Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Noah's Ark

Malmesbury, the oldest borough in England, became the site of Malmesbury Abbey, a monastery famed for its learning. It was later home to one of Alfred the Great's fortified castles (burhs) for defence against the Vikings. As a market town, it became prominent in the Middle Ages as a centre for learning, focused on and around the abbey. In the later seventh century, the site of the Abbey was chosen by Máel Dub, an Irish monk who established a hermitage. Towards the end of his life Malmesbury Abbey was founded around 676 by Aldhelm, a nephew of King Ine of Wessex. The town of Malmesbury grew up around the expanding Abbey. In October 939 Æthelstan, king of Wessex and of the English, died in Gloucester, and in the year 941 his remains were buried in the Abbey. The Abbey developed an illustrious reputation for academic learning under the rule of abbots such as Aldhelm, John Scotus Eriugena, Alfred of Malmesbury and Aelfric of Eynsham. The current Abbey was substantially completed by 1180. The 131 m tall spire, and the tower it was built upon, collapsed around 1500 destroying much of the church, including two-thirds of the nave and the transept. The abbey was closed at the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539 by Henry VIII and was sold to William Stumpe, a rich merchant. He returned the abbey church to the town for continuing use as a parish church, and filled the abbey buildings with up to 20 looms for his cloth-weaving enterprise. During the English Civil War, Malmesbury suffered extensive damage evidenced by hundreds of pock-marks left by bullets. Cluny did strongly influence the artistic style here. The connection to Cluny was close. Abbot Peter Moraunt had been a monk of Cluny and had been for a time Prior of La Charité. Unfortunately the carvings of the portal are very weathered. Seen here may be Noah's Ark

The Iron Age castle rampart of "Old Sarum" was built in the 4th century BC. This was later used as a fortress by the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons and finally, from the 11th century, by the Normans. At the time of the Saxon invasions, Old Sarum fell to King Cynric of Wessex. The Saxons favoured settlements in the lowlands and largely ignored Old Sarum until the Viking invasions prompted King Alfred of Wessex to rebuild the fortifications. However Old Sarum was abandoned by its inhabitants and was sacked and burnt down by the Danish-Norwegian king Sweyn Forkbeard in 1003. After the Norman invasion a castle was built by 1070, which was directly under the control of the Norman kings. In 1075, the Council of London installed the first Bishop of Salisbury, named Herman. He and his successor, Saint Osmund, began the construction of the first Salisbury cathedral, that was completed in 1092. In 1220, Bishop Richard Poore of Sarum began building a new cathedral about three kilometres away in the valley south of the fortress of Old Sarum. This was the nucleus of today's city of Salisbury, initially under the name New Sarum. Just seven years later, Salisbury was granted city rights. The cathedral was consecrated in 1258 after only 38 years of construction. Due to the short construction period of the cathedral, its architectural style largely corresponds to the early English Gothic style. The free building site and the generous financial support of Henry III were decisive for the rapid completion. The crossing tower, which was added in the early 14th century, has been the tallest church tower in Great Britain at 123 metres since 1561, after the collapse of the crossing tower of the old St Paul's Cathedral. The only major sections begun later were the cloisters, added in 1240, the chapter house in 1263, the tower and spire, which at 123 m dominated the skyline from 1330. In total, 70,000 tons of stone, 3,000 tons of timber and 450 tons of lead were used in the construction of the cathedral. In the 17th century, Christopher Wren designed restoration measures to strengthen the central pillars, which by then had visibly deformed under the weight of the tower and spire. Significant changes to the cathedral were made by the architect James Wyatt in 1790, including the replacement of the original rood screen and demolition of a bell tower which stood northwest of the main building. The floor plan of Salisbury Cathedral shows a three-aisled basilica with two transepts. The chapter house is notable for its octagonal shape, slender central pillar. A frieze, which circles the interior above the stalls, depicts scenes and stories from the books of Genesis and Exodus. Noah´s Ark

