Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: musicians

After the conquest of Britain under Emperor Claudius, the Romans founded the city of "Isca Dumnoniorum" on the site where a Celtic settlement already existed. Numerous sections of the Roman city wall have survived to this day. In the 7th century, the city fell to Wessex. An Anglo-Saxon monastery was built here around 680. In 876, the Danes attacked Exeter and occupied it briefly, but Alfred the Great was able to drive them out a year later and had the Roman city wall repaired. In 893, Alfred was able to hold the city against a Danish attack for a second time. In 1001, the Danes again failed to take control of Exeter. However, after the town came into the possession of Emma of Normandy in 1002 through her marriage to Æthelred the Unready as part of her dowry, Emma's steward allowed the Danes under Sven Forkbeard to enter Exeter and sack the city the following year. In 1050 the seat of the bishopric, formed in 1032 from the bishoprics of Cornwall and Crediton, was transferred to Exeter and Leofric became the first bishop of the bishopric of Exeter. In 1068 the town was besieged by Norman troops of William the Conqueror, to whom it had refused to swear allegiance, and surrendered after 18 days. The Norman ruler had the fortress of Rougemont built here. However, the Bishop of Exeter also acted as a landowner and feudal lord, as mentioned in the Domesday Book. In the early stages of the civil war that broke out after the death of Henry I, Baldwin de Redvers held Exeter for three months in 1136 against King Stephen, but then surrendered. Henry II granted Exeter its first charter. In the 13th century, Exeter developed into the most important city in the southwest of England. It exported tin and cloth, among other things. From 1295 onwards, it sent representatives to the English Parliament. Exeter had to survive several more sieges, for example in 1467 during the Wars of the Roses, in 1497 by the pretender to the throne Perkin Warbeck and in 1549 by insurgents from Cornwall and Devon who rebelled against the religious reforms of Edward VI, while Exeter remained loyal to the king. During the English Civil War (1642-1649), Exeter was initially on the side of the supporters of Parliament, but was conquered by the Royalists in 1643 and held for King Charles I for almost three years. Construction of the cathedral began in 1112 in the Norman/Romanesque style. The outer walls of the nave and the two colossal square towers, which now serve as the transept, are still preserved from this building. The architect of the Romanesque predecessor had resorted to this unusual solution because the crossing towers, which had previously been built according to English tradition, had collapsed. The new Gothic building began in 1224. The Lady Chapel, a single-nave building with three bays, marked the beginning. Around 1280/90, the retrochoir and the nave followed in the dimensions of the Romanesque church. At about the same time (1270/1280), the chapter house was added to the south transept. The 14th century minstrels´ gallery has angels with musical instruments. A more detailed look. The second from left plays a bagpipe.

After the conquest of Britain under Emperor Claudius, the Romans founded the city of "Isca Dumnoniorum" on the site where a Celtic settlement already existed. Numerous sections of the Roman city wall have survived to this day. In the 7th century, the city fell to Wessex. An Anglo-Saxon monastery was built here around 680. In 876, the Danes attacked Exeter and occupied it briefly, but Alfred the Great was able to drive them out a year later and had the Roman city wall repaired. In 893, Alfred was able to hold the city against a Danish attack for a second time. In 1001, the Danes again failed to take control of Exeter. However, after the town came into the possession of Emma of Normandy in 1002 through her marriage to Æthelred the Unready as part of her dowry, Emma's steward allowed the Danes under Sven Forkbeard to enter Exeter and sack the city the following year. In 1050 the seat of the bishopric, formed in 1032 from the bishoprics of Cornwall and Crediton, was transferred to Exeter and Leofric became the first bishop of the bishopric of Exeter. In 1068 the town was besieged by Norman troops of William the Conqueror, to whom it had refused to swear allegiance, and surrendered after 18 days. The Norman ruler had the fortress of Rougemont built here. However, the Bishop of Exeter also acted as a landowner and feudal lord, as mentioned in the Domesday Book. In the early stages of the civil war that broke out after the death of Henry I, Baldwin de Redvers held Exeter for three months in 1136 against King Stephen, but then surrendered. Henry II granted Exeter its first charter. In the 13th century, Exeter developed into the most important city in the southwest of England. It exported tin and cloth, among other things. From 1295 onwards, it sent representatives to the English Parliament. Exeter had to survive several more sieges, for example in 1467 during the Wars of the Roses, in 1497 by the pretender to the throne Perkin Warbeck and in 1549 by insurgents from Cornwall and Devon who rebelled against the religious reforms of Edward VI, while Exeter remained loyal to the king. During the English Civil War (1642-1649), Exeter was initially on the side of the supporters of Parliament, but was conquered by the Royalists in 1643 and held for King Charles I for almost three years. Construction of the cathedral began in 1112 in the Norman/Romanesque style. The outer walls of the nave and the two colossal square towers, which now serve as the transept, are still preserved from this building. The architect of the Romanesque predecessor had resorted to this unusual solution because the crossing towers, which had previously been built according to English tradition, had collapsed. The new Gothic building began in 1224. The Lady Chapel, a single-nave building with three bays, marked the beginning. Around 1280/90, the retrochoir and the nave followed in the dimensions of the Romanesque church. At about the same time (1270/1280), the chapter house was added to the south transept. The 14th century minstrels´ gallery has 14 carved angels with different musical instruments.

