新部落
I think, therefore I am. - René Descartes
Years ago I read a book about the travel in Italy. As time goes by, the title and the author of the book all had faded away from my memory, but one comment about Tuscany strikes me so much that to this day I still remember. It says, “Tuscany is a place where people would feel inferior if they have not been there.” As much as I admire the unparalleled beauty of Tuscany, I thought the comment was a bit stretch.
Looking at these photos of European castles, as that particular remark about Tuscan comes to my mind, I do feel something “inferior,” and my ego, if any, is dwarfed: What images of grandeur, solemn and opulence! Not only as great miracles and quintessence in architecture, also and more important, these castles serve as epitomes of long-lasting European culture history, which in many aspects shapes the western civilization......
To name the post as ”神遊“ is only because I have not been to those places yet. But, I would like to take a "cyber tour" first before I can go, in the hope that it at least offsets my feeling of "inferiority". So, here it goes.
In case anyone gets bored with those long captions, I have one of the most beautiful voices on the surface of this planet, Andrea Bocelli, to keep you waking up if you happen to fall sleep! : )))
Thank you for 神遊 with me!
Neuschwanstein Castle - Munich, Germany
Neuschwanstein Castle (German: Schloß/Schloss Neuschwanstein, lit. New Swan Stone Castle) is a 19th century Bavarian castle. Located in Germany, near Hohenschwangau and Füssen in southwest Bavaria, the castle was built by Ludwig II, King of Bavaria, as a retreat and as an homage to Richard Wagner, the King's inspiring muse. It is the most photographed building in Germany, although photography of the interior is not permitted, and is one of Germany's most popular tourist destinations. King Ludwig II was a great nature-lover. His greatest concern was not to spoil the beauty of the surroundings by building Neuschwanstein Castle.
The conception of the castle was outlined by
Ludwig II in a letter to Richard Wagner, dated May 13, 1868;
"It is my intention to rebuild the old castle ruin at Hohenschwangau near the
Pollat Gorge in the authentic style of the old German knights' castles...the
location is the most beautiful one could find, holy and unapproachable, a worthy
temple for the divine friend who has brought salvation and true blessing to the
world."
The foundation stone of the building was laid September 5, 1869. Neuschwanstein
was designed by Christian Jank, a theatrical set designer, rather than an
architect, which says much regarding Ludwig's intentions and explains much of
the fantastical nature of the resulting building. The architectural expertise,
vital to such a perilously-sited building, was provided first by the Munich
court architect, Eduard Riedel, and latterly by Georg Dollman and Leo von Klenze.
The castle was originally called "New Hohenschwangau Castle" until the king's
death, when it was re-named Neuschwanstein, the castle of the Swan Knight,
Lohengrin, of Wagner's opera of the same name. In origin, the castle has been
the Schwanstein, the seat of the knights of Schwangau, whose emblem had been the
swan.
The castle comprises a gatehouse, a Bower, the
Knight's House with a square tower, and a Palas, or citadel, with two towers to
the Western end. The effect of the whole is highly theatrical, both externally
and within. The king's influence is apparent throughout and he
took a keen personal interest in the design and decoration. An example can be
seen in his comments, or commands, regarding a mural depicting Lohengrin in the
Palas; "His Majesty wishes that .. the ship be placed further from the shore,
that Lohengrin's neck be less tilted, that the chain from the ship to the swan
be of gold and not of roses, and finally that the style of the castle shall be
kept medieval." The castle includes a room made to look like a
cavern, as well as a secret flushing toilet in the master bedroom. The toilet
flushes with water collected from an aqueduct.
The suite of rooms within the Palas contains the Throne Room followed by Ludwig's suite, followed by the Singers' Hall and by the Grotto. Throughout, the design pays homage to the German legends of Lohengrin, the Swan Knight. Hohenschwangau, where Ludwig spent much of his youth, had decorations of these sagas. These themes were taken up in the operas of Richard Wagner. However, many of the interior rooms remain undecorated; only 14 rooms were finished before Ludwig's death
Despite its medieval look, the construction of Neuschwanstein required the modern technology of the day, and the castle is a marvel of technological structural achievements. Steam engines and electricity, modern venting, and heating pipes are all part of the structure.
It is now almost forgotten that Ludwig II was a patron of modern inventions and that he pioneered the introduction of electricity into public life in Bavaria. His new castles were the first to use electricity (i.e. the Venus Grotto at Linderhof) and other modern conveniences. Through his building activities Ludwig kept many particular crafts alive the knowledge and expertise of which would have died out otherwise, and he provided work and income to a large number of artisans, builders, plasterers, decorators, etc.
Neuschwanstein was close to completion when, in
1886, the King was declared insane by a State Commission under Dr. von Gudden
and arrested at the castle. The King could hardly control himself as he asked
von Gudden, "How can you declare me insane? You have not yet examined me!"
Taken to Schloss Berg, he was found on June 13, 1886, in shallow water in Lake
Starnberg, drowned, along with von Gudden, the psychiatrist who certified him.
The exact circumstances of his death remain unexplained.
The castle is owned by the state of Bavaria, unlike Hohenschwangau which is
owned by Franz, Duke of Bavaria. It inspired the building of another Wittelsbach
castle, Schloss Ringberg. Neuschwanstein is a contemporary of the slightly older
Portuguese Pena Palace in Sintra, sometimes referred to as 'the Portuguese
Neuschwanstein' (ca. 1840).
The nearby Marienbrücke (Mary's Bridge) over Pöllat Gorge, named after Marie of
Prussia, provides a view of one of Neuschwanstein's façades.
Neuschwanstein is to appear on a German Bundesländer series of €2 commemorative
coins in 2012.
In 2007, it was a finalist in the selection of the New Seven Wonders of the
World.
