Pass by German Aachen Cathedral continue… September 16, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Air Tickets, Europe, France, Germany, Greece, Hotels, Ireland, Istanbul, Italy, Jerusalem, London, Museum, Paris, Rail Pass, Sightseeing, Tickets, Tour , 3commentsAmong the classical texts translated at Aachen was the highly influential treatise by the first- century Bc Roman architect Vitruvius Pollio, in which the principles and traditions of earlier architecture, secular and sacred, were incorporated. The palace chapel can be seen to be essentially Vitruvian in nature. It followed Vitruvius’ octagonal scheme (which involved geomantic consideration of the ‘eight winds’). (more…)
Gypsy Serenade continue… August 26, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Africa, Paris, Tour, Trails, Trip , 3commentsThere in a tiled room in the basement the pleasure began: Gonzalo’s daughter danced for us. She was fifteen, lithe, conscious of her own body and beautiful in her art, and all the while as the spectators’ enthusiasm grew her father watched her, drinking Jerez, nodding his head and smiling.
Presently he drew me aside to suggest that if I would like to give him a certain sum his wife and daughter would go immediately and prepare a gypsy supper. He explained that their house down under the railway by the Bridge of Three Eyes had only one room, but his own eyes shone as he described the delights of a gypsy supper. (more…)
In Pursuit of the American Dream July 18, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Motel, Museum, Paris, Tour, USA , 5comments“Kis mah grits,” said the waitress, conversing with a regular customer as she served me up a 99-cent breakfast in the diner at Orlando Airport.
I was frequently to hear Americans exhorted to kiss each other’s fried porridge, in a parody that seems to be the last legacy of the Southerner who occupied the White House in the dark days before Ronald Reagan. Kissing grits has supplanted the fashion for kissing ass, which is surprising in an upwardly mobile society.
An hour later I was drinking (what else?) Florida orange-juice beside a motel swimming pool while the early-morning sun gently warmed away jet-lag. The lady on a nearby lounger ordered the waiter to put a slug in her juice. (more…)
Villages, Boats, Boulevards, Bars, Break in France and Italy, Aegean Tour July 4, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Accommodation, Aquarium, Art Gallery, Beach Resorts, Cars, Coliseum, Destination, Dolphinarium, Europe, France, Hotels, Museum, Oceanarium, Paris, Planetarium, Restaurant, USA , 3commentsNapeoleon greeted us when we arrived in the palm-fringed port of Ajaccio and disembarked onto the jetty. Corsica’s capital exhibits boulevards, bars and boats in honour of its most famous son. The white-glossed vessels glide out slowly with their cargoes of rich French and Italian mariners, perhaps south to Sardinia or Sicily before venturing upon Poseidon’s homeland in the depths of the Aegean.
We wound up into the mountains for three hours at the back of a stifling minibus, rucksacks on knees, to arrive at Petreto-Bicchisano to au-pair and keep shop for two months. The villages of bleached stone are perched on crags, almost indistinguishable in the dense green forests. Grey stones on distant, wispy mountaintops become crosses and tombstones as one ascends. Every village has its protective saint and little dark chapel. Children play in the street with its one-thousand-foot drop to the bronze river below. The old women in black do not shout warnings. It seems that one is born to Corsica with an instinct of its precariousness. (more…)
My Perugia Travel Diary continue… June 19, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Aquarium, Art Gallery, Asia, China, Coliseum, Denmark, Destination, Dolphinarium, Egypt, England, Europe, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Gymnasium, Iceland, Istanbul, Italy, Library, Memorial, Morocco, Museum, Norway, Oceanarium, Paris, Planetarium, Poland, Restaurant, Round The World, The Nile , add a commentMass cremation pits containing ashes and charred bones indicate that he feared a plague, but Carthaginian skeletons with all their teeth have been disinterred as well as the tombs, yielding cataphracts as well as bones, of thirty Carthaginian nobles.
