Lambert's Cathedral began. Under the supervision of a "Commission destructive de la cathédrale". In 1803, the two towers on the facade were destroyed. By 1827, almost the entire complex had been leveled.

After the revolution subsided, the population sought a replacement and chose the Collegiate Church as the church closest to the city center. After the church was elevated to cathedral status in 1804, the tower was raised by a bell tower and a spire; The western towers of the destroyed St. Lambert's Cathedral served as a model. A comprehensive restoration in the Neo-Gothic style took place between 1850 and 1875. The choir received two additional side aisles, and the entire exterior façade was decorated with statues and ornamental elements.

The vaults of the crossing

Aachen - Cathedral

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 21:20:45 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

This "Imperial Cathedral" was known as the "Royal Church of St. Mary at Aachen" during the Middle Ages. From 936 to 1531, the Aachen chapel was the church of coronation for 30 German kings and 12 queens.

In 792 Charlemagne began the construction of a palace here and part of the whole structure was this "Palatine Chapel". Pope Leo III consecrated the chappel in 805.

The carolingian octogon, having a baroque roof now, was planned by the Odo of Metz, who obviously had seen Byzantine churches. For sure he had had seen the Basilica of San Vitale of Ravenna, as San Vitale seems to be a model of this chapel.

The Palatine Chapel was a model for many buildings constructed later. One of these can be found in a small alsatian village of Ottmarsheim, about 500 kilometers southeast.

Having already uploaded many photos from previous visits, I will only add a few more of the interior.
The dome with its neo Byzantine mosaic.

Installed under the cupola is the Barbarossa Chandelier, made on the order of Emperor Frederick I, nicknamed Barbarossa, and his wife Beatrice sometime between 1165 and 1170 . It has a diameter of 4.20 metres and is mounted on a roughly 27 metre long chain under the middle of the roof of the Palatine chapel

Part of the Latin inscription reads as follows:

"The Catholic Emperor, Frederick, King of the Romans, himself God-fearing, vowed and donated to the God-fearing Mary the royal gift of this octagonal [light] crown, instructing the clergy to note both its shape and number: his gift takes its form from the model of the house of God."

Tirana - Resurrection Cathedral

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 20:03:25 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Tirana was founded in 1614 by the Ottomans, centered on the Old Mosque. The site has been inhabited since the Iron Age and was likely the core of the Illyrian Kingdom of the Taulantii. Following the Illyrian Wars, it was annexed by Rome. With the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, most of Albania came under the control of the eastern Byzantine Empire. Tirana remained small and insignificant for a long time until it was designated the capital of Albania at the Congress of Lushnja in 1920. A place with just a few thousand inhabitants became the largest and most important city in the country. King Zogu had a palace built here and, with Italian help, ministries and a boulevard were constructed.

At the beginning of WWII Albania was occupied by the Italian fascists. In 1941 the Communist Party of Albania was established and under Enver Hoxha it became the center of the Albanian communists. The city was liberated in November 1944, after a heavy battle lasting several days between the partisans and the Wehrmacht, in which numerous historical buildings were destroyed. A few days later Hoxha proclaimed Albania's independence in Tirana.
During the communist rule the city was redesigned, with a number of buildings demolished. Tirana's former Old Bazaar and the Orthodox Cathedral were razed to the ground in order to build the Soviet-styled Palace of Culture. Because private car ownership was banned, mass transportation consisted mainly of bicycles, trucks and buses.

After democratization, Tirana slipped into a period of anarchy as necessary laws just did not exist at that time. Illegal buildings were built everywhere. From 1999 onwards, the illegal buildings in the city centre were demolished and the green spaces restored.

In the 21st century, Tirana experienced an economic boom. Numerous modern high-rise buildings were built.
The historic main cathedral of the Orthodox Church of Albania was demolished in the late 1950s. The new Albanian Orthodox Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ was opened in 2012. It is considered one of the largest Eastern Orthodox churches in the Balkans.