新天鵝堡（德語：Schloss Neuschwanstein）全名新天鵝石城堡，是19世紀晚期的建築，位在今天的德國巴伐利亞西南方，鄰近年代較早的高地天鵝堡（Schloss
Hohenschwangau，又稱舊天鵝堡），距離富森（Füssen）鎮約4公裏，約在德國與奧地利邊界不遠處。
這座城堡是巴伐利亞國王路德維希二世的行宮之一。擁有360個房間，其中隻有14個房間依照設計完工，其他的346個房間則因為國王在1886年逝世而未完成。是德國境內受拍照最多的建築物[1]。也是最受歡迎的旅遊景點之一。
曆史
1890年代新天鵝堡正麵的著色相片今天新天鵝堡（Schloss Neuschwanstein）和高地天鵝堡（Schloss Hohenschwangau）的所在地區，曾經在歐洲中古世紀建有四座古堡。不過到了19世紀，這些古堡已經是一片殘垣斷壁。其中一座稱為“前天鵝石城堡”，在1830年代由馬克西米利安二世（路德維希二世的父親）所下令建造的“高地天鵝堡”取代。其西南方的另一座“女人石城堡”，也早已不複存在。剩下的兩座，稱為“前高地天鵝堡”和“後高地天鵝堡”，她們就在現今新天鵝堡所在的位置上。
路德維希二世決定在此地興建他的“夢幻城堡”，因此下令將前後高地天鵝堡的廢墟炸掉。在建立新天鵝堡的第一塊基石的時候這些殘垣斷壁就已經被清除了。天鵝堡這個名字早在高地天鵝堡的前身已被使用，在十九世紀初，這個名字被繼續引用到新建的城堡上，就是今天的新天鵝堡。
在1868年5月15在給作曲家瓦格納的信中，國王路德維希二世提到希望在前高地城堡的古堡廢墟上建築一座中世紀的騎士城堡。給與他建堡啟發的則是他父親馬克西米利安二世的早期建堡計劃。另外一個更重要的啟發則是他在1867年前往埃森納赫Eisenach旅行中和弟弟奧托一世共同遊覽的瓦爾特堡。天鵝堡中的歌劇廳（Saengersaal)和騎士浴室(Ritterbad)的設計就采用了瓦爾特堡的設計圖為藍本。此外路德維希二世靈感還來源於西班牙摩爾人的建築風格，以及對作曲家瓦格納作品中的傳說世界的幻想。城堡的設計草圖由克裏斯蒂安·揚克（Christian
Jank）設計。
國王路德維希最後在他自己建築的新天鵝堡中的逗留是他在1886年6月9日被軟禁時。在 他1886年6月13日死於SchlossBerg(am
Starnberger
See)時，新天鵝堡還沒有完工。在17年的建築時間裏，他隻逗留過172天。隻有三分之一的房間在那個時候是完工的。國王路德維希從未想讓新天鵝堡公諸於眾，在他看來寧願將此堡毀壞，也不能讓它失去其神秘魅力。但是在他死後六個星期，城堡對外開放，並在旺季（六月到八月）接待每天達5000人。為了保證通順的參觀路線，一些房間在此後被完工。其中包括王位廳（Thronsaal）的帶有巴伐利亞動物世界圖案的馬賽克地板。此地板有2百萬塊的小馬賽克石組成，工程曆時兩年之久。
新天鵝堡奠基於1869年9月5日。從1869年至1873年新天鵝堡的大門部分的建築和內部裝飾完工。已便於路德維希臨時居住和監察建築的情況。1880年宮殿封頂慶典。1884年可以入住。國王的王位廳，餐廳，臥室，起居室，辦公室
已經暖房。均設在城堡的第三層。為了方便建堡，城堡的第二層曾作為建築工人的臨時住所。路德維希的願望和需求隨著城堡的建築不斷的增長，王位廳取代了原先計劃中的工作室，客人的房間則由摩爾廳所取代。但是由於資金的不足而沒有實現。
這個城堡有傳統的建築用磚所建成，稍後由其他石材進行外部裝裱。用於建築大門和懸樓的砂層方石來自於巴登-符騰堡州的Nürtingen。用於建築窗，穹弓，柱和祈禱堂的大理石來自於奧地利阿爾卑斯山脈的Unterberg。為了便於後來的王位廳曾動用的鋼質的腳手架。值得一提的是，在王位的廳的正中央。大理石台階的最上方，沒有本來應該設置的王位寶座，因為路德維希二世從來就沒有看到過和使用過這個王位廳。
影響
新天鵝堡的外型也激發了許多現代童話城堡的靈感，包括美國加州迪士尼樂園和香港迪士尼樂園的睡美人城堡。東京迪士尼樂園和美國佛羅裏達州華特迪士尼世界中神奇王國的灰姑娘城堡的靈感是來自德國的一些城堡，尤其是Château
d'Ussé。
Mont Saint-Michel - Normandy, France
Mont Saint-Michel (English: Mount Saint Michael) is a rocky tidal island in Normandy, roughly one kilometre from the north coast of France at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches. The inhabitants of Mont-Saint-Michel are called the Montois.
In prehistoric times the bay was land, as sea levels rose erosion shaped the
coastal landscape over millions of years. Several blocks of granite or granulite
emerged in the bay, having resisted the wear and tear of the ocean better than
the surrounding rocks. These included Lillemer, the Mont-Dol, Tombelaine and
Mont Tombe, later called Mont Saint-Michel.
Mont Saint-Michel was previously connected to the mainland via a thin natural
land bridge, which before modernization was covered at high tide and revealed at
low tide. Thus, Mont Saint Michel gained a mystical quality, being an island
half the time and being attached to land the other: a tidal island.
However, the insular character of the mount has been compromised by several
developments. Over the centuries, the coastal flats have been polderised to
create pasture. The south coast of Mont-Saint-Michel has thus become farther to
the shore and the mount. The Couesnon River has been canalised, reducing the
flow of water and thereby encouraging a silting-up of the bay. In 1879, the land
bridge was fortified into a true causeway. This prevented the tide from scouring
the silt round the mount. There are currently plans to remove the causeway and
replace it with a bridge and a shuttle.
On 16 June 2006, the Prime Minister of France, Dominique de Villepin, announced
a €150 million project (Projet Mont Saint-Michel) to build a hydraulic dam
that will help remove the accumulated silt and make Mont Saint-Michel an island
again. It is expected to be completed by 2012.