Spello, the most appealing of the Umbrian hill towns, is still enclosed by Roman walls with five gates, the main one bearing the legend “Splendidissima Colonic Julia Hispellum” over the arch. According to Spellan tradition, a phallus carved in the inner wall of the Porta Urbica does not celebrate Orlando’s (Roland’s) amatory prowess but the range and perfect arc of his actus mingendi. Spello is noted for its restaurants and truffled cooking, its steep, winding, and narrow streets—all one-way only—its Roman towers and amphitheater. A Vocabolaro del Dialetto Spellano, compiled by NicolettaUgoccioni and published here last year, contains, at a thumb-through guess, 20,000 words in current usage—by a population of only 6,800. (more…)
Terrace’s Garden: WURZBURG June 8, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Accommodation, Air Tickets, Beach Resorts, France, Germany, Hotels, Italy, Paris, Round The World, USA , add a commentIn spite of extensive damage by fire at the end of the Second World War, the Wurzburg Residenz remains the most important secular building in the Baroque style in Germany. This achievement speaks a great deal for the determination and intelligence of the rulers of the diminutive episcopal principality of Wurzburg. But the high standard of the Residenz in the constellation of European Baroque can be directly attributed to two men. The palace itself is the masterpiece of the court architect Johann Balthasar Neumann, who fused the traditions of the Bohemian and Viennese Baroque schools with new trends from France. In addition, the Wurzburg Residenz contains two stupendous fresco ensembles by the Venetian painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770). (more…)
The palace of Nymphenburg June 7, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Europe, France, Hotels, Italy, Netherlands, Paris, USA , add a commentThe palace of Nymphenburg on the outskirts of Munich owes its present form to the desire of the Elector Max Emanuel (who reigned from 1679 to 1726) to create a Bavarian counterpart of Versailles. We may be grateful that things did not turn out quite as planned, for Nymphenburg has interesting features not found in the French model. In fact, the principal delight of Nymphenburg lies not so much in the main course, so to speak, as in the dessert—the four delightful garden pavilions that rank among the finest examples of the Rococo style in Europe.
Max Emanuel did not start his palace from scratch : an earlier building had been erected by his mother Henrietta Adelaide of Savoy, who received the manor of Kemnat in 1663 as a gift from her husband. (more…)
Splendour Versailles continue… June 6, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Austria, France, Museum, Paris, USA , add a commentLouis’s vanity, however, was not inexhaustible. Once a year he felt the need to retire to Marly where a much easier regime was in force, and spirited young duchesses were even allowed to bombard him with bread pellets during supper. At Versailles too, he felt the need for greater intimacy. For this purpose he selected a small pavilion on the site of the former village of Trianon, which was enlarged to make the Grand Trianon in 1687. During the summer the king organised little dances and suppers there, to which he invited a few select guests. (more…)
Splendour Versailles June 6, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Italy, Lodges, Paris, USA , add a commentIn size and splendour Versailles has few peers in the history of Western palace building. In fact, the Roman Palatine itself is perhaps the only building complex that can rival the grandeur and historical influence of this palace. And like the Palatine, Versailles has undergone many changes, though fortunately far less actual destruction, even during the French Revolution.
Versailles was the creation of the Sun King, Louis XIV, who reigned for nearly three-quarters of a century from 1643 to 17154 And because practical requirements, new currents of taste and political upsets have led to many changes, a fair degree of imagination is needed to visualise the palace at the height of its glory. And Versailles repays the effort handsomely. (more…)
The relentless uniformity of the bays of the south facade of the Escorial June 3, 2008
Posted by dodo in : England, Mexico, Paris, Peru , add a commentBecause of unforeseen expense and changes in taste, the construction of many great palaces lasted for several generations. Our view of them must therefore take into account the various phases of history that they reflect. This is not true of the Escorial. This enormous building, at once monastery, palace and mausoleum, rose in fulfilment of a vow made by Philip II, the greatest monarch of his age; it was completed 14 years before his death exactly as he intended.