The construction of the main building is modelled on the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The complex of the cathedral includes the Chapel of the Nativity, seen in the forground.

Tirana - Resurrection Cathedral

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 23:14:11 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Tirana was founded in 1614 by the Ottomans, centered on the Old Mosque. The site has been inhabited since the Iron Age and was likely the core of the Illyrian Kingdom of the Taulantii. Following the Illyrian Wars, it was annexed by Rome. With the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, most of Albania came under the control of the eastern Byzantine Empire. Tirana remained small and insignificant for a long time until it was designated the capital of Albania at the Congress of Lushnja in 1920. A place with just a few thousand inhabitants became the largest and most important city in the country. King Zogu had a palace built here and, with Italian help, ministries and a boulevard were constructed.

At the beginning of WWII Albania was occupied by the Italian fascists. In 1941 the Communist Party of Albania was established and under Enver Hoxha it became the center of the Albanian communists. The city was liberated in November 1944, after a heavy battle lasting several days between the partisans and the Wehrmacht, in which numerous historical buildings were destroyed. A few days later Hoxha proclaimed Albania's independence in Tirana.
During the communist rule the city was redesigned, with a number of buildings demolished. Tirana's former Old Bazaar and the Orthodox Cathedral were razed to the ground in order to build the Soviet-styled Palace of Culture. Because private car ownership was banned, mass transportation consisted mainly of bicycles, trucks and buses.

After democratization, Tirana slipped into a period of anarchy as necessary laws just did not exist at that time. Illegal buildings were built everywhere. From 1999 onwards, the illegal buildings in the city centre were demolished and the green spaces restored.

In the 21st century, Tirana experienced an economic boom. Numerous modern high-rise buildings were built.

The historic main cathedral of the Orthodox Church of Albania was demolished in the late 1950s. The new Albanian Orthodox Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ was opened in 2012. It is considered one of the largest Eastern Orthodox churches in the Balkans.

The construction of the main building is modelled on the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. A mosaic stretches over 586 m² in the dome and depicts Christ Pantocrator in a blue sky with golden rays and circles.

Tirana - Et'hem Bey Mosque

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sat, 09 Nov 2024 22:32:57 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Tirana was founded in 1614 by the Ottomans, centered on the Old Mosque. The site has been inhabited since the Iron Age and was likely the core of the Illyrian Kingdom of the Taulantii. Following the Illyrian Wars, it was annexed by Rome. With the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, most of Albania came under the control of the eastern Byzantine Empire. Tirana remained small and insignificant for a long time until it was designated the capital of Albania at the Congress of Lushnja in 1920. A place with just a few thousand inhabitants became the largest and most important city in the country. King Zogu had a palace built here and, with Italian help, ministries and a boulevard were constructed.

At the beginning of WWII Albania was occupied by the Italian fascists. In 1941 the Communist Party of Albania was established and under Enver Hoxha it became the center of the Albanian communists. The city was liberated in November 1944, after a heavy battle lasting several days between the partisans and the Wehrmacht, in which numerous historical buildings were destroyed. A few days later Hoxha proclaimed Albania's independence in Tirana.
During the communist rule the city was redesigned, with a number of buildings demolished. Tirana's former Old Bazaar and the Orthodox Cathedral were razed to the ground in order to build the Soviet-styled Palace of Culture. Because private car ownership was banned, mass transportation consisted mainly of bicycles, trucks and buses.

After democratization, Tirana slipped into a period of anarchy as necessary laws just did not exist at that time. Illegal buildings were built everywhere. From 1999 onwards, the illegal buildings in the city centre were demolished and the green spaces restored.

In the 21st century, Tirana experienced an economic boom. Numerous modern high-rise buildings were built.
The construction of the mosque was started in 1794 by Molla Bey and finished in 1811 by his son Ethem Bey. At that time it was part of a complex of buildings that form the historical center of Tirana. In front of the mosque was the old bazaar, to the east was the Sulejman Pasha Mosque, built in 1614 and destroyed during World War II, and to the northwest was the Karapici Mosque.