Mont Saint-Michel was used in the 6th and 7th centuries as an Armorican
stronghold of Romano-Breton culture and power, until it was ransacked by the
Franks, thus ending the trans-channel culture that had stood since the departure
of the Romans in AD 460.
Before the construction of the first monastic establishment in the 8th century,
the island was called Mont Tombe. According to legend, the archangel Michael
appeared to St. Aubert, bishop of Avranches, in 708 and instructed him to build
a church on the rocky islet. Aubert repeatedly ignored the angel's instruction,
until Michael burned a hole in the bishop's skull with his finger.
The mount gained strategic significance in 933 when William "Long Sword", Duke
of Normandy, annexed the Cotentin Peninsula, definitively placing the mount in
Normandy. It is depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry, which commemorates the 1066
Norman conquest of England. Ducal patronage financed the spectacular Norman
architecture of the abbey in subsequent centuries.
In 1067, the monastery of Mont Saint-Michel gave its support to duke William of
Normandy in his claim to the throne of England. It was rewarded with properties
and grounds on the English side of the Channel, including a small island located
at the west of Cornwall, which, modelled after the Mount, became a Norman priory
named St Michael's Mount of Penzance.
During the Hundred Years' War the English made repeated assaults on the island
but were unable to seize it partly due to the abbey's improved fortifications.
Les Michelettes, two wrought-iron bombards left by the English in their failed
1423–24 siege of Mont Saint-Michel, are still displayed near the outer defense
wall.
The wealth and influence of the abbey extended to many daughter foundations, including St Michael's Mount in Cornwall. However, its popularity and prestige as a centre of pilgrimage waned with the Reformation, and by the time of the French Revolution there were scarcely any monks in residence. The abbey was closed and converted into a prison, initially to hold clerical opponents of the republican régime. High-profile political prisoners followed, but by 1836 influential figures, including Victor Hugo, had launched a campaign to restore what was seen as a national architectural treasure. The prison was finally closed in 1863, and the mount was declared a historic monument in 1874. The Mont Saint Michel and its bay were added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1979, as they rank very high on such World Heritage Site criteria as cultural, historical, and architectural significance, as well as human-created and natural beauty.
聖米歇爾山（Mont-Saint-Michel）是法國諾曼底附近，距海岸約1公裏的岩石小島。地理坐標為 48°
38′ 8″ N, 1° 30′ 40″ W.
是法國旅遊勝地，也是教徒的朝聖地，山頂建有著名的聖米歇爾修道院。聖米歇爾山及其海灣於1979年被聯合國教科文組織列為世界文化及自然遺產。
修道院
聖米歇爾山夜景古時為凱爾特人祭神的地方。708年﹐阿夫朗什鎮（Avranches）主教奧伯特（Aubert）遇天使長米歇爾顯靈，並在其腦顱上點開一個洞，因此在島上最高處修建一座小教堂，奉獻給天使長米歇爾[1]﹐成為朝聖中心，故稱米歇爾山。9世紀，維京人入侵歐陸，這裏成為農民的避難所，修道院下方形成一個小鎮。966年，諾曼底大公查理一世驅逐了裏麵的教士，代之以來自意大利卡西諾山修道院的30名本篤會修士。
1211年—1228年間，在島北部又修建了一個以梅韋勒修道院為中心的6座建築物﹐具有中古加洛林王朝古堡和羅馬式建築的風格。13世紀初，腓力二世
(法蘭西)火攻聖米歇爾山，致使修道院北側建築嚴重損毀。同時諾曼底並入法國領土。戰後法王撥資修建，在原有的羅曼式建築之外加蓋了哥特式建築，使這裏成為諾曼底境內最具規模的宗教建築群，朝聖人數更盛。
1421年，羅曼式地下祭壇塌陷。英法百年戰爭後，複以火焰哥特式重建唱詩班席和聖壇。
1469年法王路易十一在此製定了聖米歇爾王詔。1622年，修道院中的教士遭到流放，取而代之的是聖本篤修會的一支聖摩爾（Saint-Maur）教團。
法國大革命時期，修士因不支持共和政府而遭到監禁，教會財產被拍賣，中殿被用來儲存糧草。在這裏囚禁過數以萬計的罪犯和政敵。王政複辟後稍為恢複生機。
1874年，法國政府投入大筆經費進行為期百年的大規模複修工程。已築起一條4公裏長的堤道連接對岸陸地。島上現還存有11世紀羅馬式中殿和15世紀哥特式唱詩班席、13～15世紀的部分城牆和哥特式修道院圍牆等。每年9月29日的聖米歇爾主保日舉辦慶祝活動。
自然景觀
落潮時，小島被泥沙包圍（空中俯瞰）。小島呈圓錐形﹐周長900米﹐由聳立的花崗岩構成。海拔88米﹐經常被大片沙岸包圍﹐僅漲潮時才成為島。聖馬洛海灣漲潮迅猛，每逢傍晚，大西洋的潮水有如萬馬奔騰般撲過來，將山邊的流沙淹沒，聖山頓時變成汪洋，蔚為奇觀。但十九世紀人們建築長堤連接聖米歇爾山後，水流受阻，潮水的起落在沙地留下大量淤泥和沉積物，久而久之地勢變高，島的形狀改變，海潮奇觀亦隨之消失。專家估計，到2042年，這座名山更將被雜草包圍，大殺風景。
法國當局計劃耗資逾二十億港元進行修建，要將巨潮奇景重現眼前。
Prague Castle - Prague, Czech Republic
The Prague Castle (Czech: Pražský hrad) is the castle in Prague where the Czech kings, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic have had their offices. The crown jewels of the Bohemian Kingdom are kept here. Prague Castle is one of the biggest castles in the world (according to Guinness Book of Records the biggest ancient castle) at about 570 meters in length and an average of about 130 meters wide.
