петък, 15 юли 2016 г.

Tower of Belem - Lisboa, Portugal

The tower of Belem was built 1514 and 1519 as a defence system, as it is strategically located on the bank of the river Tagus. It is both a medieval tower and a artillery fortess. Apart from its military function, it is a reference to the prestige of King D. Manuel l (1469-1521) as it display the iconographic elements of Manueline decoration. It is an icon of Lisbon's riverside landscape being inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List.

Monument to the Discoveries - Lisboa

FTP I The Monument of the Discoveries is one of Lisbon's key landmarks, being located in one of the city's most heritage - rich areas. Created by the architect Cottinelli Telmo (1897-1948) and the sculptor Leipoldo de Almeida (1898-1975),an ephemeral version of the monument was erected for the first time for the Exposicio do Mundo Portugues (Portuguese World Exhibition). The definitive construction dates feom 1960, the year in which the 500th anniversary of the death of Henrique the Navigator was commemorated.
HENRIQUE THE NAVIGATOR
(1394-1460)
The son of Filipa de Lencastre (1359-1415), and King Joao 1 of Portugal (1357-1433). His ability to combine religious, political, scientic and economic goals made Henruque the Navigator the most important figure associated with the great age of the discoveres. He was the driving force behind initiatives that led to the discoveries of Madeira in 1444, the Azores Island in 1427, and Cape Verde in 1444. The passing of Cape Bojador in 1434 marked the start of the exploration of the west coast of Africa. He was never satisfied with familliar territory and right up to his death he was still ordering the caravels to go furhter onwards until the Indies.
WIND ROSE
In order to decorate the square leading to the Monument, the Republic of South Africa offered a Compass Rose measuring fifty metres in diameter, created from black and red limestone ashlars and containing a fourteen - metre planisphere. Inlaid ships and caravels mark the main routes established during the age of Portuguese Expansion. The work was designed by the architect Cristino da Silva (1896-1976).
CHRONOLOGY OF THE PORTUGUESE EXPANSION
1418 - Madeira
1427 - Azores
1434 - Cape Bojador
1444 - Cape Verde
1460 - Guinea
1471 - Mina
1475 - Sao Tome and Principe
1483 - Congo
1483 - Angola
1488 - Cape of Good Hope
1497 - Natal
1498 - Qelimane
1498 - Calicut, India
1498 - Malindi
1500 - Madagascar
1500 - Terra Novo
1500 - Porto Seguro, Brazil
1502 - Cananea
1505 - Ceylon
1507 - Ormus
1509 - Daman
1509 - Malacca
1511 - Pegu
1512 - Maluku Islands
1512 - Timor
1514 - River Plate
1514 - Canton River (Chu Kiang)
1516 - River Ganges
1525 - Palau Islands
MONUMENT TO THE DISCOVERIES - PEOPLE
Prince Pedro - son of King Joao l
Queen Filupa de Lencastre - mother of Prince Henruque de Navigator
Fernao Mendes Pinto - Writer
Friar Goncalo de Carvalho - dominican
Friar Henruque de Coimbra - franciscan
Luiz Vaz de Camoes - poet
Nuno Goncalves - Painter
Gomes Eanes de Zurara - chronicker
Pero da Covilha - traveller
Jacome de Miorca - cosmographer
Pero de Escobar - Pilot
Pedro Nunes - mathematician
Pero de Alenquer - pilot
Gil Eanes - navigator
Joao Goncalves Zarco - navigator
Prince Fernando - son of King Joao l
Prince Henruque. - the navigator, son of King Joao l
Afonso V - King
Vasco da Gama - navigator
Afonso Baldaia - navigator
Pedro Alvares Cabral - navigator
Fernao de Magalhaes-navigator
Nicolau Coelho -navigator
Gaspar Corte - Real - navigator
Martim Afonso de Sousa - navigator
Joao de Barros - writer
Estevao da Gama - capitan
Bartolomeu Dias - navigator
Diogo Cao - navigator
Antonio de Abreu - navigator
Afonso de Albuqueque - governor
Francisco Xavier - missionary
Cristovao da Gama - capitan

сряда, 13 юли 2016 г.

The Pilgrims way

A thousand year old route
Santiago was one or Jesus Christi's twelve apostiles who,  according to Christian tradition,  preched in Hispania before being decapitated in Jerusalem in 44 AD.  Legent has it that his body was taken in boat to the end of the western world,  where he was buried.

Eight centuries later,  araound 812,  a hermit saw miraculous shining lights and drawing near,  found a cemetery with the tomb of the Apostle.in what today is Compostela. The Asturian King Alfonso II the Chaste went to Compostela from Oviedo to visit the tomb end this was the beginning of the Christian pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela which were to leave a profound mark on the economic, religious, political and social development of Spanish kingdoms.
In a few decades the roads were filled with piligrims and Compostela became a site of piligrimage as important as Rome and Jerusalem. Its expansion was supported by all authorites as reinforcement of the recenty-begin reconquest of Spain againt the Muslim emirate, later the Caliphare of Cordoba. King Sancho III the Elder of Pamplona strongly promoted the Way at the beginning of the second millennium to consolidate a route for the piligrims who travelled south from Pamplona to Lagrono and Najera.  He granted special charters.to towns and had bridges and hospitals built along the route. The nambers of piligrims increased and the Way reached is peak in the 12th century.
Onslaughts of the plague and religious divisions, among other causes,  resulted in a gradual decline of pilgrimages up to the late 20th century, in the 1980s the Way to St. James experienced a resurgence,  recovering its medieval vigour,  thanks to the work of Jacobean associations, local authorities and Pope John Paul II.