During communist totalitarianism, the mosque was closed. On January 18, 1991, despite resistance from the communist authorities, about 10,000 people with flags entered the mosque. This marked the beginning of the fall of communism in Albania. This happened just over a month before the neighboring Enver Hoxha monument was demolished

Southwell - Southwell Minster

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Thu, 23 May 2024 16:59:15 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

The earliest church on the site is believed to have been founded in 627 by Paulinus, the first Archbishop of York, when he visited the area while baptising believers.

In 956 King Eadwig gave land in Southwell to Oskytel, Archbishop of York, on which a minster church was established. The Domesday Book of 1086 recorded the Southwell manor. The Norman reconstruction of the church began in 1108, probably as a rebuilding of the Anglo-Saxon church. Many stones from this earlier Anglo-Saxon church were reused in the construction. Work on the nave began after 1120 and the church was completed by c.1150.

Southwell is where Charles I surrendered to Scottish Presbyterian troops in 1646 during the English Civil War. The fighting saw the church seriously damaged and the nave is said to have been used as stabling.

In 1711 the southwest spire was struck by lightning, and the resulting fire spread to the nave, crossing and tower destroying roofs, bells, clock and organ. By 1720 repairs had been completed, now giving a flat panelled ceiling to the nave and transepts.

In danger of collapse, the spires were removed in 1805 and re-erected in 1879–81 when the minster was extensively restored. The nave roof was replaced with a pitched roof and the quire was redesigned and refitted.

The chapter house, started in 1288, is in an early decorated style, is octagonal, with no central pier.

The vaulting

Wells - Cathedral

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 19:21:06 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

The English Gothic style, known as "Early English", began with the construction of Wells Cathedral in 1180. Wells is the earliest Gothic church to be fully equipped with pointed arches. Alongside Salisbury Cathedral, it is the main work of early English Gothic architecture, but also contains parts from the High and Late Gothic periods.

An abbey church was built in Wells in 705 by Aldhelm, first bishop of the newly established Diocese of Sherborne during the reign of King Ine of Wessex. It stood at the site of the cathedral's cloisters. In 766 Cynewulf, King of Wessex, signed a charter endowing the church with eleven hides of land. In 909 the seat of the diocese was moved from Sherborne to Wells.

The building programme, begun by Reginald Fitz Jocelin, Bishop in the 12th century. Adam Locke was master mason from about 1192 until 1230. It was designed in the new style with pointed arches, later known as Gothic. The main parts of the church were complete by the time of the dedication in 1239.

By the time the cathedral, including the chapter house, was finished in 1306, it was already too small and unable to accommodate increasingly grand processions of clergy. John Droxford initiated another phase of building under master mason Thomas of Whitney, during which the central tower was heightened and an eight-sided Lady chapel was added at the east end by 1326.

Money was raised for the completion of the west front by William Wynford, who was appointed as master mason in 1365. One of the foremost master masons of his time, Wynford worked for the king at Windsor, Winchester Cathedral and New College, Oxford. At Wells, he designed the western towers of which north-west was not built until the following century. In the 14th century, the central piers of the crossing were found to be sinking under the weight of the crossing tower which had been damaged by an earthquake in the previous century. Strainer arches, sometimes described as scissor arches, were inserted by master mason William Joy to brace and stabilise the piers as a unit.

Wells - Cathedral

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 19:03:02 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Viseu - Sé de Viseu

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 18:15:10 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Chief Viriathus ("Viriato") successfully led the Lusitanians here in their resistance against the advancing Romans in the second century BC, until the latter were able to kill Viriathus and also conquer this area. Various milestones of Roman roads crossing here have been preserved. After the invasion of the Suebi and Visigoths in the 6th century AD, Viseu became a bishop's see.

From the beginning of the 8th century, the region was ruled by Moors. During the Reconquista, Viseu also remained contested. In 1027, King Alfonso V of León fell during the siege of Viseu. Ferdinand I of León was finally able to conquer the region from the Arabs in 1057.

