Caryatid - Traveling Thru History

Top Historic Sites in Europe, Part 6

Erin — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 08:04:19 +0000

Welcome to Part 6 of my Top Historic Sites in Europe series! I’m glad you came back to check out some more fantastic sites. So far we’ve done the top historic sites from 50 countries in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5 and today you’ll get to see the last three countries along with seven bonus sites! I have really loved learning more about these countries along with the significance of some of their historic sites and I’m so excited to share this with you. With a recorded history going back over 37,000 years, there are just way too many fascinating places to see them all. That’s why I’ve partnered with other travel bloggers to find out which sites are of the most historic and significant importance for each of these countries. I hope you’ll enjoy what we’ve put together. Monaco – Monaco Palace Monaco Palace is formally known as the Prince’s Palace in Monaco and was first built as a Genoese fortress in 1191. In 1297, the Grimaldi family captured the fortress through the deception of Francois Grimaldi and made it their stronghold as feudal lords. In the 17th century, the Grimaldi family became sovereign rulers. Before becoming sovereign rulers, the Grimaldi family had to go through a series of the usual hardships of the era. During the 1330s, Charles Grimaldi the First strengthened the fortress and made it strong enough to withstand over 100 years worth of attacks from Genoa, Pisa, Venice, Naples, France, Spain, Germany, England and Provence. Between the 1340s and 1370s, the fortress frequently changed hands between the Grimaldi family and the Genoese and in the end, the Grimaldi family was able to retain ownership of the property. In the 15th century, the fortress was expanded enough to accommodate roughly 400 soldiers as well as the addition of several buildings and a large new wing that signified the beginning of the fortress becoming a palace. While Monaco Palace has been the seat of the Grimaldi family, they have not always resided there. The Grimaldi family were absentee rulers from 1662 through the mid 1700s, choosing instead to live in France at Versailles. In 1793, the family lost the Palace for a short period during the French Revolution while they were placed in exile. In 1814, the Treaty of Paris saw Monaco returned to the Grimaldi family, where it has remained ever since, though not always as a primary residence. Various descendants of the Grimaldi family have chosen to live either at the family estate of Le Marchais outside Paris or in Germany. Prince Rainier III began extensive renovations on the palace starting in 1949 and the family once again returned to the palace that has been their seat of power for over 700 years. Erin Tracy is the owner and author of this blog, Traveling Thru History, which she uses to share her love of history, culture, and travel with her readers. You can also find stories and pictures of her travels on her Facebook page. Wales – Cardiff Castle Cardiff Castle was built in the late 11th century by Norman invaders on top of a 3rd-century Roman fort. The castle was originally built with wood and stone, but in the 12th century it was rebuilt completely in stone. These stones were strong enough to withstand multiple attacks by the Anglo-Normans and the Welsh. In 1423, Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick, conducted extensive renovations and added the main range on the west side of the castle along with the tall octagonal tower that is seen there today. Around the 1490s, Cardiff Castle began to have less significance as a military outpost, though it wasn’t until the 1550s that the castle began being transformed into a residential property. 1642 saw the castle change hands when Parliamentary forces overran the grounds during the English Civil War, though Royalists regained the property in 1645. The castle was again fought over during the Second English Civil War in 1648 and was almost destroyed by Parliament after the war, but it was eventually decided to garrison troops on the grounds as protection against the Scottish. In the 18th century, the Marquess of Bute. John Stuart, received the castle when he married Charlotte Jane Windsor, daughter of Thomas, Viscount Windsor. After receiving the newly created peerage title of Marquess in the mid-1770s, John Stuart began renovating Cardiff Castle. Several stone walls were removed, a hall and the knights’ houses were demolished, and the grounds were flattened to allow for turf. The main part of the castle had sections removed, two new wings added, and various features updated. The grounds had trees and greenery removed, the moat was filled, and a summer house was built. The castle remained the same until 1868 when the third Marquess of Bute decoded to remodel the castle. It had sat mostly empty since 1814 with only occasional occupants, leading to a low level of disrepair. The third Marquess of Bute added a 150-foot clock tower that contained a lavishly decorated bedroom, servant’s quarters, and smoking rooms. Various other rooms were added to the castle at this time, including the Guest Tower, Arab Room, Chaucer Room, nursery, library, roof garden, Banqueting Hall and bedrooms. All of these rooms were heavily gilded with elaborate carvings, paintings, accents, and stained glass. The grounds were also heavily altered to remove any trace of medieval or Roman times and reinstall the trees and shrubberies which were previously removed. In 1921, the fourth Marquess of Bute restored the masonry to what it was in medieval times and rebuilt various gates and towers that had been part of the original castle. He allowed archaeological investigations of the property to discover Roman walls, which led to the redesign of other buildings which were restored. He also tore out the grand staircase that had been added in the 19th century. Further restorations were carried out after 1947 when the castle was handed over to the city of Cardiff. Erin Tracy is the owner and author of this blog, Traveling Thru History, which