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Patrimony UNESCO from over 20 years, the city of Venice and its Lagoon, form a pearl set in a territory rich in charm which extends for kilometres. Your visit to Venice will remain in your heart forever. Things to do in Venice should start from Piazza San Marco: the beating heart of Venice and is considered one of the most beautiful squares in the world. That of San Marco is the only town square overlooking the sea, and is the favourite place for Venetians and tourists to stroll along an extraordinary path of Italian art and history. Napoleon Bonaparte called it "the most beautiful hall in Europe". It was built in the 9th century and paved in 1177, 100 years after its construction. The first church dedicated to San Marco, commissioned by Giustiniano Partecipazio, was built next to the Doge's Palace in 828 to house the relics of San Marco. When thinking about Saint Mark’s Basilica, the first images that come to the minds of many people are those of the mosaics and their golden backgrounds. More than 8000 square metres of mosaic cover the walls, vaults and cupolas of the Basilica. Essentially Byzantine in its architecture, the Basilica finds in the mosaics its natural integrating element. The mosaic decorations were developed through some 8 centuries of the Basilica’s history. The island of San Giorgio Maggiore is the smaller of the two and is a few tens of meters from the Giudecca Island: it is a magical and silent place, far from the tourist itineraries and, for this reason, it maintains its ancient charm intact, whose roots can be found in the distant 10th century, when the Benedictine monks founded the first convent with an adjacent church here. The Civil Hospital of Saints John and Paul in Venice is one of the major monumental complexes in the city; it is also an architectural-artistic compendium that spans nearly nine centuries; it is a moral and medical-scientific reality that is indispensable for knowing and experiencing the extraordinary Venetian civilization. In fact, it contains the hospital world of contemporary care but also the world of culture, history, art, spirituality. The sixteenth-century Hospital of San Lazzaro overlooks the Rio dei Mendicanti with the original double-façade church; on the Campo SS. Giovanni e Paolo, on the other hand, the most beautiful Renaissance facade of a secular Venetian building is mirrored, this is one of the most important urban spaces with the great Dominican Basilica of the thirteenth century and the amazing equestrian monument of Andrea Del Verrocchio, master of Leonardo. The Rialto Bridge is the oldest bridge that was built to cross the Grand Canal. What most characterizes Venice are its canals, which cross the city like streets. The largest is the Grand Canal, which divides the city in two, with its four kilometres in length. The first thing that catches the eye when you arrive in Burano is the variety of colours of its houses. It goes from yellow to fuchsia. From teal to fiery red. A kaleidoscope that amazes our view and magically reflects the lagoon. Burano is an inhabited centre of 2373 inhabitants, which rises on four islands of the northern Venice lagoon. It is part of the municipality of Venice and in particular of the municipality of Venice-Murano-Burano. It is connected by a bridge to the island of Mazzorbo, which has become a sort of appendage. The town is known for its typical brightly coloured houses and for the centuries-old needlework of Burano lace.

Rome caput mundi, that's how the Romans used to entitle the city of Rome. In their times it really was the head of the world, today we can still enjoy the Heritage that tells us the history of the Roman Impire of more than 2000 years ago. Things to do in Rome will start from its symbol: the Colosseum. The Colosseum, the construction of the Flavian Amphitheater, better known as the Roman Coliseum, began around AD 7 under the Emperor Vespasian. The Colosseum became the largest Roman amphitheater, with an elliptical structure of 188 meters long, 156 meters wide and 57 meters high. Made in brick and covered with travertine, it was divided into five levels with a capacity for more than 50,000 people. Close to the Colosseum, you will walk into the Imperial Fora, a monumental architectural complex, formed by a series of buildings and monumental squares, the centre of the political activity of ancient Rome, built in a period of about 150 years, between 46 BC and 113 AD. If you get there during the sunset, you will enjoy the special lights of the Roman skyes. Walking toward the centre, you will find another beauty, the Pantheon, the only ancient Roman building remained nearly intact through the centuries. The Pantheon's dome, is the largest hemispherical dome ever built in unreinforced concrete. Despite being so ancient, with its internal diameter of 44.30 m, the dome of the Pantheon is still the largest hemispherical dome ever built in unreinforced concrete. According to tradition, St. Peter's Basilica is built on the site of the tomb of the apostle Peter, which dates back to the year 60. He was crucified in the circus of Nero next door. The foundations of the basilica were then completed, and the works begun in 315 were completed eleven years later. During the Renaissance, Bernini was entrusted with the redesign of the place from 1629, in particular by building the great colonnade, between 1656 and 1665. The Trevi Fountain with its 26 meters high and 20 wide is one of the largest fountains in all of Rome. Famous throughout the world for its majesty, its history has very ancient roots. From 19 d.c. to 1700, emperors and popes took turns until the restoration in 2014. Famous the scene with Anita Ekberg walking into the fountain during the Dolce Vita movie. Piazza di Spagna, with the Spanish Steps, is one of the most famous in Rome. It owes its name to the palace of Spain, seat of the Iberian state embassy to the Holy See. In the center of the square there is the famous Barcaccia fountain, which dates back to the early Baroque period, built by Pietro Bernini and his son, the most famous Gian Lorenzo. Piazza Navona, at the time of ancient Rome, was the Stadium of Domitian which was built by the emperor Domitian in 85 and in the third century it was restored by Alexander Severus. It was 265 meters long, 106 meters wide and could accommodate 30,000 spectators. Piazza Navona is one of the most famous monumental squares in Rome, built in the monumental style by the Pamphili family at the behest of Pope Innocent X with the typical shape of an ancient stadium.

