Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: grafitti

Ely was founded in 673 by St Æthelthryth, daughter of King Anne of East Anglia, by founding an abbey to the north of the village of Cratendune in the Isle of Ely. Queen Æthelthryth from Northumbria was on the run from her husband Ecgfrith, whom she refused to sleep with for twelve years in order not to break an oath of chastity. Ten years after her death, her body is said to have remained uncorrupted. She was reinterred in a marble sarcophagus, which was described as miraculous and attracted many pilgrims. When the Normans under William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, Ely was successfully defended under Hereward the Wake until the clergy handed over the Isle of Ely to the king in 1071 on condition that they were allowed to retain all the rights and privileges they had enjoyed since the time of Edward the Confessor. A diocese of Ely was founded as early as 1109. Ely Cathedral is widely recognised as a prime example of Romanesque-Norman architecture due to its Romanesque core and Norman basic concept. A large number of its structural elements are in Gothic forms, the use of which began here as early as the 12th century. Under William the Conquerer, the new Romanesque abbey church was begun in 1083 by the Norman abbot Simeon, a former monk of St Ouen near Rouen, who was already 90 years old at the time. Work began with the choir. The eastern transept was built between 1087 and 1093 with aisles originally running around three sides of the wings. The arcades of this transept are now the oldest parts of the first construction phase. The 12-bay nave dates from the 12th century and has the highest nave in England. It was completed in 1180 and has a three-part elevation with alternating columns and galleries. The portal on the south aisle dates from around 1140 with a depiction of the Majestas Domini. An influence from south-west France is likely. The door led to the cloister, which no longer exists. After a break of thirty years, the west tower and west transept were completed. The new master builder succeeded in completing the work, which had begun in Romanesque forms, by consistently using early Gothic pointed arches, without creating disharmony between old and new. Under Bishop Hugh of Northwold, the polygonal Romanesque choir was demolished and replaced from 1234 by the present six-bay Gothic choir, completed in 1252. Naturally, a place like the cathedral attracts many vandals who leave graffiti on the walls.

In Roman times Gloucester (= "Glevum") Glevum was an important crossing of the River Severn. At its height, Glevum may have had a population of as many as 10,000 people. The entire area around Glevum was intensely Romanised in the second and third centuries with a high distribution of villas. Withdrawal of all Roman forces in about 410 may have allowed leading families of the Dobunni tribe to regain power. In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Gloucester is shown as part of Wessex from the Battle of Deorham in 577. The foundation in 681 of the abbey of St Peter by Æthelred of Mercia, favoured town growth; and before the Norman conquest of England, Gloucester was a borough governed by a portreeve, with a castle which was frequently a royal residence, and a mint. In the early 10th century the remains of Saint Oswald were brought to a small church here and shrine built there, a draw for pilgrims. The first Norman ruler, Earl Godwine, was succeeded almost a century later by Robert of Gloucester. In a charter of 1155, Henry II of England granted the citizens the same rights as the inhabitants of London and Winchester. Henry II's second charter guaranteed free passage across the River Severn. The first charter was confirmed by King Richard I in 1194. King John Lackland´s charter in 1200 considerably extended the town's rights. A mainstay of the local economy in the late Middle Ages was the textile trade. In the days of the Hanseatic League, the clothmakers of Gloucester maintained lively business contacts with the German merchants in London. Gloucester Abbey was initially founded as a nunnery in the 7th century. Benedictines moved in in 1022. In 1072, Serlo, a native of Normandy, became abbot and the dilapidated old Gloucester Abbey was reoccupied. At Christmas 1085, William the Conqueror commissioned the legendary Domesday Book to be drawn up in the old chapter house, in which the new ownership of the conquered land was recorded. In the following years, the abbey received various donations from William and his sons, enabling Bishop Robert of Hereford to lay the foundation stone for a new, larger Norman church in 1089. It was consecrated in 1100. At this time, probably only the choir with the gallery and the extensive crypt, the crossing and the first bays of the nave had been completed. The structure of the wall then changed; it is assumed that a fire in 1122 was the cause of this. Then there was a series of structural damages. Among other things, the southern west tower collapsed in 1170. After the roof truss burnt down in 1190, the stone vaulting of the nave was completed in 1242.This created a clear contrast between the mighty Norman pillars and the delicate Gothic vaulting rising from the triforium zone. At the beginning of the 14th century, the abbey had funds at its disposal, which were invested in the embellishment of the church. Firstly, the north aisle was renovated from 1318 to 1329 and the south transept was remodelled from 1331 to 1337 by not demolishing the old "Serlo building", but instead deciding to rebuild it.This part of the Serlo building from around 1100 is therefore still largely preserved, albeit hidden behind a new wall.The vault was raised, the clerestory windows enlarged and the remains of the Norman wall covered with the new Decorated Style tracery. After the Dissolution of the monasteries, Henry VIII created the new Diocese of Gloucester and in 1541, the abbey church became the cathedral. While the ceiling of the cloister has wonderful fans vaults, the lower parts are covered with carved grafitti

