Pictures photos images of Georgian Orthodox churches, cathedrals & monasteries architecture, Georgia (country). One of the most iconic symbols of Georgia is the architecture of the much loved classic Georgian Church. The best known Georgian church style dates form the 11-12th century from a period known as the “Georgian Golden Age”. The oldest Georgian Churches date from the 4th century and are Byzantine Roman Basilica style buildings, based on Roman Basilicas, that were typical of the early Christian Syrian and Asia Minor churches of the era. The Basilica Church was typified by its long low shape with a semi circular apse. From the 6th century this style of church had developed into a uniquely Georgian style with three naives and longitudinal walls with door rather than arches and no transepts. Only one such church has survived today which can be seen at Bolnisi Sioni. The Georgian houses of the 3rd and 4th millennium BC had domes and this shape evolved into churches of the 6th century SD which had a cruciform ground plan rising to a central cupola at its centre. The focus of these churches was its centre under the dome that symbolised heaven. This style of Georgian church developed into another unique style with four semi circular apse on at the end of arm of the cross shape which is know as the Tetraconch style. This is typified in probably the first example of a Tetraconch style church in the Jvari Church at Mtskheta. This church became the prototype for all Georgian Tetraconch churches. Arab invasions of the 7th century curtailed church buildings and badly disrupted life in Georgia until the Georgian Renaissance of the 11th & 12th centuries. Much larger than their Tetraconch predecessors the classic Georgia design usually retains the cruciform ground plan with a central cupola. The cupola is of a cylindrical drum design with long narrow windows leading up to a simple round pitched roof. The overall impression is of a church that is tall and narrow rising up to heaven. These classical Georgian churches are decorated simply with geometric designs, especially around the windows. The main interior lighting is through the windows of the domed cupola which draws the congregations eye up to heaven and ultimately to the fresco, often of Christ Pantocrator, pained on the inside of the cupola roof and the Theotokos, depicting the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, and child, in the apse over the altar. The inside of Georgian churches were highly decorated with all interior surfaces being decorated. The predominate style followed the popular byzantine Roman style of the era. The end of the Georgian Golden Age was brought about by the Fourth Crusade sack of Constantinople bringing about the collapse of the Byzantine Empire, leading to the Mongol invasions leading to the sacking and destruction of many Georgian monasteries. Download pictures & images of Georgian Orthodox churches, cathedrals & monasteries architecture or buy as photo art prints

Pictures & images of Amiens Cathedral, France, and its Gothic statues and architecture. The north of France is a haven for enthusiasts of medieval Gothic Cathedrals and Picardy has many fine examples. One of the biggest and best preserved is the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Amiens. The medieval cities of northern France grew rich on trade and were protected by fortifications to keep opportunistic rival Dukes out. Cities also became rich as centres of pilgrimage so competed with each other by building great Cathedrals yo house holy relics. The prize of Amiens Cathedral was the relic of the head of John the Baptist looted during the sack of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade and returned to Amiens. Amiens was originally built as a Romanesque cathedral in 1152. It was destroyed by fire and rebuilt as a Gothic masterpiece in 1220 by Bishop Evrard de Fouilly. Robert de Luzarches was the architect until 1228, and was followed by Thomas de Cormont until 1258. His son, Renaud de Cormont, acted as the architect until 1288. The chronicle of Corbie gives a completion date for the cathedral of 1266. Finishing works continued, however. Its floors are covered with a number of designs, such as the bent cross (to symbolize Jesus' triumph over death). At 42.3 meters tall its naive is taller than Chartres and Reims Cathedrals but not as high as Beauvais. Amiens cathedral contains the largest medieval interior in Western Europe, supported by 126 pillars. The coherence of the plan of Amiens Cathedral, the beauty of its three-tier interior elevation, and the application of an extremely scholarly sculptural program on its principal facade and the wing of the southern transept are striking. From 1292, The cathedral was enriched by chapels built between the buttresses of the side aisles. The style of the seven radiating chapels facing the double ambulatory of the choir became a model for other cathedrals. A large sequence of tableau in the North transept illustrates Jesus' Cleansing of the Temple whilst on the south side of the ambulatory are tableau from the life of John the Baptist and St Firmin, the first bishop of Amiens. The 1990’s cleaning and restoration of the sculptures of the west facade revealed paint fragments on the statues that allowed renovators to work out what the statues would have looked like in medieval times. An intricate light show was devised that allowed colours to be projected onto the statues showing them in their original colours. This remarkable light show can be seen every night through the summer at Amiens revealing the vibrance that all medieval Cathedrals had when originally built. Add photos of Amiens Cathedral to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (type Amiens into lower search box) USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiens_Cathedral UNESCO World Heritage https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/162

(updated 2021) Pictures images photos of the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral Church of the Holy Cross, Akdamar (Aghtamar) Island in Lake Van Turkey. Our photos show images of the extensive array of Armenian bas-relief carving of mostly biblical scenes that adorn its external walls. These Akdamar pictures show the great skill of medieval Armenian artists. The Armenian Cathedral Church of the Holy Cross Aghtamar was built of pink volcanic tufa by the architect-monk Manuel during the years 915-921, with an interior measuring 14.80m by 11.5m and the dome reaching 20.40m above ground. Between 1116 and 1895 Aght'amar Island was the location of the Armenian Catholicosate of Aktamar. Khachatur III, who died in 1895, was the last Catholicos of Aght'amar. In 1915, during the Armenian Genocide, the monks of Aktamar were massacred, the cathedral looted, and the monastic buildings destroyed. Add photos of Cathedral of Holy Cross Akdamar using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/lakevanturkey.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_the_Holy_Cross,_Aghtamar Visit our TURKEY PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/3f-Pictures-of-Turkey-Turkey-Photos-Images-Fotos/C0000U.hJWkZxAbg

Pictures photos images of the medieval Alaverdi St George Cathedral & monastery complex, 11th century, near Telavi, Georgia (country). Alaverdi St George Cathedral is part of an 11th century Georgian monastery founded by Joseph [Abba] Alaverdeli a monk from Antioch, one of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers missionaries, in the 6th century. At the time the village of Alaverdi was a pagan religious centre that worshipped the moon. In the early 11th century the building of the great Alaverdi St George Cathedral was financed by King Kvirike the Great of Kakhetia, and it replaced a small 6th century church that stood on the site. At 50 meters high Alaverdi St George Cathedral was the highest cathedral in Georgia until 2004 when its height was beaten by the new cathedral of Tblisi. Surrounded by the fertile plain of the Alazani River valley with the Caucasus Mountains as a backdrop, the Alaverdi St George Cathedral is one of the great sites of Georgia. The outside of the cathedral has few decorative features but the interior was covered with frescoes, some of which have survived today. The high cupola makes for an imposing interior space. Above the altar in the apse isare the remains of a fresco depicting the Theotokos, the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, and child. Other fragments of frescoes from the 11th, 15th, and 17th centuries survive inside. The Alaverdi St George Cathedral is at the centre of a monastery complex that still operates today as a convent. The fortified curtain walls are still in tact around the monastery as is its fortified gate house. These did not stop the Alaverdi Cathedral being destroyed several times by invaders which led to restoration being carried out in the 15th century. Around the 28th of September, every year the Alaverdi St George Cathedral is the centre of a religious harvest festival known as Alaverdoba. This celebrates the feast day of the feast day of the monasteries founder, St Joseph of Alaverdi. Situated in the heart of the world's oldest wine region, the monks of Alaverdi were famous for their wine known as Alaverdi Monastery Cellar wines. Download pictures & images of the medieval Alaverdi St George Cathedral & monastery complex, or buy as photo art prints. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Pictures photos images of the Ananuri castle complex & Georgian Orthodox churches, 17th century, Georgia (country). Ananuri castle is situated next to the Georgian Military Road overlooking the Aragvi River in Georgia, about 45 miles (72 kilometres) from Tbilisi. Ananuri castle was originally built in the 13th century as the seat and castle for the feudal Dukes of Aragvi who ruled the area. Its strong fortifications consisted of a high castle area with fortified towers with high curtain walls and a lower castle area much of which is ruins today. In 1739 the Dukes of Aragvi were massacred after the Ananuri castle was taken by the Shamshe family. They were deposed 4 year later and King Teimuraz II of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a king of Kakheti, eastern Georgia from 1732 to 1744, took control of Ananuri castle. In the upper castle that we see today are two Georgian Orthodox churches. The oldest is the Church of Virgin, a cruciform church with a central Georgian style cupola and pan tiled roof. Its exterior has no decorations and inside are some graves of the Dukes of Aragvi. Next to the Church of Virgin is the The Church of the Assumption (Holy Mother of God), built in 1689. It is of cruciform layout with a high central Georgian style cupola clad in metal. The exterior of The Church of the Assumption is highly decorated with Georgian bas relief sculpture. It main portal has intricate geometric Georgian relief stone work and in its triangular tympanum are intricate stone carvings with Christ in a mondorla at its centre, and carvings of angels amongst intricate foliage stone carvings. Above the main door is a geometric stone relief of a crucifix which is the whole height of the facade. Either side of the crucifix are reliefs of the tree of life below which are reliefs of naive style angels.Inside The Church of the Assumption has many frescoes painted between the 17th and the 18th centuries some of which depict the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers who brought Christianity to Georgia. Between the two churches is a seemingly out of place tall thin tower in the style of those found in the Upper Sveneti region of Georgia. It has a stepped pyramidal roof. The ensemble of the Ananuri castle complex has been considered important enough for it to be inscribed In 2007 onto the UNESCO World Heritage Site tentative list. Download pictures & images of the Ananuri castle complex & Georgian Orthodox churches, or buy as photo art prints on line. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Photos images pictures of the Alhambra Palace, Granada Spain. Although the Berber Moors started their conquest of the Iberian peninsular, present day Spain and Portugal, in 711 it was not until the 11th century that Granada was founded. At that time Granada was a hamlet called Gárnata, and after the fall of the Umayyad Andalusian kingdom, Al-Andalus was fragmented into a number of minor states and principalities, most notably the Emirate of Granada. One of the great tourist attractions of Spain is the Alhambra Palace in Granada. Completed towards the end of Muslim rule of Spain by Yusuf I (1333–1353) and Muhammed V, Sultan of Granada (1353–1391), the Alhambra is a reflection of the culture of the last centuries of the Moorish rule of Al Andalus, reduced to the Nasrid Emirate of Granada. The Royal Complex consists of three main parts: Mexuar, Serallo, and the Harem. The Mexuar is modest in decor and houses the functional areas for conducting business and administration. Strapwork is used to decorate the surfaces in Mexuar. Serallo, built during the reign of Yusuf I in the 14th century, contains the Court of the Myrtles. Brightly coloured interiors featured dado panels, yesería, azulejo, cedar, and Artesonado are highly decorative ceilings and other woodwork. Lastly, the Harem is also elaborately decorated and contains the living quarters for the wives and mistresses of the Berber monarchs. Court of the Myrtles The present entrance to the Moorish palace is by a small door from which a corridor connects to the Court of the Myrtles, also called the Court of the Blessing or Court of the Pond, from the Arabic birka meaning “pool". Hall of the Ambassadors The Hall of the Ambassadors is the largest in the Alhambra. It is a square room, that was the grand reception room of the sultan with a throne placed opposite the entrance. Court of the Lions and the Fabulous Fountain. The Court of the Lions, a unique example of Muslim art. The Court of the Lions is an oblong court surrounded by a low gallery supported on 124 white marble columns. A pavilion projects into the court at each extremity, with filigree walls and a light domed roof. The square is paved with coloured tiles and the colonnade with white marble, while the lower parts of the walls are covered with blue and yellow tile tessaltions, with a border above and below of enamelled blue and gold. Hall of the Abencerrajes. The Hall of the Abencerrajes gets its name from a legend according to which the father of Boabdil, the last sultan of Granada, having invited the chiefs of that line to a banquet, massacred them here. This room is a perfect square, with a lofty dome and trellised windows at its base. The roof is decorated in blue, brown, red and gold, and the columns supporting it spring out into the arch form in a remarkably beautiful manner . The Alhambra is UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints

Amalfi pictures, images & photos of Amalfi, Italy. Photos of Amalfi Cathedral and Cloisters and images of the Harbour. Also buy as stock photos or photo ar prints. Amalfi is a town and comune in the province of Salerno, in the region of Campania, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno, c. 35 km southeast of Naples. It lies at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto (1,315 meters, 4,314 feet), surrounded by dramatic cliffs and coastal scenery. The town of Amalfi was the capital of the maritime republic known as the Duchy of Amalfi, an important trading power in the Mediterranean between 839 and around 1200. In the 1920s and 1930s, Amalfi was a popular holiday destination for the British upper class and aristocracy. Amalfi is the main town of the coast on which it is located, named Costiera Amalfitana, and is today an important tourist destination together with other towns on the same coast, such as Positano, Ravello and others. Amalfi is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Add photos of Amalfi Italy to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/amalfi.html USEFUL LINKS: Amalfi Cathedral Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amalfi_Cathedral Amalfi Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amalfi Visit our PHOTO COLLECTIONS OF ITALY HISTOIC PLACES for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Italy-Photos-of-Italian-Historic-Landmark-Sites/C0000qxA2zGFjd_k

(updated 2021) Pictures images photos of Ani archaeological site, Turkey. The city is located on a triangular site, visually dramatic and naturally defensive, protected on its eastern side by the ravine of the Akhurian River and on its western side by the Bostanlar or Tzaghkotzadzor valley. The Akhurian is a branch of the Araks River and forms part of the currently closed border between Turkey and Armenia. By the early 9th century, the former territories of the Kamsarakans in Arsharunik and Shirak (including Ani) had been incorporated into the territories of the Armenian Bagratuni dynasty. Today Ani is a ruined Armenian city-site situated in the Turkish province of Kars, in sight of the border with Armenia. The city is located on a triangular site, visually dramatic and naturally defensive, protected on its eastern side by the ravine of the Akhurian River and on its western side by the Bostanlar or Tzaghkotzadzor valley. Called the "City of 1001 Churches", Ani stood on various trade routes and its many religious buildings, palaces, and fortifications were amongst the most technically and artistically advanced structures in the world. At its height, Ani had a population of 100,000-200,000 people and was the rival of Constantinople, Baghdad and Cairo. The Persian Safavids ruled Ani until it became part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire in 1579. A small town remained within its walls at least until the middle 17th century, but the site was entirely abandoned by the middle of the 18th century. Add photos of Ani Archaeological site Turkey using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/ani-turkey.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ani Visit our TURKEY PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/3f-Pictures-of-Turkey-Turkey-Photos-Images-Fotos/C0000U.hJWkZxAbg

Pictures photos Images of the Archangel Georgian Orthodox Church, 10th - 11th century, Upper Krikhi, Krikhi, Georgia (country). Krikhi Archangel Church is a single rectangular church with a projecting altar apse at its eastern end, a main door with porch at its southern side and a covered terrace at its western end. For a small church Krikhi Archangel Church is extremely well decorated on the outside with Georgian style bas relief stonework. The south door has intricate carvings along its pillars and in the architraves above the door. The churches small windows are highly decorated with stone tracery around them. Inside Krikhi Archangel Church there are some remain of the fresco paintings that would have originally covered all of its interior walls. The apse still has fragments of a fresco depicting 3 saints in a Roman Byzantine style. Fragments of fresco depicting Georgian nobles in tunics typical of the medieval period can also be seen. Krikhi Archangel Church was ruined in an earthquake in 1884 and was restored in 1890. Download Pictures & Images of the Archangel Georgian Orthodox Church or buy on line as photo art prints. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Pictures of the Arian Christian mosaics of the Arian Baptistry in Ravenna, Italy. The Arian Baptistry was build during the rule of the Ostrogoth Kin Theodoric the Great at the end of the 5th Century AD. The Arian Baptistry was part of a cathedral complex to commissioned by Theodoric of which only the baptistry survives today. Its walls interior is of simple brick and in the roof is a mosaic at the centre of which a beardless young Christ is being baptised by John the Baptist. Around this centre panel are two semi circular procession so Apostles and saints, one led by Saint Peter, the other by Saint Paul. They are walking towards a jewelled crucifix that is sitting on a purple cushion. Arian Christian preached that Jesus Christ is the son of God and was created by God the Father so was subordinate to him. Catholic Christian believe that Jesus Christ comes directly from God and is of the same substance and therefore equal to God. This may seem to be a moot point but it was contested bitterly in the Christian world of the time. Download Royalty Free stock photos of the mosaics of The Arian Baptistry or buy as photo wall art prints on line.

Pictures of Assisi and photos of the Basilica of Saint Francis, Italy. One of the great Saints of Christendom and the founder of a major Roman Catholic monastic order in 1208 was Saint Francis of Assisi. It should be no surprise therefore that the medieval hill town of Assisi in Perugia is dominated by the Monastery, Basilica and shrine of Saint Francis. Enriched since medieval by the pilgrims that still flock to Assisi to pray at the tomb of ever popular and venerated Saint Francis, the small hill town sits like a jewel gleaming out from a hill above a fertile plain of the Tiber Valley. Originally settled by Umbrian's who fortified the high ground above the plain, Assisi was inhabited successively by the Etruscans in 450BC then, after the Battle of Sentium in 295 BC, by the Romans. Columns of the Roman temple of Minerva can still be seen in the main square in Assisi as the facade of the Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, a fine example of the use of pagan buildings by early Christians. Perched high above the town is the imperial fortress of The Rocca Maggiore, which was plundered in 1189, was rebuilt in 1367 on orders of the papal legate, cardinal Gil de Albornoz. Small stone buildings line narrow alleys that run down the hillside past the convent of Poor Clare, also founder by St Francis, to the great Basilica of St Francis which sits on top of the massive buttressed Franciscan monastery complex that rises out of the hillside. The Basilica and monastery of St Francis, a World Heritage Site, were begun immediately after his canonization in 1228, and completed in 1253. The Basilica has an upper floor, the Basilica superiore, and lower floor, the Basilica inferiore, below which is the crypt and shrine of St Francis. The lower church is entirely Romanesque in style with semi circular ribbed vaults across the nave and barrel vaults above the transepts. The Upper church has a Romanesque bell tower and an early Italian Gothic facade with a Gothic ogival door and Rose window of great simplicity . The Gothic vaulted interior is a masterpiece of medieval Christian art decorated with the pastel frescoes of Giotto, started in 1280. Giotto used the Legenda Maior, the biography of St. Francis by St. Bonaventure (1266) to reconstruct the major events in the life of St. Francis. The humanist painting style of Giotto, setting the narrative in Medieval Italy and depicting real emotions, was a forerunner of the Renaissance art to follow. Add photos of Assisi Italy to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/assisi.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisi Visit our PHOTO COLLECTIONS OF ITALY HISTOIC PLACES for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Italy-Photos-of-Italian-Historic-Landmark-Sites/C0000qxA2zGFjd_k

Pictures photos image of Ateni Sioni Georgian Orthodox tetraconch Church, 7th century, Ateni, Georgia. Built in the 7th century following the ground plan of Jvari Monastery Ateni Sioni Georgian Orthodox follows a tetraconch cruciform layout with four apse with niches between each and a central cupola. The tetraconch cross layout allows for internal corner rooms open to the rest of the interior as apposed to side aisles and a transept layout. The spacious interior has 8 columns supporting four squinches that support a low central dome. The lower part of Ateni Sioni Church is built in red sandstone with yellow-green tuff above. The Ateni Sioni Church was renovated in the 10th century, probably by Armenian architect Todosak. It was further restored in the 16th century. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c Download Picture & image of Ateni Sioni Georgian Orthodox tetraconch Church or buy as photo art prints on line

The medieval gothic Cathedral of Saint Peter of Beauvais exterior - photos pictures images. Beauvais cathedral has the highest Gothic choir in the world at 48.50 m under vault. Work was begun in 1225 under count-bishop Milo of Nanteuil, with funding from his family, on this record breaking gothic cathedral after the roof of the Romanesque basilica type cathedral it replaced burnt down. by 1272 the choir of the new gothic cathedral had reached higher than Amiens cathedral and was set to become not only the tallest but the biggest cathedral in Christendom. The ambitions of the medieval builders took the construction of the cathedral to the limits of architectural engineering and eventually beyond leading to collapses of the cathedral in the 13th century. It wasn’t until 1569 that a central tower was completed taking the height of Beauvais cathedral to 153 m (502 feet) making it the tallest building in the world. This record held until 1573 when the tower collapsed and work never recommenced leaving the cathedral unfinished to this day. This has left a rather strange looking building. Its main entrance is through a spectacular southern entrance. When viewing the cathedral from this southern aspect to the right of the gothic doorway is the choir almost completely hidden by high flying buttresses that struggle to keep the choir standing. To the left of the south entrance can be seen the remaining end of the romanesque basilica the gothic cathedral replaced. It is a dramatic comparison of the incredible differences in scale between the Romanesque and the Gothic. The tiny Romanesque building is dwarfed by the later Gothic choir and demonstrates perfectly the huge jump forward in building technology the Gothic represented. Beauvais cathedral also demonstrates that medieval masons were pioneers achieving the building of incredible buildings by trial and error. The design of Beauvais cathedral is flawed and has constantly needed interventions to stop it collapsing. Today it has to be braced internally to stop it falling down. The north transept now has four large wood-and-steel lateral trusses at different heights, installed during the 1990s to keep the transept from collapsing. In addition, the main floor of the transept is interrupted by a much larger brace that rises out of the floor at a 45-degree angle. This brace was installed as an emergency measure to give additional support to the pillars that, until now, have held up the tallest vault in the world. SEE MORE MEDEIVAL PLACES AND ANTIQUITIES AT: https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Medieval-Middle-Ages-Art-Artefacts-Antiquities-Pictures-Images-of/C0000YpKXiAHnG2k

Pictures photos images of the Betania (Bethania ) Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God Georgian Orthodox complex, Georgia. Betania (Bethania ) Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God is located on the steep isolated wooded slopes of the Vere River Valley. Although only 16KM (9.9m) southwest of Tbilisi, Betania Monastery is approached along a rough track that plunges into the Vere River Valley in a barely passable steep rough road. Betania Monastery is built in the classic “Golden Age” church architectural style of the 11th and 12th centuries. As the land it occupies was owned by the feudal Orbeli family it is believed that two Orbeli brothers paid for the monastery to be built. At the end of the 12th century the Orbeli family were removed as feudal overlords by the crown and were replaced by the Gostashabishvili family. Betania Monastery is built with a cruciform ground plan with a central straight sided cylindrical cupola with 12 windows at its centre. It is built from red and green tuff with geometric sculpted stonework around its windows and doors. The high dome is supported on 2 pillars and ledges of the altar wall. It is thought that some of the existing building may have been part of an earlier basilica style church. Surrounding the monastery was a high curtain fortification wall with a fortified gate as an entrance. The interior of Betania Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God has still has many frescoes including a notable fresco of King George III and his daughter – Queen Tamar., although many of which have sadly been damaged and need restoration. The frescoes poor state is due to the fact that after invasions of Georgia such as those in the 13th century, the monastery was probably over run and abandoned. Its isolated position in deep woodland led to Betania Monastery being forgotten all together and was only accidentally discovered by an architect and artist Gagarin, approximately in 1850. The ruined church was restored but the interior frescoes had been badly damaged by the weather. Photos of the interior frescoes is not permitted. Pictures & images of the Betania (Bethania ) Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God Georgian Orthodox complex, or buy as photo art prints` Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Images, pictures & photos of Beaumaris Castle, built in 1284 by Edward 1st, considered to be one of the finest example of 13th century military architecture by UNESCO. A World Heritage Site. Beaumaris, Anglesey Island, Wales. In 1282 when Edward the 1st had finished his initial campaign against the Welsh lords, he set about building a series of defensive castles to assure that his control over Wales would not slip. Beaumaris Castle was the last of these great castles to be built and was engineered as the the state of the art castle of its day. Beaumaris Castle is surrounded by a moat which use to link to the sea so the castle could be provisioned easily. The outer walls of the castle have 2 round towers along each side which give a vantage point to defending soldiers. Inside this is another higher wall with bigger towers which not only allows defenders to see over the outer wall, but should the outer wall be breached a killing zone would be created between the inner and outer walls. The inner ward had accommodation for 2 major households, presumably for Edward when he visited and his local lord. Building so many great Castles in Wales drained Edward 1st finances and in 1284. The Madog ap Llywelyn uprising in 1295 forced Edward to resume building Beaumaris Castle but in 1306 funds had to be diverted to fight the Scots who threatened invasion of England. Work finally ceased around 1330 and a total of £15,000 has been spent building Beaumaris which was a staggering amount of money at the time. Even though Beaumaris Castle was never fully completed its remains are impressive, especially when viewed from a distance with the sea and the mountains of Snowdonia as a backdrop. Historian Arnold Taylor described Beaumaris Castle as the most perfect of the Welsh castles and praised its symmetry. His views are supported by UNESCO who added Beaumaris to its World Heritage site list stating that it is "the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe" Edward 1 financed his wars and castle building by initially borrowing money from the Jews in England and from the Florentine bankers. As Edwards debts grew greater he started taxing the Jews harder until finally, in 1290, he expelled the Jews from England taking their land and property. The debts Edward 1st left on his death in 1307 were staggering and in 1340 Edward 111 defaulted on his loans to the Florentine banks owing the £150,000. Needless to say this ended the glory days of Florence. RELATED LINKS Visit our WALES HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse or download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Images-of-Wales-Welsh-Historic-Places-Pictures-Photos/C0000UEicBhu1tQM . Visit our MEDIEVAL PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photosto download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Medieval-Middle-Ages-Historic-Places-Arcaeological-Sites-Pictures-Images-of/C0000B5ZA54_WD0s

Add photos of Beaune to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (type Beaune into lower search box) Photos and pictures of the Histroic Hospice de Beaune in winter and the fampus vineyards of Burghundy under snow. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

Burgenland, Austria pictures, photos. Images of Forchtenstein catle & vineyards to buy on line as stock photos or photo art prints. Burgenland (Croatian: Gradi??e, Hungarian: ?rvidék, Fels??rvidék or Várvidék, Slovene: Gradi??anska,) is the easternmost and least populous state or Land of Austria. It consists of two Statutarstädte (towns with a charter) and seven districts with in total 171 municipalities. It is 166 km long from north to south but much narrower from west to east (only 5 km wide at Sieggraben). Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

Pictures images photos of the medieval Castel Del Monte ( Castle on the Mount ) situated in Adria in the Apulia region in southern Italy. Castel del Monte sits onto of a hill above the plains of Apulia like a bright beacon visible to all below. It is known that it was ordered to be built by Emperor Frederick II in the 1240's but the reason for its unique octagonal design has been lost in the mists of time. The lack of moat and outer defensive wall suggests that Castel Del Monte was built as a hunting lodge for Frederick II. Castel Del Monte has eight outer walls with an octagonal courtyard in the middle. At the corners of each octagon is an octagonal tower. It has been suggested that the octagonal shape of Castel Del Monte may have been inspired by the octagonal Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem which Frederick would have seen during the sixth crusade. Others suggest that as the first cubic number (2 x 2 x 2), eight is considered the perfect number and therefore had a meaning to medieval people that has been lost. It has also been suggested that the octagon was seen by medieval man as a link between a square representing earth and a circle representing the sky. The octagon and circular dome was popular in religious architecture because the number 8 is symbolic of renewal. Whatever the reason for the octagonal design of Castel del Monte it remains one of the most imposing medieval castles in Europe which has been renovated to its former glory. The unique nature of Castel Del Monte is recognised in its UNESCO World Heritage Status who describe it as follows. " In its formal perfection and its harmonious blending of cultural elements from northern Europe, the Muslim world, and classical antiquity, Castel del Monte is a unique masterpiece of medieval military architecture, reflecting the humanism of its founder, Frederick II of Hohenstaufen." Add photos of Castel del Monte Italy to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/castel-del-monte.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castel_del_Monte,_Apulia Visit our PHOTO COLLECTIONS OF ITALY HISTOIC PLACES for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Italy-Photos-of-Italian-Historic-Landmark-Sites/C0000qxA2zGFjd_k