The idea of a national garden in Singapore started in 1822 when Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore and a keen naturalist, developed the first ‘Botanical and Experimental Garden’ at Fort Canning. It was only in 1859 that the Gardens at its present site was founded and laid out in the English Landscape Movement’s style by an Agri-Horticultural society. The Gardens were soon handed over to the British colonial government (in 1874) and a series of Kew-trained botanists saw the Gardens blossom into an important botanical institute over the following decades. Today, the Gardens is managed by the National Parks Board, a statutory board of the Singapore government. In the early years, the Gardens played an important role in fostering agricultural development in Singapore and the region through collecting, growing, experimenting and distributing potentially useful plants. One of the earliest and most important successes was the introduction, experimentation and promotion of Para Rubber, Hevea brasiliensis. This became a major crop that brought great prosperity to the South East Asian region in the early 20th century. From 1928, the Gardens spearheaded orchid breeding and started its orchid hybridisation programme, facilitated by new in vitro techniques pioneered in its laboratories. In contemporary times, the Gardens also played a key role in Singapore’s Garden City programme through the continual introduction of plants of horticultural and botanical interest. Established in 1859, the 82-hectare Gardens hold a unique and significant place in the history of Singapore and the region. Through the botanical and horticultural work carried out today, it will continue to play an important role as a leading tropical botanical institute, and an endearing place to all Singaporeans. The Gardens have been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) on 4 July 2015. The Gardens are the first and only tropical botanic garden on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. It is the first in Asia and the third botanic gardens inscribed in the world, following Orto botanico di Padova and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo and I am currently living in South Africa at Cape Town for seven years. I am single from now and busy shaping my programming skills and IT knowledge at Cape Peninsula university of technology (CPUT). I am a software developer, I am always keen to discover and learn about new technology and invention in IT world, I have a good understanding of programming languages, internet cloud services and Desktop support CompTIA A+. I am a self-motivated person, reliable, determined, very skilful in communication, fast learner with an open mind to expose myself into new world and concept. Live is a journey about challenges and discovering that’s why I am always ready to face new challenge in technology and software world. I really like to play guitar and read books about science and others because knowledge for me is one of the keys to open doors, make a difference and discovering new area in live.

Set in the heart of the historic Rother valley landscape, with spiral staircases, battlements and a portcullis, 14th century Bodiam Castle is one of Britain's most picturesque and romantic ancient monuments. One of the most famous and evocative castles in Britain, Bodiam was built in 1385 as both a defence and a comfortable home. The exterior is virtually complete and the ramparts rise dramatically above the moat. Enough of the interior survives to give an impression of castle life. There are spiral staircases and battlements to explore, and wonderful views of the Rother Valley from the top of the towers. In the impressive gatehouse is the castle's original wooden portcullis, an extremely rare example of its kind.

En 2021, Chambord célèbre le 200e anniversaire de l'ouverture au public d'un monument qui continue de susciter admiration et fascination dans le monde entier. Sélectionnée en 1840 pour la première liste des monuments historiques de France, inscrite depuis 1981 au patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO, Chambord s'impose comme l'une des constructions Renaissance les plus impressionnantes. Loin d'apparaître comme un palais d'habitation ou un pavillon de chasse, Chambord incarne une véritable utopie : œuvre d'art inépuisable, elle n'a pas encore livré tous ses secrets. En effet, l'utopie était le mot d'ordre de son 500e anniversaire et la philosophie directrice de la Renaissance. In 2021, Chambord is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the opening to the public of a monument that continues to elicit admiration and fascination throughout the world. Selected in 1840 for the initial list of historic monuments in France, listed since 1981 in the UNESCO World Heritage, Chambord stands out as one of the most awe-inspiring Renaissance constructions. Far from figuring as a residential palace or a hunting lodge, Chambord embodies genuine utopia: as an inexhaustible work of art, it has yet to deliver all its secrets. Indeed, utopia was the watchword of its 500th anniversary and the guiding ethos of the Renaissance.

Lieu de résidence des rois de France du XVe au XIXe siècle, son destin est indissociable de l'histoire de France. De nombreuses personnalités littéraires et artistes y ont été conviés, comme Léonard de Vinci dont le tombeau est conservé au château. Ce château royal est ainsi l'expression du luxe à la française. Depuis ses balcons, ses toits et ses jardins en terrasses, le visiteur peut contempler les paysages de la Loire et se délecter de ce dont jouissaient les rois. A place of residence for French kings from the 15th to the 19th centuries, its destiny is inextricably linked to the history of France. Numerous literary figures and artists were invited here, like Leonardo da Vinci whose tomb is preserved at the château. This royal château is thus the expression of French-style luxury. From its balconies, its roofs and its terraced gardens, visitors can take in the Loire landscape and delight in what the kings enjoyed.

Sieben Wochen nach dem Tod König Ludwigs II. wurde Neuschwanstein im Jahr 1886 dem Publikum geöffnet. Der menschenscheue König hatte die Burg erbaut, um sich aus der Öffentlichkeit zurückzuziehen – jetzt wurde sein Refugium zum Publikumsmagneten. Neuschwanstein gehört heute zu den meistbesuchten Schlössern und Burgen Europas. Rund 1,4 Millionen Menschen jährlich besichtigen "die Burg des Märchenkönigs". Im Sommer drängen sich im Durchschnitt täglich mehr als 6.000 Besucher durch Räume, die für einen einzigen Bewohner bestimmt waren. Das führt – in Verbindung mit dem alpinen Klima und Licht – zu erheblichen Belastungen für die wertvollen Möbel und Textilien, um deren Erhalt wir uns intensiv bemühen. Die idyllische Lage von Neuschwanstein ist einmalig. Allerdings müssen Bewegungen im Fundamentbereich ständig überwacht und die steilen Felswände immer wieder gesichert werden. Ebenso greift das raue Klima die Kalkstein-Fassaden stark an, was immer wieder Sanierungsmaßnahmen erfordert. Seven weeks after the death of King Ludwig II, Neuschwanstein was opened to the public in 1886. The shy king built the castle to withdraw from the public eye - now his refuge has become a crowd puller. Today Neuschwanstein is one of the most visited palaces and castles in Europe. Around 1.4 million people visit "the castle of the fairy tale king" every year. In summer, an average of more than 6,000 visitors a day push their way through rooms that were intended for a single resident. In connection with the alpine climate and light, this leads to considerable strain on the valuable furniture and textiles, which we strive to preserve intensively. The idyllic location of Neuschwanstein is unique. However, movements in the area of ​​the foundations must be constantly monitored and the steep rock faces must be secured again and again. The harsh climate also has a strong impact on the limestone facades, which repeatedly requires renovation measures.

