Travel The Aqueduct of Segovia in Spain

The Aqueduct of Segovia may be a Roman aqueduct and one in all the foremost important and best-preserved ancient monuments left on the Iberian Peninsula. it's the foremost image of Segovia, as evidenced by its presence on the city's coat of arms.

As the aqueduct lacks a legible inscription , the date of construction can't be definitively determined. Researchers have placed it between the second 1/2 the first Century AD and therefore the early years of the 2nd Century throughout the reign of either Emperor Vespasian or Nerva. The beginnings of Segovia itself are likewise not definitively known. The individuals known as Vaccaei are known to own populated the world before the Romans conquered town. Roman troops sent to regulate the world, that fell among the jurisdiction of the Roman provincial court located in Clunia, stayed behind to settle there.

The aqueduct transports waters from Fuente Fría river, situated within the nearby mountains, some seventeen km from town in an exceedingly region called La Acebeda. It runs another fifteen km before arriving within the town.

The water is initial gathered in an exceedingly tank called El Caserón , and is then led through a channel to a second tower called the Casa de Aguas .

There it's naturally decanted and sand settles out before the water continues its route. Next the water travels 728 m on a one-percent grade till it's high upon the Postigo, a rocky outcropping on that the previous town center, the Segovia Alcázar, was built. Then, at Plaza de Díaz Sanz , the structure makes an abrupt flip and heads toward Plaza Azoguejo . it's there the monument begins to show its full splendor. At its tallest, the aqueduct reaches a height of twenty eight.5 m , together with nearly half-dozen m of foundation.

There are each single and double arches supported by pillars. From the purpose the aqueduct enters town till it reaches Plaza de Díaz Sanz, it boasts seventy five single arches and forty four double arches, followed by four single arches, totalling 167 arches in all.

The construction of the aqueduct follows the principles laid out by Vitruvius as he describes in his De Architectura printed within the mid-first century.

The first section of the aqueduct contains thirty six semi-circular arches, rebuilt within the fifteenth century to revive a little destroyed by the Moors in 1072.

The line of arches is organized in 2 levels, adorned merely, within which predominantly straightforward moulds hold the frame and supply support to the structure. On the higher level, the arches have a complete width of five.1 meters . inbuilt 2 levels, the highest pillars are each shorter and narrower than those on the lower level. the highest of the structure contains the channel through that water travels, through a U-shaped hollow measuring zero.55 by 0.46 meters. The channel continuously adjusts to the bottom height and therefore the topography below. The lower-level arches have an approximate width of four.5 meters Their pillars gradually increase in circumference size. the highest of every pillar features a cross-section measuring one.8 by 2.5 meters , whereas the bottom cross-section measures approximately a pair of.4 by three meters .


Principal facade of the Aqueduct of Segovia.
The aqueduct is constructed of unmortared, brick-like granite blocks. throughout the Roman era, every of the 3 tallest arches displayed a symptom in bronze letters, indicating the name of its builder beside the date of construction. Today, 2 niches are still visible, one on either side of the aqueduct. one in all them is thought to own held the image of Hercules, who in keeping with legend was founding father of town. the opposite niche currently contains the photographs of the Virgen de la Fuencisla and Saint Stephen.

The first reconstruction of the aqueduct happened throughout the reign of the King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, called the Reyes Católicos or Catholic Monarchs. Don Pedro Mesa, the previous of the nearby Jerónimos del Parral monastery, led the project. a complete of thirty six arches were rebuilt, with nice care taken to not modification any of the initial work or vogue. Later, within the sixteenth Century, the central niches and above-mentioned statues were placed on the structure. On four December, the day of Saint Barbara, who is that the patron saint of artillery, the cadets of the native military academy drape the image of the Virgin in an exceedingly flag.

The aqueduct is that the city's most vital architectural landmark. It had been kept functioning throughout the centuries and preserved in glorious condition. It provided water to Segovia, mainly to the Segovia Alcázar, till recently. thanks to differential decay of stone blocks, water leakage from the higher viaduct, and pollution that caused the granite ashlar masonry to deteriorate and crack, the location was listed within the 2006 World Monuments Watch by the globe Monuments Fund. Contrary to fashionable belief, vibrations caused by traffic that used to pass below the arches didn't have an effect on the aqueduct as a result of its nice mass. WMF Spain brought along the Ministry of Culture, the regional government of Castilla y León, and different native establishments to collaborate in implementing the project, and provided help through the worldwide money services company yank specific.

Travel Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

Barcelona, ​​Catalonia and radiates charm mixed with Spanish passion. A popular destination in the city, Barcelona welcomes many tourists every year eager to try traditional tapas and a little of the ancient heritage of the city.

In addition to the modern cultural offerings such as Camp Nou Barcelona for lovers of sport and Sonar and Primavera Sound Festival globetrotting music lovers that the city's historic sites are the undeniable must-see for any visitors more demanding.

The city has numerous sites of architectural interest issue if your passion is in art, architecture or music, but no visit to Barcelona would be complete without a visit to the spectacular Sagrada Familia by Gaudi.

While the official title Catalan is the expiatory church of the Sagrada Familia, is commonly known as the Cathedral of Gaudi. La Sagrada Familia is the best monument of Gaudí and magnetism that attracts tourists to its incredibly detailed stone, imagining a dream and a design consideration. Aware of the massive cathedral has been a company can not say, and is known under construction 127 years after construction work began.

