Archive for the 'Historical' Category
Spanish Steps
Filed under: Historical, Italy, Landmarks
The Spanish Steps (Italian: Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti) is a set of stairs in Rome, ramping a steep slope between the Piazza di Spagna at the base and Piazza Trinità dei Monti, with the church under the patronage of the Bourbon kings of France, Trinità dei Monti, above.
The square in an 18th century etching by Giuseppe Vasi, seen from south. The street on the left is Via del Babuino, leading to Piazza del Popolo.
The monumental stairway, of 138 steps, was built with French diplomat Stefano Gueffier’s funds (20,000 scudi) in 1723–1725, linking the Bourbon Spanish embassy to the Holy See, today still located in the piazza below, with the Trinità dei Monti church above.
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Pantheon (Rome)
Filed under: Historical, Italy, Religious
The Pantheon (Latin Pantheon, from Greek Πάνθεον Pantheon, meaning “Temple of all the Gods”) is a building in Rome which was originally built as a temple to the seven deities of the seven planets in the state religion of Ancient Rome, but which has been a Christian church since the 7th century. It is the best-preserved of all Roman buildings. It has been in continuous use throughout its history. Although the identity of the Pantheon’s primary architect remains uncertain, it is largely assigned to Apollodorus of Damascus.
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The Alamo
Filed under: Historical, Landmarks, Texas
The Alamo (formally: San Antonio de Valero Mission) is the name (from the Spanish word álamo, meaning cottonwood trees) of former mission and fortress compound, now a museum, in San Antonio, Texas, United States. The compound, which originally comprised a church and surrounding buildings, was built by the Spanish Empire in the 18th century for the education of local Native Americans after their conversion to Christianity. After its later abandonment as a mission, it was used as a fortress in the 19th century and was the scene of several military actions, including most notably the 1836 Battle of the Alamo, one of the pivotal battles between the forces of the Republic of Texas and Mexico during the Texas Revolution.
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Stonehenge
Filed under: Historical, United Kingdom
Stonehenge is a Neolithic and Bronze Age megalithic monument located near Amesbury in the English county of Wiltshire, about 8 miles (13 km) north of Salisbury. It is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones and is one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world.
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