The place may have been donated end of the 10th century for a convent, but the church, located on the banks of the Miño River, is the only remaing building. Given the steepness of the area, to save the levels, the apse was made by excavating the rock, while the facade was built on a crypt . I have the impression that the tympanum has been lost. Two of the men in the inner archivolt carry sun and moon, the other instruments. On the right is a harp.

According to the Roman historian Titus Livius "Valentia" was founded by Consul Decimus Iunius Brutus Callaicus in the 4th century BC. A century later "Valentia Edetanorum" became one of the first Hispanic cities to become a Roman colony. The city made rapid progress after the Arab conquest in 711, reaching 15,000 inhabitants in the Caliphate of Córdoba. The Amirids and the Dhun Nunids ruled in “Balansiya”. In 1094, El Cid, a Castilian noble, conquered the city. The conquest was not carried out on behalf of one of the Christian kingdoms, but on the Cid's own account, who proclaimed himself "Señor de Valencia" and thus created a kind of private kingdom. He was able to defend the city against several Almoravid attacks, and after his death in 1099, his widow Jimena managed to hold Valencia until 1102, when it fell to the Almoravids, and a little later to the Almohads. After the victory of the united Christian armies over the Almohads in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212), Moorish Spain fell apart again into individual small kingdoms, including a Taifa from Valencia. It was finally conquered in 1238 by Jaime​ I de Aragón (aka "el Conquistador"), after a five-month siege. In the 15th century, the city grew rapidly and developed into one of the largest Mediterranean ports and an important trade and financial center. At the beginning of the 15th century the city had around 40,000. The "Lonja de la Seda" ("Silk Exchange") is a late Gothic-style building built between 1482 and 1533. Behind the current building, there was an earlier one from the 14th century, which was called "Lonja del Aceite" (Oil Exchange). It was used not only for trading with agricultural goods, but for all kind of business. Valencia's commercial prosperity reached its peak during the 15th century, and led to the construction of this building. The design was derived from a similar Lonja of Palma de Majorca. The main hall "Sala de Contratación", where the contracts were discussed and signed, is a large lavishly decorated space supported by twisted columns. The hall opens to a walled courtyard with orange trees. Strange creatures populate the portal to the garden. However, they seem to be very musical.

León was founded in 68 AD for a Roman legion from which they were supposed to pacify the rebellious mountain dwellers of Asturias and Cantabria. The name of the settlement that was then developed is based on a refined form of the Latin word "legio". After the end of the Roman Empire, the city was conquered by the Visigoths and in 712 by the Moors. In 856, after the reconquest under King Ordoño I of Asturias, the city was repopulated. Ordoño II made León the capital of his kingdom of León in 914. Sacked by Almanzor in about 987, the city was reconstructed and repopulated by Alfonso V, León was an important stop on the Way of St. James to Santiago de Compostela. Traders and artisans settled in the suburbs and had a strong influence on the development of the city from the 13th century onwards. In the early Middle Ages, the city became prosperous through the cattle trade. However, from the 16th century until the 19th century, the economy and population declined. The main construction period of the cathedral was between 1255 and 1303. The first architect was "Master Enrique", who had previously built the transept and nave of Burgos Cathedral between 1243 and 1260. "Master Enrique" directed the construction from 1255 to 1277, using Reims Cathedral as a model. The experience he gained in Burgos prompted him to take a risk, which paid off centuries later, as many openings later had to be bricked up for stability reasons. In the middle of the 19th century, the structure was on the verge of collapse and had to be completely restored. Reconstruction lasted from 1859 to 1901. In 1302, the work was apparently stopped, probably for financial reasons. This may also be the reason for the comparatively short nave with only five bays, for the lack of a tower in the transept. The upper parts of the cathedral were not completed until 1439. Angels and musicians

Santo Domingo de Silos is a village with a population of about 300 - and at least one nice hotel. The first monastery was founded here in the Visigoth period (~ 590), but this monastery did not survive the Muslim period. A monastery was founded here again in 929, but it came to a standstill again after the raids under Almansor in the last quarter of the 10th century. In 1002 the monastery was destroyed and had to be founded again. During the term of abbot Domingo de Silos from 1041- 1073, the monastery was strongly supported by King Ferdinand I, who was in power 1035 - 1065. Under Abbot Domingo, construction began on a Romanesque church with three naves, a transept and five apses. The consecration took place in 1088 before the construction as a whole was completed after the turn of the 12th century. After abbot Domingo's death, his veneration began and the monastery adopted him as its patron saint. It was called Santo Domingo de Silos from about 1110. In the 18th century, there was a need for a larger church. The Romanesque church was demolished and replaced by a baroque new building. The Romanesque cloister has two stories. The lower floor was of course built sometime earlier than the upper floor. The dates are disputed. The oldest parts may date from the late tenure of Saint Domingo. The upper one was completed around 1160/80. The doubting Thomas (John 20:24-31) Musicians play on the arch and the apostles bear their names on the halos