Mogadouro - Portugal

LOCATION
Mogadouro is located in the North-east area of Trasos-Montes, in the Mirandese Plateau, between the Douro and Sabor rivers. 
It is surrounded by the coutres of Vimioso, Miranda do Douro, Alfandega da Fe,  Moncorvo and Freixo de Espada a Cinta,  as well as by the Spanish minicipalities of Ribeirinhos do Douro,  Salamanca and Zamora.
It is a vast coutry,  about 470 sq.  mi.  it has 28 parishes,  56 villages with 11.350 inhabitants.  The maximum hegtht in Castanheira Mountain is 3254 m, and the average altitude is 2296 m. Mogadouro is 53 km away from Braganca.
HISTORY
The ancient peopling in the coutry of Mogadouro goes back to a pre-historical era. The villages of Barrocal Alto and Cunho, the megalithic monuments in Pena Mosqueira, Sanhoane, Barreiro and Modorra, the rupestral art in Fraga da Letra and Penas Rolas document the pre-historical occupation, along with other scattered which can be seen at the village's Archaelogical Museum Room.
The king D.  Alfonso III granted the rst Foral 1 in 1272, renewing it the folliwing year in 1512 king D. Manuel bestowed a new Foral.  On november 2oth 1433, the village of Mogadouro is donated to Alvaro Pires de Tavora. From this moment forward, it has been connected to the Tavora famaly. The Tavora's started a remarkable ascent and when they reach the title of Marquis, holding an important and powerful position in the region.
HERITAGE
Once in village of Mogadouro one cannot miss a visit to the historic centre wehere you can visit the Mogadouro Castle,  the Romanesque Mother Chuech, although it was replaced by the temple which can nowadays be appreciated in the village centre,  the Misericordia Church,  the pillory, the Pegados Manor House,  as well as the Saint Francis Convent and Church, built by order of D.  Kuis Alvares de Tavora in the rst decades of the 17th century. Historical monuments such as castle ruins (Castro), the Romanesque churches of Algosinho and Azinhoso, pillories and the typical buildings which can small villages if this coutry stand asvindelible evidences of a vast and valuablevhistorical heritage.
ECONOMY
The coutre's economy depends mostly on agriculture and cattle rising. The small farm agriculture supplements the income of many families. With dailiproductions above 3.400.000 oz.  /22.700 gal., the dairy sector stands as an economical support for the country. Olive oil from the Sabor river valley, grapes from the Douro river valley cork, wood, honey, smoked, sausage, certied. Mirandese meat and other products represent the richness of Mogadouro.
HANDCRAFTS
Mogadouro plays a prominent role in the linen cycle presenting exqusite classic embroidery towellings, stone sculptures, propttery, jewellery and miniature farm implements.

Camino de Santiago

The routes in Spain
Карта на пътят на Камино де Сантяго в Испания.

Малка част от Дневника на експедицията

Фотоснимка на чадт от дневника на Експедиция Атлантис 2016 -  Ден 59 и 60

Chambord

The young King Francis I was 25 years old in 1519 when he initiated the huge enterprise of building the Chateau of Chambord. England at that time was being affect by myjor changes in continental Europe: conflicts engendered by the Reformation were troubling the kingdom and Renaissance tastes were being adapted through the Tudor style of architecture as seen in Somerset House.
A soon as he acceded to the throne in 1515, Francis I ser out to reconquer the Italian province of Milan, which his predecessor, Louis XII, had lost. On his return to France, this ambitious young king and very keen huntsman, stimulared by his victory at Marignano and influenced by Italy's Renaissance architecture, undertook to build the the Chateau of Chambord. Although in design still resembling a medieval stronghold (central keep flanked by four large rowers, two wings, acurtain wall enclosing it all), Chambord is in fact a surprising synthesis of forms inherited from past centuries and innovative architecture from Renaissance Italy (loggias, a terrace, pilasters and horizontal mouldings decorating the facades).
Chambord was intended as a hunting lodge but its architecture makes in an extravagant chateau it is 156 metres long and 56 metres tall with 77 staircases, 282 fireplaces and 426 rooms. Yet despite these vast dimensions, from the outside the chateau still appears delightfully graceful and well balanced. Of all the materials used in the eye; although emloyed at most Loire Valley sites, it is definitely at Chambord that this calcareous stone, soft and friable, was worked with the greatest virtuosity.

Поглед към небето

Един слънчев следобед в Португалия

S. Pedro's Lighthouse

The Lighthouse of S. Pedro, also know as the lighthouse of "Penedo da Saudade" located on the northern parto the town, inaugurad in 1912, stands 51meters high from sea level up to the top of its tower, having interior spiral staircase of 135 stone steps. The strong bearn of light reaches up to a distance of 41 miles and it is produced by two piwerful lenses of 3000W lamps.
Altinude: 39.76443 N
                   9,76443 W

По пиринеите

Изкачвайки се нагоре по Пиринеите, от атлантическото крайбрежие, пред мене се откриваха все по-пленителни,  есе по-просторни пейзажи, които додтигат извън човешките представи, отвъд хоризонта над залязващото Слънце над синия Океан.  Въпреки късния вечерен час, планината със своите заострени върхове имаше какво още да ни покаже - върхове оголени от свирепите океански ветровр, покрити с ниска растителност и мъгли по които могат да се забележат както скали.
Слънцето все по-бързо залязваше, и ето...  Пред погледа ми се виждаше само силуета на планината.,  а в подножието и по склоновете се виждаха да белеят тук там бели къщи около които свободно пасат крави, овце, кози.  Изпълнен пейзаж, доставящ наслада от хилядите преминати километри с велосипед до тази планина.