(updated 2021) Add photos of Caerlaverock Castle to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/caerlaverockcastle.html Pictures & images & photos of Caerlaverock Castle, Dumfries Galloway, Scotland. Caerlaverock Castle was built 400 years ago on the edge of the Solway Firth in Scotland to protect the most souther point of the Scottish Kingdom. Caerlaverock Castle stands on the remains of a Roman fort and an earlier castle built in 950 by a British Lord Karlauerock. To strengthen his southern borders in 1220 King Alexander II of Scotland granted Sir John Maccuswell permission to build a new castle at Caerlaverock. The Maccuswell, or Maxwell, Family held Caerlaverock Castle until the 17th century when it was abandoned. Caerlaverock Castle is a triangular castle and the reason for this still puzzles academics today. Caerlaverock Castle’s triangular design is unique in the British Isles but its design offers formidable defences. The defensive design of Caerlaverock Castle was tested many times and the castle survived some huge sieges. In 1300 Edward I besieged f Caerlaverock Castle with around 3000 men. The castle held out for 2 days until it was taken and its defenders slaughtered. In the Civil War of 1640 Caerlaverock Castle held out against parliamentary forces for 13 weeks until it finally fell. As was the practise of the time parts of Caerlaverock Castles curtain walls were destroyed so it had to be abandoned. Caerlaverock Castle has changed little since it was abandoned and its triangular shape surrounded by a moat make it one of the picturesque castles of Scotland and the British Isles.Download pictures & images of Caerlaverock Castle as stock photos or as photo art prints on line USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caerlaverock_Castle Historic Environment Scotland e https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/caerlaverock-castle/ UNESCO World Heritage

Pictures and images of Caernarfon Castle or Carnarvon Castle, Wales. The medieval fortress of Caernarfon Castle was built by Edward I of England as one of his defensive castles deigned to subdue the Welsh. Built of the site of a Roman fort Caernarfon Castle is situated on the baks of River Seiont. William the Conqueror built a motte and bailey castle at Caernarfon also to try and subdue the Welsh. When war broke out between the English and Welsh in 1282 the victorious Edward I built a series of castle in Wales to protect his realm. As part of the rebuilding of Caernarfon castle town walls and a new quay were added to Caernarfon. The castle was probably completed in 1284 because Edward II was born there. In 1301 Edward I created the title of Prince of Wales to rule over Wales. Traditionally this title has been given to the eldest son of the Monarch and the last investiture took place at Caernarfon Castle on 1 July 1969. Download pictures of Caernarfon Castle or Carnarvon Castle as stock photos or buy photo art prints o line. RELATED LINKS Visit our WALES HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse or download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Images-of-Wales-Welsh-Historic-Places-Pictures-Photos/C0000UEicBhu1tQM . Visit our MEDIEVAL PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Medieval-Middle-Ages-Historic-Places-Arcaeological-Sites-Pictures-Images-of/C0000B5ZA54_WD0s

Pictures photos images of Carcassonne which is located in the plain of the Aude between historic trade routes, linking the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea and the Massif Central to the Pyrénées. Its citadel, the Cité de Carcassonne, is a medieval fortress dating back to the Gallo-Roman period and restored by in 1853. The fortified city consists essentially of a concentric design of two outer walls with 53 towers and barbicans to prevent attack by siege engines. The castle itself possesses its own drawbridge and ditch leading to a central keep. The walls consist of towers built over quite a long period.[9] One section is Roman and is notably different from the medieval walls, with the tell-tale red brick layers and the shallow pitch terracotta tile roofs. Carcassonne became famous for its role in the Albigensian Crusades when the city was a stronghold of Occitan Cathars. In August 1209 the crusading army of the Papal Legate, Abbot Arnaud Amalric, forced its citizens to surrender. Viscount Raymond-Roger de Trencavel was imprisoned whilst negotiating his city's surrender and died in mysterious circumstances three months later in his own dungeon. The people of Carcassonne were allowed to leave – in effect, expelled from their city with nothing more than the shirt on their backs. Simon De Montfort was appointed the new viscount and added to the fortifications. Carcassonne was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1997. Add photos of Carcassonne Medieval Fortified City to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/carcassonne.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcassonne UNESCO World Heritage https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/345 Medieval Photo Collections https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Medieval-Middle-Ages-Historic-Places-Arcaeological-Sites-Pictures-Images-of/C0000B5ZA54_WD0s

Pictures images photos of Cefalu Sicily . Images of Cefalu cathedral & Old town to buy on line as stock photos or photo art prints. Cefalù (Sicilian: Cifalù, Latin: Cephaloedium, or Cephaloedis) is a city and comune in the province of Palermo, located on the northern coast of Sicily, Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea about 70 km east from the provincial capital and 185 km west of Messina. The town is one of the major tourist attractions in the region. Despite its size, every year it attracts millions of tourists from all parts of Sicily and also, from all over Italy and Europe. In summer the population can triple, making the main streets and major roads in the country crowded, and with it a young atmosphere and lively nightlife. The villages, a unique combination of small Italian towns that stand out among others for artistic, cultural and historic reasons, and for harmony of urban liveability and public services Add photos of Cefalù Sicily to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/cefalusicily.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cefalù UNESCO World Heritage https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1487 Visit our PHOTO COLLECTIONS OF ITALY HISTOIC PLACES for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Italy-Photos-of-Italian-Historic-Landmark-Sites/C0000qxA2zGFjd_k

Pictures images photos of Cefalù Cathedral. Images & photos of the medieval gothic Cathedral & mosaics. Also buy stock photos & photo art prints. The Cathedral-Basilica of Cefalù, (Italian: Duomo di Cefalù) is a Roman Catholic church in Cefalù, Sicily, southern Italy. The cathedral, dating from 1131, was commenced in the Norman style, the island of Sicily having been conquered by the Normans in 1091. According to tradition, the building was erected after a vow made to the Holy Saviour by the King of Sicily, Roger II, after he escaped from a storm to land on the city's beach. The fortress-like character of the building, which, seen from a distance, rises as a huge bulk above its medieval town, may in part reflect the vulnerability of the site to attack from the sea. It also made a powerful statement of the Norman presence. Add photos of Cefalù Cathedral Sicily to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/cefalusicily.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cefalù_Cathedral UNESCO World Heritage https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1487 Visit our PHOTO COLLECTIONS OF ITALY HISTOIC PLACES for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Italy-Photos-of-Italian-Historic-Landmark-Sites/C0000qxA2zGFjd_k

Pictures and Photos of the Medieval Gothic Cathedral of Notre Dame, Chartres France and its Medieval Gothic art and sculptures. One of the great Gothic Cathedrals of the Christian world is Chartres Cathedral which was constructed in 1194. Nearly 1000 years later almost all of the original stained glass windows and sculptures survive in this wonderful Gothic masterpiece. The design of Chartres is uncompromisingly Gothic. After a fire damaged the previous cathedral in 1194, construction started on the present building. The Cathedral was built quickly over 26 years and has a coherence in its design that does not suffer from the endless alterations that other Gothic Cathedrals built over many decades suffer from. The vast nave, in pure ogival style, rises to quadripartite stone vaulting. The three entrance porches are adorned with fine gothic sculptures from the middle of the 12th century, and the 167 magnificent 12th- and 13th-century stained-glass windows, all in remarkable condition, combine to make it a masterpiece. Today Chartres is like a fairy tale that cannot help to impress even the modern eye so it is impossible to imagine the impact that the cathedral would have had on medieval pilgrims, most of whom would only have ever seen single story wood buildings and small local chapels. The Medieval Roman Catholic church was all powerful in the Middle ages and the Kings of Europe bowed to the Pope in Rome. To impress to the fact of its all encompassing power the Catholic Church eagerly embraced the Gothic style. New building techniques allowed the Cathedrals like Chartres to tower above towns and castles and were visible from miles away by the peasants toiling in the fields. The Gothic cathedral was the ultimate statement of Catholic supremacy and many of the Medieval cathedrals of northern Europe can still be seen long before a town or city is reached. The liturgy of the Catholic church was in Latin so even if the average medieval man had been literate, which he was not, he could not have read the bible and understood it. It is striking in Chartres the lack of the written word in any of the stained glass windows or below any of the statues, which means that medieval man was so well versed with the narratives depicted in the scenes in the stained glass windows of Chartres that he had no problem understanding them. Each stained glass window is made up of geometric panels that depict a scene from an events or lives of the characters the window is dedicated to. Add photos of Chartres Cathedral to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/chartrescathedral.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartres_Cathedral UNESCO World Heritage https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/81

Pictures & images of the Medieval Gothic sculptures and statues of Chartres Cathedral France. One of the great Medieval Gothic Cathedrals of the Christian world is Chartres Cathedral which was constructed in 1194. The Cathedral of Chartres was built quickly over 26 years and has a coherence in its design that does not suffer from the endless alterations that other Gothic Cathedrals built over many decades suffer from. There are three public entrances to Chartres all of which have gothic portals decorated with gothic sculptures and bas reliefs. The West facade has 3 portals which make up the Royal portals. The tympanum above the central portal shows gothic sculptures of Christ in Majesty surrounded by the four Evangelist Symbols. The inner archivolt contains angels. On the two outer archivolts are the twenty-four elders of the Apocalypse. On the lintel are the twelve Apostles flanked by two other figures holding scrolls. The tympanum of the left door shows the Ascension or the Second Coming. Christ (crossed halo) stands on a cloud, supported by two angels. Below are four angels some of them have their mouths open . On the lintel below are ten seated men holding books or scrolls and looking upward. On the archivolts are the Signs of the Zodiac and the Labors of the Months, The Tympanum above the right door shows the Virgin and Child enthroned, flanked by angels. Both the North and Southern porches are as richly decorated with sculptures and bas reliefs depicting scenes from the Last Judgement. These narratives would have been very familiar to the medieval pilgrims as they passed through the portals into the Cathedral. The statues of Chartres have a very distinctive style being slightly elongated. The faces on the statues are also full of character and the flowing garments testify to the skill and creativity of the unknown craftsmen that were responsible for their creation. We have got used today to seeing stone decorations on the great Gothic churches so it hard to image them in their original painted state. The statue of Chartres still have paint fragments that show that they were once painted in bright colours. The use of colour outside and inside these great Cathedrals goes against the dark picture historians paint of the middle ages. The sculptures of Chartres shows what a creative and inventive mind the Medieval artist had. His world was full of vibrant saints, apostles and strange mythical animals. The medieval world may have been a dangerous place but the imagination of the medieval man was not intimidated by worldly fears, and his passion for the glorification of God can be seen quite clearly in Chartres. A UNESCO World Heritage Site. Add photos of Statues and sculptures of Chartres Cathedral to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (scroll down and type Chartres sculpture into lower search box)

Images pictures & photos of the Gothic medieval stained glass windows of Notre Dame de Chartres Cathedral. Probably the most complete collection of medieval stained glass windows is in Chartres Cathedral. After a fire damaged the previous cathedral in 1194, construction started on the present building. The Cathedral was built quickly over 26 years and has a coherence in its design that does not suffer from the endless alterations that other Gothic Cathedrals built over many decades suffer from. The stained glass windows of Chartres show the inginuety and creative fervour of the medieval mind which contradicts the idea that this era was devoid of great culture. It is striking in Chartres the lack of the written word in most of the stained glass windows which demonstrates not only the illiteracy of medieval man but shows that he understood each of the visual narratives depicted in the scenes in the stained glass windows of Chartres. Each stained glass window is made up of geometric panels that depict a scene from an events or lives of the characters the window is dedicated to. There are several windows dedicated to central Catholic themes such as the Virgin Mary and the Passion and the life of Christ. Some of the windows are dedicated to saints that are no longer so well know such as St Pantaleon or St Remigius, but St Nicholas, who is associated with Christmas, has 3 windows dedicated to his life showing that the cult of charity was being supported heavily by the Medieval Catholic church. Most of the stained glass windows were paid for by wealthy citizens of Chartres in the hope that the gift would speed their soles through the feared purgatory to eternal bliss in Heaven. At the bottom of many windows are 2 or 3 panels dedicated to the benefactor of trades of the town the benefactor was associated with. As these signature panels and the other scenes are set in the medieval period it is possible to get a picture of medieval dress and customs from the windows Charlemagne who supposedly donated the Sancta Camisa, believed to be the tunic worn by the Blessed Virgin Mary at the time of Christ's birth, to Chartres in 876 also has a window dedicated to him. Early medieval glass was soda-based and examples of a richly-coloured blue glass that was produced using soda as the alkali can be seen in Chartres. Paint was also applied to glass as a type of enamel, usually dark brown or black, formed from a mixture of: ground copper or iron oxide; powdered glass; wine, urine or vinegar; and gum arabic. The enamel was fixed by ‘firing’ the glass in an annealing oven. Add photos of Chartres Cathedral Stained Glass to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (type Chartres glass into lower search box) USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartres_Cathedral UNESCO World Heritage https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/81

(updater 2021) Photos, pictures and images of The Château de Chaumont in in Chaumont-sur-Loire, France. Situated on a hill overlooking the river Loire between Blois and Ambrose, Château de Chaumont occupies an imposing strategic position to control the movement of traffic up and down the Loire. The strategic potential of this was realised by Odo I, Count of Blois who built the first castle there in the 10th century to protect his lands from attacks from his feudal rivals, Fulk Nerra, Count of Anjou. After his death the château passed to the Amboise family for five centuries. In 1560 Catherine de Medici, wife of Henry II of France, bought Château de Chaumont where she entertained such distinguished guest as Nostradamus. In 1559 Henry died and Catherine de Medici forced his mistress, Diane de Poitier, to exchange Château de Chenonceau for Château de Chaumont. In 1750, Jacques-Donatien Le Ray purchased the castle as a country home where he established a glassmaking and pottery factory. He was considered the French "Father of the American Revolution" because he loved America. However, in 1789, the new French Revolutionary Government seized Le Ray's assets, including his beloved Château de Chaumont. Today Château de Chaumont is a beautiful castle styled chateau surrounded by English naturalistic landscape gardens. Download photos and pictures of Château de Chaumont on line or buy as photo art prints. Add photos of Chateau Chaumont to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (scroll down and type Chaumont into lower search box) USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Château_de_Chaumont Château de Chaumont https://domaine-chaumont.fr/en/chateau-historic-grounds-and-stables/chateau UNESCO World Heritage https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/933

Chioggia pictures, photos. Images of Chioggia Venice canals to buy on line as stock photos or photo art prints. Chioggia (Venetian: Cióxa, Latin: Clodia) is a coastal town and commune of the province of Venice in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Chioggia is situated on a small island at the southern entrance to the Lagoon of Venice about 25 km south of Venice (50 km by road); causeways connect it to the mainland and to its frazione of Sottomarina. People often complain about the crowds in Venice. It is true that the walk across Venice from the causeway or station across the Rialto Bridge to St Marks Square and the Dodges Palace is a non stop queue at peak times but get away from this route and get away from the main island and you can get a real Venetian experience in solitude. Chioggia retains the atmosphere of Venice with its canals, palaces and market but without the full on pressure of tourism. The fishing boats that line its canals give a more real impression of how Venice looked before the Gondolas & water taxis took over. The heart of Venice and Venetians still beats in Chioggia where real Venetians fill the small restaurants and cafe's. Add photos of Chioggia to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (scroll down and type Chioggia into lower search box) Visit our PHOTO COLLECTIONS OF ITALY HISTOIC PLACES for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Italy-Photos-of-Italian-Historic-Landmark-Sites/C0000qxA2zGFjd_k

(updated 2021) Pictures images photos of the late Roman Byzantine Chora Church, Holy Saviour, mosaics 1315-1321 ( now Kariye Museum ). Originally outside the original city walls built by Emperor Constantine The Chora Monastery derives its name from the Greek Kariye meaning country or suburban area. In 413 AD Emperor Theodosius built new land walls and the Chora monastery lies just inside these. Devastated by an earthquake on October 6 557 a new basilica was built for the monastery by Emperor Justinian. The occupation and sacking of Constantinople by the notorious Forth Crusade in 1204 lucky left the Chora untouched but due to neglect under the Latin occupiers it fell into poor repair. Theodore Metochites ( 1270–1332 ) was a poet and humanist scholar during the reign of Andronicus II. Son of the archdeacon George Metochites who was condemned to exile for his fervent support of the union of the Orthodox and Roman Catholic church. Theodore Metochites was an academic being versed in literature & science, writing poetry in high Greek that is still difficult for academics to translate. Metochites’ political career culminated in 1321, when he was invested as Grand Logothete. He was then at the summit of his power, and also one of the richest men of his age. Metochites restored the Chora adding an outer Narthex and adorning the ceilings with sumptuous mosaics and frescos between 1315-1321. Being an early Humanist the style of the frescos introduces Human emotions and depictions of "real" people over the purely spiritual rules of depiction adhered to by the Orthodox Icon painters of the time. In 1332 in the west Giotto was still painting static unemotional frescos at the same time as the Anastasis ( resurrection) fresco of the Parecclesion chapel in the Chora was being painted. It depicts Christ saving Adam and Eve by resurrecting them from their sarcophagi. The fresco is full of movement with Christ all powerful in a pool of light at its centre. It has often been asked how western art went from the two dimensional lifeless paintings of Giotto to the full glory of Renaissance painting and sculpture in such a short time. Under the rule of Andronicus III Metochites fell out of favour and spent the last years of his life as a monk in his beloved Chora Monastery. B Add photos of Chora Church Istanbul using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/holy-saviour-chora-istanbul.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chora_Church Visit our TURKEY PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/3f-Pictures-of-Turkey-Turkey-Photos-Images-Fotos/C0000U.hJWkZxAbg

Images, pictures & photos of Conwy Castle (Conway) Wales. The fortifications of Conwy Castle are impressive by any standards. Built between 1283 and 1289 to guard an important crossing point over the River Conwy, its high towers and curtain wall are still in wonderful preservation today. The castle was built for Edward 1st as part of a series of castles designed to subjugate the Welsh. Edward spent £15,000 building Conwy Castle, a staggering amount in medieval times. It has two barbicans, fortified gates and eight huge towers. The castle is built on a rocky outcrop next to the river and this has given its foundation the strength that has allowed it to last so well for the last 800 years. The castle was a Royal residence and has the best preserved suite if medieval royal chambers in England or Wales. At the end of the 14th century Conwy Castle was used as a refuge by Richard 11 during his war with Henry Bollinbroke. It was in this castle that he abdicated and was taken to London. He layer died, what some say was a gruesome death in captivity, at Pontefract Castle. During the English Civil War, Parliamentary forces besieged Conwy Castle. After a long siege the castle fell and was slighted or made unfit for military use. The castle was never repaired and was stripped of its lead and iron fittings. By the 18th century it had become a picturesque ruin much loved by the art its of the time. Conwy Castle is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site along with the other Welsh Castles of Edward 1st. They are collectively considered to be one of "the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe” by UNESCO. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints. RELATED LINKS Visit our WALES HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse or download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Images-of-Wales-Welsh-Historic-Places-Pictures-Photos/C0000UEicBhu1tQM . Visit our MEDIEVAL PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Medieval-Middle-Ages-Historic-Places-Arcaeological-Sites-Pictures-Images-of/C0000B5ZA54_WD0s

Pictures photos Images of Corfe Castle, England. One of the great romantic views of England is Corfe Castle at sunrise. Set on top of a high pointed steep hill the shattered Keep and walls of Corfe Castle hint of its power before it great walls were dismantled after it fell to Parliamentarian forces in 1645. Corfe Castle was founded by William the Conqueror shortly after 1066. To help subdue England William built 36 castles and used to visit Corfe Castle to go hunting in the royal forest of Purbeck. Corfe Castle remained a Royal castle until 1572 when it was sold by Elizabeth I to her chancellor Sir Christopher Hatton. Corfe Castle was bought in 1635 by Sir John Bankes, Attorney General to Charles I and when the English Civil War broke out Corfe Castle was held in the name of the King. This was to be a fateful moment for Corfe Castle and by 1645 was one of the last Royalist strongholds in the south. It was besieged and fell and Parliament voted to Slight, demolish, the castle. Today Corfe Castle is a great medieval ruined castle and it is easy to image it in its heyday sitting in all its glory in the Dorset countryside. Add photos of Rievaulx Abbey to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (type Corfe Castle into lower search box) USEFUL LINKS: External Print Gallery https://60-paul-williams.pixels.com/collections/iconic+castles+chateau+and+forts+colour+landscape+photos Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corfe_Castle National Trust https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/corfe-castle

Pictures images photos of the Romanesque Duomo and Baptistry of Cremona, Lombardy, Italy. Commissioned by Queen Matilda di Canossa and dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin the construction of Cremona Cathedral and Baptistry began in 1107. Both the Duomo and Baptistry of Cremona were built in the Romanesque style. The octagonal Cremona Baptistry has both Romanesque and Gothic Lombard elements. The canope above the main portal is held up by two pillars on Romanesque sculptures of Lions, and architectural deivice typical of the Romanesque. The facade of the Duomo has had Gothic, Renaissance loggias and Baroque architectural elements and statues added. Above the main portal is a loggia with statues of the Virgin with Child and two Bishops which are of the Tuscan School made around 1310. Completed in 1309 the terrazzo, the bell tower of the Cathedral of Cremona, stands 112 meters (343 feet) high making it the 3rd highest brick tower in the world. (updated 2021) Add photos of the Romanesque Duomo and Baptistry of Cremona to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/cremona-cathedral.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cremona_Cathedral Visit our PHOTO COLLECTIONS OF ITALY HISTOIC PLACES for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Italy-Photos-of-Italian-Historic-Landmark-Sites/C0000qxA2zGFjd_k

Pictures photos images of David Gareja Georgian Orthodox monastery, Mount Gareja, Kakheti Region, Georgia (country). Cut into the rock slopes of the remote Mount Gareja, David Gareja is an early Christian group of over 24 Georgian Orthodox cave monasteries founded in the 6th century by David (St. David Garejeli), one of the thirteen Assyrian monks who built monasteries throughout Georgia. The site has been populated for at leat 4000 years as is shown by Bronze Age tombs excavated there. During the Bronze Age Mount Gareja and the surrounding area was forested. During the 1st millennium BC smelting in the region caused trees to be chopped down for fuel and when the monks arrived in the 6th century the area had become the arid semi desert we see today. The monks had to become adept at collecting and storing water in cisterns using small canals cut into areas of smooth rock on Mount Gareja before the monastery could expand. The monks used natural sandstone caves and after building fires inside them to heat the rock they poured cold water onto the hot cave walls which cracked the rock so expanding the size of the caves. Towers were built at each monastery so that signals could be sent between them. The monastery is spread out over a huge area of the arid Mount Gareja ridge, with small cells and chapels cut into cliff faces, and today part of the monastery is in Azerbaijan. In the 9th century the monastery was further developed by saint Ilarion, and its convent was used to house the female siblings of the Georgian royal and noble families. Indeed when 12th-century Georgian king Demetre I abdicated he retired to David Gareja to live out his life as a monk there. In the 11the century a terraced courtyard was built at David Gareja, with new cells, a refectory and a church. Behind this part of the monastery more canals were cut in the long sloping rock face channeling water into cisterns. From here the monks would farm the arid land around and tend their flock of sheep and goats. The heydays of David Gareja were from the 10th until it was sacked by a Mongol army in 1265. The monasteries survived until 1615, when Shah Aggas massacred 6000 monks were massacred during the Easter Night Procession. The monastery's unique manuscripts and important works of Georgian art were then destroyed. In 1690 the fortunes of David Gareja were resurrected by Onopre Machutadze when he became father superior of the monastery. The monasteries though slowly declined until they were abandoned in the 19th century. The Soviet occupation of Georgia saw terrible destruction to David Gareja as the area was used to train Soviet troops for Service in Afghanistan, which the area resembles. The buildings of David Gareja were used for target practice until pressure from nationalists finally halted the destruction in 1991. David Gareja is today is again a working monastery. Download pictures & images of David Gareja Georgian Orthodox monastery or buy as photo art prints on line.

