Culture,Immovable Culture Heritage,Tourism
A photograph of the front view of the Castel del Monte.
Castel del Monte is a castle located on a hilltop in Andria, within the Apulia region of south-eastern Italy. The castle was constructed in the 1240s by King Frederick II who was King of Sicily, King of Germany, King of Italy, King of Jerusalem, and Holy Roman Emperor. Frederick II lived from 1194 to 1250. Castel del Monte is widely considered to be one of the architectural triumphs of King Frederick II’s 40 year reign, and is noted for its outstanding integration of Northern European and Islamic architecture along with its unique octagonal shape for the time period. For these reasons, the castle was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996. Today, the castle still remains in good condition, a condition similar to that as it would have had when it was first built. The castle has a diameter of 56 metres and its main outer wall is 25 metres high.
Image taken in 2014 of the Standing Stones of Stenness, showing three out of four of the remaining stones.
It is thought that the Standing Stones of Stenness were built over 5000 years ago in 3100 - 2900 BC and is therefore considered one of the earliest henges in Britain. The Standing Stones of Stenness are part of a world heritage site called “The Heart of Neolithic Orkney”, which also includes Maeshowe, Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar and other nearby sites. The Stones of Stenness look very different today than they would have looked thousands of years ago when they were first built. Only four of the stones in the ring remain today, the tallest is 5.7m high. Originally, there were thought to be twelve tall standing stones laid out in an ellipse which were surrounded by an estimated 2.3m deep and 4m long ditch. The ditch can no longer be seen. There is also a large stone hearth in the centre of the platform. Additionally, there are now two angular slabs close to the hearth, but it is not understood if they were part of the original henge. Look at the 3D model to get an idea of how the stones currently look and where the missing stones would have been originally placed. There is also an interesting sketch from (estimated) 1818 which shows what the stones looked like then. There are many standing stones in Orkney and legends associated with them. Some legends talk of how the stones used to be giants, trolls or witches which were transformed to stone by the strong rays of the Orkney sun. One of the most popular legends concerns Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve), where it believed that some of the standing stones come to life and walk to a nearby body of water to drink and dip their heads in. Other traditions are more morbid, such as the belief that the central stone slab within the ring was most likely used as an alter where human sacrifices were made. This was considered by Sir Walter Scott (a Scottish novelist, poet, historian and biographer) who visited the Standing Stones of Stenness in August 1814. Explore the nearby stones "Odin Stone" and "Ring of Brodgar" on the map to learn of other interesting legends.
The Calanais Standing Stones (also known as Callanish Standing Stones) monument is a cruciform shaped stone circle with a central tall stone. It also includes a chambered cairn and rows and avenues of standing stones. It is located near the village of Calanais (also known as Callanish) on the west coast of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The stone circle and its central stone was erected first around 2900BC. The chambered cairn was added around 500 years later, and it is guessed that the rows and avenues may have been added at the same time as the cairn. The central stone has an impressive height of 4.8 meters. There are numerous theories, legends and stories which attempt to figure out what the purpose of these stones are. In Outlander, a very popular novel series and TV show, the female protagonist is transported back to 18th century Scotland when she touches the central stone in a stone circle. The stone circle is fake (made of props), but it is said to be based on the Calanais Standing Stones. It is not known whether the local people believed that the stones would transport them through time, but it does speak to the impact of the stones. There are accounts from as early as 1680, that show that locals believed that that the stones were the remains of men who had sinned and were punished by the gods by being turned into stone. The stones were sometimes referred to as the “false men”, possibly for this reason. Others claim in their accounts that the site was used as a “heathen” temple where Druids worshipped. Another theory, with a bit more of substantial evidence, is the theory that the site was used as an astronomical observatory. As the stone circle was created first, it is thought that it was built to mark the position of the midwinter sun, as it would have shone through a gap in a nearby hill and the sun rays would hit the central stone. 500 years later, a cairn was built to house the dead and avenues of stones were presumably added around the same time. It is thought that the avenues were added to focus on a special lunar phenomenon which occurs every 18.6 years. Every 18.6 years the moon reaches a point in its long cycle where it rises and sets in its furthest points. When the moon is setting, it appears as if the silhouette of a lying down woman (known locally as “Cailleach na Mointeach” or “the old woman of the moors”) is skimming along the horizon to the south. She then disappears and reappears by lighting up the centre of the circle. It is thought that the local people would have walked southwards along the avenue to watch and celebrate this lunar phenomenon. Patrick Ashmore did excavations of the Calanais standing stones in the 70s and 80s, allowing us to date the stone circle back to 2900BC. He discusses in his work several possible reasons for the original purpose of the standing stones. One idea is that standing stone circles such as Calanais may have been constructed to establish or maintain social rank, almost like “bragging rights”. Another reason could have been territorial, to establish rights to the land and its resources. Within the same vein, its possible that they were constructed to foster a sense of community and identity within the local group of people. He also mentions how they may have been used for religious uses.