During the revolution of 1383, Viseu suffered some destruction, whereupon King D. João I had the town re-fortified.

Archaeological research has shown that there was an early Christian basilica on the site of Viseu Cathedral, which was built during the time of Suevian rule (5th-6th century), as Pope John III had already established a bishopric here in 572.

After the reconquista, a first church was built from 1094 to 1114 on the site of today's cathedral. The new cathedral was built between 1289 and 1313 under King Dinis I, and the first cloister was added in 1379. The main portal of the cathedral was built in 1513. In the 16th century, the cloister was also extended and the sacristy was built. In the 17th century, the north tower of the façade was rebuilt in its old form following a collapse. Since then, the exterior of the church has remained largely unchanged, although it has been regularly renovated.

The cathedral is a mixture of different architectural styles. From Romanesque to Manueline.

Lisboa - Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 22:25:12 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

The Phoenicians founded bases in Portugal from 1000 BC. They and later the c are said to have called the site "Alis Ubbo" and used it as the only large natural harbor on the Iberian Atlantic coast. According to Pliny the Elder, Lisbon was later regarded as a foundation of Odysseus.

Under Roman rule, from around 205 BC, the city was initially called Olisipo. Julius Caesar succeeded in breaking the last resistance of the local tribes in 60 BC. Under Caesar, Roman veterans were settled here to control the area. The town was granted Roman city rights in 48 BC and subsequently became a larg town in the province of Lusitania. From 409 A.D. onwards, barbarian tribes advanced into the Iberian Peninsula. Alans, Suebi, Vandals and Visigoths attempted to occupy Lisbon. In 468, the Roman city commander surrendered the city to the Suebi, but shortly after the earthquake of 472 the Visigoths began to rule.

In 719, Lisbon was conquered by Muslim Moors and later became part of the Emirate of Córdoba. After this, the city experienced its first major boom. Although Alfonso II conquered the city for a short time in 798,[ Lisbon soon fell to the Moors again. During the Caliphate of Córdoba, the city was one of the most important ports, while Christian Galicians and Leonese repeatedly attempted to conquer it. Vikings devastated the city and the surrounding area in 844.

In the 11th century, Lisbon belonged to the Emirate of Badajoz. From 1093, Raymond of Armous, a son of William I of Burgundy, was given the rule of Galicia. From there, he undertook campaigns against the Moors in the south. He succeeded in temporarily entering Lisbon after the Muslim ruler of Badajoz had submitted to King Alfonso, but even this conquest was was not permanent, nor was the occupation of Lisbon by Norwegian crusaders under Sigurd in 1108.

Even when Alfonso I came to power, the south of the Iberian Peninsula was still held by the Moors. However, in 1147, the siege of Lisbon finally led to the capture of the city. External support for the attackers was decisive: the successful siege of the city by an army of crusaders from the Second Crusade secured Alfonso I the basis for his rule over the entire surrounding area.

An earthquake struck on the morning of 1 November 1755.Along with a major fire and a tsunami, the Lisbon earthquake destroyed the Portuguese capital almost completely. With 30,000 to 100,000 deaths of the 275,000 inhabitants, this earthquake is one of the most devastating natural disasters in European history. About 85 percent of all Lisbon's buildings were destroyed.

The Jerónimos Monastery replaced the previous church on the same site, which was dedicated to Santa Maria de Belém and in which the monks of the military-religious Order of Christ assisted sailors passing through.

In 1502, King Manuel I laid the foundation stone for the monastery, which became a highlight of Portuguese architecture. The construction period lasted over seven decades and thus outlasted Portugal's heyday. Five architects were responsible. Nevertheless, the entire building appears unified. The complex was planned to be much larger, but the hall church, the two-storey cloister with refectory, chapter house and sacristy as well as the 193 m long west wing,were built.

Until 1834, the monastery housed the Hieronymites, the order of St. Jerome, who also gave the monastery its name. The building survived the earthquake of 1755 without major damage.