Pictures images photos of the Doges Palace Venice, Italy. The current Doge's Palace ( Palazzo Ducale ) was built around 1340 in Venetian Gothic style, and one of the main landmarks of the city of Venice dominating the southern corner of Piazza San Marco. The palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme authority of the Republic of Venice, and consequently one of the most powerful men of the medieval world. The oldest part of the palace is the façade overlooking the lagoon, the corners of which are decorated with 14th-century sculptures by Filippo Calendario and various Lombard artists such as Raverti and Antonio Bregno. The ground floor arcade and the loggia above are decorated with 14th and 15th century capitals, some of which were replaced with copies during the 19th century. In 1438-1442, Giovanni and Bartolomeo Bon built and adorned the Porta della Carta, which served as the ceremonial entrance to the building. The name of the gateway probably derives either from the fact that this was the area where public scribes set up their desks, or from the nearby location of the cartabum, the archives of state documents. Flanked by Gothic pinnacles, with two figures of the Cardinal Virtues per side, the gateway is crowned by a bust of St. Mark over which rises a statue of Justice with her traditional symbols of sword and scales. In the space above the cornice, there is a sculptural portrait of the Doge Francesco Foscari kneeling before the St. Mark's Lion. This is, however, a 19th century work by Luigi Ferrrari, created to replace the original destroyed in 1797. A corridor leads from the Doges Palace over a canal to the Venetian Prisons on the other side. Known as the Bridge of Sighs, because the last sight of freedom prisoners got was through its small windows, it was built in 1614. Add photos of Doge Palace Venice to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (scroll down and type Doge into lower search box) USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doge%27s_Palace Visit our PHOTO COLLECTIONS OF ITALY HISTOIC PLACES for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Italy-Photos-of-Italian-Historic-Landmark-Sites/C0000qxA2zGFjd_k

Dubrovnik Croatia pictures, photos. Images of Dubrovnik medieval old town to buy on line as stock photos or photo art prints. Dubrovnik well deserves its title as Jewel of the Adriatic. Its medieval city centre is one of the great cities of the world. Badly damaged in the Balkans war it has been lovingly restored. The only disappointment with the city are its new pan-tiled roofs that look a bit out of place against the medieval city building. Still surrounded by a massive city wall Dubrovnik juts out into the Adriatic. The large island of Lokrum protects the Dubrovnik bay and creates a natural harbor. Rising steeply from the narrow coastal plain are the Dinaric mountain range with mount Srd looking over the city. By the 12th century Dubrovnik was ruled by a Rector who was elected by the people. A class of nobleman and landowners was established as Dubrovnik grew in stature with important alliances and trading contracts with Pisa and all the important Adriatic ports. Further agreements with Bosnia and Serbia made it the central trading hub of the Balkans. In 1205 Dubrovnik came under Venetian authority and the Bishop of Venice was made Rector. Venice also nominated the council members of Dubrovnik but never really managed total supremacy in the city. Dubrovnik turned its trading away from Venice to Syria and north Africa and in 1358 the treaty of Zadar set Dubrovnik free from the Venetians. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

Pictures photos images of the medieval sixth century Dzveli (Old) Shuamta Monastery complex, Kakheti , Georgia (country). The medieval Georgian Orthodox monastery complex of Dzveli (Old) Shuamta Monastery was founded by the 13 Syrian Fathers in the sixth century. The first of the three churches of Dzveli Shuamta Monastery was a triple naive basilica. Typical of this style of church, the basilica has three parallel barrel vaulted naves, the central one being higher than the side naives. The basilica is built form brick cemented together with a mortar that has been extremely durable and was made by a concoction of lime, eggs and other binding agents. The exterior of all 3 churches are undecorated. To the north and east of the basilica are two tetraconch cupola church from the first quarter of the seventh century. This style of church was modelled on the Jvari Church of Mtskheta and consisted of a cruciform plan with 4 knaves and apses. In the centre of the church a cupola rests on walls and is supported by squinches. The central space is lit by a window in the altar and four windows in the cupola drum, as well as the two entrances. The altar is raised on three steps and is distinguished by a stone throne in the middle of the space. The inner walls contain traces of frescoes that were probably executed in the 11th and 12th centuries. A cross can be discerned in the vault of the cupola. These small churches were probably designed the Father Superior of the monastery as places for solitary worship. Today the three churches of Dzveli Shuamta Monastery complex sit amongst trees on a high bluff overlooking the Alazani River valley. Until the 16th century, when a new monastery was built nearby, Dzveli Shuamta Monastery was an important place of pilgrimage. Download pictures & images of the medieval Dzveli Shuamta Monastery complex or buy as photo art prints on line. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Pictures, images photos of Erice Sicily pictures, photos. Images of Erice medieval hill town to buy on line as stock photos or photo art prints. Erice (Sicilian: Èrici) is a historic town and comune in the province of Trapani in Sicily, Italy. Erice is located on top of Mount Erice, at around 750m above sea level, overlooking the city of Trapani, the low western coast towards Marsala, the dramatic Punta del Saraceno and Capo san Vito to the north-east, and the Aegadian Islands on Sicily's north-western coast, providing spectacular views. Add photos of Erice Sicily to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/ericesicily.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erice Visit our PHOTO COLLECTIONS OF ITALY HISTOIC PLACES for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Italy-Photos-of-Italian-Historic-Landmark-Sites/C0000qxA2zGFjd_k

Pictures images photos of Ferrara Duomo, Cathedral, of St George. The Ferrara Duomo of St George was originally designed in the 12th century as a Romanesque building. The facade is divided into 3 sections with rows of loggias, arcades and small rose windows. The original Romanesque design has been overlaid with Gothic balconies and sculptures. The canopy over the main Romanesque portal is supported by two columns held up by sculptures of Atlas seated on the back of two Lion sculptures. Above the portal canopy is a Gothic sculpture of The Madonna with Child above which is a freeze of the Last Judgement of Doom Day. Sinners are sent to the right to Hell and Damnation and the Good are sent to the left to Paradise. The sinners and depicted in chains being tormented by devils. They are being forced along to their ultimate fate and a scene that depicts the sinners being boiled alive in a big cauldron or being fed to a huge monster. The portal lunette relief sculpture of St George , the patron saint of Ferrara, Killing a dragon. This is the work of the 12th century Romanesque Lombardic sculptor Nicolaus or Niccolo. Below St George are panels depicting scenes from the life of Christ including the Nativity, the flight to Egypt and of Christ being Baptised by John the Baptist. On the door columns Niccolo has sculpted figures of the prophets that foretold the coming of Christ. Add photos of Ferrara Italy to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/ferrara.html Visit our PHOTO COLLECTIONS OF ITALY HISTOIC PLACES for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Italy-Photos-of-Italian-Historic-Landmark-Sites/C0000qxA2zGFjd_k

Pictures & images of the Saxon & Székely fortified church of Transylvania, Romania. The Saxon villages of Transylvania appeared in the thirteenth century when the Kings of Hungary settled German colonists in the area. They had a special status among nations in the province and their civilisation managed to survive and thrive, forming a very strong community of farmers, artisans and merchants. Being situated in a region constantly under the threat of the Ottoman and Tatar invasions, they built fortifications of different sizes. The most important towns were fully fortified, and the smaller communities created fortifications centered around fortified churches, where they added defensive towers and storehouses to the inside of the church walls to keep their most valuable goods and to help them withstand long sieges. The inside of the walls of the biggest Saxon fortified churches have rows of rooms 3 storeys high where a families grain & meat would be stored so during times of attack the inhabitants of the town simply barricaded themselves into the fort living in their rooms full of their provisions. Up to 2000 people could flee to safety in the huge church fortifications of Prejmer, Transylvania. Over 150 fortified churches survive in Transylvania of which a group of six Saxon and one Székely villages is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Download photos of Saxon fortified churches in Romania or buy photo art images of Saxon Fortified churches on line. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.. Visit our ROMANIA HISTORIC PLACXES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Romania-Photos-of-Romanian-Historic-Landmark-Sites/C00001TITiQwAdS8

Pictures photos Images of the Medieval Gothic ruins of Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal Park Water Gardens. Founded in 1132, the abbey operated for over 400 years until it was closed by Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The Abbey is part of It is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England and was the second Cistercian monastery to be built after Rievaulx Abbey just 20 (32km) or so miles away. After its closure like all monasteries in England it was abandoned and became a ruin. In 1718 John Aislabie the owner of the Studley Estate & Chancellor of the Exchequer decided to build a water Garden in his park. The style of the day was for picturesque landscaping and the ruins of Fountains Abbey were incorporated into the design at the end of a sweeping curved lake that follows a narrow wooded valley. This has created the famous vista of Fountains Abbey making Studley Royal one of the best surviving examples of a Georgian water garden in England. Studley Royal Park including the ruins of Fountains Abbey owes its originality and striking beauty to the fact that a humanised landscape was created around the largest medieval ruins in the United Kingdom. The use of these features, combined with the planning of the water garden itself, is a true masterpiece of human creative genius that influenced the rest of Europe. Studley Royal & Fountains Abbey are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Add photos of Fountains Abbey to cart as royalty free download or prints. USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountains_Abbey National Trust https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/fountains-abbey-and-studley-royal-water-garden UNESCO World Heritage https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/372

(updated 2021) Add photos of Florence Cathedral Baptistry Byzantine Style Mosaics using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/byzantine-art-antiquities.html . Type- Florence - into the LOWER SEARCH WITHIN GALLERY box. Refine search by adding subject etc. Pictures, images, photos of the Florence Baptistery, also known as the Baptistery of Saint John (Battistero di San Giovanni), is an octagonal baptistery that stands in the Piazza del Duomo, Florence.The Baptistery is one of the oldest buildings in the city, constructed between 1059 and 1128 in the Florentine Romanesque style.The octagon had been a common shape for baptisteries for many centuries since early Christian times. Other early examples are the Lateran Baptistery (440) that provided a model for others throughout Italy, the Church of the Saints Sergius and Bacchus (527–536) in Constantinople and the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna (548). The whole of the roof is covered with Byzantine style mosaic. Typical of the style religious scenes from the Bible and New Testament are set against a solid gold background. Over the altar Christ is depicted Pantocrator. Unlike the Byzantine Eastern Orthodox depictions of Christ Pantocrator, Christ holds his hands out instead of in the position of an Orthodox blessing. USEFUL LINKS Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Baptistery Visit our BYZANTINE ART PHOTO COLLECTION for more photos to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Roman-Byzantine-Art-Artefacts-Antiquities-Historic-Sites-Pictures-Images-of/C0000lW_87AclrOk

Pictures images photos of the Florence Baptistry or Battistero di San Giovanni. The Baptistry of the Florence Duomo is an octagonal building that stands before the main doors of the Duomo in the Piazza di San Giovanni. It is one of the oldest buildings in Florence being built between 1059 and 1128 in a Romanesque style and it is renowned for its three sets of important bronze doors with bas relief sculptures. Every important and noteworthy Florentine from the middle ages to the 19th century was baptised in the Baptistry. The poet Dante Alighieri and the members of the Medici family were baptised in the Baptistry. In the middle ages many octagonal Baptistries were built, the number 8 representing the 6 days of creation, a day of rest and a day of re-creation through the sacrament of Baptism. The interior ceiling of the Baptistry is covered with Byzantine style mosaics made by Venetian craftsmen who started the work in 1225 under the direction of Franciscan Friar Jacopo do Torrita. In keeping with the popular themes of the period the mosaics depict the last judgement with the dead rising to be judged by Christ. The figures to the left of Christ and damned and sent to hell where demons are depicted torturing the damned roasting them on spits, to the right of Christ the saved enter heaven. These graphic images were designed to keep the worshipers on a righteous path. Other panels show scenes from the life of Joseph, the life of Mary and scenes showing Adam & Eve being expelled from the garden of Eden. Tiers of Apostles flank Christ on one side and angels with typical Byzantine style wings are on the other. The Byzantine style shows the artistic influence the Eastern Roman Byzantine Empire still had over the west as it emerged from a long period know as the dark ages. The Baptistry ceiling is a riot of gold and bright colors which is still awe inspiring today. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints. The mosaics also have scenes from the Last Judgement, a popular medieval subject, with sinners being devoured by a particularly gruesome devil. Add photos of Florence Baptistry Romanesque art to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/byzantine-art-antiquities.html . Type- Florence - into the LOWER SEARCH WITHIN GALLERY box. Refine search by adding subject etc USEFUL LINKS Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Baptistery Visit our BYZANTINE ART PHOTO COLLECTION for more photos to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Roman-Byzantine-Art-Artefacts-Antiquities-Historic-Sites-Pictures-Images-of/C0000lW_87AclrOk

Pictures photos images of medieval Gelati Georgian Orthodox medieval monastic complex & Cathedral near Kutaisi in the Imereti region of western Georgia (country). A UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the lower southern slopes of the mountains of the Northern Caucasus, Gelati Monastery reflects the 'golden age' of medieval Georgia, a period of political strength and economic growth between the reigns of King David IV 'the Builder' (1089-1125) and Queen Tamar (1184-1213). Gelati Monastery, eulogised as the “New Athens” and the “Second Jerusalem”, was one of the greatest spiritual and cultural centres of Georgia in the Middle Ages, The Monastery was founded by King Davit Agmashenebeli (1089-1125), in 1106. At the monastery there functioned an academy, where there lived and worked outstanding Georgian scientists, philosophers and theologians. Since the 14th century Gelati has been an Episcopal Cathedral. Central building of the Monastery is a central cupola church of the Virgin Mary. Its interior is covered with fresco paintings from different periods. The altar apse is decorated with brilliant mosaic composition of a standing Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus with archangels on her sides. This Byzantine mosaic dates from the 1125-1130. In the western narthex there are several murals dating from the 12th century depicting seven ecumenical councils. Most of the murals in the cathedral ere executed in the second half of the 16th century. Other architectural monuments of the Gelati Monastery are of the 12th & 14th century. These are the Academy Church of St George, interior was painted in the 16th century, a two storied building of St Nicholas and a bell tower , one of the oldest in Georgia. Since 1994 Gelati Monastery has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Gelati Monastery was also the burial place of Georgian Kings. At the Southern gates of the Monastery was the grave of St Davit.    The whole monastic precinct is included in the property and contains all the main 12th century buildings as well as those added in the 13th century. All the attributes necessary to express the Outstanding Universal Value are present and included in the area. No important original feature of the monastery from the 12th and 13th centuries have been lost during the centuries, and its landscape setting remains largely intact. Not all buildings are in a good state of conservation.   Download pictures & images of medieval Gelati Georgian Orthodox medieval monastic complex or buy as photo art prints on line. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Pictures photos images of Gergeti Holy Trinity (Tsminda Sameba) Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church, 14th century, Gergeti, Khevi province, Georgia (country). Gergeti Holy Trinity (Tsminda Sameba) Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church is one of the most remote churches in the world. The last town along the old military Soviet road, before the Russian border in the Caucasus Mountains, is Stephantsminda, also referred to as Kazbegi. It is a slow climb up to this remote town in northern Georgia situated at 1,740 m (5,710 ft) above sea level. From Stephantsminda it is a steep climb for 1 1/2 hours to the church of Gergeti Holy Trinity, although a new road will make access for mass tourism easy in 2019. Built in the 14th century the Gergeti Holy Trinity church is a cruciform shaped church with cupola and separate bell tower, the only Georgian church of this style in Khevi province. It is remarkable that a large church complex was built in such a remote location at 2170 meters (7120 feet) above sea level on the slopes of Mount Kazbegi. There was an even higher church on the slopes and its ruins were discovered in 1913 at an elevation of 3,962 m. Both churches served a refuges at one time when Stephantsminda was being attacked and at times Georgia national treasures, such as relics from Mtskheta and St Nino's cross, were taken to Gergeti Holy Trinity church in times of crisis. Gergeti Holy Trinity church was built on an early pagan shrine and even today evidence that superstitious local pagan beliefs are still held can be seen by decapitated sheeps heads and rams horn crosses found in the area. Further evidence of pagan ritual can be seen on the Gergeti Holy Trinity church fest day festival, on 28 August, during which sheep are sacrificed. During the Soviet occupation of Georgia the Gergeti Holy Trinity church was closed to worshipers until the 1990’s when it reopened as a Georgian Orthodox church. Its remoteness and its setting agains the high mountains of the Caucasus have made the Gergeti Holy Trinity church one of the iconic symbols of Georgian nationalism and one of its most important tourist sites. Download pictures & images of Gergeti Holy Trinity (Tsminda Sameba) Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church, or buy as photo art prints on line. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Images, pictures & Images of the medieval Norman Goodrich Castle, Herefordshire England. Built by the conquering Normans in about 1101, Goodrich Castle controlled an important crossing over the River Wye known as the Walesford crossing, located between Monmouth and Ross-on-Wye. Originally a wooden fortification in the 12th century it was rebuilt out of stone probably by Godric of Mapplestone, from whom the castle takes its name. Goodrich castle was designed to be an impressive fortification with luxurious living quarters inside. The end design was so successful that it was copied by other Norman castles in England. At the centre of Goodrich Castle is a Norman keep which is surrounded the high outer walls of the castle, built in the 1280s,which has towers on three corners. The fourth corner has a gatehouse that is modelled on the one at the Tower of London. A high causeway crosses the moat at the end of which is a draw bridge and a portcullis, protected by a barbican. The round towers have long stone spur buttresses built into their sides. This was a device to stop the towers collapsing if they were undermined by attackers and is typical of the castles in the Welsh Marches. Add photos of Goodrich Castle to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (type Goodrich Castle into lower search box) USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodrich_Castle English Heritage https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/goodrich-castle/

Images, pictures & photos of the medieval fortification of Harlech Castle, Wales. Harlech Castle is built on a high spur of rock overlooking the sea plain that run out to the Irish sea. Built for Edward I during his invasion of Wales in 1282 and 1289, Harlech Castle is a fine example of a state of the art medieval castle. The inner ward of the castle was built on an imposing rock. Around the base of the rock an outer wall was built which extended to the sea where a water gate allowed the castle to be provisioned with fresh water and food from Ireland by sea. The main construction of Harlech Castle was carried out under the direction of James of Saint George, a Savoy architect and military engineer. It took a workforce of 1000 men to build the castle which cost £8190 by the time it was finished in 1289. Edward 1st built up massive debts building castles in Wales and between 1277 and 1304 he spent £80,000 on castle building projects. During the wars of the Roses, Harlech Castle was the last major stronghold under Lancastrian control. The castle was eventually put under siege and the garrison held out for a month the surrendered. This event was the inspiration for the patriotic Welsh song, “men of Harlech”. Harlech Castle was never repaired after the siege and became a picturesque ruin depicted in the painting of great artists like Paul Sandby, J. M. W. Turner and John Varley. Harlech Castle is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site along with the other Welsh Castles of Edward 1ST. They are collectively considered to be one of "the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe” by UNESCO. RELATED LINKS Visit our WALES HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse or download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Images-of-Wales-Welsh-Historic-Places-Pictures-Photos/C0000UEicBhu1tQM . Visit our MEDIEVAL PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Medieval-Middle-Ages-Historic-Places-Arcaeological-Sites-Pictures-Images-of/C0000B5ZA54_WD0s

Pictures images photos of Lindisfarne Island, Lindisfarne Priory and castle, England Nestling in a huge sweeping bay off the Northumbrian coast in the far North East of England is a small island that is accessible by a causeway only at low tide. Lindisfarne has a recorded history from the 6th century when it became one of the first sites of Celtic English Christianity when Irish Monk St Aiden was granted permission to found a Priory there in 634. The priory remained the only seat of a bishopric in Northumbria for nearly thirty years. From Lindisfarne missions were sent out to convert the English and a network of monasteries spread across northern England. The Lindisfarne Priory became an important centre for copying and producing manuscripts. At some point in the early 700’s the famous illuminated manuscript known as the Lindisfarne Gospels, an illustrated Latin copy of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, was made at Lindisfarne by Eadfrith, who later became Bishop of Lindisfarne. Eardfrith was a meticulous and accomplished artist with one illuminated letter in the Gospels alone being made up of 10,000 tiny dots. Another Bishop of Lindisfarne Priory was Saint Cuthbert ( 634 – 687), who became the patron Saint of Northumbria. He spent much time among the people, ministering to their spiritual needs, carrying out missionary journeys, preaching, and performing miracles. In 684 Cuthbert became Bishop of Lindisfarne but after 2 years he decided to look for a quieter life of contemplation and became a hermit on one of the nearby Farne Islands where he eventually died. On the 8th June 793 Lindisfarne, a centre of learning that was famous across the continent, was the scene of the first recorded Viking raid in England. Monks were killed in the abbey, thrown into the sea to drown, or carried away as slaves along with the church treasures. The Viking devastation of Northumbria's Holy Island was reported by the Northumbrian scholar Alcuin of York, who wrote: "Never before in Britain has such a terror appeared”. After the dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII in 1536, Lindisfarne Priory slowly fell into disrepair and today is a romantic ruin overlooking a small harbour next to the village of Holy Island. In 1550 Lindisfarne castle was built on a small rounded outcrop of rocks on the island. Stones from the Priory were used to construct the castle which was ordered to be built by Henry VIII as part of defences against Scottish attacks of England. Add photos of Lindisfarne Holy Island to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (type Lindisfarne into lower search box) USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindisfarne National Trust https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lindisfarne-castle English Heritage https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/lindisfarne-priory/

Pictures photos images of Ikalto monastery complex & the Academy of Ikalto, Near Telavi, Kakheti, Eastern Georgia (Country). Ikalto monastery was founded in the third quarter of the 6th century by St Zenon one of the 13 Syrian Fathers. The main church of Ikalto monastery is the church of the Transfiguration, built in the 8th-9th century. The churches cupola has 12 facets with a window in each and is supported on four freestanding pillars, the oldest example of this technique in Kakheti. To the south of the Church of the Transfiguration is the small church of Kvelatsminda and the ruins of the refectory that was part of the academy complex built during the time of David the Builder (1089-1125). The Ikalto Monastery is famous for the Academy of Ikalto founded in the reign of King David the Builder by Arsen Ikaltoeli. The Academy of Ikalto trained its students in classical diciplins of rhetoric, astronomy, philosophy, geography, geometry as well as learning the skills of chantings, pottery and poetry. In the 12th century the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli studied here at a time when students kept a jug of wine under their desks to aid their creativity and inspiration. Download pictures of Ikalto monastery complex & the Academy of Ikalto, or buy as photo art prints on line. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Pictures photos images of Jvari Monastery, a 6th century Georgian Orthodox monastery near Mtskheta, eastern Georgia. A UNESCO World Heritage Site. The historic church of Jvari Monastery, Mtskheta, former capital of Georgia, is an outstanding example of medieval religious architecture in the Caucasus. It shows the high artistic and cultural level attained by the ancient kingdom of Iberia. Jvari Monastery is situated on a sheer bluff of a rocky mountain top overlooking the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers, and the town of Mtskheta, which was formerly the capital of the Kingdom of Iberia. Local legend believes that in the early 4th century Saint Nino, a female missionary who converted King Mirian III of Iberia to Christianity, came to a pagan temple on the site of present day Jvari Monastery and erected a wooden cross. Traditional stories tell that The cross was able to work miracles and became a centre of pilgrimage for pilgrims from over the Caucasus. In 545 a small church was erected on the site known as the "Small Church of Jvari”. the deeds of Saint Nino, are documented by Georgian, Armenian, Greek and Roman historians, and the 6th-century church in Jvari Monastery remains the most sacred place in Georgia. The small church was replaced by the "Great Church of Jvari” around 590 by King Erismtavari Stepanoz I acording to inscriptions on facade of Jvari church. The Jvari church was built with four apse’s in the shape of a cross, with four niches domed tetraconch. Between the four apses are three-quarter cylindrical niches which are open to the central space. The Jvari church is believed to be one, if not, the first example of this floor plan which became a model for many churches throughout Georgia and the Byzantine Empire. Whether the floor four apse design originated in Georgia of Armenia is hotly debated by academics from both countries. The Historical Monuments of Mtskheta contain archaeological remains of great significance that testify to the high culture in the art of building, masonry crafts, pottery, as well as metal casting and processing, and the social, political, and economic evolution of this mountain kingdom for some four millennia. Download pictures & images of Jvari Monastery, a 6th century Georgian Orthodox monastery or buy as photo art prints on line. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Pictures photos images of Katskhi pillar Georgian Orthodox church on a 40 m (130 ft) natural limestone rock pillar near Chiatura, Imereti Region, Georgia (country). The Katskhi pillar church is one of those odd curiosities that we all find so intriguing. A single rock pillar rises 40 m above the wooded limestone landscape of the Katskhura River Valley. There are no other pillars or rock formations so the Katskhi pillar sticks out like a sore thumb. The sheer sides of the Katskhi pillar make it incredibly difficult to climb and in modern times the ruins on top of it remained un-excavated until the mountaineer Alexander Japaridze climbed it in 1944. Even then serious studies did not begin until 1999. These revealed that the 150 sq meter flat summit of Katskhi pillar was probably occupied for the first time in the 9th century and was used as a Christian Hermitage. The use of rock pillars by Christian hermits and monks dates back to at least 423 when Simeon Stylites the Elder took up his abode on the top of a pillar and turned what seemed to be an impossible way of living into a religious craze. Rock pillars were not used just by hermits as can be seen by the medieval rock monasteries of Meteora in Greece, which were built as a defensive measure against invaders. It is certainly true that the occupier or occupiers of Katskhi pillar would have been well protected against the many invaders that swept across Georgia in its rich history, but such a small area would not have been big enough to store provisions against a long siege. The Katskhi pillar complex consist of a small rectangular church hall measuring 4.5 × 3.5 m built over a small burial crypt, a wine cellar and a three cell hermitage. The church is dedicated to Maximus the Confessor and at the base of the pillar a new church dedicated to Simeon Stylites has been built near an old belfry. The wine cellar had 8 stone k’vevri vessels built into its floor to store the wine. In medieval times would the wine not have been as strong as nowadays and alcoholic beverages were a good way to store water safely avoiding contamination from dangerous microbes. Georgian bas relief sculptures at the base of the Katskhi pillar indicate that the pillar was seen symbolically as a representation of the True Cross. There is some suggestion from 8th century reports by visitors to the pillar that a chain ran from the pillar top 1.5 KM to the dome of Katskhi church but this may just one of the many legends that abound about the Pillar. Between 2005 and 2009, the monastery building on the top of the pillar were restored with the support of the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia. The pillar church was the made accessible to male visitors by a precipitous iron ladder running up the rock face which recently has been deemed too dangerous for public ascent. Download pictures & images of Katskhi pillar Georgian Orthodox church or buy as photo art prints.

Pictures and images of Kotor city and the Gulf of Kotor Bay Montenegro. The old Mediterranean port of Kotor is surrounded by fortifications built during the Venetian period. It is located on the Bay of Kotor (Boka Kotorska), one of the most indented parts of the Adriatic Sea. Some have called it the southernmost fjord in Europe, but it is a ria, a submerged river canyon. Together with the nearly overhanging limestone cliffs of Orjen and Lovćen, Kotor and its surrounding area form an impressive landscape. The town has been fortified since the early Middle Ages, when Emperor Justinian built a fortress above Ascrivium in 535, after expelling the Ostrogoths. Ascrivium was plundered by the Saracens in 840. It was further fortified towards the peak of Saint Ivan by Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos in the 10th century. It was one of the more influential Dalmatian city-states of romanised Illyrians throughout the early Middle Ages, and until the 11th century the Dalmatian language was still spoken in Kotor. The city was part of Byzantine Dalmatia in that period, and the modern name of Kotor probably originated in the Byzantine name for the town: Dekatera or Dekaderon. The city was part of the Venetian Albania[citation needed] province of the Venetian Republic from 1420 to 1797. Four centuries of Venetian domination have given the city the typical Venetian architecture, that contributes to make Kotor a UNESCO world heritage site.