she uses to share her love of history, culture, and travel with her readers. You can also find stories and pictures of her travels on her Facebook page. Ukraine – Kiev Pechersk Lavra Kiev Pechersk Lavra is also known as the Monastery of the Caves. It is a historic Orthodox Christian monastery which gave its name to one of the city districts where it is located in Kiev. This Monastery was founded in 1051 by an Orthodox monk named Anthony who hailed from an Esphigmenon monastery on Mount Athos. He chose a cave in the Besetov Mountains overlooking the Dnieper River and was eventually granted the entire mountain by Prince Iziaslav I, at which point the monastery was built by architects from Constantinople. This monastery became the preeminent center of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Eastern Europe. In conjunction with the nearby Saint Sophia Cathedral, this monastery has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main church of the monastery of Dormition Cathedral. The original monastery was built in the 11th century, but was unfortunately destroyed in 1941 when German Nazis occupied the city. There is debate about whether the Germans destroyed the monastery while taking over the city or if the Russians were responsible while enacting the Khreshchatyk explosions to blow up all the bridges in Kiev. While we many never know who was truly responsible for destroying an ancient masterpiece, the structure has been reconstructed to fit its original design. Along with the beautiful monastery, Pechersk Lavra boasts several other architectural marvels. The All Saints Church erected between 1696–1698 is a stunning example of Ukrainian Baroque architecture. Characteristic of the church facades are rich architectural embellishments. In 1905 students of the Lavra art school painted the interior walls of the church. The carved wooden iconostasis is multi-tiered and was made for the All Saints church in the early 18th century. The Gate Church of the Trinity is located atop the Holy Gates, which houses the entrance to the monastery. According to a legend, this church was founded by the Chernihiv Prince Sviatoslav II. It was built atop an ancient stone church which used to stand in its place. In 1718, a fire destroyed the church, but it was quickly rebuilt, its facades and interior walls decorated with ornate stucco work made by V. Stefaovych. In the 18th century, a new gilded pear-shaped dome was built, the facade and exterior walls were decorated with stucco-moulded plant ornaments, and a vestibule built of stone attached to the north end. In the early 20th, century the front and the walls flanking the entrance were painted by icon painters under the guidance of V. Sonin. The interior of the church also contains murals by the early 18th century painter Alimpy Galik. The Great Lavra Bell Tower was designed by Johann Gottfried Schädel. This structure is 96.5 meters in height and was the tallest free-standing bell tower at the time of its construction in 1731–1745. The refectory chambers with the Church of the Saints Anthony and Theodosius is the third in a series of temples. The original temple was built in the 12th century and no drawings or visual depictions of it remain. The second temple was built at the time of the Cossack Hetmanate and was disassembled by the Russian authorities in the 19th century. It was replaced with the current temple, often referred to as the Refectory Church of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. Erin Tracy is the owner and author of this blog, Traveling Thru History, which she uses to share her love of history, culture, and travel with her readers. You can also find stories and pictures of her travels on her Facebook page. BONUS SITES We’ve hit all the countries in Europe and given some history about the top site for each country, but it’s always hard to pick just one. Here are 7 more sites you won’t want to miss. Romania – Bran Castle Bran Castle is famously known as Dracula’s Castle. It is located on the border between Transylvania and Wallachia in Romania. The first structure to sit on this site was the castle of Dietrichstein, which Teutonic Knights built out of wood in 1212. This castle was destroyed by Mongols in 1242. In 1377, Louis I of Hungary gave Saxons permission to build a stone castle on the site, which was eventually used in defense against the Ottoman Turks in 1438-1442. When it wasn’t being used defensively, the castle was a customs post for those who traveled the mountain pass between Transylvania and Wallachia. In 1533, the City of Brasov took possession of the castle as payment for outstanding loans made to King Vladislas of Hungary. From that time forward, the castle played a militarily strategic role up to the mid-18th century. The next notable event in the castle’s history was in 1920 when the Treaty of Trianon granted Transylvania to Romania, along with Bran Castle, which became the royal residence in Romania. Queen Marie ordered extensive restoration work on the castle to bring it back to its medieval splendor. During WWII, the castle was used as a hospital before it was seized by the communist regime in 1948. At this time the royal family was exiled from Romania. It wasn’t until 2005 that the castle was returned to the Habsburg family who then carried out further restorations before opening the castle as the first private museum in Romania in 2009. Erin Tracy is the owner and author of this blog, Traveling Thru History, which she uses to share her love of history, culture, and travel with her readers. You can also find stories and pictures of her travels on her Facebook page. Greece – Erechtheion The Erechtheion (also called Erechtheumis) an ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens in Greece. The Persians had destroyed much of the city during an invasion, so Pericles, the general of Athens from 461-429 BC, commissioned two men to restore the damaged buildings atop the Acropolis. Along with restoring the sacred religious building the Persians had destroyed, Pericles also requested that they build another building, The Erechtheion. The purpose for the Erechtheion is...

