Tag Archives: Buildings

Burgos Cathedral

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Burgos Cathedral

Go back in time with Burgos Cathedral.

  • Burgos Cathedral is one of Spain’s many cathedrals, and it is located in Burgos, and it is used for Roman Catholic religious purposes.
  • The construction of Burgos Cathedral was arranged by King Ferdinand III, along with the then Bishop of Burgos, Don Mauricio who was born in England.
  • The Burgos Cathedral building process began in 1221, and the building is said to be located on land that originally housed another cathedral.
  • Burgos Cathedral was completed in 1567, although an alter had been built by 1260, when it was consecrated; while the long construction period was due to a two century-long break.
  • ‘Burgos Cathedral’ is officially known as the ‘Cathedral of Saint Mary of Burgos’, or in Spanish, ‘Catedral de Santa María de Burgos’, and it is also known as ‘Our Lady of Burgos’.
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Part of Burgos Cathedral
Image courtesy of Rafael dP/Flickr
  • Burgos Cathedral was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, and it is dedicated to, and named after Mary, the mother of Jesus.
  • Burgos Cathedral features significant French Gothic architecture, and includes many spires, windows and statues in the style.
  • Burgos Cathedral sits on a site that is an area of 10,300 square metres (110,870 square feet) and the tallest parts of the cathedral are the two spires on the two main towers; and they reach a height of 88 metres (289 feet).
  • Numerous artworks, including sculptures, such as a virgin Mary statue, and paintings, are featured in Burgos Cathedral, with notable works by Juan de Anchieta and Gil de Siloé.
  • Burgos Cathedral has many mass services each week and is open to tourists for a fee.
Bibliography:
Burgos Cathedral, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burgos_Cathedral
Burgos Cathedral, 2015, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/316
Catedral de Burgos History, n.d., Catedral de Burgos, http://www.catedraldeburgos.es/

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Curtain

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Curtain

Do you live in a house without a single curtain?

  • Curtains are an invention typically used to slightly or fully block light, vision, water, or a specific view.
  • ‘Curtains’ are also known as ‘drapes’, and they are typically used on windows, in doorways, in showers or on a stage.
  • Curtains are usually made of fabric of various thicknesses, and they are generally classified as ‘sheer’, ‘uncoated’ or ‘coated’.
  • Many curtains can be moved open or closed, often using human energy; by a string pulley; or mechanical interaction.
  • ‘Curtain’ comes from the word ‘cortine’, which can be translated from the Old French word for the same meaning, and it has its origins in Latin and Greek.
Curtains, Red, White, Scene, Bedroom, Window, Ten Random Facts, House,
Photo courtesy of Val Laird
  • Curtains have been used for thousands of years, and those called ‘portières’, were commonly draped over doorways in Ancient Greek and Roman culture.
  • Curtain designs became notably exquisite and extravagant during the Victorian era, and they were used to dress windows, as well as doorways.
  • Curtains became increasingly widespread by the 1900s, when nearly every building contained at least one curtain.
  • Colours, materials, shapes and sizes vary greatly among curtains; and different designs, particularly heights and materials, have different purposes.
  • Curtains are generally held to a specific spot using hooks, rings, buttons or rods, or a combination of these.
Bibliography:
Curtain, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtain
Curtain, 2015, Encyclopaedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/147125/curtain/

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Wartburg Castle

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Wartburg Castle

Be dazzled by both the architecture and history of Wartburg Castle.

  • Wartburg Castle is a medieval castle located approximately 410 metres (1345 feet) high on a rocky hill in Germany’s Thuringia, in Europe.
  • ‘Wartburg Castle’ is also known as ‘Wartburg’ and ‘Schloss Wartburg’.
  • Around 1067, the building of Wartburg Castle commenced, under the orders of Louis the Springer, Schauenburg’s count.
  • Wartburg Castle was built looking out over Eisenach, a nearby town, and protrudes from a surrounding forest, on a hill.
  • The term ‘Wartburg Castle’ possibly comes from the German words for ‘warte’, ‘berg’ and ‘burg’, translating as ‘wait’, ‘mountain’ and ‘fortress’, respectively.
Wartburg Castle, Germany, Renovated, Part, Side, Ten Random Facts, Flickr, HillPart of Wartburg Castle
Image courtesy of Forarama/Flickr
  • Some of the best Romanesque architecture can be found as part of Wartburg Castle, and the site has been home to many significant historical events.
  • Wartburg Castle is a common tourist attraction, visited by approximately 500,000 people annually, and it is the home to a museum, as well as an area suitable for opera productions and concerts.
  • The German Catholic priest and theologian, Martin Luther is believed to have translated the Bible’s New Testament to German, from the Greek language, during the months he was in exile at Wartburg Castle between 1521 and 1522.
  • Wartburg Castle was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, and is owned by the Wartburg Foundation of Eisenach.
  • Wartburg Castle became majorly abandoned and unused from the 1500s, until the Grand Duke of Saxony in the 1800s decided to re-establish and repair the castle early in that century.
Bibliography:
Wartburg, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wartburg
Wartburg Castle, 2015, Sacred Destinations, http://www.sacred-destinations.com/germany/wartburg-castle
Wartburg Castle, 2015, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/897

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Great Zimbabwe

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Great Zimbabwe

Great Zimbabwe is much more than a crumbling ruin.