My name is Noxolo Femele and I'm 42 years old and I have 2 kids both are girls age 17 and 14 years. I worked for 43 Air School as a Receptionist for the past 5 year, and while I was there I used to help out at the Admin area and at Marketing department. That's where I got the interested on becoming 1 of the Managers but unfortunately we got retrenched. Then I went to work at Lendcor group as a Sales consultant for 1 year 6 months same we got retrenched. That's where I decided to start my small business just to make money and put food on the table until now, but things are not doing well due to COVID-19.

Windsor Castle has been the home of British kings and queens for almost 1,000 years. It is an official residence of Queen Elizabeth II, whose standard flies from the Round Tower when Her Majesty is in residence. The Queen spends most of her private weekends at Windsor Castle and takes up official residence for a month over Easter, known as 'Easter Court'. The Queen is also at Windsor for one week each June, while attending Royal Ascot and the service of the Order of the Garter at St George’s Chapel. Windsor Castle is still very much a working royal palace and is regularly used for ceremonial and State occasions, including official visits from overseas Heads of State. St George’s Hall makes a spectacular setting for a State Banquet, when a table seating 160 guests is decorated with porcelain and silver-gilt from the Royal Collection. While it was William the Conqueror who first built the castle, he didn’t live in the castle, it was used as a defensive base at the time. The Castle has been enlarged and restructured by different kings and queens during their reigns. Find out more about who built the Castle. The first king to use Windsor Castle as a residence was Henry I. Henry’s marriage to Adela, the daughter of Godfrey of Louvain, took place in the Castle in 1121. The first Plantagenet king, Henry II, lived at Windsor and built extensively there between 1165 and 1179. Windsor was also one of the favourite residences of Henry III, and he invested heavily in the royal accommodation at the Castle during his reign from 1216. It was Edward III who left the greatest impression on Windsor in the 14th-century. Windsor was the intended centre of his court and government, and the seat of the newly founded Order of the Garter.

O Palácio Nacional da Pena é como uma joia sagrada que coroa a Serra de Sintra. O parque envolvente, em sintonia com o caráter feérico do palácio, desperta emoções de mistério e de descoberta. Nos seus recantos, os olhares perdem-se de encanto. Os tons coloridos do palácio, expoente máximo do Romantismo em Portugal e obra eterna de D. Fernando II, Rei-Artista, abrem portas à imaginação de todos os que ali chegam, e os infinitos matizes de verde que pintam o parque circundante constituem um cenário idílico, frequentemente sob o véu do característico nevoeiro da serra de Sintra. Como que saído de um conto de fadas, este lugar faz sonhar todas as gerações dos que por ali passam e que com ele se deslumbram. The Palácio Nacional da Pena is like a sacred jewel that crowns the Serra de Sintra. The surrounding park, in tune with the fairy character of the palace, awakens emotions of mystery and discovery. In its corners, eyes lose their charm. The colorful tones of the palace, the greatest exponent of Romanticism in Portugal and the eternal work of D. Fernando II, King-Artist, open doors to the imagination of all who arrive there, and the infinite shades of green that paint the surrounding park provide a backdrop idyllic, often under the veil of the characteristic fog of the Sintra mountains. As if out of a fairy tale, this place makes dreaming of all the generations who pass by and who are dazzled by it.