Tangermünde Castle was first mentioned in 1009 as "civitate Tongeremuthi" because this is where the Tanger (Tongera) flows into the Elbe. The city was first mentioned in 1275. From 1373 to 1378 Tangermünde was the second seat of Emperor Charles IV, who appointed his 12-year-old son Wenzel Elector of Brandenburg in 1373. After the death of Emperor Charles IV, there was a turbulent development in the Mark, until the Hohenzollerns were enfeoffed with the Mark as electors in 1415 and initially resided in Tangermünde. The heyday of the Hanseatic city was the 15th century, when the city gates and the town hall were built in the North German brick Gothic style. At this time, St. Stephen's Church was expanded into a Gothic hall church. The city lost the Elector's favor after the uprising of 1488, when the citizens rebelled against the beer tax. In 1617 the city burned down almost completely. After the fire, many magnificent half-timbered houses were built. Due to the Thirty Years' War, however, the city became a rather insignificant country town. - The predecessor of St. Stephan was a Romanesque basilica. It was in existence by 1188. Parts of this original building were reused in the construction of the present church. The transept of the former building gave the width of the new nave. Emperor Charles IV, who lived in Tangermünde between 1373 and 1378, founded a house of Augustinian Canons, to which he gave the church as a source of income. The canons conducted the services. During the late Middle Ages the construction took place in several phases of today's triple-aisled Gothic hall church. Firstly, after 1350, the northern wall of the nave and the southern wall were built, and in about 1405, the roof and the rib vaults. The prominent octagonal pillars are unusual. The south tower remains uncompleted to this day. In 1450 work began on the construction of the new choir, followed by the outside walls of the new ambulatory and also the arms of the transept. Only then was the old choir removed. The choir was roofed in 1475. The city-wide fire from 1617 damaged the church and the top part of the north tower collapsed. It was not restored until after 1714, when the tower received its present Baroque roof. A "Biblia Pauperum" (Bible for the poor) was attached to the north gallery of the church in 1620. In this way, the parishioners who could not read were able to experience the stories of the Bible in pictures. Noah's Ark. In the backdrop the elephants are approaching the ark.

Florentina was established in Roman times as a settlement for veteran soldiers. The name had changed already when young Charlemagne conquered the town in 774. It became part of the Duchy of Tuscany, with Lucca as the capital. Around 1000 Margrave Hugo chose Florence as residency instead of Lucca. After the death of Matilda of Tuscany (1115), the Florentines formed a republic ruled by a council. The town prospered, despite a constant fight between the different factions and noble families. In the 15th century, Florence was among the largest and wealthiest cities in Europe. This was when the Medici family entered the political scene. As a dynasty of art-loving, power-hungry bankers, they made Florence the birthplace of the Renaissance. The Baptistery of San Giovanni is the baptistery of Florence Cathedral. The time of origin is disputed, the church was consecrated in the 11th century. The church stands on the foundations of a Roman building. The first reliable source dates from 897, when an ecclesia (church) dedicated to John the Baptist and facing the bishop's palace is mentioned. Today's building dates from the 11th century at the earliest. The octagon had been a common shape for baptisteries for many centuries since early Christian times. The construction was finished in 1128. An octagonal lantern was added to the roof around 1150. It was enlarged with a rectangular entrance porch in 1202, leading into the original western entrance of the building, that in the 15th century became an apse, after the opening of the eastern door facing the western door of the cathedral by Lorenzo Ghiberti. The interior is divided into a lower part with columns and an upper part with a corridor. The interior walls are clad in dark green and white marble inlaid with geometric designs. The marble lining of the interior began in the second half of the eleventh century. From 1225, the dome was decorated with one of the world's largest mosaic cycles, with a diameter of 26 m in eight rings by famous artists such as Giotto or Cimabue; This mosaic, dominated by a mighty figure of Christ, was only completed after 50 years. The cyclorama was created between 1260 and 1275 and has a diameter of eight meters. Details of the mosaic: The Story of Noah's Ark

Modena, an Etruscan foundation, was an important city in the Roman Empire and a stronghold against the barbarian attacks at its end. It is said that it was never sacked by Attila, for a dense fog hid it (a miracle said to be provided by Saint Geminianus, patron of Modena), but it was eventually buried by a great flood in the 7th century and abandoned. Towards the end of the 9th century, Modena was rebuilt and fortified by its bishop Ludovicus. When the construction of the cathedral began in 1099, the city was part of the possessions of Margravine Matilda of Tuscia. But when the building was consecrated by Lucius III in 1184, it was a free commune. In the wars between Frederick II and Gregory IX, it sided with the emperor. Two churches built since the 5th century on the site of the present cathedral were both destroyed when Modena got resettled. A church was erected that soon was too small and a large cathedral was planned. Work on the present cathedral began in 1099 under the direction of the master builder Lanfranco. The first stone was laid in 1099 with the support of Matilda of Tuscia. A plaque outside the main apse gives 23 May 1099 as the date of the foundation of the new Modena Cathedral and also the name of the architect Lanfranco. The cathedral was consecrated by Pope Lucius III in 1184. However, the cathedral was not completed until 1322. The façade of the cathedral has remarkable reliefs made by the sculptor Wiligelmus (aka "Guglielmo da Modena"). He and Lanfranco are considered the first Italian artists to sign their works. Noah's Ark

