Restored monuments are focus of Memorial Day ceremony

Posted on 18th May 2012 in The monuments of world

Written by Susan Hunter
Thursday, 17 May 2012 09:10

The Woodbridge Avenue Honor Roll and War Memorial Committee will host its 68th Memorial Day ceremony on Sunday, May 20th at 2 p.m. at the memorial at the intersection of Woodbridge Avenue and Visselli Court in Ansonia.

A rededication of the newly restored Vietnam War and World War II memorial plaques will take place along with a blessing of the memorial by Deacon Victor Lembo of St. Michael’s Church in Naugatuck.

Police reported that the plaques were stolen from the monument on Dec. 1, 2011, and said that the theft occurred because of their value of the plaques as precious metals and they were probably sold at a metal scrap yard.

In order to restore the plaques, the Derby Historical Society and the mayors of Derby, Ansonia and Shelton established the Veterans Memorial Plaques Restoration Fund.

The Woodbridge Avenue Memorial Committee contributed donations.

A new pole with lighting has been installed, and there are plans to install a spotlight or floodlight, Ansonia Mayor Jim Della Volpe said.

“Everybody is very pleased,” he said.

Deacon Lembo will perform the benediction, while the Rev. Russell Lesiw, a veteran and the retired pastor of the Seymour Evangelical Baptist Church will perform the invocation.

Speakers include Col. Phil Tripp, U.S. Army (Retired), Roberto Santos, a readjustment counselor at the New Haven Veterans Centeggr, and Veteran Anthony Silva.

The Emil Senger Post #10 American Legion from Seymour, let by Commander Michael Kearney will perform the flag raising and salute to the dead.

Also participating will be Gordon-Visselli Post #50 American Legion; U.S. Marine Platoon #2027; St. Michael’s Post #1562 Catholic War Veterans, Derby; Luben, Linett and Steinman Jewish War Veterans Post #37; Comcowich Carver VFW Post #597; Disabled American Veterans Post #4, Ansonia, Derby, Seymour, Shelton and VFW Post #12084, Seymour.

Those attending include Mayor Della Volpe, state Rep. Len Greene, Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller, and members of the Ansonia Police Department, Charter Hose Co. #4 of the Ansonia Fire Department and Ansonia Rescue Medical Services.

Commenting is reserved for registered users.

Log in or register a new account.

comments: 0 » tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Under the spell of Istanbul

Posted on 17th May 2012 in The monuments of world


.

 

.

View of Istanbul from the Golden Horn

.

Topkapi Palace symbolises the eternal vigilance of the Ottoman Sultan against injustice

.

Dolmabache Palace was an administrative centre for Ottoman Empire replacing the Topkapi Palace until 1922

.

Enderun Library within the Topkapi Palace compound

.

The Blue Mosque in its grandeur under the bright sunlight as seen from Sultan Ahmad Garden, at the northern side Pictures by Rizauddin Ibrahim

AHH… historic Istanbul! This crosses my mind the moment I lay my eyes on classic Ottoman buildings and the architecturally European-flavoured ones set along the shores of the Golden Horn.

I am on a boat cruise along the waters of the Golden Horn, a natural estuary of the Bosphorus Strait that divides this capital of Turkey into two continents — Asia in the east and Europe in the west.

That boat cruise is a surreal yet amazing voyage between the two continents.

The Golden Horn is a 7.5km- long, narrow estuary that forms a protected natural harbour.

For thousands of years, it has been a port of call for ships from the Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman.

Here was where the city once began and here is where I begin my journey in historic Istanbul.

ANCIENT DOMES AND TOWERS

Looking at the city skyline from where I am on the boat, I can already feel the historic aura. First, I clearly see the domes and towers of Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and Blue Mosque which date from the year 530 to 1600.

As the boat cruises along the coast, one cannot help feeling impressed at the sight of Dolmabahce Palace, (1856), and Beylerbeyi Palace, a summer palace completed in 1865.

And there are many hundreds of years-old wooden villas and mansions along the shores that will make anyone envious of their owners.

Then comes the Rumeli Hasari or Rumeli Fortress that will leave you awestruck by its sheer supreme look. It was the largest fortress built by Sultan Mehmed Istanbul II in 1451 to control the sea routes of the Bosphorus to prevent aid from the Black Sea reaching the Turkish Siege of Constantinople in 1453.

Constantinople is the Byzantine name for Istanbul. It was under siege many times before Mehmet The Conqueror took the city in 1453 and made it the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Before that, it was the capital of powerful Roman and Byzantine Empire.

These ancient empires left these symbols of their past glories and best of all, these remnants are not scattered ruins of dull grey stones but large buildings which have defied the ravages of time. All these can now still be seen in the Sultan Ahmed District.

ROYAL DISTRICT

The Sultan Ahmed District is the heart of historic Old Istanbul. It is located on the peninsula bounded by bodies of water to north, east and south — the Golden Horn, Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara, respectively. The area was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1985.

This is where Constantinople was located at the southern bank of the Golden Horn and parts of the defence wall of the old city still remain at the coast. Located on the European side of Istanbul, the old city is the best base for sightseeing in Istanbul.

As the most historic part of Istanbul, Sultan Ahmet District is where all the city’s significant landmarks like Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia and Topkapi Palace are located. Making it a complete tourist destination, the area has a number of good restaurants and hotels too.