The history of the castle stretches back to the 9th century (870). The first walled building was the church of Our Lady. The Basilica of Saint George and the Basilica of St. Vitus were founded in the first half of the 10th century. The first convent in Bohemia was founded in the castle, next to the church of St. George. A Romanesque palace was erected here during the 12th century. In the 14th century, under the reign of Charles IV the royal palace was rebuilt in Gothic style and the castle fortifications were strengthened. In place of rotunda and basilica of St. Vitus began building of a vast Gothic church, that have been completed almost six centuries later. During the Hussite Wars and the following decades the Castle was not inhabited.
In 1485 King Ladislaus II Jagello begins to rebuild the castle. The massive Vladislav Hall (built by Benedikt Rejt) was added to the Royal Palace. Then were also built new defence towers on the northern side of the castle. A big fire of 1541 destroyed large parts of the castle. Under Habsburgs some new buildings in renaissance style appeared here. Ferdinand I built Belvedere, summer palace for his wife Anne. Rudolph II used Prague Castle as his main residence. He founded the northern wing of the palace, with the Spanish Hall, where his precious artistic collections were exhibited. Second Prague defenestration in 1618 began the Bohemian Revolt.
During the subsequent wars the Castle was damaged and dilapidated. Many works from the collection of Rudolph II were looted by Swedes in 1648, in the course of the Thirty Years' War. The last major rebuilding of the castle was carried out by Queen Maria Theresa in the second half of the 18th century. Ferdinand V after abdication in 1848 chose Prague Castle as his home. In 1918 the castle became the seat of the president of the new Czechoslovak Republic. The New Royal Palace and the gardens were renovated by Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik.
During the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia during World War II, Prague Castle became the headquarters of Reinhard Heydrich, the "Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia". It is said that he placed the Bohemian crown on his head, believing himself to be a great king; old legends say that a usurper who places the crown on his head is doomed to die within a year. Less than a year after assuming power, Heydrich was assassinated.
After the liberation of Czechoslovakia, it housed the offices of the communist Czechoslovak government. During the Velvet Revolution, Alexander Dubček, the leader of Czechoslovakia during the Prague Spring, appeared on a balcony overlooking Wenceslas Square to hear throngs of protesters below shouting "Dubček to the castle!" As they pushed for him to take his seat as president of the country at Prague Castle, he embraced the crowd as a symbol of democratic freedom.
After Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the castle became the seat of the Head of State of the new Czech Republic. Similar to what Masaryk did with Plečnik, president Václav Havel commissionned Bořek Šípek to be the architect of post-communism Prague Castle's necessary improvements in particular of the facelift of the Castle's Gallery of paintings.
The castle buildings represent virtually every architectural style of the last millennium. The Prague Castle includes gothic St Vitus Cathedral, romanesque basilica of St. George, a monastery and several palaces, gardens and defence towers. Most of the castle areas are opened to the tourists.
Nowadays, the castle houses several museums, including the National Gallery collection of Bohemian baroque and mannerism art, exhibition dedicated to Czech history, Toy Museum and the picture gallery of Prague Castle, based on the collection of Rudolph II. Summer Shakespeare Festival regularly takes place in the courtyard of the Burgrave Palace.
布拉格城堡位於伏爾塔瓦河的丘陵上，已有1000多年曆史，60多年來曆屆總統辦公室均設在堡內，所以又稱「總統府」，城堡包括以下部分。布拉格城堡畫廊新近重新整建完畢的布拉格城堡畫廊（Obrazarna Prazskeho Hradu）必須另外付費才可進入，其內收藏了許多古典繪畫，最早從16世紀開始，而以16到18世紀繪畫為主，涵括了義大利、德國、荷蘭等各國藝術家作品，共有4,000餘幅。布拉格城堡畫廊的原址是城堡馬廄，在改建為城堡畫廊的過程中，發掘出布拉格城堡最早的教堂-聖女教堂，部份遺跡存放在城堡畫廊中。
聖維塔大教堂聖維塔大教堂（Katedrala sv. Vita）是布拉格城堡最重要的地標，除了豐富的建築特色外，也是布拉格城堡王室加冕與辭世後長眠之所。聖維塔大教堂曆經3次擴建，西元929年的聖溫塞斯拉斯圓形教堂，在西元1060年時擴建為長方形教堂，西元1344年查理四世下令建造目前的哥德式建築，卻一直到西元1929年才正式完工。聖維塔大教堂的幾個參觀重點包括20世紀的彩色玻璃窗、聖約翰之墓和聖溫塞斯拉斯禮拜堂。走進教堂入口，左側色彩鮮麗的彩色玻璃就是布拉格著名畫家穆哈的作品，為這個千年曆史的教堂增添不少現代感；繞過聖壇後方，純銀打造、裝飾華麗的是的聖約翰之墓，他是1736年的反宗教改革者，因此葬在聖維塔大教堂中，並以純銀華麗的裝飾作為紀念。繼續往前就是聖溫塞斯拉斯禮拜堂，相較於前麵純銀的聖約翰之墓，聖溫塞斯拉斯禮拜堂呈現出金碧輝煌的光彩，從壁畫到聖禮尖塔都有金彩裝飾，相當具有藝術價值。從外觀來看，哥德式的聖維塔大教堂有許多經典建築特色，例如大門上的拱柱和飛扶壁，都裝飾的相當華麗。舊皇宮舊皇宮（Stary Kralovsky Palac）是以往波西米亞國王的住所，曆任在位者對不同部份進行修繕。整個皇宮建築大致分為3層，入口一進去是挑高的維拉迪斯拉夫大廳，也是整個皇宮的重心，往上層的新領地大廳有許多早期書記的圖像；下層有哥德式的查理四世宮殿，和仿羅馬式宮殿大廳，大多數的房間在西元1541年的大火中受到毀壞，因此部份是後來重建的遺跡。
聖喬治教堂聖維塔大教堂（Bazilika sv. Jiri）後方有雙塔的紅色教堂就是聖喬治教堂，聖喬治教堂是捷克保存最好的仿羅馬式建築，920年完成後擴大修建多次，最近一次是在19世紀末20世紀初，教堂的基石和兩個尖塔從10世紀一直保存至今。一旁的聖喬治女修道院是波西米亞第一個女修道院，曾在18世紀被拆除改建為軍營，現在為國家藝廊，收藏14至17世紀的捷克藝術作品，包括哥德藝術、文藝複興和巴洛克等不同時期的繪畫作品。火藥塔這裏的火藥塔（Prasna Vez-Mihulka）與舊城廣場的火藥塔一樣，原本都是作為守城護衛的要塞，後來則為存放火藥之用。16世紀時，國王讓術士居住於此研究煉鉛成金之術，18世紀後改為聖維塔大教堂儲藏聖器的地方，現在則是展出中古藝術、天文學和煉金術文物的博物館。黃金巷黃金巷（Zlata Ulicka）是布拉格古堡最著名的景點之一，觀光客的擁擠程度與查理大橋不相上下，卡夫卡曾居住過的22號，目前是一家小巧可愛的書店，當然也販售卡夫卡的作品集。黃金巷在聖喬治教堂與玩具博物館之間，拐進一條小巷後到了這個小屋林立的黃金巷，宛如童話故事內的小巧房舍，是布拉格最詩情畫意的街道。黃金巷原本是仆人工匠居住之處，後來因為聚集不少為國王煉金的術士，因而有此名稱，然而在19世紀之後，逐漸變成貧民窟。 20世紀中期重新規劃，將原本的房舍改為小店家，現在每家商店內可看到不同種類的紀念品和手工藝品，例如16號的木製玩具、20號的錫製布拉格小士兵、21號的手繪衣服，19號的外觀最有看頭，是花木扶疏的可愛花園小屋。
Lincoln Castle - Lincolnshire, England
Lincoln Castle is also the name of a paddle steamer which