Napoli is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy. Its metropolitan area has a population of more than 3 million. Founded by Greek settlers before 900 BC, Napoli was an important part of Magna Graecia and played a major role in the merging of Greek and Roman society. Following the decline of the Western Roman Empire Napoli was shortly ruled by the Ostrogoths. Byzantine troops captured the city in 536m but after the Byzantine exarchate Ravenna fell a Duchy of Naples was created. Over centuries the Duchy´s relations to Rome or Byzanz were hard-fought. In 836 Napoli could repel a siege of Lombard troops with the help of the Saracens, what did not prevent Muhammad I Abu 'l-Abbas in the 850s loot Napoli. In the 11th century, the Duchy hired Norman mercenaries and about 1140 it came under Norman control under Roger II, then King of Sicily. In 1228 Emperor Frederick II founded the first university in Europe here, making Napoli the intellectual centre of the kingdom. The conflict between the House of Hohenstaufen and the Papacy led in 1266 to Pope Innocent IV crowning the Angevin duke Charles I King of Sicily. Charles officially moved the capital from Palermo to Napoli. In 1282 after the "Sicilian Vespers", a successful rebellion on the island of Sicily against the rule of King Charles I, the Kingdom of Sicily was divided into two. The Angevin Kingdom of Naples included the southern part of the Italian peninsula, while the island of Sicily became the Aragonese Kingdom of Sicily. By the 17th century, Naples had become Europe's second-largest city – second only to Paris – with around 250000 inhabitants. Church and football are very important in Napoli.

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. Palermo, founded in 734 BC by the Phoenicians, became a possession of Carthage and later was part of the Roman Empire. From 831 to 1072 the city was under Arab rule. Following the Norman conquest, Palermo became the capital of a new Kingdom of Sicily and the capital of the Holy Roman Empire under Emperor Frederick II and King Conrad IV. Today Palermo is a bustling city with a population of about 700.000 plus - many many tourists. Religion still plays an important role. I have never seen more street art "playing" with pious motifs and icons.

This church was a big surprise for me. It is visible from outside, that there is something strange, as the tower is just too massive.. It is not a "tower". This an octagonal chapel, that dates back to the 9th century. This is a Carolingian structure, related to Charlemagne´s octagonal "Palatine Chapel" in Aachen (= "Aix-la-Chapelle") and the oratory in Germigny-des-Prés. There is no town near. The chapel is placed "in the middle of nowhere" next to the small river Isle. Many human bones were found during excavations, that may be even older than the rotunda. Was there a battle? Was there a cemetery? A "hospital"? Or was this a baptisterium? It is claimed here, that this is not the only such building in the Dordogne area, but in France! There are no graffiti outside the rotunda, but quite a lot around the entrance doors of the Romanesque nave. Crosses were often carved in by "pelerins".

This church was a big surprise for me. It is visible from outside, that there is something strange, as the tower is just too massive.. It is not a "tower". This an octagonal chapel, that dates back to the 9th century. This is a Carolingian structure, related to Charlemagne´s octagonal "Palatine Chapel" in Aachen (= "Aix-la-Chapelle") and the oratory in Germigny-des-Prés. There is no town near. The chapel is placed "in the middle of nowhere" next to the small river Isle. Many human bones were found during excavations, that may be even older than the rotunda. Was there a battle? Was there a cemetery? A "hospital"? Or was this a baptisterium? It is claimed here, that this is not the only such building in the Dordogne area, but in France! There are no graffiti outside the rotunda, but quite a lot around the entrance doors of the Romanesque nave.

Over the last years I had met a smoking lady in Arles a couple of times, but this year, she had left the place. Her friend, a very elegant matador, was just next door.