The ceiling of the nave

In 1983, the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Toledo - El Cristo de la Luz

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 15:16:44 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

In 192 BC, the Romans conquered the area and founded the outpost Toletum. Due to its iron ore deposits, Toledo developed into an important settlement. Since the first barbarian invasions, the ancient walls were reinforced. In 411 the Alans and later the Visigoths conquered the city. Toledo was the capital of the Visigoths' empire from about 531 to 711.

The Moors conquered the place in 712. Toledo experienced its heyday during the period of Moorish rule as Ṭulayṭula during the Caliphate of Córdoba until its conquest by Alfonso VI in 1085, after a four-year siege. In 1088, only a few years after the conquest, Archbishop Bernard of Toledo obtained confirmation from Pope Urban II that Toledo should hold the "primatus in totis Hispaniarum regnis" (primacy in all the kingdoms of the Iberian dominions). The Archbishop of Toledo is still today the Primate of the Catholic Church of Spain.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Toledo school of translators translated ancient philosophical writings (Plato, Aristotle) that had been translated from Greek into Arabic, but also genuinely Arabic writings from the fields of astronomy, mathematics, Islamic religion and theology into Latin.

After the conquest by Alfonso VI, Toledo became the residence of the Kingdom of Castile in 1087 and remained the capital of Spain until 1561.

El Cristo de la Luz was erected in 999 as a mosque. It is in much the same state as it was when it was originally built. The Arabic inscription in Kufic on the building states that Musa Ibn Ali built it.

Legend has it that a shaft of light guided the king to a figurine of the crucified Christ that had been hidden for centuries. The legend says that King Alfonso VI arrived in Toledo after capturing the city in 1085 when his horse fell in front of this chapel.

In 1186, Alfonso VIII gave the building to the Knights of the Order of St John, who established it as the Chapel of the Holy Cross (Ermita de la Santa Cruz). It was at this time that the mosque was renamed and the apse was added.

The small, almost cubic mosque (side lengths and height are each about eight meters) has a square ground plan. About half of the building material used is fired brick and half is roughly hewn quarry stone, which is mostly arranged in horizontal bands, following the Roman model. After the conquest of Toledo in 1085, the mosque building was converted into a church. In the 12th century this was expanded in the Mudejar style, so the former mosque became a kind of narthex. Inside the former mosque. Under the dome of the former mosque.

Freiberg - Dom St. Marien

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 12:29:20 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Freiberg came into being around 1162/1170. Between 1156 and 1162, Margrave Otto von Meissen had the forest cleared and several villages laid out, including Christiansdorf. In 1168 silver ore was discovered near Christiansdorf. The promise of special freedoms for the miners attracted numerous miners, traders and craftsmen, along with their families, to the Ore Mountains. Due to the wave of immigration, the city of Freiberg developed within two decades. This name is derived from the important feature, the freedom of mining introduced by Margrave Otto, i.e. the mining rights of every immigrant. Anyone could dig for the silver ore for a fee. The silver could only be sold to the margravial mint. The wealth of silver and the mint made the Electorate of Saxony a prosperous state.

Further development in the 13th century is characterized by constant growth after the municipality was almost completely destroyed by a city fire around 1225. A town school was established in 1260, which had been converted into a Latin school in 1515. In the 14th century, crises gradually emerged, which were mainly caused by the decline in silver production from the middle of the 14th century and by large-scale city fires. In the 15th century, Freiberg lost its leading economic position within Saxony to Leipzig due to the exodus of capital.

The Bergakademie was founded in 1765, one of the world's oldest mining engineering universities.
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Around 1180, the Romanesque basilica "Unserer Lieben Frauen" was built in Freiberg, which was developing rapidly due to the silver that had been found. In 1480, the church was turned into a Collegiate church. However, the college was dissolved after only 57 years due to the reformation of the Electorate of Saxony. In the great fire of 1484, the church was almost completely destroyed. The "Cathedral of St. Mary" was built at the same location as a triple-naved Gothic hall church. The cathedral was reconsecrated in 1512.