served as a ferry on the River Humber. Lincoln Castle is a major castle
constructed in Lincoln, England during the late 11th century by William the
Conqueror on the site of a pre-existing Roman fortress. When William the Conqueror defeated Harold and the English at Hastings on the
14th October 1066 he continued to face resistance to his rule in the north of
England. For a number of years William's position was very insecure and in order
to project his influence northwards to control the 'Danelaw' (an area
traditionally under the control of Scandinavian settlers) he felt it necessary
to construct a number of major castles in the north and midlands of England. It
was at this time that the new King built major castles at Warwick, Nottingham
and York. After gaining control of York, the Conqueror turned southwards and
arrived at the Roman and Viking city of Lincoln.
When William reached Lincoln (one of the country's major settlements) he found a
Viking commercial and trading center with a population of 6,000 to 8,000. The
remains of the old Roman walled fortress located 60 meters (200 ft) above the
countryside to the south and west, proved an ideal strategic position to
construct a new castle. Also, Lincoln represented a vital strategic crossroads
of the following routes (largely the same routes which influenced the siting of
the Roman fort). The Ermine Street - a major Roman road and the Kingdom's principal north-south
route connecting London and York.
The Fosse Way - another important Roman route connecting Lincoln with the city
of Leicester and the south-west of England
The Valley of the River Trent (to the west and southwest) - a major river
affording access to the River Ouse, and thus the major city of York.
The River Witham - a waterway that afforded access to both the Rivers Trent (via the Fossdyke Roman canal at Torksey) and the North Sea via The Wash.
The Lincolnshire Wolds - an upland area to the northeast of Lincoln, which
overlooks the Lincolnshire Marsh beyond.
A castle here could guard several of the main strategic routes and form part of
a network of strongholds of the Norman kingdom, in Danish Mercia, roughly the
area of the country that is today referred to as the East Midlands, to control
the country internally. Also (in the case of the Wolds) it could form a center
from which troops could be sent to repel Scandinavian landings anywhere on the
coast from the Trent to the Welland, to a large extent, by using the roads which
the Romans had constructed for the same purpose.
The castle was built in the south-west corner of the upper walled town, the
remainder of which was occupied by the town. The Domesday Book entry for Lincoln
records that of the 1164 residences in the city, 166 were demolished to make way
for the castle. Of the 1164 pre-Conquest residences, perhaps 600 will have been
in the upper town. Before long, more was taken up when the cathedral and its
close were placed there.
Work on the new fortification was completed in 1068. It is probable that at
first a wooden keep was constructed which was later replaced with a much
stronger stone one. Lincoln castle is a little unusual in having two mottes. To
the south, where the Roman wall stands on the edge of a steep slope, it was
retained partially as a curtain wall and partially as a revetment retaining the
mottes. In the west, where the ground is more level, the Roman wall was buried
within an earth rampart and extended upward to form the Norman castle wall. The
Roman west gate (on the same site as the castle's westgate) was excavated in the
19th century but collapsed on exposure.
Chateau de Chambord - Loire Valley, France
The royal Château de Chambord at Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France, is one of
the most recognizable châteaux in the world because of its very distinct French
Renaissance architecture that blends traditional French medieval forms with
classical Italian structures.
It is the largest castle in the Loire Valley, but was built to serve only as a
hunting lodge for King François I, who maintained his royal residences at
Château de Blois and at Château d'Amboise. The original design of the Château de
Chambord is attributed, though with several doubts, to Domenico da Cortona,
whose wooden model for the design survived long enough to be drawn by André
Félibien in the seventeenth century. Some authors, though, claim that the
renaissance french architect Philibert Delorme had a considerable role in the
Château's design. Chambord was altered considerably during the twenty
years of its construction (1519 ‑ 1547), during which it was overseen on-site by
Pierre Nepveu. In 1913 Marcel Reymond first suggested that Leonardo da Vinci,
a guest of King François at Clos Lucé near Amboise, was responsible for the
original design, which reflects Leonardo's plans for a château at Romorantin for
the King's mother, and his interests in central planning and double helical
staircases; the discussion has not yet concluded. Nearing completion, King
François showed off his enormous symbol of wealth and power by hosting his old
enemy, Emperor Charles V at Chambord.
The massive castle is composed of a central keep with
four immense bastion towers at the corners. The keep also forms part of the
front wall of a larger compound with two more large towers. Bases for a possible
further two towers are found at the rear, but these were never developed, and
remain the same height as the wall. The castle features 440 rooms, 365
fireplaces, and 84 staircases. Four rectangular vault hallways on each floor
form a cross-shape.