Pictures photos images of the medieval Khobi Monastery and Khobi Georgian Orthodox Cathedral, 10th -13th century, Khobi, Georgia (country). Khobi Monastery is set on a wooded slope above the Khobistskali river 3km from Khobi village. Founded in 554 AD the buildings we see today at Khobi date from the 10th century. Khobi Monastery is still surrounded by its medieval walls and is entered via a medieval gate house that is also a bell tower. Khobi cathedral dates from the 10th-11th century although much was added in the 13th century. The church has a cruciform ground plan with a Apse over the altar. Two sides of the cathedral have covered porches with arches. The exterior is simply decorated with geometric Georgian style reliefs around the windows. The interior of Khobi Monastery is decorated with frescoes which have been damaged over time. The apse is decorated with a Theotokos, depicting the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, and child. Download pictures & images of the medieval Khobi Monastery and Khobi Georgian Orthodox Cathedral or buy as photo art prints on line. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Pictures photos images of the historic Kintsvisi Monastery Georgian Orthodox complex, Shida Kartli, Georgia (country). Kintsvisi Monastery is a medieval Georgian Orthodox monastery in the Shida Kartli region, eastern Georgia. The central (main) central church dedicated to St Nicholas is thought to date to the early 13th century, in what is generally regarded as the Georgian Golden Age. Kintsvisi Monastery is the best preserved example of Georgian architecture of the 12th and 15th centuries. The monastery complex includes the church of St Nicholas and the temple of the Virgin, a small church of St George, bell tower and wall. The church of St Nicholas was built of Georgian brick. Kintsvisi’s painting is unique using bright colours mainly of pale green, gold and reddish hues against a background of sky blue. The church of the Virgin Mary also contains an enthroned Hodegetria with a Communion of the Apostles in its apse. In 2001 the International Centre for the Arts completed conservation of the Church of St Nicholas and today it is part of an active Georgian Orthodox Monastery. Download Pictures and images of the historic Kintsvisi Monastery Georgian Orthodox complex or buy as photo art prints. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Pictures images photos of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore ( Saint Mary of the Flower Basilica) commonly known as the Duomo of Florence, Italy. The building of the iconic Duomo was begun in 1296 in the Italian Gothic style. Designed by Arnolfo di Cambio the building was completed in 1436. The masterpiece and the wonder of the medieval world at the time was the Florence Duomo’s dome, engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi. It was the largest dome to be built since the dome of the great Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (Istanbul) nearly 1000 years earlier and was the largest dome to be built in Italy since the Pantheon in Rome in 126 AD. The skill and techniques to build great domes had been lost in the West with the collapse of the western Roman Empire so Brunelleschi had to devised a new system to build the dome. There was not enough wood in Tuscany to build scaffolding to support the Dome while it was being built so Brunelleschi devised a technique that allowed the dome to be built without scaffolding. By making the dome octagonal and by light brick supported by internal stone and metal hoops the construction of the Dome that had defeated engineers for over 100 years. Over 4 million bricks weighing 37000 tons were used in the construction which was completed in 1461 and it remains the largest brick dome ever constructed. The facade of the Duomo, designed by Giotto, was removed by the Medici’s during a Renaissance purge of what was seen to be an outmoded design. The facade remained bare brick until 1864 when the exterior of the basilica was faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th century Gothic Revival design by Emilio De Fabris. The cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile. The three buildings are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site covering the historic centre of Florence and are a major attraction to tourists visiting the region of Tuscany. The basilica is one of Italy's largest churches, and until development of new structural materials in the modern era, the dome was the largest in the world. Add photos of Florence Cathedral Italy to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/florence.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Cathedral Visit our PHOTO COLLECTIONS OF ITALY HISTOIC PLACES for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Italy-Photos-of-Italian-Historic-Landmark-Sites/C0000qxA2zGFjd_k

(updated 2021) Pictures images photos of Hagia Sophia ( Aya Sophia ) Basilica Istanbul. Completed in 537 for Roman Emperor Justinian, Hagia Sophia is a major Roman Byzantine work of architecture with a massive dome that would not be surpassed in size for 1000 years. The present Hagia Sophia or church os the Holy Wisdom, is the third Basilica to stand on this site. The size of Hagia Sophia is awe inspiring even by modern standards and the mathematics used to create such a vast dome demonstrate how sophisticated ancient mathematicians & engineers were. The main dome though collapsed completely during an earthquake on 7 May 558. It was rebuilt with lighter materials and 30 feet higher by Isidorus the Younger, nephew of Isidore of Miletus and today stands at 55.6 metres (182 ft). Hagia Sophia was the Church of the seat of the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople and was decorated inside with Roman Byzantine mosaics with gold backgrounds that would have made for a spectacular interior. The Fourth Crusade (1202-1204) took and sacked Constantinople and most of the treasures and relics from Hagia Sophia were looted by the Venetians who used took them back to Venice to adorn the Basilica of Saint Marks. In 1453 Sultan Mehmed took Constantinople and the treasures of Hagia Sophia were again pillaged. The Basilica became a mosque and its design was the benchmark for all the great mosques that were subsequently built. Over time the Christian mosaics, that were seen to idolatrous by Muslims who do not allow depictions of Saints or God, were replaced with Islamic designs. Aya Sophia became first imperial mosque of Istanbul. After the creation of an independent Turkish state, in 1935, the first Turkish President and founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, transformed the building into a museum. Plaster removed to reveal some of the Roman Byzantine mosaics that survived underneath. Today it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site that incorporated Ancient Istanbul. Add photos of Hagia Sophia Istanbul using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/hagia-sophia-istanbul.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia Visit our TURKEY PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/3f-Pictures-of-Turkey-Turkey-Photos-Images-Fotos/C0000U.hJWkZxAbg

Korcula Croatia pictures, photos. Images of the medieval island town to buy on line as stock photos or photo art prints. The island of Korčula belongs to the central Dalmatian archipelago, separated from the Pelješac peninsula by a narrow strait of Pelješac, between 900 and 3,000 metres (3,000 and 9,800 ft) wide (illustration, right). It is the sixth largest Adriatic island with a rather indented coast. The highest peaks are Klupca, 568 m (1,864 ft) above sea level and Kom, 510 m (1,670 ft) high. The climate is mild; an average air temperature in January is 9.8 °C and in July 26.9 °C; the average annual rainfall is 1,100 mm. The island is largely covered with Mediterranean flora including extensive pine forests. The island also includes the towns of Korčula, Vela Luka and Blato and the coastal villages of Brna, Lumbarda, Račišće, Zavalatica, Prižba and Prigradica and in the interior Žrnovo, Pupnat, Smokvica and Čara. The main road runs along the spine of the island connecting all settlements from Lumbarda on the eastern to Vela Luka on the western end, with the exception of Račišċe which is served by a separate road running along the northern coast. Ferries connect the city of Korčula with Orebić on the Pelješac peninsula and Drvenik on the mainland (near Makarska). Another line connects Vela Luka with Split and the island of Lastovo. Fast passenger catamarans connect those two ports with Split and the islands of Hvar and Lastovo. The main Adriatic ferry line connects Korčula with Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar and Rijeka and in summer there are direct ferries to Italian Adriatic ports. The island is divided into Korčula, Smokvica, Blato and Lumbarda municipalities. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

Pictures photos images of the rare and most complete Norman Romanesque wall paintings of St Mary’s Church, Kempley, England. The Norman Romanesque church of St Mary’s Lies near the village of Kempsey in the Forest of Dean district of Gloucestershire, England. As well as the oldest surviving timber roof of any building in Britain, dating from 1120-1150, St Mary’s Kempley also houses the most complete sets of Romanesque frescoes in northern Europe dating from 1120. Few Romanesque Norman frescoes survive in England due initially to the demise and ruin of the Monasteries and their churches during the Reformation of Henry VIII, and the later destruction of church iconography by the Puritans under Oliver Cromwell’s command. Between these two catastrophes for British Romanesque art, much was lost when churches were. St Mary’s Kempsey lies close to the border of Herefordshire and was probably built by Baron Hugh de Lacy in the 12th century after the Norman Conquest of England. Baron Hugh de Lacy, (r.1100–35), of Longtown Castle, near Hereford, the trusted counsellor of Henry I. The style of the wall paintings in St Mary follow the style of the Eastern Roman Empire, more commonly known as the Byzantines, which was popular in France and the north of Spain. Many knights that returned from the Crusades had seen and marvelled at Byzantine art, and on their return they wanted to adorn their churches with the sumptuous wall paintings that is typical of the Byzantine Eastern Roman Empire. The barrel vaulted chancel of St Mary’s has a complete cycle of Romanesque paintings running up its walls, over the vault and down the other wall. On each side of this vaulted chancel is depicted the Last Supper, with the Apostles lining each wall. Above Christ is depicted in Majesty also known as Christ Pantocrator. This iconic representation is typical of Byzantine icongraphy and shows Christ blessing whilst sitting surrounded by a madorla, and upright eye shaped panel , that makes it look as if Christ is looking down from heaven. A row of six apostles is pained on either side of the chancel. Each apostle is framed by a decorated arch and the lavish decorated clothes they are wearing is again typical of the lavish decoration of the Byzantine style. The overall effect of the Chancel paintings is of a muted fresco cycle that has faded with time but still hints at the lavishness that a Norman Knight expected. The survival of a set of early 12th century wall paintings within a church of about the same date is unusual. Even more extraordinary is the fact that the roof timbers also date from this period. Add photos of Sy Mary's Kempley to cart as royalty free. USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary%27s_Church,_Kempley English Heritage https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/st-marys-church-kempley/history/

Pictures & Images of the medieval Kidwelly Castle, Wales. Kidwelly Castle is a Norman castle built in around 1114 as part of a defensive series of castles designed to subdue the Welsh. Built on a steep ridge overlooking the tidal section of the River Gwendraeth Kidwelly Castle is an imposing castle with formidable battlements. In the mid 13th century Kidwelly Castle was extended by the de Chaworth into the great castle we see today. The Great Gatehouse of Kidwelly Castle alone too nearly a century to complete and was still unfinished during the Welsh siege of 1403. In 1422 Kidwelly Castle finally had its lead roof in place and apart from a few later additions Kidwelly Castle layout has remained the same until today. Download pictures & images of Kidwelly Castle as stock photos or buy as photo art prints on line. RELATED LINKS Visit our WALES HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse or download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Images-of-Wales-Welsh-Historic-Places-Pictures-Photos/C0000UEicBhu1tQM . Visit our MEDIEVAL PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Medieval-Middle-Ages-Historic-Places-Arcaeological-Sites-Pictures-Images-of/C0000B5ZA54_WD0s

Pictures images photos of the Romanesque Norman sculptures of St Mary and St David (1140 AD), Kilpeck England One of the great Norman Romanesque treasures of England is Kilpeck church in Herefordshire. Its remote location probably saved its incredibly well preserved Romanesque sculptures from the ravages of the reformation and Parliamentary puritans. Kilpeck church is a fine example of a Norman church with a Byzantine style apse at the eastern end of the church. The incredible sculptures around the south door of Kilpeck Church and the corbels that run around the church, are its treasure Our modern eyes have lost the meaning of a lot of medieval iconography and it is difficult to read medieval religious art when modern western civilisation is not under the yoke of a Roman Catholic church. A thousand years ago medieval man was obsessed with what would happen in the next world. The ravages of the plague and the successes of the Muslims had rendered Christians in a pessimistic mood that pointed to their Hell and Damnation. It is against this background that we have to look at the sculptures at Kilpeck Church. One of the most popular Medieval books was the Bestiary. This was an illustrated compendium that of the natural world. Animals and birds were illustrated and a description was accompanied by a moral lesson for each creature. The Bestiary illustrated not only known animals but also creatures that were thought to exist like the Unicorn. The more fanciful sculptures of Kilpeck Church are based on the creatures from the Bestiary. The meaning of some of the sculptures can be found in Bestiaries but the meaning of other creatures have been lost. Other sculptured corbels of Kilpeck Church are morality panels. A lot of these panels show what seem to be theatrical masks the meaning of which have also been lost, but would have been understood by medieval eyes. The temptation of women is a popular theme at Kilpeck Church and it is clear that in Medieval minds all women are like Eve, who tricked Adam into eating the apple which led to their explosion from heaven. A grotesque corbel at Kilpeck Church depicting a female holding open a huge vulva is a moral tale of the temptations of women to be avoided. The creativity in the Kilpeck Church sculptures is both and endearing and mysterious. To the modern eye that has become used to abstract art Romanesque art can be enjoyed for its creativity and style if not for its original meaning. Add photos of Kilpeck Church Sculptures to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (type Kilpeck into lower search box) =USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_St_Mary_and_St_David,_Kilpeck Hereford Churches https://www.visitherefordshirechurches.co.uk/st-michael-all-angels-moccas/

Pictures images photos of the old Saxon Abbey church at Malmesbury was rebuilt after the conquest of England by its new Norman lords. By 1180 and early Norman cross over Abbey had been completed with a 431 feet (131m) tall spire. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539 the Abbey was sold to William Stumpe, a rich merchant who filled the old Abbey buildings with looms to make cloth. In 1500 the West tower fell during a storm demolishing three bays of the nave and leaving only half of the original building standing today. The Abbey building fell into ruins which are still attached to the church. Malmesbury Abbey still retains marvellous examples of Norman architecture mixing with the Gothic to create an interior which soars up three stories to a stone vaulted ceiling. Norman geometric patterns surround the first tier arches but little other internal decoration survives apart from the Tomb of Athelstan who was a grandson of Alfred the Great. Athelstan was crowned King of Wessex in 924 and by 927 he had expanded his kingdom to create the Kingdom of all England. In 937 he won a decisive victory at the battle of Brunanburh and defeated the Scottish, Norse and Danish army to become ruler of the whole of Britain. He died in 939 and was buried at Malmesbury Abbey. The most fascinating sculptures are to be found on the walls of the south porch of Malmesbury Abbey. Although incorporated into the Norman porch, these sculpted panels, measuring 10ft by 4ft 6”, are from an earlier date. The sculptures of Malmesbury Abbey are in the Roman Byzantine style similar to those to be found at the church of St Peter at Monkwearmouth, which were sculpted by masons from Gaul in 710 for the Abbot of Jarrow. As is often seen in Saxon Manuscripts the apostles are shown seated on a long bench, some of their heads are inclined awkwardly and apart from Peter, none of them carry any of the symbols, used from the 9th century onwards, to distinguish each Apostles, some carry books or manuscripts and, apart from St John, they do not have beards, which only appeared on later sculptures. The flying angels above their heads bear a considerable resemblance to the carved angels of St Lawrence, Bradford-on-Avon, which were probably commissioned by St Aldhelm, founder of Malmesbury in 705. These sculptured panels at Malmesbury are important well preserved examples of Saxon art that probably came from the original Saxon Abbey of Malmesbury. Add photos of Malmesbury Abbey to cart as royalty free download or prints. USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malmesbury_Abbey

Meteora Monasteries Greece pictures, images fotos & photos of the Orthodox monasteries on top of their pillars of rock. Buy stock pictures, photoart prints & cards of Meteora Mountains famous Cliff top Monasteries. In the sixteenth century there were 24 monasteries but today only 6 remain. Each monastery has a winch house with a rope net that is lowered to haul up provisions. Originally pilgrims had to climb up precarious rope ladders to make their devotions in the monastery churches. Today a visit is less hazardous as steps have been cut into the cliffs that snake up to the monasteries. In 420 Simeon, a Syrian Christian Monk, decided to escape the world and become a Hermit. He built a 15.2m (50ft) high pillar and somehow lived on the top, exposed to the elements, until his death. This inspired Christians for centuries like the hermits that originally inhabited the caves in the lower pillars of the Pindos Mountains from the 10 century. In the fourteenth century monastery building started in earnest when a monk from Mount Athos, Athanasios Koinovitis, climbed a pinnacle known as the Plathy Lithos because of its wide plateau on top. Here, with a group of followers, he built the first buildings of the Metéoron monastery. In 1388 Thessaly was ruled by a Serbian King and his son, Loasaf, became a pupil of Athanasios at the Metéoron. The King extended the monastery which became an important center of learning with many fine illuminated codecs and important Byzantine frescos in its church. 23 more monasteries were built over the next 2 centuries and precious relics and icons found safety in the impregnable monasteries such as the finger of St John and the shoulder blade of St Andrew in the monastery of Varlaám. It is a marvel that 600 years ago men could build such wonderful buildings at the top of high isolated rock pillars without cranes or mechanical aides. Since the building of a paved road into the mountains in the 1960s, tourists have been able to visit the Meteora Monasteries and marvel at beauty and serenity of the captivating Byzantine buildings set against the dramatic backdrop of the Pindos Mountains. UNESCO added the Meteora to its world heritage list and from 1972 the 6 remaining monasteries have been under renovation repairing damage from neglect and earthquakes. The Meteora Monasteries are one of the most extraordinary sights in the world and are a reminder of how religious devotion can drive men to great feats of architecture and art in search of salvation. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

Mohács Battle Memorial pictures, photos. Images of the sculptures of the Mohacs memorial to buy on line as stock photos or photo art prints. The Battle of Mohács (Hungarian: mohácsi csata or mohácsi vész; Turkish: Mohaç Sava?? or Mohaç Meydan Sava??; Croatian: Bitka na Moha?kom polju) was fought on August 29, 1526 near Mohács, Hungary. In the battle, forces of the Kingdom of Hungary led by King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia were defeated by forces of the Ottoman Empire led by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. The Ottoman victory led to the partition of Hungary for several centuries between the Ottoman Empire, the Habsburg Monarchy, and the Principality of Transylvania. The death of Louis II as he fled the battle marked the end of the Jagiellon dynasty in Hungary and Bohemia, whose dynastic claims were absorbed by the Habsburgs via the marriage of Louis' sister. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

Pictures images photos of Lindisfarne Priory one of the first and most important Anglo Saxon Celtic Christian Priories in England. Lindisfarne has a recorded history from the 6th century when it became one of the first sites of Celtic English Christianity when Irish Monk St Aiden was granted permission to found a Priory there in 634. The priory remained the only seat of a bishopric in Northumbria for nearly thirty years. From Lindisfarne missions were sent out to convert the English and a network of monasteries spread across northern England. The Lindisfarne Priory became an important centre for copying and producing manuscripts. At some point in the early 700’s the famous illuminated manuscript known as the Lindisfarne Gospels, an illustrated Latin copy of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, was made at Lindisfarne by Eadfrith, who later became Bishop of Lindisfarne. Eardfrith was a meticulous and accomplished artist with one illuminated letter in the Gospels alone being made up of 10,000 tiny dots. Another Bishop of Lindisfarne Priory was Saint Cuthbert ( 634 – 687), who became the patron Saint of Northumbria. He spent much time among the people, ministering to their spiritual needs, carrying out missionary journeys, preaching, and performing miracles. In 684 Cuthbert became Bishop of Lindisfarne but after 2 years he decided to look for a quieter life of contemplation and became a hermit on one of the nearby Farne Islands where he eventually died. After Viking raids threatened the sanctuary of Saint Cuthbert's tomb it was decided to exhume his relics in 875 and remove them to a safer place. It was found that his body was in tact with no signs of decomposition. In 995 a shrine was built to rehouse the saints body at Durham which let to the building of Durham’s great cathedral. On the 8th June 793 Lindisfarne, a centre of learning that was famous across the continent, was the scene of the first recorded Viking raid in England. Monks were killed in the abbey, thrown into the sea to drown, or carried away as slaves along with the church treasures. The Viking devastation of Northumbria's Holy Island was reported by the Northumbrian scholar Alcuin of York, who wrote: "Never before in Britain has such a terror appeared”. After the dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII in 1536, Lindisfarne Priory slowly fell into disrepair and today is a romantic ruin overlooking a small harbour next to the village of Holy Island. Add photos of Lindisfarne Priory to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (typeLindisfarne Priory into lower search box) USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindisfarne#Lindisfarne_Priory English Heritage https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/lindisfarne-priory/

Pictures images & photos of Lucca and the historical and landmark sites of Lucca, Tuscany Italy. Lucca is an ancient city in central west Italy inland from the Tyrrhenian Sea in Tuscany. The earliest known inhabitants of Lucca were Ligurians who were replaced by the Etruscans who laid out the city in a typical Etruscan grid pattern. None of Etruscan Lucca remains visible as the Romans created a new city when they formed a colony there in 180 BC. The Roman City of Lucca was important enough for Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus reaffirmed their political alliance known as the First Triumvirate in Lucca in 56 BC. Today the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro (Amphitheatre) is one of Lucca's main attractions with cafe terraces ringing the square creating a romantic venue where it can be imagined Puccini, a resident of Lucca, was inspired to write some of his great operas. Lucca has two examples of beautiful Romanesque churches, San Michele in Foro and the Duomo of Lucca. San Michele in Foro is a Romanesque church first mentioned in 795 as being in the old Roman Forum. It was rebuilt in a Romanesque style in 1070 by Pope Alexander II, who was Bishop Anselm of Lucca until 1061, and its present facade was completed in the 13th century. The facade of San Michele in Foro is a beautiful example of Romanesque design with high blind Romanesque arches reaching nearly half up the building on top of which are built four storey of open arcades. The Cattedrale di San Martino or Lucca Duomo was built just after San Michele in Foro and follows A similar style. Lucca Duomo differs in that it only had 3 arcades but the arches on its facade lead to a portico within which the wall around the main door has Bas relief sculptures. The Lucca Duomo was also begun in 1063 commissioned also by Pope Alexander II, its Romanesque west facade was begun in 1204 by Guido Bigarelli di Como and its interior was rebuilt in the 14th century in Gothic style. The Basilica of San Frediano is a Romanesque church in Lucca situated on the Piazza San Frediano. Built in the style of a typical Romanesque Basilica the Basilica of San Frediano was built in 1112-1147. In the 13th century A huge mosaic panel was added to the facade of the church which was decorated with mosaics depicting Christ Pantocrator above the Apostles. The mosaic was made in an Eastern Roman Byzantine style by Berlinghiero Berlinghieri of Lucca. The mosaic depicts Christ sitting in a Mondorla, eye, giving his blessing. Add photos of Lucca Italy to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/lucca.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucca

Pictures, images & photos of the Great Norman Cathedral of Monreale, Sicily and its Byzantine Mosaics. The world Norman and Sicily do not sit naturally together for many people, yet The Normans did not only conquer England they help principalities all the way to and including Jerusalem. The Norman's were descendants of The Vikings (North Men). Their barbarity is legendary but what is often forgotten is that after converting to Christianity the Normans became fanatical Christian patrons founding greta Abbeys like Mont St Michele, Cathedrals like Durham Cathedral and sponsoring great works of art like the Byzantine style mosaics of Monreale Cathedral, Sicily. The building of the Cathedral of Monreale was begun in 1174 by William II, and in 1182 the church, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Monreale is a political statement by William II who wanted to weaken the power of the Palermo cardinals by creating a great cathedral at Monreale outside the city. Like most Norman cathedrals Moreale Duomo is a Norman Romanesque basilica was built on a massive scale in record breaking time. The inside of Moreale Cathedral is tiled with Byzantine style mosaics which cover a staggering 6,500 m² of its interior. The mosaics of Monreale depict scenes from the bible and over the altar is a huge Greek style Christ Pantocrator. Next to Cathedral are the cloisters of Monreale monastery. 126 white marble pillars support medieval craved capitals and arches of Monreale's spectacular cloisters. Every capital is carved with a different mythology of biblical scenes. Fantastic medieval animals entwine themselves around the pillar capitals and columns in an extraordinary demonstration of the exuberance of medieval art and proof, if one were needed, that the dark ages were not very dark at all.To give real power to Monreale Cathedral, William II made it his and his families burial place, and there they lie in great medieval sarcophagi. The Normans are an underestimated cultural force of the medieval world. Their ruthless exploits have overshadowed the great building and works of art they bestowed. Add photos of Monreale Cathedral Mosiacs & exterior to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/monrealeduomomosaics.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monreale_Cathedral Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monreale_Cathedral_mosaics Norman Cathedrals of Sicily UNESCO World Heritage Page https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1487

Monemvasia Greece pictures, images fotos & photos of the Monemvasia is a town located on a small peninsula off the east coast of the Peloponnese. The peninsula is linked to the mainland by a short causeway 200m in length. Its area consists mostly of a large plateau some 100 metres above sea level, up to 300 m wide and 1 km long, the site of a powerful medieval fortress. The town walls and many Byzantine churches remain from the mediaeval period. The seat of the municipality is the town Molaoi. The town's name derives from two Greek words, mone and emvasia, meaning "single entrance". Its Italian form, Malvasia, gave its name to Malmsey wine. Monemvasia's nickname is the Gibraltar of the East or The Rock. The town and fortress were founded in 583 by people seeking refuge from the Slavic and the Avaric invasion of Greece. A history of the invasion and occupation of the Peloponnese was recorded in the medieval Chronicle of Monemvasia. From the 10th century AD, the town developed into an important trade and maritime centre. The fortress withstood the Arab and Norman invasions in 1147; cornfields that fed up to 30 men were tilled inside the fortress. William II of Villehardouin took it in 1248, on honourable terms, after three years of siege; in 1259 William was captured by the Greeks after the battle of Pelagonia and in 1262 it was retroceded to Michael VIII Palaiologos as part of William's ransom. It remained part of the Byzantine empire until 1460, becoming the seat of an Imperial governor, a landing place for Imperial operations against the Franks, the main port of shipment (if not always production) for Malmsey wine, and one of the most dangerous lairs of corsairs in the Levant. The Emperors gave it valuable privileges, attracting Roger de Lluria who sacked the lower town in 1292. The town welcomed the Catalan Company on its way eastward in 1302. In 1397 Theodore I Palaiologos deposed the local dynast of Monemvasia, who appealed to Sultan Bayezid I and was reinstated by Turkish troops. In 1419 the rock appears to have come into the possession of Venice, though it soon returned to the Despot. About 1401, the historian George Sphrantzes was born in the town. After the fall of Constantinople Monemvasia held out against the threats of Sultan Mehmed II in 1458 and 1460, when it became the only remaining domain of the Despot of Morea, Thomas Palaiologos, claimant of the Imperial throne. He had no forces to defend it; he offered it to the Sultan, and finally sold it to the Pope. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.. Visit our GREEK HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Greece-Photos-of-Greek-Historic-Landmark-Sites/C0000w6e8OkknEb8

(Updated 2021) Pictures images & photos of of Le Mont-Saint-Michel Unesco World Heritage Site France.. Perched on a rocky islet in the midst of vast sandbanks exposed to powerful tides between Normandy and Brittany is located a tidal island on which is built a Gothic-style Benedictine abbey dedicated to the archangel Saint Michel. and a village that grew up in the shadow of its great walls. In 1067 the monastery of Mont Saint-Michel gave its support to William the Conqueror in his claim to the throne of England. This he rewarded with properties and grounds on the English side of the Channel, including a small island off the southwestern coast of Cornwall which was modelled after the Mount and became a Norman priory named St Michael's Mount of Penzance. During the Hundred Years' War, the Kingdom of England made repeated assaults on the island but was unable to seize it due to the abbey's improved fortifications. The English initially besieged the Mont in 1423–24, and then again in 1433–34 with English forces under the command of Thomas de Scales, 7th Baron Scales. Two wrought-iron bombards that Scales abandoned when he gave up his siege are still on site. They are known as les Michelettes. Mont Saint-Michel's resolute resistance inspired the French, especially Joan of Arc. Add photos of Mont Saint Michel Normandy France to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/montstmichel.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont-Saint-Michel UNESCO World Heritage https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/80

Pictures of the Byzantine City of Mythras ruins, Greece. Images of the Byzantine Orthodox frescos & icons. Mystras established in 1205 after the conquest of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade by Prince William II Villehardouin & capital of the Byzantine Despotate of The Morea in the 14th & 15th centuries. Mystras was the last Byzantine stronghold surrendered by Demetrius Palaeologus to the Ottoman Sultan Mehmen II in 1460. The City sits on a steep mountain slope of the edge of the valley of Sparti ( ancient Sparta) with a fortress at the top and the ruins of the Byzantine city & monasteries below surrounded by a city wall. Under the despot Theodore Mystras became the second most important city in the empire after Constantinople, and William II's palace became the second residence of the emperors. The frescos in the Peribleptos Church, dating between 1348 and 1380, are a very rare surviving late Byzantine cycle, crucial for the understanding the development of humanism in Byzantine art that fuelled the Renaissance in Western art. Mystras was also the last centre of Byzantine scholarship; the Neoplatonist philosopher George Gemistos Plethon lived there until his death in 1452. He and other scholars based in Mystras influenced the Italian Renaissance, especially after he accompanied the emperor John VIII Palaiologos to Florence in 1439. A UNESCO World Heritage Site. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

Pictures of Nagyvázsony Castle, Kinizsi vár, Hungary. Images & photos of the castle of Pal Kinizsi Nagyvázsony. Also buy stock photos & photo art prints. Pál Kinizsi (Romanian: Pavel Chinezul) (1432-1494) was a Hungarian general, legendary commoner commander[1] in the army of king Matthias Corvinus. He was Comes of Temes (Comes Temesiensis)[2] since 1484 and Captain General of the Lower Parts of the Kingdom of Hungary (generalis capitaneus inferiorum partium regni). He is famous for his victory over the Ottomans in the Battle of Breadfield in October 1479. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

Pictures, Images and photos of Nea Moni is a Byzantine Monastery built by Constantine IX and Empress Zoe after the miraculous appearance of an Icon of the Virgin Mary at the site and inaugurated in 1049. The middle and north of Chios is dominated by high mountains up to 1297m high and steep cliffs dropping into the Aegean Sea. High up in the mountains in the centre of the Island are the ruins and basilica of The Nea Moni Monastery. The Byzantine of Nea Moni built by Constantine IX and Empress Zoe after the miraculous appearance of an Icon of the Virgin Mary at the site and inaugurated in 1049. The main church has original Byzantine mosaics and frescos. The Monastery was home to several hundred priests and its ruins are un-excavated deep in the undergrowth of a large site on the side of a mountain. Apart from the main church there are a couple of houses, a small museum and outbuildings in tact around the main church. The chapel at the gatehouse hold a chilling Ossuary of skulls of victims of the Ottoman sack of Chios. In 1821 the Greeks made a bid for freedom from Ottoman rule and started a War of Independence. When Turkish civilians were massacred the Ottomans took their revenge on Chios just a few kilometres offshore. It is estimated some 25,000 Chiots lost their lives in the sack of Chios and only the people from the Mastic area in the south were spared as Mastic was one of the Sultans favourite food. Several hundred priests and hiding civilians were massacred in Nea Moni and the Monastery was looted. Villagers dived off high cliffs to their deaths rather than face a ruthless death or worse at the hand of the Ottoman troops. This tragic period of the history of Chios has left uninhabited villages in the centre of the Island. Today the monastery which became a nunnery has one Nun who has lived in the monastery since entering it as a young women. There is still a thriving congregation that comes from all over the island to worship every Sunday and enjoy the undoubted peaceful atmosphere that is associated with Holy places. To see more photos of Chios Island visit our Chios Photo gallery at : http://bit.ly/GO9i8h Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

Pictures of Norman Keeps & castles of England & Sicily. Images & photos of the Norman castles. Also buy stock photos & photo art prints. A keep (from the Middle English kype) is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the castle fall to an adversary. The first keeps were made of timber and formed a key part of the motte and bailey castles that emerged in Normandy and Anjou during the 10th century; the design spread to England as a result of the Norman invasion of 1066, and in turn spread into Wales during the second half of the 11th century and into Ireland in the 1170s. The Anglo-Normans and French rulers began to build stone keeps during the 10th and 11th centuries; these included Norman keeps, with a square or rectangular design, and circular shell keeps. Stone keeps carried considerable political as well as military importance and could take up to a decade to build.