On August 10, 1557, St Laurence’s day, Philip’s generals won a great victory over the French at Saint-Quentin in Picardy. Philip’s father, Charles V (who had abdicated a short time before to retire to his hermitage at Yuste), sent a message to his son asking if he had occupied Paris. (more…)
Fontainebleau: The Golden Portal of Gilles Le Breton continue… May 31, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Europe, France, Museum, Paris, USA , add a commentPrimaticcio’s masterpiece, the great Gallery of Ulysses, has unfortunately disappeared. It stood on the south side of the White Horse Courtyard now occupied by the Louis XV wing. The basic scheme was the same as that used by Rosso in the Gallery of Francis I: scenes chosen from Homer’s Odyssey were set off by elaborate stucco frames. Until its destruction in 1738, artists travelled from all parts of Europe to study the sixty subjects that unfolded along a gallery 160 feet long. Today our only record of the gallery are tapestry copies and a few drawings and engravings. (more…)
Fontainebleau: The Golden Portal of Gilles Le Breton May 31, 2008
Posted by dodo in : England, Europe, France, Paris, Spain, USA , add a commentThe Golden Portal of Gilles Le Breton, which bears the date of 1528 on one of the capitals. Although the rules accepted for the classical orders have been carefully observed, the piecemeal arrangement of the parts is typical of the early French Renaissance.
The vast, rambling palace of Fontainebleau was a favourite resort of the rulers of France from the 12th century until the end of the monarchy in 1870. It reached the height of its glory in the middle of this long period—in the early 16th century—when Francis I assembled a brilliant team of artists and decorators to enlarge and embellish the palace. Later additions, though they sometimes entailed the demolition of earlier parts, were nonetheless marked by a conservative spirit opposed to any fundamental reorganisation. (more…)
The Doge’s Palace continue… May 30, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Greece, Museum, Paris , add a commentLinking the palace to St Mark’s basilica is the Porta della Carta, the main entrance to the courtyard. (The name of the gateway seems to derive from a later custom of fixing public notices on to it.) Its richly carved decoration (begun in 1438) was designed by Bartolomeo Bon and his son Giovanni. The central panel of the doge Francesco Foscari kneeling before the Lion of St Mark was renewed in the 19th century, after its destruction during the Napoleonic occupation of Venice; but the figures of Justice, Strength, Temperance, Prudence, Charity and of St Mark are all original works of the early Renaissance style in Venice. In its original state, the surface of the gateway was richly coloured, with blue and gold predominating. (more…)
The Pitti Palace continue… May 28, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Europe, France, Italy, Museum, Paris , add a commentAll these rooms and others adjoining them in the Galleria Palatina now house a collection of more than 500 paintings of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The works include some of the most celebrated Madonnas of Raphael, crepuscular religious scenes by Andrea del Sarto, opulent portraits by Titian and exuberant allegories by Rubens. While some pieces of furniture and sculpture are also displayed, most of the sculpture has been removed to other museums, though Canova’s Venus still dignifies Room XXIII.
The other half of the main storey contains the former royal apartments, which were remodelled for the use of members of the House of Savoy in the late 19th century. In addition to furnishings of the period, the apartments contain a number of interesting Medici portraits by Giusto Sustermans, who died in 1681. (more…)
The Pitti Palace May 28, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Italy, Luxembourg, Museum, Paris , add a commentFor about three hundred years the Pitti Palace in Florence was the chief residence of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany, first the Medici family, then their successors of the House of Lorraine. When Tuscany became part of the new kingdom of Italy in 1860, ownership of the palace was acquired by the ruling House of Savoy, and it was used by King Victor Emmanuel II as his official residence during the brief period (1865-71) when Florence was the capital of Italy. The buildings and grounds now belong to the state and are fully open to the public.