The elaborately decorated roof line, The roofscape of Chambord contrasts with the
masses of its masonry and has often been compared with the skyline of a town: it
shows eleven kinds of towers and three types of chimneys, without symmetry,
framed at the corners by the massive towers. The design parallels are north
Italian and Leonardesque. One of the architectural highlights is the spectacular
double-helix open staircase that is the centrepiece of the castle. The two
helixes ascend the three floors without ever meeting, illuminated from above by
a sort of light house at the highest point of the castle. There are suggestions
that Leonardo da Vinci may have designed the staircase, but this has not been
confirmed.
The castle also features 128m of façade, more than 800 sculpted columns and an
elaborately decorated roof. When François I commissioned the construction of
Chambord, he wanted it to look like the skyline of Constantinople.
The castle is surrounded by a 52.5‑km² (13,000‑acre) wooded park and game
reserve maintained with red deer, enclosed by a 31‑kilometre (20‑mile) wall.
The château was never intended to provide any form of defense from enemies. As
such, the walls, towers and partial moat are purely decorative, and even at the
time were an anachronism. Elements of the architecture - open windows, loggia,
and a vast outdoor area at the top - were also borrowed from the Italian
renaissance style, which made them out of place in colder central France.
The design and architecture of the château inspired William Henry Crossland for
his design of what is known as the Founder's building at Royal Holloway,
University of London. The Founder's building features very similar towers and
layout but was built using red bricks.
During François I's reign, the castle was rarely
inhabited. In fact, the king spent barely 7 weeks there in total, comprised of
short hunting visits. As the castle had been constructed with the purpose of
short visits, it was actually not practical to live there on a longer-term
basis. The massive rooms, open windows and high ceilings meant heating was
impractical. Similarly, as the castle was not surrounded by a village or estate,
there was no immediate source of food other than game. This meant that all food
had to be brought with the group, typically numbering up to 2000 people at a
time.
As a result of all the above, the castle was completely unfurnished during this
period. All furniture, wall coverings, eating implements and so forth were
brought specifically for each hunting trip, a major logistical exercise. It is
for this reason that much furniture from the era was built to be disassembled to
facilitate transportation. He died of a heart attack in 1547.
Louis XIV
For more than eighty years after the death of King François, French kings all
but abandoned the castle, allowing it to fall into decay. Finally, in 1639 King
Louis XIII gave it to his brother Gaston d'Orleans who saved the castle from
ruin by carrying out much restoration work. King Louis XIV had the great keep
restored and furnished the royal apartments. The king then added a 300-horse
stable, enabling him to use the castle as a hunting lodge and a place to
entertain such notables as Molière for a few weeks each year. Nonetheless, Louis
XIV abandoned the castle in 1685.
Louis XV
From 1725 to 1733, Stanislas I (Stanislas Leszczynski), the deposed king of
Poland and father-in-law of King Louis XV, lived at Chambord. In 1745, as a
reward for his fighting valor the king gave the castle to Maurice de Saxe,
Marshal of France who installed his military regiment there. Maurice de Saxe
died in 1750 and once again the colossal castle sat empty for many years.
In 1792, the Revolutionary government ordered the sale of
the furnishings; the wall panellings were removed and even floors were taken up
and sold for the value of their timber, and, according to M de la Saussaye,
the panelled doors were burned to keep the rooms warm during the sales; the
empty castle was left abandoned until Napoleon Bonaparte gave the castle to
French military leader Louis Alexander Berthier. The castle was subsequently
purchased from his widow for the infant Duke of Bordeaux, Henri Charles
Dieudonné (1820-1883) who took the title Comte de Chambord. A brief attempt at
restoration and occupation was made by his grandfather King Charles X
(1824-1830) but in 1830 both were exiled. During the Franco-Prussian War,
(1870-1871) the castle was used as a field hospital.
The Ducal family
The final attempt to make use of the colossus came from the Comte de Chambord
but after the Comte died in 1883, the castle was left to his sister's heirs, the
Ducal family of Parma, Italy. Firstly Robert, Duke of Parma who died in 1907 and
after him, Elias, Prince of Parma. Any attempts at restoration ended with the
onset of World War I in 1914.
Modern history
In 1939, shortly before the outbreak of World War II, the art collections of the
Louvre and Compiègne museums (including the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo) were
stored at the Château de Chambord. An American bomber plane crashed onto the
castle lawn on June 22, 1944.