HIPPODROME OF CONSTANTINOPLE

Though public transport is easily accessible, going on foot is the best choice to explore the old city. You should not miss going to Sultan Ahmed Square, actually the Hippodrome of Constantinople, the sporting and social centre of the city during the Byzantium era where horse or chariot racings were held.

Today, several fragments of the original structure that adorned the square during its glorious time are still standing. They are the monuments of the Spiral Column, Thutmosis Obelisk and Walled Obelisk.

The most recent addition to the square is the German Fountain, which is an octagonal domed fountain in neo-Byzantine style, constructed by the German government in 1900 to mark the German Emperor Wilhelm II’s visit to Istanbul in 1898.

THE BLUE MOSQUE

Adjacent to the Hippodrome is the Blue Mosque, or its official name, Sultan Ahmed Mosque. Built from 1609 to 1617, it is called the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles that adorn the walls of its interior. However, the tiles are mostly on the upper level, which is difficult to see.

Coming from the Hippodrome, I walk through a grand doorway on the western side to go to its inner courtyard.

Its architecture is better appreciated from the outside, especially under the bright sunlight from the Sultan Ahmed Garden at the northern side.

This grand building of Ottoman architecture with six minarets and cascading layers of domes is a sight to behold.

HAGIA SOPHIA

As you admire the Blue Mosque and praise its architect, Sadefkar Mehmet Aga, tribute should also be given to Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus, the architects of neighbouring Hagia Sophia.

They designed Hagia Sophia 1,000 years before Mehmet Aga was born. History goes that Sultan Ahmed 1, the Sultan of Ottoman ordered the Blue Mosque to be built to rival Hagia Sophia. And the result is two great architectural achievements standing next to each other in Istanbul’s main square.

Hagia Sofia or Aya Sofia in Turkish which means Church Of Holy Wisdom, was built from year 532 to 537.

At that time, its wide, flat dome was considered a daring engineering feat and became the world’s most impressive building and made it the greatest church in Christendom.

It then was turned into a mosque when Ottoman conquered the city in 1453 and continued to serve as Istanbul’s most revered mosque until 1935 when Kamal Ataturk turned it into a museum as we see it today.

Unlike the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia is best admired from the inside, especially from the mezzanine level. From this floor, the view of the prayer hall is the most impressive. The natural light is slightly dimmed under its massive dome but gloriously lit by the glittering gold from the 30 million pieces of tiny golden tiles.

These tiny pieces of tiles are mosaic images of the Virgin Mother, Jesus, saints, emperors and empresses, as well as geometric patterns.

As it was once a mosque, the wall has Islamic calligraphy arts that inscribe religious names including that of the first four caliphs Abu Bakar, Umar, Uthman and Ali.

It is under this great dome of Hagia Sophia that I find a perfect mix of both Ottoman and Byzantium, or Islamic and Christian.

These are the characteristics of two different cultures from two great empires that have affected present Istanbul.
 

TOPKAPI PALACE

Next to Hagia Sophia is Topkapi Palace, home of Ottoman Sultan for 400 years and the heart of Ottoman Empire.

The initial construction began in 1459 but after that, over centuries,  the Palace Complex expanded to cover 80 hectares! This centuries-long construction included the major renovation after the 1509 earthquake and 1665 fire.

At its peak, the palace is home to 4,000 people but it is now the Topkapi Palace Museum housing many collections of historic objects from all over the Ottoman Empire and precious heirlooms that once belonged to Ottoman Sultans themselves.

A short visit to this palace will not do justice to it for it is a huge complex, made of four main courtyards and many smaller buildings.

The assortment of small buildings is fine architecture on its own. They are a result of the directives by many previous Ottoman Sultans who individually added and changed various structures and elements in the palace.

But the finest of all is the Fourth Courtyard or Imperial Sofa, the innermost private sanctuary of the Sultan and his family and has a number of pavilions, kiosks, gardens and terraces.

Here also is the special chamber called Chamber of the Sacred Relic, which includes the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle.

The pavilion houses what are considered the most sacred relics of the Muslim world, including the cloak of the Prophet Muhammad, two swords, a bow, one tooth, hairs of his beard, his battle sabres, autographed letters and other relics.

Several other sacred objects are also on display, such as the swords of the first four Caliphs, the staff of Moses, the turban of Joseph and a carpet belonging to Muhammad’s daughter.

The upper terrace has the Iftar Kiosk and Baghdad Kiosk where the Sultan customarily breaks fast during Ramadan with the view of the Golden Horn in the background. This is the best place to end the tour in Topkapi Palace.
 

GRAND BAZAAR

For a city that is proud of its heritage and culture inherited from two major empires, there is life in this city that stubbornly clings on to its old world ambience. That is the Grand Bazaar.

The oldest and one of the world’s largest covered bazaars, the bazaar spreads over 61 covered streets with more than 3,000 shops. Record has it that the bazaar attracts between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily.

It offers an excellent shopping experience especially for souvenir hunting, from Turkish carpets, glazed tiles and pottery, copper and brassware, apparel made of leather, cotton and wool, music instrument to all sorts of other things.

Thanks to the ambience, I can’t help but feel like entering Aladdin’s cave in some shops selling antiques.