"The Summer Palace is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing." From Wikipedia
Tutankhamun tomb in the Valley of the Kings (KV62)
Yuya and Tjuyu tomb in the Valley of the Kings (KV46)
The Primavera is a tempera painting created by Sandro Botticelli in 1482. It is one of the most representative artwork of the Italian Renaissance and symbol of the prosperity of Florence during the Medici rule. It is one of the most popular paintings of the Western World. Along with the Birth of Venus, the Primavera succeeds in demonstrating the expertise of Botticelli in the use of colour, lines and shaded forms. The meaning of the Primavera is still unknown. However, art experts have attempted at guessing it. Originally, the painting was created in the honour of the wedding of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco, Lorenzo de Medici's cousin. Nevertheless, the painting is not only a mere celebration of a wedding as it is demonstrated by the presence of numerous allegories and metaphor that link to the Greek and Roman mythology. For example, two Roman gods, Venus and Mercury, are depicted. This painting succeeds in showing Botticelli's great knowledge of classical literature and philosophy.
The Primavera is a tempera painting created by Sandro Botticelli in 1482. It is one of the most representative artwork of the Italian Renaissance and symbol of the prosperity of Florence during the Medici rule. It is one of the most popular paintings of the Western World. Along with the Birth of Venus, the Primavera succeeds in demonstrating the expertise of Botticelli in the use of colour, lines and shaded forms. The meaning of the Primavera is still unknown. However, art experts have attempted at guessing it. Originally, the painting was created in the honour of the wedding of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco, Lorenzo de Medici's cousin. Art experts believe that the painting is not only a mere celebration of the wedding, even though the Medici family is depicted, but it is an acknowledgement of Sandro Botticelli's vast knowledge of the Greek and Roman mythology, classic literature and philosophy. For example, Venus and Mercury, two Roman gods, are depicted.
The Sistine Chapel is in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican City and was built between 1473 and 1481. It is famous due to the paintings created by Michelangelo on its ceiling between 1508 and 1512, commissioned by Pope Julius II. There are various scenes from the Genesis, like the Creation of Adam, the Fall of Adam and Eve and the Expulsion from the Garden. The scholars and art experts believe that the images on the ceiling are a depiction of the Neoplatonic view of the Bible. This means that the scenes that are depicted by Michelangelo represent the various stages of the relationship between humans and God. In addition, Michelangelo portrayed his strained relationship with the Catholic Church by giving his face to St Bartholomew's martyred body.
The Last Supper is a mural painting created by Leonardo da Vinci between 1495 and 1498. It was commissioned by Ludovico Sforza when renovating a church in his possession. This painting is one of the most popular in the Western world due to its use of space and perspective, the handling of motion and the portrayal of human emotion. It is now located in the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. The painting depicts the reaction that each apostle had when Jesus informed them about one of the betraying him. Everyone had different reactions, from anger to shock. In this scenario, Judas Iscariot is shaken that his plans have been revealed. He is also holding a bag which probably contained the payment he received in exchange for this betrayal and he’s also pouring salt which relates to the Eastern expression “to betray the salt” which means to betray the master
3d model of the standing stones of stenness
3D model demonstrating what the Standing Stones of Stenness look like today and also showing where the missing stones would have been placed, as there are only four out of twelve left.
Venetian production dates back to the fourteenth century. It is a representation of mastery of a material, glass, and element the fire. It endures specific knowledge and shared skills, indicates the use of specific traditional tools and procedures. Skilled artisans melt, blow, shape the coloured glass to obtained the shapes. Venice, the true European capital of glass, glass beads were produced in Murano and in all the Venetian territory. Since it was such a valuable product for trading, the center of production moved from Venice to island Murano to avoid the great risk of fire in keeping the kilns. The production represents a traditional knowledge handed down from generation to generation for more than 700 years. After the first World War of dissolution of colonialism, the beads lost their original function of as trading commodity. It become more of art, jewels and personal ornaments The process generally involves three preparatory positions, the ‘perlai’ (craftsmen of glass beads), ‘molatore’ and ‘impiraressa’, a women who inserts the beads through precise movements and creates various artefacts, and the glassmaker. The art of glass beads became part of the List of Intangible Cultural Heritaage since 2020.