The castle became the property of the Government of France in 1930 but
restoration work was not begun until a few years after World War II ended in
1945. Today, Chambord is a tourist attraction but unfortunately is not
profitable
尚博爾城堡坐落在盧瓦爾河穀大森林中部的尚博爾莊園及城堡是法國文藝複興時期建築風格無與倫比的傑作。它以極具想象力的方式把中世紀傳統建築模式和古典意大利式結構奇妙地結合在一起。
尚博爾城堡，位於法國中部的尚博爾市內，坐落在盧瓦爾河左岸的科鬆鎮，其以曆史久遠、結構繁複而聞名於世。尤其是螺旋式階梯的紀念塔，具有很高的曆史價值。
尚博爾城堡於1519年開始修建，麵積約52平方千米。有長32千米的城牆以及6座城門。尚博爾城堡由兩部分組成。其一是長156米、寬117米四角都建有圓形塔樓的長方形牆堡，其二是四角建有方形角樓的一座長方形樓房，旁邊還有紀念塔。分為三層的紀念塔，每層都有平台。另外，在兩者之間還排列著千座塔樓。
尚博爾城堡的建造者是弗朗索瓦一世。城堡的東殿曾是他的居所，現今還保存著的還有他的祈禱室。
坐落在盧瓦爾河穀大森林中部的尚博爾莊園及城堡，從正麵看，是一個中央聚集了許多修長的小塔的組合體，兩邊各一個大角堡使它顯得穩當穩固。尚博爾的最高處距地麵128米，是城堡的主樓，四個角堡為小圓堡圍著主樓。城堡內共設有440間房，365個壁爐。每天點一個壁爐，每個壁爐一年隻用一次。法蘭西斯一世是文藝複興運動的熱情追隨者，他有文化修養、有軍事才能、有治國宏略，他迷上了龍巴托式的建築風格，加之對狩獵的狂熱愛好，因此決定建尚博爾。1517年，達芬奇被邀請到法國宮廷，為尚博爾的建築方案繪製了幾幅草圖，法蘭西斯一世十分滿意，結合這幾張草圖他又要求其他建築師進行了完整的設計計劃。1519年，城堡的建築正式開始。花費了15年的時間，其中央部分完成了。城堡的占地麵積寬闊，一半用來當作花園，一半是森林，為此國王購下了附近的大片土地。
附近無邊的森林與從這裏蜿蜒流過的盧瓦爾河一起構成了它特有的風光，是當時全法國野生動物最多的區份之一，因而成為貴族們狩獵的黃金地段。昔日王親貴族狩獵之地如今成了香博爾公園，它是歐洲最大的公園，占地5433公頃，周長32公裏的圍牆至今堅固如初，公園裏的4000公頃森林屬國家級狩獵區。
尚博爾城堡是屬文藝複興風格的建築，但那挺拔輕盈的密集塔尖和拱頂卻處處洋溢著哥特藝術的氣息。城堡築在一個長方形地基上，塔樓處於城堡中央的主體部分。法蘭西斯一世的套房設在主塔樓左側的位置——大角堡的二層樓上，與之對稱的另一個角堡是一個小禮拜堂。城堡內部最令人讚歎的是主廳裏的兩組螺旋形樓梯，每組樓梯圍繞著自身的中軸線向上盤旋，它的妙處在於兩個同時上下樓的人永遠不會碰麵。當時，為了這座宏偉的行宮，法蘭西斯一世不惜砍掉了兩片著名的森林，作為最初的基金，他還濫用權力，強行調動教會的財富用來建堡。法蘭西斯一世奠下了這個城堡的基石，但卻沒有圓了自己的夢。他去世時城堡的主樓雖已完成，但離整個城堡徹底竣工還相距甚遠。直至150年後，才由路易十六將它徹底建成。法國曆史上的許多重要人物都在尚博爾留下了印跡。
法國大革命後，城堡遭受了多次搶劫，無數珍貴的文物和藝術品被洗劫，城堡先是淪為養馬場，後又成為火藥工廠，最後變成了關押犯人的牢獄。共和國建立以後，這裏被重新修複。
Glamis Castle - Glamis, Scotland
Glamis Castle is situated beside the village of Glamis —
pronounced Glahmz — in Angus, Scotland. It is the home of the
Earl and Countess of Strathmore, and is open to the public. Glamis Castle was
the childhood home of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, best known as the Queen Mother. Her
daughter, Princess Margaret, was born there. A picture of the castle is featured
on the Royal Bank of Scotland ten pound note.
The plasterwork ceilings of Glamis are noteworthy for their detail and
preservation. Along with those of Muchalls Castle and Craigievar Castle, they
are considered the finest in Scotland.
The castle features extensively in fiction and legend, and according to local
legend has more dark secrets than any other castle in Britain.
Glamis is set in the fertile lowland valley of
Strathmore, which lies between the Sidlaw Hills to the south and the Grampian
Mountains to the north, approximately 20 kilometres inland from the North Sea.
The estate surounding the Castle covers more than 14,000 acres (57 km²) and, in
addition to containing lush gardens and walking trails, produces several cash
crops including lumber and beef. The two streams run through the estate, one of
them the Glamis Burn. An arboretum overlooking Glamis Burn features trees from
all over the world, many of them rare and several hundred years old. Birds and
other small wildlife are common throughout the grounds.
There is a tea room in the Castle, and part of the gardens and grounds are open
to the public. The building can be hired for functions like dinners and
weddings.
格拉姆斯堡偉然矗立於蘇格蘭草原與森林之間，諾曼底式的角樓將古典的蘇格蘭塔樓圍起，兼有法國與蘇格蘭的建築風格，其家族徽誌是兩隻動物交纏在一起的巨石像，也象征了1200年前基督教與異教在蘇格蘭的際會。令世人難忘的是莎士比亞從這裏幽微的鬼魂傳奇中，得到源源不絕的靈感，寫下四大悲劇之一“麥克白”的巨作。
Leeds Castle - Kent, England
Leeds Castle, four miles south east of Maidstone, Kent,
England, dates back to 1119, though a manor house stood on the same site from
the ninth century. The castle and grounds lie to the east of the village of
Leeds, Kent, which should not be confused with the city of Leeds in West
Yorkshire.
Built in 1119 by Robert de Crevecoeur to replace the
earlier Saxon manor of Esledes, the castle became a royal palace for King Edward
I of England and his queen, Eleanor of Castile in 1278. Major improvements were
made during his time, including the Barbican, made up of three parts, each with
its own entrance, drawbridge, gateway, and portcullis. The medieval keep is
called the "Gloriette" in honour of Queen Eleanor.
In 1321 King Edward II besieged the castle after his queen was refused
admission, and used ballistas, or springalds, to force its defenders to
surrender. Richard II's first wife, Anne of Bohemia, spent the winter of 1381 at
the Castle on her way to be married to the King, and in 1395, King Richard II
received the French chronicler Jean Froissart there, as Froissart described in
his Chronicles.
Henry VIII transformed the castle for his first wife,
Catherine of Aragon, and a painting commemorating his meeting with Francis I of
France still hangs there. His daughter, Queen Elizabeth I was imprisoned in the
castle for a time before her coronation.
The castle escaped destruction during the English Civil War because its owners,
the Culpeper family, sided with the Parliamentarians. The last private owner of
the castle was the Hon. Olive, Lady Baillie, a daughter of Almeric Paget, 1st
Baron Queenborough, and his first wife, Pauline Payne Whitney, an American
heiress. Lady Baillie bought the castle in 1926. She redecorated the interior,
first working with the French architect and designer Armand-Albert Rateau (who
also oversaw exterior alterations as well as added interior features such as a
16th-century-style carved-oak staircase) and then, later, with the Paris
decorator Stéphane Boudin. Baillie established the Leeds Castle Foundation. The
castle was opened to the public in 1976.