This is the place to hone bargaining skills, which usually involves prospective clients having tea with the traders while bargaining for the right price.

Shopping in the Grand Bazaar is what many visitors list as among the things to do when visiting Istanbul. But for a more sizzling time, have a fine dinner with a belly dancing show thrown in.
 

comments: 0 » tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

North-East heritage bid withdrawn

Posted on 16th May 2012 in The monuments of world

16 May 2012 Last updated at 10:12 ET

St Peter's ChurchSt Peter’s, Monkwearmouth was founded around 674AD

The Wearmouth-Jarrow bid for World Heritage status is “shelved” after an evaluation by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).

The bid centred on the monastery of St Peter’s Church in Monkwearmouth and St Paul’s Church in Jarrow.

The Bishop of Jarrow, the Right Reverend Mark Bryant, chair of the partnership behind the bid, said he was “disappointed” about the evaluation.

However, he adds that that the plan could be resubmitted at a later date.

‘Strong local support’

The decision to withdraw was made jointly by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), English Heritage and the Wearmouth-Jarrow Partnership.

Bishop Bryant said: “It’s important to say that it is shelved.

“The reason it was withdrawn is that if it had gone right through to the committee and they had said no, then we would not have been able to put it in again.

“So we have withdrawn it to give us the option to put it forward again.”

In a statement a DCMS spokesperson said: “Clearly, everyone involved is disappointed with the recent ICOMOS evaluation.

“There is strong local support for the world heritage bid and the team there have done some great work, which ICOMOS have acknowledged.

“We will study the report further to look at what still needs to be done, building on the work so far.”

comments: 0 » tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Kurdějov, one of the oldest winegrowing communities in the country

Posted on 2nd May 2012 in The monuments of world

South Moravia is well-known for its wine, which has been produced there at least since thirsty Roman soldiers far from home began doing so in the 2nd century. Move forward a thousand years or so, to the 13th century, and wine trading had become one of the most profitable businesses in the region. Those are the days that our destination for today stretches back to.

KurdějovKurdějov The village of Kurdějov is just a tiny pinprick on the map, about half-way between Brno and Břeclav, and there are just enough inhabitants for each of them to have their own day of the year. But while easy to overlook, Kurdějov is notable for many ancient features, all born of the fact that this is one of the oldest winegrowing communities in the region.

In fact the first time anyone mentioned Kurdějov in writing it was about wine, specifically the sale of vineyards, in 1286. Such was the local wine then valued that the four sons of the local nobleman agreed, around 80 years later, that “all the wine from the hills of Kurdějov be divided into four parts, so that none might be diluted”. To describe the village of those days is Antonie Němečková, a businesswoman and promoter of Moravian wine.

“Kurdějov is one of the oldest vineyard communities it the country, and whichever direction you look in, the hills there used to be covered in vineyards. The village was German-speaking and has more than 1,000 inhabitants. It was an affluent community, and between all the fields there were wine cellars. The fortified church is also a testament to the wealth of the village. The fortifications were erected to protect against the raids of those who wanted to plunder the village.”

There were lots of enemies, to be sure, from Turks and Hungarian rebels to rapacious Swedes. Most of them took the added effort of burning the village down, while the Transylvanian prince Gabriel Bethlen actually took 400 of the villagers as slaves. The people of Kurdějov were ready for the Tartars, at least. During their onslaught the villagers did a great deal of damage to them thanks to the useful presence of a fortified church – today one of the oldest monuments in South Bohemia. The church was here as early as 1350, with the fortifications added later. Miroslav Žemlička, a guide in the church, describes some of its interesting features.

“The bells come from 1456, 1469 and 1606. During the First Republic their value was estimated at half a million crowns, but today they are priceless. The tower adjacent to the church used to be 53 metres. Today its height is 45 metres because previous repairs and other work had to decrease it to keep it from falling over.”

Also part of the fortification is the chapel of All Saints.

“The encroachment of foreign troops or other enemies in the village could be prevented not only from the city walls but also through the crenels, or battlements with arrow slits, on the chapel. Previously the chapel and the church were connected by a bridge. It’s not here today because it collapsed sometime during the 18th century, so the church and the tower can only be reached from the outside.”

Miroslav ŽemličkaMiroslav Žemlička While lovely today, history has taken away some of the once grand features of the tower. Each floor originally had four smaller turrets, the tops of which had green weathercocks and stars. Harder for time to erase is the set of underground tunnels beneath the tower, accessible from the nearby wine bar, where Miroslav Žemlička offers a local speciality – spirit of almond (the neighbouring town of Hustopeče hosts the only almond orchard in the country). It’s a good courage booster for what lies ahead.

“Now I’ll be taking you into the local underground corridors. Among other things they served as a hiding place when the village was attacked. There are 340 metres of tunnels here, and one of them went all the way to the church in Hustopeče. If you go by the road, that’s three kilometres away, but in the 15th century these tunnels were 12 kilometres long. With land changing hands over so many years though, and various waves of settlement, the better part of the corridors did not survive. There is this section and then another in Hustopeče in the cellar of a pub.”

The corridors get narrower and lower and wind around more and more the further one goes. It used to be that neither the church nor the corridors were secured, and Mr Žemlička would visit them as a boy, so he has their every nook well mapped out. Today the area is accessible only on reservation.

