Tag: castle

The “ancient” Spoleto – Part #2

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Second and last part of Spoleto photo gallery.
One of the most fascinating monuments of the city is the Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria dell’Assunta): at sunset, the colors are stunning and it is the best place for a romantic evening and dinner. This site is the location of the Festival dei due Mondi (Festival of the two worlds): since 1958, in June, is held this important event, dedicated to arts and music. It is famous worldwide, in the US the Spoleto Festival USA is scheduled every year as well.
Ponte delle Torri, a 13th-century aqueduct, possibly on Roman foundations.with its 230 ms. lenght, it is the real symbol of the city.
The magnificient Rocca Albornoziana fortress, it was built in the middle of the 14th-century for the Cardinal ALbornoz. The “Rocca” is made of 6 towers, dividing the fortress in two buildings: the Cortile delle Armi, for the troops, and the Cortile d’onore for the use of the governor. The latter courtyard is surrounded by a two-floor porch. Not to be miss: the Camera Pinta (“Painted Room”) with 15thcentury frescoes.

 

Gear: Canon EOS 6D, Canon EF 11-24mm F/4L USM and Canon EF 35mm F/2 IS USM

Pallotta Castle – Caldarola (Italy)

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Caldarola is a small town in the Italian region Marche. The town includes the Castello Pallotta and the Pallotta Palace.

The castle is in remarkable condition both inside and out. It still contains the original paintings, furnishings, clothing, and early transportation vehicles, and also has a small private collection of medieval arms.

The castle is family owned and was lived in until comparatively recently so has warm feel.

 

 

Gear:  Canon Eos 7D with Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM and Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM

Corte – Corsica

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Corte is a beautiful old town in the middle of the island of Corsica (France), built at confluence of the Restonica and Tavignana rivers, and enhanced by the mountain scenery that surrounds it.

Corte was once the capital of Corsica, and the city does still hold quite a grandiose air about it. In recent years Corte was in decline, but since the reopening of the city’s university in the ’80s it has gained hundreds of foreign students (lured in by its growing academic reputation) in a total population of less than 7,000, and helps ensure the town is lively for most of the year, with a cosmopolitan air, cafés and bars.

The most interesting monument in Corte is, of course, the fortress called The Citadel, built in 1419, with the Museum of Corsica.

Corte has two main squares. Place Gaffory, dedicated to protecteur de la Nation corse Jean-Pierre Gaffory, with the walls of nearby houses pock-marked with bullet holes, reputedly from Corsica’s war of independence, and Place Paoli, with the statue of Pascal Paoli, that is generally considered the founder of modern Corsica, having introduced democracy to the nation in the 18th century.

Corte was also the birthplace of Joseph Bonaparte, the eldest brother of the French Emperor Napoleon I, who made him King of Naples and Spain.

 

Gear:  Canon Eos 6D and Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM

Old Fortress – Corfu (Kerkyra)

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The Old Castle is the best known and most famous castle in Corfu. It dates back to the Byzantine period but the main fortification was built by the Venetians.

It is very well preserved, and so, great place to visit, but unfortunately none of the buildings constructed by the Venetians survived until today, and the buildings which you will see in the castle today were constructed by the British much later.

The church of St. George is one of the buildings constructed by the British in the style of a Doric temple.

The Fortress houses the Public library of Corfu and the Hellenic Music Research Lab of the Ionian University in the old British barracks.

 

Gear: Canon Eos 6D,  Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM and Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM

Bosa – Sardinia

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Bosa is one of a most attractive towns in Sardinia island, in Italy, with an urban character that has differentiated it from other locations in Sardinia.

It’s on the north bank of the Temo River, with rainbow townscape of pastel houses stacked on a steep hillside, tapering up to a stark, grey castle.

 

Gear: Canon Eos 6D with Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM and Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM II

Old and modern architecture in Copenaghen (Part #1)

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Copenaghen is known for good contemporary design,  furniture, lights and… the absolutely stunning city architecture. Besides the major historic architecture, Copenhagen is filled with contemporary buildings of the highest quality.

Water, space, sustainability and light are the key elements in the recent architectural boom in maritime Copenhagen. Remarkably, you rarely find the new clashing with the old. More often than not, the contemporary architecture in Copenhagen actually heightens the experience of the historic buildings and streets.

So, in this first part of photo gallery dedicated to Copenaghen’s buildings, I blend together old buildings photos and modern building photos, as well as you can see walking in this beautiful city.

In this gallery:

  • Rosemborg Castle, a royal hermitage set in the King’s Garden in the heart of Copenhagen, built by the most famous Scandinavian king, Christian IV.
  • Marble Church, with the characteristic copper green dome is one of the most impressive churches of the city.
  • St. Paul’s Church, also colloquially known as Nyboder’s Church.
  • Copenaghen city hall.
  • Sølvgade Skole (Elementary school), contrary to appearances, is Denmark’s oldest school (built in 1847). Architect C.F. Møller has renovated the school and done an colorful modernistic  extension.
  • Some industrial buildings (warehouses, factories) converted for civil use, as school or houses.
  • Some modern houses on the water. One of these, with internal pier for small boats.
  • An angle of the Stroget (the longes pedestrian street in Europe)

 

Gear: Canon Eos 6D, Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM and Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM II

Dubrovnik (Croatia) – Part#1

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Dubrovnik is a Croatian city (also known as Ragusa, in the past) on the Adriatic Sea, in the region of Dalmatia. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and  has the appellation of the “Pearl of the Adriatic”.

Upon his visit to Dubrovnik in 1929, George Bernard Shaw said: “If you want to see Heaven on Earth, come to Dubrovnik.”

Dubrovnik is mainly a cultural destination, is among the 10 best preserved medieval walled cities in the world.  The city is an open space museum but the greatest attraction, open to visitors, is the medieval walls, that run almost 2 km long.

The walls of Dubrovnik have also been a popular filming site for the fictional city of King’s Landing in the HBO television series, Game of Thrones.

On October 1991 Dubrovnik was attacked by (JNA) Yugoslav National Army. The artillery attacks on Dubrovnik damaged 56% of its buildings and the historic walled city. Following the end of the war, damage caused by the shelling of the Old Town was repaired and performed in the original style, and is clearly visible from high points around the city in the form of the more brightly coloured new roofs.

 

Gear:  Canon Eos 6D, Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L USM and Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM