cluny abbey, france, heritage, wonders
Cluny Abbey or The Abbey of Cluny in Burgundy was the center of a major monastic movement in the Middle Ages. Its church was the largest Christian building in the world until St. Peter’s Basilica was rebuilt in Rome in the 16th century.
Today, one transept of the 12th-century abbey church remains, along with 15th-century abbots’ residences and 18th-century convent buildings. The site also includes pleasant gardens and a museum with Romanesque artifacts.
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Founded in 910, the Abbey at Cluny was the center of a monastic reform movement that would spread throughout Europe. The abbey was built on a forested hunting preserve donated by William I the Pious, duke of Aquitaine and count of Auvergne.
Unlike most monastic patrons, William relieved the monks of Cluny of all obligations to him except for their prayers for his soul. It was much more common for patrons to retain some proprietary interest in the abbey and they usually expected to install their relatives as abbots. Thus Cluny was able to avoid the secular entanglements that plagued many other monasteries. Cluny answered to the Pope alone, and would come to develop very close ties with the papacy.
The Abbey of Cluny was founded by Benedictine monks who wished to observe closer adherence to the Benedictine rule. One distinction was their commitment to offer perpetual prayer, emphasizing liturgy and spiritual pursuits over labor and other monastic activities.
At Cluny the liturgy was extensive and beautiful in inspiring surroundings, reflecting the new personally-felt wave of piety of the 11th century. Monastic intercession appeared indispensable to achieving a state of grace, and lay rulers competed to be remembered in Cluny’s endless prayers, inspiring the endowments in land and benefices that made other arts possible.
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Another uniqueness of Cluny was in its administration. Before Cluny, most monasteries were autonomous and associated with others only informally. But when new monasteries were founded in the Cluniac tradition, these were designated “priories,” not abbeys, and were accordingly overseen by a prior who reported to the abbot of Cluny. The abbot of Cluny made regular visits to these priories and the priors met at Cluny once a year.
This system worked well, and especially after the Pope decreed in 1016 that the privileges of Cluny also extended to subordinate houses, there was further incentive for Benedictine communities to join the Cluniac order.
On September 30, 1088, construction began on the third abbey church at Cluny (“Cluny III”), the one that still stands in part today. Financed by kings, for centuries it was the largest church in Christendom. In 1095, five altars were consecrated by Pope Urban II, and in 1130, the abbey was dedicated by Pope Innocent II. Construction of the antechurch continued until 1190.
The early Cluniac establishments had offered refuges from a disordered world, but by the late 11th century, Cluniac piety permeated society. This is the period that achieved the final Christianization of the heartland of Europe.
At its height of its influence in the 12th century, Cluny was at the head of a monastic “empire” of 10,000 monks. The abbots of Cluny were almost as powerful as popes, and four of them later became popes. In 1098, Pope Urban II (himself a Cluniac) declared that Cluny was the “light of the world.”
Cluny’s great success was due in large part to its abbots. The Abbey of Cluny was guided by an orderly succession of able and educated abbots drawn from the highest aristocratic circles, two of whom were canonized: Odo of Cluny, the second abbot (died 942) and Hugh of Cluny (died 1109). Odilo, the fifth abbot (died 1049), was a third great leader.
In the early 12th century, however, the order began to lose momentum under poor government. Cluny was subsequently revitalized under Abbot Peter the Venerable (d. 1156), who brought lax priories back into line and returned to stricter discipline. Cluny reached its last days of power and influence under Peter, as its monks became bishops, legates, and cardinals throughout France and the Holy Roman Empire.
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But soon, newer and more austere orders such as the Cistercians were generating the next wave of ecclesiastical reform. At the same time, the rise of English and French nationalism created a climate unfavorable to the existence of monasteries autocratically ruled by a leader residing in Burgundy.
The Papal Schism of 1378 to 1409 further divided loyalties: France recognized the pope at Avignon and England that at Rome, interfering with the relations between Cluny and its dependent houses in England. Under the strain, some English houses, such as Lenton Priory, Nottingham, became officially English, weakening the Cluniac structure.
By the time of the French Revolution, the monks of Cluny were so thoroughly identified with the Ancien Régime that the order was suppressed in France and the monastery at Cluny was partly demolished. The abbey was sold as national property and was used as a stone quarry. It was systematically dismantled until 1823.
The Greeks made use of their myths to read and understand the world around them. They mixed their mythological tradition making use of their moral concepts and developed some supreme beings to praise.
The life span of the gods organized the foundations for the comprehension of how to live a virtuous life. These myths were passed down through their society’s storytellers like Homer, who wrote the epic poems the “Iliad” and the “Odyssey.” These works of art are the source of much of our knowledge of the Greek gods , and the beliefs surrounding them.
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The twelve Olympian gods ( they are named after their dwelling place, Mount Olympus) were the best known gods. They ruled after the overthrow of the Titans.
The relationship between ancient Greeks and their gods was based on a fairly easy concept: if men worshipped and made sacrifices towards the gods, then your gods would look favourably upon them in exchange.
The Olympians:
Aphrodite : Goddess of love and beauty . Her son was Eros , the god of love. She is also considered to have kept a watchful eye over sailors.
Apollo : Beautiful god of the light, medicine and music. Apollo represents order, harmony, and civilization
Ares : God of war. He had an affair with Aphrodite, and was father to many kids.
Artemis : Goddess moon, forest, childbirth and the hunt. Although she was associated with childbirth and kids, Artemis was a virgin.
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Athena : Daughter of Zeus and goddess of knowledge and war and also the patron goddess of Athens. Like Artemis , she was a virgin goddess too.
Hades : God of the Underworld.
Hephaestus : God of fire and the forge. Mated to Aphrodite.
Hera : Queen from the Gods, wife of Zeus a, protector of marriage.
Hermes : The messenger of the gods, god of business. He was a very smart child, inventing the lyre using a tortoise’s shell as he was just a baby baby.
Hestia : Goddess of home, symbolized by the hearth which holds the ever-burning flame.
Poseidon : God of the sea and earthquakes. As god of the seas Poseidon held great power, and could calm the waves or create terrible storms. He’d an unreliable temper, and used his powers to generate fear and punishment on people as revenge.
Zeus : King from the Gods, god of the sky, symbolized by the thunderbolt. Because the ruler of the Olympian gods, Zeus held enormous power and almost absolute authority. His role was primarily to watch over the activities of the other gods, and make sure they weren’t exceeding their powers.
The Titans, also called the elder gods, ruled the planet earth before the Olympians overthrew them.
The ruler of the Titans was Cronus who was de-throned by his son Zeus .
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Prometheus : He stole the sacred fire from Zeus and also the gods.
Atlas : Zeus punished him to forever bear the heavens upon his shoulders.
Architectural, Residential and Cultural Complex, Radziwill Family at Nesvizh
The Architectural, Residential and Cultural Complex of the Radziwill Family at Nesvizh is located in central Belarus. The Radziwill dynasty, who built and kept the ensemble from the 16th century until 1939, gave birth to some of the most important personalities in European history and culture. Due to their efforts, the town of Nesvizh came to exercise great influence in the sciences, arts, crafts and architecture. The complex consists of the residential castle and the mausoleum Church of Corpus Christi with their setting. The castle has ten interconnected buildings, which developed as an architectural whole around a six-sided courtyard. The palaces and church became important prototypes marking the development of architecture throughout Central Europe and Russia.
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The Architectural, Residential and Cultural Complex of the Radziwill Family at Nesvizh consists of a residential castle and the Corpus Christy Church, which had their influence on the architecture all over Central and Eastern Europe. The Radziwill family acted as politicians and patrons of art from the 16th to 19th centuries.
This was the second WHS we visited on our day trip from Minsk. It was certainly more impressive than Mir, the castle was complemented by a large park and lake and also several sites in the town proper.
In 2010 there was still a fair bit of (re)construction going on, but it has evidently progress since Christer’s photo was taken. One wing of the castle was open and contained a small exhibition on the castle as well as items from the Radziwill’s extensive library and some unremarkable reconstructed rooms. There was a little more to see than at Mir, but still you would not be missing out on much if you were to forego the castle interior.
By far the most impressive thing we saw was the interior of the Corpus Christi church which is located in the town just before heading out on the causeway to the castle. The Fresco’s inside were incredible and a real surprise. It was like being suddenly transported to Italy, if you have made it this far then this is something that really should not be missed. There was also a crypt containg the remains of many members of the Radziwill family. The influence of the Radziwill family can be found across many parts of Central and Eastern Europe, and the layout of the town and castle have also had their effect.
This site was by far the better of the two WHS we visited on this day trip from Minsk and hopefully will be a very worthwhile attraction once the (re)construction has finished. We managed to get a good deal with BSP )for an excursion to both the WHS, it also gave us a chance to talk to locals about many facets of life in Belarus, which was perhaps even more rewarding than the sights themselves. It is possible to visit both Mir and Nesvizh via public transport and get back to Minsk in one day, however the bus times are apparently pretty tight, so we opted for the easy of a private tour. The WHS themselves are not world class, and some of the prices we were quoted for this day trip were laughably high, however if you can get a good price then these make an ideal day trip from Minsk.
archaeological zone of paquimé, casas grandes, archaeological cities, ancient city
Paquimeacute; Casas Grandes, which reached its apogee in the 14th and 15th centuries, played a key role in trade and cultural contacts between the Pueblo culture of the south-western United States and northern Mexico and the more advanced civilizations of Mesoamerica. The extensive remains, only part of which have been excavated, are clear evidence of the vitality of a culture which was perfectly adapted to its physical and economic environment, but which suddenly vanished at the time of the Spanish Conquest.
Among the things that Chihuahua has to offer, there is the Archaeological zone of Paquimé, which is located just about half a kilometer away from the city (or town, that’s more like it) of Casas Grandes, Chihuahua. It was long inhabited by indigenous people and now it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Paquime culture is said to have began as far back as the 700′s and they especialized on pottery, which is apparently of better quality than the one you can find today, unfortunately you can only find it in museums. =P Paquime is the largest indentified settlement from this culture so far. The constructions of this site are mainly made out of Adobe with the characteristic of having “T” shaped doors (or entrances, because they didn’t use doors).
The zone of Paquime is said to be abandoned by its inhabitants at around 15th century (the Spanish conquest was only until 1540).
The houses of Paquime are semi-subterranean (as much as 1 meter underground). They used to have ceremonial centers which were plastered on both sides, unlike their houses which as I said, are made of Adobe. This culture dedicated themselves to agriculture (and pottery, which may be found all the way up to Arizona) and took advantage of the water that came down from the Sierra.
This culture, eventualy developed a ball game, just like most of the mesoamerican cultures. Also, they expanded their homes or constructions and some of them reached up to four stories high. Around 1340 the settlement was abandoned by most of its inhabitants and the rest were allegedly murdered by their enemies. This was concluded because of the large quantity of skelentons that were found during the excavations.
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The Thang Long Imperial Citadel was built in the 11th century by the Ly Viet Dynasty, marking the independence of the Dai Viet. It was constructed on the remains of a Chinese fortress dating from the 7th century, on exhausted land reclaimed from the Red River Delta in Hanoi. It was the middle of local politics power for almost thirteen centuries without interruption. The Imperial Citadel buildings and the remains in the 18 Hoang Dieu Archaeological Site reflect a distinctive South-East Asian culture specific to the lower Red River Valley, at the crossroads between influences coming from China in the north and the ancient Kingdom of Champa in the south.
The Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long-Hanoi is the most important, central and best maintained section of the former Forbidden City as well as Thang Long Imperial Citadel. It captures all the characteristics necessary to clearly demonstrate its Outstanding Universal Value as a seat of power of great longevity and cultural complexity. The historical record in the nominated property reveals the length of time during which Thang Long-Hanoi has been a power centre, while artifacts and extant buildings reveal the degree of cultural exchange and the influence of various human values on urban design, architecture and artistic expression, and the continuing exercise of power.
Genuineness
The standing monuments and above-ground relics are unique buildings of the Le dynasty, the Nguyen Dynasty and the French colonial period. The genuineness of the subterranean vestiges is reflected through the presence of fundamentals of wooden buildings and related relics and through the decoration supplies for the roofs of palaces with icons of regal power. The high level of town planning, the substantial and solid nature of those structures together with the precious utensils used by the royal family provide authentic proof for the presence of palaces within the Forbidden City. The shapes and arrangement of buildings and the building supplies employed clearly confirm the role of the site as a politics power center that represented nationwide regimes.
Protection and administration needs
Measures to protect and manage the site consist of the choice to recognize the site as a National Relic of Special Importance (2009), the mobilization of resources from inside and outside the country to carry out research and preservation projects, and the provision of capacity-building programs to the professional staff of the controlling company.
Before the nomination, the site was handled by different companies and ministries. It is now placed under integrated and unified administration of Hanoi People’s Committee after the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of National Defense signed an agreement to hand over management authority to Hanoi People’s Committee.
The home is also currently protected by a system of top-level legal documents, such as the Law on Cultural Heritage (2001), the Overall Planning for Ba Dinh Political Centre, the Prime Minister’s dedication to implement ICOMOS’ suggestions and the Master Management Plan specifically prepared for the site.
The Prime Minister issued on 9 December 2009 the Statement 348/TB-VPCP in which he required the upkeep of all French-built villas and purely banned the construction of high-rise buildings in the central region of Hanoi that may impact the site. The instructions given in the Prime Ministerial Statement will be incorporated In the overall planning for Hanoi presently under way for the time period to 2030 and in the onward vision to 2050.
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The archaeological site of Troy is a huge role in understanding the development of European civilization at a critical juncture in its early stage of development. It ‘s also a great cultural importance as a significant effect on Homer’s Iliad is the creative arts for more than two thousand years.
Troy is an outstanding example of a connection with the Eastern Aegean town at the intersection of Anatolia, the Aegean and the Balkans. It is also probably the most famous archaeological site in the world. It can be seen to represent the starting point of modern archeology and public recognition.
Troy II and Troy VI in particular, are typical examples of the old town with majestic citadel fortified palaces and government buildings, surrounded by a large lower city, also fortified. Troy is directly related to the work of universal significance literary Homer (Iliad) and Virgil (The Aeneid). Hellenistic tumuli were erected on the supposed graves of these heroes, like Achilles, Ajax, Hector and Patroclus.
human occupation site of Troy began in the Bronze Age. The first round defensive wall of the fortress was built around 3000 BC. Then, Troy VI, expanded, making it one of the largest cities of the Aegean region is a commercial role. An earthquake in 1350 BC caused major damage to Troy VI, but the city quickly recovered and rebuilt in a more orderly layout. Evidence of fire spread, and the slaughter of about 1250 BC, which led to the fall of Troy VII, has led to this point has been identified in the city besieged by the Greeks during the Trojan War, the immortal Iliad. The real cause of the Trojan War was a tough commercial competition between Troy and the Mycenaean commercial empire, the prize is control of the Dardanelles and the lucrative trade in the Black Sea in 306 BC, Troy became the capital city and the league Troas 188 BC, was discovered by the Romans as the Homeric Ilion and recognized as the mother-city of Rome (iliac Novum).
The city flourished under Roman rule and survived an earthquake in the 6th century. Abandoned again in the ninth century, was reoccupied in the Byzantine period and the latter finally did not leave until the Ottoman period.
Contemporary History of the site, and then the exploration and subsequent storage of the ‘year 1793 when it was found. E ‘researchers have identified, first in Ilion in 1810 and after the Trojan 1820. Heinrich Schliemann first visited the site in 1868. Between then and his death in 1890, has completed seven major campaigns, completed in 1893-1894 and his assistant, Wilhelm Dörpfeld. It ‘was in 1873 that discovered the famous treasure of gold, by mistake or as the “Treasure of Priam, king,” as it came to Troy II, not Troy VIIa. Excavations for over a century, have revealed 23 components of defensive walls around the fortress gates eleven stone paved ramp, and the bottom five defensive fortress. These dates, most of Troy II and VI, but as part of the wall (Troy I) shows near the South Gate of the first defense. Good apartment complex Troy II consists of five parallel buildings, long arcades (Megara).
Greek and Roman cities of Troy are mainly represented by the complex of the shrine. Roman urban organization results in two large public buildings on the edge of the agora. The Odeon (concert hall) has the classic horseshoe steps made of blocks of limestone. The proximity Bouleuterion (HLM) is smaller but similar in the plan. The surrounding landscape contains many prehistoric sites and historic cemeteries, tombs Hellenistic, Roman and Greek colonies, Roman and Ottoman bridges, etc.
The largest of them are considered to represent the prototype of the Greek temple. The whole is regarded as having created a kind of castle. The remains of several long rectangular houses of Troy II to see the back of one of the most striking features of the site, known as the Fosse Schliemann excavated by the famous 19th century excavators looking for the citadel “of Priam” the object of his research.