Gehen Sie mit uns auf eine Zeitreise durch 850 Jahre… In einem Seitental der Mosel zwischen Koblenz und Cochem steht auf einem steilen Felskopf inmitten unberührter Natur Burg Eltz – die Burg mit über 850 Jahren Geschichte. Der Name der Burg stammt vom vielfach gewundenen Elzbach, der sie umfließt. Burg Eltz wurde erstmals 1157 urkundlich erwähnt und überstand alle Wirren der Jahrhunderte unbeschadet. Somit gehört sie zu den wenigen niemals zerstörten Burgen in Europa. Seit dem 13. Jahrhundert bewohnten die drei Hauptlinien des Familie Eltz verschiedene Häuser der Burg: Eltz-Kempenich, Eltz-Rodendorf und Eltz-Rübenach. So waren zwar die jeweiligen Wohnbereiche und Haushalte getrennt, die Einheit der Familie blieb aber durch den gemeinsamen Namen und das Wappen gewahrt. Diese Wohn- und Erbengemeinschaft überdauerte viele Jahrhunderte. Seit nunmehr 34 Generationen befindet sich Burg Eltz nach wie vor im Besitz der Edlen Herren und Grafen von und zu Eltz. Mit ihrer einzigartigen Architektur und ihrer malerischen Lage ist sie für die Besucher der Inbegriff einer deutschen Ritterburg! Der englischen Autorin Katherine Macquoid erschien sie mit ihren Erkern, Spitzen und Türmen wie ein „wahrhaftig verzauberter Platz, ein Märchen aus Stein“, denn in der 500-jährigen Bauzeit entstand um den Innenhof herum ein verwinkeltes Ensemble mit eng aneinander geschmiegten hohen Wohntürmen. Die Führung durch Burg Eltz nimmt den Gast mit auf eine Zeitreise durch acht Jahrhunderte, die sich in der Architektur der Räume und in deren Einrichtung widerspiegelt. Ob in der Rüstkammer, im Rittersaal, Jagdzimmer, Schlafgemach oder in der Küche – überall werden vielfältige Einblicke in das Leben auf Burg Eltz gewährt. Die Möbel und Kunstwerke aus dem Besitz der Familie Eltz vermitteln einen unvergesslichen Eindruck mittelalterlicher Wohnkultur. In den Kellergewölben der Burg erwartet den Besucher die Schatzkammer – eine private Sammlung von über 500 Exponaten nationaler und internationaler Bedeutung, darunter Gold- und Silberschmiedearbeiten, Schmuck, Porzellan, Waffen und Rüstungen. Wir freuen uns über Ihren Besuch! Übrigens: Bis in die frühen 1990er Jahre war eine Banknote der bekannteste Werbeträger für Burg Eltz - sie zierte lange Zeit die Rückseite des alten 500-Mark-Scheins. Come with us on a time travel through 850 years... In a side valley of the Moselle between Koblenz and Cochem, Eltz Castle stands on a steep rock head in the midst of untouched nature - the castle with over 850 years of history. The name of the castle comes from the winding Elzbach that flows around it. Eltz Castle was first mentioned in a document in 1157 and survived all the turmoil of the centuries unscathed. This makes it one of the few castles in Europe that has never been destroyed. Since the 13th century, the three main lines of the Eltz family lived in different houses in the castle: Eltz-Kempenich, Eltz-Rodendorf and Eltz-Rübenach. Although the respective living areas and households were separated, the family unity was preserved through the common name and the coat of arms. This community of living and heirs lasted for many centuries. For 34 generations, Eltz Castle has been owned by the noble lords and counts von und zu Eltz. With its unique architecture and its picturesque location, it is the epitome of a German knight's castle for visitors! The English author Katherine Macquoid saw it with its bay windows, spiers and towers like a “truly enchanted square, a fairy tale made of stone”, because in the 500-year construction period a winding ensemble with high residential towers nestled together was created around the inner courtyard. The guided tour through Eltz Castle takes the guest on a journey through eight centuries, which is reflected in the architecture of the rooms and their furnishings. Whether in the armory, in the knight's hall, hunting room, bedchamber or in the kitchen - diverse insights into life at Eltz Castle are granted everywhere. The furniture and works of art owned by the Eltz family convey an unforgettable impression of medieval living culture. In the vaulted cellar of the castle, the treasury awaits the visitor - a private collection of over 500 exhibits of national and international importance, including gold and silversmiths, jewelry, porcelain, weapons and armor. We are looking forward to your visit! By the way: up until the early 1990s, a banknote was the best-known advertising medium for Burg Eltz - it adorned the back of the old 500-mark note for a long time.

La contemplation de Chenonceau évoque l’idée d’une harmonie parfaite entre une nature, faite d’eau, d’air et de verdure, et une architecture unique et reconnue dans le monde entier. Chef-d’œuvre de la Renaissance, directement inspiré du Ponte Vecchio, Chenonceau, plus que nul autre, inspire un sentiment universel de paix. Le monument recèle des chefs-d’œuvre, une admirable collection de tapisseries, peintures et mobilier. Ces tableaux exceptionnels, signés par les plus grands maitres européens des XVIe, XVIIe, et XVIIIe siècles, font écho à l’histoire, très riche du château et au rôle de premier plan qu’y ont tenu les femmes. De la Renaissance, avec la reine Catherine de Médicis et ses fêtes somptueuses, au XVIIIème siècle, avec Louise Dupin, Dame des Lumières, Chenonceau a toujours cultivé les rencontres et accueilli philosophes, écrivains et artistes, dans l’échange et l’amitié… Ses jardins de Catherine de Médicis et de Diane de Poitiers soulignent l’élégance de son paysage, du Jardin Vert, dessiné par Bernard Palissy, jusqu’au labyrinthe italien… Les majestueux bouquets, présents dans chacune des pièces, sont créés dans l’atelier floral, situé dans la couThe contemplation of Chenonceau evokes the idea of ​​a perfect harmony between nature, made up of water, air and greenery, and a unique architecture recognized throughout the world. A Renaissance masterpiece, directly inspired by the Ponte Vecchio, Chenonceau, more than any other, inspires a universal feeling of peace. The monument contains masterpieces, an admirable collection of tapestries, paintings and furniture. These exceptional paintings, signed by the greatest European masters of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, echo the rich history of the castle and the prominent role played by women there. From the Renaissance, with Queen Catherine de Medici and her sumptuous festivals, to the 18th century, with Louise Dupin, Lady of the Lights, Chenonceau has always cultivated encounters and welcomed philosophers, writers and artists, in exchange and friendship... Its gardens of Catherine de Médicis and Diane de Poitiers underline the elegance of its landscape, from the Green Garden, designed by Bernard Palissy, to the Italian labyrinth… The majestic bouquets, present in each of the rooms, are created in the workshop floral, located in the courtyard of the 16th century farmhouse. The florists have at their disposal the production of the Flower Garden and its greenhouses.r de la ferme du XVIe siècle. Les fleuristes ont à leur disposition, la production du Potager des Fleurs et de ses serres.