Pictures photos images of Nikortsminda St Nicholas Georgian Orthodox Cathedral, 11th century, Nikortsminda, Racha region of Georgia (country). A UNESCO World Heritage Tentative Site. Founded in 1010-1014 by King Bagrat III the first King of the Kingdom of Georgia and dedicated to St Nicholas. Nicortsminda Cathedral of St. Nicholas is one of the most important architectural monuments of the medieval Georgia. The floor plan of Nikortsminda Cathedral is hexagonal each side of which, apart from the west wall, has an apse yet the outside shape of the Cathedral is cruciform. In the centre of the church rises a Georgian style drum shaped straight sided cylindrical cupola with windows in it. The exterior of Nikortsminda Cathedral is richly decorated with Bas relief stone work. As it typical of Georgian church architecture most of the stone work is of geometric patterns with heavily decorated window surrounds. The East wall is richly decorated with architraves and a panel with saints including one of St George on horseback slaying a dragon. Nikortsminda lapidary decoration testifies to the superb skill of the craftsmen and the artistic standards of its stone masons, which make this Cathedral one of the most outstanding examples of Georgian architecture. The inside of Nikortsminda Cathedral is richly decorated with Georgian late medieval frescoes of the 16th and 17th centuries with numerous portraits of feudal rulers. Other subjects depicted are the Transfiguration, Doomsday and other evangelic subjects, figures of the Saints, and of real and fantastic beasts. Christ Pantocrator, in Majesty, is depicted in the apse above the altar and a simple cross decorated the inside of the cupola with a line of saint running around the inside of the cupola walls. Nikortsminda Cathedral is under restoration and will be one of the finest Cathedrals to visit in Georgia. Download pictures & images of Nikortsminda St Nicholas Georgian Orthodox Cathedral or buy as photo art prints on line. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Pictures photos images of the medieval Georgian Orthodox Ninotsminda Cathedral ruins, 575 AD, Sagarejo, in the Kakheti region, Georgia (country). Ninotsminda Cathedral was built in 575 AD with a four apse cruciform shaped ground plan which became the model for the the later tetraconch architecture of such churches as Jvari Monastery in Mtskheta. According to historical records Ninotsminda Cathedral was reworked in the 10th and 17th centuries only to be destroyed by an earthquake in 1824 and 1848 after which the Cathedral was abandoned. Today only the eastern apse is standing within which is a 16th century damaged fresco of the Hodgetria, Virgin and Child. Apart from earthquake damage the fresco still shows signs of vandalism inflicted upon it in the form of bullet holes by Dagestani bandits in the 18th and 19th centuries. The ruins of Ninotsminda Cathedral are still surrounded by a fortified curtain wall with a fortified gate house as its entrance. The brock bell tower nect to the Ninotsminda Cathedral ruins dates from 1520 and was built hy King Levan I using staggered geometric brick designs on its exterior influence by Safid Persian designs. Download Pictures & images of the medieval Georgian Orthodox Ninotsminda Cathedral ruins, or buy as photo art prints on line. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Pictures, images and photos of Nunney Castle at Nunney in the English county of Somerset. Built in the late 14th century by Sir John Delamare on the profits of his involvement in the Hundred Years War, the moated castle's architectural style, possibly influenced by the design of French castles. Nunney Castle was built near the village of Nunney in Somerset by Sir John Delamare. Delamare had been a soldier during the Hundred Years War with France, where he had made his fortune. He obtained a licence to crenellate from Edward III to build a castle on the site of his existing, unfortified manor house in 1373. The resulting castle centred on a stone tower-keep, measuring 60 feet by 24 feet (18 m by 7 m) internally and 54 feet (16 m) tall, with four round corner-towers.The tower-keep had eight-foot (2.4 m) thick walls made from Lias Oolite ashlar stone and was designed around three floors. Add photos of Nunney Castle to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (type Nunney into lower search box) USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nunney_Castle English Heritage https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/nunney-castle/

Pictures images photos of Orvieto Cathedral of Duomo. Orvieto is situated on the top of a butte, a flat topped volcanic plug carved out of volcanic tuff. Perched at the top of high vertical cliffs the views of the city are both imposing and dramatic. The origins of Orvieto can be traced back to the Etruscans and it was annexed by the Romans in the 3rd century BC. By the Middle ages Orvieto had become an important trading town that controlled the main route from Florence to Rome. In the 13th century Orvieto became a refuge to 5 popes who took up residence in the Papal Palace of Orvieto for nearly 50 years. This papal connection with Orvieto led to the building of the Orvieto Cathedral under the orders of Pope Urban IV to commemorate and provide a suitable home for the Corporal of Bolsena, a miracle which is said to have occurred in 1263 in the nearby town of Bolsena. The flagstone of the Cathedral was laid by Pope Nicholas IV on 13th November 1290. The Cathedral is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. In 1309 the Sienese sculptor and architect was commissioned to work on the Cathedral of Orvieto and not only resolve structural problems with the building but also to design the facade of the building. The facade of Orvieto Cathedral is a triumph of Tuscan Gothic Architecture. Based on a Romanesque Basilica with a naive and two side aisles, the facade if divided into 3 gables Large panels of mosaics fill the triangular door tympanum leading upwards to a large triangular mosaic panel that is at the top of the central gable. The mosaic panels were created between 1350 and 1390 after designs by artist Cesare Nebbia. They have golden backgrounds which reflect in the sun and give the facade of the Cathedral an eye-catching part is its golden frontage. The mosaics of the Orvieto Cathedral depict scenes from the Life of the Virgin Mary and the highest panel depicts the "Coronation of the Virgin Mary" in to top gable. Between the doorways are sculpted Bas relief panels that depict scenes from the Book of Genesis with Adam and Eve, the Last Judgement, Biblical stories and the lives of Jesus and Mary. Sculpted by Maitani and at least 3 other unknown sculptors these sculptures are some of the best of the 14th century. The Magnificent Rose window of Orvieto Cathedral was built by built by the sculptor and architect Orcagna between 1354 and 1380. Above the window is a row of niches with sculptures of the twelve apostles. Beautiful twisted sculpted columns line The overall effect of the facade of Orvieto Cathedral is of harmonious and its rich decoration has been balance to perfection making it probably the best example of Tuscan Gothic in Italy. Add photos of Orvieto Cathedral Italy to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/orvieto-cathedral.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orvieto_Cathedral

Pictures images photos of Ostuni, the Citta Blanca (White City), Puglia Italy. The magnificent white building of Ostuni sit high on 229m high hill overlooking the coastal plain of Puglia and the Adriatic sea. Archeological finds of a young women’s body buried in a grotto 25,000 years ago show that Ostuni has been inhabited since pre-history. When the Greeks started colonising Southern Italy form the 7th century BC Ostuni became a Greek settlement and was named "Astu-neon" (which means “new city”). This name derivated to Asteyneon eventually becoming Ostuni. In the 3rd century BC Rome started annexing the Greek provinces leading to conflict with Carthage which is known as the Punic wars during which Ostuni was sacked by Hannibal. After the fall of Rome in the west in 476 Ostuni was sacked by the Goths after which southern Italy fell into a long period of instability and was hotly fought over. Saracen raiders decimated the coast of Southern Italy and the area became depopulated. Puglia was the last stronghold of the Byzantine Romans in Italy who eventually lost control of the area to the Normans and in 996 Ostuni became a Norman city and started the medieval citadel development and fortifications that can be seen today. In 1507 Ostuni came under the rule of Isabella, Duchess of Bari, wife of Gian Galeazzo Sforza, Duke of Milan and enjoyed a golden age as the Italian Renaissance bloomed in an explosion that engulfed western Europe. The fortifications of Ostuni were reinforced against anticipated attacks from the Turks who occupied the Balkans just across the Adriatic from Ostuni in 1539. Today the old citadella is considered to be a medieval architectural jewel, its narrow streets and white building being typical of the area and the period. Little remains of the castle that once stood at the summit of the hill but in its place is a magnificent Italian Gothic cathedral. Unlike the flamboyant Gothic architecture of northern Italy, the cathedral of Ostuni has a simplicity of form. Above its simple Gothic style ogival main door is a relief sculpture of the Madonna and Child above which is a Rose Window. The walls of the facade that curve upwards to a simple cross are edges by stone tracery and small relief sculptures of peoples heads, Two simple towers stand at either end of the facade with typical Gothic Gargoyles of strange animals. The medieval streets of Ostuni run concentrically around the hill with narrow passages linking them. From every vantage point the white buildings of Ostuni stand against the green olive groves of the coastal plain that stretch away below to the azure blue Adriatic sea sparkling in the distance. Add photos of Ostuni Italy to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (scroll down and type Ostuni into lower search box)

Pictures of Palma Cathedral. Images & photos of the great gothic Palma Baptristy. Also buy stock photos & photo art prints. The Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma, more commonly referred to as La Seu, is a Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral located in Palma, Majorca, Spain, built on the site of a pre-existing Arab mosque. It is 121 metres long, 55 metres wide and its nave is 44 metres tall. Designed in the Catalan Gothic style but with Northern European influences, it was begun by King James I of Aragon in 1229 but finished only in 1601. It sits within the old city of Palma atop the former citadel of the Roman city, between the Royal Palace of La Almudaina and the episcopal palace. Add photos of Parma Cathedral Italy to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (scroll down and type Parma into lower search box)

Photos, pictures of the Palatine Chapel, Palermo. The chapel was commissioned buy Roger II of Sicily in 1132 and was dedicated to St. Peter. The new chapel was built over an older chapel, now the crypt, that was built in 1080. The design of the chapel follows traditional Byzantine rules. At one end it has 3 apses which are semicircular recesses covered with semicircular domes. The central Aspe is higher than the 2 side apses and all 3 house the chapels altars. At the end of the apses the transept runs the width of the chapel. above the centre of the transept is a high dome. From the transept run a central naive which has 6 arabic pointed arches, 3 on each side, supported by older classical columns. On each side of the central naive are 2 smaller aisles. At the end of the central naive is a raised platform which is where the Frankish Carolingian throne was placed for the king to sit on. What makes the Palatine chapel one of Europe's great art treasures is its mosaic decorations. Every part of the interior of the chapel is covered with mosaics. The background color of the mosaics is gold which reflects the candles in such a way as to create a magic and mystical atmosphere that is almost overwhelming. Because the chapel is quite an intimate space the intricate flowing figures and patterns of the mosaic design crowd in on the senses and are almost overpowering. Each scene is surrounded by its own decorative border as can be seen in orthodox icon mosaics. The oldest mosaics are probably in the transept and date from about 1140. These magnificently crafted mosaics depict the Acts of the Apostles. These mosaics almost certainly made by the finest Byzantine craftsmen probably from Constantinople. The style of the design is heavily influenced by orthodox iconography and the inscriptions are in Greek. The Palatine chapel is a political statement from the 11th and 12th century. It is designed to appeal to Roman & Orthodox Christians, Jews and Muslims alike. Its mosaics depict biblical scenes as well as very rare secular mosaics and paintings on the ceiling depicting everyday life, animals and flowers. The Arabic style multifaceted ceiling, made from Nebrodi pine, is influenced by Iraqi Abbasid art. Lions & eagles are depicted and these paintings are the largest single Fatimid work of art of its day, seems to reflect the relaxed norms of a tolerant society. In the Palatine Chapel the Normans are sending out a secular message of tolerance to dogmatic Muslims. Add photos of Palatine Palace Palermo Mosaics to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/byzantine-art-antiquities.html . Type - Palatine - into the LOWER SEARCH WITHIN GALLERY box. Refine search by adding background colour, subject etc USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cappella_Palatina .

Picture images & photos of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. One of the worlds great Iconic buildings is the Leaning Tower Of Pisa. Without a lean the tower would still be magnificent 12th century Italian Campanile, with a lean the tower has gained iconic status.The building of the tower started on August 8, 1173. The building design was flawed from the beginning. Its 3 meter deep foundation was woefully shallow for what was going to be a 55 m (183 ft.) high tower made out of white marble weighing 14,700 metric tons. In 1178 the construction of the third floor started and it was noticed that the tower had begun to sink. Had construction continued the tower would have collapsed but for the next hundred years The Republic of Pisa was at endless war with either Genoa, Lucca or Florence so construction was stopped. n 1272 Giovanni di Simone restarted the construction of the Tower. The soil had compacted under the tower and believing the foundations to be safe Giovani added the extra floors. To compensate for the tilt of the tower one side of each floor was built taller than the other which means that the tower is actually curved. It was not until 1372 that the bell chamber was finally added and the last bell was not added until 1655.Measurements between 1550 and 1817 show that the tilt of the tower had only increased by 5 cm in that period. For some unknown reason the tilt suddenly accelerated and by 1838 the tower had tilted another 20 cm. As the tower continued to tilt concern rose that it would collapse. It was decided to try and stabilize the tower and engineers puzzled over how to straighten it. Attempts to raise the sinking side of the tower nearly ended in disaster when crucial foundation stones were accidentally removed causing the tower to lean more. The lean of the tower was stabilized by adding over 650 tons of lead as a counterweight to the lean. In 1993 an English engineer solved the problem by coming up with a plan to remove soil from under the opposite side of the tower from the lean to straighten it. The process took until 2008 and the tower was slowly returned to the same amount of tilt it had in 1838 after 70 tons of soil was carefully removed from under the towers foundations. It is estimated that it safe for another 300 years. Italy is full of Iconic Buildings but the Leaning Tower is probably the most recognizable worldwide. Visiting the tower is still a mesmerizing experience and its rakish tilt looks a lot more than the official 3.97 degrees. Now it has been made safe its Iconic status is assured for generations to come. Add photos of Leaning Tower of Pisa to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/leaningtowerpisa.html

Pictures images photos of the Byzantine mosaics of the Pisa Duomo. The image of Christ Pantocrator, "Almighty" or “All-powerful," is typical of Orthodox Roman Byzantine art. It shows the power of Roman Byzantine culture that it was widely adopted in Romanesque Roman Catholic Churches. Built in 1064 just 30 years after the Great schism between the Orthodox and Catholic Christian churches the mosaic of the Pisa Duomo shows that schism has not stopped all Byzantine style artworks being made in Catholic churches. Indeed in 1064 it is fair to say that western art had not yet really broken away from Byzantine art to find its own voice and style. The fingers of Christ in the mosaic of Pisa Duomo still uses the shape of the blessing used in Orthodox Christ Pantocrator depictions but the fingers do not quite form the “Chi Rho” shapes of Eastern Orthodoxy. The apse mosaic of Pisa Duomo is though unmistakably a Byzantine Roman mosaic. Add photos of Leaning Tower of Pisa to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/pisa-duomo-cathedral.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisa_Cathedral

Pictures images photos of Palermo Cathedral. Images & photos of the medieval Palermo Duomo. Also buy stock photos & photo art prints. The church was erected in 1185 by Walter Ophamil (or Walter of the Mill), the Anglo-Norman archbishop of Palermo and King William II's minister, on the area of an earlier Byzantine basilica. The upper orders of the corner towers were built between the 14th and the 15th centuries, while in the early Renaissance period the southern porch was added. Add photos of Palermo Cathedral to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (scroll down and type Palermo Cathedral into lower search box)

Pictures images photos of the 12th century Romanesque Parma Baptistry, Italy. The octagonal Baptistry of Parma is a beautiful harmonious building clad in pink Verona marble. Its position at the South side of the Duomo Square of the Parma was well considered by its medieval architects as it catches the morning sun in a most dramatic way standing out against the shadowy buildings that back it. This was no happy accident as the Baptistry of Palma has been built and decorated to take full effect of the sun pouring through its small windows to highlight specific painting at specific times of the year. The extraordinary Romanesque architecture of the Baptistry of Parma and its splendid exterior sculptural decorations was begun in 1196 under the patronage of Bishop Obizzo Fieschi and was supervised by Benedictus Antelami . Born in 1150, Antelami was an Italian sculptor and Architect of the Romanesque school whose Lombard influences can be seen in the Baptistry. The octagonal Baptistry of Parma has 3 Romanesque style arched portals above which are 4 loggias topped by a row of blind arches that hide the internal dome. Just above eye height a zoophorus, a decorated frieze, runs around the whole building with sculpted panels of mythical animals, centaurs, and mermaids. The meanings of most of these creatures have been lost to us but a hint of their meaning to Medieval people can be see in the Bestiaries, books that describe and define these mythical beings. The Lunettes of the portals are sculpted with religious scenes. Looking out towards the Duomo is the Portal of the Virgin with Child which was the main ceremonial entrance used by the Bishop of Parma into the Baptistry. At the centre of the lunette sits the Virgin Mary with Christ as a child sitting on her knee giving a blessing. Below her is a wave of sculpted stone which represents water and baptism. The frieze of the portal is dated 1196 and is engraved with an inscription that states that Benedictus was the sculptor. The lunette of the West Portal was also sculpted by Benedictus Antelami. At its centre is Christ Pantocrator giving his blessing. The panel is designed to show Christ as redeemer and to his left are angels and to his right is the instrument of redemption, the Cross topped by a crown of thorns. The inside of the Baptistry of Palma is covered in medieval paintings. The style of the frescoes varies from Romanesque to a hint of early Gothic. The ceiling is made up of 16 triangular panels that rise from the octagonal walls to a centre point. The style of the ceiling are rooted in the Byzantine Eastern Roman tradition that dominates much of Romanesque painting. Add photos of Parma Baptistry Italy Romanesque art to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/romanesque-art-antiquities.html . Type- Parma - into the LOWER SEARCH WITHIN GALLERY box.

Rab Island pictures and photos of Rab Croatia. See pictures & images of Rab landmarks. Buy stock photos, photo art prints, cards & posters. Rab is an island in Croatia and a town of the same name located just off the northern Croatian coast in the Adriatic Sea. The island is 22 km long, has an area of 93.6 km2 and 9,480 inhabitants (2001). The highest peak is Kamenjak at 408 meters. The northeastern side of the island is mostly barren, karst, while the southwestern side is covered by one of the last oak forests of the Mediterranean. Rab is a sleepy island that only wakes up when the tourists arrive in the summer. Rab town is a pretty town that sits high on cliffs overlooking its port below. Its many churches and monasteries can be seen by the many bell towers that give the sky line of Rab a distinctive look. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

Images, pictures & photos of the late medieval Raglan Castle. Welsh, Castle Rhaglan), built by Sir William Thomas in the mid 1400’s in Monmouthshire, Wales. Raglan Castle was built as an impressive fortification by by Sir William Thomas. In the 15th and 17th centuries the castle was completed to become a luxurious fortified castle. The use of hexagonal towers at Raglan have created a picturesque castle with an impressive keep, known as the Great Tower or the Yellow Tower of Gwent, surrounded by a sunken moat. The keep joins the extensive main castle building with its hexagonal towers. Even in its ruined state Raglan Castle is impressive and it can be seen that the rooms of the castle would have been well proportioned, airy and luxurious. Raglan Castle was built to impress and the design of its octagonal towers were probably imitate those of Caernarvon Castle. The end result created the "last formidable displays of medieval defensive architecture” according to historian Anthony Emery. Raglan Castle was one of the last castles of this style due to the emergence of the cannon, which rendered the high fortifications at Raglan redundant. This was proved during the English Civil War when the castle was taken by Parliamentary forces and slighted and its defences were taken down to put it out of action. During the restoration the Somerset family, who owned Raglan Castle, did not restore it and the castle became a source of building material and declined into the romantic ruin we see today. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints. RELATED LINKS Visit our WALES HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse or download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Images-of-Wales-Welsh-Historic-Places-Pictures-Photos/C0000UEicBhu1tQM . Visit our MEDIEVAL PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Medieval-Middle-Ages-Historic-Places-Arcaeological-Sites-Pictures-Images-of/C0000B5ZA54_WD0s

Pictures images photos of Rievaulx Abbey was a Cistercian abbey in Rievaulx, situated near Helmsley in the North York Moors National Park, North Yorkshire, England. Rievaulx Abbey was the first Cistercian monastery in the north of England, founded in 1132 by twelve monks from Clairvaux Abbey. Its remote location was well suited to the order's ideal of a strict life of prayer and self-sufficiency with little contact with the outside world. The abbey lies in a wooded dale by the River Rye, sheltered by hills. By the 15th century the Cistercian practices of strict observance according to the Rule of Saint Benedict had been abandoned in favour of a more comfortable lifestyle. The monks were permitted to eat meat, and more private living accommodation was created for them, and the abbot had a substantial private household in what had once been the infirmary. At the time of its dissolution in 1538, the abbey was said to consist of 72 buildings occupied by the abbot and 21 monks, with 102 lay employees, and an income of £351 a year. The abbey owned a prototype blast furnace at Laskill, producing cast iron as efficiently as a modern blast furnace. Add photos of Rievaulx Abbey to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (type Rievaulx Abbey into lower search box)

Pictures, images and photos of Rhodes city on the Island of Rhodes (Rodos) , Greece. Rhodes is an ancient settlement of the Dodecanese islands and has been settled since pre history. Today the medieval city is dominated by the Palace of the Grand Master whose medieval battlements look more like a town in northern Europe than in Greece. This was built by the Knights Hospitallers who founded a hospital in Jerusalem in 1023 to care for sick and injured pilgrims to the Holy Land. After the First Crusade in 1099 the order became a religious military order and following the fall of the Holy Land to the Muslim forces in the 13th century the Knights Hospitalers set up their headquarters in Rhodes. After the Knights Templar were dissolved in 1312 the Hospitallers were given their property and the holdings in Rhodes were organised into Priories of eight languages one each in Crown of Aragon, Auvergne, Castile, England, France, Germany, Italy, and Provence. Each of these was organised under a Grand Prior who inturn were under the Grand Master. As well as caring for the sick and as military knights The Hospitallers acted as a banking system for merchants from the west. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453 Sultan Mehmed II made the knights a priority target. It wasn't until 1522 though that a force of 200,00 men under Suleiman the Magnificent forced the 7,000 men at arms of the Hospitalers to abandon Rhodes and retreat to Sicily. The medieval city of Rhodes is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site and under the Italian rule of Mussolini the Palace of the Grand Master was renovated as a retreat for himself and King Victor Emmanuel. The city has a Jewish quarter with a memorial to the Jews that lived there and died under fascist repression. There is also a Turkish quarter with mosques and the old shops of the Bazaar selling tourist trinkets. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

Picture photos image of the medieval moated castle of Rocca Sanvitale, Fontanello, Italy Situated near Palma in the Po Valley of northern Italy is the town of Fontanello. The centre of the town is dominated by the moated Rocca Sanvitale, or Sanvitale Castle. The foundations of the castle are late medieval 13th century but most of the style of the building is that of 15th century early Renaissance. In this period in Northern Italy, the Po Valley was covered in small principality and Dukedoms that were constantly at war with each other and its citizens. One way to protect ruling families was to build moated castles inside towns. Examples of this can be seen in Ferrara and our pictures show Rocca Sanvitale in Fontanello is typical proto type of the medieval urban castle dwelling of the period. In the middle ages the Rocca Sanvitale moat would have offered protection to those in the castle as well a source of fish for the ‘lean days’ when Roman Catholicism banned the consumption of meat. The need for house castles demonstrate the precariousness of being a ruling Noble in medieval Italy. The strong fortifications of Rocca Sanvitale show that the rulers of Fontanello were in danger from the other noble families of Fontanello as well as attacks from neighbouring Castles. Add photos of Rocca Sanvitale Castle, Fontanello to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/rocca-sanvitale.html USEFUL LINKS: For more details on entrance times to Rocca Sanvitale museum please visit: http://www.fontanellato.org

Images, pictures & photos of Rhuddlan Castle Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, Wales Rhuddlan Castle built in 1277 for Edward 1st next to the River Clwyd as part of the consolidation of his rule of Wales. Unusually the castle is built in a diamond design and its distinctive twin round tower gatehouse overlooks the river. To allow the castle to be provisioned by ship during a siege, the river was straightened and dredged and a fortified river gate was built. Rhuddlan Castle was built on a defensive site used by Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (1007 -1063), the last ruler of all Wales.In the late 11th century the normans invaded Wales and built a castle just south of the present Rhuddlan Castle site. After the outbreak of the Welsh Wars in July 1277, Edward I ordered the construction of Rhuddlan Castle. Work under the control of Master Bertram, a Gascon engineer, began immediately. Building was continued until 1282 by Savoyard master mason, James of St George. Rhuddlan Castle remained in use until after the end of the English Civil Wars after which it was partially destroyed to prevent it being used again. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints. RELATED LINKS Visit our WALES HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse or download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Images-of-Wales-Welsh-Historic-Places-Pictures-Photos/C0000UEicBhu1tQM . Visit our MEDIEVAL PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Medieval-Middle-Ages-Historic-Places-Arcaeological-Sites-Pictures-Images-of/C0000B5ZA54_WD0s