A variation of the Royal Stuart tartan. Tartan of the trews worn by the 72nd Regiment, Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders, 1823-1881.
This sett was produced for Captain Charles Hepburn in 1968 by Anderson's of Edinburgh, from an existing design. The Hepburns are associated with Hermitage Castle in Liddesdale and the history of Mary, Queen of Scots. James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell (1536-78), married the Queen after being implicated in the murder of her husband, Lord Darnley. Anderson collection is found at Kinloch Andersons of Leith Edinburgh.
Movable Cultural Heritage,Intangible Heritage
Tartan is a woven cloth consists of horizontal and vertical bands in various colours. Weaving tartan is a craft that requires concentration, great timing and counting. The digital preservation includes tartan brand’s youtube channel about stories behind making tartan, artifacts in the museum, famous tartan fabric shops, and several archive websites that document the types of tartan. Besides the general exhibits or archival collection of textile histories in the National Museum of Scotland and the National Library of Scotland, The Scottish Tartans Museum focus on the history and development of tartan and the kilt, with over 500 samples of tartan. Visitors can view the exhibits online and search according to name or type. Fabric shops including Robert Noble, DC Dalgliesh, Ingles Buchan and Lochcarron not only sell the cloth, but also gives distinctive recording about tartan. The Scottish register of Tartan allows general public to register their designed tartan which details including the read count, an image and a proposed tartan name. User can search, compare and link with other Scottish designers through the website. Other online archive and search engines includes ‘House of Tartan’ and CLAN by Scotweb. There are online tartan generators such as ‘tartanMaker’ to quickly design own tartan, to create fun.
Venetian beads production dates back to the fourteenth century. It is a representation of mastery of a material, glass, and element the fire. It endures specific knowledge and shared skills, indicates the use of specific traditional tools and procedures. Skilled artisans melt, blow, shape the coloured glass to obtained the shapes. Venice, the true European capital of glass, glass beads were produced in Murano and in all the Venetian territory. Since it was such a valuable product for trading, the center of production moved from Venice to island Murano to avoid the great risk of fire in keeping the kilns. The production represents a traditional knowledge handed down from generation to generation for more than 700 years. After the first World War of dissolution of colonialism, the beads lost their original function of as trading commodity. It become more of art, jewels and personal ornaments The process generally involves three preparatory positions, the ‘perlai’ (craftsmen of glass beads), ‘molatore’ and ‘impiraressa’, a women who inserts the beads through precise movements and creates various artefacts, and the glassmaker. The art of glass beads became part of the List of Intangible Cultural Heritaage since 2020.
Former police station on Joffre Street. Former French concession.
French concession is a geographical area with Sycamore-styled roads and European styled buildings that make up the historical French-administered part in Shanghai, from 1849 to 1946. Concessions were the lands conceded to individual governments, which nowadays the area turned into commercial shops, and many buildings are under municipal protection. They are seen as the cultural symbol of Shanghai, who have witnessed the historical unrest and city change.
Museum Louvre is located along the banks of the Seine River in Paris, which is one of the most popular tourist attractions in France. Every year, a large amount of people around the world travel long distance to visit this historical museum due to its great reputation. Louvre has various kinds of impressive historical art collections including Egyptian antiques, ancient Greek and Roman sculptures, paintings by the old masters and so on. And there is no doubt that Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" is the most well-known art work in the museum Louvre. Besides, other popular works are worthy enough to attract crowds to see.
The Terracotta Warriors, which were created in the Chinese Qin Dynasty (221–206 BCE), were discovered by chance in 1974, and have since become an icon of Chinese culture throughout the world. It is considered one of the greatest archaeological sites in the world. In December 1978, the Terracotta Warriors were inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Terracotta Warriors were made for the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, China's first emperor. The aim of creating them is to guard the safety and peace of tomb. There are thousands of elaborate life-size models of the terracotta warriors representing qin Shi Huang's massive army. They were cast into parts, fired, then assembled and painted, and finally placed in the tomb.