Venice (ital. Venezia) is one of the most important tourist destinations worldwide with about 30 million visitors each year. I have already uploaded dozens of shots from previous visits, so I´ll try to cut down the number of uploads this time. Noah's Ark

Venice (ital. Venezia) is one of the most important tourist destinations worldwide with about 30 million visitors each year. I have already uploaded dozens of shots from previous visits, so I´ll try to cut down the number of uploads this time. Noah's Ark

Beaune, in the centre of the Department "Côte-d’Or", is one of the key wine centres in France. It is the centre of Burgundy wine production. and business. The annual wine auction of the "Hospices de Beaune" is worldwide noticed and maybe the most important auction in France. The collegiate was founded in Beaune within the 10th century, the building of this church, which is parish church since the French Revolution, started in romanesque style within the 12th century. The Romanesque capitals are very detailed and have a specific "soft" style. Passengers are leaving Noah's Ark.

Otranto occupies the site of an ancient Greek city. It gained importance in Roman times, as it was the nearest port to the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. After the end of the Roman Empire, it was in the hands of the Byzantine emperors until it surrendered to the Norman troops of Robert Guiscard in 1068. The Normans fortified the city and built the cathedral, that got consecrated in 1088. When Henry VI., son of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, married Constanze of Sicily in 1186 Otranto came under the rule of the Hohenstaufen and later in the hands of Ferdinand I of Aragón, King of Naples. Between 1480 and 1481 the "Ottoman invasion" took place here. Troops of the Ottoman Empire invaded and laid siege to the city and its citadel. Legends tell that more than 800 inhabitants were beheaded after the city was captured. The "Martyrs of Otranto" are still celebrated in Italy, their skulls are on display in the cathedral. A year later the Ottoman garrison surrendered the city following a siege by Christian forces and the intervention of Papal forces. - Otranto had been one of the last Byzantine strongholds in Apulia, but finally Robert Guiscard could take it. It had probably been such a stronghold, as Otranto had hosted an autocephalous bishopric, only dependent of the patriarchal see of Byzantium since 968. So (Roman) Catholicism had to perform something "convincing" for the so long (Byzantine) Orthodox christians. One was to erect a huge church. The Otranto Cathedral was erected, over ruins of a Paleo-christian church from 1080 on and was consecrated in 1088. It is 54 metres long by 25 metres wide and is built on 42 monolithic granite and marble columns. I had come to Otranto, to see the mosaic. I had planned to stay one night in Otranto, I spent three nights - and still had not seen all the details. I was so overwhelmed, that I took hundreds of photos, but the mosaic is "endless". I will upload only a couple. It was created by a monk named Pantaleon and his workshop between 1163 and 1165. Pantaleon lived at the monastery San Nicola di Casole, located a few kilometres south of Otranto. The mosaic covers the nave, both aisles, the apse and the presbytery. This sums up to a total of 1596 m². About 10 000000 (10 million!) "tesserae" were used. There are scholars, who have counted up to 700 different "stories", that are told here. Though, these "stories" are often disputed, as today's interpretations are mostly very "vague". German historian Carl Arnold Willemsen published the most important book about the mosaic in Italian " L'enigma di Otranto", that since the 1970s is translated in many languages. I followed his theories. As the church is a parish church, there are benches placed on the mosaic floor. Only for the Sunday service, the ropes are open so that the parishioners can reach the benches. I stayed up to Sunday to mix with the locals. Noah's Ark

A church existed here before the Moors conquest the iberian peninsula. This church was converted into a mosque in 717. The Franks reconquered Girona in 785 under Charlemagne, and the church was reconsecrated in 908. Bishop Roger (son of Roger I of Carcassonne) started a reconstruction in 1015. A new church and a cloister were built in romanesque style until 1064. The two towers were completed in 1117. The cloister was completed already 1064 and most parts are still in the original condition. Like the cloister of Sant Pere de Galligants (less than 500 meters north), the arches of the four galleries are supported by twin columns. But - this cloister is about one century older. Here is a different style of carving, actually here are more than just one artistic style. There are very different themes and topics themes depicted here. Scenes from the bible, dignitaries, people at work, hunting scenes, birds... Similar to Elne (now France, once Northern Catalonia), here are some magnificent friezes. Here is a smaller one, depicting Noah's Ark, flanked by a bird (left) and a winged dragon (right). Three men (Noah´s three sons?) are approaching the ark.

Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, has a long history, that starts around 8000 BC, but later there were Phoenician, Carthaginian, Greek and Roman periods. After the Roman Empire had fallen apart the Vandals tried to take over the island but failed. Finally, the Ostrogoths took possession. Mid of the 6th century Sicily was conquered by troops of the Byzantine Empire. After the advent of Islam, Sicily got attacked by the Arab forces. Raids seeking loot continued until the mid-8th century. A Muslim army was sent to the island in 827 but met with much resistance. So it took a century to conquer it and even later revolts constantly occurred In 1038 the Byzantines invaded the island supported by Norman mercenaries, led by Roger. In 1072, after the siege of Palermo, most of Sicily was under Norman control. Roger´s son Roger II raised the status +of the island to a kingdom in 1130. During this period, the Kingdom of Sicily was prosperous and powerful, The court of Roger II became melting out of culture from Europe and the Middle East. This attracted scholars, scientists, artists, and artisans. Muslims, Jews, Greeks, Lombards, and Normans cooperated and created some extraordinary buildings. In 1186 the last descendant of Roger, Constance of Sicily married Emperor Henry VI, the second son of Barbarossa. So the crown of Sicily was passed on to the Hohenstaufen Dynasty. Frederick II, the only son of Constance, was crowned King of Sicily at the age of four in 1198. He became "Stupor Mundi", one of the greatest and most cultured men of the Middle Ages. - William II of Sicily built from 1172 here a fort-like complex of buildings, which included a cathedral, an archiepiscopal palace, a royal palace and a Benedictine monastery. In 1183 the monastery became the seat of the archdiocese of Monreale. The town then developed around this complex. According to a legend, William fell asleep while hunting. The Holy Virgin appeared to him in a dream, suggesting him to build a church here. After removing a tree, a treasure was found, whose coins were used to finance the construction. Well, it is much more likely that Monreale was founded in competition with the bishop of Palermo, who had commissioned the large Cathedral of Palermo. This would explain the vast dimensions and the splendour of the "Duomo di Monreale" (= "Cattedrale di Santa Maria Nuova"), that with the cloister, is the only building that survived the times. The interior is breathtaking, but as the cathedral is about 100 m long, there are distances here, not like inside the "Capella Palatina", where all the mosaics are so "near" - plus the visitors can sit down here - and gaze. It is overwhelming. Here are more than 6000m² of byzantine mosaics. The sides of the nave show many very strong parallels to the Cappella Palatina. Here and there probably the same workshop. Probably a large, maybe even a generation-spanning studio of Byzantine artists. Noah's Ark Genesis 6.12-16 "God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks." Genesis 8.10-17 "He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him. By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry. Then God said to Noah, "Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it."

It is unknown when this important abbey was founded here. Legends tell, that Charlemagne was involved as well as his son Louis the Pious and Benedict of Aniane. The church was erected from about 1050 on. As in the crypt of the large church the relics of St. Savin and St. Cyprian were displayed, a large ambulatory with five radial chapels was added for the many pilgrims. The church burnt down during the Hundred Years' War, but got rebuilt and reconstructed in the 17th and 19th century. As many medieval frescoes and murals have survived here since 1983 the "Abbey Church of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe" has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are about 400m² of frescoes. Under the barrel vault of the nave´s ceiling, 17 meters over ground, is indeed a "picture book". André Malraux hailed this as "the Sistine Chapel of the Romanesque period". It is well restored and breathtaking! Here is Noah's Ark.

It is unknown when this important abbey was founded here. Legends tell, that Charlemagne was involved as well as his son Louis the Pious and Benedict of Aniane. The church was erected from about 1050 on. As in the crypt of the large church the relics of St. Savin and St. Cyprian were displayed, a large ambulatory with five radial chapels was added for the many pilgrims. The church burnt down during the Hundred Years' War, but got rebuilt and reconstructed in the 17th and 19th century. As many medieval frescoes and murals have survived here since 1983 the "Abbey Church of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe" has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here is a large part of the nave´s ceiling. This is indeed a "picture book", 17 meters over ground. André Malraux hailed this as "the Sistine Chapel of the Romanesque period". It is well restored and breathtaking! Seen in the center is Noah's Ark.

The Catedral de Santa Maria in Tudela was erected late 12th century on the place, where the Great Mosque of Tudela (9th c.) had stood before. The cathedral is really large (65m x 52m) but unfortunately was closed, so I could not see the well known cloister. I was very impressed by the late-Romanesque "Puerta del Juicio". The slightly pointed portal, created wirthin the 13th century, has eight archivolts and 122 different icons. This is one of 16 (!) capitals of the "Puerta del Juicio", it is pretty damaged, but I was surprised by the dromedary (aka "Arabian camel"). This scene may depict Noah's Ark, but I am not sure. To the right, God is talking to Noah. Under the arch to the left are four persons (Noah´s family?) and below the small ark with a lion (?). The dromedary seems ready to embark.