Picture photos image of the Cathedral Of Transfiguration, Medieval Georgian Orthodox, 7-9th century, Ruisi, Georgia. Ruisi Cathedral Of Transfiguration is typical of early medieval Georgian church architecture, built by King Vakhtang Gorgasali as a typical Georgian cruciform & cupola church. Ruisi Cathedral Of Transfiguration is approached through the medieval fortified gate. Originally the cathedral would have been surrounded by the now largely ruined fortification walls. Ruisi was an important medieval fortress and political centre. In 1072 King George II was crowned in Ruisi Cathedral Of Transfiguration as King of Karti. Download picture & image of the Cathedral Of Transfiguration, or buy as photo art prints on line. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Pictures images photos of the Romanesque Pomposa Abbey and its early Renaissance frescoes. Pomposa Abbey near Ferrara, Italy, is a Romanesque Benedictine Abbey dating from 874. Pomposa was one of the most important Abbey’s in northern Italy and was renown for its library which held an important collection of Carolingian manuscripts. The Abbey church is dedicated to Saint Mary and is a Romanesque triple nave Ravenna style basilica with wooden rafters. The frescoes that can be seen today in the churches interior were painted by Vitale de Bologna and his assistance in the 14th century. These early Renaissance frescoes depict scenes from the life of Christ. In the Apse, above the altar, is a Byzantine style fresco of Christ Pantocrator in which Christ is revealed in an oval mandorla, which is used in Byzantine art to depict a moment that transcends time and space such as the resurrection. The fresco panels either side of the Aisle depict scenes from the nativity and the life of Jesus Christ in a lively colourful style. The greco panels are full of life and movement and each story is depicted with a simple clarity. The campanile of Pomposa was begun in 1063 and stands at 48m high. It is one of the finest Romanesque bell towers from this period left standing. Add photos of Pomposa Abbey Italy to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/pomposa-abbbey.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomposa_Abbey

Picture and image of the interior frescoes and exterior of the Tuscan Romanesque Pisan style basilica of Santissima Trinita di Saccargia, consecrated 1116, Codrongianos, Sardinia. The Basilica di Saccargia by the Camaldolensian Order of monks during the 12th century following a donation by King Constantine I of Torres. The basilica of Santissima Trinita di Saccargia is the most important Romanesque Pisan style church in Sardinia and our pictures in our image galleries show that it is well preserved and maintained. The Basilica of Santissima is the only building that remains of a larger monastery complex on the site. Built from alternating layers of dark basalt and white limestone, the Basilica of Santissima is a striking building from the outside with and the architectural style of its campanile and apse are typical of the Tuscan style. The front portico has a cow motif carved into its left capital as show in our picture gallery, and this may have led to the name ‘Saccargia’ used to describe the church. Its source may be ‘Sa Vacca Arza’ the Sardinian phrase that translates as ‘Cow with spotted hide’. Others believe that the name of the Basilica comes from the Phoenician ‘sachar’ which means ‘closed place’. The Tuscan style campanile stands at 40 meters high. The church is laid out as a latin cross and its central Apse is longer than the side Aisles leads to a Romanesque Aspe that is decorated with Byzantine style frescoes. In our picture gallery the depiction of Christ Pantocrator can be seen in the central apse. Christ sits in majesty revealed in a mondorla, and upright eye shape that allows us to see him in heaven. Below Christ Pantocrator are the Byzantine style frescoes of the Apostles and Mary. In another register are scenes of Christ's Passion with a central Calvary crucifixion. Our picture galleries give a complete set of images of the interior and exterior of this beautiful basilica. Download pictures and images of the basilica of Santissima Trinita di Saccargia as stock photos or buy photo art prints on line. To check out visiting times and location please visit the following web site: https://www.sardegnaturismo.it/en/explore/santissima-trinita-di-saccargia

The Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo was originally constructed as an Arian church by Theodoric the Great in the late 6th century. In 561 AD Emperor Justinian I reconsecrated the church as a Catholic Christian church and it is from this date that most of the Byzantine Roman mosaics date. Running along one side of the aisle is a continuous mosaics of a procession of 22 Virgins led by the Three Magi towards the Madonna and Child surrounded by four angels. This mosaic is beautiful in its simplicity and the procession points towards the Apse of the church where the altar was. On the opposite side of the Aisle is another continuous mosaic depicting a procession of the 26 Martyrs led by Saint Martin and including Saint Apollinaris moving towards Christ on his throne. Download Royalty Free stock photos of the mosaics of The Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo or buy as photo wall art prints on line.

Pictures photos images of the medieval Sapara Monastery Georgian Orthodox monastery church of St Saba, 13th century, Akhaltsikhe, Georgia. Sapara Monastery complex is one of the oldest and greatest monastic ensembles in Georgia. Founded in the 9th century Sapara Monastery can boast of having had many important Georgian monks amongst its members. Today, the main building of Sapara Monastery complex is the church of St Saba built during the 13th century. At that time the Jakeli family ruled over the area and were adept at being on good terms with their Mongol over lords. This gave the region a stability that allowed Sapara Monastery to flourish. Technically St Saba church was built to extremely high standards by skilled craftsmen. The outside of the church is lined with warm coloured stone that has remained in perfect condition for over 800 years. The stone work on the exterior of St Saba shows that the very best stone masons were employed to bulid the church. Fine examples of Georgian geometric bas relief sculpture can be seen around the cupola windows which was built following the classic Georgian style as a cylindrical drum with tall slender windows in it. The chapel next to St Saba has fine examples of medieval Georgian inscriptions cut into the stone. The inside of St Saba would have originally been completely painted with fine frescoes. Today these are badly damaged and only a few fragments remain. On the inside of the cupola roof is a fresco of Christ Pantocrator. At the beginning of 17th century the Ottoman Empire expanded looting and closing monasteries. To avoid this fate the monks of Sapara Monastery abandoned the complex taking the monasteries treasures with them. Download pictures & images of the medieval Sapara Monastery or buy as photo art prints on line. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Pictures photos images of the Georgian Eastern Orthodox Samtavro Transfiguration Church and Nunnery of St. Nino in Mtskheta, Georgia. A UNESCO World Heritage Site. The small domed church of the Samtavro Monastery was originally built in the 4th century and has since been subject to various restorations. The main church of the monastery was built in the early 11th century. It contains the grave of Mirian III, the king of Iberia who established Christianity as official religion in Georgia. The first Christian monarchs, King Mirian and Queen Nana are buried here. The Samtavro Orthodox Transfiguration Church was built in the 1030-1040s in classic Georgian architectural style with straight sided cupola topped by a simple sloping roof. The exterior has many fine geometric bas relief sculptures. Eastwards of the Church there is a small early medieval church of St. Nino. The historic church of Samtavro Monastery, are outstanding examples of Georgian medieval ecclesiastical architecture in the Caucasus region, and represent different phases of the development of this building typology, ranging from the 4th to the 18th centuries. Samtavro convent, together with other historical monuments of Mtskheta has been inscribed upon the World Heritage List of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage since 1994. Download pictures & images of the Georgian Eastern Orthodox Samtavro Transfiguration Church and Nunnery of St. Nino in Mtskheta, or buy as photo art prints on line. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Pictures photos images of Samtavisi Georgian Orthodox Cathedral, 11th century, Shida Karti Region, Georgia (country). Samtavisi Cathedral is a large building situated on the banks of the Lekhura River 11 km from Kaspi. A monastery was founded on the site Samtavisi Cathedral occupies in 572 by Isidore, one of the thirteen Assyrian missionary monks who spread Christianity throughout Georgia. A Basilica style church was built to be replaced with the present cathedral building in the 10-11th century. Samtavisi Cathedral was designed by the architect Hilarion and is laid out in a cruciform shape with high walls rising to a central cylindrical drum shaped cupola that is topped by a pitched sloping roof. Its architectural style is typical of churches built during the 10th and 11the centuries, a period known as the “Georgian Golden Age” when Georgia was governed by a stable monachy. The exterior of Samtavisi Cathedral has fine bas relief sculptures and mouldings around its blind arches. The interior has 17th century fresco remains which are sadly are badly damaged. The 17th century wall still stands in places around Samtavisi Cathedral as does its bell tower which also serves as the entrance to the Cathedral grounds. Download pictures & images of Samtavisi Georgian Orthodox Cathedral, or buy as photo art prints on line Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Pictures photos images of the Svetitskhoveli Georgian Eastern Orthodox Cathedral (Cathedral of the Living Pillar) , Mtskheta, Georgia (country). A UNESCO World Heritage Site. Svetitskhoveli Cathedral was originally built in the 4th century during the reign of Mirian III of Kartli (Iberia). In 1029 the Georgian architect Arsukisdze deigned the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral that stands today despite being subject to earthquake damage, as well as being sacked by Timur (Tamerlane) and in the 20th century by Soviet Russian subjugation of Georgia who whitewashed over and removed frescoes from inside the Cathedral. Today the surviving medieval artworks and frescoes of Svetitskhoveli Cathedral have been restored. A medieval Ciborium covered in frescoes is supposed to house the robe of Jesus is said to have been buried in. The story goes that in the 1st century AD a Georgian Jew from Mtskheta named Elias was in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified. Elias bought Jesus’ robe from a Roman soldier at Golgotha and brought it back to Georgia. Returning to his native city, he was met by his sister Sidonia who upon touching the robe immediately died from the emotions engendered by the sacred object. The robe could not be removed from her grasp, so she was buried with it.[4] The place where Sidonia is buried with Christ's robe is preserved in the Cathedral. On the south side there is a small stone church built into the Cathedral. This is a symbolic copy of the Chapel of Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Built between the end of the 13th and the beginning the 14th centuries, it was erected here to mark Svetitskhoveli as the second most sacred place in the world (after the church of Jerusalem), thanks to Christ’s robe. The cathedral interior walls were once fully adorned with medieval frescoes, but many of them did not survive. In the 1830s, when Emperor Nicholas I was scheduled to visit Mskheta, Russian authorities razed the galleries and whitewashed timeless frescoes as part of an effort to give the cathedral a "tidier look"; in the end the Czar never even came. Today, after much careful restoration, some frescoes survive, including a 13th-century depiction of the "Beast of the Apocalypse" and figures of the Zodiac. Download Pictures & images of the Svetitskhoveli Georgian Eastern Orthodox Cathedral or buy as photo art prints. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Pictures images photos of The Basilica of San Apollinaire in Classe in Ravenna Italy, was consecrated in 549 AD by Bishop Maximian. The church was dedicated to Saint Apollinaris of Ravenna who was martyred during the purges of either Emperor Vespasian or Nero. The beautiful Byzantine Roman mosaics of the Basilica of Sant' Apollinaire in Classe are incredibly simple with depictions of Saint Apollinaris and sheep against a green background. The Apse mosaics has a simple cross at its centre below which stands Saint Apollinaris with a flock of sheep on either side making a procession towards him. The metaphor of the sheep has long been a symbol of Christian devotees. The Crucifix has no depiction of Christ being crucified on it and is made up of gold mosaic sitting in a circle filled with gold stars against a blue background. (updated 2021) Add photos of the mosaics of San Apollinaire in Classe in Ravenna to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page athttps://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/san-apollinaire-classe-ravenna.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Sant%27Apollinare_in_Classe Visit our BYZANTINE MOSAIC PHOTO COLLECTION for more photos to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery/Byzantine-Eastern-Roman-Style-Mosaics-Pictures-Images/G0000NvKCna.AoH4/3/C0000YpKXiAHnG2k

Pictures of the Gothic mural paintings of the church of St. Anthony the Abbott (Chiesa di Sant'Antonio Abate), Pelugo, Italy. The charming small Gothic church of San Antonio Abate at Pelugo dates from the 9th century. The catholic church had a tradition of fresco paintings on their churches and cathedrals which were intended to be a “Biblia pauperum” or a poor mans Bible in pictures that would educate the illiterate masses of the era. The frescoes on the church of Pelugo were started in 1474 with the accomplished fresco of St. Anthony the Abbott above the main entrance, the painting being signed and dated. The fresco was painted by Cristoforo I Baschenis whose family were well known in the area as travelling painters. It is a schematic work with bright red and orange tones. St. Antonio is seated on a throne with his canonical pastoral symbols of a small bell and a piglet. Originating from Bergamo the Baschenises were responsible for paintings on many of the churches in their valley as well as the valleys of the western Trentino. After the first painting by Cristoforo Baschenis others were undertaken on the facade of the church by Antonio Baschenis, Dionisio Baschenis, Christoforo II Baschenis and Filipo I Baschenis. On the facade is a painting of the Madonna and child ( Madonna con il Bambino ) which is attributed to Antonio Baschenis. On the South wall of the church is a great cycle of paintings that traces the life of San Antonio Abate. There are 30 paintings of which the best preserved are those of the top register that have been protected by the wide eves of the building. These paintings are attributed to Dionisio Baschenis and were probably painted around 1493. The style of these paintings is simple and direct so as not to confuse the evangelical message that they were intended to impart. Add photos of Chiesa di Sant'Antonio Abate, Pelugo to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/san-antonio-abate-pelugo.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiesa_di_Sant%27Antonio_Abate_(Pelugo) Visit our ITALY PHOTO COLLECTION for more photos of Italy to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/2b-Pictures-Images-of-Italy-Photos-of-Italian-Historic-Landmark-Sites/C0000qxA2zGFjd_k

High amongst the central Spanish Pyrenees mountains of the Alta Ribagorca in the Vall de Boi nestles the village of Taull. In the winter this has become a small ski resort but for hundreds of years the community that lives and farmed these mountains were left along guarded from the outside world by their remoteness. In this time warp Christianity developed churches following the Romanesque style which was typical of the 7th century to the 12th century when the style evolved into the Gothic. It was not until 1907 during a Pyrenean expedition by the Institut d’Estudis Catalan (Institute of Catalan Studies) that their art treasures were discovered. After their finding were published in a book foreign museums and collectors started to buy the Romanesque art of the Pyrenees so in 1919-23 the National Art Museum of Catalonia was able to successfully intervene in order to rescue the frescoes of Sant Clement de Taull and what was left of the churches interior is now housed in the museum in Barcelona. One of the best examples of these Romanesque church of Sant Clement de Taull, the largest in the Val de Boi, its characteristic Lombard architecture and interior decoration make it the symbol of Catalan Romanesque architecture. Its most imposing feature is its bell tower: it is square in plan and soars from a simulated solid base to six storeys.. The church is a basilica plan structure, that has three naves (each of them with a terminal apse), and large columns separating the side naves. The frescoes are characteristic of Catalan Romanesque which are influenced by Byzantine Roman Iconography conventions. In the apse above the altar is a fresco the Theophany which consist of Christ In Majesty or Pantocrator surrounded by and upright eye shaped mandorla around which are frescoes of the four tetramorphs or the four evangelists, Mathew depicted as a man, Mark as a lion, Luke as a Bull and John as an Eagle. Below this are frescoes of the Apostles of the Virgin Mary and the Apostles. In front of this are two triumphal arches. At the top of the first is a fresco of the “hand of God” (Dextra Domina) and at the top of the second is a fresco of the “Lamb of God (Agnus Dei). The Agnus Dei is a mystic lamb that is presented as having seven eyes and holds a book. On the left side of the same arc, there are scenes of Lazarus, who expresses grief while a dog licks his wounds at the door of a rich man. The columns are made of amalgamated stone, which support the arcades and the roof of the church has wooden beams. The first column on the north side of the church near the apse, was found to have the inscription of the consecration of the church. This document is painted with white letters on red and black background and is now preserved in the National Museum of Catalan Art. Church of Sant Clement de Taull is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our photos and pictures can be bought as stock photos or photo art prints on line.

Pictures of the Cathedral of St Domnius, Split, Croatia. The oldest element of the Cathedral of St Domnius in Split is the Mausoleum of Diocletian which is Roman and dates back to the 3rd century AD. Split was originally built as the retirement palace of Emperor Diocletian and his pagan mausoleum was built as his last resting place. Once the official religion of the Roman Empire became Christianity Diocletian's bones were removed, as retribution for his purges against Christians, and the building became a Christian place of worship. In the 11th century a Romanesque Bell tower was added to the mausoleum. Later the Cathedral of St Domnius was extensively remodelled on the inside several times and a Choir was added. Little remains of the original Romanesque interior but some statues and relief sculptures remain. Download pictures of St Domnius, Split, Croatia as stock photos or buy as photo wall art on line

Pictures images photos of the Romanesque Basilica of San Frediano Lucca, Tuscany, Italy. Pictures of the Romanesque Basilica of San Frediano Lucca, Tuscany, Italy. By the 6th century Christianity in Italy was in turmoil. Ostrogoths and Lombards had conquered much of the north of Italy and introduced Arian Christianity in opposition to the Roman Catholic Christianity. Missionaries from the Celtic Christian Church of Ireland were sent to convert the Italians, one of which was Fridianus who became Bishop of Lucca. During his episcopate, Lucca was attacked by the Lombards and the Cathedral of Lucca was burnt down. Fridianus had a church built on the spot of the present basilica, dedicated to St. Vincent, a martyr from Zaragoza, Spain. When Fridianus was buried in this church, the church was renamed San Frediano in his honour. The Romanesque Basilica of San Frediano Lucca we see today was built from 1112 and consecrated in 1147 by Pope Eugene III. In the 13th century A huge mosaic panel was added to the facade of the church which was decorated with mosaics depicting Christ Pantocrator above the Apostles. The mosaic was made in an Eastern Roman Byzantine style by Berlinghiero Berlinghieri of Lucca. The mosaic depicts Christ sitting in a Mondorla, eye, giving his blessing. His throne is supported by an angel flying on either side. Below are the apostle standing in a row looking up at Christ. In typical Roman Byzantine style the figures are set against a gold background. The influential power of Roman Byzantine art is often overlooked due to the division between the Roman Church and Eastern Orthodox Church. Byzantine Constantinople was the envy of all Christendom in the Middle ages and its art was the benchmark for all great art of the time. Roman Byzantine mosaics are found in many important Italian Romanesque churches such as in the apse of the Duomo of Pisa, San Miniato in Florence and St John Laterine in Rome. The exterior Byzantine mosaic panel of San Frediano Lucca is a more unusual Romanesque architectural feature. Later mosaic panels are found on the Cathedrals of Sienna and Orvieto and maybe these were inspired by The Romanesque Byzantine mosaic on the Basilica of San Frediano Lucca. Add photos of Basilica of San Frediano Lucca, Ferrara Italy to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/lucca.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_San_Frediano Visit our BYZANTINE MOSAIC PHOTO COLLECTION for more photos to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery/Byzantine-Eastern-Roman-Style-Mosaics-Pictures-Images/G0000NvKCna.AoH4/3/C0000YpKXiAHnG2k

Pictures, photo & images of San Gimignano, Tuscany, Scilly. Ever wondered what Manhattan would have looked like if it was built 800 years ago. Well a look at the curious towers of San Gimignano will give some idea of what a medieval Manhattan would have looked like. On close inspection it can be seen that the simple square towers of San Gimignano have little or no practical purpose. It was certainly possible to stand at the top of the towers and shout abuse at the neighbouring feuding family, but the towers have little other purpose. The towers have no rooms, no architectural finesse and are simply bombastic expressions of power. The ruling Council of San Gimignano put a height barrier on the towers banning any taller than the tower of the town hall. Frustrated one family built 2 towers next to each other to show their prowess. Many of the towers of San Gimignano and other Tuscan towns were not structurally sound and tumbled to the ground. Other towers had to be taken down before they fell but there are still enough towers left to turn the skyline of San Gimignano into a very strange and unique sight. Add photos of San Gimignano Italy to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/sangimignano.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Gimignano

San Joan de Boi is an important Romanesque church, now a museum, situated in the narrow Vall de Boí in the high Pyrenees, in the Alta Ribagorca region surrounded by steep mountains. Each village in the valley contains a Romanesque church, and is surrounded by a pattern of enclosed fields. The churches of the Vall de Boí are an especially pure and consistent example of Romanesque art in a virtually untouched rural setting. The group of churches is a remarkable example of an important constructional style in human history, like that of Romanesque art, to which it contributes characteristics that are appropriate to both its religious and its secular aspects. The Arab invasion of the Iberian Peninsula never penetrated the valleys, but they were exposed around the beginning of the 2nd millennium to cultural influences, brought there by merchants, by itinerant monks and by Christian pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem and Santiago de Compostela. In the 11th century new cultural styles were brought into Catalonia from Italy, particularly Lombardy. This new cultural movement was late in reaching the remote Vall de Boí. Dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, the building is located in the rock where the castle once stood Boi . It consists of three naves separated by arches , which correspond three apses cul- de-four at the bedside . The central apse has undergone changes in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries , when the expansion of the village . The gabled roof is made of a wooden frame covered with slate. To the south is a twelfth- century Romanesque bell tower decorated with Lombard arches . The paintings preserved San Juan de Boi revealed a very original and icongrafic program. There stands a festive scene with jugglers and acrobats, which surprised a religious context but perhaps alludes to the celebrations associated with the consecration of the temple. There is also an extensive series devoted to the saints, it belongs to the well-known fragment of the stoning of St. Stephen, as well as a magnificent beasts intradoses located in the arches separating the ships, one of the largest and unique of all the Catalan Romanesque . Most of the paintings were taken in to the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona in 1919 using a technique known as the " strappo " because it was feared that these paintings - like many others in the Spanish Pyrenees - would be sold and shipped to abroad. Today the St. Joan de Boi has a copies of the original Romanesque frescoes which allows visitors to appreciate how the interior space would have been filled with vibrant Romanesque liturgical art. San Joan de Boi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Photos of St Joan de Boi can be downloaded or bought as photo art prints on line from this photo gallery.

Images, pictures & photos of the Church of St Cuthbert, Wells, Somerset, England . The church of St Cuthbert’s is a Perpendicular Gothic church with a 15th century carved and painted angel ceiling. Its tower is typical of a group of local Somerset towers soaring vertically in one piece devoid of the usual stages of Gothic towers. The interior of St Cuthbert’s was designed to reflect the wealth of the merchants of Wells and to rival the nearby magnificent Cathedral of Wells. The roof is the showpiece of Wells with angels adorning its painted wooden ceiling. The angels are not put there to glorify God though. The heraldic shields the Angels hold glorify the merchants of Wells who had the money to pay for their immortality in the ceiling of St Cuthbert’s. In 1963 the then Vicar's wife, Mrs Barnett, organised the re painting of the naives wooden ceiling. The somewhat gaudy effect gives some idea of the impact that medieval churches in England would have had when all their interiors would have been painted. Add photos of St Cuthbert's Wells to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (type St Cuthberts Wells into lower search box) USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Cuthbert%27s_Church,_Wells

Pictures and photos of Saint Denis Cathedral, Paris France. Apart from being the Royal Necropolis for 800 years, with only 3 of the monarchs not being buried in Saint Denis between 1000 and 1789, the Basilica is also the prototype of all the great Gothic churches that sprung up throughout northern Europe. The body of Saint Denis was buried in the Greco Roman cemetery, along with the bodies of Saint Eleutherius and Rusticus, on which the Basilica of Saint Denis is now built. The burial ground became an important pilgrimage site and in 475 St Genevieve purchased the land and built a Church there which developed into a monastery. In the 7th century King Dagobert I built a Basilica with a shrine to house Saint Denis relics and in the 12th century Abbot Suger started building the present Gothic Basilica. In 751 the Merovingian Pepin the Short was anointed as king in the Monastery and from the death of Hugues Capet in the 10th century the Basilica became the resting palace of the French Kings and Royal families. On entering the building visitors are confronted with the full theatre of the later high Gothic style. The second part of the older Carolingian church to be replaced by Abbot Suger was the Choir in 1140-44. Here the full potential of the Gothic is realized with high columns that soar upwards to a stone vaulted ceiling. The Naive was the last part of the church to be developed by Abbott Odo in 1231. By this time the Basilica was recognized as the French Necropolis and utilises the full potential of the Gothic in a flamboyant or Rayonnant style that uses intricate stone tracery to enhance the decorations around the windows and columns. The great Rose window of the North Transept depicts “Creation”. Its intricate design is a wonder of medieval Gothic architecture showing the extraordinary height the skills of the medieval masons had reached. The naive, choir, side aisles and crypt are filled with the tombs of the French Royal houses from Pepin the Short to Louis XVI and Mary Antoinette. Medieval Europe may have been a dangerous ruthless place to live but it was not, as is commonly believed, without high art. Saint Denis, along with the other great medieval monumental buildings, is proof of the incredible skills and sense of adventure that man possessed especially when it came to venerating the glory of God. On entering The Basilica of Saint Denis the average medieval man, coming from his wooden thatched house, must have thought he was entering Heaven, it still fells like that 1000 years later. Add photos of St Denis Basilica to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (scroll down and type St Denis into lower search box) USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Saint-Denis#Kings St Denis Basilica Home Page http://www.saint-denis-basilique.fr/en/Explore/History-of-the-monument

(updated 2021) Photos images pictures of the Abbey of Saint Martin-du-Canigou in the Pyrenees, Orientales department, France. Perched high on a rocky pinnacle on Mt Canigou sits the remote Benedictine Abbey of Saint Martin-du-Canigou. It was built between 1005 and 1009 by Guifred II, Count of Cerdanya as a penance for the murder of his son. The count died at the monastery in 1051.The Abbey of Saint Martin-du-Canigou was built in the First Romanesque style or Lombard Romanesque. The style originated in Catalonia and Lombardy in the South of France and is characterised by thick walls and lack of external ornamentation as well as the classic Romanesque rounded arch. The upper church of the Abbey of Saint Martin-du-Canigou was built between 1010-1020 and has three naves separated by monolithic columns. In 1428 the Abbey of Saint Martin-du-Canigou was damaged by an earthquake which led to much rebuilding of the Abbey but the church survived as an important example of Lombard Romanesque. The Abbey was an important centre of Christianity until 1779 when only five old monks remained in the Abbey. After Louis XVI secularised the monastery in 1783 it was abandoned and fell into disrepair. At the end of the 19th century Catalan culture was rediscovered and in 1902 on the back of this rebirth Monsignor Jules de Carsalade du Pont, Bishop of Perpignan-Elne started a major restoration of the ruined Abbey. After the French Revolution the Abbey had been bought by a property owner in the region who had used the stone from the Abbey in buildings elsewhere. Originally the cloisters had two levels, today only one remains. In 1952 the restoration was taken over by a Benedictine monk, Father Bernard de Chambannes, who lived and worked on the Abbey rebuilding for 40 years. In 1988 the of Saint Martin-du-Canigou was passed to the Community of Beatitudes who have a mission of prayer and spiritual touristic hospitality, many of whom spend several days retreat in the Abbey. The long steep walk to the Abbey is still a pilgrimage for tourists and the devout alike. The Abbey of Saint Martin-du-Canigou is still a place of peace and tranquility untouched by the bustle of the modern world. Add photos of Abbey of Saint Martin du Canigou to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (scroll down and type Canigou into lower search box) USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbey_of_Saint-Martin-du-Canigou Abbey Home Page https://stmartinducanigou.org/en