Aigle Castle is a castle in the municipality of Aigle of the Canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. The Barons of Aigle were first mentioned in 1179. At that time they had a small fortification, that became the center of the modern castle, along the road over the Col du Pillon and Col des Mosses passes of the Rhone. However, only traces of this first castle have been archaeologically discovered. Some time before 1200, the Barons of Aigle ended up as vassals of the powerful Counts of Savoy. In 1232, Count Thomas of Savoy granted Aigle as a fief to the brothers Jacob and Peter of Saillon in exchange for their ancestral castle in Valais. The Saillon family seems to have been closely related with the barons of Aigle. In the second half of the 13th Century, Aigle expanded and received a city charter. The castle was rebuilt, with a fortified donjon and a curtain wall. In the 14th Century, the Lords of Compey inherited the rights of the Saillon family. They were also vassals of the Counts of Savoy and made Aigle into their headquarters. They added turrets and in 1450 built a massive tower in the south corner. This tower was an example of late French Donjon architecture.

Alnwick Castle has over 950 years of history to discover, and the origins of the Castle date back to the Norman period. Since 1309, its story has been intertwined with that of the Percy family, a family with a history as illustrious as the castle’s own. The second largest inhabited castle in the UK, Alnwick has served as a military outpost, a teaching college, a refuge for evacuees, a film set, and not least as a family home. Delve deeper into this extraordinary history and travel through the centuries of this living, evolving castle. In 1309, Henry Percy, great-great grandfather of Hotspur, purchased a typical Norman-style castle of motte and bailey form. In the following 40 years he and his son converted it into a mighty border fortress. They added towers and guerites around its curtain walls with a strong gatehouse at the entrance and a concealed postern gate to the rear. The gateway to the keep was strengthened with the addition of two massive octagonal towers. Stone figures were added to the tops of the battlements, as was fashionable at that time, either for ornament, or to confuse attackers. This was a medieval device that the 1st Duchess was to copy to excess in the more fanciful mid-18th century castle restoration. Early in the 16th century, the castle was assessed and written off in defensive terms as not liable to abide the force of any shot or to hold out any time if it should be assaulted. In 1567, the 7th Earl employed George Clarkson to survey the castle and his northern estates. His detailed account, together with the plans drawn by Treswell in 1608, enable us to be quite accurate about how the castle looked and what the buildings were used for during this period. Clarkson also describes the condition of the buildings, mentioning that the Ravine Tower was "so rente that it is mooche like to fall", as indeed it did later in the 17th century. Clarkson describes the corner tower in the inner bailey as having no back to it, being two storeys and only as high as the battlements, and being used for storing hay. By 1608, Treswell shows it as three storeys high with a stone back. Perhaps this reflects the creation of the Record Tower between 1567 and 1608. During the 17th century, the castle fell into disrepair, both through neglect because the Percy family was mainly resident in the south, and through damages done in wartime. The best visual evidence for the appearance of the castle at this date is a painting by Peter Hartover (fl.1674-1690), which depicts the ruinous chapel and trees growing out of the stonework. Transforming the castle from a decaying garrison fortress to a palace was conceived in a high gothick style to the designs of the architects Daniel Garrett, James Paine and Robert Adam in the 1760s. Work on the parklands carried on in tandem. Weirs were built on the River Aln to slow the water flow with the effect of enhancing the landscape and providing a reflective surface for the newly restored castle. The 4th Duke disliked the ‘fairytale gothick’ style and inconvenience of the castle created by the restoration undertaken a century previously. He employed the architect Anthony Salvin to restore a more authentic medieval border fortress appearance to the exterior. For the state apartments, however, Algernon chose the lavish style of an Italianate palazzo. Improvements were made across the castle site exploiting new technologies of the Victorian age. By the time Hugh Percy entered the dukedom in 1940, the large team of live-in domestic servants he had known as a boy was no longer in existence. This left vast areas of the castle unused and unoccupied. These provided facilities, first for the accommodation of Alnwick Teacher Training College, and then, from 1981, for St Cloud State University students from Minnesota in the United States. The Duke and his family share their home with Estates Office staff, American students from St Cloud State University residential programme and the general public. Recent years have witnessed an extensive programme of conservation, repair and refurbishment to the fabric of the building, both exterior and interior. Roof leads have been replaced; essential masonry repair and re-pointing has been undertaken, as well as conservation work and refurbishment of the interiors. Such works both preserve the castle and continue its development. Alnwick Castle contains an extraordinary and unusual survival in the 21st century of a collection and archive remaining in a property owned by the same family for over 700 years. A small professional team manages the Northumberland Collection and Archive; no public funding is received towards its conservation and preservation. Alnwick Castle most recently featured in Transformers: The Last Knight, and as the magnificent Brancaster Castle in Downton Abbey's 2015 and 2016 Christmas specials. Having already featured as Hogwarts in the first two Harry Potter films, as well as appearing in Elizabeth and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, among others, the castle is no stranger to film crews!