“When you go into the corridors the first tunnel on the right is a dead end. At the end is a flight of stairs and beyond them a metal door. That was the original entrance to the cellars. And if you keep going straight then you’ll come to the church, which you will recognise because there are stairs going up that are covered by concrete slabs. That corridor goes up to the altar. We are about 20 metres under the surface now and it get’s quite damp. I’ll light your candles now and you can go inside…”

Though Kurdějov was originally a Czech village – which we know, among other things, because almost all of the recorded correspondence was written in Czech), a strong German influence beginning in the Renaissance overcame the settlement in the centuries to come. By 1921 there were 881 Germans, 19 Czechs and 16 ‘foreigners’ living in 212 homes there. After the Second World War, that situation radically changed. Antonie Němečková, again.

“After the expulsion of the Germans the population here went overnight from 1,000 to two people. So the village was doomed until they began resettling the borders. A lot of the people who received houses here didn’t know how to deal with owning property, they didn’t know how to take care of a house. So when the roof caved in on them they just moved to the next empty house. Gradually almost all the property in the village was destroyed in this way. After the revolution, in 1993, I met a married couple from Austria who were taking a picture of one of the houses, so I invited them to come have a look at what was new in Kurdějov. They had tears in their eyes and said they had been born in that house, not told us not to worry, that they don’t want it back, they had just come to look and see how it was doing.”

Today Kurdějov is far from a backwater. It is a much sought after retreat for private and business gatherings, with tennis courts, hotels and of course vineyards and wine tastings. There are plenty of different wines from different vintners on hand for you to try out, thanks in part to Mrs Němečkova’s business efforts.

“We are promoters of Moravian wine, and the way we decided to do that by building the biggest wine bars. We selected one hundred winemakers and took six wines from each. Then we selected from that, and now we support what we believe are thirty truly excellent winemakers.”

Kurdějov and its surroundings offer a beautiful environment for all kinds of interests, be they historical, sporting, or wine-related, and a visit to the nearby almond orchard in Hustopeče, a botanical rarity, is not to be forgotten. Almonds need a lot more warmth than the Czech Republic would normally offer, and out of what was once tens of thousands of trees only about 800 remain. But the town is determined to hold on to it in spite of the difficulties.

Photo: Zdeňka Kuchyňová

The episode featured today was first broadcast on November 9, 2011.

comments: 0 » tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

LBL'12 Preview: From Stavelot to Liège

Posted on 21st April 2012 in The monuments of world

LBL’12 Preview: From Stavelot to Liège
Saturday, April 21, 2012  3:06:33 AM PT

- Contributed by Peter Easton of Velo Classic Tours – this article first ran a couple years back, but it’s still worth the read…

Danilo DiLuca was bolted to the tip of his saddle, grimacing as he struggled to match Schleck’s effort, his discomfort timed by a rapidly emptying hour glass, his shoulders locked against the pain coursing through his body. As the incline faded 200 meters from the finish line, the sale of DiLuca’s soul was finalized and time stood still just long enough for him to raise his arms in triumph. And while this finish provides the glossy cover image that defines a Spring Classic, it is only one of thousands of snapshots collected over time that tells the story and paints the picture of what is arguably the hardest single day race in the world- Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

If the Tour of Flanders is in your heart and Paris-Roubaix is in your head, then Liège-Bastogne-Liège is a race that is clearly in your legs. And while winning its midweek partner La Flèche-Wallonne is surely a great achievement, laying claim to the oldest classic of them all is what will keep your name on everyone’s lips.


Liege to Bastogne and back again – 255km of leg busting war over some of the most historic battlegrounds in pro racing.

While an intricate knowledge of the cobbles of Flanders and pavé of Northern France is a prerequisite for success, conquering Liège-Bastogne-Liège requires pure strength. Paris-Roubaix is unmatched in its uniqueness and the Tour of Flanders is, in so many aspects, the most beautiful. But as the oldest Classic, it is this race that demands the most when it comes to pure strength and battling attrition. No man has ever won Liège-Bastogne-Liège on luck.

Of the Five Monuments of Cycling- Milan-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Il Giro di Lombardia the others- it is Liège-Bastogne-Liège that lacks the glamour. There is no medieval market square to celebrate the start, no historic stage to showcase the finale. There are no shadows cast from the marble spires of a Gothic cathedral, no grand lakeside boulevard for the sprint. It is, however, the only race that does not depend on its image to sell itself. It is the only one of the five that dispatches its riders, puts them on a course of systematic and methodical elimination, and patiently awaits their return.

No untimely flats or unfortunate crashes caused by cobbles, no narrow lanes to negotiate. And if the first 170 kilometers is the introduction, it is the final 85 that activates the race, underscores the visual distinction between country and city, and highlights the enduring history between Stavelot and Liège.

The ruins of the Abbey of Stavelot dominate the center of town, the remains of a once important center of Christianity purposefully destroyed. The village lies at a critical junction in the heart of the Ardennes, and while it is less than 60 kilometers from Liège, it’s charm is infinitely further from the post industrial apocalypse that has gripped Belgian’s iron city, and even more from its own scarred past.