Images, pictures & photos of St Lythans burial chamber, near St Lythans, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. 51°26′33.11″N 3°17′41.68″W. The megalithic St Lythans burial chamber, in Welsh siambr gladdu Lythian Sant, part of a long Neolithic chambered long barrow built about 6000 years ago. St Lythans burial chamber is a Neolithic dolmen and was one of several chambers that was part of a large burial mound 27 metres (89 ft) long, 11 metres (36 ft) wide. Little is known about the ritual of burials in these Neolithic stone chambers but archaeologists have excavated many dolmen. Their excavations have shown that the stone chambers contained the bones of many different individuals. and often the bones were laid out with skulls together and larger bones in neat piles. The lack of small bones suggest that the bodes were left to decay or be eaten away from the burial chamber and then the bones were moved into the dolmen. Dolmen like St Lythans burial chamber were used for a time then sealed and another chamber built. In this way such Neolithic long barrows grew. The prices nature of the rituals held at these burial sites can never be precisely known but the effort which went into building them indicates that they were very important to the Neolithic Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints. RELATED LINKS Visit our WALES HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse or download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Images-of-Wales-Welsh-Historic-Places-Pictures-Photos/C0000UEicBhu1tQM . Visit our PREHISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Prehistoric-Neolithic-Sites-Art-Artefacts-Pictures-Photos/C0000tfxw63zrUT4

Pictures images photos of the Basilica of Saint Mark Venice (Basilica Cattedrale Patriarcale di San Marco), Italy. Saint Mark's Basilica stands at the end of the Piazza San Marco next to the Doges Palace in Venice. The opulence of its design and ornamentation stands as a testament to the ambitions and wealth of Venetian Republic. The lower facade of Saint Mark's Basilica is made up of medieval relief sculptures and columns looted from Constantinople by Doge Enrico Dandolo, who persuaded the 4th Crusade to take the city in 1204. On a balcony above the lower floor stand the four great bronze horses that were also looted from Constantinople. The upper facade is an intricate Venetian Gothic design with Byzantine style mosaics of Jesus Christ as well as the stealing of the precious Relics of Saint Mark which were brought from Alexandria in the pretext of saving them from the Muslim Arabs. The whole of the 8000 square meter interior of the Basilica is decorated with gold Byzantine ( eastern Roman ) style mosaics dating from the 11th century. In the apse above the main altar is a mosaic of Christ Patocrator an Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic theological conception showing the strong links that Venice enjoyed with the Eastern Roman Byzantine Empire in Constantinople. On the south west corner of Saint Mark's Basilica are the statues of the Tetrachs, also taken from Constantinople. The statues show the Eastern Roman Emperor Diolcetian embracing his Co Emperor of the West Maximian. Behind , also embracing, are the two Caesars who replaced the Emperors when Diocletian and Maximian took early retirement. The idea was supposed to eradicate the civil strife between waring rival candidates to become Emperor every time an old Emperor died. The plan did not work and after a long conflict Constantine became sole Emperor and moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople which 900 years later fell to the Venetians in 1204. Saint Mark's Basilica is a testament to medieval politics. Its interior shows the strong trading links reliance upon Byzantium. The looted Byzantine art on the facade of St Marks show the power that the Venetian Republic reached to take and sack Constantinople, which led to the ultimate fall of the Byzantine Roman Empire in 1453 to the Turks. Saint Mark's Basilica is a beautiful mix of western and eastern art and influences that come together to form a unique Christian building. Add photos of St Marks Basilica Venice to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/st-marks-basilica-venice.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mark%27s_Basilica

Pictures images photos of the Basilica Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Tuscania. The Basilica Church of Santa Maria Maggiore is a hybrid of Romanesque and early Gothic art. In 852 Pope Leo IV issued a Papal Bull to the Bishop of Tuscania, Urbano, to build a new church. The Basilica Church of Santa Maria Maggiore was duly built on the foundations of an earlier church which dated back to the 7th century. In the 12 century Santa Maria Maggiore was given a makeover with a new early gothic facade incorporating elements of the earlier Romanesque church. The main portal of the Basilica Church of Santa Maria Maggiore is probably rebuilt from an earlier Romanesque doorway. The Lunette which has sculptures in a Romanesque style is laid over a later lintel. In the centre is a sculpture of the Madonna with child making a blessing, to its left is a Bas relief of Abraham about to slaughter Isaac and to the right is the Lamb of God. The door pillars have sculptures of St Paul, left and St Peter, right. They are standing on Romanesque decorative panels. A line of simple pillars support simple archivolts that radiate in semi circles out to Romanesque carved pillars standing on lions. The left hand portal also shows signs of Romanesque Norman-Sicilian influences with decorative geometric archivolts. The Rose window comes from the early Gothic rebuild which saw the church reconsecrated on October 6th 1206. The Rose window of Santa Maria Maggiore is above a simple Loggia with Griffins at each end rather gruesomely holding decapitated heads. The interior has a fine 14th century fresco of the Last Judgement. Rather well preserved, it is attributed to Gregory and Donato D’Arezzo. Around the apse wall are earlier Byzantine style frescoes of the Apostles. The altar has a rare early Gothic stone canipe with frescoes on the inside of its roof. Add photos of Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Tuscania to the cart as royalty free download or prints. USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria_Maggiore,_Tuscania Visit our ITALY PHOTO COLLECTION for more photos of Italy to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/2b-Pictures-Images-of-Italy-Photos-of-Italian-Historic-Landmark-Sites/C0000qxA2zGFjd_k

Pictures images photos of the Romanesque Basilica San Michele in Foro, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy. San Michele in Foro was built in the 10th century in a square in Lucca that used to be the Roman Forum. San Michele was commissioned in 1070 by Pope Alexander II who was previouslyBishop of Lucca. The facade is built in the Pisan Tuscan style typical of Romanesque churches of the Period such as the Duomo of Lucca. The facade of San Michele in Foro is a beautiful example of Tuscan Romanesque design with high blind Romanesque arches reaching nearly half up the building on top of which are built four storey of open gallery arcades. The arcades of San Michele in Foro are composed of rounded arches supported on historiated sculpted or decorative columns. Between the galleries of arches are inlays of green marble against a white marble background depicting mythical animals, men hunting and exotic birds. The architrave of the galleries is decorated foliage sculpted in deep relief. The columns holding up of the arcades of the arcades of San Michele in Foro are all different. Some are sculpted with mythical animals that were much beloved by medieval sculptors some of which can be found in the Medieval Bestiaries. Other columns are inlayed with marble to make exuberant designs. The overall effect of the facade of the San Michele in Foro is of a fine example of vibrant three dimensional example of Pisan-Tuscan Romanesque architecture. The top two arcades of San Michele in Foro are narrower and stand above the roof height. On top of these galleries stands a Romanesque statue of San Michele sleighing a dragon. The exterior design of San Michele in Foro is typical of the local Pisan-Tuscan Romanesque architecture which is instantly recognised in the famous Leaning Tower and Duomo of nearby Pisa. Add photos of Basilica San Michele in Foro, Lucca to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/lucca.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Michele_in_Foro Visit our ITALY PHOTO COLLECTION for more photos of Italy to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/2b-Pictures-Images-of-Italy-Photos-of-Italian-Historic-Landmark-Sites/C0000qxA2zGFjd_k

Pictures images photos of the 8th century Romanesque Basilica church of St Peter, Tuscania, Lazio, Italy. Founded in the 8th century on an Etruscan acropolis on a hill overlooking Tuscania, the monumental complex of St. Peter was the cathedral of Tuscania until the 15th century. St Peter was rebuilt in the 11th century in a Romanesque style with a central naive and two side aisles. The protruding front of the facade of St Peter was built in the 13th century and the main portal was made by Romanesque masons with three receding archivolts resting on smooth columns with anthropomorphic capitals. The outer archivolt is decorated with inlaid mosaics and Bas relief sculptures of the signs of the zodiac and the works of the seasons. Above the main portal is a loggia and above that is a marble panel at the centre of which is a rose window. To the right side of the rose window is panel which represents Good. In it a relief sculpture of Atlas supporting a panel which has at its centre top the Lamb of God with angels on either side. On each side of the panel 4 of the Fathers of the Church are depicted. To the left of the Rose window is a panel which represents Evil and at the top and the bottom are three faced monsters with the side faces having branches with leaves coming out of their mouths. Four corner panels around the rose window have the symbols of the Four Evangelists. The floor of the Naive of St Peter has its original Lombard inlaid marble flooring made by the Lombard master craftsmen of the Cosmatesque association. On the walls of St Peter 12th century frescoes are still visible. In 648 AD Tuscania’s patron saints Secondiano, Veriano and Marcelliano were buried in the crypt of St Peter. Add photos of Basilica church of St Peter, Tuscania to the cart as royalty free download or prints. USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuscania Visit our ITALY PHOTO COLLECTION for more photos of Italy to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/2b-Pictures-Images-of-Italy-Photos-of-Italian-Historic-Landmark-Sites/C0000qxA2zGFjd_k

Images, pictures & photos of the Romanesque church and relief sculptures of St Peters Church Rowlstone (Rowlstone), Herefordshire, England. The two bay Romanesque Norman church of St Peters at Rowlstone has survived almost in tact. At the time of the Doomsday book it was recorded as belonging to Hug de Lacy. The relief sculptures over the south door and on the capital supporting the chancel arch are attributed to the Hereford School of Romanesque Stone masons. After much analysis of the ecclesiastical sculptures in Hereford Cathedral and surrounding churches, some unifying characteristics have led to the conclusion that a group of stonemason, possibly trained at the Cathedral together, undertook many projects in the region. Above the south door of St Peters Church is a Romanesque tympanum relief sculpture of Christ Pantocrator or Christ in Majesty. This design is typical of the prevailing iconography used in the eastern Roman Byzantine Empire. Christ is depicted in an oval mandorla which was used in the Byzantine Eastern Orthodox Church to represent a moment which transcends time and space, such as the Resurrection. The mayoral is being supported by flying angels. The ribbed clothing of Christ is typical of the Hereford School and the oriental style is typical of Byzantine art of the period. Rather strangely the angels only have four fingers. . The tympanum has a heavily rolled moulding above it which is typical of the eleventh century. outside this is a square sectioned chip carved eight pointed star stone moulding. This design is also found on the east arch of the presbytery of Hereford Cathedral. Inside is a Romanesque round headed chancel arch supported by carved capitals. The chancel arch also has rolled mousing with a star chipped outer moulding. The decorated capitals depict a bird in foliage and 2 angels on of which is carrying a book. On the right hand capital the angels are depicted upside down and it is though this alludes to the crucifixion of St. Peter, who the church is dedicated to. The style of the carving borrows heavily from Anglo-Saxon and Celtic designs as can be seen in the intricate patterns of the foliage around the bird. The amount of Romanesque sculpture that survives in Herefordshire is remarkable and even though the tympanum at St Peters was damaged either during the reformation or by Puritans, many of the sculptures have survived especially at nearby Kileck Church. Add photos of St Peters Church Rowlestone to cart as royalty free. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints. USEFUL LINKS Hereford Churches https://www.visitherefordshirechurches.co.uk/st-peters-rowlstone/

Pictures images photos of the church of San Miniato al Monte, Florence. San Miniato al Monte is dedicated to one of the first and only Florentine martyrs. Built in the 11th century the beautiful Romanesque church stands on a hill above the Arno River overlooking Florence. The facade of San Miniato church is built in the shape of a Romanesque basilica and is clad in geometric designs made up of white and green marble. In the centre of the facade is a Byzantine Roman style mosaic of Christ holding his hand up in a blessing and this design is repeated inside on apse of the church. Both mosaics are influenced and were probably made by Eastern Roman Byzantine craftsmen. The cushions that Christ sits on in both are Byzantine in style as are the decorations and the gold background he is depicted against. In the apse mosaic of San Miniato al Monte the throne Christ sits on is surrounded by the symbols of the four evangelists. The major difference between the Sn Miniato mosaics and tradition Byzantine mosaics is the form of the blessing. In the Eastern Church blessings are given with the fingers making up the shape of the Greek “Chi Rho” which are the letter of Jesus Christ in Greek. At the time San Miniato was built the western and Roman churches operated independently and were on the edge of conflict so Christ's arm is raise in blessing and he olds out two fingers which is the blessing used by Roman Catholics. The interior of San Miniato al Monte is a typical Romanesque basilica layout with a naive and two aisles. The Choir and alter are raised below a rounded apse. Below the main altar is a chapel. San Miniato al Monte is the church of an adjoining Olivetan Monastery which is still active. Formerly recognised in 1344 the Olivetan order is part of the Benedictine confederation and founded by Bernado Tolomei is dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Olivet. The Olivet monks are depicted in the Renaissance frescoes of the Sacristy depicting the life of Saint Benedict dating from 1387 and commissioned by Benedetto degli Alberti. Add photos of church of San Miniato al Monte, Florence to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/florence.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Miniato_al_Monte Visit our ITALY PHOTO COLLECTION for more photos of Italy to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/2b-Pictures-Images-of-Italy-Photos-of-Italian-Historic-Landmark-Sites/C0000qxA2zGFjd_k

Pictures photos images of St George Georgian Orthodox Church, Ushguli, Upper Svaneti, Georgia (country). One of the iconic views in Georgia is the tiny St George medieval Church “JGRag” set against the permanently snowy slopes of mount Shkhara (5193m). The small stone Georgian church of St George has a single naive leading to an apse at the eastern end. The church is surrounded by a wall with a stone house for the priest with its own Svaneti defensive tower house. St George Church, Ushguli, is situated at over at over 2,200 m (7217 ft) above sea level in the Caucasus mountains and is one of the the highest church with a full time priest in Europe. For 6 months of the year Ushguli is cut off from the rest of the world so the Church of St George serves only 200 residents who are snowed in for the winter. It is hard to image how Ushguli came to be built in such a remote and harsh environment, yet even harder to imagine how people survive permanently there. t is hardly surprising then that people who lived so close to nature would be superstitious and religious. Christianity became the official religion of Georgia in the 4th century making it the first Christian country in the world. Later Christianity was spread to the remote areas of Georgia by the missionaries Thirteen Syrian Fathers. In the remote areas like Ushguli pagan rituals were hard to destroy and even today pagan practises are still held by locals as can be seen by decapitated sheeps heads and rams horn crosses found in the area. Download pictures & images of St George Georgian Orthodox Church, Ushguli, Upper Svaneti, Georgia or buy as photo art prints on line. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Pictures photos images of St Giorgi (St George) Church, Samtsevrisi, Georgia (country). St Giorgi (St George) Church, Samtsevrisi is a perfect example of a Byzantine “Tree Cross” church with a horseshoe apse laid out as in the Greek Cross style. Built originally in the 7th century of stone St Giorgi (St George) Church stands on the edge of a bluff overlooking the Mtkvari River valley with Samtsevrisi cemetery nearby. In the 15th and 16th centuries the St Giorgi (St George) Church, Samtsevrisi was refurbished at the expense of Merab Tsisishvili, a Georgian noble family with several notable members from the 15th century through the 20th. On May 7th 1940 an earthquake of 6.5 magnitude hit the Imereti region killing 16 people, damaging St Giorgi (St George) Church, Samtsevrisi. Today the church has been repaired and its interior can be visited by asking its Orthodox priest, who lives in a bungalow on the way up the track to the church, for a key. No frescoes remain inside this charming church but when decorated with frescoes the space inside must have been intimate. Download Pictures and images of St Giorgi (St George) Church, Samtsevrisi, or buy as photo art prints on line. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Pictures photos images of The Monastery of St. Nino at Bodbe, a Georgian Orthodox monastic complex and the seat of the Bishops of Bodbe, Sighnaghi, Kakheti, Georgia. The nunnery of Bodbe is the burial place of St Nino, 338 AD, a female evangelist who converted Georgian queen, Nana, and eventually the pagan king Mirian III of Iberia, so coverting Georgia to Christianity circa 327 AD. Her grave at Bodbe has been a pilgimage site ever since. The monastery gained particular prominence in the late Middle Ages. It was particularly favored by the kings of Kakheti who made choice of the monastery as the place of their coronation. Pillaged by the troops of Shah Abbas I of Persia in 1615, the Bodbe monastery was restored by King Teimuraz I of Kakheti (r. 1605-1648). With the revival of monastic life in Bodbe, a theological school was opened. The monastery also operated one of the largest depositories of religious books in Georgia and was home to several religious writers and scribes. Download pictures & images of The Monastery of St. Nino at Bodbe, Georgia, or buy as photo art prints on line. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Pictures images photos of St Peters Spoletto. When the relics of the chains that held St Peter were brought to Spoleto in Italy in about 419 AD, Bishop Achilleo built a church to house them. So San Pietro extra moenia, Saint Peter’s outside the city walls, was built on a necropolis that was used to as a burial ground for the Bishops of Spoleto. In the Late 12th and early 13th century after battles between the rival factions the Guelphs and the Ghibellines had damaged the original church the church, San Pietro was rebuilt in the Romanesque style of the period. The facade of San Pietro was decorated with Romanesque Bas relief sculptures created by a single workshop of sculptors. The facade is a grid with horizontal cornices and vertical pilasters. In the long oblong panels these architectural features create are the relief sculptures. The representations in these panels are scenes from the scared texts including popular depictions of the Last Judgement, or Doom Day, as well as scenes from medieval folk law moral fables. The Romanesque sculptures of San Pietro extra moenia are restrained compared to the far more flamboyant Gothic style that replaced it. The simplicity of design of the facade is sophisticated and restrained and its messages are considered and well targeted. As typical of the Medieval period the scenes depict violent assaults upon men. The Last Judgement scene depicts devils dismembering sinners with their legs sticking out of a cooking children. Lions are represented evil on the relief panels of San Pietro they are depicted attacking men. According to the Medieval Bestiary Lionesses represent the sin of Pride hence the saying of the period “You have caught me because of my pride, like a lioness”. It was believed that Lions would only attack men, never women or children. The scenes depict men facing their own pride in the form of a Lion and being harried by the Lions “lest in security our minds become presumptuous and puffed up with pride”. Depictions of the Archangel Michael Killing the dragon and a deer killing a snake point to good winning over evil. The facade of the San Pietro extra moenia is a fine example of Italian Romanesque and has survived in remarkably good order. Add photos of San Pietro extra moenia Spoleto to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/pietro-extra-moenia-spoleto.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Pietro_extra_moenia,_Spoleto Visit our ITALY PHOTO COLLECTION for more photos of Italy to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/2b-Pictures-Images-of-Italy-Photos-of-Italian-Historic-Landmark-Sites/C0000qxA2zGFjd_k

Pictures images photos of the Church of San Vigilio in Pinzolo (Saint Vigilius of Trent) “Dance of Death” fresco ( Danza macabra ) by Simone II Baschenis. The Baschenis family were well known for the religious paintings they made in the Bergamo area. The Medieval preoccupation with the imminent arrival of the end of the earth and the second coming carried on into the Gothic and early Renaissance periods. The Roman Catholic church made great use of this fragility by selling the idea that sin would lead to long periods spent in purgatory where the deceased would be tortured to purge them from sins. The Popes then sold indulgences which lessened the time spent in purgatory for an individual before death of for departed members of families. It is against this backdrop that the painting of Simone II Baschenis should be viewed. The “Dance of Death” ( Danza macabra ) is a powerful visual reminder that death awaits for all of us. The Mural opens on its left with a skeleton on the throne, bearing a sceptre and the crown and playing a bagpipe. These skeletons are playing the music which is the backdrop to “Dance of Death” ( Danza macabra ) and suggests that they are playing with our fate on earth. The mural continues for another 21 meters with a long procession with 40 figures. To the right of the skeletons playing music is a depiction of the crucification. Christ is depicted on the cross with an arrow in him that has been fired by a skeleton with a bow. This suggests that because Christ was a man he suffered the fate of death as we all will. After Christ is a Pope also pierced by a spear, as are all the human figures in the mural. Next to the pope is a cardinal, a cleric and a monk all of whom have succumbed to the arrows of the skeletons. This tableau is a reminder to the hierarchy of the church that even they are not immune from death. The procession continues with a depiction of a king then nobility followed by knights and soldiers and a beggar man with no legs. Between each figure are skeletons holding bows and arrows, banners with writings on them or a shovel to dig a grave. After the beggar mad there are figures of women ending with a small skeleton and a cherub. To the far right a skeleton on a horse is riding into the procession holding a bow and arrow ready to far. To procession ends with the Angel Gabriel and the devil discussing the fates of the those in the procession as to whether they go to Heaven or to Purgatory and Hell. Add photos of San Vigilio in Pinzolo Dance of Death fresco to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/san-vigilio-pinzolo-dance-of-death.html USEFUL LINKS: Visit our MEDIEVAL ART PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Medieval-Middle-Ages-Art-Artefacts-Antiquities-Pictures-Images-of/C0000YpKXiAHnG2k

Pictures images photos of the Byzantine Roman mosaics of the Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy. The Basilica of San Vitale was founded in 526 AD and was finished over 20 years later during the Exarchate of Ravenna when the city was under the control of The Byzantine Roman Empire. In 547 two mosaic panels were made on the Apse side wall of the Basilica of San Vitale. One depicts the Roman Emperor of the time, Justinian I, and the other his Empress Theodore. Both Justinian and Theodore are depicted with a saint like quality, both with Golden halos. The background of the panels is gold which was typical of the depictions of saints and scenes from the bible and new testament to be found in Byzantine Churches. It is clear from the depictions of Justinian and Theodore who gaze out of the mosaic panels with total confidence that they were both well assured in their status as rulers of the Roman Empire. Theodore is shown with all her worldly goods and jewellery and is about to take a cup of wine from an attendant. In the central Apse is a depiction of a young beardless Christ sitting on a globe which was made under Gothic Arian rule. He is offering the Martyrs crown with his right hand to San Vitale. On his left id an angel and Bishop Ecclesius who is offering a model of the Basilica of San Vitale. The rest of the Apse is decorated with scenes from the Bible such as the Sacrifice of Abraham. Add photos of Byzantine mosaics of San Vitale Basilica Ravenna to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/basilica-san-vitale-ravenna.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_San_Vitale Visit our BYZANTINE MOSAIC PHOTO COLLECTION for more photos to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery/Byzantine-Eastern-Roman-Style-Mosaics-Pictures-Images/G0000NvKCna.AoH4/3/C0000YpKXiAHnG2k

Photos and pictures of the Medieval Gothic statues of the Schöner Brunnen (Beautiful Fountain) Nuremberg.   One of the great Great Gothic Fountains in Europe is the Schöner Brunnen (Beautiful Fountain) in Nuremberg’s marketplace, Germany. And indeed the Schöner Brunnen is a very beautiful fountain indeed. The original fountain was erected between 1389 and 1396 by Heinrich Beheim and is an impressive 19 metre (62 feet) octagonal Gothic Pyramid that narrows towards the top in three steps. The fountain has forty painted stone figures representing the the Holy Roman Empire. The bottom row are figures symbolising Philosophy and the Seven Liberal Arts , the and the four Evangelists and the four Fathers of the Church , the seven electors and nine good heroes , Moses seven prophets. The figures on the Schöner Brunnen were renovated in 1903 in their original bright colours. We have become used to Gothic statues that have lost their original paint and the figures of the Schöner Brunnen are an incredible demonstration of how vivid the statues on the front of the great Gothic Cathedrals such as “Notre Dame” in Paris would have originally been. Each statue uses realistic flesh colours for the skin areas but the garments use a lot of gold leaf which creates dazzling reflections. Each figure has its own character probably modelled on real people of Nuremberg but as is characteristic of the period the poses are stilted and posed. The overall effect is both startling and impressive if not a bit gourdy to modern eyes. Wrapped by a concrete casing the Schöner Brunnen survived the bombing of the second world was unscathed and is one of the great examples of Gothic sculpture in Europe. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

Pictures images and photos of Selime Cathedral ( Selime Monastery or Selime Castle), Cappadocia Turkey. , Selime Cathedral is the biggest rock cathedral in the area. It has been used as a castle then as a monastery by many civilisations through history including Byzantine, Persian, Hittites, and Ottoman Empire. Selime monastery has a big rock cathedral with a central aisle and two aisles either side with two rows of rock columns. Frescoes, now very badly damaged date from the 9th century or beginning of the 10th century A.D. The size of the church and the monastery itself shows the significance of the monastery. Selime monastery also contains rooms in cut into the rock that were the quarters for monks, two halls, a stable for mules, and a large kitchen. Because the kitchen was built in the rock with no windows lamps were used as a lighting source. Its high pyramid shaped roof carried smoke from the fires upwards and out through a flu. Most of the rooms of Selime Cathedral complex are now open due to rock slides either from poor construction or earthquakes. The size of Selime Cathedral complex gives some idea of the importance Cappadocia had in early and middle Christian eras.

Pictures, photos & images of Senanque Abbey France. The Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque is a picturesque Cistercian Abbey tucked away in a deep valley below the village of Gordes in the département of the Vaucluse in Provence. Founded in 1148 by Bishop Cavaillon and Ramon Berenguer II, count of Barcelona and Provence, the Romanesque abbey was laid out following the lines of Citeaux Abbey, the mother house of the Cistercians. The rule of the Abbey was austere for the monks with the only heated room in the monastery being the scriptorium, so that the monks could create the precious books that were of great value in the medieval world. A simplicity was adopted in the architecture embellished only by simple leaf bas relief sculptures. By the 14th century Senanque had four mills, seven granges and possessed great estates in Provence. From this date though the Abbey went into decline and in the late 1500’s it was ransacked by the Huguenots during the Wars of Religion. By the French Revolution in 1789 Senanque Abbey only had one monk left and like many Abbeys in France it was closed and its lands nationalised. In 1854 the Abbey was repurchased by Cistercian monks who started to grow Lavender and tend bees to make honey. Today Senanque is one of the most picturesque and evocative Romanesque buildings in France. The Abbey is approached in the summer through blooming Lavender fields. The Lavender grows right up to the Abbey creating one of the iconic views of Provence. Add photos of Senanque Abbey France to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (scroll down and type Senanque into lower search box) USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sénanque_Abbey Senanque Home Page https://www.senanque.fr/en/history-of-the-abbey/

Photos, pictures and images of the Alcazar of Seville, Spain. Seville was ounded as the Roman city of Hispalis it fell to to Muslin conquest of the Iberian Penninsular in 712. Seville came under the rule of the Caliphate of Cordoba and from the 8th to the 13th century was the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate followed by the Almoravid then Almohad dynasty. 500 years of Islamic rule has left Seville with a rich architectural heritage and the Alcazar of Seville is one of the great buildings that shows the influence of Islamic culture on Spanish architecture. The original nucleus of the Alcázar was constructed in the 10th century as the palace of the Moslem governor, and is used even today as the Spanish royal family's residence in this city, thereby retaining the same purpose for which it was originally intended: as a residence of monarchs and heads of state. The Alcazar of Seville has pure arabesque architecture as well as parts of the palace that are Gothic and from the Renaissance. Seville is a reminder of the sophistication of the Islamic rulers that once governed the Hispanic Penninsular. The mathematic genius of the Islamic architects can be seem in the intricate plasterwork in the Alcazar and the palace is one of the best remaining examples of mudéjar architecture. Built and rebuilt from the early Middle Ages right up to our times, it consists of a group of palatial buildings and extensive gardens. The Alcázar embraces a rare compendium of cultures where areas of the original Almohad palace - such as the "Patio del Yeso" or the "Jardines del Crucero" - coexist with the Palacio de Pedro I representing Spanish Mudejar art, together with other constructions displaying every cultural style from the Renaissance to the Neoclassical. The Alcázar and its gardens is a palatial fortress erected beginning in 712 by the conquering Arabs to control the Guadalquivir. It boasts a crenellated enclosure from the Almohad period as well as several interior spaces dating from before the Reconquest. After 1248 it became a royal residence and was renovated under the reign of Peter the Cruel. The palace constructed in the interior of the Alcázar in 1364-66 illustrates the syncretism proper to Mudejar art which borrows its techniques and decorative expression from the Arabian art of Andalusia. The Patio de las Doncellas is evocative of a captivating aesthetic which survived Christianization with its finely worked stuccos, wooden artesonados ceilings, the azulejos of the galleries, and the fountain that rises in the middle of the courtyard. The work of decoration of the apartments, the fountains or the pavilions undertaken between the 15th and 17th centuries, partially respected the original palace, its general layout, and the traditional refinement of an Andalusian palace. Download photos, pictures and images of Seville as stock photos or photo art prints.