El Hotel Humboldt se encuentra ubicado en la cima del Cerro Ávila en Caracas, Venezuela. Este edificio es un ícono en la arquitectura venezolana por su diseño de vanguardia. Su construcción se realizó en 199 días de 200 dispuestos por el gobierno de entonces, entre los meses de mayo y noviembre de 1956. El hotel formó parte de un gran proyecto de modernización de la ciudad, en donde la principal intención de esta obra era unir a Caracas con el Litoral a través de un complejo turístico y recreativo que involucraba un teleférico como medio de transporte. El hotel Humboldt se caracteriza por ser una cápsula del tiempo que nos lleva directamente a los años cincuenta del siglo pasado. El hotel es una isla en medio de un verde apabullante, un faro que se divisa desde casi cualquier rincón de Caracas, un homenaje a la luz del trópico. También es un espacio para el descanso y la diversión, donde la historia y la tecnología se unen para brindar una experiencia de altura, a más de 2.200 metros sobre el nivel del mar. Este complejo hotelero, con sus amplios espacios sociales, es quizá la obra más conocida del arquitecto venezolano Tomás Sanabria (1922 – 2008), quien junto a los ingenieros Gustavo Larrazábal y Oscar Urreiztieta logró construir y poner en funcionamiento el hotel en solo 199 días, ¡justo un día antes de vencer el plazo establecido para su finalización! El edificio está construido a una altura de 2140 metros sobre el nivel del mar. El resultado de esta construcción vanguardista es una torre cilíndrica con 70 habitaciones adosadas a un cuerpo bajo destinado a áreas sociales, entretenimiento y servicios, alojados bajo una serie de cubiertas abovedadas y prismáticas. En la parte alta del edificio se encuentra un bar con vistas panorámicas de 360 grados que fungen de mirador para apreciar la iluminada ciudad de Caracas hacia el sur y las tonalidades azul del Mar Caribe hacia el norte. La fachada del edificio está hecha con cristal y aluminio, materiales que se implementaron con la finalidad de ayudar a mantener un ambiente cálido en el interior de la edificación, y que además permitió facilitar el mantenimiento rutinario de limpieza desde adentro por medio de ventanales basculantes. Entre los datos interesantes que vale la pena destacar de esta edificación es que el alto coste de su mantenimiento lo mantuvo cerrado por más de 20 años y no es sino hasta 2019 que abre sus puertas nuevamente al público. Sin embargo, en aras de conservar el ambiente de la época del momento de su construcción, toda la decoración está inspirada en el estilo de los años 50’ y se mantienen muchos de los recursos originales que se utilizaron en aquel entonces, tales como los pisos, las barandas de aluminio, entre otros. La principal forma de acceso a este hotel en la cima del Cerro el Ávila sigue siendo mediante el teleférico de Caracas, desde el cual se pueden apreciar unas increíbles imágenes de la ciudad mientras se van adentrando en medio de la montaña. Sin embargo, para los amantes de la naturaleza y el tracking también es posible realizar el ascenso caminando.

I am a God fearing individual, and I’m also a father to two beautiful kids, a boy and a girl. I worked for Tekkie Town as a Sales Assistant and I was chosen as the best Sales person for the entire Mpumalanga province. I also worked for the Department of agriculture as a Data capture. I have a passion for sports, football is one of my favourites and one day I wish I can own a soccer team. While I was in high school, I always wanted to be a lawyer but due to financial constraints I could not become one. My interest in the justice system came when I realised that the late former president Mr Nelson Mandela was also a lawyer representing his people. I wish one day I could give back to my community and its people because my community gave us the likes of the late Steve Bantu Biko, one of the BCM Members who fought for the people of South Africa. My community is one of the underdeveloped communities of this country, but I know that one day all of this will change because I know that with education anything is possible. When a child is educated communities will change for the better and if one community changes, then our country will change for the better as well and poverty will be no more. Education topped with one’s perseverance is the key to a bright future for all. With this pandemic people have lost their jobs and in some households you find that no one is working and people resort to drugs and alcohol, some get depressed to a point of taking their own lives. If we can start developing jobs for people, our continent would become a better place for us all. Being part of an initiative that supports the empowerment of those less privileged is one of my greatest wishes. I will be glad if all my wishes do come through because nothing is as important as education and hard work, and an educated country means a better world for us all.

Uncem Piemonte, Unione Nazionale Comuni, Comunità ed Enti montani. Da sessant'anni è il "sindacato del territorio montano". La Delegazione piemontese - a cui aderiscono: 50 Unioni montane di Comuni (eredi delle Comunità montane secondo quanto previsto dalla legge nazionale 56/2014 e dalle leggi regionali 11/2012 e 3/2014), i 552 Comuni montani, 5 Province, 2 Consorzi Bim, il Formont e il Consorzio Pra Catinat - ha sede in via Gaudenzio Ferrari 1 a Torino. L'Uncem Piemonte rappresenta gli enti a livello regionale presso gli organi competenti per l'esame dei provvedimenti di interesse montano, allo scopo di valorizzare e sviluppare il territorio e le istituzioni; promuove il coordinamento delle attività delle Comunità montane e degli enti al fine di potenziarne le capacità di intervento collegandosi alle linee di programmazione europea, nazionale e regionale; promuove inoltre studi e ricerche per una migliore conoscenza della realtà montana. Dal 2007, l'attività delle Comunità montane, delle Unioni e della Delegazione piemontese dell'Uncem viene presentata sulla rivista bimestrale PieMonti, cinquanta pagine che raccolgono e diffondono le nuove sfide e le opportunità di sviluppo della montagna piemontese. Uncem Piemonte, National Union of Municipalities, Communities and Mountain Bodies. It has been the "mountain territory union" for sixty years. The Piedmontese Delegation - to which the following adhere: 50 mountain Unions of Municipalities (heirs of the mountain communities according to the provisions of national law 56/2014 and regional laws 11/2012 and 3/2014), the 552 mountain municipalities, 5 provinces, 2 consortia Bim, the Formont and the Pra Catinat Consortium - is based in via Gaudenzio Ferrari 1 in Turin. Uncem Piemonte represents the bodies at regional level at the competent bodies for the examination of measures of mountain interest, in order to enhance and develop the territory and the institutions; it promotes the coordination of the activities of the mountain communities and of the entities in order to strengthen their intervention capacities by connecting to the European, national and regional programming lines; it also promotes studies and research for a better knowledge of the mountain reality.

Founded as a Cistercian monastery in the 12th Century, Rufford Abbey came into being about the same time that Robin Hood may have roamed nearby Sherwood Forest. When Henry VIII closed the English abbeys, its buildings, watermills, fields and farms were granted to George Talbot, the Earl of Shrewsbury. Later, it passed by marriage to the Yorkshire Savile family, and grew from a hunting lodge into a magnificent country house. On the eve of World War II, Rufford Abbey was sold, and passed through the hands of various owners. Requisioned for wartime use, it housed cavalry offices, a tank regiment and later Italian prisoners of war. Stripped of its fine interiors, furnishings and land, by the late 1950s it languished. Wartime damage, coal mining subsidence and neglect left the Abbey and its grounds in a sorry state. In 1957 Nottinghamshire County Council bought the house and the remains of its gardens, later opening them as a country park. Though sadly, most of the building had to be demolished, the original abbey undercroft, the Jacobean wing and many historic garden features remain for today's visitors to explore. The area surrounding Rufford has been inhabited since prehistoric times. At Creswell Crags - a limestone gorge near Worksop- a discovery centre tells the story of Ice Age hunters who sheltered in its caves 40,000 years ago. Local forests of oak, birch and lime were first partly cleared by Neolithic people. However, areas of ancient oak and birch woodland still remain. Three miles away at Sherwood Forest Country Park you can walk in Birklands and Bilhaugh. Pollen analysis shows that they were woodland right back to the Ice Age. By the time of the Romans (around 120 AD), we have mention of a Roman settlement near Ruchford, Rutherford or Runford. The town of Southwell, not many miles east of Rufford, had a Roman villa. You can still see part of its mosaic floor under a pew in Southwell Minster. It's believed that a Roman road passed through the area from Oxton, north of Nottingham, to Blyth in what is now south Yorkshire. The name “Rufford” comes from the Old English or Saxon and means “rough ford." Though it's often assumed this is the ford that modern cars now splash through on Rufford Lane, in fact it was probably another ford to the east of the present day park. Old estate maps show a watermil there, on the stream which was later dammed to become Rufford Lake. The first recorded owner of Rugforde or Rumforde, according to the Domesday Book, was "Ulf, son of Suertebrand" - a Saxon chieftain. But everything changed when the Normans invaded England. King William the Conqueror gave Ulf’s estate to his nephew, Gilbert de Gant (Gilbert of Ghent.) The grandson of Gilbert de Gant, (confusingly, also called Gilbert) was Earl of Lincoln. He gave land at Rufford to the Cistercian order of monks in 1146. In the middle ages, it was believed that prayers would help the souls of the dead to reach Heaven. So giving land and gifts to a monastery was a kind of spiritual insurance policy! The Cistercian order was a spartan and austere order. St Bernard of Clairvaux was one of their founding fathers. The movement started in Citeaux in France, and spread all over Europe. Fountains Abbey and Rievaulx Abbey in Yorkshire are two of the best known Cistercian monasteries in England. Their ruins can still be visited today. Twelve Monks from Rievaulx Abbey - led by an abbot called Gamellus - travelled down to Nottinghamshire to create a "daughter house" on their newly acquired land. They immediately set to work creating an abbey church, and probably diverting local watercourses for the water they would need for mills, washing and fulling cloth. The Cistercians believed in making or growing almost everything they needed to survive. In 1156 Rufford received its official blessing from Pope Adrian IV, and various charters in the following years saw the abbey expand its land. It is said that the villagers of Rufford, Cratley, Grimston and Inkersall were evicted to make way for the abbeys farming activities. Some were probably resettled in a new village called Wellow, just outside the abbey estate. Medieval records relate that there were frequent disputes between the Abbot of Rufford and the men of Wellow, usually over the rights to wood from a local forest. It is thought that the construction of permanent stone buildings of Rufford Abbey was well underway by the 1160s, although work may well have continued on and off for almost a century. Local craftsmen and stone were both used to construct the building. Find out more about the life of the monks who lived at Rufford in our on-site exhibits. When Henry VIII famously broke away from the Church of Rome in 1530, he was eager to stake his claim to the assets of the great Catholic religious orders. One of these was Rufford, which by 1534 was worth £176. In 1536 he appointed the Commissioners Legh and Layton to find sufficient evidence to allow him to close down the abbey. Among the "disgraceful offences" they found at Rufford was the claim that the abbey possessed some of the Virgin Mary's milk. They also alleged that the Abbot, Thomas of Doncaster, had broken his vows of chastity with at least two married and four single women, and claimed that six of the other monks were of "disgraceful character." Following this a Royal Commission closed Rufford Abbey and the lands were granted to George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury. It was while owned by the 6th Earl, another George Talbot, that the transformation of the old abbey into a fine country house first began and under the guidance of the 7th Earl new wings were added onto the north and south ends of the lay brothers’ wing of the old abbey, forming some of the country house we still see today. In 1626 the Rufford estate passed to Sir George Savile and his first wife, Lady Mary, who was a sister to the 7th and 8th Earls of Shrewsbury. The Saviles were a long-established and landed family whose seat was Thornhill Hall near Huddersfield in West Yorkshire. The family supported the Royalists during the English Civil War, living up to their family motto to “Fear God and Honour the King” and Charles I visited Rufford in July 1642, shortly before raising his standard at Nottingham on August 22nd, which signalled the start of the war. The family prospered under the restoration of the monarchy and continued to enhance and develop the estate. Throughout the 18th and 19th Centuries, the grounds were continually expanded and developed. In 1750, for example, the 8th Baronet dammed the stream to the north and created the lake. Not only did this enhance the grounds, it also provided power for his new corn mill, now known as Rufford Mill. In 1837 the eminent Victorian architect Anthony Salvin was hired to undertake a thorough re-design of the house, much of which can be seen today. Rufford made rough-cut wooden coffins for the dead of the First World War, but this war also heralded the beginning of the end for many large country estates, and Rufford was no exception. The estate suffered from rising taxes and wages and reduced income from farm rents, so that by 1938, the trustees of the young 3rd Baron were forced to sell the estate. The estate, house and contents were eventually taken over by the Army in 1939 during the Second World War and the Leicestershire Yeomanry, 6th Cavalry Brigade were stationed there, arriving as horse-mounted troops, and leaving as motorised artillery. About 20 army huts were constructed and these later housed Italian prisoners of war. By 1949 the house was in a poor state of repair and the Government announced that in the event of demolition, the 12th Century parts of the abbey, including the crypt, must be preserved at all costs. In 1952 Nottinghamshire County Council decided to purchase the Abbey and about 130 acres of land around the house and in 1956, despite some public outcry, a necessary controlled demolition of the Abbey’s upper floors, the 17th Century north wing and the 18th Century east wing was started and completed two years later. In 1969 a park ranger service was set up and the site officially designated a Country Park. After years of neglect the future was finally looking brighter for Rufford Abbey.