On 17 July 1978, the castle was the site of a meeting
between the Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe
Dayan in preparation for the Camp David Accords.
In September 1999, Sir Elton John played two sold-out solo concerts in the
grounds of Leeds Castle.
利茲堡位於英格蘭肯特郡梅德斯頓以東4英裏處的夢幻的倫河（LEN）河穀中。整個城堡位於一個小湖的中央秀美的河水，顯得十分優雅。最早的利茲堡建造於公元857年，是在木結構城堡基礎上建造的，當時名為Esdeles。
清晨的陽光，照亮了肯特鄉間的寧靜湖麵，也喚醒了湖邊美麗的城堡。難以想象，這座城堡已經有上千年的曆史。它曾是英國皇室的鄉間別墅，深受王後們的寵愛，因此被稱為“王後的城堡”，它在英國曆史和建築史上享有盛名，因此又被譽為“城堡中的王後”。
利茲堡興建的具體年份已無從考證。人們隻知道：13世紀，它正式成為皇家別墅。當時皇室的一個習俗就是：曆代新任國王把利茲堡送給王後享用。所以，後人評價說：利茲堡裏的一切都有濃厚的女性氣息，不愧為女王的城堡。後來，在都鐸王朝亨利8世的手中，利茲堡重新為私人所有。直到500多年以後，也就是25年前，利茲堡正式對外開放，每年接待50多萬遊客。
與其說遊客來這兒是為了欣賞曆史悠久的古建築，還不如說為了感受皇家別墅的奢華與氣派。這是一間王後住過的臥室，屬於15世紀風格。這是亨利8世舉行舞會的大廳，也是城堡中最大的房間。這種16世紀法國壁毯和法式壁爐如今已經非常罕見。牆上掛著皇室成員的肖像，曆經多年仍保持完好。
在2400多棵杉樹組成的迷宮裏，不少遊客需要指點才能找到出口。利茲堡中還有一個獨一無二的博物館：狗項圈博物館。記載了400多年中狗項圈的變化和發展。就在今天，這裏仍保持著當年皇室留下的珍禽園。喂養著100多種英國本土沒有的鳥兒。
城堡的葡萄園在一本1086年完成的曆史書中就曾被提及。這裏自製的葡萄酒曾是皇室鍾愛的佳釀。欣賞著利茲堡的風景、品嚐著上好的葡萄酒，遊客們說：皇室的享受也不過如此吧。
幸運的話，你還會看到黑天鵝
1119年城堡才由木構改為石製，而且為當時盛行的羅曼式，自12世紀初建造完成以來，這裏一直有人居住。1278年，希望得到當時的國王愛德華一世寵信的朝臣將利茲城堡獻給了這位國王。從此開始，利茲城堡與皇室結下了不解之緣，並且一直作為皇室最信賴的避難所。湊巧的是多數來此避難的都是皇室中的女性，14世紀在愛德華二世被刺殺後，皇後便來此居住，一直到她去世；而亨利八世的第一位王後離婚後也居住在這裏。除了這兩位外，還有
四位皇室女性在這裏長住，所以人們又習慣的稱利茲城堡為“女士城堡”。受到這樣的寵幸，利茲城堡前後經過了無數次的改建和增建。
亨利八世時代，國王為了躲避倫敦的瘟疫而來到了這裏，並且喜歡上了這裏，於是出錢把它改造成為更為華麗的皇家行宮。走進城堡裏仔細遊覽，往昔的皇家的奢靡隨處可見，絕對是一個感受和解讀英國曆史的好去處！知道1552年，愛德華六世將城堡賜予了聖雷捷爵士，以獎勵他在平定愛爾蘭時所立下的赫赫戰功，籠罩在利茲城堡300年的皇族光環才漸漸隱去。到了20世紀30年代，這裏被貝莉夫人買了下來，並進行了又一次的改造。如今的利茲城堡一身清風，飄逸靈秀，城堡周圍是大片的草坪，成片的鮮花在風中搖曳，四麵的湖水清澈而平靜，幸運的話還可以看到珍稀的黑天鵝，所有的一切都使得城堡顯得夢幻而美麗，難怪能得到“世界上最可愛的城堡”的美名。
現在的整個利茲城堡主要分為兩個整體，一部分是城堡的建築，保存著中世紀時候作為防禦工事的建築，城堡的主體是主人活動的主要場所，臥室、會客廳、宴會廳、圖書室等都對公眾開放，特別是都鐸樣式的宴會廳中裝飾華麗，至今依然帶著亨利八世時的皇家氣派，牆上依然掛著精美的壁毯，還有美侖美奐的家具以及各類藝術品和收藏品，精致的壁爐上懸掛著亨利八世的畫像。
另一部分是後來逐漸增建的那一部分，主要是後來的城堡主人根據自己的喜好而增建的，位於城堡所處湖泊的東側，包括巨大的迷宮、鳥舍、草藥園、觀景台。
It is delighted to share appreciation with a friend like you. I know there are many castles scattered around England and I will definitely have a close look later on.
Thank you so much for the sharing! Take care.
Thank you so much for the visiting. I am glad you like it. I heard of Versaille and will check it out when I get around. Thank you again for the info.
謝謝你的分享！ 歌曲是 "Besame Mucho 歌手是 Andrea Bocelli。一下是download地址。
http://failover2.cdn.hinet.net/xuite/2/2/0/0/14757437/blog_271996/dv/5856442/5856442.wma
Glad you did the tour! And, I have to say, what an association you have to think about princess & prince. It is indeed a fairyland. I saw the movie, too. Enjoyed it very much.
Thanks!
thanks again for these wonderful photos and charming musique
I saw a movie "under the Tuscan sun" several years ago. Still remember Tuscan was a very quiet and pretty place.
The castles you posted here reminded me of an imprisoned princess, handsome price charming and an old ugly witch. Haha...still dreaming, LOL
The music is enjoyable too, matches with the whole post.