  • Great Zimbabwe is the remains of an old, abandoned city, found in Africa’s Zimbabwe, in an elevated part of the country.
  • The actual city of Great Zimbabwe encompasses an area of approximately 0.8 square kilometres (0.3 square miles), while the protected area, as designated by the World Heritage Convention, covers an area of 7.2 square kilometres (2.8 square miles).
  • Communities had been living on the site of Great Zimbabwe since around 300 AD, although it wasn’t until around 1000 AD that the building of the city first commenced.
  • Great Zimbabwe was a once thriving city made of granite stone, that had at least one wall reaching 11 metres (36 feet) in height, and the city is believed to have been built by the native Bantu people.
  • Great Zimbabwe is believed to have been the central point and home to rulers of the area; and the city was in prominent use from around 1000 to 1450 AD.
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Great Zimbabwe
Image courtesy of Erik Torner/Flickr
  • Many objects of archaeological significance have been found on the site of Great Zimbabwe, including soapstone sculptures and figurines, jewellery, money, weaponry and pottery.
  • Great Zimbabwe was originally a prominent centre of trade, with ivory and gold on offer; and the city is believed to have become vacant when a variety of resources became depleted.
  • Portuguese records have shown knowledge of Great Zimbabwe since the 1500s, although it was not until the late 1860s that Europeans found and took interest in the site, and by 1893, the site was designated as a protected area.
  • Great Zimbabwe was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986, as the ‘Great Zimbabwe National Monument’ and it is also known as the ‘capital of the Queen of Sheba’, due to speculation of its origin.
  • Great Zimbabwe sits at 1100 metres (3,609 feet) above sea level, and was, and still is a site of spiritual significance for some people.
Bibliography:
Great Zimbabwe, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe National Monument, 2014, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/364

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Bourges Cathedral

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Bourges Cathedral

The architecture of Bourges Cathedral is quite amazing!

  • Bourges Cathedral is a cathedral found in France’s Bourges, in Europe, that is used and was built by Roman Catholics.
  • ‘Bourges Cathedral’ is also known as ‘Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Bourges’ in French.
  • The construction of Bourges Cathedral began around 1195, although other churches had already inhabited the site from the 200s.
  • Bourges Cathedral was likely used from 1214 onwards, as significant parts had been built, and the main part was completed by 1230, however the building was not consecrated until 1324, as construction continued until the late 1400s.
  • Bourges Cathedral has been largely preserved throughout conflicts such as the World Wars and the French Revolution, although nearby related buildings were destroyed.
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A View of Bourges Cathedral
Image courtesy of James Mitchell/Flickr
  • The nave, the central meeting area, of Bourges Cathedral reaches a height of 37 metres, and the cathedral covers an area of 5,900 square metres (63,500 feet), while it sits on an area of 8,500 square metres (91,500 square feet).
  • Bourges Cathedral has numerous features such as stained-glass windows, carvings, and a crypt, and is a great example of Gothic architecture, and as such was declared a Historical Monument in 1837, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.
  • Bourges Cathedral is the base for the Archbishop of Bourges, who, from 2007, was Armand Maillard, while Henri de Sully, who died in 1200, was the archbishop who ordered the original construction of the cathedral.
  • Tourists may visit Bourges Cathedral on most days, except for Sunday morning when the cathedral holds services.
  • In 1506, soon after its completion, the northern tower of the Bourges Cathedral collapsed and had to be rebuilt, which was funded by donations and other means.
Bibliography:
Bourges Cathedral, 2012, French Monuments, http://www.frenchmoments.eu/bourges-cathedral/
Bourges Cathedral, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourges_Cathedral
Bourges Cathedral, 2014, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/635

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Nottingham Castle

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Nottingham Castle

Siege, take over, destroy, take over, siege, destroy – the life of Nottingham Castle.

  • Nottingham Castle is a ruined medieval castle, now a museum, located in England’s Nottingham, in Europe, on ‘Castle Rock’.
  • The construction of the first known castle on the Nottingham Castle site, was in 1067, at the request of the Norman king, William the Conqueror, although smaller castles may have been built previously, and in the mid to late 1100s a more robust stone castle was built.
  • Nottingham Castle was built in a strategic position, in an area with cliffs reaching 40 metres (130 feet) in height, as well as near a River Trent crossing and prime hunting areas.
  • Nottingham Castle was originally used as an important vantage point during medieval times, and was taken by Prince John in 1194, as well as King Edward III in 1330, and was later destroyed at the end of the English Civil War in 1649.
  • Nottingham Castle was rebuilt as a ducal mansion in the 1670s by Newcastle’s then Duke Henry Cavendish, and was built on top of the castle’s foundations, although it was burnt down in 1832.
Nottingham Castle
Image courtesy of Arran Bee/Flickr
  • Nottingham Castle and the surrounding area has been associated with the legend of Robin Hood and the story’s Sheriff of Nottingham.
  • Nottingham Castle was restored in 1875, and opened as a museum and art gallery, that is still used for this purpose today, and tours can be taken, some venturing into rock caves and secret passageways.
  • Nottingham Castle has numerous gardens and now includes a themed playground for children.
  • Nottingham Castle is owned and cared for by the Nottingham City Council and the property covers an area of 6 acres (2.4 hectares).
  • Nottingham Castle museum and art gallery includes items such as ceramics, paintings, carvings, costumes and other collections.

Edit: The original picture featured in this post was of Wollaton Hall, not Nottingham Castle. This has since been rectified.

Bibliography:
Nottingham Castle, 2014, One Day In, http://www.experiencenottinghamshire.com/discover/nottingham-castle-p357581
Nottingham Castle, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nottingham_Castle
Visiting Nottingham Castle, 2014, Nottingham City Council, http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/Castle

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