The rib vault

Leipzig - Thomaskirche

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 11:53:07 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Even before Leipzig was first mentioned in a document in 1015, a Slavic settlement existed here. The city was founded in 1165 when Margrave Otto the Rich of Meissen granted city and market rights to the city at the intersection of the Via Regia and the Via Imperii.

Leipzig was in the Margraviate of Meissen, which became part of the Electorate of Saxony in 1439. Leipzig then belonged to the Duchy of Saxony, whose capital was chosen to be Dresden, which had been insignificant compared to Leipzig or Meissen. Leipzig was often the place where the state parliament met, but Leipzig was never a residence city or a bishop's seat and has always been shaped by the urban bourgeoisie.

The University of Leipzig was founded in 1409 as "Alma Mater Lipsiensis" and was thus one of the three oldest universities in Germany. After being elevated to the status of "Reichsmessestadt" (imperial trade fair city) in 1497 and an extension of the staple right by the future Emperor Maximilian I, Leipzig became a trade fair city of European standing. It developed into the most important German trading center for the exchange of goods between Eastern and Western Europe. Alongside London, the Leipziger Brühl became the international trade center for the fur industry, and the important role played by the Leipzig Jewish community was closely linked to it.

In 1539, the Reformation was finally introduced in Leipzig by Luther and Justus Jonas. Over decades, the development of Leipzig was characterized above all by the constantly improving living conditions. As a trading and trade fair city of increasing importance, Leipzig benefited from the wealthy Leipzig merchant class.

The Thirty Years' War was a severe cut in the prosperous development of the city. Between 1631 and 1642 the city was besieged five times, from 1642 to 1650 it was occupied by the Swedes.

The "Völkerschlacht" (Battle of Leipzig) near Leipzig took place in 1813. In this battle, the allied armies of Austria, Prussia, Russia and Sweden defeated Napoleon's troops and their allies which ultimately led to Napoleon's banishment to the island of Elba.

During WWII there were frequent air raids on the city, which led to considerable destruction of the city center.

In 1989, the Monday demonstrations that started at the Nikolaikirche helped herald the end of the GDR. With the occupation of the district administration for state security by demonstrators on December 4, 1989, state surveillance measures ended in Leipzig.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750) is regarded as one of the best-known, most prolific and most important musicians of all. He is often regarded, especially by musicians, as the greatest composer in music history. He is the most prominent representative of the Bach family of musicians and is today

In his main creative period, he was Thomaskantor and music director in Leipzig. In his main creative period, he was Thomaskantor and music director in Leipzig. As a Thomaskantor Bach was required to instruct the students of the Thomasschule in singing and provide church music for the main churches in Leipzig. A cantata was required for the church services on Sundays and additional church holidays during the liturgical year.

The Thomaskirche in Leipzig is known as the place where Johann Sebastian Bach and the Thomanerchor worked.

The foundations of a Romanesque church were unearthed during archaeological excavations.

The Thomanerchor was founded in 1212 and is one of the oldest boys' choirs in Germany. Around 1355 the Romanesque chancel was rebuilt.

Towards the end of the 15th century, Leipzig became extremely prosperous thanks to silver discoveries in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains). This made it possible to afford to rebuild the Leipzig churches within about 40 years. So the old nave was demolished in 1482 and rebuilt in the shape that is largely in place today. The church was reconsecrated in 1496. Over the centuries it has undergone several additions and conversions; the most important is the 68 m high tower, the lowest floor of which dates back to before 1355 and which received the octagonal top in the 14th century. In 1537 the upper part of the tower was rebuilt.

The rib vault

Albi

nobody@ipernity.com (Philippe Collard) — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 06:15:01 +0000

Philippe Collard has posted:

Cloître Saint Salvi . Albi

Cathédrale Sainte Cécile Albi

nobody@ipernity.com (Philippe Collard) — Sun, 16 Apr 2023 07:14:01 +0000

Philippe Collard has posted: