Sunday 30 October 2011

Blauer Turm





The symbolic landmark of Bad Wimpfen. Built around 1200 as the keep on the west side of the Staufen Imperial Palace it was used until well into the nineteenth century as a watchtower, complenting what was probably the oldest continuous tradition of tower wardens in Germany. From the top there is a magnificent view of the Old Town and the Neckar Valley.

Font:
http://www.badwimpfen.de/showpage.php?SiteID=87&lang=2&sn=1&teaser=375

Wednesday 26 October 2011

Palazzo Doria Tursi


The extraordinary setting of via Garibladi, the wonderful renaissance and baroque Strada Nuova that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers an original museum path which links three important Genoese palaces: Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Doria Tursi. Built in the Genoese Century, that is to say the sixteenth-century, Palazzo Doria Tursi hosts not only the Lord Mayor’s boardrooms, but also the extension of the Palazzo Bianco Gallery. In the monumental halls it is possible to admire unique pieces as the Guarneri del Gesù, Paganini’s violin, a considerable exposition of decorative art works and a collection of coins, weights and ufficial measures of the ancient Genoese Republic. 
Font:
www.museidigenova.it/spip.php?rubrique229

Sunday 23 October 2011

Parque das Ruínas







Part of the ruins of what once was the Murtinho Nobre Palace, lifelong home to the late patron of the arts Laurinda Santos Lobo, are still standing. But when Rio’s City Hall took it over it gained more of a contemporary look.

Ernani Freire’s architectural project preserved the exposed brick structure of the three-story house at the top of the Santa Teresa neighborhood and mixed it with glass and metal. The renovation resulted in a beautiful edifice that would house a cultural center in one of the city’s most popular tourism spots.

Besides offering cultural programming, Parque das Ruínas is a privileged lookout point: from there you can see the city center, the Sugar Loaf mountain, parts of the coastline and the Lapa Arches.

Find out more

Other than patios and gardens, the park has an exhibition room, an 80-seat indoor amphitheater and an outdoor stage.

The cultural center programming includes shows and literary readings.

Laurinda Santos Lobo welcomed in her palace artists such as Brazilian maestro Heitor Villa-Lobos and dancer Isadora Duncan.




How to get there
Address: Murtinho Nobre street, 169, Santa Teresa 
Phone: [55 21] 2215-0621 / 2224-3922.
E-mail: parquedasruinas@gmail.com





Font:http://www.riofilmcommission.rj.gov.br/location/parque-das-ruinas

Sunday 16 October 2011

La Biosfera


The Biosphere is a glass and steel structure measuring 20 m in diameter and weighing 60 tons.
It houses a small ecosystem of tropical animals and plants. The historical botanical collections of the Municipality of Genoa have provided rare specimens of tropical trees. Besides the renowned ferns, perhaps the largest in the world grown in containers, there are also species traditionally used by humans such as rubber, coffee and cocoa trees.

This small but rich botanical garden where butterflies, birds, amphibians and reptiles freely roam, brings together the beauty, complexity and fragility of tropical forests. These ecosystems, among the richest in terms of biodiversity are rapidly disappearing due to the increased development of human activities.
A computerized system monitors the climate inside the glass dome and regulates the temperature using air convection and fog.

The strong emotional experience while entering the rainforest of the Biosphere, under the guidance of experienced staff, allows visitors to capture the extraordinary uniqueness of tropical environments and the seriousness of their rapid process of destruction.

Useful Info


Font:
http://www.portoantico.it/index.aspx?codpage=biosfera&lang=eng

Sunday 9 October 2011

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II






The Vittorio Emanuele II shopping mall (Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II) is the most elegant location to shop or dine in Milan Italy. Built in the 1870s, the building was designed by Giuseppe Mengoni and is famous for its glass ceiling and art.

Font:
http://milanitaly.ca/attractions/galleriavittorioemanuele.html

Monday 3 October 2011

Mosbach




The wooded slopes of the Odenwald forest characterize the location of Mosbach. The town is situated just between Heidelberg and Heilbronn. It is one of the attractive spots along the Neckar River Valley with its romantic castles. So Mosbach is also part of the Castle Road (German Burgenstrasse).

The main street of the historic Old Town is a unique parade of half-timbered houses: you will see pointed and wide gables, centuries' old gray, black and red colored wooden constructions forming a harmonious backdrop. These timbered houses from the 15th and 16th century and special gems like the Palm House, one of the most beautiful half-timbered houses in the state of Baden-Württemberg, gave Mosbach the distinction of becoming the starting point of the scenic German Framework Road from the river Neckar to the Black Forest and Lake Constance in 2003.
Included among the attractions of the restored pedestrian zone of the Old Town are the Town Hall, erected in 1557 on the foundations of a church, and the Collegiate Church from the 14th century.
In the City Museum you can marvel not only at rural life and the skill of the craftsmen here, but particularly at the large faience collection. The pitchers, plates and bowls were fired in a Mosbach manufactory in the 18th century.
Owing to its unified whole, the 15th century Gutleut complex in the northern part of the city is considered to be one of the best-preserved ensembles of its type in Baden-Württemberg. The intact and well-preserved frescoes from 1496 inside the chapel are of great art-historical importance.

Font:
http://www.mosbach.de/en/Homepage.html