Antoni Gaudi was born in 1852 and became a key author of the Art Nouveau movement in Spain, which saw great popularity in the decorative arts with a distinct aesthetic organic and floral, which culminated in the early 20. Gaudi style gave birth to the creation of many of the most remarkable buildings in Barcelona, ​​at least not Gaudi house itself, but also Vicens Casa Mila, Guell Park and House.

Gaudi dedicated his life to the construction of La Sagrada Familia in the name of their Catholic faith. In its integrated design imposing monuments of the iconic figures of their religion dear - the apostles, evangelists, Mary and Jesus. He hoped that would be to Christians around the world as a mecca for the cult. When finished, the cathedral will have three fronts - the Nativity, the glory and passion. The interior is filled with iconic sculptures and busts in connection with the saints and sins, according to the modern interpretation of the designs of Gaudi.

By the nature of the evolving artist designs, architects have had difficulty succeeding to grips with Gaudí's master plan. The final plans were realized long ago lost burned by anarchists during the civil unrest in 1938. As such, while the cathedral is scheduled to open for worship in 2010, is not expected to be completed before 2026 the centenary of the artist's death.

Gaudí died in 1926, knowing he would not live to see his grand design made. However, such is the organic nature of its design, it seems appropriate that the construction work on his magnum opus should continue to grow long life outwith its designer. In addition, due to the popularity of visitors to Gaudí many times that the point of including his most popular tourist attractions in their itineraries once they reach their flights to Barcelona.

Travel Mezquita of Cordoba in spain

The Cathedral and former Great Mosque of Córdoba, is today a World Heritage Site and the cathedral of the Diocese of Córdoba. The site was originally a pagan temple, then a Visigothic Christian church, before the Umayyad Moors at first converted the building into a mosque and then built a new mosque on the site.
It is located in the Andalusian city of Córdoba, Spain. The Mezquita is regarded as perhaps the most accomplished monument of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba. After the Spanish Reconquista, it once again became a Roman Catholic church, with a plateresque cathedral later inserted into the centre of the large Moorish building.

Since the early 2000s, Spanish Muslims have lobbied the Roman Catholic church to allow them to pray in the cathedral. The Muslim campaign has been rejected on multiple occasions, by both Spanish Catholic authorities, and the Vatican. In 2010 there was a violent incident over the matter.

The Great Mosque of Córdoba held a place of importance amongst the Islamic community of al-Andalus for three centuries. In Córdoba, the capital, the Great Mosque was seen as the heart and central focus. To the people of al-Andalus “the beauty of the mosque was so dazzling that it defied any description.”
The main hall of the mosque was used for a variety of purposes. It served as a central hall for teaching and to manage law and order within al-Andalus during the rule of Abd ar-Rahman.

The Great Mosque of Córdoba exhibited features, and an architectural appearance, similar to the Great Mosque of Damascus, therefore it is evident that it was used as a model by Abd ar-Rahman for the creation of the Great Mosque in Córdoba.

The building is most notable for its giant arches, with 856 columns of jasper, onyx, marble, and granite. These were made from pieces of the Roman temple which had occupied the site previously, as well as other destroyed Roman buildings, such as the Mérida amphitheatre. The double arches, pictured above, were a new introduction to architecture, and helped support the tremendous weight of the higher ceilings. The double arches consist of a lower horseshoe arch and an upper semi-circular arch. The famous alternating red and white voussoirs of the arches were inspired by those in the Dome of the Rock.

They resemble those of the Aachen Cathedral, which were built almost at the same time. The mosque also features richly gilded prayer niches. A centrally located honey-combed dome has blue tiles decorated with stars. The mihrab is a masterpiece of architectural art, with geometric and flowing designs of plants. Other prominent features were: an open court (sahn) surrounded by arcades, screens of wood, minarets, colourful mosaics, and windows of coloured glass.The walls of the mosque had Quranic inscriptions written on them.

Travel Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, built by Ferrovial and located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. It is built alongside the Nervion River, which runs through the city of Bilbao to the Atlantic Coast. The Guggenheim is one of several museums belonging to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. The museum features permanent and visiting exhibits of works by Spanish and international artists.

One of the most admired works of contemporary architecture, the building has been hailed as a "signal moment in the architectural culture" because it represents "one of those rare moments when critics, academics, and the general public were all completely united about something."The museum was the building most frequently named as one of the most important works completed since 1980 in the 2010 World Architecture Survey among architecture experts.

The curves on the building were to appear random. The architect said that "the randomness of the curves are designed to catch the light".[5] When it was opened to the public in 1997, it was immediately hailed as one of the world's most spectacular buildings in the style of Deconstructivism, although Gehry does not associate himself with that architectural movement. Architect Philip Johnson called it "the greatest building of our time".
The museum's design and construction serve as an object lesson in Gehry's style and method. Like many of Gehry's other works, it has a structure that consists of radically sculpted, organic contours. Sited as it is in a port town, it is intended to resemble a ship. Its brilliantly reflective titanium panels resemble fish scales, echoing the other organic life forms that recur commonly in Gehry's designs, as well as the river Nervión upon which the museum sits. Also in typical Gehry fashion, the building is uniquely a product of the period's technology. Computer Aided Three Dimensional Interactive Application (CATIA) and visualizations were used heavily in the structure's design.