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Historic Landmarks of Europe

A group devoted to historic landmarks of Eastern and Western Europe.

Featured Work

Steps of MontmartreParis by Andrew Wilson

The beautiful steps up to Sacre Coeur
Staircase of the Ducal Palace in Venice by annalisa56

Venice:the Ducal Palace. / The Porta della Carta leads you to the Giants’ Staircase, which is not itself gigantic, but takes its name from the two colossi of Neptune and Mars, a dozen feet in height, by Sansovino, standing on pedestals at the top of the flight. This staircase, leading from the courtyard to the second gallery that decks the interior as well as the exterior of the palace, was erected during the dogedom of Agostino Barbarigo by Antonio Rizzo. It is of white marble, decorated by Domenico and Bernardo of Mantua with arabesques and trophies in very slight relief, but of such perfection as to be the despair of all the ornamenters, carvers and engravers in the world. It is no longer architecture, but goldsmith’s work, such as Benvenuto Cellini and Vechte alone could produce. Every morsel of this open balustrade is a world of invention ; the weapons and casques of every bas-relief, each one different, are of the rarest fancy and the purest style; even the slabs of the steps are ornamented with exquisite niello, and yet who knows anything of Domenico and Bernardo of Mantua? The memory of mankind, already wearied with a hundred illustrious names, refuses to retain any more, and consigns to oblivion names that are deserving of all glory. Camera used: / NIKON COOLPIX S500
Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris by triciamary

Centre Georges Pompidou (constructed 1971–1977 and known as the Pompidou Centre in English) is a complex in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, near Les Halles, rue Montorgueil and the Marais. It was designed in the style of high-tech architecture. Wikipedia Nikon D200 / Nikkor 17-70mm FEATURED: / Which Way Group – September 2009 / Historis Landmarks of Europe – October 09 TOP TEN CHALLENGE PLACEMENT: / Stairs and more stairs – Which Way Group – October 2009
Bled Island Staircase by Elena Skvortsova

Monumental staircase (99 stairs) leading to the Church of the Assumption preserves its image from the 17th century (Bled island, lake Bled, Slovenia). / According to a legend which stayed with the people, the temple of the ancient Slavic goddess Živa, once stood in the place of the current Baroque church. The first masonry church on the island, Romanesque basilica, was consecrated in 1142, in the 15th century, it was rebuilt in the Gothic style. In 1509 it was so damaged by an earthquake that it required thorough renovation, and this was carried out in the Baroque style. The island and church on it can be reached by water transport only.
Villa Melzi d'Eril - Bellagio - Lake of Como by sstarlightss

- Featured as Top Ten placement in the “Stairways at Historic Places in Europe” (November 2nd, 2009) launched by “Historic Landmarks of Europe” Group – MANY THANKS FOR YOUR VOTES / —-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-— / Villa Melzi d’Eril / Planning by the architect G. Albertonelli, the villa – neoclassic style – was finished in 1810, but the system of the immense park and the furnishings of the rooms were necessary still some years for complete. / The garden was realized with great cure, levelling lands and creating small necks in order to make to seem the larger park of its real dimensions.
Dutch Mills by Sanne van Splunter

Kinderdijkje, the Netherlands on a foggy autumn morning. / The mills, build between 1500 and 1740, were once used to make land, pumping the water in streams and canals; now they’re on the UNESCO World Heritage List and a must-visit-spot for every tourist who comes to the Netherlands. Equipment: / EOS 350D + 18-85mm 4-5.6f IS USM Canon lens / ISO: 100 / focal length: 55mm / TV: 1/320 sec. / AV: 13F postprocessing: / cropped square, adjusted levels and increased blue hue which was already there thanks to fog and early morning light. / / / Also available in black and white / / /
Mist by Cyril Marchand

I went to Germany two weeks ago to Eurobike. It was my first trip there, in Friedrichshafen, on the Bodensee lake, in the south of Germany. / This is a very nice country, so green and hilly ! Point is I was there for work, and I’d had no time for errants ! / Nevertheless, I saw the zeppelin ! my big white flying sausage as I used to call this baloon ! / Eurobike is one of the most important exhibition in the world concerning bicycle, mountain-bikes, e-bikes and city-bikes. we were there as exhibitors for our company. / Each morning, I was the first awaked and I went for a walk in the fields arround our guesthouse… It was so peaceful ! When this church raised from mist…. / . / / . / . / / . / / . /
The old town of Landshut in Bavaria, Germany by Christine Till @ CT-Graphics

Landshut lies on the Isar River northeast of Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It is still a quaint, picturesque place. On a hill overlooking Landshut is the castle of Trausnitz, also called Burg Landshut, and the royal palace contains some of the finest Renaissance work … - This makes a unique wall décor -
London Smog by Richard Seymour

OK , so its not really London smog – just a heavy fog one morning in Feb of this year. / Tower Bridge on the Thames , London , UK.
Vue de la Tour Eiffel II by Eyal Geiger

“Eiffel Tower” / Paris Collection 2008 Featured in Historic Landmarks of Europe
Ashby De-La-Zouch Castle by SHOI Images

The remains of Ashby Castle. HDR in photoshop manually from 3 exposures. An English Heritage owned listed site.