One, the city on the Meuse, is haunted by the shuttered coal furnaces and abandoned steel plants that once built this region into an industrial power. The other, the village on the Amblève, is simply haunted by blood stained hands. Further souring the haunting aftertaste in Stavelot that lingers from its bloody past is the memorial to the citizens and soldiers killed in World War II, a stark reminder of the ugliness man can paint over nature’s canvas. It is here on race day that a new battle begins, an annual pilgrimage again rewarding the aggressor and condemning the cautious.

The Stavelot Triptych is a medieval reliquary that contains two slivers of wood from the True Cross, presented as a gift to the Abbey in 1156. Centuries before, the Abbey was home to the exiled bishop of Maastricht, Saint Lambert, for seven years, before he returned a martyr to preach his gospel on the banks of the Meuse, and was murdered in Liège. The Place Saint Lambert, built on the original location of Liège Cathedral that housed the Saint’s tomb, has the honor of hosting the race start. Leaving Liège, the landscape, a wave of continuously verdant hills, appears on the horizon, and the beauty of the Ardenne Bleue is lit from the ground up, as blossoming flowers color the grass light blue, almost mirroring the sky.

The indigenous architecture is accentuated with local stone, shimmering in the morning sunlight varying shades of blue. Villages swell with spectators, pausing to pay tribute- a moment of silence- at the local war memorial. Unlike its Flemish counterpart, the Tour of Flanders, this day is not a wild chase across the narrow back roads of an open countryside. This is a day that memorializes a dark past as much as it celebrates, at least for a day, the beauty of the present. It is a day of pride for Wallonia, this fourth Sunday in April, and they are proud to be the center of the cycling world.

As the race taps Bastogne, its furthest point to the south, it’s as if a charred hand rose from the coal mounds of Liège to choose its boundaries, a blackened finger selecting Bastogne, unaware of the ominous designation bestowed. 66 years on from its nightmare, the church bells from the reconstructed belfry ring proudly at 1:00 pm as the peloton navigates the village. Numerous memorials surround the town, locking in to the horrors of 1944. The newest memorial was happily welcomed, designating their proud history as patron of this race, a gesture fittingly displayed with the dedication of Le Rond Point la Doyenne. From here, the charred hand of Liège will begin to open its palm for one rider, caressing him to victory. For the rest, it’s a clenched fist, as tightly closed and cold as the factories it built.

The race’s climbs through the thick forests and arduous hills of the Ardennes Mountains orchestrate a sequence that is highly calculating. The nine climbs – Côte de Wanne, Côte de Stockeu, Côte de la Haute-Levée, Côte du Rosier, Côte de Maquisard, Monte Theaux, Côte de la Redoute, Côte de la Roche aux Faucons and the Côte de Saint-Nicolas – magnify an increasingly rapid elimination process, leaving the strongest, grittiest, most determined to duel it out through the streets of Liège.

Like the other Monuments, Liège-Bastogne-Liège has its icon that captures the spectator’s imaginations, solicits the expectations, instills confidence in the strongest, fear in the weakest, and produces the drama of anticipation that cycling’s biggest figures willingly tend to annually, battling for the honor to place this squarely on their mantle of success. This centerpiece is La Redoute, a stifling sequence of steps that rises steeply alongside the A26/E25 highway and whose lifeline is close to being choked closed by the gauntlet of fans that swarm the hill. The irony of it all is the intensely beautiful backdrop this is played out against.

Approaching Liège, the smoke stacks that once heaved and belched plumes of smoke into the sky appear on the riverside. The circuitous chase up the monochromatic street of the Côte de St-Nicolas and through the worn maze of Liège is reminiscent of a high speed chase of cops and robbers with one, two maybe three men in close pursuit, negotiating the tight turns, dips and rises. If grey was not a color, it would be mournful and miserable. Thankfully the peloton rotates like a kaleidoscope, bringing a prism of color to an otherwise dreary neighborhood.

The innocuous finish in Ans, uphill from the Place Saint Lambert, is crammed onto a boulevard whose main tenants are a Carrefour super market and exit 33 off the A3/E40. Even if this race rejects any sense of glamour, the honor bestowed on its victor is a success that resonates beyond the podium. One is forgiven if the silver chalice handed to the winner is thought to have come from the bounty seized from the Abbey of Stavelot, polished, glistening and reflecting the moment that captures the glory of realization that can only be seen when you close your eyes. To the winner, this finish is as glamorous as any.

In 2006, as the race entered Stavelot, a lone rider split the crowd that lined the Côte de Stockeu, the last remnant of a 26 rider break. I stood alongside the cobbled street in town, staring at the ruined archway of the Abbey. The race was almost five hours old. As the lead cars thundered into town, the distinct noise of tires on cobbles ignited the air, trumpeting the start of St Lambert’s pilgrimage. As I glanced back across the cobbles, a lone cyclist’s reflection flashed brilliantly in the window adjacent to the Abbey’s arch. A second later he appeared, scorching across the cobbled streets of Stavelot before disappearing into the thick crowd. The path chosen by a martyr is never an easy one. But that doesn’t mean it cannot be a beautiful one.


Peter and Lisa Easton are experts on everything Spring Classics and beyond. Catch up with them on the road with Velo Classic Tours and one of their eleven itineraries to the Classics. Visit VeloClassic.com for more information.
comments: 0 » tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Monumental fight

Posted on 31st March 2012 in The monuments of world

CLINTON —  What started out as a long-overdue memorial to the town’s World War I veterans has turned into a battle of wills between an American Legion subcommittee and selectmen about where the nine-by-six-foot monument would be situated.

“This is a disgrace to those 670-plus names on that monument, and an insult to their relatives,” said an angry John F. Gannon, chairman of the monument subcommittee from the Clinton American Legion James R. Kirby Post 50.

Mr. Gannon said the Legion is finished discussing the monument with selectmen after the board’s unanimous vote Wednesday to change the site from in front of Town Hall on Church Street, to the side of Town Hall, on Walnut Street, behind monuments to World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars.

The fate of the monument remains unclear.

Kirby Post Commander Lisa A. McPhee said she is disappointed by the selectmen’s decision, but respects it.

Meanwhile, she said, the School Committee will be approached about erecting the monument on the Veteran’s Memorial Athletic Field, across from the high school. The property is under the jurisdiction of the School Department.

Selectmen last year approved the Church Street site, but balked when they realized that the size of the granite monument would require removing a tree, digging up the sidewalk, and blocking the view from some Town Hall offices.

Mr. Gannon and other subcommittee members said the monument, which is completed and currently in Vermont, would be blocked by the World War II memorial if placed on Walnut Street, and would not be visible at all from Church Street.

The Legion paid $50,000 for the monument, and planned to pay for installation and removal of the tree. It was expected to be in place before Memorial Day.

Selectman Michael J. Dziokonski, a Vietnam War combat veteran who is the selectmen’s liaison to the Legion subcommittee, described the situation as unfortunate.

“It’s not like we voted to put the monument on top of the landfill,” he said. “It would be in a prominent location with the other memorials. Sadly, that’s not going to be the last war monument to be put up, there will surely be one for these (Iraq and Afghanistan) wars, and the spot on Walnut Street is a respectful, attractive place — not stuck by itself in front of Town Hall.”

The Rev. Edward J. Barrus, pastor of the Faith Bible Baptist Church in Clinton and a member of the Legion subcommittee, suggested erecting the monument in St. John’s Cemetery, with permission from the church. The cemetery, on the Lancaster line, is a popular walking area.

He agreed with Mr. Gannon that the monument would be hidden behind the other monuments on Walnut Street.

“It’s a really, really, nice first class monument,” he said. “Why put it behind something where it would not be seen a lot?”

Mr. Dziokonski apologized to the Legion, residents and fellow selectmen for the dispute — even though he was not a selectman when the Legion first approached them last year.

“There’s plenty of blame to go around,” he said.

He said an architect should have been consulted at some point between then and now, and that there was no contact from the Legion in the interim.

But Ms. McPhee said she was surprised selectmen reversed their position, especially because the Legion sent emails to the board for months about the site selection process and the construction of the monument.

“We never heard anything back from them. Then, in January, all this comes out of the blue,” she said. “I don’t care where it goes, as long as it goes up.”

comments: 0 » tags: , , , , , , ,

Joan of Arc's 600th birthday in Rouen

Posted on 20th March 2012 in The monuments of world

The pilgrimage stream of tourists is never-ending. Everyone wants to see the place where history was written. On May 30, 1431, executioners dragged Joan from Orleans, barely 19-years-old, before a crowd of gaping people, tied her to a stake and set her on fire. Then they threw her ashes into the Seine River.

Every year, the event is marked by memorial ceremonies in Rouen, and in 2012 these will be on even a larger scale than usual because it is the 600th anniversary of the birth of Jeanne d’Arc.

Everything began at the outset of the 15th Century. During the 100 Years’ War, England had the north of France, extending to the Loire River, under its occupation.

The farmer’s daughter Johanna from the Lorraine region would later claim that as early as the age of 13 higher powers had bestowed on her a mission to fight the invaders. After a brief period of fame, Jeanne fell victim to intrigues. To this day, she is revered throughout the country.

But it is not only because of her that the medieval city of Rouen stands very near the top of the list of historical landmarks in France. Both the Gothic cathedral as well as the astronomical clock from the 14th Century, along with the palace of justice built in 1509, once the largest non-secular building in Europe, also attract the tourists. Then there is the historical old market square, lined by carefully restored half-timbered buildings.

“A city of a hundred church steeples, whose tolling of the bells soars heavenwards” is how French novelist Victor Hugo described Rouen. Above all he had the Notre Dame cathedral of Rouen in mind, with its seven steeples towering above the city. All the Gothic architectural styles are united in this one building.

The main belltower rises 151 metres up towards the skies. “No other church steeple in France is taller,” tour guide Francois Legand points out. “Up till 1880 it was also the tallest steeple in the world, but then the Cologne cathedral was completed. Its tallest point surpasses ours by 6 metres.”

Also famous in Rouen is the butter tower. Actually, during the Lent fasting season the enjoyment of butter was prohibited. But in order to collect money to build the tower, the church temporarily suspended the ban on butter.

Pierre Claudel, who studied medieval history at the local university, points out other things worth seeing which one might initially overlook. These include the plague house and the ossuary of L’aitre Saint-Maclou.

“In the year 1348 the so-called Black Death wiped out nearly three-quarters of the population. The victims were initially buried in a mass grave in the middle of the city,” Claudel says about the plague years.