Pictures images photos of Sienna Cathedral. Images & photos of the great gothic Cathedral renassance Duomo of Sienna tos & photo art prints. The Cathedral of Siena (Duomo di Siena), dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church and now to Santa Maria Assunta (Most Holy Mary of Assumption), is a medieval church in Siena, central Italy. The cathedral itself was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower. The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade. Black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena, etiologically linked to black and white horses of the legendary city's founders, Senius and Aschius. (updated 2021) Add photos of Sienna Cathedral to the cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page athttps://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/sienna-cathedral.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siena_Cathedral Visit our ITALY PHOTO COLLECTION for more photos of Italy to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/2b-Pictures-Images-of-Italy-Photos-of-Italian-Historic-Landmark-Sites/C0000qxA2zGFjd_k

Pictures & images of medieval Sigisoara located in the historic region Transylvania, Romania. The city played an important strategic and commercial role at the edges of Central Europe for several centuries. Sighisoara became one of the most important cities of Transylvania, with artisans from throughout the Holy Roman Empire visiting the settlement. The Saxon German artisans and craftsmen dominated the urban economy, as well as building the fortifications protecting it. Central Sighisoara has preserved in an exemplary way the features of a small medieval fortified city, it has been listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Each year, a Medieval Festival takes place in the old citadel in July. Sighisoara is one of the most beautiful and well preserved inhabited citadel in Europe, with an authentic medieval architecture. In Eastern Europe, Sighi?oara is one of the few fortified medieval citadels that is still inhabited. The town is famous in popular culture as the birthplace of The Wallachian prince Vlad the Impaler better known as Dracular. The real life Vlad was a fierce & Cruel leader who kept the Ottomans at bay for many years. Vlad is reputed to have impaled thousands of Turkish prisoners on stakes as warnings to the Turks to keep away, His infamy spread throughout Europe and led to him being the inspiration for Bram Stokers Dracula novels. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.. Visit our ROMANIA HISTORIC PLACXES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Romania-Photos-of-Romanian-Historic-Landmark-Sites/C00001TITiQwAdS8

Pictures, Images & photos of Split and Roman Emperor Diocletian's palace founded by Emperor Diocletian between the late 3rd and the early 4th centuries AD. Diocletian became emperor after long periods of civil war in the Roman Empire. He started a reform program that would eventually lead to a split in the Roman Empire. Diolcetian was a great organiser and brought in new tax legislation and reforms that were well over due but he is best known for 2 acts. Realising that the Roman Empire had become too big to rule by one Emperor, he divided the Empire in two creating an Eastern and Western Empire to be ruled by 2 co-emperors or Augusti. Diolcetian ruledthe Eastern Empire, he appointed the general Maximian as the emperor of the west. The Empire had been devastated by accession wars on the death of an Emperor so Diocletian decided in 285 to appoint successors to follow himself and Maximian and these were titled Caesars ( junior emperors). In 305 Diocletian abdicated and forcing Maximian to do the same, allowing Constantius and Galerius to be elevated in rank to Augusti and in turn appointed Caesars to follow them. Diocletian retired to his Palace in Split to famously "grew cabbages" and enjoyed his retirement. His master plan failed though and the new Augusti and Caesars were soon at war with each other and Diocletian was called out of retirement to sort the mess out. Diocletian did not live to see the eventual outcome of the dispute which ended in Constantine taking sole charge of the Empire and moving the capital of the Empire to Constantinople. Diocletian is also remembered for his purges against the Christians. Diocletian was a conservative who looked back to the Pagan heyday of Rome believing that the Ancient Gods who would bring ill to those that did not sacrifice to them. It seems that Diocletian believed that the chaos that reigned in the Roman Empire was a sign of the displeasure of the Gods due to the Christians worship of just one God. Diocletian ruled that if Christians did not sacrifice to the Pagan Gods then they should die by "exposure to Animals". The numbers of Christian who did die during these purges has been over dramatised as most of the Empire could see no sense in killing Christians who were no sport in the arena as they knelt and accepted death gratefully as a gift of martyrdom and a passage straight to heaven. Diocletian and his Caesar Galerius did apply the rules harshly in the Eastern Empire until Diocletian's death. Diocletian was buried in a mausoleum in his Palace which still stands today as an octagonal building. When Constantine became Emperor he made Christianity a legal religion of the Empire and pagan temples, including Diocletian's Mausoleum were turned into churches. In Christians revenge for Diocletian's cruelty towards them removed distorted his remains. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

Images, pictures and photos of Stokesay Castle is the finest and best preserved medieval manor house in England. Stokesay Castle, Shropshire, is the finest and best preserved medieval manor house in England. Built in the 1281 by Laurence of Ludlow, the leading wool merchant of his time, Stokesay was designed to be a comfortable secure manor house. The layout of Stokesay castle today is the same as that completed by Laurence of Ludlow in 1291. This gives a unique glimpse into how wealthy medieval merchants could expect to live.The fortified manor consist of a walled, moated enclosure in which is built a great hall flanked on either side by towers. The south tower looks like a small keep. The North tower is topped by a half timbered rooms with original medieval tiled floors. Between the Great Hall and the south tower is a solar block which was the private house of Laurence of Ludlow. on the opposite side of a central courtyard is a half timbered gate house, built about 1641, that leads via a small bridge which crosses a moat that surrounds the walled castle. The gatehouse is a fine example of a Marches style timbered building with fine wood carvings. Stokesay Castle has only experienced one military attack and that was in 1645 when the Parliamentarian forces besieged it. The castle was surrendered without a fight and even though it was ordered that its fortifications were to be removed, luckily for us this was never done. Add photos of Stokesay Castle to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (type Stokesay into lower search box) USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia National Trust UNESCO World Heritage

Chateau Sully-sur-Loire photos, pitres & images. The Château de Sully-sur-Loire is a picturesque French castle surrounded by a moat fed by the River Loire. At the confluence of the Loire and the River Sange ia natural fording place with three islands that rarely flooded. It was on the most northerly of these islands that a small castle was built in 1102. In 1395 Guy de La Trémoïlle, Lord of Sully commissioned Raymond du Temple, the king’s architect, to build a castle Keep to protect the Loire ford. Guy de La Trémoïlle's son Georges was chamberlain and favourite of Charles VII. In June 1429 he entertained the king and Joan of Arc at Chateau Sully-sur-Loire as they carried out a campaign to recapture the bridging points of the Loire. The major changes to Chateau Sully-sur-Loire were made during 17th century and were the work of Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully, who had purchased the castle in 1602. He had what is known as the artillery tower built with thick walls and defensive canons to reinforce this little defended part of the site. Maximilien de Béthune in 1602. Known as "Grand Sully", the duke was also a Huguenot, as well as a close friend and ally of Henry. In 1606, Henry created him 1st Duke of Sully. Under Duke Armand a large wing connecting the keep to the Gate Tower was built in 1715 at Chateau Sully-sur-Loire. Later work of the 18th century included the building of another building in 1715, probably the Louis XV wing that replaced the eastern gallery between the Keep and the Petit Chateau. The Drawbridge from the Inner to the Outer Courtyards was replaced by a stone bridge in 1779. Duke Max VIII (1784-1807) is listed as the lord of Chateau Sully-sur-Loire during the revolution in France. He was obliged to destroy the defences of the chateau by communal decree. This consisted of destroying the two eastern facing towers of the main keep. From 1900 to 1902 the lord of Chateau Sully-sur-Loire decided to have the tops of the towers on the keep rebuilt, but only the eastern towers were completed. In 1918 a terrible fire destroyed the wing built in the 18th century. It was rebuilt soon afterwards but with one less storey and the inside was not completed.

Pictures & images of Szigliget, Balaton Hungary. Images & photos Szigliget castle. The village can be found on the northern bank of the lake Balaton in the vicinity of Badacsony and Keszthely. The village was built between and on volcanic hills. It can be reached by car on the 71 highway or by train on the Székesfehérvár-Tapolca-railway stopping at Badacsonytördemic-Szigliget station. On the top of the 239 meter high Várhegy hill stand the ruins of the medieval fortress. It was renewed in the last years and beautiful panorama opens from it to the Lake Balaton and to the Tapolca Basin. Poets sang of the beauty of the village and the landscape. Avas church ruins It was built in the Árpád age, in the 12th century. The material is basalt. The old tower stands today. Download Pictures & images of Szigliget, Balaton Hungary. Images & photos Szigliget castle or buy as photo art prints.

Pictures, images & photos of Thessaloniki ( Θεσσαλονίκη ) also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica. Thessaloniki is an ancient historic city that is the second largest in Greece. It is the capital of ancient Macedon and Thrace and had an equal status with Constantinople during the Byzantine Eastern Roman Empires rule. Founded in 315 BC by King Cassander of Macedon who named it after Thessaloniki, the half sister of Alexander The Great. In 168 BC Macedon fell to the Romans and Thessaloniki became an important Roman trading centre. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 Thessalonica became the second city of the Eastern Roman Empire with a population of 100,000. From the 6th century Thessaloniki was a precious target for waves of invaders starting with the Avars & slavs who successfully laid siege to the city several times. The Byzantine Empire regained control only to loose the city for a short time to Arab invaders in 904. After the sacking of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade in 1204 Thessaloniki became part of the Frankish Kingdom of Thessalonica ruled by Baldwin of Flanders. In 1224 the Byzantine Emperors regained Constantinople and Thessalonica was retaken by the Despot of Epirus for the Empire. On March 29th 1430 Ottoman Sultan Murad II sacked and pillaged Thessalonica and it became an important trading centre of the Ottoman Empire until its fall at the end of the First World War in 1916. Due to a great fire in 1917 and heavy bombardment in the Second World War, little of old Thessaloniki remains apart from its Byzantine & Monasteries that are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.The Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki survived as fine examples early Roman & Byzantine Basilicas. These churches were decorated with Byzantine mosaics & frescos which were either removed or plastered over when they were converted to mosques by the Ottomans. Many have been restored and early Byzantine frescos revealed with 13 being listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites: . Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

Pictures photos imagse of Timotesubani medieval Orthodox monastery Church of the Holy Dormition (Assumption), dedicated to the Virgin Mary, 1184-1213, Samtskhe-Javakheti region, Georgia (country). The village of Timotesubani is situated in the leafy Borjomi Gorge in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region of Georgia. It is home to a monastery complex founded in 11th century. The monastery became a pilgimage place for many medieval feuding knights, typically looking for absolution or asking God for sucess in their campaigns. During the medieval “Golden Age” of Georgia under Queen Tamar, 1184-1213, the famous Georgian knights Shalva and Ivane Toreli led contingincies in the largest army Georgia had ever fielded against the Turks. According to legend went to Timotesubani monastery, to pray for victory in return for which they would build a church at Timotesubani. It seems their prayers were heard because on the night of July 23 1202 the army they were part of started a battle that, after 2 days, conclusively beat the Turks 400,000 men capturing high value prisoners such as the Sultan of Erzincan. In thanks Shalva and Ivane Toreli kept their promise and payed for the Church of the Holy Dormition (Holy Virgin), dedcated to the Virgin Mary, to be built at Timotesubani. The Timotesubani church of the Dormition (Assumption) was built of pinkish Georgian brick to a cruciform floor plan. The eastern end of the church has 3 apses. Above the centre of the church is a high Georgian style cupola supported on 2 columns. The Timotesubani church of the Dormition is one of the most significant monuments of the Georgian “Golden Age” because of the unique frescoes inside the church. Paintings depicting the Dormition of the Virgin fill a complete wall while every surface of the interior was covered with frescoes. The frescoes date from the 11th - 13th century so the Timotesubani church of the Dormition is a tresure trove of medieval Georgian art created during the reign of Queen Tamar. The fresco murals have been rescued and preserved by the Global Fund of Cultural Heritage. Download pictures & imagse of Timotesubani medieval Orthodox monastery Church of the Holy Dormition (Assumption), or buy as photo art prints on line. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Trogir, Croatia pictures, photos. Images of Trogir medieval town & cathedral to Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

Pictures photos images of Ubisa (Ubisi) St. George Georgian Orthodox medieval monastery, 1141, Georgia (country). Ubisa St. George monastery is located in a deep valley close to the Tblisi to Black Sea highway. Founded in the 9th century by founded by St. Grigol (Gregory) of Khandzta under the patronage of King of Abkhazs Demetre II. The Ubisa St. George church, 1141 AD, is a single nave with a barrel vaulted roof and a single apse above the altar. The exterior of the church is not decorated and there is a simple bell tower close to its east end. The bell tower also doubles as a defensive tower and it is accessed by a door on the second floor. The fresco paintings inside Ubisa St. George church are beautifully preserved with some damage to the face of Christ in the apse. They are painted in a local byzantine style known as Palaeologus, after the Byzantine Emperor of that name. The frescoes were painted by Gerasim, a local artist. The apse frescoes depioct a enthroned Christ Pantocrator giving the Orthodox “KiRo” bessing with the fingers of his right hand. Christ is surrounded by saints and below is a fresco of the Last Supper. The frescoes of the barrel vaulted ceiling depict Christ in a mandorla with scenes from his life and the faces of saints in medallions that decortate the ceiling ribs. On the side walls are frescoes of a Georgian King and Queen, presumably King of Abkhazs Demetre II who endowed the monastery. Download pictures & images of Ubisa St. George Georgian Orthodox medieval monastery or buy photo art prints on line. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Pictures photos images of Uplistsikhe (Lords Fortress) fortress cave city, near Gori, Shida Kartli, Georgia. Situated in cliffs that run along side the Mtkvari River Uplistsikhe is an archaeological site composed of hundreds of cave dwellings, storage pits and caves. Dating from the early Iron age Uplistsikhe cave city was a religious centre by 1000 BC and an important trading centre by the 5th century BC. By the Hellenistic period Uplistsikhe has expanded to house 20,000 people in its cave dwellings. Today visitors can explore the caves and try to visualise the streets and halls of Uplistsikhe. At the centre of the site is the so called Queen Tamar Hall, although she never lived here. The interior of the ruined rooms that are left cut into the rock have classical arched roofs, architrave's and pillars. The pits of a massive wine press are next to the main hall and below the hall is a prison dungeon cut into the rock. The Theatron hall has a coffered tunnel vaulted ceiling with pillars There are many other cave Halls at Uplistsikhe with similar interior decorations and even more that have no decoration at all. Uplistsikhe was in its heyday as far back as the 9th — 11th centuries AD when it was an important Christian centre with monasteries. The cave complexes dating to high medieval times usually included a number of small hall-churches beside the dwellings. During the 13th century though 5000 monks were massacred at Uplistsikhe when it was over run by the Mongols. A three naive basilica survived on the site dating from that period and its interior frescoes were only whitewashed during the 19th century. Uplistsikhe Cave Town-Fortress was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative list in 2007 . Download Picture & image of Uplistsikhe (Lords Fortress) fortress cave city, or buy as photo art prints on line. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Pictures photos images of the remote Svan village of Ushguli and its historic Svaneti tower houses, Upper Svanti, Georgia. Ushguli is the collective name for four remote villages at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains on the Russian Border in Northern Georgia. Ushguli is the highest permanently inhabited settlement in Europe at an altitude of 2,100 metres (6,900 ft). It is joined to the rest of the world by a track in and a track out both of which are really only suitable for 4x4 vehicles in summer and both of which are impassable due to snow for 7 months of the year. It is hard for present day tourists to imagine how people live in Ushguli, especially when cut off from the rest of the world for over half the year. Ushguli gives us some idea of how remote medieval communities organised themselves. The remote locations meant that the people of Ushguli were vulnerable from attack and could not look for help from local law enforcers. To protect themselves each family build a defensive stone tower, known as Svaneti tower houses, into which they could retreat in times of danger. Attacks usually came from neighbouring villages who raided for cattle and plunder. The constant fear of attack made an already hard existence into an even harder one but this was typical of medieval life. Ushguli is situated at the foot of mount Shkhara, at 5,068 m (16,627 ft) it is one of the highest summits in the central part of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range. The ridge of Shkhara is known as the Bezingi (or Bezengi) Wall, and is 12-kilometre-long (7.5 mi) long. One of the great iconic views of Georgia are the Svaneti tower houses and the tiny church of St George set against the permanently snow covered slopes of mount Shkhara. Download Pictures & images of the remote Svan village of Ushguli and its historic Svaneti tower houses, Upper Svanti, or buy as photo art prints on line. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Pictures photos images of the historic Svaneti tower houses and Svaneti villages of the Upper Svaneti in the Caucasus Mountains, Georgia (country), Europe. The Svaneti villages of the Upper Svaneti region of Georgia are some of the most remote settlements in the eastern European Eurasia region. The highest settlements are four villages grouped together and known collectively as Ushguli. This is the highest inhabited settlement in Europe at 2,200 m (7217 ft) above sea level situated at the foot of the highest mountain in the Georgian Caucasus Mountain range, Mount Shkhara, at 5,068 m (16,627 ft) above sea level. In the winter Ushguli is cut off from the outside world for 6 months from November to the end of April. Even when the snows have gone the track that runs from Mestia, 30 miles away, can take 3 hours to drive. solated and vulnerable to attack the medieval inhabitants of the Upper Svaneti built stone defensive towers onto their single storey houses, the oldest dates back to the 9th century AD Ushguli name comes from Georgian phrase ushishariguli which means “fearless heart” and is one of few places in Georgian that has never been conquered. Indeed until recently the area was so isolated with bandits operating there that it was effectively closed to tourism. Today is a different matter with daily convoys of 4x4 vehicles ferrying day trippers from Mestia to experience the incredible and unique Upper Svaneti villages set agains the spectacular snow capped peaks of the Caucasus Mountains. There are few truly unique travel destinations in the world and the Upper Svaneti is one of these. The Svan people are fiercely independent and protective of their long culture and distinctive language that has developed over 1000 years of isolation from the rest of Europe. The Svan are deeply religious people with 5 Georgian Orthodox churches in Ushguli alone. Download Pictures & images of the historic Svaneti tower houses and Svaneti villages of the Upper Svaneti in the Caucasus Mountains or bu as photo art prints on line.

Picture photos image of Vardzia medieval cave city and monastery, Erusheti Mountain, southern Georgia (country). Vardzia has become Georgia’s most famous cave city and monastery complex due largely to its connections with Georgia’s much beloved and iconic Queen Tamar. Legend says that Vardzia’s name id derived from “Ak var dzia” which translates as “here I am Uncle”, the phrase used by Tamar repeatedly when lost in and trying to find her way out of the caves of Vardzia. Although Vardzia was inhabited from the Bronze age with significant 5th century BC archaeological finds, the complex we see today was not started until the reign of Georgi III in 1156, who commissioned the development of a major town at Vardzia. His work was continued by the legendary Queen Tamar in 1186, whose reign was at the height of the so called “Georgian Golden Age” during which many of Georgia’s great ecclesiastic buildings were built. Vardzia is situated in a remote location in Southern Georgia, built into the cliffs of mount Erusheti on the left bank of the Kura River, thirty kilometres from Aspindza. The caves run for 500 meters in 19 levels high along the cliff face in a daunting defensive position. The eastern part of the Vardzia complex are 79 cave dwellings in 8 levels comprising of 242 rooms and 6 chapels. Today the cave dwellings are open to the elements having lost their stone frontages over the centuries during earthquakes. The western part of Vardzia comprises of the Church of the Dormition 40 dwellings across 13 levels and monastery rooms such as a refectory , chapels and bakeries. The Church of the Dormition, or Assumption, was cared out of the rock in the 1180,s under Queen Tamar’s patronage. Its interior is richly decorated with rock paintings using the secco style of painting common in Byzantine style artworks of the area. Although heavily influenced by the popular Byzantine ecclesiastic style of the era, the work still retains a Georgian look. Queen Tamar resided at Vardzia until her campaign against the Muslims, and her celebrated victory at Basian commemorated in the Hymns in Honour of the Virgin of Vardzia by Ioane Shavteli. Vardzia was fortunate to escape the Mongol invaders in the 1290s possibly due to its near impregnable defensive position described by Persian Safavid chronicler Hasan Bey Rumlu as a "wonder", "impregnable as the wall of Alexander the Great". Vardzia was not so fortunate when the Persians invaded Georgia under Shah Tahmasp I in 1551who sacked the city. the monastery was rebuilt but when the muslim Ottomans took Georgia in 1578, the monks of Vardzia departed and the site was abandoned. Download Picture & image of Vardzia monastery, or as art prints. Visit our REPUBLIC of GEORGIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse, download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-of-Georgia-Country-Historic-Landmark-Places-Museum-Antiquities/C0000c1oD9eVkh9c

Visegrad, Hungary pictures, photos. Images of Visegrad Castle & Palace to Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

Images, pictures & photos of Wells Cathedral built in the Early English Gothic style in 1175, Wells Somerset, England, UK. Built between 1175 and 1490, Wells Cathedral is one of the most complete early Gothic Cathedrals in England. Very little of the earlier Norman Romanesque or Saxon church remain which is unusual of ecclesiastical buildings of English Gothic buildings. The beautiful Gothic stonework has pointed arcades and fluted piers which are topped with carved capitals in a richly foliated ‘stiff leaf’ style. The interior has the soaring height of the Gothic style which is lit by richly decorated stained glass windows. In most English cathedrals the stained glass was destroyed during the reformation of by the Puritans after the English Civil War. Wells is fortunate to have a rare English collection of ancient stained glass in its eastern end. The facade of Wells cathedral was built with niches to hold over 300 hundred sculptures. This reflects the Gothic style of the Early French Cathedrals like Amiens where the facade is covered in statues. Many of the statues at Wells have survived or have been restored. Originally they would have been painted and the whole of the facade would have been a riot of colour and gold that would probably be seen as kitch to modern eyes. Wells Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells and is situated at the centre of ecclesiastical buildings that include the walled medieval Bishops Place and gardens. The lawned close that runs in front of Wells Cathedral is still surrounded by historic buildings making it one of the most complete original set of classical buildings in England. The astronomical clock , 1386 and 1392, in the north transept of Wells Cathedral is one of the oldest working clocks in the world, although its original mechanism is nowadays to be found working in the Sciene Museum in London. The clock is one of a group of famous 14th to 16th century astronomical clocks to be found in the West of England but is unique in showing a philosophical model of the pre-Copernican universe. The dial represents the geocentric view of the universe, with sun and moon revolving round a central fixed earth. Add photos of Wells Cathedral to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (type Wells Cathedral into lower search box) USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wells_Cathedral Wells Cathedral Home https://www.wellscathedral.org.uk/your-cathedral/history/

Images, pictures & photos of Llantilio Castle better known as the White Castle in the Monnow valley, Monmouthshire, Wales The Monnow valley was on an important medieval route that ran between Hereford and South Wales. To guard this valley three castles were built, the White castle, Skenfrith and Grosmont castle. The Norman earthworks the Castles stand on were probably built by William fitz Osbern, who was made Earl of Hereford by William the Conqueror a few months after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. These early castles would have been made of timber and remain so until the late 1185-87 when Ralph of Grosmont built the curtain wall around the inner ward. The three castles were strengthened and altered by Hubert de Burgh, who was granted their lordship by King John in 1201. The castle consisted of an walled outer ward within which is a moat that surrounds the inner ward. This was accessed via a wooden draw bridge across the moat. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints. RELATED LINKS Visit our WALES HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse or download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Images-of-Wales-Welsh-Historic-Places-Pictures-Photos/C0000UEicBhu1tQM . Visit our MEDIEVAL PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Medieval-Middle-Ages-Historic-Places-Arcaeological-Sites-Pictures-Images-of/C0000B5ZA54_WD0s

Pictures of York Minster. Images & photos of the great gothic Cathedral. Also buy stock photos & photo art prints. The minster has a very wide Decorated Gothic nave and chapter house, a Perpendicular Gothic choir and east end and Early English north and south transepts. The nave contains the West Window, constructed in 1338, and over the Lady Chapel in the east end is the Great East Window, (finished in 1408), the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the world. In the north transept is the Five Sisters Window, each lancet being over 16 metres (52 ft) high. The south transept contains a famous rose window. Add photos of York Minster to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock (type York Minster into lower search box) USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_Minster York Minster Home https://yorkminster.org/discover/

Zadar Croatia pictures, photos. Images of the Medieval church & town to buy on line as stock photos or photo art prints. If you sit on one of the cafes terraces in the forum square in Zadar, Croatia, you will be able to see evidence of every major civilization in Europe for the last 2000 years. The square is surrounds the old Roman Forum of Zadar which was built by Augustus in 33 BC. The remains of Roman pillars and Roman burial sarcophaguses in the square are part of the largest Forum in the Eastern Adriatic. Zadar came under the rule of the Ostrogoths in the fifth century after the sacking of Rome but in 553 Justinian, Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, re-conquered Zadar. One the earliest and most important pre-Romanesque churches in Croatia, named after its bishop St Donatus, stands in the square. Built in the circular design of Royal Byzantine churches, it has 2 vaulted galleries and 3 apses facing east. The marble stones and column drums that can be seen built into its foundations are from the pagan temple of Juno which preceded the church.   Zadar became a powerful Adriatic port siting between the great powers of Venice & Constantinople. Many fine Romanesque churches were built in Zadar like the church of St Mary on the east side of the square. The Venetians saw Zadar as a rival and regularly attacked the city without success. In 1202 the wirily Doge Enrico Dando agreed to help the fourth Crusade with ships in return for which the Crusaders helped sack and destroy Zadar. The Crusaders and Doge then moved on to take Constantinople and what was left of the town was retaken by the Croatian king. In 1409 a bloody civil war swept Croatia and the Venetians, seeing that King Ladislas was about to be defeated, offered to buy Dalmatia for what was the tiny amount of 100,000 ducats. The deal was struck and the Venetians swept into Zadar to claim their new acquisition. The Venetians turned Zadar into the most fortified port on the Adriatic with massive walls and gun fortifications. A moat separating the town from the mainland was dug making Zadar surrounded on all sides by water. The defenses were so good that they even held out against the all conquering Turks. In 1797 Venice fell and Zadar became part of the Austro Hungarian Empire. From The Forum Square it is possible to see the Neo-classic buildings and seaside promenade that the Austrians built, turning Zadar into a fashionable resort. After World War I and the collapse of the Austro Hungarian Empire the Italians ruled Zadar until the end of World War II when Croatia became part of the SFR Yugoslavia. It is rare to be able to take such a long historical journey whilst sitting in one place but that is the magic of Zadar and its enchanting historical buildings. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.