Recent Work

Writing

A Warm Embrace…Touching flesh with fingertips, / I caress a pretty face. / A yearning . . .

This is a poem about a woman surrendering a kiss to her lover.
Writing

Untitled…Two precious hearts / On a cool summer night. / The moon and the stars / Are shining bright . . .

This is the last finished poem that I have written. It was completed in early 2000. I haven’t invested much time in writing poetry for reasons I will not discuss. If I become inspired, I will write new poetry. Of all my poetry, this is one of my favorites. I still enjoy beautiful and thought provoking poetry.
Byland Abbey, North Yorkshire by Steve Smith

Please View Large Wikipedia © It was founded as a Savigniac abbey in January 1135 and was absorbed by the Cistercian order in 1147. It wasn’t an easy start for the community who had had to move five times before settling at New Byland, near Coxwold in 1177. Its early history was marked by disputes with no fewer than four other religious establishments: (Furness Abbey, Calder Abbey, Rievaulx Abbey and Newburgh Priory). However, once it had overcome this bad start, it was described in the late 1300s as “one of the three shining lights of the north”. Its financial success was not as great as that of places like Rievaulx, but it was famed for its sheep rearing and wool exports. Its church was said to be among the finest 12th-century churches in Europe. It was dissolved on 30 November 1538. In 1539, its site was granted to Sir William Pickering. Nikon D300 / Sigma 18-200mm
Beautiful contemplation by triciamary

One of the many amazingly beautiful statues in Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France. I liked how the windows from a building behind peaked through the bare trees looking almost like stained glass.
For MarieJo.... by triciamary

I found this wonderful and ancient doorknocker at Fontfroide Abbey in Southern France
Spheres by evilcat

Tall tree and the eye – Part of the Anish Kapoor exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, taken in November 2009. Nikon D60, Nikon 105mm.
Window reflection by evilcat

I saw this window in the courtyard of the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Taken in November 2009 with Nikon D60, Nikon 150mm.
Bedlam by Tom Gomez

The Bedlam Theatre is housed in the former “New North Free Church” (built 1846-8) at the foot of George IV Bridge in Edinburgh, Scotland. The building was designed by Thomas Hamilton, an architect also involved in the creation of the New Town in the city. It is on the site of the old city poorhouse, and its name is taken from the nearby site of the city’s first mental health hospital. After the building was abandoned by the church in 1937 it was gifted to Edinburgh University. The University used it for various purposes, including a furniture store and a school of nursing. In 1980, the Edinburgh University Theatre Company (EUTC) moved in, the building being converted for their use. Bedlam Theatre is the oldest student-run theatre in Britain. It is run by a student committee, elected annually. Any member can propose a show for selection by democratic company vote, and all aspects of the production from acting to lighting to taking the tickets are carried out by the student membership. Bedlam Theatre is an Historic Scotland Category B Listed building (HB Number 30020). Information supplied by Wikipedia. Camera: Canon EOS 450D (Digital Rebel XSi in the USA) / Canon 18-55mm IS lens BEST VIEWED LARGER Three bracketed JPGs converted to HDR in Photomatix. Some perspective correction in Photoshop Elements. Related shots can be found at: Edinburgh or you can look at all my HDR shots.
Archways at Dunkeld Cathedral. by Finobub