Skulls sculpted into the facades of the half-timbered buildings of the 14th Century recall the period. Today, artists are at work in the rooms of such buildings.

The historical old city centre is criss-crossed by pedestrian zones. During the day, the small alleyways appear somewhat deserted.

“But in the evening there’s a lot of action, for the taverns are open,” points out German student Vivian Bartels, who is attending a four-week language course in Rouen. “Above all you’ll meet young people, students that you can quickly come into contact with.”

Tour guide Pierre Claudel leads his group on further to see other landmark spots. These include the Gros Horloge, the tower with the astronomical clock, and further on, the palace of justice, which likewise is listed among France’s national monuments.

During summer days, people are drawn to the banks of the Seine, which divides the city.

“Rouen is a port city – both for ocean-going ships and for river vessels,” Claudel says. “From here, it is just 125 kilometres to the English Channel.”

Along the quays, merchant freighters from overseas are berthed. “Every few years – the next one will be in 2013 – the world’s biggest gathering of windjammers takes place here,” Claudel notes.

Until then, it will be the river cruise vessels which will be bringing tourists hoping to experience the medieval flair of the city of Joan of Arc.

comments: 0 » tags: , , , , , , ,

75,000 'heritage crimes' committed in a year

Posted on 19th March 2012 in The monuments of world

It added that the “most precious buildings were worst affected”, with nearly a quarter of Grade I and II* listed structures subject to some type of criminal damage.

Uncovering a “worrying” rate of damage, the report also concluded that nearly one in five listed buildings were “physically harmed by crime” with more than a third of churches or religious buildings damaged.

But researchers, who uncovered an “unprecedented volume of information”, believe the figure could be much higher as one in three heritage-related crimes go unreported.

Today’s report surveyed the country’s listed buildings of all grades, unlisted structures in conservation areas, scheduled monuments such as burial mounds and ruins and historic parks and gardens.

It stated: “There is a growing body of evidence that the risk of crime and anti-social behaviour facing designated heritage assets has grown considerably in recent years.”

It concluded that metal theft was the “biggest single threat” to the country’s landmarks, as gangs only saw “the metal and not the heritage”. Official figures have shown more than 1,000 metal theft offences are occurring every week in Britain.

In recent months high-profile targets of criminals have included York Minster and the Bishop’s Palace in Lincoln while the problem of metal theft was highlighted by the theft of a £500,000 Dame Barbara Hepworth bronze sculpture from Dulwich Park. Ancient covered walkways in Chester, known as the Rows, are being ruined by late-night revellers urinating on the 700 year-old woodwork,

The study found nearly a fifth of the country’s 31,000 Grade I or II* buildings were subject to criminal acts while more than 63,000 Grade II buildings were targeted.

The report, compiled by the Council for British Archaeology and Newcastle and Loughborough universities, found that crimes such as metal theft was more likely to occur in the North while at least 750 sites were hit by “devastating” arson attacks.

It suggested that registered parks and gardens could be suffering the most amount of damage, although there were no “robust” figures to support it.

It also found more than 15 per cent of scheduled monuments – defined as unoccupied “nationally important historic structure significant for its archaeological value” – were damaged by unlicensed metal detecting and illegal vehicle access.

It also concluded that areas with fewer historic buildings and sites experienced “considerably more” instances of heritage crime.

Dr Simon Thurley, the chief executive of English Heritage, described the report’s findings as “alarming”, adding that historic sites were “suffering a substantial rate of attrition from crime”.

“They are susceptible to irreversible harm,” he said.

“Damage done to a listed building or an archaeological site can often not be put right and centuries of history will be lost forever. These places have an obviously high value to society.

“Their particular vulnerability warrants every effort to ensure they are still around for future generations to enjoy just as much as we enjoy them now.”

The body has launched a new Heritage Crime Initiative with police and the Crown Prosecution Service after a sharp rise in crimes such as metal thefts.

More than 100 organisations have also signed up to a voluntary national body called the Alliance to Reduce Crime against Heritage, which aims to “galvanise” local support.

Richard Crompton, the chief constable of Lincolnshire Police and the ACPO national lead for heritage crimes, said virtually every force in the country was now running operations to target metal theft.

“There is a growing recognition across the police service of the impact of heritage-related crime,” he added.

“While the theft of metal remains a significant challenge, these operations have resulted in many arrests and prosecutions across the country.”

Janet Gough, the Church of England’s director of cathedrals and church buildings division, said the report showed the “great burden from crime that is falling on places of worship” with many churches suffering from several times.

“This crime is hurting communities around the country as buildings central to the community and holding many generations of memory are desecrated.

“Churches are fighting back against crime with increased security measures and vigilance but are not able to bear the threat and cost of crime indefinitely”.

John Penrose, the Heritage Minister, admitted the report was “depressing reading”.

He added: “When historic buildings and sites fall victim to vandalism, damage and theft, it’s not just the owner who suffers.

“Very often the thing that’s been stolen or damaged is literally irreplaceable, and the whole community is the loser.”

The report said it did not address the “most fundamental question” of whether or not heritage crimes should be specifically recognised in law, while it could not say what drove such crimes.

Ministers have announced measures including banning cash transactions and introducing unlimited fines for people caught trading stolen scrap metal.

comments: 0 » tags: , , , , , , ,

Station Churches of the Early Church

Posted on 9th March 2012 in The monuments of world

By Ann Schneible

ROME, MARCH 8, 2012 (Zenit.org).- All seminarians who are called to receive their seminary training in Rome have the unique opportunity to reflect upon the universality of the Church, and the unity of Christians throughout the ages.

Nearly every morning of Lent, seminarians and priests from the Pontifical North American College visit one of the Lenten station churches, following a tradition which goes back to the early Church.

This week, seminarians and priests visited churches dedicated to the early martyrs. John Connaughton, a seminarian of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut, in his third year of theology at the PNAC, offered his reflections about this week’s station church pilgrimage.

ZENIT: This week you have been visiting churches which are, in a way, monuments to the early Church and the persecutions against it. What have you received by visiting these Churches in particular?

Connaughton: This week we visited the churches dedicated to St. Clement of Rome, St. Balbina, and St. Cecilia, three early Christian martyrs. When you go to these churches for Mass you can’t help but think of how high the cost of discipleship was for these men and women who were martyred for the faith. Being faithful to Christ literally cost them their lives. And it reminds you that the situation isn’t much different for people today in countries like Egypt, Syria and Iraq, where Christians are marginalized and persecuted, even to death, because they worship Christ. When you consider that they, like the early Church martyrs we visit at the station churches, are willing to risk their lives for the faith, it challenges you to consider your own commitment as a disciple of Christ, and it inspires you to be bolder in your Christian witness in the face of the softer social pressures against the faith in our Western societies, pressures which lately seem to be on the rise.

ZENIT: What are the benefits of visiting these station churches throughout the season of Lent?

Connaughton: Visiting the station churches in Lent is a great way to participate in a pilgrimage experience that spans back to the early Church in Rome. People have been doing this for centuries, and we get to be part of this great spiritual tradition during our time of formation for the priesthood. It’s a powerful way of experiencing the reality of the Church as the Body of Christ.

ZENIT: By visiting these station churches throughout Lent, you have the opportunity to experience the history and culture of the Church in a particular way. How do these, and all your experiences in Rome, contribute to your formation as you prepare to eventually return to America as a priest?

Connaughton: I think the whole experience of being in Rome as a seminarian opens your eyes to the Catholicity, the universality, of the Church. We encounter so many different kinds of people here from all over the world who bring their experiences of being Catholic with them. It broadens our perspective on the faith and reminds us that the Church transcends things like culture, language, nationality, etc. Being in Rome also connects us to those Christians who came before us, going all the way back to Peter and Paul, whose tombs we will visit during the station church pilgrimage. All Christians, past and present, are united by our faith in Christ. You really get a sense of that here, and I hope to be able to share that experience with the people back home.

© Innovative Media, Inc.

comments: 0 » tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Palestinians to submit 20 sites for UNESCO listing

Posted on 8th March 2012 in The monuments of world

The Palestinians are poised to submit the names of 20 sites in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza for addition to UNESCO‘s list of World Heritage sites, an official said on Thursday.

“Within the next few days, we will submit a tentative list of 20 sites to be added to the list,” Omar Awadallah, head of the UN department at the Palestinian foreign ministry, told AFP.

Palestine was accepted as a full member state of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation last year, over objections from Israel and the United States, and despite not having full United Nations membership.

But its tenure as a full UNESCO member came into force on Thursday, and diplomats now plan to move quickly to register Palestinian sites.

“From today we are a full party as a state so now we can start all the things that states can do within the rules of the convention, one of them is that we can submit our list to the World Heritage committee,” he said.

Until now, the Palestinians could not formally submit any sites in the Palestinian territories for inclusion in the list.

The tentative list that will be submitted is the first step in the process of obtaining World Heritage status for the sites, and is intended as an inventory of the locations a member wishes to register, UNESCO says.

The list includes sites ranging from Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity, revered as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, to Hebron’s walled Old City in the southern West Bank.

It also includes the caves at Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, as well as a series of aqueducts and Ummayad palaces, some of which are in Jerusalem.

Gaza sites on the list include the Wadi Gaza coastal wetlands and the Anthedon Harbour, according to a copy of the list seen by AFP.

The finalised list will be presented when the World Heritage Committee holds its annual meeting in June to discuss which sites to accept, Awadallah said.

The Old City of Jerusalem and its walls is already part of the list after it was nominated in 1982 by Jordan.

It is currently listed as an endangered site due to problems of uncontrolled urban development and the deterioration of its monuments due to tourism, the UNESCO website says.

Israel and the United States fiercely opposed Palestinian admission to UNESCO, with both cutting funding to the organisation in the wake of the decision.

There have been ongoing tensions between Israel, the Palestinians and UNESCO over several sites of cultural and religious significance in the West Bank.

In 2010, Israel reduced its cooperation with UNESCO after the organisation described Rachel’s Tomb near Bethlehem, as a mosque.

The tomb, built over what is believed to be the burial place of the biblical matriarch, is the third holiest site in Judaism, but also considered a holy place for Muslims.

In 2011, Israel announced plans to include Rachel’s Tomb and the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron — another shared Jewish and Muslim holy site — in a national heritage restoration plan.

That decision was slammed by the Palestinians and criticised by UNESCO as “escalating tension” in the area.

comments: 0 » tags: , , , , , , , ,
« Previous