As the name suggests, the palace was not originally a Medici residence. The nucleus of the present complex was built during the 15th century by Luca Pitti, the principal lieutenant of Cosimo de‘ Medici, the ruler in all but name of republican Florence. While we can follow the stages of Luca’s political career in some detail from contemporary records and diaries, his true character is hard to assess. (more…)
Holyroodhouse: The most romantic of all the palaces in the British Isles continue… May 25, 2008
Posted by dodo in : London, Memorial, Paris, Scotland , add a commentAs we see it today the palace dates almost entirely from this rebuilding. Its three many-windowed storeys divided by groups of flattened pilasters, Doric and Ionic for the first two storeys, and finally Corinthian, and topped by a shallow mansard with batteries of tall chimneys, would have passed unnoticed on the Continent, but to Scottish eyes must have seemed a great innovation. Levau had done similar things a decade earlier at the Louvre, and Wren and Talman were to follow suit fifteen years later, but here, for the first time, one can see a significant architectural result of the long Franco-Scottish alliance. (more…)
Versailles: Europe’s greatest palace, a scene of splendour and despair 3 May 23, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Accommodation, Air Tickets, Airlines, Destination, Paris , add a commentThere is much to see on the way back. The Bosquet de la Colonnade should not be missed, for it is the only one to retain its original aspect, while the Bosquet de la Reine and that of the Bains d’Apollon should certainly be seen, as should the Bassin de Neptune with its baroque sculpture. From there the All& des Marmousets should be followed right up to the Parterre d’Eau. Viewed from this slight distance the immense facade of the château looks for a moment like one continuous line of incredible length, extending as it does for 634 yards.
Many a visitor, on entering the silent palace today, would echo the words of one of the great ladies of Louis XIV’s time who, on coming to Versailles during the King’s absence, replied to a questioner who asked if she did not consider Versailles the most enchanting of places, Yes, if the enchanter were here’. (more…)
Versailles: Europe’s greatest palace, a scene of splendour and despair 2 May 23, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Lodges, Paris, USA , add a commentThe real story of Versailles opens with a windmill on a hill and a hunting party — of which the young king, Louis XIII, was a member — in the woods nearby. So marked an impression did this make on the young king that eighteen years later, in 1624, he bought the knoll and built a small hunting box there, which was the origin of the future palace. This was the scene of the Journee des Dupes (the Day of the Dupes) in 163o. On this occasion Louis XIII, in spite of the efforts of Marie de‘ Medici who wanted to dismiss Richelieu from his high office, asserted his authority and assured the Cardinal of his continued support and favour. In 1632 Louis XIII purchased the Manor of Versailles from its owners, the Gondis, to whom it had belonged since 1572. He took over the whole estate and committed to Philibert le Roy the task of improving the hunting-lodge which was to remain his favourite resort until his death in 1643. (more…)
Versailles: Europe’s greatest palace, a scene of splendour and despair 1 May 23, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Accommodation, Airlines, Destination, France, Paris, USA , add a commentHistory seems to select certain places, hitherto unknown, as appropriate settings for memorable events and scenes of splendour and shame. Looking back, the historian can see some connection between the name of such a place, its geographical position and the part it played in history. The fact that Versailles is built on a hill, and that the slopes that fall away on one side are covered in gardens while those that drop down on the other form one of the most impressive semi-circular approaches known to any royal residence, has frequently led men to think that the name ‘ Versailles‘ is derived from the word versant, a slope. (more…)
Malmaison: the Favourite country residence of Napoleon and Josephine continue… May 22, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Accommodation, Destination, England, France, Library, Museum, Paris, Turkey , add a commentIt soon became obvious that the château was too small. Percier and Fontaine added on two wings and pulled down the dividing walls in order to enlarge the drawing rooms. In doing so they practically caused the main structure to collapse and had to reinforce it with massive pilasters which still today look somewhat incongruous. The interior was decorated with care in the taste of the day. The walls were hung with both antique and modern pictures. Two red marble obelisks adorned one of the doorways; they came originally from the Château de Rueil, once the residence of Cardinal de Richelieu but now nonexistent. Berthault built follies in the shade of the trees; a Gothic aviary, a temple of love, sphinxes were dotted about the groves and the banks of the stream. (more…)