Dunkeld Cathedral stands on the north bank of the River Tay in Dunkeld, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. Built in square-stone style of predominantly gray sandstone, the cathedral proper was begun in 1260 and completed in 1501. It stands on the site of the former Culdee Monastery of Dunkeld, stones from which can be seen as an irregular reddish streak in the eastern gable. / The Tower of Dunkeld Cathedral Because of the long construction period, the cathedral shows mixed architecture. Gothic and Norman elements are intermingled throughout the structure. Although partly in ruins, the cathedral is in regular use today and is open to the public. A small museum offers a collection of relics from monastic and Medieval times. Relics of Saint Columba, including his bones, were said to have been kept at Dunkeld until the Reformation, at which time they were removed to Ireland. Some believe there are still undiscovered Columban relics buried within the cathedral grounds. The original monastery at Dunkeld dated from the sixth or early seventh century, founded after an expedition of Saint Columba to the Land of Alba. It was at first a simple collection of wattle huts. During the ninth century Caustantín mac Fergusa constructed a more substantial monastery of reddish sandstone and declared Dunkeld the Primacy (centre) of the faith in Alba. For reasons not completely understood, the Celtic bell believed to have been used at the monastery is not preserved in the cathedral. Instead, it was used in the Little Dunkeld Church, the parish church of the district of Minor or Lesser Dunkeld. Possibly this was because the later Augustinian Canons regarded Culdeeism as heresy, and refused relics or saints of that faith. In the 11th century, the Celtic Abbacy of Dunkeld became an appanage of the Crown and subsequently descended to the Earls of Fife. Dunkeld Cathedral is today a Crown Property, through Historic Scotland. / The Tomb of Alexander Stewart Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, known as “the Wolf of Badenoch”, was buried in the cathedral following his death in 1405, where his tomb, surmounted by his armoured effigy, can still be seen. In 1689 the Battle of Dunkeld was fought around the cathedral between the Jacobite Highlanders loyal to James II and VII and a government force supporting William of Orange, with the latter winning the day. NIKON D90 / LEN / AF-S DX / Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED VR / f/3.5 / 1/4000 sec. / ISO-500 / o step / 18 mm / 3.6 / 27
Greyfriars Bobby by Tom Gomez

Immortalised in a small statue just at the top of Candlemaker Row in Edinburgh, Scotland, the story of the Skye Terrier (Greyfriars Bobby) is world famous. Bobby belonged to John Gray, who worked for the Edinburgh City Police as a night watchman, and the two were inseparable for about two years. Then, on the 15th February 1858, Gray died of Tuberculosis. He was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard, in the Old Town of Edinburgh. Bobby is said to have spent the next 14 years sitting on his master’s grave leaving only to eat. When the winter weather was realy bad, Bobby would spend the night in one or other of the houses around the Kirkyard. Greyfriars Bobby, Scotland’s most famous dog, is not forgotton. After Bobby’s death, the President of the Ladies Committee of the RSPCA, Baroness Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts, asked the City Council for permission to erect a granite fountain with a statue of Bobby placed on top. A statue was commissioned and sculpted by William Brodie 1815- 1881 and unveiled in November 1873 opposite the Kirkyard, on the corner of Candlemakers Row and King George IV Bridge. The statue of Greyfriars Bobby is an Historic Scotland Category A Listed monument (HB Number 27899). Camera: Canon EOS 450D (Digital Rebel XSi in the USA) / Canon 18-55mm IS lens BEST VIEWED LARGER Three bracketed JPGs converted to HDR in Photomatix. Related shots can be found at: Edinburgh or you can look at all my HDR shots. /
Hill of Tara. by Finobub

A view looking northwest from the hill of tara. Tara’s oldest monuments date back to 4000 BC, and and Ireland’s kings were crowned on the hill until the arrival of Christianity.The Hill of Tara is the burial place of 140 kings, and is part of a wider historical landscape that potentially contains hundreds of undiscovered sites, such as a ring of protective forts encircling the sacred hill. NIKON D90 / Lens / AF-S DX / Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED VR / f/10 / 1/400 sec. / -0.7 step / 18 mm / 3.7 / 27
Apricale, landscape by presbi

Il borgo medievale è situato nell’entroterra di Bordighera, nella valle del Merdanzo, affluente del Nervia, a 13 km dalla costa della Riviera Ligure di Ponente. / Il borgo venne fondato intorno al X secolo dai conti provenienti da Ventimiglia, passando poi nel 1276 ai Doria, signori di Dolceacqua. / Nel 1267 compaiono i primi statuti, uno dei più antichi della Liguria, legati all’indipendenza per la costituzione in Libero Comune. Nel 1573 la famiglia Grimaldi di Monaco distruggono il locale castello precedentemente eretto dai Doria, scatenando lotte e guerre interne. Apricale is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria, located close to the french border, about 120 km northwest of Genoa and about 30 km west of Imperia. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 592. / The village was established on the X Century by the Earld of Ventimiglia. On 1276 it became a possession of the Doria Family, the most powerfull falimy in Genoa. / On 1573 the Grimaldi from Monaco destroyed the castle. Panasonic Lumix FZ28 Many thanks to everyone passing by my shots. Comments are appreciated. You are welcome. Sergio

The focus of this group is historic landmarks all over Europe. Its main topic is medieval sites and places. Photography and paintings of castles, fortresses, villages, and ruins are accepted forms here. Travel journals, short stories, poetry are also accepted.

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