Il Sentiero di Leonardo 26 giorni e 540 km a piedi: da Milano a S. Bernardino lungo l'Adda e il Lario - da S. Bernardino a Milano lungo la Mesolcina, il Ticino e il Naviglio pavese. La nascita di un Sentiero dedicato a Leonardo da Vinci intende mettere in attenzione territori e luoghi che - dal capoluogo milanese alla Svizzera dei Cantoni Grigioni e Ticino - videro Leonardo da Vinci protagonista indiscusso con la sua attività di artista, studioso della natura, geologo, alpinista, ingegnere e inventore. Oltre al capoluogo di Milano, la Martesana, il corso dell’Adda, il ramo lecchese del Lario, la corona alpina, l'attuale Svizzera italiana, il corso del Ticino, i Navigli Grande e Pavese furono gli ambiti da lui più esplorati e studiati. Leonardo da Vinci, affascinato in Lombardia dall'acqua fluente e interessato al moto dei fluidi, trovò lungo il corso abduano e del Ticino i motivi di studio, di riflessione e a seguire di creazione-invenzione che poi si tradussero nelle sue celeberrime produzioni artistiche e tecnologiche, le quali tuttora stupiscono e affascinano il mondo intero. Il percorso del Sentiero di Leonardo ricalca una sentieristica già nota e consolidata, nel seguito sintetizzata: Alzaia della Martesana da Milano a Trezzo sull’Adda, Alzaia del fiume Adda da Trezzo sull’Adda a Lecco, Sentieri lungo i Piani Resinelli da Lecco ad Abbadia Lariana (in futuro, quando sarà disponibile, la ciclopedonale lungolago), Sentiero del Viandante da Abbadia Lariana a Piantedo. Via Francisca da Piantedo a Chiavenna, Via Spluga da Chiavenna a Madesimo, Passo del Baliscio da Madesimo a San Bernardino, Valle Mesolcina da San Bernardino a Bellinzona, Sentiero svizzero 7 da Bellinzona a Lugano e Ponte Tresa, Via Francisca da Ponte Tresa a Busto Arsizio, Alzaia del Naviglio Grande da Busto Arsizio ad Abbiategrasso, Sentieri del Parco del Ticino da Abbiategrasso a Pavia, Alzaia del Naviglio Pavese da Pavia a Milano. La suggestione del percorso prefigurato è tale da configurare il Sentiero di Leonardo come una originale valorizzazione dei territori coinvolti, portandolo a competere - grazie alla presenza di numerosi temi attrattivi - coi più blasonati cammini europei. 26 days and 540 km on foot: from Milan to S. Bernardino along the Adda and Lario - from S. Bernardino to Milan along the Mesolcina, Ticino and Naviglio Pavese. The birth of a path dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci intends to focus on territories and places that - from the Milanese capital to the Switzerland of the cantons of Grisons and Ticino - saw Leonardo da Vinci the undisputed protagonist with his activity as an artist, nature scholar, geologist, mountaineer, engineer and inventor. In addition to the capital of Milan, the Martesana, the course of the Adda, the Lecco branch of the Lario, the Alpine crown, the current Italian Switzerland, the course of the Ticino, the Navigli Grande and Pavese were the areas he most explored and studied. Leonardo da Vinci, fascinated in Lombardy by flowing water and interested in the motion of fluids, found along the Abduano and Ticino courses the reasons for study, reflection and subsequent creation-invention which then resulted in his famous artistic and technological productions, which still amaze and fascinate the whole world. The path of Leonardo's Path follows an already known and consolidated path, summarized below: Towpath of the Martesana from Milan to Trezzo sull'Adda, Towpath of the Adda river from Trezzo sull'Adda to Lecco, Paths along the Resinelli Plains from Lecco to Abbadia Lariana (in the future, when the lakeside cycle path will be available), Path of the Wayfarer from Abbadia Lariana to Piantedo, Via Francisca from Piantedo to Chiavenna, Via Spluga from Chiavenna to Madesimo. Passo del Baliscio from Madesimo to San Bernardino, Mesolcina Valley from San Bernardino to Bellinzona, Swiss path 7 from Bellinzona to Lugano and Ponte Tresa, Via Francisca from Ponte Tresa to Busto Arsizio, Towpath of the Naviglio Grande from Busto Arsizio to Abbiategrasso Trails of the Ticino Park from Abbiategrasso to Pavia, Towpath of the Naviglio Pavese from Pavia to Milan. The suggestion of the prefigured path is such as to configure Leonardo's Path as an original enhancement of the territories involved, leading it to compete - thanks to the presence of numerous attractive themes - with the most noble European paths.