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, Hall 1
Peking Opera is a comprehensive art with a 200-year long history. Every part of it has aesthetic value to be appreciated. Many sculpture works are inspired by the masks of Peking Opera, many pop songs have Peking Opera elements, and many film elements also come from Peking Opera and folk art. Compared with other art forms, Peking Opera carries more profound cultural connotations. Peking Opera originates from China and belongs to China alone, so it is also a symbol of China. Besides, Peking Opera is the quintessence of Chinese culture and represents the cultural image of China to a large extent. In the whole Chinese culture, the main body of Peking Opera is more inclined to the folk culture or the bottom culture. Even though it was favored by the Empress of the Qing Dynasty and thus prospered rapidly, we are supposed to be objective enough to find its aesthetic characteristic. From the late Qing Dynasty to the whole 20th century, Peking Opera based on folk interest gained a position that no other folk art had ever possessed before. The impact of Chinese folk culture and aesthetics from the level of art essence is enhanced through Peking Opera and the global position of Chinese cultural and artistic state will be improved by propagandize Peking Opera.
Dazu Rock carvings are one of eight famous Buddhist carvings in the world. They can date from the 9th to 13th centuries’ history, and are considered to be the best representatives of the latest phase of rock art in China. The collection of grottoes and carvings in Dazu contains more than 50.000 statues representing the highest level technology of grotto art during the Tang and Song Dynasties in China. This type of rock carving is also called Moya Carving, which refers to the technique of carving the statues directly into the cliffside. In 1999, Dazu Rock carvings was inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage Collection. The rock carvings describe the images including Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, which shows the harmonious combination of different religions. The aim of creating the carvings is to advertise and show respect to religious figures and display ordinary life in China. Walking along and visiting these elaborate sculptures, people will feel not only worship to the religions, but also interactions among various social classes, as well as everyday stories about family and love.
View from Gorham's Cave Complex in Gibraltar
"Stones of Stenness and Stenness Loch The three remaining large stones all have the distinctive "hipped" shape of Orcadian prehistoric standing stones. In the far distance are the hills of Hoy." - Colin Smith
Gorham’s Cave Complex is a UNESCO World Heritage site located slightly above sea level on the eastern side of the rock of Gibraltar. The complex is made up of four caves. The complex is one of the last known sites inhabited by the Neanderthals in Europe. When it was initially inhabited by the Neanderthals (55,00 years ago) the location of the complex was 5km above sea level, with the shift to the present day being caused by landscape evolution. The cave was rediscovered in 1907 by Captain A. Gorham, and since then numerous discoverers have been made within the complex which has helped to shed light on the paleolithic age, with the complex containing “archaeological and paleontological deposits that provide evidence of Neanderthal occupation over a span of more than 100,000 years” (UNESCO, 2022). Gorham’s cave is an example of tangible cultural heritage, with the complex supplying notable “evidence of the hunting of birds and marine animals for food, the use of feathers for ornamentation, and the presence of abstract rock engravings (UNESCO, 2022)”. More information on the individual discoveries from Gorham’s Cave can be found on Gibraltar’s Museum Virtual Museum: https://www.gibmuseum.gi/our-work/virtual-museum
The Castillo de Ponferrada, also known as the Castillo de los Templarios, or Templar Castle, in Ponferrada, Spain is an impressive castle that dates back to 1178. Likely built on the ruins of a previous Celtic castle, this fortification housed the Knights Templar by order of King Fernando II of León. Ponferrada became an important point of transit when in the 11th Century a reinforced iron bridge was built (which became the namesake of the town, from the Latin Pons Ferrata, Iron Bridge). The Knights were granted a jurisdiction in Ponferrada to provide security to pilgrims travelling to and from Santiago de Compostela, especially from Muslim invasion; and to serve the interests of Fernando II and his successor Alfonso IX.
The Castillo de Ponferrada, also known as the Castillo de los Templarios, or Templar Castle, in Ponferrada, Spain is an impressive castle that dates back to 1178. Likely built on the ruins of a previous Celtic castle, this fortification housed the Knights Templar by order of King Fernando II of León. Ponferrada became an important point of transit when in the 11th Century a reinforced iron bridge was built (which became the namesake of the town, from the Latin Pons Ferrata, Iron Bridge). The Knights were granted a jurisdiction in Ponferrada to provide security to pilgrims travelling to and from Santiago de Compostela, especially from Muslim invasion; and to serve the interests of Fernando II and his successor Alfonso IX. Excerpt from P1.
Sketch of the standing stones of Stenness from estimated 1818
Estimated to have been sketched between 1781 and 1820. Estimated 1818.