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The Caryatid of the Erechtheion

Erin — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 17:46:41 +0000

In the time around 420 BC in Athens, the creation of one of the world’s most classic pieces of architecture was taking place. The Persians had destroyed much of the city during a recent invasion, so Pericles, the general of Athens from 461-429 BC, commissioned two men to restore the damaged buildings atop the Acropolis. Along with restoring the sacred religious building the Persians had destroyed, Pericles also requested that they build another building, The Erechtheion. It was then that Mnesicles, an architect, and Phidias, a sculptor and mason, created what is now known as The Caryatid of the Erechtheion (khanacademy.org; Ross). Purpose The purpose for the Erechtheion is lightly debated. Some scholars believe it was built in honor of the mythical King Erechtheus (wikipedia.com) while others believe it to have been built in honor of Athena and Poseidon (Ross). No matter the original cause for it being built, the Erechtheion is a very striking structure that embodies many features common to Ancient Greek architecture. Unique Features In addition to being a temple built in honor of the Greek Gods, the Erechtheion is also known for the unique pillars holding up the porch on the south side. What is unique about these pillars is that they are shaped in the form of women and are called Caryatids, which is a human figure acting as a column (khanacademy.com). These caryatids were not originally planned for the Erechtheion, but were added to hold up a covered porch designed to hide a support beam that was added to the building after the Peloponnesian War began and caused the building to be downsized due to limited funding (wikipedia.com). Comparison with Other Caryatid When the Caryatids of the Erechtheion were created, they were made in a style that was not wholly new to the world. In the 6th century BC, the Siphnian Treasury in Delphi was known to have had caryatids and the term Caryatid was first seen in the 4th century BC (Cartwright). Those previous caryatid, though used in the same manner, did not receive the same notoriety as the Caryatids of the Erechtheion. They were designed in similar fashions, with the “vertical flutelike drapery folds concealing their stiff, weight-bearing legs” (Gardner & Kleiner, 119), but the Siphnian Caryatids were not as realistic and striking as the Caryatids of the Erechtheion. The Caryatids of the Erechtheion were so much more remarkable than previously known caryatids because they had many features that would soon become the core of the upcoming classical Greek sculpture. Those features include: the intricate folds of cloth, the art of making clothing cling to the body, their realism and the contrapposto pose. These sculptures were covered in cloth that was draped gracefully and set in such a way as to show off the female body without compromising her modesty. The female nude sculpture was not yet acceptable in Greek society, so sculptors devised ways of showing off the female form without the aspect of nudity. The Caryatids of the Erechtheion showed off the legs, body and breasts of the female form in an idealistically realistic, yet modest, way as to make them significant and noteworthy to those who came to see them. Conclusion The Caryatids of the Erechtheion are important to Greek architectural history because they embody the form of the ideal woman to the Ancient Greeks and they “display features which would become staple elements of Classical sculpture” (Cartwright). These statues celebrate the ideal female form while showing off the intricacy of the design needed to form them. The features of the Caryatids of the Erechtheion would soon become common across the Greek architectural community and a classic representation of the art of that age. BIBLIOGRAPHY Alderman, Liz. “Acropolis Maidens Glow Anew.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 07 July 2014. Web. 19 Sept. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/08/arts/design/caryatid-statues-restored-are-stars-at-athens-museum.html?_r=1>. Cartwright, Mark. “Caryatid.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 29 Oct. 2012. Web. 19 Sept. 2014. Caryatid/>. “Caryatid from the Erechtheion.” The British Museum. The British Museum, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014. <http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/gr/c/caryatid_from_the_erechtheion.aspx>. “Caryatid.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Sept. 2014. Web. 19 Sept. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caryatid>. Clair, William St. Lord Elgin and the Marbles. London: Oxford U.P., 1967. Print. “Contrapposto.” Khan Academy. Smart History, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014. <http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/contrapposto.html>. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “Caryatid (architecture).”Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/97646/caryatid>. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “Contrapposto (art).” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/135385/contrapposto>. Gardner, Helen, and Fred S. Kleiner. Gardner’s Art through the Ages: The Western Perspective. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2010. 99. Print. Harris, Dr. Beth, and Dr. Steven Zucker. “Caryatid and Column from the Erechtheion.” Khan Academy. Khan Academy, 1 Oct. 2011. Web. 19 Sept. 2014. <https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/greek-art/classical/v/caryatid-ionic-column-erechtheion-421-407-b-c-e>. Shear, Ione Mylonas. “Maidens in Greek Architecture : The Origin of the « Caryatids ».” Bulletin De Correspondance Hellénique 123.1 (1999): 65-85. Web.

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